How long do I have to wait for the next book?

Remember Me is book two in the Find Me series and to say that I have been looking forward to this one since I finished Find Me is probably an understatement. I loved that book mostly because of the characters (don’t get me wrong, the story was great) and I was excited to see them return in this second book. I will do my best to not include any spoilers here but don’t get mad at me if you see something you didn’t want to know.

Wick is still her usual sarcastic, computer nerd self and I love her. She is one of those characters that, if I knew her in real life, I would want to be friends with her. Her inner dialogue is awesome and I literally laughed out loud by page 13 (when you read it, you will know) and my sister looked at me like I was a bit crazy. Regardless, she happens to be on my list of favorite characters and not only because of her wit. She is also smart, loyal, and is willing to do anything for the people she loves.

Griff is also back and super swoony and he makes me want to crawl into this book and hug him. Every time he calls her Wicked…*sigh*. Also, with Griff, Wick can be honest and show him what she is really going through. She even calls out how out of the blue he will say something that is completely unexpected and it makes her “melty.” I love that he can do that to her and she has accepted it for what it is…Griff being Griff. He is also willing to do anything to protect Wick even if he doesn’t really agree with what she is doing and, trust me, there is a lot she is doing in this book that he isn’t on board with. I can’t lie, a lot of my tags in the book are the swoony parts with Griff.

This book picks up with Wick being pulled into another mystery. Because of her past, Detective Carson is able to blackmail Wick into helping him close out cases…and she isn’t necessarily providing him information that she obtains legally. When he tells her he wants her to track someone she knows from her past, at first she tries to get out of it but when he starts to threaten her sister, Bren, and Griff, she knows she needs to do what he wants. What she agrees to is getting a tracking device on a guy named Baines and to do it, she has to go to a party with Bren for Judge Bay. Eventually she gets pulled into a murder investigation (by Carson) because the judge’s assistant is found murdered at the party.

While digging into this new case, a lot of other things are going on. One of the bigger items (to Wick at least) is she begins to find out more about her mother’s suicide and what really happened the night she died. Wick starts receiving videos of her mother’s interviews with the police from a while ago with some odd messages attached to them. As she digs deeper, she realizes that her mother isn’t just being questioned…there is more to it than that and the more she finds out about it, the more she realizes that it all ties back to her father and his “colleagues.”

As Wick begins to dig into things, she realizes she needs new equipment. You may be thinking…so what Erin, why is this important? WELL – it is important because this is where Griff introduces Wick to his computer guy – Milo. Let me be the first to say here that I don’t have a problem with Milo. As a character, he adds another layer to this story and I am very interested in learning more about him. With that said, I am not a huge fan of some things that happen. Now, don’t hate me here but I can’t say much around this because I don’t want to give all the things away.

As the story moves along, Wick finds out that some people aren’t exactly who she thought they were and she can’t control everything. Those around her also realize that they can’t change who Wick is and I have to say, things are all sunshine and unicorns in this book. If you are looking for a story that will take you through a number of emotions, contains quite a bit of action, sarcasm, and swoony bits, definitely check this one out. And if you haven’t started this series, you should go now. Book one was great and I have to say that after reading this book, the next one (Trust Me) has been put onto my “Can’t Frickin’ Wait” shelf.

I am sure I rambled a bit here but don't hold it against me...just know that when I do that it usually means I really enjoyed the book - which I did.

4.5 stars for this book!

Last year I happened upon a book called Midnight Thief and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, definitely do so. As soon as I saw the galley of book two, Daughter of Dusk, I had to request it. I won’t spend a ton of time on the back story here but if you haven’t had a chance to read book one yet, you might want to hold on reading the rest of this review as Daughter of Dusk picks up shortly after book one ends.

Kyra is in a bit of an odd spot. She knows more about her heritage and the few people she trusts (Tristam and Flick) and one she doesn’t (James) know about her secret, but because of the choices she made, she isn’t accepted by the Makvani.
In addition to that, Kyra is now working for the Defense Minister, Malikel to hunt down the members of the Assassin’s Guild. Because of her ability to hunt and climb, she is an invaluable resource to the group but not everyone thinks she belongs. She is still looked at as a thief and a gutter rat by the group and it makes things tough for her. Trying to keep a balance as well as not give away her secret is taking its toll on Kyra.

The Demon Riders are continuing to raid villages which is also creating a lot of fear amongst the Council and as a result, the head councilman, Willem, is using that to his advantage. In his bid to get rid of Malikel and eventually take over leadership of Forge, he is using the Demon Rider attacks to institute some changes. The first thing is conscription which has direct impact on Kyra because one of the first people pulled into the training is Flick.

Things definitely move quickly in this book and there are a lot of things all tying back to Kyra that create so many conflicts. Not only is there the threat of Willem and the Demon Riders, but there is also the continued conflict between the wallhuggers and the rest of Forge that impacts Kyra when Idalee is beaten. Kyra already has a fear of what she is but when things happen that put her on the edge, she lets go and does something that puts her in danger and reveals her secret.

Along with all of that going on, Kyra also has to figure out what her relationship with Tristam really is. Despite the fact that he was demoted, he still has a family that he has to answer to and when the Demon Rider attacks force Tristam to consider something he never really thought would be an issue, he and Kyra have to face the reality of their situation. He is from a royal family and she is still a gutter rat.
As characters go, Kyra is still one of my favorites. She is tough and smart but she is also fiercely loyal. She will do anything to protect the people she cares about and she stands up for the things she believes in. Kyra’s interactions with James were very interesting and it provided more insight into him as a character, not just Kyra. I loved seeing Kyra recognize as the story moved along, just what he meant and his intent behind his actions.

Of course, Flick, Idalee, and Lettie are great as secondary characters. In addition to them, we learn more about the Makvani and where Kyra comes from. We also find out who really is the “bad guy” in this book and I thought Blackburne did a wonderful job of linking all of these characters together with the different avenues this story took.

I will mention here that while James is still a character in this book, we don’t see much of him. Since he was turned over to the palace by Kyra, he is locked up and the only times we get to see him is when Kyra breaks into his prison cell to talk. These interactions were interesting and revealed a lot, not only about James but also about Kyra and I thought the way things were wrapped up with these two said a lot about them as characters.

Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to this series. It has a great mix of action, magic, deception, and of course there are some swoony bits. If you are looking for something in the fantasy genre and if you haven’t started this series yet, definitely consider it. Hopefully this review doesn’t sound too rambling and if it does, ignore the detail and just know that you should read the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney for the review copy!

Review to come

Fireblood is book two in the Frostblood series by Elly Blake and one of the series books I have been waiting a while to get my hands on. I admit it, when I read the summary on the back, I was very worried as it says something about sparks and someone who isn’t Arcus but despite that, I dove right in. If you haven’t yet read book one, be warned. I won’t spoil anything on this book but can’t promise anything for the first book.

If you recall the ending of book one, you know that Ruby has defeated the Frost King but the Minax, which was trapped in the throne, is now loose and terrorizing the kingdom. Now cursed with visions, Ruby is looking for answers and she realizes she most likely will not find them in the Frostblood court. Not only is she the only Fireblood there but she and Arcus are faced with those who oppose her presence every day and that eventually leads to Ruby making a decision that will pull these two characters into different directions.

Ruby grows up a lot in this book. I thought she developed well in book one but in this book she learns a lot more about who she is and what she can do. Having met another Fireblood named Kai, she decides the only way she is going to learn more about her abilities and protect Arcus from the division in his court because of her presence, is to take Kai up on his offer to take her with him to Sudesia. Ruby also has some ulterior motives. She needs to find a book for Brother Thistle and also see if there is any way to help mend the relationship between the two kingdoms.

Of course, you know I love the swoony bits and this book has plenty. Arcus clearly loves Ruby and is willing to do whatever he can to protect her. The problem he has is that very few people in his court support him having Ruby there. When Ruby breaks the news of her plans to go to Sudesia, he is hurt and angry and it is very obvious he is trying to protect himself however he can by withdrawing from her completely. Even though they part, Arcus is always there for her and will do what he can to protect her, no matter their distance.

There are some characters from book one in this book but we also get some new ones. Both Marella and Brother Thistle are back. We also have new ones like Kai, the Sudesian Queen, and Prince Eiko. Kai plays a critical role in getting Ruby to Sudesia but he also becomes linked to her. A deal is made to get Ruby trained to complete the trials to become a Fireblood master. It is up to Kai to train her and prepare Ruby for the trials and if she passes, he will get a second chance at becoming a Fireblood master as well.

Things aren’t easy in the Fireblood court. Not only is she facing the danger of the trials but she is also trying to change the Queen’s mind regarding her feelings about Arcus and the Frostbloods. She, as you can imagine, isn’t very successful and when something Ruby is unaware of brings Arcus to Sudesia, she knows she needs to find a way to save him from the fate the queen has in store for him.

As the story moves forward, we find out more about the Fireblood throne and also, what happens with the Frostblood Minax as well as the Fireblood Minax. You will notice I am being a bit vague about things and that is because I don’t want to ruin anything. I admit it – there is a twist I absolutely wasn’t expecting and I thought the ending was perfect for this book. Just trust me…if you like fantasy and really, a great story, you should read these.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I continue to love this series. If you haven’t started this one yet, definitely consider this. There is magic, deception, and great characters in this series and I love the world that Blake has created as well as how she continues to develop these characters within it. I am excited to get my hands on the next book as I am very curious to see where Blake will take it next.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

A great ending and a swoony Eight is my favorite kind of Eight...

You guys – have you started reading The Heirs of Watson Island series? If you haven’t…you need to fix that immediately. Especially now that the final book of the series is out at the end of this month, you have plenty of time to get started. There are so many great things about this series and I admit I was waiting to get my hands on Illusion for a while…ok since I finished book 2.

Illusion picks up right about where Persuasion wraps up so you don’t miss anything at all in the transition. I like that because while it had been a while since I read Persuasion, I was able to pick right back up and get back into the story. **Here is your warning – I will try not to spoil this book but I can’t promise anything for Compulsion and/or Persuasion so…if you aren’t ready for that, you might want to stop here and get reading.

One of my favorite things about these books is the world that Boone has created. Having the story take place in a small town in the South absolutely makes sense and it creates a feeling in the books that I don’t think would have been there had another area been chosen. Not only that but when I think of the pieces of the story that Boone created, I don’t think it would have really worked.

As for characters, Barrie is a favorite. She has been through a lot and has adapted to her surroundings well. As we lead into this book, Barrie has clearly made some tough decisions and because of that, she and Eight are not in the best place. As she struggles to figure out what is really important to her, she also needs to figure out what is really going on with Watson Island, the Yunwi, Obadiah and everything else that comes her way.

I do have to talk about Eight here because I really just want to. I admit it…I wanted my swoon in this book and I was concerned when I started but Boone came through for me on this piece and yeah, I know…it’s about more than the romance but COME ON! Swoony Eight is officially a thing. He is such a great character (in my opinion). He isn’t perfect but he is perfect for Barrie and they really do balance each other out.

The secondary characters are critical to this story as they all play important roles in all aspects of this book. Pru, Seven, Cassie – all of them had an impact on how we got from book one to book three and they continued to play a role in this book as the secrets and mysteries were unraveled.

As a final book I have to say Boone did a wonderful job wrapping everything up. All of the mystery of the island and what has been going on around Barrie since her first day, come to a close and I love that there wasn’t anything left hanging out there without answers. I can only imagine the amount of research that Boone did to complete this story and it was really well done. If you love mystery, stories that revolve around family and family history, and of course…swoon, check this out. I have to also say, the covers are gorgeous and they all look so pretty together!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

Retribution Rails is book two in the Vengeance Road series by Erin Bowman and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book since I loved book one. If you were smart enough to preorder your copy of this book, you could have received a novella called Kate and Jesse. Trust me, if you love the swoony bits, this is something you will want to read. It was also a great lead in to Retribution Rails and I’m glad I read it before I dove in.

According to the timeline, Retribution Rails picks up about 10 years after the end of Vengeance Road and we get to focus on some different characters. Reece Murphy and Charlotte Vaughn are our focus and I liked both of them. They have their own challenges to face but happen to cross paths amidst them and from there the book is non-stop action.

Of the two, I have to admit Reece was my favorite. He was forced into a situation that he really had no good choice to make. It all started when he was working as a farmhand for a family who was unfortunate enough to be visited by the Rose Riders. When the gang robbed and killed the family they were about to kill Reece too but he happened to have a very specific coin in his pocket and when Luther Rose saw it, he decided to force Reece into the gang with the promise he could leave when he found the cowboy who had given him the coin. Until then Reece was stuck as Luther had leverage and Reece knew he would never be free until he gave Luther what he wanted.

The thing about Reece is that despite all the time he spent with the Rose Riders, he wasn’t all bad. I’m not going to pretend he didn’t do anything wrong, he for sure did and he lives with the guilt of it but when push comes to shove, he does still have a conscience and that is the most important thing when he meets Charlotte despite how much risk he takes keeping her around / alive. Now because of the time he has spent with the Rose Riders and the reputation he has developed as the Rose Kid, he is as much a wanted man as Luther Rose and the rest of his gang.

Reece and Charlotte cross paths for the first time on a train that the Rose Riders are robbing. Charlotte is definitely one of those characters that doesn’t shy away from a challenge. When she comes face to face with the Rose Kid and decides to do whatever she needs to in order for him to face justice for the things he has done. On top of that she sees this as an opportunity to write the story of a lifetime to help her get the journalist job she wants so her mother doesn’t have to worry about her. She is a motivated and determined young woman and she is willing to do whatever she thinks is right and in some cases this puts her in danger.

As I mentioned, she has her own challenges and they revolve around the fact that her father recently passed away and now her uncle is trying to not only take over the mine her father worked hard to build but also their wealth and he isn’t above threatening to get what he wants. As he threatens and blackmails everyone around her, Charlotte sees only one way out of this situation. She needs to find someone to get rid of her problem.

At first, I have to admit, Charlotte annoyed me a bit. Mostly because I knew things she didn’t about Reece and she wasn’t able to look past his role within the Rose Riders. I can’t hold that against her, but I wanted her to give him a chance…I completely understand why she wouldn’t have but still.

This book really is pretty much non-stop action. As Reece tries to resolve his relationship/role with the Rose Riders and Charlotte tries to protect her mother, I didn’t feel like the pace slowed down at all. They were jumping from one situation to the next and the pages flew by. I also have to say, Bowman does a fantastic job of pulling the reader into this environment. It was so great to experience the Wild West through these characters as well as see how Reece and Charlotte figured each other out.

Although I’m not going to say anything about their story line, I will say I loved having the characters from Vengeance Road make an appearance because it really does tie this story together. One of my favorite things in series books is seeing where characters are after time and it was great to see how Kate and Jesse evolved as characters in this series.

That’s about all I can say without ruining anything. I will just say, if you are looking for a story that will pull you in from the very first page and some great characters, definitely consider checking out not only this book, but this entire series. This companion story was everything I was hoping it would be and the ending was perfect…just saying.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review to come

I must now figure a way to integrate bloodydamn into my vocabulary.

Review to come.

The Replaced is book two of The Taking series by Kimberly Derting and I have been waiting to get my hands on this book since I finished book one. The book picks up shortly after The Taking ended and if you haven’t read that one yet, you might want to hold off on reading this review. Not because I am going to spoil anything with this book (or at least try not to) but because I don’t want to give anything away on the first book.

Ok, so this book picks up shortly after book one ends. Kyra has been at the Silent Creek camp in Oregon where the other Returned are and she has been relying on Simon and some of the others to help her find her dad and Tyler. When a message comes through that an unidentified male has been found and is being held at a facility for inspection, Kyra jumps at the opportunity to see if it really is Tyler.

While at the camp, Kyra has become friends with a few of the people there and they are the same people that are headed out to the facility with her. Natty, Willow, Simon, Thom, and Jett all make the trip and as they get to the location, things don’t go exactly as planned. They also end up face to face with Agent Truman and after their escape, Kyra finds out how many secrets the group has been keeping from her. The biggest one being around the replacement DNA she has in her and the fact that Agent Truman is specifically hunting her.

Now that the group is on the run again, they decide that they will need to head to Blackwater Ranch, which is where Thom and Simon met. As the group gets there, Kyra finds out there is more to the story than Thom and Simon led her to believe and she finds out that the leader of the camp, Griffin, has a history with them. She also finds out that Griffin’s story is a bit different from the rest of the group as she has a connection to the scientists working for the government.

Kyra also finds out that the one person she has been looking for, Tyler, has been at the camp but things aren’t the same as when he left since he can’t remember how their relationship changed when Kyra came back. It was definitely difficult for Kyra to adapt to being just friends with Tyler but at the same time, she was clearly starting to have feelings for Simon…which I wasn’t happy about.

A lot definitely happens in this book and I only covered a very small portion of the actual things going on. There is a lot of action and a whole bunch of secrets are revealed to Kyra and this book ends with a bang. I loved how Derting tied everything together and explained what is really going on with the differences Kyra has within her (compared to the other returned). If you liked The Taking, definitely read this one when you can. You will get some answers but like me, you will also have more questions when you hit the last page. I can’t wait to see what happens with these characters and will be waiting anxiously for the next book.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

Review to come.