Tag: netgalley

ARC Review | Girls with Razor Hearts

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Girl with Razor Hearts (Girls with Sharp Sticks, #2)

Author: Suzanne Young

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: March 17, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Make me a girl with a razor heart…

It’s been weeks since Mena and the other girls of Innovations Academy escaped their elite boarding school. Although traumatized by the violence and experimentations that occurred there, Mena quickly discovers that the outside world can be just as unwelcoming and cruel. With no one else to turn to, the girls only have each other—and the revenge-fueled desire to shut down the corporation that imprisoned them.

The girls enroll in Stoneridge Prep, a private school with suspect connections to Innovations, to identify the son of an investor and take down the corporation from the inside. But with pressure from Leandra, who revealed herself to be a double-agent, and Winston Weeks, an academy investor gone rogue, Mena wonders if she and her friends are simply trading one form of control for another. Not to mention the woman who is quite literally invading Mena’s thoughts—a woman with extreme ideas that both frighten and intrigue Mena.

And as the girls fight for freedom from their past—and freedom for the girls still at Innovations—they must also face new questions about their existence…and what it means to be girls with razor hearts.

Thank you to Simon Pulse and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

This book is the sequel to Girls with Sharp Sticks and right away it picks off after the end of the first book. Mena and the girls have left Innovations Academy and are on a mission to take down the investors who made them.

  • I felt this second book was faster paced, at least, the latter half is and I enjoyed it very much.
  • This whole series has been about the harassment and abuse that women are subjected to because they are female but this time, Mena and her girls are doing what they can to find their power and make their own choices. It is inspiring!
  • We learn more about the history of women, yet at times this book felt very current because of the issues and situations that Mena and the girls at Stoneridge Prep experience. So I’m not really sure what time this series is set in – but it’s definitely a time when women have been reduced to being very insignificant. And now they are trying to replace women altogether with these perfect AI girls.
  • We find out more about the players behind Innovations Academy and as more secrets are revealed, I did find myself surprised. We meet some new people in this sequel, a lot of them are just more people who want to control the girls but Mena and her friends are fighting back, thank goodness.
  • Mena and her girls have an amazing bond and can love – even though they are considered machines. I love that about them.
  • Lots of times in this book it made me wonder where the story was going, but mostly in a good way. We meet new characters like Garrett, Raven, Adrian and Rosemarie and it makes the story more intriguing!
  • I think at times when Mena and Sydney was at the school investigating who the son of a investor could be, I wondered if there was a better to find out that information. 🤔 It definitely worked to show how awful the boys at this school was 😒 but Mena and Sydney were straight out of the academy and I felt like they were in danger so many times. But at times I felt not much was happening on their investigation part (going to Rugby games…) and I wanted a breakthrough to happen.
  • There are a lot of bad men and boys in this series…not a lot of good ones. I wish there were more good ones! Jackson is a good one, and there are feelings involved with him and Mena but their relationship is not the focus of this series.
  • Triggers: sexual harassment, assault, violence

This is a series with a message, that girls have been mistreated for way too long and they are fighting back against men. It made me angry, it made me feel helpless for these girls and I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series. Will they get their revenge on men and the investors? Will they become girls with razor hearts? 😟 We shall see.

ARC Review | It Sounded Better in My Head

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: It Sounded Better in My Head

Author: Nina Kenwood

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 272

Publication Date: April 7, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting, or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward. She’d always imagined she would end up with Zach one day―in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining, and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed, and nothing is quite making sense. Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

It Sounded Good in My Head is a surprising and delightful read that left me smiling. The story is set in Australia and follows Natalie who is full of teenage insecurities and who can blame her? She’s suffered from bad acne in her adolescent years, and it was so bad she was teased relentlessly. Medication has helped her but it’s left her scarred, and so anxious. Thank goodness for her best friends Zach and Lucy, who know the best of her and maybe this someone new who will see past her insecurities and hopefully like her too.

  • Natalie’s teenage insecurities are on point. I never suffered from bad acne until after I turned 19, but my sister suffered from it in middle school. It eats away at your confidence, makes you feel horrible and especially in high school where everything seems magnified – it can be awful. Natalie’s fears have made her into an anxious person, especially about her appearance. All the thoughts in her head, I’ve had them – haven’t we all?
  • So happy Natalie had two best friends, Zach and Lucy, she could count on. I liked knowing her true thoughts about when said two best friends started dating each other, but the fact they might a cool trio made me happy Natalie had a support group. And I love Zach’s family who treated her like their family also.
  • The awkwardness in this book is so funny and cringe-worthy, I felt for Natalie at the first party she attends with Owen and Alex. It was giving me anxiety just reading it because I wanted her to be okay. And all the awkwardness between her and Alex hooking up or trying to get together was so real.
  • Natalie’s voice is strong. I got swept up in her thoughts and insecurities. We even get back story on some of her reactions, like the boys who teased her about her pimples. 😒 She tells us how she became so anxious – and we see her try to wade through social situations and a lot of times failing at them. What I love about Natalie is that yes she will flee a situation and break down and cry but that doesn’t stop her from getting up the next day and living her life as best she can with her anxiety. It’s scary to like a boy when you aren’t even sure what is there to like about yourself. Alex was the somewhat non-perfect guy to like because hiding under what she thought was “perfection” was someone as insecure with his life also. We don’t have it together folks! I mean, who really does?
  • The story starts off with Natalie’s parents announcing their divorce and though it seems like a big issue, I felt like it faded to the background. Maybe it was how Natalie was coping with the situation though – she does talk more to her parents about it closer to the end of the book but it’s an amicable parting so maybe there was much drama there to begin with.
  • Natalie and Alex’s relationship happens pretty quick in the timeline of this book but it’s due to the both of them stumbling around trying to figure what they are doing. It’s not insta-love since she’s known Alex for a long time, but Natalie tries to move the relationship to the next level pretty quick, again, due to insecurities.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book! Natalie’s insecurities and anxieties are so relatable. I liked watching her go from a girl who seems absolutely terrified to be at a party to the girl telling Alex what she feels and showing him her scars. 👏🏼 I was so proud of her. This is a wonderful debut book that teens will be able to relate to and I look forward to reading more books from this author.

ARC Review | A Forgotten Murder

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: A Forgotten Murder (A Medlar Mystery)

Author: Jude Deveraux

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: March 10, 2020

Categories: Murder Mystery

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

After solving two murder cases in their hometown of Lachlan, Florida, Sara Medlar, her niece Kate and their friend Jack need a change of scenery. Sara arranges for them to visit an old friend of hers in England. Upon arrival at Oxley Manor, a centuries-old estate that has been converted to a luxury hotel, Kate and Jack quickly realize that Sara is up to something. They learn that Sara has also invited a number of others to join them at Oxley.

When everyone assembles, Sara lets them know why they are there. Decades earlier, two people ran off together from Oxley and haven’t been heard from since—and Sara wants to solve the case. As the people who were there the night the two went missing, the guests find themselves cast in a live mystery-theater event.

In reenacting the events of that night, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide and no one is safe, especially when the discovery of a body makes it clear that at least one of the people who disappeared was murdered.

Sara, Jack and Kate are once again at the heart of a mysterious case that only they are able to solve. But someone is willing to continue to kill to keep the truth about Oxley Manor buried, and none of the guests are safe.

Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

The mystery genre is not something I usually read unless someone asks me and this was the case for this book except, the author’s name is so well known to me, I agreed to read and review this. Jude Deveraux used to be one of my favorite romance writers in the 1990’s! She wrote historical romance back then and now contemporary books, which I have not read at all.

I have not read any other book in this series – I believe this is the third book in the Medlar Mystery series, but I will say this did pretty good as a standalone. There is a gathering at Oxley Manor, and Sara, Kate and Jack are there to figure out what happened in a missing persons case years ago. There are suspects galore, a dead body, and an old luxury manor. It’s a great recipe for a murder mystery.

  • Since I jumped into this series with the third book, I liked how there was enough background of the main characters: Sara, Kate and Jack without it feeling like an info dump. I didn’t feel lost because this really felt like a new mystery.
  • Kate and Jack have great chemistry. Here is when I did wish I read the previous books because I want to know how they met and got together. Jack is a wonderful, protective character. I like how he could get Puck to talk even though Puck has a reputation for being a recluse.
  • There are many suspects in this story but I like the twist at the end. I love a mystery where there is some old manor or house as the setting. It just sets the tone for the story and gives me CLUE vibes.
  • I don’t read many mysteries so it’s not like I can compare it to many I’ve read before but I really enjoyed the characters in this story.
  • It may have lost my attention a few times only because I wasn’t in the mood for a mystery (it’s rare that I am) so it’s not anything against the book, just a pure ME thing.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the setting of the story. If you like a good mystery, I think you will enjoy this one!

ARC Review | Fury Unleashed

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fury Unleashed (Forgotten Brotherhood, #1)

Author: N.J. Walters

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: March 23, 2020

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Adult, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Maccus Fury, a fallen angel, is trying hard to keep his sanity. Seems being an assassin might be catching up with him. Now, Heaven, or Hell, has sent a beautiful assassin to kill him. Lovely. She’s pretending to seduce him, and he’s okay with that. She’s smart and snarky––but she has no idea what she’s walked into. And he’s more than peeved that they only sent one person. They’re going to need an army if they want him dead. 

Morrigan Quill is one of Hell’s bounty hunters. She sold her soul to keep her sister safe, and now she’s working off her contract by catching bad guys and dragging them back to hell. Just a hundred years to go. When Hades makes her a new offer––that’s definitely too good to be true––she can’t say no. All she has to do is kill a powerful and crazy-hot fallen angel, who will totally kick her ass in battle.

Good thing he won’t see what’s coming next.

Thank you Entangled: Amara and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Maccus is a fallen angel and Morrigan is a bounty hunter for Lucifer. The two are contracted to hunt and kill each other but instead…these two fall in major lust for one another. But when they find out there is something else going on between Lucifer and Gabriel the ones who put on the hit for Maccus and Morrigan.

  • It has all the things I like in an urban fantasy – the modern setting with fantasy elements, in this story it being the world of angels. I’m a sucker for a fallen angel story! There is action, a fight for world domination, prophecy, sex, and love.
  • Morrigan who is a bounty hunter for Lucifer and I like a woman with power. She kicks butt and the way she became a bounty hunter, unfortunately, shows she has a big heart. She has to make some very hard decisions about her sister in the end, but
  • Maccus is the full on bad-ass fallen angel character who has a scary rep. He definitely showed his skills in the bedroom! 😜 And have you seen the cover of this book? Hot.
  • I liked how Gabriel’s characters went “out of character” with how he is usually depicted in angel lore.
  • Prepare for a lot of sex scenes! Their attraction was basically INSTANT and they definitely didn’t waste time getting it on.
  • It was predictable, I don’t think many of the twists surprised me but it was still enjoyable. At times I think Lucifer and Gabriel were much more interesting than Maccus and Morrigan. But Lucifer is already a fascinating character in biblical aspects. Gabriel is more of a character you can play around with – he is known as a very power archangel and I’ve seen many different takes about him. One of the more popular one being how he wants more power like in this book.
  • Trigger: There was one moment where Morrigan recounted their sex session and she says she thought he was going to kill her because his hands were around her throat during the act. 😮 He didn’t hurt her – but him doing that had her life flash before her eyes though she thought the sex was amazing. If that’s your kink…hey…you do you! I was just scared for Morrigan for a minute there.

Overall it was a quick read. Though Maccus and Morrigan connect on a physical level right away, they eventually fall for each other. I liked Morrigan and her sister’s storyline, and the story asking the question how far would you go for the ones you love. If you like urban fantasy with fallen angels and bounty hunters from Hell, you might like this one.

ARC Review | We Are Blood and Thunder

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: We Are Blood and Thunder

Author: Kesia Lupo

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: March 3, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

On the edges of a sealed-off city, a chance encounter between two girls in the misty woods is about to change the course of everything. . .

Lena is on the run from her home, the Duke’s Forest, after being convicted as a mage and sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Constance escaped the Forest years before, after her own magical powers were discovered–but now, she will do anything to get back inside and reclaim her place as the duke’s daughter. The girls cross paths for only a moment, but that’s long enough to set them down paths that will change the dukedom forever.

As Lena reaches a safe haven where she can study and develop her powers alongside handsome but mysterious mage Emris, Constance maneuvers her way back into the home she left behind, unsure whether she trust the people she once considered her family and friends. All the while, the girls are connected by the dark, terrifying storm clouds that hang over the land and devastate everything in their wakes. 

Only Lena and Constance hold the keys to dispelling the storm and keeping their home safe–if they can uncover who cast the spell that generated the clouds to begin with. But the truth is far more sinister than anyone could imagine, and it could mean that one of the girls will lose everything.

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

We are Blood and Thunder follows two main female characters, Lena, who has a mark on her face, no family and was raised as a cryptling in Duke’s Forest. She was assistant to the city mortician. Then there is Constance, a mage who comes back home to Duke’s Forest to help get rid of the toxic storm cloud that has been circling above Duke’s Forest for years.

Nothing is what it seems with either women. We follow their journeys and find out if the storm cloud can be defeated at all.

  • The world building is fascinating with different mage factions. We only get a glimpse of a few of them but I think there is so much potential to learn more about this fantasy world. The people in Duke’s Forest don’t use magic, they worship their Ancestors – the dead that are buried below their city in crypts. Their way of life is to serve them. Outside of Duke’s Forest is where magic thrives.
  • Lena interested me more than Constance. Lena is an orphan raised as a cryptling, assisting the city’s mortician. She is without family, raised basically with dead bodies but then things start happening to her, she has power. More power than she ever had in her life.
  • Emris, a huntsman mage, is Lena’s introduction into life outside of Duke’s Forest. He teaches her about her magic and power. Theirs is a friendship that grows and I was glad Lena had someone.
  • This story was gory and dark at times! There was dark magic, necromancy and dead bodies coming to life. I thought that was fun, haha, morbid yes but I liked that it went there.
  • I needed MORE from this story – I felt like there was so much potential with the world building and I didn’t get enough. Also I felt like the characters, or maybe mostly Constance, was superficial. Even her supposed romance with Xander was so quick and strange, I was like…??…am I supposed to feel something about these two? Because I feel…nothing.
  • I didn’t vibe with Constance but by the end, my feeling about her was right. So maybe there was a reason why something about felt off! There were some parts of this book that felt a bit melodramatic and it was mostly to do with Constance. 🤨
  • The story did drag a bit, especially with this problem of this toxic storm cloud hovering over Duke’s Forest. Like…what is it? Why is it there? Why Duke’s Forest? It ties in all at the end, but it took awhile to get there – to the point I didn’t know why Constance’s story mattered. It matters…but in the beginning I wanted to skip her parts to read about Lena.
  • The twist at the end was surprising but, Constance again, to me…ruined it. I just did not like her!
  • Triggers: death, being around dead bodies

I enjoyed the world building, Lena and the necromancy in this book but I really needed more. Overall, this book fell short for me in so many areas, but it did keep my interest enough to want to know what was the whole deal with the toxic storm cloud! It was just an okay read for me.

ARC Review | Foul is Fair

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Foul is Fair

Author: Hannah Capin

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: February 18, 2020

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary Sexual Assault, Rape Culture, Revenge, MacBeth Retelling, Murder

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Elle and her friends Mads, Jenny, and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Elle’s sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Elle as their next target. 

They picked the wrong girl. 

Sworn to vengeance, Elle transfers to St. Andrew’s. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She’ll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school’s hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly. 

Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes


Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Golden boys beware, for real! Here we have a crew of four mean girls, but on one special night when Jade (Elle before the party, Jade is what she is after…) is celebrating her sweet sixteen they crash a St. Andrew’s prep party and their lives are changed forever.

After the party we are in Jade’s head as she plots and plans the demise of the golden boys of St. Andrew’s prep that hurt her. Jade’s got a kill list and she’s crossing out names: Duncan, Banks, Duffy, Conner, Porter, Malcom, Mack and one girl, Piper. It is time for revenge, and these girls don’t play, their claws are out and they are ready to draw blood.

  • I learned this was a MacBeth retelling but I knew as I was reading the line “foul is fair, fair is foul” that it felt familiar. Jade’s best friends, Mads, Summer and Jenny are like the witches in MacBeth. Jade refers to them as her coven. They’ve had things done to them when they were younger and these girls learned to fight back and rule the school. They refuse to be victims and they take what they want. They make things happen, they ruin lives if anyone tries to come for them. Not only was MacBeth all over this story, I got Heathers vibes too (which I grew up with and love) and it also made me think of the new tv series Euphoria (I’m kind of obsessed). It’s like Euphoria, in the sense of how the story flows from Jade’s thoughts, memories of the party, and other events that take place.
  • This girl squad is tight, they are honest, they are all in and got each other’s backs. But I also loved that the revenge wasn’t only for Jade, but for all the girls who came before her. I know it was kind of sick with the murders but damn was I cheering them on.
  • I loved how the “house of cards” fell and how Jade plotted the downfall. I was scared for her and scared of her – but she and her friends took those St. Andrews boys and one girl down like bosses! How are these high school kids so vicious? It helps they are all the rich kids and have power, fast cars, big houses and parents that are hardly around it seems. And lawyers, they have lawyers on hand! So important!
  • The story is a powerful message about rape culture. Here we have these golden boys who, in real life, would probably get away with this behavior for the rest of their lives. There was no remorse in these boys, they took what they wanted…but here comes Jade who comes to take what is hers, reclaim the power that they stole from her. Jade plays them like puppets on a string! I was like, damnnnnn girl…I think a lot of us females have had enough so we resonate with her rage. And Jade wouldn’t have have been able to do all of this without the support of her friends who believed her. They didn’t see the rape happen, but they believed her 100%.
  • This story is in your face, and unapologetic. The writing is poetic, but sometimes just a few words left an impact. Jade is not a sweet girl – she is hell bent on her plans of revenge. She gives no F’s, she is ruthless, she’s scheming and ready to spill blood. The story is violent, and at times bloody. Jade manipulates Mack to get what she wants.
  • I think the author did a great job showcasing each character, especially Jade and the boys at St. Andrew’s prep that was involved and their strength and weaknesses.
  • There are so many triggers in this books: sexual assault, rape, rape culture, attempted suicide, murder for the sake of revenge, violence.
  • Because this book is so dark, it may not appeal to some readers, especially because Jade comes off as a psychopath, she’s getting high off these murders! Also I enjoyed the poetic writing but I can see how some readers would get confused with the metaphorical writing.
  • The way Jade uses Mack to take down the golden boys was at times, for me, not believable. He fell for her so fast and was willing, just because she smiled a certain way, whispered the right words, kissed him a lot, now he’s about to murder his friends? She was doing a lot of emotional manipulation on him, but it didn’t seem like she needed to try very hard. I definitely had to suspend my belief there and go with it.
  • What happens next to Jade?! I need to know.

Some books capture the sign of the times so perfectly and this book does it well. It’s the rage we feel these days with the MeToo movement, unleashed through Jade and her coven. Women are fighting back the powerful golden boys that have ruled for what seems like eons and it’s about time.

If you can handle the triggers in this book, I think it’s an intense, bold story that dares you not to look away from the damage rape culture can cause. I believe this is the first book in a series or duology, I’m not quite sure, but I am VERY curious to see what happens next after the ending of this book. I think this book could have stood strongly as a standalone already, but maybe we get to see how society paints Jade when they find out what happened to her and what she’s done in retaliation. Things could get intense, I look forward to reading the sequel.

ARC Review | Belle Révolte

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Belle Révolte

Author: Linsey Miller

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Emilie des Marais is more at home holding scalpels than embroidery needles and is desperate to escape her noble roots to serve her country as a physician. But society dictates a noble lady cannot perform such gruesome work.

Annette Boucher, overlooked and overworked by her family, wants more from life than her humble beginnings and is desperate to be trained in magic. So when a strange noble girl offers Annette the chance of a lifetime, she accepts.

Emilie and Annette swap lives—Annette attends finishing school as a noble lady to be trained in the ways of divination, while Emilie enrolls to be a physician’s assistant, using her natural magical talent to save lives.

But when their nation instigates a frivolous war, Emilie and Annette must work together to help the rebellion end a war that is based on lies

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Belle Revolte is set in a French inspired world where magic use is known as the noonday arts and the midnight arts. Emilie a noble girl wants to be a physician but only men can aspire to that profession. So Emilie swaps lives with Annette a commoner who wants to elevate her station by studying the midnight arts. Emilie sneaks away to learn noon day arts and train as a physician as a rebellion is growing in their kingdom. The rebellion is lead by someone named Laurel. They find out that everyone who is in the rebellion is called Laurel and they are ready to change things for their kingdom.

Which side will Emilie and Annette take in this rebellion and will they see their dreams become reality?

  • The magic system in this book was interesting, to a point. We have the noonday arts which is used by soldiers and physician. The magic is used for fighting and healing. Midnight arts is used for divination and scrying among other things. The midnight arts is in some form usually present in other fantasy books with a magic system but the noonday arts was somewhat different. I thought the medical training Emilie undertakes was more fascinating than the usual midnight arts. I can see why she says the noonday arts changes lives – especially in that sense.
  • There is trans and ace (asexual) representation in this book and honestly, I think this is the first young adult fantasy I’ve read with asexual representation! There is some romance in the book, but this story is not romance driven.
  • Strong female characters are featured in this book which is always great. We have Annette and Emilie trying to make their dreams a reality. Emilie especially in her male dominated field but Annette takes a big risk as well posing as a noblewoman.
  • The beginning of the book kept me interested but by the middle I felt my attention waning. The magic system didn’t keep me interested, they either had magic for healing or fighting and magic for divination and scrying. We see how Annette and Emilie use it to help in time of war but other than that…I’m not sure there was anything else special about it.
  • I’m all for the life swapping trope, it’s a chance to have someone on the other side experience a different role and life, some good, some bad. But I felt no connection to the characters. It was a life swap but not a name swap – I think it threw me off a little. Annette was posing as Emilie and being called Emilie. But Emilie was still Emilie, but with Annette’s last name! So…they were both Emilie. 😟
  • Triggers: War, death

The story of two girls trying to change their fate and a kingdom on the verge of revolution is inspiring. Unfortunately I failed to connect to the characters and I lost interest midway into the book. Despite my experience, I think others will enjoy this story very much.

ARC Review |Echoes Between Us

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Echoes Between Us

Author: Katie McGarry

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication: January 14, 2020

Categories: Grief, Brain Tumor, Addiction, Contemporary, Tuberculosis History, Ghost Hunting, Family, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Veronica sees ghosts. More specifically, her mother’s ghost. The afterimages of blinding migraines caused by the brain tumor that keeps her on the fringes and consumes her whole life haunt her, even as she wonders if it’s something more…

Golden boy Sawyer is handsome and popular, a state champion swimmer, but his adrenaline addiction draws him to Veronica.

A girl with nothing to live for and a boy with everything to lose–can they conquer their demons together?

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this eARC.

After I sped through this book last night, I wondered why they didn’t release for October because it was the perfect fall read for me! Why? Because of the ghosts! The creepiness factor of this book was SO unexpected, I literally had some chills reading this late past midnight. I almost stopped but pushed on and I’m glad I did.

This is more than a story of Sawayer, the popular hot guy, who pairs up with Veronica, the quirky weird girl at school to do a project. I mean that’s the gist of it but no, ohhhh nooooo…their Senior project Veronica or V as her friends call her, want to do is to prove ghosts exists. Okay! I love a good paranormal activity story.

But this was more than just a story about hunting down ghosts as well. V has a brain tumor and she a reason for this project. Sawyer doesn’t believe in ghosts because he feels like his real life is scary and messed up already. He has secrets and these two teenager find a way past their first impressions to understand one another and help each other out in ways unexpected.

  • I love the ghost hunting! I love when they had to research for their project, it even scared me. Yes, I used to binge ghost hunting shows like Paranormal Activity haha and in high school, it was all about going to haunted spots with friends, just to get that thrill of maybe seeing something. But um this book did too good a job at scaring me….🙈👻
  • We get dual POV in this story. Sawyer is a complex character with his role as caretaker, and swim star. The pressure and depression he feels from every aspect in his life and his dangerous coping mechanism was taking a toll on him. I seriously felt for him, so glad he gets help. I liked seeing him attend the AA meetings and basically just trying his best to be better for himself, and his sister.
  • Veronica is special and the ones who realize it protect her. I love that she had a protective circle of friends since others in their community just thought she was super weird. She has these horrible migraines because of her tumor and just seeing her go through it, it’s tough. Her grief over her mother though, broke my heart.
  • Sawyer and Veronica’s love story is beautiful ❤️. At one point I said aloud, “I love you, Sawyer”. 🤣😱 I was like, whoa where did that come from? HAHA…even though Veronica is this shining light and the person who shows him life can be thrilling in a different way…he is the thing that grounds her. They struggle with their relationship and feelings as well…but he was mature enough to make some hard but right decisions and I was like, go Sawyer. I didn’t mind their relationship drama in this, I thought it fit in well and was believable. Their love wasn’t all consuming, it was deep but I liked that family came first too. And V stepped up to the plate too…I love how they decided to be all in. All in.
  • There are heavy topics in this story like addiction. Sawyer’s mom is clearly an addict, and Sawyer is addicting to adrenaline. Veronica is dealing with grief. Heavy topics all around but it works even as it’s interwoven with this ghost hunting project. It’s written so well.
  • There is a historical angle as well to this story with the TB Hospital in Kentucky. I googled it and just looking at the photo of the sanatorium scares me! Haha, I would have not been brave like Veronica and her friends to be hanging out that place. But there is a diary that Sawyer reads, a diary of a girl named Evelyn Bellak who was a patient at the hospital back in 1918. According to the author, the diary is real. Sawyer reads the diary and relates to Evelyn in many ways.
  • Sawyer’s mom… 😔 I know it’s part of Sawyer’s story but wow. It shows his mom spiraling into her addiction and Sawyer cleaning up after her but there is one thing that she does that affects his younger sister and it made me livid. But his mom was hitting rock bottom…and rock bottom is not pretty to see. I was hurting for Sawyer…I mean what’s a kid to do, he was trying so hard.
  • Sylvia his best friend – she was only trying to help him but at times she frustrated me. But she had her own insecurities too so…🤷🏻‍♀️
  • Just a few triggers: grief, cancer, chemo, depression, addiction

This story blended ghost hunting, grief, brain tumor, and addiction so seamlessly. I was getting chills from the ghost hunting scenes and Sawyer’s penchant for jumping. I was scared from both things. I was afraid for both Sawyer and Veronica and hoping both would confront their ghosts and make it out okay. But I also fell in love with with Sawyer and V falling in love. ❤️ Overall, it was an emotional rollercoaster and I enjoyed Echoes Between Us very much. Don’t read it in the dark though (I was on my fire tablet lol), because you won’t only be tingling from the love story but getting chills from the ghost stories too! Or maybe it’s because I scare easily…haha.

ARC Review | The Night Country

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Night Country ( The Hazel Wood, #2)

Author: Melissa Albert

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: January 7, 2020

Categories: Dark Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Dark Fantasy

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

In The Night Country, Alice Proserpine dives back into a menacing, mesmerizing world of dark fairy tales and hidden doors. Follow her and Ellery Finch as they learn The Hazel Woodwas just the beginning, and that worlds die not with a whimper, but a bang.

With Finch’s help, Alice escaped the Hinterland and her reclusive grandmother’s dark legacy. Now she and the rest of the dregs of the fairy tale world have washed up in New York City, where Alice is trying to make a new, unmagical life. But something is stalking the Hinterland’s survivors―and she suspects their deaths may have a darker purpose. Meanwhile, in the winking out world of the Hinterland, Finch seeks his own adventure, and―if he can find it―a way back home…


Thank you to Flat Iron Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I rated the first book in this series The Hazel Wood, 3 1/2 stars because though the story goes off on an Alice in Wonderland like mind bend, I was still immersed in the mystery that was the Hinterland and The Hazel Wood. It keep me reading and wanting to find out what was going on.

Alice has escaped the Hinterland, choosing to go back to New York City and live her life as before. You would think things go back to normal but someone is murdering her ex-Story friends in New York City, but who? This story is a murder mystery with more dark fairy tales to tell.

  • I will say this about the series in general, both books have amazing book covers so yay to the artist! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
  • Sophia Snow is a new character in this book and I liked her a lot. I also liked learning about her fairy tale, even though it doesn’t come until later in the book. She was Alice’s only friend now that Finch chose to stay in the Hinterland.
  • The murder mystery kept me interested in this story. It gave me the creepy feeling I had like in the first book, especially the scene on the subway! I liked how the murders was something bigger than just some serial killer on the loose, I liked that twist in the story.
  • Ellery Finch’s letters were sweet! Maybe because I love Jane Austen but I thought it was quite romantic. As for their relationship, I can’t say there was much to grow on with them being separated and only having the one-sided letters but in the end they are finally in the same world.
  • This world of The Hazel Wood series is so unique, I love how it’s different and the fairy tales are so dark and scary. I adore that it’s a world of stories and books coming to life, that books are a door…that just got me thinking, yes, yes, YES. I get that so much. I think the concept of the Spinner making and remaking these worlds is so interesting.
  • Triggers: violence, blood, murder scenes
  • I wanted to know more about what happened with Ellery Finch and he shows up later in the book. So much later that I thought, he wasn’t going to be in this book at all! By the time we see what he’s been up to, I’ve lost interest. Finch comes back strong in the ending, but by then, I just wanted to finish.
  • The middle of this story lost me. I was disinterested. 😒 I put it down so many times and picked it up, just to get a few pages in but it didn’t grab me. I’m amazed I finished.
  • The mysteriousness of the first book is gone in this one. The reason I kept reading the first book was because I wanted to know what the Hazel Wood was and if it was real. The Night Country didn’t captivate me like the Hazel Wood did.
  • I wanted more dark fairy tale stories!

If you loved The Hazel Wood, you will love The Night Country because there is so much more than just the Hinterlands. The darkness is still there as it seems to always surround Alice, and though I enjoyed the first part of the book, I lost interest in the middle but managed to finish the book.

I don’t know if I just needed to be in the mood to read it, but I thought reading The Hazel Wood just recently would have continued my interest in the sequel. That wasn’t the case, but that’s okay, I find this world to be unique, fascinating and dark and I may not love the series, but I like it just enough.