A Castaway in Cornwall by Julie Klassen

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Laura Callaway daily walks the windswept Cornwall coast, known for many shipwrecks but few survivors. She feels like a castaway, set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers. Now living with her parson uncle and his parsimonious wife in North Cornwall, Laura is viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong somewhere again.

When ships sink, wreckers scour the shore for valuables, while Laura searches for clues to the lives lost. She has written letters to loved ones and returned keepsakes to rightful owners. She collects seashells and mementos, and when a man is washed ashore, she collects him too.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the castaway, the mystery surrounding him grows. He has abrasions and a deep cut that looks suspiciously like a knife wound, and he speaks in careful, educated English, yet his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Their attraction grows, and while she longs to return the man to his rightful home, evidence against him mounts. With danger pursuing them from every side, will Laura ever find the answers and love she seeks?

This was a decent romance, with likable characters but I did not think this was as good as some of the other Julie Klassen books I've read. Maybe it was just me, but I didn't feel that spark between the characters that I usually feel when I read her romances. I did enjoy the little bit of intrigue, and the ending was very sweet, but it wasn't enough to make me love the book as much as I wanted to.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.

 

 

 

In the Woods by Carrie Jones, Steven E. Wedel

  

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery, suspense, Paranormal, Fantasy
Content: Clean as far as I know.

 

It should have been just another quiet night on the farm when Logan witnessed the attack, but it wasn’t.
Something is in the woods.
Something unexplainable.
Something deadly.
Hundreds of miles away, Chrystal’s plans for summer in Manhattan are abruptly upended when her dad reads tabloid coverage of some kind of grisly incident in Oklahoma. When they arrive to investigate, they find a witness: a surprisingly good-looking farm boy.
As townsfolk start disappearing and the attacks get ever closer, Logan and Chrystal will have to find out the truth about whatever’s hiding in the woods…before they become targets themselves.

DNF.

I thought this would be a good creepy supernatural thriller, but unfortunately it fell flat. The main characters are a farm boy who aspires to be a poet and a teen girl who accompanies her father—a kindergarten teacher who dabbles in cryptology—to the scene of an unusual killing and possible big foot sighting. There were a few parts where I thought someone needed to save me from the silly teen inner monologues, and at times I would read a sentence and think it was amateurish.

The biggest problem I have with the book though, is that I didn't get what I was expecting. There was nothing creepy or thrilling about it. Once I decided I didn't want to finish the book I did skim over to the end to find out what was behind the mysterious killings. I easily predicted what the creatures were. I'm not going to say what they were here, but I will say that there are so many books like this out there, and this one just blends into the rest with nothing to make it really stand out.

Fragile (The Hollows, #1) by Lisa Unger

  

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, suspense
Content: Strong language; Rape, but nothing is described

 

Everybody knows everybody in The Hollows, a quaint, charming town outside of New York City. It's a place where neighbors keep an eye on one another's kids, where people say hello in the grocery store, and where high school cliques and antics are never quite forgotten. As a child, Maggie found living under the microscope of small-town life stifling. But as a wife and mother, she has happily returned to The Hollows's insular embrace. As a psychologist, her knowledge of family histories provides powerful insights into her patients' lives. So when the girlfriend of her teenage son, Rick, disappears, Maggie's intuitive gift proves useful to the case--and also dangerous.

The investigation has her husband, Jones, the lead detective on the case, acting strangely. Rick, already a brooding teenager, becomes even more withdrawn. In a town where the past is always present, nobody is above suspicion, not even a son in the eyes of his father.

Determined to uncover the truth, Maggie pursues her own leads into Charlene's disappearance and exposes a long-buried town secret--one that could destroy everything she holds dear.

While I liked this book, I felt like there were a few too many elements thrown in. There were too many unsavory characters, too many disappearances or murders. Also I wasn't really sure why the character Charlie was included so much in the story since he had nothing to do with anything except for witnessing something. He felt like a character that needed his own story. Apparently that's a thing this author does in this series though, she intersects different story threads into the books.

The biggest reason I liked this is that I could relate so much to the psychologist as a mom and a wife. The thoughts and feelings she had about her son growing up and changing, in some ways not in the way she wanted him to, really hit home for me. The relationship between her son and husband also really hit home for me. The parenting style she adopted because of it also really hit home for me.

I liked some of the characters in the book, but I also don't really feel compelled to keep reading about any of them. This is mostly a series of companion stories, although the first two books seem to be directly related to each other. If I read any more it would probably be just the first two, but at this time I don't plan on continuing.

 

 

 

November 2020 Book Club: Life Reset (New Era Online #1) by Shemer Kuznits

  

My rating: No rating

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, litrpg
Content:Strong Language

After being betrayed and cursed by an extremely rare spell, Oren, a powerful and influential player, finds himself as a 1st level Goblin! Without even a fraction of his previous power, he vows to pull through and have revenge on those who betrayed him. His thorough knowledge of the game's world and his unique ability to immerse himself entirely are his only advantages. But first, he must figure out how to survive long enough playing what is basically a low-level fodder monster!

This was our book club read for November and I ended up not finishing it. This is the third litrpg that I've either read or tried to read, and I think I can firmly say that this is not a genre that's for me. Mainly I get very annoyed with all the stats and such in the story. I'm reading a book based on someone playing a game or being stuck in a game and that feels tedious to me. I think for the genre it's a good book, but I just don't like the genre so I decided not to rate it. If you're interested in the genre or like it, then I think you should definitely give this one a try.

 

 

 

The Yellow Room by Mary Roberts Rinehart

  

 My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Clean

A corpse - somewhat charred around the edges - has been discovered in the linen closet of the Spencers' fabulous Maine retreat. No one has a clue as to who she is or how she got there. Certainly not Carol Spencer, who has just arrived to open up her isolated family house for the summer.

 

 

This is the third Mary Roberts Rinehart book I've read and like the other two I liked it, but didn't love it. I'm not sure why, but at the same time I want to keep reading her books. They do fill my occasional need to read something vintage.

This was a good mystery, if rather convoluted. It was hard to figure out and I was surprised at several of the revelations. Several characters withheld vital information that would have helped solve the case much sooner. Apparently that's a Rinehart staple, and I'm not sure how much I care for it. 

What could have been better were the characterizations. Some of that is due to the time period that the book was written. It definitely reads like an older book. This was written in 1945 and women characters were written differently back then, and I'm not always a fan of it. It's the same with watching old movies (although I enjoy them sometimes). The women were viewed as too fragile, and the men had to swoop in and take care of things. I like my female characters to be more involved in the mystery solving, and the main character here wasn't. She was a very passive part of the story, with the two males—a detective and an FBI agent—doing the investigating. I also wanted to feel like there was some sort of danger present for the characters involved but I never felt that way. 

There is also the whole thing of forgiving the men of their "transgressions" and blaming the "trollop" instead of putting the blame equally on them both. Here we have the mentality that it was excusable for the men because they were at war and having a hard time mentally and psychologically, and the woman took advantage. Not enough responsibility was put on the men in my opinion, and they were too easily forgiven. That did seem to be the mindset for back when this book was written though.

There was some romance in the story, but I never really got behind it as it was the insta-love type that was so popular in books of this time period. I can excuse it at times, especially when reading a Mary Stewart book, but this one was too sudden, too bland, and too unbelievable, especially when our main character was so suspicious of him the whole time, and was supposedly heart broken over losing her fiance in the war. She did a real about face on that, and it didn't make much sense to me.

I can't leave this review without mentioning this cover. I like it. I think it's pretty, but I wonder why they chose a beach scene for the cover of this book. A picture of a yellow room would have been the obvious and best choice. I know earlier editions did have more relevant covers, although I wouldn't say they were pretty. 

I'm not sure when I'll get to another Rinehart book, but I will eventually. I'm still hoping I find one I like enough to give at least 4 stars to.

Death Before Dragons Series Books 1-6 by Lindsay Buroker

I've been really enjoying Lindsay Buroker's series. This is the third one I've read now and I like that they are quick easy reads. I had already read a space opera and a more traditional high fantasy by her, so I wanted to try her urban fantasy. I ended up liking the first book in the series quite a lot, but not loving it as much as I had hoped. That being said, I've read the whole series, or at least what's been published now, and I think the following books were better than the first one.

The trademark Lindsay Buroker humor is present, which is one reason I like her books. They make me laugh quite a bit, and who doesn't like a little bit of laughter in their life? On the downside, I do feel like I've, for the most part, read the same main character in all three series. There are some slight differences, but they could be more distinct. Also every once in a while I find myself rolling my eyes at the attempts at humor, but still the stories are mostly good fun, and I don't think we are meant to take them too seriously.

I thought this series had an interesting mix of fantasy creatures. There was pretty much everything but the kitchen sink thrown in, from dragons to vampires to orcs, and somehow it worked. 

I read these books back to back and I really can't remember now where one ended and the next started, so this will be my review for the whole series, but I'll post the books, their descriptions, and my ratings below.

The overall content for the series is some strong language (but not a lot of it), some suggestive jokes, a naked hot tub scene, a couple of make out scenes that involve fondling, and a sex scene that is moderately descriptive.

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy

I’m Val Thorvald, and I’m an assassin.

When magical bad guys hurt people, I take care of them. Permanently.

This doesn’t make me popular with the rest of the magical community—as you can tell from the numerous break-ins and assassination attempts I’ve endured over the years. But thanks to my half-elven blood, a powerful sword named Chopper, and a telepathic tiger with an attitude, I’ve always been able to handle my problems with aplomb. Maybe some cursing and swearing, too, but definitely aplomb.

That changes when my boss is afflicted with a mysterious disease, a government agent starts investigating me, and a godforsaken dragon shows up in the middle of my latest job.

I’ve taken down vampires, zombies, and ogres, but dragons are way, way more powerful. And it doesn’t look like this one is going to like me.

Worse than that, he wants to use his magic to compel me to do his bidding, as if I’m some weak-minded minion.

That’s not going to happen. I’d die before being some dragon’s slave.

But if I can’t figure out a way to avoid him, save my boss, and get rid of the government spook, I’m screwed. Or dead. Or screwed and dead. And that’s never comfortable.

 

 

 

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

 

If you think having one dragon around messes up your life, imagine what it’s like when a second one shows up.

I’m Val Thorvald, assassin of magical bad guys and tenuous ally to the dragon lord Zav.

He still calls me a mongrel and thinks I’m a criminal, but he healed my wounds after we fought those dark elves together. That’s progress, right? Maybe one day, he’ll deign to use my name.

Not that this is my primary concern. I’m busy with a new assignment. Nin, the awesome lady who makes my magical weapons, has a werewolf problem. Specifically, sleazy loser werewolf competitors who want to drive her out of business. Or worse.

Normally, a couple of werewolves wouldn’t be a big deal, but these ones have powerful allies. And then there’s that new dragon.

It turns out he’s one of Zav’s enemies, and he wants to use me against him.

I don’t know why he’s picking on me—it’s not like I mean something to Zav—but somehow I’ve gotten stuck in the middle of dragon politics. If you think that sounds like a nightmare, you’re right.

If I can’t figure out a way to help my friend with the werewolves while keeping these dragons from tearing me apart, we’re both going to end up flatter than the deck chairs when Zav lands on the roof of my apartment building.

 

 

 

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

 

Dealing with dragons is hard. Dealing with a teenage daughter is even harder.

My new mission involves both. Weird things are happening in Northern Idaho, and my boss is sending me to investigate. Unfortunately, my daughter and ex-husband are vacationing in the town that’s at the center of the trouble. Coincidence? Or is someone targeting them to get at me?

I’m a wanted woman right now. Not only by the criminal werewolves, orcs, and trolls that I’m often hired to kill. But by the Dragon Justice Court.

An organization full of arrogant, powerful dragons is exactly as horrible as it sounds. They’re the last beings you’d want after your family. If I can’t get to the bottom of the mystery and convince the dragons I’m not their enemy, I stand to lose far more than my own life.

 

 

 

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

Dragons make life complicated. Extremely complicated.

After returning from Idaho, I was hoping to have time to figure things out with Zav—also known as Lord Zavryd, the dragon who claimed me as his mate without asking—but the dark elves are up to their old tricks again.

Actually, they’re up to far more deadly tricks, using more powerful magic than I knew existed. I have no idea how I’m going to stop them, but if I can’t, my entire city and everybody I care about could be obliterated.

To make matters worse, Zav’s sister has shown up and is rooting around in my life. His family doesn’t approve of me, and she plans to put an end to our relationship... one way or another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

 

In "The Forbidden Ground," Val and Dimitri (and Sindari and Zav) take a trip to Southern Oregon for an assignment that is not as simple as it seems.

In the bonus scenes, we take a look at several events from the first three novels in the Death Before Dragons series from Lord Zavryd's point of view. For the first time ever, we see what he was thinking while interacting with Val and the world at large.

From the author's site: I wrote story to stand alone (so if you’re a new reader, you can jump in and enjoy it), but it does have some spoilers for the earlier books. It takes places between Books 4 and 5 in the Death Before Dragons series.  

 

 

 

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

 

I never thought I would date a dragon, or feed him chicken strips late at night, but life has gotten interesting.

My steady dragon—you may know him as Lord Zavryd’nokquetal, but I get to call him Zav—is offering to take me to the elven homeland to meet my father and learn to harness the magic in my blood.

Sure, I’m wary about his plans to force the elves to train me, but I need every advantage I can get. Especially when vampire attacks start cropping up all over Seattle, and my friend and business partner, Dimitri, disappears.

Unfortunately, my training will have to wait. If I don’t find my friend in time, I may never see him alive again.  

 

 

 

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

 

Moving into a rundown Victorian house with a vampire living in the basement isn’t as bad as I thought, but things go from weird to weirder when a badly injured gnome collapses in my back yard.

The surprising part? It’s my friend Nin’s long-lost grandfather.

Since he’s unconscious, we can’t figure out who’s chasing him, or where he’s been all these years, but if we can’t help him, he’ll die.

To make matters worse, there’s a new dragon in town. A female dragon. Everyone knows females are more dangerous than the males, and this one takes an instant dislike to me. It seems that she wants to date my mate, Zav, and has his mother’s approval.

If I can’t avoid her wrath and find a way to cure the gnome, Nin’s going to lose her grandfather, and I’m going to end up deader than the vampire in the basement.

 

 

 

 

Death, Diamonds, and Deception (Gilded Age Mystery #5) by Rosemary Simpson

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Strong Language

 

Fall 1889: Lady Rotherton has arrived from London intent on chaperoning her niece Prudence through a New York social season to find a suitable husband. It's certainly not her niece's devilishly handsome partner in Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law. Aunt Gillian's eye for eligible suitors is surpassed only by her ability to discern genuine gems from nearly flawless fakes. At the Assembly Ball at Delmonico's, she effortlessly determines that the stones in the spectacular diamond waterfall necklace adorning the neck of the wife of banker William De Vries are fake.

Insisting on absolute discretion to avoid scandal, the banker employs Prudence and Geoffrey to recover the stolen diamonds pried out of their settings--priceless stones acquired by Tiffany, originally purchased for Marie Antoinette. Their search for a possible fence rapidly leads to a dead end: a jeweler brutally killed in his shop during an apparent theft.

The jeweler's murder is only the first in a string of mysterious deaths, as Prudence and Geoffrey pursue their elusive quarry. But the clues keep leading back to duplicity on the part of the De Vries family, who, it turns out, have a great deal to hide...

I almost stopped reading this series after the last book Death Brings a Shadow, but now I'm glad I didn't. This was probably my second favorite book in the series. I enjoyed reading about Prudence and Geoffrey in this book. Prudence was less annoying and reckless than she was in the last book. I was happy that there seemed to be some positive character growth for her, and Geoffrey is beginning to realize that he needs to accept that she isn't going to take a back seat in the investigations, no matter how dangerous they might be. Also, Prudence's aunt who was visiting from London was an interesting character, even though she could be a bit of a snob, and I really enjoyed reading Josiah's thoughts regarding Prudence and Geoffrey.

I thought the mystery in this one was quite good. Though I figured out one element of the mystery early on, part of it kept me guessing for most of the book. This time around there was no real big historical event tied to the book, but that was ok. The author notes in her afterward that the Marie Antoinette diamonds were completely made up by her. Regardless, it was a good plot devise. Keeley's Gold Cure for Alcoholism that was talked about in the book was a real thing however. After reading up on it, it sounded like a money making scheme to me. 

 

My one big complaint about this book is the way it ends. Just when something I've been waiting for seems about to happen, it ends and now I have have to wait another year to find out what happened. That was so frustrating!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

 

Virgin River (Virgin River, #1) by Robyn Carr

 

 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance
Content: Strong language, Lots of pretty descriptive sex between an adult couple and one teen couple

When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad, she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving—the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she’s made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

But a tiny baby abandoned on a front porch changes her plans…and former marine Jack Sheridan cements them into place.

 

I watched the Netflix series based on this book and I liked it, so I thought I would give the book a try. Usually the book is even better right? Well, not this time. I actually think Netflix improved the story.

The TV show is pretty clean, just a nice sweet romance, so I was really surprised at how much sex was in this book. It wasn't erotica or anything, but it wasn't glossed over either. A little bit doesn't bother me, but I think there was more sex in this book than any other book I've read this year. I felt like it ruined the story, because it became more about that than any real feelings that were happening between Mel and Jack. We are told they are developing real feelings for each other, but from the first time Jack lays eyes on Mel all he can think about is her "tight little body". Needless to say, I didn't care for Jack's inner monologue about Mel. I liked him so much better in the TV show, and Mel too. The Mel in the book got on my nerves the way she kept sleeping with Jack, but also thinking she wasn't ready to move on.

This book is set in a rural mountain location, but in some ways it felt like it was lost in some time warp. Maybe there really are people who live this way in the mountains? I don't know, I could picture it in Alaska for sure, but the towns that were featured in this book felt so outdated for California, not just because of the way they lived but also because of the way the people thought. They were supposedly far from civilization, although it did seem to only be an hours drive to the nearest city, so that was weird to me.

This is a 19 book series. Which just seems way too long for a romance series, plus this first book by itself was over 400 pages long, and it didn't need to be. I started to get bored. There was also this side plot about a couple of teens that could have just been cut out altogether. It added nothing to the story other than for Jack to come off as hypocritical when he gives the boy advice on sex and using protection.
It probably would have been better to add that story line into a different book, and maybe it's expanded upon later, but I'm fine with stopping here and just enjoying the Netflix show, which I need to say again, is so much better than this book.

Finding Balance (Almost a Billionaire, #7) by Bridget E. Baker

 

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Inspirational, Women's Fiction
Content: Clean

  

Amy loved everything about her mom: her smile, her smell, her gentle laugh. On the day her mom died, it felt like the sun went dark. Her dad slapped wheels on a house and they started moving, but no matter how many new places they went, the sun never came out again.

At least, not until Mary showed up and handed Amy a box of Froot Loops. Amy loved Mary from the very first day—almost as much as her dad did.

Amy began calling Mary "Mom" shortly after the wedding without a second thought. After all, Mary cared for her, taught her, and loved her. But when Aunt Anica comes to visit, she has plenty of questions. And now, Amy does too.

Does loving Mary mean Amy doesn't love her mom? Or is there somehow room for all the love Amy feels in her heart?

This is a novella set in the Almost a Billionaire series. It's a bit different from the other books in the series because it isn't a romance. It centers on Luke's daughter Amy from book one. I thought it was a sweet, inspirational story. I enjoyed getting into Amy's head and seeing how her 7 year old self saw things. I also thought the author did a good job of showing how a child would think and feel in the situations that were presented in the story. 

I know some things that happened in the story were inspired by real life, namely the chickens, and I think I liked that part of the book the best. I also liked how Amy dealt with the school bully. It was also nice to have the wedding of Trudy and Paul from book 3 added in there. I'm looking forward to reading the next (and I think the last?) book in the series.

 

Thanks the Bridget E. Baker for providing me with an ARC of this book.
 

 

 

 

Willow Creek by Karen Ann Hopkins

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance
Content: Strong language, A slightly detailed sex scene

 

 One kiss is all it takes…

When Katie Colter’s life was saved during a ferocious storm by Rowan Coblentz, an Amish boy from the neighbouring settlement, she repaid his kindness with a kiss. And in that one moment a forbidden love was ignited. But when Katie’s father found the young lovers together, he banished Rowan, and Katie never saw him again…

Now, six years later, with her father dead and the family farm in jeopardy, Katie needs Rowan’s help. But the shy young Amish boy she once knew has grown into a handsome and forceful man.
The attraction between them is still as strong as ever, but Katie’s life is on her family farm, with the horses she loves, and Rowan’s place is within his sheltered Amish community. Can their love find a way, or will it remain forbidden, forever?

I loved Karen Ann Hopkins's Crossroads duology, so when I saw this romance I had to read it. There were some similarities between them with the forbidden romance with an Amish man. This author does a great job with the forbidden romance theme. I also enjoyed the side plot involving Rowan's sister Rebecca. I did think that Katie's mother's change of heart about some things at one point in the book came off as a bit too abrupt, but overall I enjoyed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

 

 

 

October 2020 Book Club: Spine of the Dragon (Wake the Dragon, #1) by Kevin J. Anderson

 

 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Strong language, Gruesome deaths, Corpse mutilation, Rape, Incest

Two continents at war, the Three Kingdoms and Ishara, are divided by past bloodshed. When an outside threat arises—the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that wants to remake the world—the two warring nations must somehow set aside generational hatreds and form an alliance to fight their true enemy.

DNF

This was our book club read for October, and from the description it sounded like it would be pretty good. I actually had pretty high hopes for it in the beginning, but the story ended up getting bogged down by way too many character points of view—quite of few of them unlikable—and not much ended up actually happening. This is the first book in a series and clearly it's one of those books that sets things up for future books. The problem is that I just didn't really care. There are also some pretty dark happenings. Mostly not described in detail, but some were more than I wanted to read. I feel like it's maybe wanting to be a Game of Thrones type book, which isn't my cup of tea. 

 

 

 

The Gentleman and the Thief (The Dread Penny Society #2) by Sarah M. Eden

 

 

 My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

LONDON 1865

From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he’s smitten. Even though he’s from a wealthy, established family and she isn’t, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: the deep coffers that have kept his family afloat for generations are bare, so he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke.

Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father’s successful business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced his fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the “Phantom Fox.” She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim trinkets and treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling.

When Hollis’s brother needs to hire a music tutor for his daughter, Hollis recommends Ana, giving him a chance to spend time with her. Ana needs the income and is eager for the opportunity to get to know the enigmatic gentleman. What neither of them expects is how difficult it will be to keep their respective secrets from each other.

When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, discovering that working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?

I've enjoyed the Jonquil Brothers series by Sarah M. Eden, and I thought this one sounded interesting, but this book ended up not holding my interest the way I thought it would. The characters were likable enough, but it was just a little dull at times. I will admit that I read this out of order. This is the second book in the series, but it's a companion series, so I don't think it mattered all that much story-wise.

I thought the way the book cut back and forth between what was currently happening and the penny dreadful stories felt choppy. I wasn't a fan of the placement of those stories in the book, and I didn't feel invested in those stories the way I did with the main story line. But even with those things I view as flaws, I liked the characters and the overall plot, and I want to read more about them. I enjoyed this enough to give the other books in the series a try, and I do plan on reading book one soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

Battle Ground (The Dresden Files #17) by Jim Butcher

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong language

 

Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders.

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way.

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: Save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

 

 

“The real battle for your own soul isn't about falling from a great height; it's about descending, or not, one choice at a time.” 

 

I'm not usually a fan of long drawn out battles in books, but I knew going into this one that it was what had to happen. This has been building up for a while and the big battle was finally here. I was expecting to have my heart broken, and it was, but not as badly as I thought it would be. That being said I am truly angry with the way one character went out. I mean really Mr. Butcher, why did you do this? But it's the mark of a good storyteller, when that storyteller can make you also laugh through the tough parts as well, and Jim Butcher is a master at that. I laughed and cried while reading this book. I was also elated every time one of my favorite characters showed up, and they pretty much all did make an appearance at some point.

The inclusion of the short story Christmas Day at the end of the book was nice. After everything that happened in the book, it helped to leave me with a warmer feeling. Now that this story arc has come to an end, it will be interesting to see what happens next.

 

 

 

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
Content: Strong language; Masturbation is alluded to; A violent killing, but without much detail

The daughter of two astronauts, Romy Silvers is no stranger to life in space. But she never knew how isolating the universe could be until her parents’ tragic deaths left her alone on the Infinity, a spaceship speeding away from Earth.

Romy tries to make the best of her lonely situation, but with only brief messages from her therapist on Earth to keep her company, she can’t help but feel like something is missing. It seems like a dream come true when NASA alerts her that another ship, the Eternity, will be joining the Infinity.

Romy begins exchanging messages with J, the captain of the Eternity, and their friendship breathes new life into her world. But as the Eternity gets closer, Romy learns there’s more to J’s mission than she could have imagined. And suddenly, there are worse things than being alone….


This book took me by surprise. I was expecting sci-fi, but what I got was a psychological thriller set in space. That ended up being a good surprise. Even after I figured out this wasn't the type of book I thought it would be it still kept surprising me. Just about every one of my theories ended up being wrong. There were some pretty tense moments that kept me on the edge of my seat. The isolation of space worked really well to set the tone for the story, and Romy, an isolated girl who has never lived in the world beyond her space ship was an interesting and sympathetic character.

If you're looking for a YA book that is a bit different then you might like this one.