I was lucky enough to get a copy of Compulsion by Martina Boone at BEA this year and it has been on my stack of books to read since then. I have to admit…it was taunting me (I love a good Southern Gothic) because I really wanted to read it but I knew it didn’t come out until October and I forced myself to wait. As I worked my way toward it in the pile, I was so happy to see it getting closer and closer to the top and FINALLY! I could read it and I loved it!

Barrie hasn’t had an easy life and when her mother dies, she is sent to live with her aunt in South Carolina. Immediately things begin to get stranger for Barrie as she feels a strange pull toward the plantation her family owns. On top of that, her normal ability to find lost things begins to pull her to areas of the house that she isn’t necessarily ready to explore.

While Barrie is learning about her family, she is also learning more about the other two founding families and how they are all tied to the curse that impacts one of the families. There are quite a few secrets floating around this island and I found myself turning the pages to find out what they were and how they would impact Barrie.

I loved the world that Boone created in this book and can’t wait to read more about it in the rest of the series. Choosing to set this in the South and incorporate a family feud alongside the secrets these families have was perfect for this story. The magical aspect of the island only added to the rest of the story. As Barrie finds out more about her family and everyone else around her, she is drawn into a bigger mystery. Part of which includes why her mother ended up leaving Watson Island and never coming back.

I also thought Boone did a wonderful job of developing these characters. Eight Beaufort is the swoony boy and although Barrie was wishy washy with him, I think he was a perfect balance for her. He didn’t shove his gift down Barrie’s throat but he pushed her to think about what she wanted and forced her to look at more than just the surface of things.

Cassie was an interesting character and I hope we get to see more of her…despite how things ended in this book. I also hope we get to know more about Eight. I thought we got a nice little glimpse into both of these characters but I am greedy…I want more. I also found Barrie’s Aunt Pru to be a great character as well and hope we see more of her in the future books of this series.

This was a great introduction to these families and the stories that make up their history and impact the futures of the main characters. Hopefully this review doesn't come off as too vague but I apologize if it does...kind of. I really don't want to ruin anything for you. With that said, I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series and if you like books that have an interesting story/characters, a bit of mystery, and some romance, definitely check this one out when you can.

Loved this one!

Snow Like Ashes is the first in a new fantasy series by Sara Raasch and I have to admit, I am looking forward to more from Raasch. I was approved to read this a little while ago and kept seeing others reading but made myself wait. Mostly because I knew that I would have to wait extra-long for the next book in this series if I read it super early. This book had everything I was hoping for – action, amazing world building, solid character building, and swoony bits! Now, please forgive me if my review gets a bit rambly as that tends to happen to me when I write about books I love. Be warned though, I am not going to spoil anything so apologies if anything sounds a bit vague.

Meira is from the Kingdom of Winter. When Winter was attacked sixteen years ago, she was protected by Sir and 24 other survivors. Their group is now down to eight and they continue to hunt down the magical conduit (a locket) that Queen Hannah lost when she lost her life.

I love Meira as a character. She is tough and really wants to add more to their cause than just hunting down food. She continues to train so that she can prove to Sir that she can handle herself in battle and when she gets the chance to go on a mission (Thanks to Mather) she comes face to face with Herod, the right hand man of Angra, the King of Spring. Things don’t necessarily go perfectly but Meira happens to be pretty smart and figures a way out of the mess she is in and from there, things move forward.

It is hard to talk about this story without giving anything away. What I can say is that this book is full of action and danger…most of it surrounding Meira. We find out there are plenty of secrets and they are all pretty big ones. Don’t hate me for that…seriously.



As for the other characters in this book – I really enjoyed them and thought they all added to the story. Mather is the King of Winter and will take the throne when they get the conduit back and can take back the Kingdom. He is also the boy that Meira has grown up with. We quickly find out that Meira has “more than friends” feelings toward Mather but she has also been warned by Sir that Mather is meant for bigger things – as a King he will need to marry and produce heirs…and not with someone who is not Royal. Mather also has feelings for Meira and he is determined to figure something out.

Sir is the father figure of the story and he does the best he can. He is also the character who appears to know everything and does his best to keep everyone safe.

Prince Theron is the son of Noam, the King of one of one of the Rhythm Kingdoms, Cordell. I loved Theron as he is in a situation where he fully understands what Meira is going through. He grew up being trained as a soldier which was not his choice and despite that, he continues to explore his love of art and writing. He is good for Meira because he helps her see that even though she is in the situation she is in, she can still be who she wants to be as well as what Winter needs. I freely admit that Theron is one of my favorite characters and the banter between him and Meira is wonderful. He definitely makes my favorite swoony boys list.



There are plenty of other characters in this book. The bad guys are definitely bad but I am looking forward to finding out more about Angra as I have feeling his motivation may be about more than just power. Yes, that appears to be what he wants the most but I have a feeling there is more to it than that.

As the story moves forward, so many things happen that I can’t even go into it all. As I mentioned earlier, there is plenty of action and don’t forget all the magic and secrets. I feel like I haven’t even been able to tell you anything…mostly because I can’t without giving anything away. Something I will tell you is that I love the world that Raasch created here and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. I will be waiting for the next book in this series and encouraging everyone who likes high fantasy to check this one out. I can’t wait to have this on my shelves and high five to Sara Raasch on the beginning of what I expect to be a great series.



Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for the review copy.

Review to come.

3.5 stars

Claire Legrand’s Winterspell takes the bones of the Nutcracker and delivers a story that explores the world of faeries and includes a bit of steampunk on the side. I thought Legrand did a great job of creating this world where Clara struggles to figure out who she is and where she comes from. I’m not sure my review will do this story justice as there is quite a bit going on in this story but if anything; I hope you take away the fact that this book had my attention from page one and kept me constantly wondering what was going to happen next.

Clara is the Mayor’s daughter and although she appears meek and proper, ever since her mother was murdered she has been training in self-defense with her “Godfather”, Drosselmeyer. Clara is an interesting character and I have to admit, I didn’t like her all the time. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing because I think it made her appear more realistic. All the while Clara attempting to learn more about her mother’s death, she is learning more about her father’s dealings with Concordia, a group of city officials who are not super happy with him right now. She is determined to do what she can to protect her family, especially her younger sister – little does she know what lengths she will need to go to.

On Christmas Eve, the night of the Mayor’s annual party, things change for Clara. Her Godfather reveals things about her and her mother, her father is kidnapped to another world, and she finds out the statue that was in her Godfather’s shop wasn’t just a statue. Turns out he is the prince of Cane…or was before he was forced to flee during the coup. Now he carries a curse that makes him part metal and he is the only person Clara knows and can rely on while she is in Cane searching for her father.

As the story progresses, Clara comes to find out a lot more about who she really is and what that means. I definitely saw a change in Clara as she comes to realize who she really is and while she struggles at times with it, she definitely grows up. She also finds out more about Cane and the prince she is traveling with. She is put into some interesting situations while in Faery Land and as she learns more about herself and her mother, she comes to realize that she will play a fairly large role in determining the future of Cane and its people. And while all of this is true, her main goal is to find her father and get back to New York so that she can protect her sister from the people of Concordia.

I enjoyed how Legrand built out the secondary characters in this story as well and since Clara essentially inhabits two worlds, we are introduced to quite a few. In Cane, Nicholas is a displaced prince who while rallying his people doesn’t necessarily make the best choices but in the end I thought he redeemed himself. Anise is an interesting villain as it was clear she wanted someone to identify with and be herself with. Clara became this for her but in the end, Clara couldn’t change who Anise had really become over the years.

In New York, Dr. Victor and Patricia Plum are the bad guys of the story and I have to admit I enjoyed how their story wrapped up. As I mentioned earlier, Drosselmeyer is who Clara refers to as her Godfather. She was introduced to him as a child by her mother and although he is odd, he has always been an important part of her life. Through the years, his shop has become a bit of a sanctuary for Clara to be herself and learn things she wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to away from him.

I can’t really say much about the plot and a lot of the details as I don’t want to give anything away. I will say that there is plenty of action, has some fantastic world building, and just enough romance mixed with a bit of betrayal. I thought this was well done and if you enjoy stories with faeries and magic, definitely check this one out when you can.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for the review copy.

3.5 stars.

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little was a book I wasn’t sure of what to expect going into it. The historical aspect is really what grabbed my attention and then ultimately the idea that this story covered a time and location that isn’t the norm, I was definitely intrigued.

This one started out a bit slow for me but in the end, I have to say that I really did enjoy it. The characters and the story itself were interesting and I found myself eventually getting to a point where I was quickly turning the pages to see what was going to happen next.

The main character is Jayden and we quickly find out she has been betrothed to Horeb, the son of their tribe’s leader. We also find out that Horeb isn’t a great guy…Jayden has mixed feelings about him and is at the point where she is questioning whether she can go through with the union. At the same time, her tribe is getting ready to move through the desert and after most of the tribe has packed up and headed out, Jayden’s mom goes into labor. Unfortunately things don’t go as planned and take a turn for the worse. As Jayden’s family is mourning, a stranger crosses paths with Jayden and from that point on, her life takes a different turn.

I thought Griffiths Little did a great job of developing the characters in this story. Jayden, while young, was strong, loyal, and protective of her family. At the same time, it was clear her sister was focused mostly on what was important to her and to be honest, she came across as pretty selfish. Kadesh is still a bit of a mystery to me and although I liked him, I wanted to know more about him. He has some secrets and I don’t think he was completely upfront about his family. With that said, he does love Jayden and is willing to do whatever he can to protect her and I loved that about him.

Overall this was an interesting story and I am looking forward to see where the next installment of the series goes. The end was a bit open-ended and I’m curious to see where it leads. If you are looking for a story that is a bit unique, has plenty of action, and some kissing, definitely check this one out.

Thank you to HarperCollins & Edelweiss for the review copy.

Colt may be my new favorite....

Miles From Kara by Melissa West is the second book of the Charleston Haven series and a companion novel to the first book. I love that West includes real topics in her New Adult books – don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of the swoony and naughty bits but these stories are more than that and that is what really got me invested. I’m going to do this review with no spoilers so don’t hold it against me if I don’t give you a ton of detail.

If you recall, in book one, we met Kara as Olivia’s roommate. She is introduced as the fun and carefree character but we quickly learn that underneath she has her own demons. In high school, Kara made a decision (pushed along by her mother) that she can’t get beyond and now she is continually faced with things that remind her of it.

Kara has been dating Ethan since high school and now that they are at different colleges, Kara is realizing just how much they are growing apart. I have to admit, I was never a huge fan of Ethan’s and as soon as Colt was introduced, I kept waiting for Kara to step up and realize she needed to let go of Ethan. Not just because of the things she was starting to feel toward Colt but because she and Ethan didn’t have much in common any longer.

As Kara begins to come to terms with the end of her relationship with Ethan, she is also trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. As I mentioned, the decision she made in the past has weighed heavily on who Kara is, her relationship with her mother, and what she wants to do with her life. Because of these things, she decides to take a role at a counseling center called Helping Hands. Although it does help Kara realize what she wants to do with her life, it also pulls her into a situation that ties right back to the thing she has been running away from since high school.

On top of all of this going on, the relationship between Kara and Colt definitely changes and I loved it. While they had already developed a friendship, they were continuing to learn more about each other and I found myself getting pulled into Colt’s story. He is smart, caring, and protective. On top of all that, he happens to be from Australia so there’s an accent involved. Trust me when I say that West knows how to write a hero. She won me over with Preston in book one and I finished this book loving Colt. I honestly can’t decide who is better….both are on the swoony boys list, no question.

Definitely check this book out and if you haven’t read book one of the series, do it now. I can’t tell you enough how much I love the characters that West develops not only for these two books but for the future characters. We were introduced to some additional characters throughout the book and nearing the end of this story, I think I have an idea of the next installment and I have to say, I can’t wait to dive into it. With that in mind, I have to say, if you enjoy a story that has great characters, swoony romance, and a story that will pull you in, you should read these books!

Thank you to the author for the review copy!

Couldn't put this down. Full review to come.

3.5 stars - review to come.

Faking Normal was one of those books that I put off because I wasn’t sure I wanted to read something heavy. After seeing people's updates, I decided to jump right in and I wasn’t disappointed.

Alexi had something happen to her over the summer and it has caused a major change in her. What happened isn’t exactly revealed but as a reader, things are alluded to enough that you know what happened…just not with who and the whole story. I do feel for Alexi but wanted to shake her most of the time. Not just to get her to speak up about what happened to her but also to stand up for herself now.

No doubt, this was Alexi’s story but the runaway character for me here was Bodee Lennox, the quiet boy who colors his hair with Kool-aid and has been living in a tent outside his house for quite some time. There was just something about him that made me want to know more. His protectiveness of Alexi and the fact that no matter what she says, he is there to help her when she needs him.

His shoulders bend like the wire hanger in my closet that sags under the weight of my winter coat. I want to put my hand in the center of his back, force him upright. His sluggish shuffle is as sad as his shoulders…

He blinks up at me. “And I promise you, I’ll stop whoever’s hurting you.” I stand there barely breathing, and he says something that sounds like, “Even if it’s you.”

The way Stevens built his character and described him allowed me to see him change throughout the novel. I’m wouldn’t be sad to see more of Bodee and find out more about his life. The very brief glimpse we got into his story wasn’t enough for me…I freely admit it.

This was one of those books that I was unable to put down. The story kept me turning the pages just so I could figure out what really happened but also after the reveal, I had to see how things progressed. Without giving anything away, I wish the ending had involved Alexi’s parents more and that there had been repercussions.

Spoiler

I find it hard to believe that someone in the role he was in would have been allowed to just walk away and not be held responsible for what he did.

Definitely check this book out when you can – it was a quick read with a solid story and introduced a great new character in Bodee Lennox.

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for the ARC.

Bleed Like Me by Christa Desir is one of those books that I couldn’t put down. If you have read Fault Line by Desir, you already know that she doesn’t pull any punches and this is especially true in her newest book. I found myself unable to put this down until I finished and while it moves quickly, it is in no way what I would consider a light and easy read but please don’t let that deter you from reading.

Gannon is seventeen and has spent the last five years being invisible. Ever since her parents adopted 3 Guatemalan boys, she has taken a back seat to everything going on in her family and the only way she could ever feel anything was when she was cutting herself. All of this changes the day she meets Brooks. He jumps into her life and slowly takes over everything because he sees past the walls she has put up to everyone around her. Eventually Gannon trades one addiction (cutting) for another (Brooks) and her life blows completely out of control.

I don’t know how she does it but Desir knows exactly how to create these beautifully damaged characters that make me want to crawl into the pages and just hug them until all their problems go away. In the case of these two characters, they become severely co-dependent and create a situation that as a reader, I knew wouldn’t end in a great way. Despite that, I was rooting for them the entire book because they both got dealt a really crappy hand in life and could have used something good to happen to them.

I loved the secondary characters in this story. Dennis and Ricardo were the family that Gannon didn’t really realize she had and they initially were a source of stabilization for her. Despite coming from a family that had a mom and a dad, Gannon never really had parents that had time to focus on her because of the situation with her brothers and I loved that Dennis and Ricardo never really gave up on her.

Ali was another character that made things interesting as I got the feeling she thought she and Gannon were closer friends that perhaps Gannon did…at least at first. She was always pushing Gannon to talk and share information whereas Gannon always held pieces of herself back.

The only people in Brooks’ life were those tied to him through his foster home or through drugs and it became very clear that other than Gannon, he didn’t really have anyone in his life he could lean on. This made it extra hard to see him struggle because his biggest fear was losing Gannon because he wouldn’t be able to make her happy.
As their relationship changes, it is very clear these two are obsessed with each other and it creates a very tenuous situation. I don’t think this book will be for everyone but if you feel like you can handle it, definitely check this one out when you can as it is well worth it. Kudos to Desir for taking several sensitive topics and creating a story that I was unable to put down and even now has me thinking of the characters. While this review probably does the story no justice, take my word for it. You should add this to your to read list if you haven’t already.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon Pulse for the review copy.