Natalie D. Richards: Seven Dirty Secrets

Natalie D. Richards show how far people will go to keep a secret but uncover one as well:

It is Chloe's 18th Birthday and she receives a mysterious message to take part in a scavenger hunt. Thinking that one of her friends had planned it for her, but on one confesses, Chloe stills starts on the hunt. What starts out as seemingly random locations, Chloe starts to realize that there is something that link them all, they are places that she went to with her abusive ex-boyfriend Declan. But Declan is dead, he drowned last year on her birthday and someone knows something from that night, something that Chloe has been desperate to keep hidden and the only way to ensure they do it to finish the scavenger hunt.

I realized while reading this book that the tone, subject matter and overall plot of the book was much more for a YA audience. I don't think this would have hindered me picking up the book, it just would have changed my expectations. I have read some great thriller/mystery books in the YA category but there are things that are slightly different than when reading an adult book and i mainly find the difference in the darkness levels and the overall tone/feel of the book.

Where was the thriller aspect of the book, the suspense does not happen until the last 10-15% of the book. The stake in the book for the majority of the book just weren't there. The whole scavenger hunt aspect just felt off the entire time as it really did lack the suspense that I mentioned before.

I feel bad for Chloe multiple times in this book, what she suffered and no one in her life really noticing what was going on with her. Plus everything has changed in her life from the night that Declan died, she changed and her friends and family changed around her as well.

I personally wanted more from this book, I think someone who reads YA or is of YA aged would enjoy this book more than I did.

Cheers!!!

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Brooke Fast: To Cage a Wild Bird

In her debut novel, Brooke Fast show the lengths a woman will go to, to save her brother:

Raven Thorne is the city of Dividium's most notorious bounty hunter. She's known for finding the worst of the worst and turning them over to a prison known as Endlock. When a person enters Endlock it is a death sentence, as the rich can pay to hunt the prisoners there. Raven never thought much about Endlock since her parents were sent there when she was young, but when he brother ends up there, Raven is going to have to do something truly extreme to get him out.

I was excited after reading the premise of this book as I was craving a dystopian read. This book had me hooked from the beginning. I was reading while on the treadmill and did not realize how much time had passed, it kept me that entertained. I did not want to put this book down. Fast knew how to draw the reader right in and make the reader care about characters. This become especially true once Raven hears that her brother has been taken to Endlock.

I don't think you can find fault with Raven, other than she is too trusting and put others above herself time and time again. You know from the very beginning that Raven will do anything to protect her brother and this extends to those that she deems weaker.

The idea of  prison charging those of the upper class a chance to hunt the prisoners to death is not a new concept in books or movies, but I liked how Fast did it. It was interesting to learn why other prisoners were there and how anyone could really find themself in Endlock one way or another. The hunting grounds were unique and the thought process of how to make sure that there was always a profit to be made by not televising the events and changing up the hunting grounds was well thought out. As this is a hunt to the death for many prisoners, the book is darker at times, but nothing too dark.

First this is not an enemies to lovers book, if you see someone saying that they are lying to you. Overall the romance felt a forced at times. I enjoyed the initial interaction and then felt it really fell off after that and entered in to cringe or cheesy territory. It almost felt like Fast thought that she had to keep it going and keep it fast and furious for readers, where I personally would have preferred her to draw it out more. The romance aspect is not the main aspect in the book, so it did not really take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Well I did not see that ending coming and I am 100% here for it (it is a cliffhanger, this is not a stand alone book). I think Fast as created a fast paced read, that will have readers on the edge of their seat not wanting to put it down. I personally cannot wait to see where Fast takes the story.

Enjoy!!!!

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Ilona Andrews: Sweep in Peace

In the next book in Ilona Andrews' Innkeeper series, Dina may have more guests than she can handle, when they all want to kill each other:

Dina's Inn, needs guests to survive and thrive. She has not had a new guest in her Inn in six months, so she is desperate when an Arbitrator shows up on her door and requests use of her Inn for an intergalactic peace summit between three warring species. Dina knows that there are more dangers in accepting the peace summit than there are to saying No, but she also knows that she needs guests in order for the Inn to survive. Dina has her work cut out for her with not only trying to entertain her guests but also make sure that they do not kill each other, her or expose her inn to the Earth population. And if she can pull this all off her, Inn may receive a ratings upgrade, but there is always something more playing in the background and it may just have deadly consequences. 

After reading the first book in this series and loving it and mad that I slept on it for so long, I was really happy to be back in this world with Dina and her house.  I just love the creativity that Andrews has taken with this book, with different societies and cultures and how they clash with each other and when on Earth Dina has to do everything in her power to make sure that no one on Earth knows that they are there and they don't kill each other in the process.

The imagination that Andrews has with this book (and series so far) is fresh, even though these books were written years ago, with combining urban fantasy and sci-fi together and I am here for it. I don't think there are enough books in the combination of genres, especially now, with the height of everything being sold as a romantasy. I want more urban fantasy and I am glad that this series is there of me to enjoy.

Dina is quite the character and i love that her connection to the house is explored more in this book and the give and take that is required on both sides. There are times where Dina comes across as a bit flat, but not everyone needs to be peppy or bitchy, I personally think it makes her more real, that she does not fall into these categories. This is not to say that Dina does not have some badass moments, she is just not one to flaunt that she is the most powerful one in the room.

I enjoyed that Caldenia had a larger role in this book, and really came alive as a secondary character and really became someone that Dina could rely on.

Well I am totally hooked with this series and I look forward to seeing where Andrews take it as well as what new elements they will introduce next. Fans of Urban Fantasy should check out this series.

Enjoy!!!

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Oyinkan Braithwaite: My Sister, the Serial Killer

Oyinkan Braithwaite shows the length one sister would go to protect another:

Korede’s night is interrupted by a frantic phone call from her younger sister Ayoola that her boyfriend had tried to hurt her and Ayoola ended up killing him. But this is not the first time that Korede has had to clean up after Ayoola, in fact it is the third time. Korede has been told she needs to protect her sister and even though she should go to the police, family comes first. When Ayoola sets her sights on someone who Korede has been in love with forever but has been afraid to make a move. Korede has to decide who she willing to sacrifice the man she loves or her sister.

If you are looking for a quick read and interesting read then My Sister the Serial Killer is one to pick up. I found myself wanting to turn the pages faster to see what Ayoola was going to do next. Which once you read the book you see that as fitting as although Ayoola is not the main character, she has main character energy throughout the book.

I am one for short chapters, but there were times that I felt that chapters too short at times, and there was more information or more happening in that moment as when we get to the next chapter, it was a new point in time or new event. 

I cannot fault Korede for her love of her family and the protectiveness that she feels over her sister. Korede has accepted her lot in life, even though she wishes at many points that many things in her life were different. What if she had been born pretty, I wish that Korede would have chosen herself just once in the book, just once, but she has been told ever since her sister was born she had to protect her. Even at work she doesn't seem to choose herself.

I wanted the ending to be more, either way, more positive or negative but I just wanted Braithwaite to take it to more extreme.

I enjoy this book, and it is a quick read if you are looking to hit your reading goal this year.

Enjoy!!!!

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J. D. Barker: The Fifth to Die

In the next in the 4MK series and the Cat and Mouse game is at an all time High but Who is Who?

Sam Porter is steal reeling from letting Bishop get away but he knows that it will only be a matter of time before he catches up to him. He knows that Bishop is invested in him as well, so there is no tearing them apart. But now Porter has a new case, another girl found, but this one under the ice and wearing the clothes of a newly missing girl. Everyone is saying this is 4MK but Porter is not sure, it lack's Bishop's style. As Porter tries to focus on the new case, 4MK continues to call to him, his need to investigate it is something that he cannot control and this need will put not only Porter in danger, but so many more as well.

Wow, how does Barker follow up an amazing book of The Fourth Monkey, by writing another twisty murder mystery thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. This book is almost as good as the first and while we the reader may know who the bad guy is for quite a bit of the story (something I am not a fan of), the web that Barker weaves in this book is just amazing. From present to the past, you never know where Barker is going to take you as a reader and what little breadcrumbs of information he is going to leave you with to put it all together. I learned from the first book in this series not to trust anything or anyone but yet some how Barker was still able to surprise me along the way.

I enjoyed that Barker did not make this book all about 4MK. Like the book is about 4MK but at the same time not about him as well. There will always be other cases for the police to work and though Bishop is someone they want to catch with no new leads, they have to let the FBI do their job in that. Speaking of FBI I liked the addition of Poole in this book, it allowed the team to focus on the new case of the girls, but still allow the reader to know about the search for 4MK, especially since Porter got a lot less chapter time in this book. And man the choices Porter makes in this book are crazy and I cant wait to see how it plays out in book 3.

I liked that we got more chapters from Nash and Clair in this book. Both of them are solid detectives and have different ways of working thought the information and evidence in front of them. I like that not all of the detectives think the same.

I don't know how you could read this book and not NEED to pick up the third with the ending here, talk about a cliff hanger. This book is in a way a typical second book in a trilogy not all questions will be answered, there will even be new questions, not everything is wrapped up in a nice bow and I love that we get more Bishop, more Porter and his team in a third book.

If you are looking for a mystery, thriller series that will have you turning the pages and desperate for the next book, then this is the series to pick up. Cant wait to read the next one. 

Enjoy!!!

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K.A. Linde: The Wren in the Holly Library

In the first of a series, K. A. Linde, she shows what happens when the Monsters emerge:

Thirteen years ago, the monsters emerged and magic seemed to enter the world and changed everything. Kierse's world went into darkness and almost everything she had to live for was destroyed. Kierse has had to take to stealing to survive and she has become known for being able to get anything. When her latest jobs ends with her being forced into a monster's lair, she could be jeopardizing everything not just for herself but the treaty between humans and monsters. But Graves, the monster, recognizes that there is more the Kierse that even she knows and now she's locked into a dangerous bargain that there may be no escape from.

I'm a sucker for a heist book, and that was one of the main reasons that I was drawn to read this book. This book was good. I wasn't sure for probably the first third of this book. I found it slow and I wasn't sure where Linde was going to take it. I did find that the farther I got into the book it did grow on me and I think this was due to the fact that I began to get more invested into the characters. I wanted to know how far they would push not only themselves but each other for what they wanted to achieve.

I enjoyed that this book focused more on Celtic lore and folklore for the basis of the magic in this book. This is one that I have not read about before, however, after all the hints that Graves gives to Kierse I found the twist pretty predictable part of the way through the book. I also liked how this Lore played into the mafia/mob aspect that the book has.

As i write this I am trying to remember what the characters were like and all i remember is he is a moody MMC and she is a feisty FMC with a horrible past (though I wish the book was darker than it was) and while I liked her in the book and her loyalty to her friends, there was nothing really that stood out about either of the characters. 

I think one of the things i disliked about this book is that I think that Linde could have done more. More to separate herself from the other, and now oversaturated market of Romantsy. There are some typical themes that we see in these books and this one it no exception, especially the whole she has magic she doesn't know about, but he's the one to discover it for her and now she is the only one with this ability that can achieve this goal. It has been done time and time again and while I appreciate the magic that Linde gave Wren I just didn't like how it played out. 

This book was a good read that was able to keep me entertained. Is it one of my favourite fantasy reads this year, No, but I do plan on picking up the second book in the series to see where Linde takes it.

Enjoy!!!

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