4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a great story, plenty of action and a number of twists and turns. I had a hard time putting this one down.

Anna is the daughter of Arthur who runs the genetic research program for The Branch. The program consists of studying and testing 4 guys who have been living in their basement for the last 5 years. This is where the story starts and ultimately, takes a turn.

The guys are all very different - Trev, Cas, Nick and Sam. Each one has a different relationship with Anna and without giving away the story, there is reason why. Anna is closest to Trev and Sam. Nick is pretty ornery and Cas seems to be the hungy, easygoing one. I honestly liked each and every one of the characters and am looking forward to learning more about each one. Their backgrounds are the key to understanding where they come from but I am also interested to see where they go from here.

The dynamic between Anna and Sam is interesting. I don't want to give anything away regarding the story so just trust me when I say I thought it was going to be one thing and ended up with a bit of a twist.

Ok - I know this was a pretty vague review so just trust me when I say that this was a great first book to the series. If you like a bit of mystery, a good story and something fast paced, you will enjoy this one. I am very much looking forward to the next book.

4.5 stars
Halo by Frankie Rose was a quick read, action filled, and I honestly was unable to put this one down. It has a unique plot and some interesting characters. I say this a lot but characters on top of a good story really make me love a book and this one has both. Honestly there was so much I enjoyed about this book I don’t really know if I will be able to do it justice in my review but I will try.

First, the story. The main character, Kit, has grown up in the Sanctuary and as far back as she can remember, has been a fighter. As Falin Kitsch, she is one of the most successful fighters and as a fighter; she also wears a halo which regulates her emotions. The halo actually makes it so that she doesn’t feel pain as well as have any feelings or emotions which as a fighter have helped her but in other areas of her life; it has definitely been a drawback….something she doesn’t realize until it is gone.

As one of the best, she is finally matched up in the ring with Cai, the fighter she trains with. Cai is also the person she is closest with, or as close as she could be with someone that she can’t feel anything for. As Kit and Cai begin their match, Kit begins to see that something isn’t right. Cai is a better competitor than he is appearing and eventually she realizes what he is doing. He is giving up his life so that she can live. As a last parting gift to her, he yanks her halo loose and her life changes forever.

Kit begins to realize Cai wasn’t really what he appeared. His halo stopped working 8 months prior and he was on a mission to find a way out for both of them. He had feelings for Kit for a while and had come to realize how much he really cared for her. Now that he is dead, Kit makes the decision to run and get away from the Sanctuary.

As she is escaping, Kit crosses paths with Ryka and things get really interesting. Not only is Kit exposed to a different environment and rules, she is also experiencing a lot of emotions that she isn’t used to as well as comfortable with.

One thing I wish was that we had gotten more about how the world came to be and why the Sanctuary existed with their caste system as well as the outsider groups outside the fence.

Now – the characters. I really liked Kit. Before she left the Sanctuary, she seemed machine-like and seeing the change in her as she let go of the halo was important. I loved how Ryka made her see there is more to life than just hiding from the pain of everything life throws at you. As she adapts to the onset of emotions and feelings she definitely questions whether she did the right thing. Throw on top of that the fact that she is having odd feelings towards Ryka, and her whole world is out of whack.

I also loved Ryka. He is from Freetown and crosses paths with Kit as she is escaping and takes her back with him. He too, is a fighter in his town but they have very different rules and as we find out, his childhood hasn’t been easy either. As he and Kit become closer, he is one of the people that help her realize that the Sanctuary wasn’t the best place. I enjoyed the banter between Kit and Ryka and then seeing their relationship become more than just antagonistic. Now, I don’t usually find myself drawn to the blonde guys but Ryka might actually change my mind. He is described as:

His hair is bright blond and tied back into a messy ponytail. It’s so short I can tell he must have to re-tie it fifty times a day. Strands of it hand down into his face even now. His eyes are startlingly dark, a very intense brown. He also has a dimple…come on!

Also, the scene with the knives singing, their first kiss and when he is trying to convince Kit not to put the halo back on…dead.

“You say this is your choice, Kit, and you’re right. I’m begging you not to choose this. Choose something else. Choose the possibility that there could be something else worth feeling all the bad stuff for. Choose me.”



I enjoyed the secondary characters in this story as well. From Grandfather Jack to James, they all had a role in this book but my favorite was Olivia. She was so key to helping Kit adapt to the new town as well as being around others. From the moment they met at the side of the river, they were destined to be friends. The part I liked the most with Olivia because it actually revealed a lot about her character was when she had the bed made for Kit and they have the following conversation:

“No one’s ever done anything like this for me before.”
“Get used to it. I like doing nice things for people. It’s a simple joy in life, making others happy.”

As the story progresses, quite a bit happens. Despite the fact that Kit has found a new life in Freetown, she can’t let go of the fact that her brother is still in the Sanctuary along with a number of others who are looking for a way out. Because of this, they make the decision to go back and try to save them. Upon their return, a number of things go wrong and I’m not going to ruin the story for anyone so no details…sorry.

Although it isn’t labeled as a series, I am optimistic that it truly is. Rose definitely left things wide open with where the conflict between the Sanctuary and Freetown is and I am curious to see where things progress with the priestesses as I quite honestly can’t figure them out. James is also another one I need more of…not because I like him. Clearly he is up to something and is power hungry. I’m not sure what will happen with him but it definitely can’t be good for Kit and Ryka.

I’m glad I picked this one up and definitely recommend this to anyone who likes the dystopian genre. The halo puts a slight twist on the story and although I wanted more backstory, I thought Rose did a great job describing the world as it is today. Rose also created some solid characters and an action packed story that includes a little bit of romance. I’m pretty sure I’m going to need to know what happens next as soon as possible – anyone know when the next book comes out?



Pretty please....

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Love, love, love! There is tea and cake on a boat, some magic, and Mik plays the violin for Zuzana.



It was perfect.

Ruined is book one in The Eternal Balance series and Jus Accardo revisits the story of Cain and Abel and integrates the world and rules of demons into it. If you like your new adult paranormals with continuous action, you will definitely like this one.

Jax is back in his hometown and not happy about it. Three years ago he made the decision to leave in order to protect the people he loves and now due to things he can’t control, he is back. The only way he would agree to it is was if his uncle Rick could swear the two people who could do the most damage to him, his twin Chase and the girl he loves, Sam, wouldn't be in town. Imagine his irritation when he shows up to find that Chase is definitely in town and surprisingly, so is Sam.

See, Jax is a Descendant of Cain. Somewhere in his family line, someone did something really horrible and ended up opening up the males of his family to infestation. It didn't happen to all the males, just some and those that it affects come into this world with a demon attached to their soul. Jax is one of those people. Being a Descendant, he suffers the same hate toward his brother as Cain did and that is ultimately what pushes him to make the decision to leave.

Jax struggles with who he is and what is inside him. The demon requires him to do things he doesn't want to in order to survive and because of that, he doesn't feel like he can be happy nor does he feel like he deserves it. Now that he is face to face with Sam again, Jax is realizing just how much he has had to give up and he has a hard time walking away again. On top of the feelings he has he finds out there is another reason he has to stay close to Sam.

The reason behind Sam being back in town is related to being attacked while at college. While headed home after a party one night, she was attacked and someone ended up scaring off her attacker. She couldn't make herself stay there and made the decision to move back home and get a job. Unfortunately, her problems seem to be following her home and she has to rely on Jax to keep her safe.

With all of the stuff going on with Sam, we find there is more going on with Jax’s demon than he originally thought. I can’t say a lot mostly because there is a twist that has a major impact on the entire story as well as the relationships Jax has with the people in his life. Accardo did a great job sneaking that twist in and mixing things up.

Overall this was a solid first book as it was filled with continuous action and characters I could like. I thought Accardo did a wonderful job of building the base of relationships and she ended this book well. There are definitely still some questions and I’m not sure where things are going to go for Jax and Sam but I will definitely be checking out book two when it is out. If you like paranormal and demons, you will want to check this one out.

Review to come.

The Taking by Kimberly Derting is a Sci-Fi story that involves alien abduction, quite a bit of action and some romance on the side. This story had me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Kyra is a normal teenager. She and her softball team just won the championship and as with any sixteen year old, she is starting to think about where she wants to go to college. Because of her talent as a pitcher, her father is trying to get her to consider all of her options but Kyra has already decided that she and her boyfriend, Austin, are going to the same school no matter what she is offered. On the way home from the championship game, Kyra and her father have the same argument about this and she ends up making him pull over so she can walk instead of listen to the same talk he has given her over and over. That decision will change her life forever.

When Kyra opens her eyes, she is behind the dumpster at the Gas ‘n ‘Sip, almost exactly where she got out of the car and unclear as to why she decided to stay there for the night. Regardless, Kyra makes the walk home and that is when things start to get even weirder. There is a strange man living in her house along with a young boy. Since Austin’s house is right across the street, she runs there to see if Austin can clear things up. When the door opens, Kyra realizes that the person she thought was Austin is really Tyler, his little brother, and he looks a lot older than he did the last time she saw him.

As the story continues, we find that although to Kyra it only feels like a day has passed, she has really been gone for five years. This is probably one of the areas that I felt the most for Kyra. She gets thrown into this world where everyone has moved on with their lives and she is stuck at sixteen. This includes her parents divorcing, her mother getting remarried and having a new child, and the boyfriend she loved so much, moving on and starting a relationship with Kyra’s best friend, Cat. The one bright spot for Kyra is Tyler.

Tyler is Austin’s younger brother but he is now the same age as Kyra (since she didn't’t age in the five years she was gone) and her first few nights home, he is the one to anchor her in the present. He admittedly had a crush on her when he was younger and when she knocks on his door, he sees it as a chance to get her to see him as more than just Austin’s little brother as well as the boy who does chalk drawings on the sidewalk. He does swoony things (chalk drawings) and is patient with Kyra. He also, no matter what she tells him, never doubts Kyra.

As I mentioned, the Taking refers to the abductions happening and as the story progresses, this is a lot bigger than just Kyra vanishing. Not only has Kyra not aged, but she is starting to recognize that she is different. Add to this the fact that people are following her and she doesn't really know who to trust…except for Tyler.
There are a lot of twists in this story that are linked to what happened to Kyra when she was gone. As Kyra adjusts to her life, she is also working to solve the mystery of what happened and how it is impacting her life now.

There it is…I can’t say much more only because I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that if you like a good sci-fi story that has quite a bit of action, you will definitely enjoy this one. Add to that a swoony boy and some angst, and this book has a bit of everything.

2.5 for this one.

Juneau has grown up in the wilderness of Alaska and has always been told that WWIII destroyed the outside world. She has also grown up with the understanding that she will eventually replace the leader of their clan, Whit, due to the fact that she is a strong conjurer.

After coming back from a hunting trip that Whit sent her out on, Juneau finds the camp destroyed and decides she will find them. This decision takes Juneau to the city where she realizes everything she grew up thinking is wrong. There was never a WWIII now she has to navigate a world that she knows nothing about.

Miles always seems to be in trouble and his dad is always having to get him out of it. This time, getting caught cheating on a test creates a larger issue, the Yale Admissions office has decided to put his enrollment on hold and his father is definitely not happy.

Juneau’s and Miles’ paths cross in Miles’ attempts to regain his father’s trust. Strangely enough he thinks going against everything his father has told him is the way to do it. When his dad is away due to a work issue, Miles goes through his office and finds out his dad’s organization is looking for a very specific teenage girl. Guess who that is…

The story uses alternating chapters to give the reader both Juneau’s and Miles’ POV and Plum does a good job of showing how each of them react and interact with the other. Through the different POV’s we follow them both as they try to find out just exactly what is going on.

I honestly had a hard time getting into this story. It is an interesting premise and I thought the story had a lot of potential. The challenge for me was getting into the characters and this is something I absolutely have to have in order to get into a story and for some reason I just couldn't find that connection with this book. With that said, it may actually just be a case of “It’s me, not the book.”

This book definitely has a lot of action and for sure kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. I don’t want to say a lot about what happens, mostly because there are a number of twists and I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone. One thing to note is that there is a major cliffhanger with this book and I always have an issue with that. If you are someone who doesn't really want to wait a year to find out what happened, you may want to hold off on reading until closer to book two’s release. Overall this was just ok for me but if you find the summary interesting, you might like this one.

Me Since You by Laura Weiss is one of those books that I went into knowing I was going to shed some tears and sure enough, it happened. When I finished this book I sat thinking about what I would write without and I know that my review will most likely not do this story justice. At its simplest, this book is about realizing life isn't always fair and then dealing with all the things that are thrown at you.

Rowan is sixteen and doing whatever she can to feel a sense of freedom. Her father is a local police officer and just like most sixteen year olds, Rowan wants to do what she wants, wear what she wants and get out from under her parents’ thumbs. When Rowan and her best friend Nadia are invited to hang out with some senior boys on senior skip day, they jump at the chance. Unfortunately for Rowan, plans change a bit and because she knows she will never make it back with enough time to make it to work on time, she can’t go.

This is the event that becomes the catalyst to a whole bunch of “what ifs.” Because she is left at the McDonalds, Rowan’s father, Nick, happens to see her and while home with her trying to figure out what she thought she was doing, gets a call that there is someone threatening to jump off the overpass with his 3 month old son. When Nick responds to the call and is unable to influence the jumper, Corey, to get down not only does his life change but so do Rowan’s, her mom’s, and another bystander, Eli. There is a massive ripple effect as it is called in the book.

The list of what ifs are lengthy – what if Rowan had never skipped, what if Eli had just kept walking on the overpass, what if Nick hadn't been so close to the call…all of these things lead into the bigger question of would things have been different? Unfortunately there is no real answer here.

I thought Wiess did a wonderful job of developing these characters and making me care about (or really dislike) them. Rowan is sixteen and acts like a normal sixteen year old. Nick is used to being the protector and hero and when he feels like he is no longer seen that way, he doesn't know what to do.

Eli has been going through a lot over the last year and this tragedy is just another thing that shakes him to the core. The fact that he and Rowan begin to develop a friendship and then more is not only good for him but he can help Rowan because although he doesn't know exactly what she is going through, he understands enough to know that he will be there for her when she needs him and will back off when she doesn't.

It is rare that I have such anger toward a character but Nadia, who was supposed to be Rowan’s best friend, just seemed to do everything wrong. Not only when Rowan was dealing with the things with her father but from the very beginning of the book. The second she completely bailed on Rowan at McDonalds, I knew in my heart that she wasn't someone I would like and sure enough, she lived up to my expectations.

Another thing I thought Wiess did well was setting up the chapters. The story flowed and each section was introduced with a quote that perfectly fit that part of the story. The addition of the grief journal was perfect and gave me insight into just what Rowan was feeling toward her father. This is a moving story that contains so many emotions - sadness, anger, happiness, loss, grief, and love just to name a few. If you enjoy a beautifully written story with wonderful characters definitely check this one out.

His Risk to Take was my first jump into the Brazen Collection and I wasn’t disappointed. If you’re looking for something quick and hot, definitely check this one out. Despite the length of this book, I was able to learn enough about the characters to become invested in what happened with them.

Troy Bennett has recently transferred to New York City after his partner was killed in a raid in Chicago. It is clear from the beginning the Troy is someone who likes to be in charge and especially in the bedroom (or the bar, or anywhere else for that matter). While hanging out with some members of his team in celebration of making it through his first week, Troy meets Ruby. The immediate connection they have and the banter was perfect.

I loved Ruby. She is tough and a survivor but also loyal and cares about those who make an effort to see past her defenses. Clearly her first meeting with Troy has thrown her a bit but she is willing to take a chance on him and show him who she really is, not just who everyone thinks she is. She has a plan for her future and when she tells Troy more about it, it only serves to make him more impressed with who she is.

There is definitely angst and drama and yes, due to the length of the novel, the relationship happens quickly but I didn’t mind it. The larger story includes an inadvertent connection between Ruby and the case that Troy is working which creates some tension. Mostly because of who these characters are – Ruby wants to help Troy and Troy wants to keep her as far away from it as possible to protect her.

If you love a strong, alpha male type who can talk dirty with the best of them, this may be the next one for you. I will definitely be checking out more books in this collection and will recommend this to anyone who is looking for something hot.

Solving for Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans is one of those stories that yanked me right in and I couldn't put it down until I finished. I love, love, love the whole friends to more story and Kopans not only does this one really well, she does it in a way that made me want more.

Due to being bullied, Ashley moved in with her aunt and uncle and meets Brendan. They quickly become best friends and connect over their love of math. As Ashley and Brendan begin the school year, they both expect her to make the Mathletes team and Ashley hopes that she will get up the courage to say something to Brendan about her crush on him.

Unfortunately for Ashley, there is a gorgeous new girl named Sofia who happens to catch Brendan’s eye. Add Sofia’s sexy twin brother, Vincent to the mix and things quickly veer off course for her. Sofia immediately makes it known that she wants to try out for Mathletes and that she likes Brendan. Ashley begins to worry that not only is her place on the team in jeopardy but her relationship with Brendan is threatened too.

As Ashley comes to terms with what she sees happening between Sofia and Brendan, Vincent starts to make a play for her attention and I have to say, most of my highlights are those parts of the story revolving around Vincent. When he was trying to be swoony he was definitely swoony. I have to admit also, that for most of the story I was annoyed with Brendan because he was falling for Sofia’s tricks and so oblivious to what Ashley felt for him.

I loved how Kopans tied this whole story together. It is more than just a girl likes a boy. Ashley is dealing with depression and bullying and eventually being separated from her family. She is the new girl at a prep school and trying to adapt/fit in. One of the other things I loved was the nerdy math notes throughout the book. Even though I would in no way ever be able to solve most of them, I thought they really made the math part of the story come out.

I don’t want to give anything away on this one but just know that you will want to check this one out. Kopans writes a wonderful Young Adult Romance here that will have you turning the pages to see what happens next for these characters. I have never been disappointed by Kopans’ stories yet and this one only solidified her place on my auto-buy list. I couldn't put this one down and am excited for others to get a chance to read this one.