Eleanor has been unfairly shamed by the ton and now lives with her brother in country longing for a visit from the elusive Foxxe brothers. But when they finally show up, she gets a lot more than just a wild night of passion. When stranger shows up with ill intentions, they must risk all to be find the truth. A great little mystery mixed in with the romance, but I had a hard time finding a way to keep the brothers separate in my mind. Perhands because it was a novella, there wasn't a lot of time to learn their distinct personalities, which could be a bit confusing when there are three people involved. But once I got them all straightened out the book was fantastic. With just enough mystery and danger to keep things really interesting, it didn't take away from the romance (or the great sex). With quite the surprise ending, this was a great read on a cold fall night.

You Made Your Bed is quite a dark story about the Crowe family - primarily their only daughter Caroline. Goddin brought me right into this troubled woman's head and I took up a perch alongside the Jeerlings (which I pictured as crows) to listen to her thoughts and watch her every move as she plans a murder. She's been planning a murder in her head for quite a while now, she just doesn't really know whose it is yet.

Caroline appears to be an incredibly smart woman, but as the story unfolds and I learned more about her, I quickly realized that there was something seriously wrong. This is what the first half of the book seemed to be. Goddin was trying to show me just how messed up Caroline was. While this let me into her head and helped build a sense of sympathy for her, it also caused the book to get off to a very slow start.

Eventually, someone "forces" Caroline's hand, and she must kill them to protect herself and her family. As the murder plays out and we follow and listen to Caroline's thoughts, the author does a great job of portraying just how desperate she felt. How she had no choice. How it wasn't really her fault.

The ending was just amazing. All the family tension and issues finally boil over and while I don't think I'd call it an actual resolution - some of Caroline's problems to disappear. But that isn't the end, now Caroline needs to decide what's next, and as she walks out the door I have to wonder if everything that happened will allow her to live a normal life.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*

The New Dark introduces an interesting, if confusing, world. A world where there is no technology and humans live in small villages working to survive. When a group of mutants attack Sorrel's village and kidnap those they don't kill, Sorrel follows them trying to rescue her little brother and David. This is a physical journey as well as a symbolic one. Sorrel will have to leave behind not just her innocent life in the village, but her prejudices and fears as well. When she arrives at the largest city she's ever seen, she will discover that not all humans are good and not all mutants are bad. The trick is trying to tell which is which.

This story was a bit of a mixed bag for me. At times very exciting and I couldn't get enough, others it began to drag and I feel like the pacing could have been spaced more effectively. While I enjoyed Sorrel's journeys, I feel as if she never actually accomplished anything in the first book. Every step forward, every ally made, meant one step back and an ally lost. I didn't have a sense of hope at the end of the first book to make me look forward to the second.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*

A Second Chance at Love is a really quick novella, I think I read in one night. So, being a novella, I didn't expect tons of depth because there just aren't enough pages. But somehow, L.K. Shaw managed to cram some wonderful character development into about 90 pages or so (per Amazon).

The first part of the story left me a little confused. When Kyle and Callie first meet it just seemed a little weird, but the meeting was necessary (if a bit awkward) to set up their second chance in Myrtle Beach. This was really where the story seemed to start for me. As they mostly danced around their attraction - each wanting to avoid it for different reasons at first - they ended up coming closer together. They built up a trust and got to know each other a bit before jumping in the sheets.

I wish there could have been more - a comment I often make with novellas - but only because I loved the characters so much that I wanted to see them more.

Bittersweet was a mix between like and repetitive for me. While I appreciated and quite often really enjoyed the author's outlook and words of wisdom, there didn't seem to be enough new ones to completely fill the book. The book also has a very heavy religious tone to it. I knew going in that it had some, but it was a little too much for my taste.

Also, the food. Detailing every meal she ever had, how it was prepared, and if people liked it or not was too much. I'll be honest, I stopped reading those parts and just skipped right over them with a mental "And then they ate."

I did enjoy her stories about life, and the way she pointed out that bad things do happen to everyone. It's how people react and allow those bad times to shape the rest of their lives that can make or break a person. Learning to enjoy the good moments in the busy lives most of seem to live is a lesson I need to learn sometimes. Her stories of the simple things that stayed with her helped me remember some from my life, and it was very refreshing.

I first discovered the comedy of James Breakwell in Twitter when a friend re-tweeted a post from @XplodingUnicorn. His tweets quickly became a welcome comedic break from the day. I couldn't pass up his first book - a look at parenting in the zombie apocalypse.

First off, I forgive the two really bad typos. They made me giggle this time instead of annoying me. Second, while I really really wanted to read this straight through, I highly recommend taking a break between chapters. You'll want to make it last as long as you can. Each chapter takes a unique zombie-apocalypse-style look at parenting and how to make sure you (and maybe your kids) survive. On the surface, this may sound a bit ridiculous, but if you pay really close attention, you'll find crazy words of wisdom you never expected. Plus, you will be far more prepared should the zombie apocalypse actually happen.

Filled with useful graphs, cartoons, and strategies, Only Dead on the Inside is a book I recommend to just about everyone I meet now. I even read some of it to my fifteen-year-old, who promptly rolled her eyes and left the room, which is high praise indeed.

Breakwell's dry humor was quite refreshing and I still look forward to his tweets, now his newsletter, and I hear he has more on the way with a variety of projects.

The Daemoniac moved a little slow for me, even though there was a lot going on. I felt like the mystery was overly convoluted. There was so much running around that it seemed fairly aimless at times, with nothing to show for their trouble. When the mystery is finally solved, it was somewhat anticlimactic. I expected something massive and huge, and it just seemed to fizzle in my opinion.

The characters were a lot of fun though. Harry, the younger sister of a famous detective, takes on a case, enlisting the help of her friend, John Weston. The banter between these two characters is great. I looked forward to their conversations, both about the case and not.

I don't think I'll be continuing the series. However, the book is very well written with excellent characters. If you enjoy a more drawn out mystery, this may be one for you.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*

Holy cow. Karin Slaughter writes an amazing story that pulled me in from the beginning and never once let go. A new favorite author of mine. Tying two horrific events together - once current, one past - the Quinn family becomes the spotlight yet again. Charlie Quinn is following in her father's footsteps and defending those that no one else will touch. When a girl is arrested as the obvious shooter at a school that left a young girl dead, Charlie thinks there may be more to it.

But this rabbit hole runs deeper than anyone knows. The truth will eventually come to light, but not before many lives are torn apart, old wounds re-opened, and past wrongs are forgiven. The story is full of revelations, most of which I didn't completely see coming.

Superbly in-depth characters and a plot full of suspense and tension, I hope to see more in this new series soon.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*

I was so confused. So much of this story just didn't really line up for me. Harper Collins loses everything to an assassin and she's determined to find out why. OK. I'm on board so far. But when things get a little odd when she mysteriously has all these connections, including an ex-mobster father.

Putting aside the crazy characters, the mystery is a bit odd. Tracking down the people behind a chocolate corporate conspiracy takes Harper all over the world. Meanwhile, the assassin is on her tail, but only because he's become obsessed with her. Odd. A lot of this is explained - eventually - but it all just played out funny to me.

The ending seemed overly contrived as well. Their solution was so simple and yet overly complicated at the same time. Again, too many cases of "well, I just happen to know so-and-so from my past life."

This is the start of a binge-worthy series. There isn't just one world, there are several. And the reflections in the mirror, ice, and water connect them all. Within each world, there are a few people able to pass through the reflection to the others. Leah is one of these people, and her ability to connect with her Otherselves in the mirror worlds makes her a powerful force.

I loved how the mirror worlds interacted with each other, with small overlaps and similarities, but also huge differences. I got to really experience Fire and Water, and catch glimpses of Air and Stone, and they all seem fascinating.

But, of course, the worlds are in danger as someone is out to destroy them all, throw off the balance, and I'm not sure what happens after that. I can't wait to find out though. With rich characters, several incredibly detailed worlds, and a plot line that is super crazy awesome, this seems to be a binge-read-worthy series. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*