The Antique House Murders

In this irresistible cozy mystery from the author of The Book Club Murders, amateur sleuth Charley Carpenter fights to avenge a crime that hits far too close to home.

Mulbridge House stood, silent and decaying, deep in the woods at the heart of Oakwood, Ohio, long before the passing of Augusta Mulbridge. Yet suddenly everyone in town seems to have a stake in its fate: the greedy heirs, eager to tear it down for a tidy profit; the local preservationists, determined to maintain it as an historic site; the angry neighbors, staunchly opposed to the construction of a modern subdivision. Even Charley Carpenter is forced to admit that her beloved shop, Old Hat Vintage Fashions, could use an infusion of the estate’s treasures.

The clock is ticking. The wrecking ball is ready to swing. All that stands between Mulbridge House and oblivion is one final vote. That, and murder . . .

The trouble begins when Charley walks into auctioneer Calvin Prescott’s office to find her cherished family friend crumpled on the floor. Detective Marcus Trenault quickly connects his death to a string of increasingly violent burglaries plaguing Oakwood. But when Charley uncovers a link to a massive land swindle worth millions, not to mention a drug ring operating out of the manor’s abandoned outbuildings, that theory crumbles faster than Mulbridge House. Now Charley’s racing to catch a killer before everything falls apart.

My review: four out of five stars

Although I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, all opinions remain my own.

This was a wonderful who-dunnit book. Kept me guessing until the end. This is the second book in this series I have read and I liked this one just as much as the other. Charley is such a fun character and it is interesting to watch how her mind works. How she works around her deceive boyfriend's order not to get involved in the case. In the end, Charley is all up in this case.

Great read overall.

Ensnared

A Near-Future Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Alainn’s father is not a bad man. He’s a genius and an inventor. When he’s hired to create the robot Rose, Alainn knows taking the money is a mistake.

Rose acts like a human. She looks exactly like Alainn. But, something in her comes out wrong.

To save her father from a five year prison sentence, Alainn takes Rose’s place. She says goodbye to the sun and goes to live in a tower no human is allowed to enter. She becomes the prisoner of a man no human is allowed to see.

Believing that a life of servitude lies ahead, Alainn finds a very different fate awaits her in the company of the strange, scarred recluse.

[This novel contains adult situations and is only suitable for readers who are 18+]

Although I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, all opinions remain my own.

This book was quite the ride. When I saw it was about an AI robot, I figured things wouldn't be going well for the humans. That's usually how it goes. What I didn't expect was how much I would learn to love the characters. The book seemed super weird at first. Man wants AI robot to be his company for dinner each night, that's it. But the man sits at a darkened end of the table, invisible to his company. Unseen, the stranger is more compelling then Alainn thought he would be.

I devoured this book in a day. Watching, waiting what was going to happen to Alainn kept me going. Then wondering what was going on kept me reading. My husband was amazed I finished this one so quickly.

Totally recommend this book to lovers of the sci-fi. It does have a few adult situations and does have a disclaimer. Not for young readers. A great one though. Pick it up!

The Simplicity of Cider

Fall in love with The Simplicity of Cider, the charming new novel about a prickly but gifted cider-maker whose quiet life is interrupted by the arrival of a handsome man and his young son at her family’s careworn orchard by the author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie.
Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.

Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.

Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.

From the warm and funny Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider is a charming love story with a touch of magic, perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Gayle Forman.

Although I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, all opinions remain my own.

A good story pulls you in with characters who are real and believable. I think I fell in love with these characters as soon as I opened the book. With each page that turned, another layer of the characters showed up. There is so much more running through this book then just the story of a father and son road trip. Having it set in an apple orchard was just perfect for me, having been raised around apple trees. I love, love, loved this book.

The Best Kind of Magic

Amber Sand is not a witch. The Sand family Wicca gene somehow leapfrogged over her. But she did get one highly specific magical talent: she can see true love. As a matchmaker, Amber's pretty far down the sorcery food chain (even birthday party magicians rank higher), but after five seconds of eye contact, she can envision anyone's soul mate.

Amber works at her mother's magic shop--Windy City Magic--in downtown Chicago, and she's confident she's seen every kind of happy ending there is: except for one--her own. (The Fates are tricky jerks that way.) So when Charlie Blitzman, the mayor's son and most-desired boy in school, comes to her for help finding his father's missing girlfriend, she's distressed to find herself falling for him. Because while she can't see her own match, she can see his--and it's not Amber. How can she, an honest peddler of true love, pursue a boy she knows full well isn't her match?

The Best Kind of Magic is set in urban Chicago and will appeal to readers who long for magic in the real world. With a sharp-witted and sassy heroine, a quirky cast of mystical beings, and a heady dose of adventure, this novel will have you laughing out loud and questioning your belief in happy endings.

My review: four out of five stars

Although I received a copy of this eBook from the publisher, all opinions remain my own.

Loved the magic in this book. It was a perfect combo of teenage-drama and magic. Real life questions were brought up for me. Pondering if you can enjoy the person in front of you, even if they aren't who you are meant to be with. It's an interesting question.

Almost Missed You

Violet and Finn were “meant to be,” said everyone, always. They ended up together by the hands of fate aligning things just so. Three years into their marriage, they have a wonderful little boy, and as the three of them embark on their first vacation as a family, Violet can’t help thinking that she can’t believe her luck. Life is good.

So no one is more surprised than she when Finn leaves her at the beach—just packs up the hotel room and disappears. And takes their son with him. Violet is suddenly in her own worst nightmare, and faced with the knowledge that the man she’s shared her life with, she never really knew at all.

Caitlin and Finn have been best friends since way back when, but when Finn shows up on Caitlin’s doorstep with the son he’s wanted for kidnapping, demands that she hide them from the authorities, and threatens to reveal a secret that could destroy her own family if she doesn’t, Caitlin faces an impossible choice.

Told through alternating viewpoints of Violet, Finn and Caitlin, Almost Missed You is a powerful story of a mother’s love, a husband’s betrayal, connections that maybe should have been missed, secrets that perhaps shouldn’t have been kept, and spaces between what’s meant to be and what might have been.

Although I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher (via netgalley), all opinions remain my own.

Four of five stars

What a story. Not sure I can even put into words how I am feeling right now. The mystery kept me guessing the entire story. As more and more pieces came together, I thought I figured it out, but nope. The ending of this book was simply wonderful. I love how the different characters all get to have a time narrating. You hear each side of the story, in its own time. This book also jumps back and forth between the present and the past.

If you love a good mystery, pick this one up!

The Other F Word

A fresh, humorous, and timely YA novel about two teens conceived via in vitro fertilization who go in search for answers about their donor.

Milo has two great moms, but he's never known what it's like to have a dad. When Milo's doctor suggests asking his biological father to undergo genetic testing to shed some light on Milo's extreme allergies, he realizes this is a golden opportunity to find the man he's always wondered about.

Hollis's mom Leigh hasn't been the same since her other mom, Pam, passed away seven years ago. But suddenly, Leigh seems happy—giddy, even—by the thought of reconnecting with Hollis's half-brother Milo. Hollis and Milo were conceived using the same sperm donor. They met once, years ago, before Pam died.

Now Milo has reached out to Hollis to help him find their donor. Along the way, they locate three other donor siblings, and they discover the true meaning of the other F-word: family.


Although I received a copy of this e-book from NetGalley, all opinions remain my own.

My review: four out of five stars

This is another of those big social issue books. Two kids, fathered by sperm donors, work together to seek out the man who gave them half their genetics. I thought the author did an amazing job with how the kids must have been feeling, going into the project. It gave me another viewpoint that I wouldn't have otherwise thought of. The characters were interesting. I thought they showed some real growth through the book.

I think this book was very well written. I would totally recommend it to my friends.

Armstrong & Charlie

Charlie isn’t looking forward to sixth grade. If he starts sixth grade, chances are he’ll finish it. And when he does, he’ll grow older than the brother he recently lost. Armstrong isn’t looking forward to sixth grade, either. When his parents sign him up for Opportunity Busing to a white school in the Hollywood Hills, all he wants to know is "What time in the morning will my alarm clock have the opportunity to ring?" When these two land at the same desk, it's the Rules Boy next to the Rebel, a boy who lost a brother elbow-to-elbow with a boy who longs for one.

From September to June, arms will wrestle, fists will fly, and bottles will spin. There'll be Ho Hos spiked with hot sauce, sleepovers, boy talk about girls, and a little guidance from the stars.
Set in Los Angeles in the 1970s, Armstrong and Charlie is the hilarious, heartwarming tale of two boys from opposite worlds, Different, yet the same.

Although I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher (via netgalley) all opinions remain my own.

My review: 5 out of 5 stars

I thought this book was wonderful. Giving us a view of what it was like right after the segregation ended, when they were busing inner-city black children into the outlying "white" schools. I had never read a story like this one. It was quite amazing to me to see the struggle both sides of this story had.

I loved the characters. Even the pain in the butt (at least at first) Armstrong was, in the end, a quite likable boy. You get to know the things that made him the person he is. And then there is Charlie, another boy with a deep history. It is interesting to see how the boys interact. You also see how Armstrong is treated by other students, staff and even the families of the white school students.

This book finished quite open, but still enough closure with the ending of the school year. Seriously a book that makes you think about things.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

A mysterious island. 

An abandoned orphanage. 

A strange collection of very curious photographs. 

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. 

As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. 

As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

I read this book with a group of girls at my work as the first story for our book club. Out of the whole three who came, two of us liked it enough to start the next books. I was one of those two.

I thought this book was really good. Riggs takes the concept of time travel to a new level. The loops had me a bit confused for awhile but I finally figured it out.

I loved the main character Jacob. He has such a strong voice in the story. When he is seeking mental health treatments after a family tragedy, he still believes what he saw. He convinces his parents to allow him to visit the place where his grandfather's stories were born.

I also really enjoyed the pictures. Some of them were so strange and to know they were real pictures that were the base for this story was really neat.

One thing I didn't like was the relationship between Jacob and his parents. The entire book they felt like distant characters. There was no personal connection between them and Jacob. It felt like they were just letting him be. Even on the island, the father let him wander all over, all by himself.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I probably won't read again, but I will read the next in the series because this one ended very abruptly.

The Kite Runner

1970s Afghanistan: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what would happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realizes that one day he must return to an Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.

TW: Rape, suicide, war, death, cancer.

Although it is a work of fiction, you can sometimes lose yourself so much in the story that you forget. I can imagine this kind of story happens every day... It was so real I often had to remind myself it was a work of fiction. I wanted to know where are they now?? But, they aren't. They aren't real.

I can see why this book is on the list. Some of the scenes are quite graphic, including the sexual assault of a child by other children. Still don't agree with the "decision" because it is the life some children are living.

The Best Possible Answer

AP exams—check

SAT test—check

College application—check

Date the wrong guy and ruin everything you’ve spent your whole life working for—check

Super-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has never had room to be anything less than perfect. But her quest for perfection is derailed when her boyfriend leaks a private picture of her to the entire school—a picture only he was supposed to see. Making matters worse, her parents are getting divorced and now her perfect family is falling apart. For the first time, Vivi feels like a complete and utter failure.

Then she gets a job working at the community pool, where she meets a new group of friends who know nothing about her past. That includes Evan, a gorgeous guy who makes her want to do something she never thought she’d do again: trust. For the first time in her life, Vivi realizes she can finally be whoever she wants. But who is that? While she tries to figure it out, she learns something they never covered in her AP courses: that it’s okay to be less than perfect, because it’s our imperfections that make us who we are.

Although I received a copy of this e-book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Devoured this book in just two sittings. In this novel you meet Viviana. It starts out with her in the hospital, having just fell asleep on her bike. You figure out that she has panic attacks. The way that Kottaras describes them was just as I experience them. Instant connection with Viviana's character. The things she goes through in the one summer this book covers is just extensive and seeing her work through things with her family and in her life was really thought provoking. Though this may not describe every person with an anxiety disorder, it certainly rang real for me. I really enjoyed this book, nearly as much as the first Kottaras book I read.

The Impostor Queen

Sixteen-year-old Elli was only a child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic in service of her people. The only life Elli has known has been in the temple, surrounded by luxury, tutored by magic-wielding priests, preparing for the day when the queen perishes—and the ice and fire find a new home in Elli, who is prophesied to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between her love for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must choose the right side before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

Borrowed this book from the library and so glad I did. It started out a bit slow, but picked up quickly. By the middle of the book I was hooked and finished it in two sittings including an entire afternoon to finish it.

The characters are very easy to like and become attached to. More then once I found myself crying for them. There were also a number of times where I laughed out loud and had to attempt to explain why to my husband.

This story is magical and really pulls you in. The plot line keeps you guessing what is going to happen but it isn't so fast paced that you get left behind. While the book does end on a bit of a cliff hanger, enough to make you want to read the next book. It wasn't so big that it was a non ending (you know how I hate those!)

Book two is reserved at my local library already.

The Homehoming

By: Stacie Ramey
Overall review: ☆☆☆1/2
Forced to return to his estranged family, John discovers how hard it is to truly go home.

It's been a year since John lost his girlfriend, Leah, to suicide. Living with his uncle keeps his mind from the tragedy and his screwed up family-until he gets into trouble and a judge sends him back home. With a neglectful mother and abusive brother, John's homecoming is far from happy.

As he tries to navigate and repair the relationships he abandoned years ago, Emily, the girl next door, is the only bright spot. She's sweet and smart and makes him think his heart may finally be healing. But tragedy isn't far away, and John must soon face an impossible decision: save his family or save himself.

Although I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the publisher, all opinions remain my own.

Amazing how the books I read seem to almost apply to my life.

In this book, John is forced to return to his estranged family. What I found relate-able was his coping method. He wanted to just find a way to pretend the problems didn't exist for him. 

The way he is almost running from the suicide of his girlfriend is so real to me. I imagine if someone I love killed themselves, I would find fault in myself somehow. Not only is he running from that, he is running from his family. He believes that the accident that caused his brother's disability is his fault, even thinks his mom and dad believe that. 

By the end of the book, I was in tears because he realizes no one is thinking that.

One quote toward the end really jumped out at me: I lower my voice, try to keep calm. "Five seconds of our life should not dictate the rest."

Isn't that one to live by!?

The Book Club Murders

In a charming cozy mystery series debut, Leslie Nagel’s irrepressible small-town heroine finds that her fellow mystery book club members may be taking their Agatha Christie a bit too literally—and murder a bit too lightly.

Charley Carpenter has poured heart and soul into her clothing store, Old Hat Vintage Fashions. She’ll do anything to make it a success—even join the stuffy Agathas Book Club in order to cultivate customers among the wealthy elite of Oakwood, Ohio.

Although mixing with the most influential women in town has its advantages, Charley finds the endless gossip a high price to pay. But after two women with close ties to the Agathas are brutally murdered, everyone falls under threat—and suspicion. When key evidence indicates that both murders are the work of the same hand, Charley realizes that the killer has arranged each corpse in perfect imitation of crime scenes from the Club’s murder mystery reading list. She uses her membership in the Club to convince Detective Marcus Trenault to use her as an inside informant. Not that he could stop her anyway.

Intelligent, fearless, and every bit as stubborn as Marc is, Charley soon learns the Agathas aren’t the only ones with secrets to protect. Passions explode as she and Marc must race against time to prevent another murder. And if Charley’s not careful, she may find herself becoming the killer’s next plot twist. 

I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My review: 3 of 5 stars

There is a serial killer on the loose in Oakwood. The killer seems to be using the books that Charley's book club is reading. That puts her squarely in the position to help find the killer before he or she strikes again.

I found this book charming. Charley is quite the character to follow. I loved the way you could see her mind working. I also really enjoyed her friends and the cop she can't stand. You will get it when you read the book! Nagel did an amazing job making Charley seem real by putting elements into her life that add to her depth. She is helping care for a father who has had a stroke. Her small business is a big part of her life. Just real details that made her seem all that more personable.

The plot of this book didn't disappoint. I would call this a page-turner if I had been reading a paper book, but I call this one a screen tapper. Every time I thought I had figured it out, something else would happen that had me questioning my guesses. One of the things I love about mystery books is that you can keep on guessing who dunnit and no matter if you are right or wrong, you can enjoy the book.

Overall this book gets a solid four stars. I hope there are more to come with these characters. Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this amazing book before publication.

Moon Chosen

Chosen to embrace her true identity. 

Chosen to follow her destiny. 

Chosen to change her world.

Mari is an Earth Walker, heir to the unique healing powers of her Clan, but she has been forced to turn from her duties, until she is chosen by a special animal ally, altering her destiny forever. When a deadly attack tears her world apart, Mari reveals the strength of her powers and the forbidden secret of her dual nature as she embarks on a mission to save herself and her people. It is not until Nik, the son of the leader from a rival, dominating Tribe, strays across her path that Mari experiences something she has never felt before…

Now evil is coming, and with it, a force more terrible and destructive than the world has ever seen, leaving Mari to cast the shadows from the earth. By breaking Clan Law and forming an alliance with Nik, she must make herself ready. Ready to save her people. Ready to save herself and Nik. Ready to embrace her true destiny…and battle the forces that threaten to destroy them all.

I received an advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My review: 4 out of 5 stars

When I saw this offer to review a PC Cast book, I was excited to check it out. I love her house of night series and jumped at the opportunity to read the start to a new series. This book did not disappoint.

First of all, let me gush on the cover a bit. It is beyond beautiful. Really makes you wonder what is going on. This cover built up the book and I was so glad it didn't disappoint.

In the world of Moon Chosen, the world has been split into three tribes: The Earth Walkers, the Companions and the Skin Stealers.

This book mostly follows Mari, a "half breed" born to an earth walker mother and a Companion father. Unfortunately, her father is out of the picture, so it is her and mom. Her mom is the Moon Woman of her tribe, which is kind of like the healer of the tribe. The tribe is quite complicated and I'm not going to try to explain it. I will let you read the book for yourself.

Another main character in this book is Nik, one of the Companion tribe. In the Companion tribe, you can only be a leader if you are chosen by one of the canines.

The world that Cast weaves is both beautiful and terrible. Every chapter where the skin stealers were mentioned was a bit creepy to me. Eagerly awaiting the next book in this beautifully written world.

Immortal Writers

Although I received an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. 

Before starting the review, I just want to drool over this cover a bit. The scene in the dragon eye? Stunning! I love that this one is different. I think I would have picked it up at a bookstore or library just based on the cover. 

The description: Young up-and-coming author Liz McKinnen has no idea that her life is about to change forever when she comes home from her first book tour. When she's kidnapped and told by her captors that she has to kill her fantasy book's antagonist, she thinks that she's fallen into the hands of crazy, dangerous fans... until her antagonist sends a real, fire-breathing dragon after her. Liz is quickly initiated into the Immortal Writers, a group of authors from throughout time whose words have given them eternal life, and whose prose is so powerful that it's brought stories over from the Imagination Field into the Reality Field. As Liz meets authors such as William Shakespeare, JRR Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe, and Jane Austen, she has to learn how to control magic, fight dragons, and face her own troubled past before her power-hungry villain takes over the world. Will she survive the ultimate battle against the dragon lord whom she created?- Goodreads

I loved nearly every part of this book. The story was original and compelling. Kept me turning pages all the way through.

The characters: I found the characters to be quite enjoyable. You really see Liz grow throughout this book mentally, emotionally and physically. Having characters that you think you know show up in the book (Shakespeare for example) made things quite interesting. I thought that Bower did an amazing job keeping the characters true to the actual people. Poe was one that I really wouldn't want to spend an afternoon with, especially after his description in this book!

The plot: As I said above, this book was original and very compelling. It was honestly a book that I couldn't wait to finish. I love that there is a possibility for more Immortal Writers books. The pace was steady up until the final 25%, then it picks up and finishes quite quickly, but not so quick that it leaves you wanting more. I feel this book was just right!

If you love fantasy and the idea of "a group of authors from throughout time whose words have given them eternal life, and whose prose is so powerful that it's brought stories over from the Imagination Field into the Reality Field" is just an amazing idea. In fact, while I was describing this book to a friend a random stranger stopped me and asked the title.

If you would like to get your own copy of this amazing book, it just released TODAY and is available in both print and e-book formats.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indigo
Kobo

Monsters of Verity Duology

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

Let me just say, this cover is amazing. I love that they have the picture within the violin. Stunning. Font goes perfectly with the image.

My overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Just wow!

Took me awhile to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. This book takes the dystopian genre to a new level.

August was such an amazing character. The fact that he is a monster who didn't want to be one, a new twist. Fighting against what you are.

Then there is Kate. At first, I couldn't stand her. She seemed a spoiled, awful girl. But as you read, the layers come off and you see the person under the rough bad-girl facade. Schwab does an amazing job of going back and forth between the two points of view (August and Kate). I didn't get confused like I sometimes do with books that have alternating viewpoints.

Book one completed, cannot wait for Our Dark Duet, the second book in this saga. This book left me really wanting to know what is going to happen to both August and Kate.

Not only that, but I have more of Schwab's books on my endless TBR pile!

The sequel—and conclusion—to Victoria Schwab’s instant #1 New York Times bestseller, This Savage Song.

Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.

A gorgeously written dark fantasy from New York Times-bestselling author Victoria Schwab, and one to hand to fans of Holly Black, Laini Taylor, and Maggie Stiefvater.

Freaking wow. What a duet this was. I am buying this so I have the complete set.

My Lady Jane

This comical, fantastical, romantical, New York Times bestselling, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey is “an uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.

New York Times Bestseller * Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of 2016 * Bustle Best Young Adult Book of 2016 * YALSA 2017 Best Fiction for Young Adults

I received a SIGNED copy of this book in my first every Uppercase Box and I was NOT disappointed!

Looking at the cover and reading the description, it wasn't a book I would have picked up from the store, but since I paid for it, and it is part of the experience, I read it. Took me awhile to get into it, but once I got hooked, there was no letting go. The second half of the book took me less then a day to read (and that was a work day so it was between phone calls!) I loved the idea of taking a historical event and using it as a seed and making the story you wish would have happened. Hand, Ashton and Meadows created such a wonderful story, makes me wish that is really what happened. They were also able to weave in a bit of magic. In this case, the Edian people change into animals. I loved that it was just that one piece of magic that happened. It was just a small part of the bigger story.

A bonus of getting this from Uppercase is that they give you additional reading experience. As you reach certain points in the book, you can go online to their website, enter the code for the page you are on and learn more about that part or watch videos from the authors. Just added to the already wonderful story.

If you haven't heard of Uppercase (which is possible since they are still new and small!) you should check it out at uppercasebox.com. Along with a hardcover signed copy of My Lady Jane, I also got a Deathly hallows magnet, a custom tote bag and a bookmark.

Books BANNED?

I was saddened the other night when I saw this article. A school district very near to us has banned 22 books from their school libraries. 

This is the list of books they are banning and the "support" found in this document. If you read the entire document from the Nampa School Board, it gives so many more details. 

The following books are recommended for removal from the list of challenged books for lack of or little sexual content:

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Common Sense Media gives the book a 5-star rating for overall as well as for educational value, language, and violence. The target audience is 16+.

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 1 out of 5 for sexual content: The author describes romantic love and caring adults' desire for affection. 

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli - Common Sense Media gives it an overall rating of 4 stars. “ 

Language gets a 4-star rating and there is scenes of underage drinking and teens in gay and bisexual relationships. 

Sexual Content: Common Sense Media rates this book 2 out of 5 for sexual content: Mentions of sexuality: "Of course I told my mom I'm bisexual, even though none of my friends know." But no actual sex. Sweet kissing scene

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang - Common Sense Media gives this story a 5-star overall rating and says it is a standout for both positive role models and positives messages. The target audience is 12+.

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 1 out of 5 for sexual content: One kiss, one almost kiss, and growing feelings of attraction and love illustrated.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - Common Sense Media gives an overall rating of 3 stars. 

Target audience is 14+.

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 2 out of 5 for sexual content: There's sexual innuendo, kissing, and inappropriate touching -- a boy grabs a girl's butt 

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater - Common Sense Media gives the overall rating of 5 stars, while also being a standout for positive role models, positive messages, and educational value. 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 1 out of 5 for sexual content: Mention of more than one teen pregnancy, including Richard's mom's. She had him when she was 14. No sexually descriptive scenes

Drama by Raina Telgemeier - Common Sense Media gives this graphic novel an overall rating of 5 stars. Additionally, the educational value, positive messages, and positive role models are all given 5-star ratings. The story has a gay character and another boy who is not sure about his sexuality. The target audience is 10+

Sexual Content – Common Sense Media give this book 2 out of 5 stars: The story addresses middle school characters' sexual orientation and depicts same-sex and opposite-sex crushes. In one scene, Jesse, a boy, kisses West, a boy, when playing the part of a girl.

The following books are recommended to move to committee for review because they contain content resulting in a high rating for sexual content. Many of these titles also have high educational value. A full review is recommended.

Looking for Alaska by John Green - Common Sense Media gives it a 4-star overall rating and considers it a standout for positive messages. Target audience is 16+. 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 out of 5 for sexual content: Most of the teen characters have lost their virginity, and there are some descriptions of heavy kissing, oral sex, groping, references to masturbation, erections, making out, watching pornography, etc. Author John Green has described the frank sex scene as "wholly unerotic," especially in contrast to the book's next more intimate (but less graphic) encounter. 

 

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - Common Sense Media gives the book a 5-star rating and sets the audience to age 15+. The site describes the story as a "deeply poetic novel [that] explores racial and sexual feelings.” 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 5 out of 5 for sexual content: There are numerous descriptions of sexual feelings and events in The Bluest Eye. Mr. Henry interacts with two prostitutes. A boy's mother is described as having an aversion to sex; her sexual interactions with her husband are reserved and obligatory. Three prostitutes, who live in the flat above the Breedloves, engage in bawdy talk in front of Pecola. In the Breedlove household, Polly's sexual experiences with her husband are described somewhat poetically, where colors represent strong feelings of desire and enjoyment. However, we learn that Cholly's feelings about sex have been affected by a disturbing first sexual experience. A man turns out to be a pedophile.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood - Common Sense Media gives this story an overall rating of 5 stars. Ratings for educational value, positive role models, and positive messages are also 5 stars. 

The target audience is 16+. 

Sexual content- Common Sense Media gives this book a 5 out of 5 for sexual content: Nonreproductive sex is prohibited in Gilead, punishable by exile or even death. As a handmaid, Offred must participate in the Ceremony, in which she lies between the legs of the Commander's Wife and then has sex with the Commander. (This is the novel's most sexually explicit scene.) Later, Offred spends time at a brothel as a guest of the Commander and even develops a sexual relationship with another character.

l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle - Common Sense Media gives this book a 3-star rating. 

Target audience is 15+. 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 out of 5 for sexual content: Teen loses virginity, performs oral sex, describes safe sex practice, kissing, fondling. Stepmother caught having affair with another man. Aunt of character has party with sex toy theme. A prank involves posting a fake ad for sex

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez - Common Sense Media gives the story an overall rating of 5 stars. 

The educational value of the story is rated at 4 stars. 

The target audience is 15+/ 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 out of 5 for sexual content: Two 17-year-olds in love have a physically intimate relationship that starts with hand-holding and progresses to kissing, making out, and oral sex. Before they're really together, those same teens touch themselves while thinking of each other. Wash admits he's been with other girls but doesn't reveal exactly how far. A young woman realizes her unrelated guardian is aroused by her. He finds excuses to touch her and eventually tells her they should get married. The "Gang" of white boys secretly wants to have sex with Naomi.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - Common Sense Media give the story an overall rating of 4 stars. 

The target audience is 16+. 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 out of 5 for sexual content: Charlie overhears his crush having sex with her boyfriend, walks in on his sister naked with her boyfriend, and learns a friend is having a secret homosexual romance with a popular boy. He goes with his sister to have an abortion and also with his gay friend to pick up on guys for anonymous sex. He lets that same friend kiss him. Some other making out and descriptions of people having sex. Toward the end, in a pretty descriptive scene, Charlie stops a girl from touching him when he remembers being abused.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins - The overall rating given by Common Sense Media is 4-stars. 

The target audience is 16+. 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 4 of 5 for sexual content: Lots of kissing, including same-sex kissing for attention, references to oral sex, and Kristina and her boyfriend have sex several times. At the end of the book, Kristina discovers she is pregnant and goes to a Planned Parenthood to learn about her options

 

For the remaining 10 novels from the list, please read the information presented. These novels mostly rated 3 out of 5 for sexual content. They have been given that rating for different reasons, some have won awards, and have high overall ratings. If you wish to continue with a full review of a specific title(s), please submit a formal “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” for each.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie - Common Sense Media gives it a 5-star rating. 

Educational value: 3 stars

Positive messages: 4 stars

Positive role models: 4 stars

Violence: 4 stars.

Target audience: age 14+ 

Sexual content- Common Sense Media rates this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: Kissing and sexual thoughts. Mentions that main character loves to masturbate and has magazines with nude photos. When he hugs an adult counselor, he gets an erection. Bawdy talk with friend about erections and masturbation.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare - Common Sense Media gives it a 4-star rating for positive messages 

4-star rating overall

The target audience is 15+. 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: Clary and Jace -- both almost 17-- have sex for the first time, with mention of a condom being unwrapped as well as naked bodies. More couples, two straight and one gay, kiss and get a bit passionate rolling around together. A faerie queen gets out of bed with her lover and walks around naked. Plenty of jokingly bawdy banter among friends about characters going off and having sex and the walk of shame.

Clockwork Princess by Cassanrda Clare - Common Sense Media gives this book a 5-star rating in positive role models, positive messages as well as the overall rating. 

The education value is given a 4-star rating. 

The target audience is 14+. 

Sexual Content: Commonsense Media gives this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: Passionate kissing, and a 17-year-old couple has sex

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - Common Sense Media gives this story a 5-star rating. 

The target audience is 14+. 

Sexual Content –Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: For a long while during their relationship, Eleanor and Park just hold hands and caress each other's faces and arms before they eventually kiss. After a few kisses, their physical relationship leads to three passionate make-out sessions, but they stop just shy of sex. Eleanor mentions that nothing with Park is "dirty," because she knows he loves her

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - An overall rating of 4 stars is given by Common Sense Media. 

Target audience is 16+. 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book 3 out of 5 stars for sexual content Oskar's grandmother describes making love with Thomas Sr. in some detail, and Thomas Sr. remembers making love with Anna, his first love. These events are described in some detail but not in a highly sensual way. There's some kid talk among elementary students about "blow jobs," "hand jobs," and private body parts. Oskar's friend Mr. Black equates Marilyn Monroe with sex. Oskar asks a couple of grown women he finds attractive if he can kiss them (but they don't kiss). A young teenage girl poses naked for a sculpture made by her older sister’s boyfriend, then has sex with the boy. 

Note: This book was challenged as a AP literature book for Seniors in High School taking AP Lit. The result was to have the book stay and have parents opt out if they objected to this novel. An alternate novel would be provided if a parent/student opted out.

Sold by Patricia McCormick - Common Sense Media gives this story a 5-star rating and a standout for positive messages. 

The target audience is 14+. 

Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 0 out of 5 for sexual content. The sexual content is actually listed under the violence rating of 4 out of 5: Lakshmi is described as "torn and bleeding" after being raped for the first time. Lakshmi and the other girls and women at Happiness House are raped multiple times each day and beaten by the woman in charge. A girl commits suicide. The girls live in constant fear. While the sex is violent, it's described with little explicit detail. Author Patricia McCormick's focus on the emotional effect sex work has on the girls and women shows how they are being not only physically but also mentally abused. Women have sex in the same room as their sleeping children

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - Common Sense Media gives this story about rape a 5-star rating. 

Target audience is 14+. 

 Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 2 out of 5 for sexual content: The narrator refers to cheerleaders sleeping with football players, and to high school girls having abortions

33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp - This title wasn’t included on Common Sense Media. 

Target audience by reviewers: grades 9-up. 

 An NSD staff member’s view: I have not read this book, but am impressed by the accolades, especially the listing in Wilson’s Senior High School. 

Note: We do not have a rating from Common Sense Media for sexual content for 33 Snowfish

It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris. - An overall 5-star rating is given by Common Sense Media. 

Educational value is also given 5- stars. 

Target audience is 12+. 

 Sexual Content- Common Sense Media gives this book a rating of 3 out of 5 for sexual content: Explains sexual activity in detail, including intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, and masturbation. Some of this behavior is depicted in illustrations. Extensive information on safer sex practices and emphasis on caring, thoughtful, and respectful sexual relationships

I've already read two of these books, but you can bet the rest are going on my list "to read." 

Censorship, in my opinion, is never okay. When we start to censor things, we travel on a slippery slope. Who decides what is okay and what needs censoring? 

Here is a blog I found Why Banning Books is a Bad Idea which really had some great insight. 

Also, did you know there is a banned books week? I am going to celebrate this year! 

My Plain Jane

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

Amazing as usual, I expected nothing less. This book had me laughing out loud at times. My husband wanted me to share what was so funny, but I couldn't even begin to explain. He would have to read it for himself. The last third of this book when so quickly, I was sad to see the final pages slip through my fingers. Glad I have Calamity on had to start already (though it isn't the same characters.) Might just have to re-read this one...

Sunborn Rising: Beneath The Fall

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Discover award winning author Aaron Safronoff’s lavishly illustrated, all-ages fantasy novel Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall. "Stunning. Awe-inspiring. Revolutionary… an instant fantasy classic” [BlueInk Review].

Cerulean is on the brink of collapse. The decay wasn’t fast, it wasn’t obvious, but now the world stands on the precipice.

Woven forests floating on an ocean around a star, Cerulean’s once vibrant treescape has grown dim over generations of arboreal life, and the creatures of the forest have forgotten the light.

Barra, a young, willful Listlespur, finds her late father's hidden journal, and reads about his discovery of Cerulean’s brighter past and the mysterious plague he believed has all but destroyed it. He warned the Elders. He urged them to take action. Those were his last words…

Together with her two best friends, Barra will rekindle her father’s legacy and traverse the Great Forest to relight her world, even if she has to travel beneath the Fall.

To fully realize Safronoff’s incredible world building, an amazing team of artists helped visualize the depths and magic of Cerulean through 40 full color pieces of art and over 80 line drawings. This illustrated fantasy novel, Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall, is available on Kindle and in Paperback and Hardcover editions. (Note: If reading on an e-ink device, color illustrations will be grayscale).

My review: five out of five stars

Overall, I LOVED this book. The story was full of adventure and fantasy. There were full color illustrations scattered through the book as well as some smaller sketch type ones. I loved having the pictures to go along with the story. Things are a bit different then I would have imagined in my head. The picture below is just one of MANY images in this book. Stunningly detailed, colorful and beautiful.



There were a chunk of the text that jumped out at me. I actually took a picture of the text, just so I could re-read it.

"Every achievement, every festival, and every birthday he spent without her was painful. Her absence had grown slowly, and he'd become disinterested in everything. He'd even started believing that he'd died with her and wished he had sometimes. Tory had been angry with his father for getting over her before he did and they fought once, just one time about it. 

Tory remembered the fight well. After he'd yelled his accusations, his father responded with severe calm: I don't miss her any less than you. I don't grieve her loss any less than you. I just remember HER instead of the moment she left. It'd been hard to hear. Tory realized that he'd allowed her death to become more important than her life, and it bothered him that he'd let that happen. He wished he's thanked his father for those words, but he hadn't yet, and now he was worried he'd never get the chance."

The connection I felt with this character's loss was incredible. Even now I am left wondering how Safronoff captured that feeling so vividly.

I give this book a solid five stars. It was a wonderful intro Cerulean. Cannot wait to read the next instillation.

You can learn more about this book and  Aaron Safronoff, the author, visit the website here.

Eleanor & Park

“Bono met his wife in high school,” Park says.
“So did Jerry Lee Lewis,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be,” she says, “we’re 16.”
“What about Romeo and Juliet?”
“Shallow, confused, then dead.”
“I love you,” Park says.
“Wherefore art thou,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be.”

Set over one school year in 1986, Eleanor & Park is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

TW: Ableism, alcoholism, underage drinking, bullying, child abuse and marijuana use.

I read Eleanor and Park in February of 2017. Here is my review from then: The ONLY thing I didn't love about this book was the ending. Felt like I was ripped off when I got so involved in the characters lives.

This is another of the books that jumps back and forth viewpoints between Eleanor (awkward, poor new girl) and Park. At first, it is just the story of the two of their lives and how they circled around each other. From the first pages, I had a feeling there was something deeper then Eleanor was letting out, but that info wasn't revealed until late in the book.

Loved this story. Love that it wasn't a perfect "love story" or even a perfect story. Love almost every page of this book.


Gave this book four out of five stars on goodreads.

The Magic of Cape Disappointment

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Is it possible that love is the most powerful magic of all?

Growing up, her family insisted upon her destiny as a powerful healer based on a two-hundred year old prophecy. But Kay Baker was always more interested in forging her own path.

After completing medical school, she’s ready to leave her “medicine woman” status behind in favor of a new life in New York City.

However, Kay finds herself back in her hometown near Cape Disappointment after tragedy strikes—facing a new set of responsibilities and the legends she’s tried so hard to leave behind.

As the truth behind her powerful destiny is revealed, Kay discovers that magic is hiding everywhere—even among life’s greatest disappointments.

Julie Manthey transports readers to a quaint, modern-day, Pacific Northwest fishing village in this fun read about a woman coming to terms with ancient legends and destiny. Readers will laugh and cry as they escape to Cape Disappointment and discover the magic, romance, and history for themselves.

I freaking loved this book. It kept me engaged and I genuinely was rooting for the characters. The fact that it incorporated a lot of native American culture was very interesting. There were a couple things I never knew about. Being based in the Pacific Northwest helped me relate to this book a lot! I loved hearing names of places I have actually been to. Totally worth picking up this book. It's one that my mom would have called a "popcorn romance." It's easy to follow, easy to understand and light-hearted.

Remember to Forget

In Remember to Forget from Watty Award-winning author Ashley Royer, Levi has refused to speak since the tragic death of his girlfriend, Delia, and can't seem to come out of his depression and hindering self-doubt. Desperate to make some positive change in Levi’s life, his mother sends him to live with his father in Maine. Though the idea of moving from Australia to America seems completely daunting, Levi passively accepts his fate, but once he lands faces personal struggles and self-doubt at the same time he and his dad battle through resentment and misunderstanding. And then, while at therapy, Levi meets Delilah, a girl who eerily reminds him of someone he lost.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is about a boy, so overwhelmed by grief, that he no longer talks. 

At first I thought he was just being a spoiled child. How could he have been so in love with another person at such a young age. But the more I got to reading, the more I saw how much his life had been impacted. This story isn't so much about his loss, but about the road he took through his grief. 

I feel like I'm still on that road so many of the things he was thinking really rang true for me as well. I think that's why I loved the book so much.

Waterfall

The water is gone. The wars have begun. Clean water is a luxury most can no longer afford. Climate change, industrial sabotage, and greed have turned country against country as each one tries to provide for its citizens. Terrorist groups target desalinization plants and frustrated governments hunt those who work against them. Rationing, sequestering, and patrolling have become routine at a time when there are too many people and not enough resources. While the world around them disintegrates into chaos, Zach and Vivienne hope that their life in a government-run complex will retain some semblance of normalcy. But when attacks on their water supplies bring war to their sheltered community, they must accept their new fate. Stay and fight or flee and endure-it's a difficult decision with lasting consequences. Will they choose what's safe? Or will they choose to survive?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: one star out of five

I was beyond disappointed with this book. It started off so strong then you jump months and miss out what happens to have the main characters. Then it gets good again only to end so abruptly I was left wondering what happened.

Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror

An Heiress, an ancient prophecy, and a masquerade...Nerissa, the Heiress of Chiyo, prepares for the masquerade celebrating the twentieth anniversary of a thwarted assassination attempt on her family. Longing to be admired for herself and not her title, she arranges to switch costumes and enjoy the ball in blissful anonymity. But, when the fateful night finally comes, a prophetic warning of a second attack arrives too late, and the evening turns from revelry and romance to violence. After being pulled from the chaos by an enigmatic guardian, Nerissa learns that the Royal Family has been concealing a formidable secret for generations--and it is only one of many that are about to be revealed.

Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror is Book 1 of 4 in the first story arc of the Records of the Ohanzee series, which is written in a serialized style with a story line that flows continuously between books.

I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This book started out wonderfully. I love the descriptions of the places and the people. I love the characters and genuinely cared about what would happen to them. 

About mid-way through is where it fell apart for me. The story took a quite sudden slowing. It was so frustrating. Not going to say much because I don't want to give away spoilers. I will say that it didn't have much of an ending. You are left with a cliff hanger and oh man do I hate cliffhangers. Overall I enjoyed the book, but not enough to re-read it. I will likely be picking up the next book in this saga, just to see what happens.

The Tempest Trilogy

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he's in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it's not like the movies — nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there's no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors — it's just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he's stuck in 2007 and can't get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it's not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these "Enemies of Time" will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he's willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

My rating: five of five stars

I freaking loved this book.

First of all, loved the concept. A time jumper is something new to me. 

Secondly, I love that this features a main character who is male. Refreshing for this genre. 

One thing I really didn't love was the ending. While it wasn't the ending I would have chosen, it was a good one for this story. I loved this book so much that I immediately reserved the rest in the trilogy. I totally recommend this to lovers of the YA dystopian novels.

Julie Cross's Vortex is the thrilling second installment of the Tempest series, in which the world hangs in the balance as a lovelorn Jackson must choose who to save.

Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, after an accidental run in with Holly—the girl he altered history to save—Jackson is once again reminded of what he's lost. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents not only find themselves under attack, but Jackson begins to discover that the world around him has changed and someone knows about his erased relationship with Holly, putting both their lives at risk all over again.

My rating: four of five stars

Vortex picked up right where Tempest left off. This would probably be my least favorite of the Tempest series. I just didn't connect as well with the story line and I hated that the end was so much of a cliffhanger. Definitely recommend getting all three books and reading them back to back. Though slower, this one was still a really good book.

The battle between the Tempest division and Eyewall comes to a shocking conclusion in this final installment of the Tempest trilogy, where the need for survival stretches the boundaries of history, both past and future, and the world Jackson once knew is a place forever marked by the detrimental effects of time travel.

As Jackson recovers from his brush with death, he’s surrounded not only by the people he loves most—his dad, Courtney, and Holly—he’s also amongst a few of the original time travelers. As he learns more about their life and how this world began, it becomes apparent that they need to put a stop to Thomas and Doctor Ludwig’s experimenting at Eyewall Headquarters. What starts out as an escape plan becomes a war between time and humanity, between freewill and peace. It’s the battle Jackson was born to fight and he’s not about to back down. Not for anything. Not for anyone.

My rating: five of five stars

What a fantastic ending to this trilogy. I loved this book! The way that all the loose ends from books 1 and 2 come together, just really fit for me. It worked out in a way that felt right. I can totally see myself reading this series again.