Tower of Obsidian by L.T. Getty is a good mix of action and mythology. It had a bit of a slow start and although at times, I found myself wanting this story to move a bit faster, I thought the story was solid.

The main characters of this book didn't really win me over or even have me rooting for them. This was mostly because of the fact that Aoife, the main character, while tough, came off as headstrong. Normally I would applaud this but she didn't really seem to think through what she was doing or even take into account how her actions would impact those around her. I will admit, she had my support when Kale ended their engagement but I wanted her to stand up for herself to him and I wasn't sure why she just cried about it without confronting him when everything she did afterward tells me she wouldn't have just let it slide.

Kale didn't win any points with me based on the way he ended their relationship. Yes, he was doing what he thought was best and “doing his duty” but that didn't mean I had to like it. It was hard to get behind the whole mission Aoife and Aaron were on and then also feel sympathy for Kale’s situation when from the beginning he made me want to kick him in the shin.

Aaron was interesting and I’m not sure how I feel about him. Aoife knew he loved her but still treated him in a way that wasn't really nice and he pretty much took whatever she threw at him with no complaints. There is a bit of a twist toward the end of the book that made things interesting but his feelings for Naguset kind of came out of nowhere considering I thought he loved Aoife. I did like how he was the one to make things happen and in the end, was happy.

I do wish we would have gotten more of Aoife’s sister’s story. Fianait was an interesting character and I wanted to know more about her and her relationship with the group outside the city. There was no real explanation of how she came across the group and what happened with them once everyone was safe and back where they needed to be.

I thought Getty did a good job of weaving in the mythology of the witch in the tower with the story of Aoife and Aaron attempting to save Kale. It was a piece of the story that I thought made things interesting and while I wanted to see how the overall story ended up, I thought the story of the dragons, the witch, and her protector were what kept me turning the pages.

Hopefully this doesn't come across as a negative review. I thought there were some areas where editing was needed but the idea is original which is what first drew me to the book. If you are looking for a story that has some action, mythology, and takes you back in time, you might want to check this one out.

Thank you to the author for the review copy.

Out of My Mind by Pat White was one of those books I came across while reviewing the lists in Netgalley and it sounded super interesting. This story is about a girl (Catherine) who was hit by a car and has suffered a traumatic brain injury and is now a completely different person than she was before. Where the story kind of lost me was more around the pacing, the characters, and some of the unbelievable situations.

Catherine is the girl who had everything before the accident. She was popular, a cheerleader, and the quarterback was just about to ask her out. Now, she can’t even remember what she needs to take with her when she leaves the house every day. Obviously this is a struggle for her. As Catherine attempts to figure out who she is now, she is also coming to terms with the idea that her accident has given her access to visions (past and future) and she doesn't really know what to do. I liked her and I thought White did a great job portraying the struggles she had with not only the changes in her life but also the things that were impacted by the change in Catherine, including her relationship with her friends and parents.

J.D. lives across the street and is seen by everyone as a delinquent and troublemaker. He also happens to be the person who hit Catherine with his car and the reason why she almost died….or so we are told. J.D. has secrets and is doing whatever he can to make sure no one finds out what they are but as he is put together with Catherine more and more often, she begins to find out more about him and it definitely changes her view. I though J.D. was a solid character. I felt his pain and struggle and thought White did a great job pulling the reader into his story and understanding what he was really going through and ultimately, why he did what he did.

I thought the pacing was a bit off in places. At the beginning of the book Catherine clearly hates J.D. but very quickly her mind is changed and they seem to have this somewhat antagonistic relationship and then all of a sudden they realize they are in love with each other. I just didn't believe it….I was happy for them because clearly he had no one and none of her friends really knew her anymore but it didn't feel right.

Also – everyone was on J.D. about the fact that he was trouble but other than the accident, there wasn't much proof that he was, in fact, a delinquent. And why was he completely to blame for the accident if Catherine was wandering in the middle of the road…and why was she in the middle of the road. I am missing some backstory that would help a bit in providing clarity around everyone’s perceptions.

Greg was a mystery to me. I know through the one vision that Catherine had we were supposed to get a sense of him but being picked on as a kid doesn't explain his level of twistedness in my opinion.

I thought the idea of the story was great and it is ultimately what intrigued me in the first place. The idea that a brain injury could impact more than just someone’s memory and actions is something I find interesting and the way that White tied the story back to these high school kids was great. While there were some things that pulled me out of the story, there were some things that were done well and for that, I give this a 2.5-3 star rating.

Thank you to Netgalley & Joy Creek Press for the review copy.

His to Keep by Katee Robert was a solid 3 stars for me. There were some good parts and some things that bothered me. First, the things I liked – the characters were solid. It is always tough to develop characters enough in a novella but I thought Robert did a solid job of getting me interested in these characters and their stories.

Marcy and Aaron have been dancing around each other since she was seventeen and he consciously made the decision to leave before things went anywhere. When Aaron came back, Marcy was already dealing with a guy who treated her poorly and eventually leaves her when she is pregnant. Now Marcy is a single mother and rarely does anything that isn’t for her daughter. As Aaron watches her from across the bar they are at in celebration of their friend’s engagement, he decides he doesn’t want to avoid her anymore and makes a move.

This is where the relationship takes a few steps forward…although it isn’t really a relationship. They end up having sex in the alley behind the bar and then Marcy runs away. As Aaron gets her to realize he isn’t going to just give up on her, Marcy decides to take a chance which leads to the HEA ending.

There was one major thing that bothered me in this story and that was the author’s decision to make Aaron’s sister’s name Erin. It seemed a bit ridiculous and I can’t imagine any parents ever doing that to their kids. Minor detail as Erin doesn’t play a huge role in this story but still, weird.

Overall, this was a good story with some solid characters. If you are looking for a quick romance to read, definitely check this one out.

Thank you to Netgalley & Entangled Publishing for the review copy.

3.5 stars.

Fall With Me by Julie Particka was a quick read that pulls the reader right into Jenna’s story and the heartbreak she is going through. Her boyfriend, Adam, of three years (and secret fiancé) has decided to leave her…for her best friend, Lacey. Not only has she lost her relationship but now her best friend is lost to her as well.

Jenna has decided that she is going to go home for the summer and figure out what she will do as everything she had planned, revolved around Adam. The thing she didn’t plan on was that Lacey’s brother, Sutton, would be working for her dad and someone she would have to see every day.

Sutton is back in Michigan and trying to turn his life around. When he finds out that Jenna will be working with him, he knows that he will have to fight the attraction he has always had for her. He quickly realizes he can’t but he also realizes that he needs Jenna’s help to get Adam away from Lacey.

As Sutton and Jenna come up with a plan to break up Adam and Lacey, they realize they really care about each other. Unfortunately, things come up and Sutton ends up sacrificing their relationship for the sake of his sister but doesn’t tell Jenna what the reason is and she is definitely not satisfied with the way things ended. As she makes a final effort to find out what really is going on, Jenna finds out what really happened with Lacey and Adam. In addition, she finds out why Sutton decided to let her go.

This was a quick read and I enjoyed the story as well as the characters Particka developed. If you are looking for a quick, new adult romance definitely check this one out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the review copy.

3.5 stars

The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz is a solid book one in The Dark World series. I found myself pulled quickly into Paige’s story and Shultz made it hard for me to put this one down as I needed to know what was going to happen next.

Ever since Paige experienced death herself, she has seen the dead and been able to speak with them – even her best friend, Dottie, is a ghost. Dottie tells Paige about The Dark World and how Paige is a beacon for her to follow to get back to the other side but neither of them think anything of it, until they are forced to.

Another somewhat new kid at school is Logan. He is the only person who doesn’t treat Paige like an outcast and as a group of demons launch an attack on Paige to bring her to the Regent Queen, Paige finds out Logan’s secret…he’s really a demon hunter and has been sent there to protect her because she is a traveler – someone who can help others transport back and forth between the worlds anytime they want.

While the war continues, Paige and Logan find themselves drawn to each other and their relationship becomes more than just a friendship. As they try to navigate the waters of this new relationship, they also have to overcome the trials that are a part of the paranormal world they are living in.

I though Shultz did a great job of developing these characters. I liked Paige and thought she was the right mix of tough and weird. Logan is a great character as well. He isn’t perfect but he cares about Paige and he has had a tough life. As his story was revealed I found myself liking him even more. I also liked how Shultz developed the friendship and then relationship between these two.

As secondary characters go, I thought Ajax was an interesting one and I want to know more about him. Additionally, Dottie was great and I thought she was a great balance for Paige. Rego was also a great character and based on what Ajax said to Logan before he left, I want to know more about him and what he is up to as well.

I look forward to the next book in this series. I am curious to see where Shultz takes the story based on how this one ended as well as what is in store for Paige and Logan.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for the review copy.

Review to come.

4.5 stars...couldn't put this down. Review to come.

Ahhh..this was so good!

Divided by Elsie Chapman is the second book in the Dualed series. It picks up shortly after the end of book one and I found myself yanked back into West’s world and I loved it! I though Chapman did a wonderful job of building out more of these characters as well as the world they live in.

West is now a weapons assistant to Baer at the high school and she helps with the student training. She is also in a relationship with Chord and trying to get on with her life. As part of her Post Completion Treatment, West is seeing a counselor to help her cope with the nightmares and aftermath of defeating her alt. While on her way home West is approached by a Board Operator and immediately worries The Board is coming for her because of her previous work as a striker. West is taken to the Board’s headquarters, and introduced to a Level 1 operator who asks her to do something she would never consider doing…under normal circumstances.

Let me pause here to say, there were times where I just wanted West to lean on Chord and not internalize every darn thing. I get it, she was trying to protect him and not get him involved but in the end, by keeping the secrets she only created larger issues. Chord clearly loves her and will do just about anything for her and that may be why she tried to keep him away from everything going on but again, she should have told him from the beginning what she was doing.

Ok….it turns out the Level 1 operator goes by the name Sabian and he offers up a trade. In exchange for her help killing the Alts of some Level One children, she can get something for the future…the lives of her children, free and clear. Clearly Sabian knows about her past as well as Dire Nation but he and the Board let it continue because it hasn’t hurt them in any way yet. Despite her misgivings, the opportunity it too good to pass by and when she does agree to the work, she also barters to have her striker marks removed.

Here is where the action starts and honestly doesn’t really stop until the end of the book. As West is hunting down these idles, she comes to find out more about Kersh, its founders, and some secrets the Board would probably kill her for if they knew she knew them. I feel like I can’t tell you much more without giving anything away and I really don’t want to do that because you should experience everything. Just know that there is danger and fighting and definitely kissing.



I do love the characters in this series. Starting with West, she is strong and protective of those she loves. She will do anything, including sacrifice herself, for the people who are important to her. She’s also smart…she isn’t perfect though so she does make mistakes.

I liked learning more about Dire and Baer. Both are difficult guys to get to know but as we learn more about them, I understand why they are who they are and do what they do. They do truly care about West and she has a great group of people supporting her.

Chord….where to start. He is perfect for West in that he truly loves her and cares about her but he also isn’t afraid to call her out on something when he knows she did something wrong. AND even if he does disagree with something, he still completely supports her decision(s). He truly wants what is best for her and wants to keep her away from all the bad things in the world but he has come to realize that he can’t really do that in the world they live in. No question, he is one of my favorites and has made the swoony book boyfriends shelf.

In addition to a great story, there is a lot of action and some wonderful characters. If you enjoyed book one of this series, I definitely recommend you check this book out as soon as you can. Chapman did a fantastic job of pulling me back into this world and I couldn’t put this down until I finished. I look forward to more from her and while I can’t see another book listed, I’m hoping more of West and Chord’s story.

Loved this one as much as the first. Definitely a must read.

The Rules for Breaking by Ashley Elston is the second book in the series I have to mention here that I don’t know why this series sat on my shelf for so long. I mean, Jaime kept telling me how good it was…I just didn’t listen. I finally decided to dive in and I absolutely loved The Rules for Disappearing. Also, I was super excited about the fact that I didn’t have to wait for more Ethan and Anna.

This book picks up shortly after The Rules for Disappearing ends and Anna and her family are no longer under Witness Protection. Unfortunately, Anna is still more than a little nervous about things. Especially since her journal has suddenly shown up with a note from “T”. In her efforts to protect those she loves, she chooses to keep this a secret…until Ethan finds out.

Once this happens, things start to move and honestly never stop. As part of the plan to ferret out a mole in the U.S. Marshall Service as well as protect Anna, her family, Ethan, and his family, it is decided to move them to Ethan’s family hunting club. Unfortunately for them, Thomas has connections and once he finds them, he will do anything to get what he wants, including kidnapping Anna, Ethan and Teeny.

As Anna and Ethan struggle to find out what really is going on all while staying alive, they find out exactly who gave Anna her journal back, what Thomas is up to, and who the mole is in the Marshall service.

The characters are great. Anna is still trying to protect her family, Ethan is still super swoony and trying to protect Anna, Thomas is an interesting bad guy, and the addition of a mystery character makes things intriguing. Teeny also comes out stronger in this book and I liked that she changed from the damaged little girl to one with a personality and a bit of an attitude.

Sorry for not giving you much detail here but I don’t want to give anything away. What I will tell you is that this book is continual action, danger, and mystery. If you enjoyed the first book, you will definitely like this one too. In addition to all of that, there is the relationship between Ethan and Anna. They hit some bumps along the way mostly due to the secrets Anna is keeping because she thinks she is protecting everyone.

It isn’t every day I come across a story that includes a high schooler and her challenges with the Witness Protection Program. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this book (and book one) and encourage everyone to read this!