Review of Spark of Fire by Grace Anthony

3.5 Stars. A Fast-Paced YA Paranormal Novel with a Solid Plot. Spark of Fire by Grace Anthony is a fun YA read about reapers and shifters. Anthony has created a mythology that is familiar and brand new at the same time. Her main characters, Ember and Liam are teenage reapers on a mission to protect fellow high school student, Billie, who has her own set of mysterious superpowers. As reapers, they are highly trained to battle against rogue shifters putting people in harm's way.

Anthony does a good job keeping the stakes high and the pace quick. I did enjoy reading this book and especially liked Anthony's well-written plot and focus on her characters who were complex and believable. This had a different perspective than I normally find in Young Adult Paranormal Romance books. There was a heavy emphasis on the relationship between Ember and her brother. Strong family relationships and the romance was more hinted at and was possibly being set up for the second book instead of being pivotal to the plot like it is in many YA PNR books.

Where this book lost a few stars for me was that it would have benefitted from a little more editing. There was a lot of passive tense and some awkward word choice. I also felt like some scenes could have been fleshed out a bit more. While there were some nice descriptions in some places, I wanted more description in others. And, the third person, multiple POV made it hard to know which character this story would focus on.

Overall, this was an interesting and suspenseful YA paranormal story with a solid plot and complex characters, but the writing itself would have benefitted from one more draft after a run through with a good beta.




Was the writing/editing solid?

3/5 - The writing was good but with a little more telling than showing and a good amount of passive tense it had room for improvement. There were some typos, though they were not a major distraction.

Did the book have a well-formed plot/subplots?

4/5 - This book really did have a solid plot and it took me on a journey.

Could you relate to the characters?

4/5 - I liked the characters and felt they were all believable and complex.

Did the story make you feel?

3/5 - This book is written in the third person and is told through multiple POV's. Because of that it took me a little while to get into and I didn't get as invested in the characters as I have with other books.

Was the book unputdownable?

4/5 - I would read large chunks at a time, but did put the book down on occasion.



Indie Book Goal 2018 Notes

This is the fourth book I've finished for #IndieBookGoal2018 where I've pledged to read at least 10 Indie books before the end of the year. 

Review of Snatch Girl by LJ Kane

2 Stars. Unlikeable Love Interest. Snatch Girl is a fast-paced and intense thrill ride, but I was unable to get past the romanticized abuse that runs rampant throughout the story.

This book is very graphic, which I don’t think is inappropriate for the themes involved, as this book is about a girl who’s kidnapped and abused as she’s used for leverage. However, the addition of a romantic subplot including graphic sex was, in my opinion, inappropriate for the content of the story. I do think Snatch Girl has a good story at its core, but it would have been better, more realistic and had a better message had all romantic involvement between Ellie and one of her kidnappers, Darren, not been there. Or, if he hadn’t assaulted her himself and their relationship had moved at a slower pace.

I liked watching Ellie fight. She was tough, especially in the first half of the book. She never missed an opportunity to try and escape and I found myself rooting for her. This really was an exciting read.

However, I didn’t like Darren. At all. Yes, Braddon is a far worse person than Darren. And yes, Darren “rescues” Ellie from Braddon, but there was absolutely nothing that I liked about who he was or anything he did that made me want to root for him. He could at any time have taken Ellie to a hospital or the police and saved her from further abuse, but he continues as her kidnapper until her ransom is paid.

From the very beginning, Darren is cold, cruel and abusive. He does have a sense of humor, but it’s not enough to make me him likable. He’s physically violent with Ellie, slapping her and punching her on multiple occasions. He “rescues” her from Braddon’s sadistic sexual torment, only to keep her captive himself as they run from Braddon who wants them both dead. He knows she’s been abused, yet he’s constantly leering at her and making sexual comments. Never does he show her genuine kindness or compassion. And yet, a romantic interest develops between him and Ellie.

This story had the potential to explore some very serious issues like rape and abuse. However, Ellie often does not act in a way would be typical of a young woman who’s been repeatedly drugged, raped, tortured and traumatized. I feel like this gives a poor portrayal of what its like to go through these experiences.

(Now I just want to comment here that I have not personally suffered from sexual abuse, however, I do have a BA in Psychology. I work in social services and have worked with victims of sexual assault.)

After suffering the extensive sexual abuse that Ellie goes through she should need time to regain confidence sexually. Rape and sexual assault can leave people deeply emotionally scarred often resulting in panic attacks, anxiety, and confusion when they’re faced with intimacy in the future. Ellie, however, seems not to experience these things after her trauma. While Ellie does make a number of comments about not wanting to be touched, or not wanting to undress in front of Darren (Yes, he makes her undress in front of him), her ogling of Darren’s chest, the bulge in his pants, and general good looks felt very out of place. As did the way she generally brushed off or laughed at his sexual innuendos, let him touch her, and described how he aroused and excited her.

At one point, Braddon nearly kills and sexually assaults Ellie mere hours before she’s shown eyeing up Darren, laughing at his incredibly inappropriate sexual innuendos, and later describing how she wants him. I think it’s an incredibly poor message to have her suffer sexual assault, nearly die and then have her discussing wanting to sleep with one of her kidnappers all within a matter of hours. Oh, and she has sex with Darren that same night.

Overall, there’s some good writing here. I rarely rate books 2 Stars because usually, the writing is so bad I can’t finish them and I won’t review something I haven’t finished. Snatch Girl is interesting and well edited. But, there are two stories here. 1. A traumatic thriller where a girl overcomes rape. Which would be a great story without the romance. 2. A romantic suspense where a guy helps a girl escape a kidnapping. Which could have been great had Ellie not been raped and abused. But, Snatch Girl tries to combines these two ideas into one and in that it fails.

Was the writing/editing solid?

4/5 - This book was generally well written, edited and formatted. I did find a few typos, but nothing too distracting. However, I did feel like the beginning and end were a little rushed. There were often times I wanted more backstory.

Did the book have a well-formed plot/subplots?

2/5 - The basic structure of this book was done well, but the content was at times off-putting, to say the least, and the romance subplot was completely out of place.

Could you relate to the characters?

2/5 - I liked Ellie for the most part but I found she lacked believability regarding how she responded to the trauma she experienced, and I had a lot of issues with Darren being posed as a love interest.

Did the story make you feel?

1/5 - I was completely unable to be pulled into the romance between Ellie and Darren, and a lot of the sympathy I did have for Ellie was undermined by her lack of believability as a trauma victim.

Was the book unputdownable?

3/5 - Despite disliking much of the content, this was fast paced and did keep me on the edge of my seat. I read it pretty quickly.



Indie Book Goal 2018 Notes

This is the third book I've finished for #IndieBookGoal2018 where I've pledged to read at least 10 Indie books before the end of the year.

Review for Where Worlds Meet by Lucinda Elliot

4.5 Stars. Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula with Time Travel. Set a number of years after That Scoundrel Emile Dubois and the stand-alone Ravensdale, Where Worlds Meet opens with our characters from both novels living in their happily ever after. Emile has retired from his life on the road as a highwayman. And both Emile and Sophie as well as Emile's cousin Reynaud (Ravensdale) and Isabella have children now. You should read That Scoundrel Emile Dubois before reading this, but I don't think anything would be confusing if you haven't read Ravensdale.

The beginning of the book re-caps That Scoundrel Emile Dubois nicely without feeling repetitive and quickly introduces the reader to the threat our characters face. There are also lots of little jokes along the way that reference both earlier books, which was fun.

As the story continues you're pulled into a fast-paced adventure. Filled with all the excitement time-travel, vampires, and other curious monsters can provide. This gothic historical romance was like nothing I've ever read before.

I loved seeing Emile and Sophie again. But I have to say, I was probably most interested in Arthur and Elouise, at least for the first half of the book. We see a much more vulnerable side to Arthur. He’s alive and still a vampire, and while he's seeking revenge he also has a soft spot for Elouise. Sweet Elouise has been tending to him and ends up put in a position where she doesn’t want to see Emile hurt, but also wants to protect Arthur. She seeks to save Author from his half-vampire status. As the story went on I found myself rooting for them. They were the underdogs as Kenrick was still pulling some of Arthur's strings, but it was clear that he was a victim too. It was also funny seeing Longface and Guto trying to protect Eloise from Arthur.

I feel like the time-travel aspects in this novel were handled even better than they were in the first book. I understood the mechanics of this world in this book a little better, and you get to see more of those time travel aspects, which I liked.

Kenrick's monsters were a new element to the story that while new, still felt like classic gothic horror monsters. We're also introduced to other new characters like Guinevere Gwynne, who aids Kenrick with magic books in his attempts to navigate the time mazes. She also has some interesting encounters with both Emile and Reynaud. Together Gwynne and Kenrick seek to not only enter the past but alter it as well with the hope of bringing long-dead loved ones back into their lives.

Emile and Reynaud are a charismatic duo that drive this story. Filled with strong female characters, humor, love, and betrayal, Where Worlds Meet will suck you in.



Was the writing/editing solid?

5/5 - This book was well written, edited and formatted and even provided some nice reminders in the footnotes of things that had happened in the past books.

Did the book have a well-formed plot/subplots?

5/5 - Elliot did a good job merging the two stand-alone novels that came before this into a cohesive tale with plenty of twists and turns.

Could you relate to the characters?

5/5 - Since this was a sequel I already felt invested in these characters and felt like their development and growth was true to the character's I'd been introduced to in the first two books.

Did the story make you feel?

4/5 - There were plenty of parts where I truly felt for these characters and rooted them on or was scared of what might happen to them. However, Emile and Sophie are happily married now as are Reynaud and Isabel, so there wasn't that same "I hope they get together soon," feeling that the first two books had.

Was the book unputdownable?

3/5 - If you don't typically read gothic novels the language can be a little tougher and for me, I found I wasn't able to read this as fast as I've read other books, but it was definitely a worthwhile read.



Indie Book Goal 2018 Notes

This is the second book I've finished for #IndieBookGoal2018 where I've pledged to read at least 10 Indie books before the end of the year.

Review for Veiled by Stacey Rourke

4 Stars. V for Vendetta meets Buffy. Veiled is a gritty crime drama with vampires that looks at the politics of a world aware of the undead deciding whether or not to allow them to integrate into society. Filled with witty dialogue and a fast-paced plot this was a fun read.

There are some really beautiful descriptions in this book and a few scenes that are downright creepy. You really get sucked into the writing. Veiled is dark and intense and the vampires felt real and scary.

What I enjoyed most about this book was how it used vampires to look at racism and make a smart commentary on how one group views another and how stereotypes form peoples' opinions. The lead character, Vincenza, or Vinx, goes through a lot of character development from the beginning of the book until the end as she seeks both vengeance and acceptance. I had a hard time connecting with Vinx in the beginning of the book. She was bitter and a little full of herself at first. It took me a little while to warm up to her, but by the end of the book, I was definitely rooting for her. Vinx is witty and a little vulgar and a truly interesting character. Her story is complicated and as you learn more about her it's hard not to relate to her.

I loved Vinx's relationships with her friend Mics, who I also thought was a solid character. However, I felt like there needed to be more backstory to Vinx's relationship with Finn and to the relationship that forms between her and Carter. There needed to be more build up to their attraction. I didn't really feel the connection between Vinx and anyone, with the exception of her friendship with Mics which I thought was really well written. Overall, Carter and Finn felt like weaker characters and I wish both of their story arcs had been fleshed out a bit more.

As for the story structure, I liked the alternating flashback chapters at first, but by the halfway point of the book, they started to make the story feel a little disjointed. The storyline definitely didn't flow as smoothly as I would have liked.

By the end, the book left me with some questions that I'd want to read the next novel in the series to know more about. However, while I found the ending satisfying overall, there were a few plot holes that took away from the believability of how things concluded. <spoiler> For example, Vinx and Carter get into a bad situation at the end where they are nearly killed. Carter escapes and saves Vinx, by pulling out his phone and filming what's going on. But, it's not clear why the bad guys don't just kill him and take his phone. </spoiler> There are a few conclusions that are jumped to and a character, <spoiler> Amber,</spoiler> who really just acts like an idiot. But, there are a few twists at the end that suggest the second book in the series will be worth reading.


Was the writing/editing solid?

5/5 - Veiled is really well written with beautiful imagery and was free of errors.

Did the book have a well-formed plot/subplots?

3/5 - The romantic subplots needed more fleshing out.

Could you relate to the characters?

4/5 - Vinx is a little hard to love at first, but she grew on me.

Did the story make you feel?

4/5 - I definitely had the feels at times but wished I could feel more of the chemistry between Vinx and Carter.

Was the book unputdownable?

4/5 - I set it down a few times, but never for real long.



Indie Book Goal 2018 Notes

This is the first book I've finished for my #IndieBookGoal2018 where I've pledged to read at least 10 Indie books before the end of the year.

Review of Mind Hunter by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker

4 Stars. Completely Fascinating. I was completely sucked in for the first half of this novel. I couldn't put it down. If you have any interest in the psychology of serial killers and why they do what they do, this book will interest you. However, the author can be a little arrogant at times and my interest waned a little for the second half of the book. 

I read a lot of fiction, so for me, this book lost steam about half-way through. Maybe that's because it's a memoir? You get a lot of information about John in the beginning and how this behavioral science unit originally came about, but after a while, you're just reading about one case after another and in a way it got a little repetitive. The stories were still interesting, but you came to expect certain things from them. I will say though that it was definitely worth pushing through until the end. There were a number of times where something a little different would happen and things got interesting again, but I didn't fly through the end of the book like I did the beginning.

Also, I liked the bit of information on Jack the Ripper at the end, but I almost wish it had just been left out. I would have read an entire book just on Jack the Ripper and only getting a short few pages about him didn't feel like enough. It felt a little out of place.

Overall, I feel like I learned things reading this book and truly enjoyed reading it.

Review for The Gunslinger (Dark Tower 1) by Stephen King

3 Stars. Slow Start to what I've Heard is a Great Series. I've been a Stephen King fan for a long time, and I went into reading The Gunslinger knowing (from other readers) that book one sets up the series and is a little bit lackluster in comparison to the rest of the books. But still, it fell a little short for me.

The Dark Tower moves a little slow at first, which didn't bother me too much as I'm used to the slow build that King's books often have. But, I was disappointed by the ending. I felt like that slow build didn't amount to a satisfying conclusion.

Roland himself isn't as fleshed out as King's other characters and I wasn't as drawn into his relationships with other characters as I wanted to be. I really liked Jake, and when he entered the story I got sucked in a lot more. Maybe that's because he reminded me of Jack from The Talisman. I found Jake made Roland a more interesting character, but I really felt like Roland let Jake down and because of that, I cared less about the ending.

Knowing what other people have said about the series, I might still pick up the next book down the road, but not right now.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting Review

3 Stars. Wished it was Darker. I loved the concept of this book. It was quirky and interesting. Violet has a special ability that helps her find dead bodies. And, when girls her age start getting murdered in her hometown, she's in a pequilar situation to both help the police in their investigation, but also draw attention to herself.

There were a few parts in the beginning where the backstory got heavy. There were also places where I felt there was more telling than showing. For example, when the second body is found we don't see how Violet finds out about this. I wish we could have seen how she found out and her reaction. There's another part where the book discusses how seriously the school is taking the deaths of these girls, but this isn't really described.

There was some pretty language and a few really beautiful scenes. The chapters through the killer's POV, in particular, had some well-written descriptions. I just wish there'd been a few more of them. One of the things I loved was the death echoes. I liked that each presented in a different way. I thought that entire concept was unique and interesting. I only wish we knew why each person had the echo they had. They seemed a little random.

I felt like the way characters were introduced could have been better. For example, I didn't like that Grady isn't introduced until he asks Violet to the dance. It's mentioned that they've been friends for a while, so I wish the author would have mentioned him earlier. Or, just not mentioned that they were friends growing up because honestly, they didn't seem that close. His arrival felt like the author just added characters as needed. I also felt this way with some of Violet's friends. A few of them aren't mentioned at all until they all go shopping together.

Another thing that bothered me was that I didn't actually like Jay that much. Violet was constantly thinking of Jay throughout the book. Which I understood, but it got to be a bit much at times. He was also kind of controlling and while he seemed to have Violet's back he made a lot of assumptions about what she wanted or what was best for her and I didn't like that. He was pushy. I wish he would have asked Violet what she wanted more often. There were still times when I was rooting for him and Violet, especially in the beginning, but the more I got to know him the more he did things that bugged me.

I liked the subplot with Jay and Grady at first. Violet likes Jay, but Jay seems oblivious and Grady likes her. At first, it was great. But as it went on I got annoyed with it. Violet basically uses Grady. I felt bad for him because she was stringing him along. I wished she had kinda liked him.I also disliked <spoiler> how he attacks her at the party and tries to kiss her. Then Jay swoops in to save the day. It just felt really cliche. I didn't think the author had to turn Grady into a creep. He was more interesting when he was just a guy that liked Violet. </spoiler> Also, there were times where Violet's relationships felt like more of the focus of the story than the murders. More than halfway through the book Violet's involvement with the actual murders had been minimal.  I'm most disappointed by this because the scenes where Violet was tracking down the murderer were awesome!

There were a few scenes where Violet was either purposely looking for the killer, or found herself in a situation where she was near him and the author did a good job building suspense. Whenever Violet was using her abilities I felt like I couldn't put the book down.

Overall it was a fun and unique read, but I'm not sure I'll continue with the series.

Review for Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

3.5 Stars. Well written, but wanted more suspense. The pacing of this book is rather slow and it goes over a lot of the day to day lives of three Moms and their kindergarten age children. The mystery was interesting. The book opens with a murder, and as you read you find yourself trying to figure out not only who the killer is, but who was murdered. My issue with the book was that I wanted the clues to come quicker. It felt like I had to read through a lot of kindergarten drama before I came across another hook.

Despite the slower pace, what kept me reading were the characters. I did really care about them. Every character in this book, especially Jane, Madeline, and Celeste has a secret and as the story unfolds you get pieces of their secrets until finally, at the end, everything is revealed and you see how in many ways their secrets tie them together.

While I enjoyed the perspective of following multiple characters, I felt like the story was missing something without having a main lead. For most of the book, it felt like Jane was the most central of the three women. But, at the end, the resolution made it feel like this was more Celeste’s story. I wish there would have been more of a focus on one or the other.

Overall, I liked seeing these women, who were all going through different things in their lives, bond and form friendships. This became a major theme in the book that’s reinforced at the story’s conclusion. It was an enjoyable read.

Review for Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

4.5 Stars.Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls. Before I Fall was both hilarious in parts and painfully serious in others. I loved and hated this book at the same time. It was beautiful and utterly heartbreaking all at once. I loved watching Sam's journey. She's not the most likable character in the beginning, but her journey is incredible and her relationships with the people around her are what make this book worth reading.I found myself comparing my own high school experiences to those in this book, both the times where I'd dealt with people like Sam's mean-girl friend, Lindsay, and times when I'd done things like Lindsay. Sam's perspective was incredibly real and thought provoking.

As usual, Lauren Oliver's writing was beautiful. She easily paint's a picture with words and perfectly captures the viewpoints of teenage girls, including their flawed perceptions and ability to be cruel. Sam goes on a journey throughout this book where she learns to see things from other perspectives. She learns to question things and to do the right thing.

The ending, however, is heart-wrenching. There are some books where I feel sad at the end but overall justified that things worked out the way they were supposed to. I don't know if I feel that way about this book. <Spoiler> Maybe I'm just a sucker for happy endings, but it just seemed like this book didn't have to end with Sam's death. And, I actually felt a little like her death didn't really change anything. I wanted her death to have more meaning. Yes, she saves Juliet, but Lindsay is the same person and even if Juliet saw Sam give her life for her, what's to stop Juliet from trying to commit suicide tomorrow. I feel like if this book was going to end the way it did, then we should have gotten a scene from Juliet's POV to assure the reader that Sam's sacrifice made a difference. Otherwise, I don't see why both Sam and Juliet couldn't have lived. Mostly, I feel bad for Kent. He didn't deserve to lose her after all that. </Spoiler>

Review for Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

5 Stars. An Excellent, Twisted Mystery. This book blew me away. It starts out as a murder mystery, then becomes so much more. There are a lot of little clues and red herrings along the way, leading you through an excellent mystery. The writing was great. There's some really awesome imagery, but I didn't like all the parenthesis.

I have to recommend not spoiling this book before you read it. Don't see the movie, just read the book. It's a mystery and the fun in reading it came from trying to figure out what was going on.

The beginning is a little slow. There's lots of backstory, and a lot of information to set the scene. There were things to keep me interested, things I noticed that I wondered about, but it wasn't until the half-way point that I couldn't put this down. Everything in the first half of this book it building to a serious turning point in the middle. Once I reached that part, everything changed.

I didn't like Amy at first because she sounded pretentious. You hear her side of the story, and get flashbacks of her and Nick's past through diary entries. As the first half of the book went on I started to like her and I started to believe that Nick had killed her. By the end, I was rooting for Nick.

The ending was satisfactory, but not entirely satisfying. <Spoiler> I really really wanted Nick to kill Amy in the end. It felt like she deserved it, but doing so wouldn't have given him a happy ending. There was a part of me that rooted for Amy at times, and there were even parts that wished Nick and Amy could have what they used to -- so a part of me was very satisfied with the ending, but at the same time, I know its all fake and so it's not really. </Spoiler> It's a very twisted book, but I loved it.

Review for Persephone's Orchard by Molly Ringle

3.5 Stars. Fascinating and new twist on an old myth. I loved the concept of this book. It mixed ancient Greek mythology with reincarnation and looked at the Greek gods more as immortal people than actual gods. I also liked that it explained how they became viewed as ‘gods.’

There were moments where I feel like the dialogue could have used a little work, but it was otherwise well written. I liked the plot; it was very focused on Sophie and Aidan’s relationship. But, there was a subplot involving a secret society, Thanatos, that was opposed to immortals and sought to kill them. I liked that both Aidan and Sophie made some smart decisions to avoid them and eventually overcome them in the end.

I liked the flashbacks to past lives, especially getting to see Hades and Persephone, but I felt like they took away from Adrian and Sophie’s story some. Much of Sophie’s time is spent remembering flashbacks and I would have liked a little more adventure in the present between her and Adrian – not that there wasn’t any. The story just felt a little heavy on the Hades/Persephone memories. Adrian and Sophie do spend a lot of time getting to know one another, but I would have liked the focus to be on their present selves just a little more.

One thing I really enjoyed was reading Adrian’s POV in the beginning while he waited for Sophie to remember him. He has a mix of longing and giddiness surrounding his thoughts that I loved. The sexy scenes between Sophie and Aidan and their memories of Hades and Persephone were well written, but I wanted a little more of that “build-up” feeling. They were very fun and free moments, but I wanted a little more intensity.

I also liked Sophie much more than Persephone. I really connected with Sophie, but not so much with her previous incarnation. I’m not sure why exactly, but I wished I had liked Persephone more, especially as so much of the story is in flashbacks.

I did start the second book of this series, but it lost me after about ten chapters. The story started to focus more on the other characters and less on Sophie and Adrian.

Review for Ethereal by Addison Moore

3 Stars. The writing was beautiful and the plot was both interesting and engaging. But, this book left me feeling underwhelmed. Ethereal moves at a fast pace, but at times it’s too fast. Problems develop quickly, but are also solved quickly resulting in a lack of tension. I loved all the ideas in this book, but I wanted the stakes to be higher and the emotions to be better fleshed out.

The secrets kept me reading. I wanted to know more about Skyla’s dad and Chloe. The mystery surrounding Chloe and what happened to her were the best parts of this book. I wished there’d been more flashbacks to Skyla and her father. I wanted to feel her loss more, but what was there I loved.

The mythology was also something I liked. Logan and Skyla’s abilities were interesting and different. [Spoiler] The time-travel idea was interesting at first, but by the time I reached the end of the book I felt like it wasn’t handled well enough. Skyla easily goes back in time twice to retrieve something then a third time to return it, but she doesn’t even attempt to go back to get the one thing that would keep her safe. [Spoiler]

I had some issues with this book with the characters and relationships. Skyla’s romance with Logan is very insta-love, and what’s so disappointing is that it didn’t have to be. I found her initial attraction to him believable. He’s definitely hot. But, they never really get to know one another. I never felt like their relationship developed past looks. If they would have had just a few more “get to know you” scenes at the beginning I could have been really sucked into their relationship. Also, a love triangle develops almost instantly and it’s not really clear why both these guys are so into her.

Logan is a little pushy and at times I felt like all he wanted was to get in Skyla’s pants. Skyla was a little bitchy at times and too trusting. Logan talks her into things, Brielle talks her into things, but then there’s a part where Chloe warns her about something and she completely disregards it and it just irked me. She also came across as selfish. Usually I liked her, but she made a lot of choices that I didn’t completely understand. She’s a little too paranoid in some places and acts out unbelievably, and sometimes she just does dumb stuff.

Overall, I felt like this story had good bones. It had an interesting premise and mystery, but it didn’t feel fleshed out enough. Many of the scenes were underwhelming. The threats against Skyla weren’t very threatening. The people that were after her went about it in a way that confused me. First, they tried scaring her, then they tried to kill her, and then finally abducted her. Why bother abducting her when you already tried to outright kill her? And, the ending was anticlimactic. There were a lot of things I liked about this book, but I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.

Review for The Iron Queen (Daughters of Zeus #3) by Kaitlin Bevis

3.5 Stars. Well written plot, but wanted more Persephone and Hades. This book was different from the first two because it’s not just told though Persephone’s POV, but alternates with Hades and Aphrodite’s POV. While I loved reading parts of the story from Hades’ point of view and even Aphodite’s, it felt like less of the story was about Hades and Persephone and more about all of the gods. I enjoyed getting to know more about them, but I wanted there to be more focus on Persephone and Hades.

I loved watching Persephone fight against Zeus and getting to see inside Hades’ head as he fought to rescue Persephone was awesome. The plot was well constructed and believable. Zeus’ mind games kept both Persephone and me guessing and the way she managed his abuse was believable.

Where I was a little disappointed with this book was that this concludes Hades’ and Persephone’s role as lead characters in this series. The next two books are about Aphrodite, and though I haven’t read them yet their blurbs don’t mention either Hades or Persephone. I wasn’t as interested in reading about Aphrodite as I was about Hades and Persephone. Also, the author left a few threads hanging that I really wanted to see resolved in another Hades and Persephone book. For example, <spoiler> now that Zeus has been defeated Persephone is super powerful and has claim to multiple realms, </spoiler> there was a point in the story where this concerned the other gods and I wondered how that would affect her? It was a plot point I hoped the author would tackle in the next book, but it doesn’t appear as if it will be explored.

Overall this was a worthwhile read, and if you’ve read the first two books I definitely recommend reading this, but I was disappointed that the focus veered away from Hades and Persephone.

Read my Review for Daughters of Zeus #1
Read my Review for Daughters of Zeus #2

Review for Daughter of Earth and Sky (Daughters of Zeus #2) by Kaitlin Bevis

4 Stars. Well written plot and characters. I wanted to see more of Hades and Persephone’s relationship. But, the parts we do see are awesome. Their excursion to the beach at the beginning of the book was great, and the scene where Persephone <spoiler> broke up with him was actually one of my favorites, </spoiler>. The author really nailed their emotions and it brought all of their scenes to life. They grow a lot as a couple in this book and I really enjoyed seeing Hades open up.

There’s one really great steamy scene, but I was disappointed that <spoiler> when they do have sex for the first time the author fades to black a little faster than I would have liked</spoiler>, still it was a nice scene and fit well into the flow of the story.

The plot was well thought out and intense. I loved seeing Persephone fight and work to figure out how to overcome Thanatos, and when Hades does step in to help her it doesn’t feel like he just swoops in and saves the day. I think the author gave these two characters a nice balance of power. Even though Hades is older and more powerful he and Persephone feel like a team.

There were nice twists and turns and surprises and like the first book felt complete and also ended with a cliffhanger that sucked me right into the third book.

Read my Review for Daughters of Zeus #1
Read my Review for Daughters of Zeus #3

Review for Persephone (Daughters of Zeus #1) by Kaitlin Bevis

4 Stars. A great take on a classic myth with a modern twist. The author did a great job of keeping all the classic story elements of the Persephone myth but still made the story feel modern and new. I liked that she used the story of Boreas to set the scene at the beginning of the book and I loved how she interpreted Persephone’s abduction. While Hades still technically brought her to the Underworld against her will, he did so to save her life and protect her.

All of the characters in this book were well developed. I liked that they had their own wants and needs and that each one felt real. I thought that Demeter was represented well and I loved that more minor mythological character like Orpheus and Eurydice made it into the story as well. I thought the author did a good job with the push and pull of Persephone and Hades’ relationship. She managed to make Hades feel young and thousands of years old at the same time. I also thought she addressed the age difference between these two characters well and did as well as explaining the “sibling” relationship between the gods. And, I loved seeing Hades struggle with his growing feelings for Persephone considering that age difference and the fact that she was Demeter’s daughter.

The plot was well written. Hades rescues Persephone a few times, but she was clearly the hero of her own story. She was strong and independent and she didn’t let people push her around. I thought she was a little foolish at the end when she took on Boreas by herself, but I was glad that she was able to hold her own and otherwise made thought-out decisions. I was also glad that while the “big-bad” of this book was defeated, the author set up the plot for the next story right away allowing this book to end with a bit of a cliffhanger that pulled me straight into the next one.

Overall this was a really solid story and I would highly recommend it. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Read my Review for Daughters of Zeus #2
Read my Review for Daughters of Zeus #3

Review for Sweet Temptation (Sweet Evil) by Wendy Higgins

4 Stars. Sucked me back into a story I loved with a new perspective. I loved reading this because it allowed me to revisit one of my favorite books, Sweet Evil, but still felt new at the same time. Sweet Temptation is the Sweet Evil trilogy through Kaidan’s eyes. When reading Sweet Evil for the first time it took time to really understand Kaidan’s struggle. It was awesome to be inside his head and see how he viewed Anna and how his feelings for her changed. He’s not a ‘good boy’ but watching him realize that he wants to be ‘good’ was an incredible journey. I also loved seeing his struggles and watching him overcome his lust. You get to really understand his character in this book.

I have to say, I actually think I liked a lot of the sexy scenes between Kaidan and Anna even more in this book than I did in the originals. Kaidan’s perspective is really unique because of his inclination toward lust, making those romantic milestones between him and Anna really intense.

The only thing about this book that I wished it would have done was become its own story. We get to see lots of scenes that weren’t in the original books. The author does a lot more than just rehash previously written scenes, but it still felt a little choppy. I didn’t get the sense that someone who hadn’t read the original Sweet Evil trilogy could pick this up and understand everything. And, I wished the author would have done that.

Overall I loved this book and if you’re a fan of the Sweet Evil trilogy it’s a must read.

Read my review of Sweet Evil 
Read my Review for Sweet Peril
Read my Review of Sweet Reckoning

Review for Red Fox by Lara Fanning

4.5 Stars. One of the most unique storylines I’ve read in a long time. There were some really twisted things that happened to the main character in this book, and though they were awful I enjoyed every second of watching her overcome them. Lara Fanning explores a dystopian Australia where the government seeks to take the population back to their more primitive and savage roots. Freya is a high school girl who witnesses tragedy and turmoil as her government turns her country upside down, forcing those worthy of survival to do unspeakable things. I loved this. My only complaint is that I just wish we’d gotten a little more interaction between the two main characters, Freya and Whil, in the second half of the book.

Freya was a well written character. She was intelligent and fierce. There were moments that I didn’t like her much in the beginning. At times, she came across as ungrateful and selfish. But, I admired her strength and independence and I think those parts of her personality kept me interested in who she was and what was happening to her. She could also be a little impulsive at times, but I think that played into this “Red Fox” concept the author explores.

Whil was also a great character. He was softer than Freya and I think he helped even her out, but he was also smart. I really liked their dynamic, and the time they spent together were my favorite scenes. Part way through the character’s environment drastically changed and it changed the mood of the book. Though it was a little abrupt, I really enjoyed the direction the story went in the second half. I just wish we’d seen more of Whil in it.

Overall, the writing was good. I found a few typos and maybe a sentence or two that was redundant, but the plot had me hanging on every word. One thing I found a little strange was that the book started out with some religious points that I didn’t understand how they fit into the overall story. For example, the first sentence is “Q1. Do you believe in God?” It was the first question on a test that Freya took, and while I understood how the test itself played into the overall plot, I felt like the rest of the story didn’t have anything to do with the character’s religious beliefs. It just seemed like there could have been less emphasis on religion in the beginning. This is definitely a must read and I’ve added the second book to my ”to-read” list.

Goddess Interrupted (The Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter

2.5 Stars. The ending of this book ruined it. After reading The Goddess Test I was eager to see Kate learn to be a goddess. I wanted to see her take on new responsibilities and for her relationship with Henry to develop. But, I didn’t get any of that in this book. Kate and the other Gods are attacked by Cronus pretty early on in the story, Kate doesn’t get a single lesson on what her responsibilities as Queen of the Underworld will be, and Henry is captured separating him from Kate and keeping them from growing as a couple. That said, this story did take me on a fun journey and Kate does discover some of her powers on her own. I liked that we got to meet Persephone and there was an interesting dynamic with her and Kate, as they are sisters. Plus she and Henry do work through some things at the end and Henry is able to resolve some things with Persephone which I think needed to happen for him to move on.

I think what disappointed me most about this book was that Kate started out as a really strong character in the first book, and even in this one she returns to the Underworld after spending her Summer in Greece. She seemed independent and capable. But the second she returned to the Underworld that all went away. She got back and turned into this girl who defined herself by her feelings for Henry. At one point she said, “without Henry, I didn’t know who I was anymore,” and it really bothered me. Then, during the fight with Cronus, she basically just got in the way and then <spoiler> got captured </spoiler> in what felt like a really stupid way. Since Kate was the main character and we see this story through her eye I really wanted to see her be the hero of her own story a little more.

She and Henry did have some time together at the end of the book, but then he went on to deal with more god-business that Kate was again left out of, and seeing her character become so dependent on him was really disappointing.

Review for The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1) by Aimee Carter

3 Stars. A fun read, but not enough action and too little relationship development. I loved Kate in the beginning of this book. She was a tough young woman dealing with the responsibility of caring for her dying mother. She was so strong, but as the story went on I felt her character weakened some. I liked seeing her devotion to Henry (Hades) and they had a really interesting dynamic. He was very distant and protective and she was always trying to get him to open up. But, I don’t think Aimee Carter did a good enough job of explaining why Kate was so into him. I admired Kate’s dedication to the goddess test, but I didn’t see enough of why she fell for Henry.

I wanted to know a little more about who Henry was. For a good chunk of the book the only thing the reader, or Kate, knew about him was that he was old, honest and attractive. And, while those were all great traits, I wanted more. As the story goes on Henry and Kate started spending more time together, but I wish we’d gotten to see more of it. I never really felt a strong spark between them.

Also, this book it set up with a twist. And, it was a good twist. I didn’t see it coming, but the way the story is set up makes parts of the plot drag because you don’t understand how important certain small moments are until the end. <spoiler>You don’t find out who the gods are or what the tests were until the very end. It was a nice twist, but it made the plot drag. I spent a lot of time waiting for Kate to take a test just to find out she’d been taking them all along. </spoiler> I also felt like the tension in the story could have been upped a bit. It’s mentioned a number of times that it may be dangerous for Kate to stay with Henry as someone has been killing all the girls Henry bring to take the test. I would have liked to have seen a few more attempts on her life.

Overall it was an enjoyable read, and I’ll give the sequel a shot.

Review for Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi

4.5 Stars. Warren has won me over. I loved the relationship between Warren and Juliette in this book. Honestly, though, it was really all there was to the book. The rest of the plot, including Juliette’s plans to overthrow the Reestablishment felt kind of thrown together. In fact, the actual plan they devised to take Anderson out didn’t even sound like it would work.  However, I enjoyed seeing the characters interact and grow so much, I honestly didn’t care what they were doing. I just wanted to see more of these characters.

I ate up every page of this and it became my favorite of the series. I liked seeing Juliette’s friends slowly change their mind about Warren. There were some interesting moments between him and them. And we get to see new sides to all of their personalities, which I loved.

I did wish by the third book that we would have known more about where Juliette and the other’s powers had come from. There’s a lot of background that I’d been waiting to find out and it’s really never explained. But, this book really does make all the decisions that Juliette made in the first two books make sense. You can see the full spectrum of her character development in this book and who she is finally all comes together.

While this book didn't feel like it hit the mark plot wise, Juliette's character development was so prefect and her growing relationship with Warren so captivating I loved it all the same. If what you liked most about the first two books were the characters and relationships, this will not disappoint.

Read my Review of Shatter Me
Read my Review of Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)