Genre: Scary/Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars

This book was amazing!  It's not a twist on Alice in Wonderland, like I expected.  Aside from the unique chapter titles and a reference to a white rabbit, there are no references to the fairytale.  Zombies have left Alice, the main character, without her family and she soon learns she has the ability to hunt and kill zombies, along with others in her town.  She had sweet little phrases like "oh sweet heaven" when she would see Cole, the boy she had a crush on, that would make me smile.  I loved how there was no bad language in this book - it was even mentioned by one character that cussing "wasn't allowed!"  The character development was top notch, descriptive, and relatable. There are 3 other books in the series and they are just as good!

Genre: Scary

Rating: 5/5 stars

Oh my goodness! I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this book. The writing is beautiful, character development is complete, and the storyline is hypnotic. Audrey Rose is a teenage girl in the late 1800s. She should be planning parties, worried about dresses, and seeking a husband to take care of her instead of performing autopsies with her uncle and his apprentice. She has a strong, deep desire to chase her dream of forensics and she does it in such a way that is not bullish, in your face, but with tact and heart. She works alongside her no-nonsense uncle and his all-nonsense apprentice Thomas (until it comes to a case then he's no-nonsense as well). The interactions between Thomas and Audrey Rose will melt your heart. They try to fight it as well but you can just feel the magnetic pull they have toward each other and you cannot wait for them to give in. While they are stalking Jack the Ripper, which turns out to be an exploding surprise, they fall for each other and, with a chaperone, Thomas courts Audrey Rose. It is just the sweetest courtship, you'll wish it was how things were done today. These two are my favorite couple in any book I've ever read! Aside from the romance, the book is full of mystery, intrigue, and 1800s forensics. SUPERBLY, WELL-DONE! There are 3 more after this one and I love them all!

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 5/5 stars

Megan Lally has definitely climbed the ranks of favorite young adult thriller authors. This is her third novel and she killed it!

From start to finish, this book had me in a death grip. The characters were fleshed out, they felt relatable, they felt real. Best friends Hannah and Emmy are on their senior year spring break trip when Emmy meets Ben, the spoiled, rich kid, who invites them for one last hurrah - boating - before their trip is over. Emmy’s brother Jackson is forced by their parents to chaperone the trip. Needless to say, the trip did not go well, hence “what we did to survive.” It was thrilling, suspenseful, and gripping to the end. 

As I was reading, I was completely impressed with the level of writing by not only a young adult author, but a fairly new one at that. It was very well told…I felt like I was on the boat -- panicking along with the teens. Megan Lally nailed the chaos, the panic, and the emotion of these kids trying to survive. 

I. Did. Not. See. That. Twist. Coming!

I definitely recommend this book!   

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: True Crime

Rating: 5/5 stars

Told in easy-to-understand language, flowing like a novel, Kim Cross tells the story of the 1993 abduction and murder of Polly Klaas. 

As the daughter-in-law of retired FBI agent Eddie Freyer, who led the investigation in the search for Polly, she has insider knowledge never told previously to anyone. She was granted access to files and videos that had never been released.

This book was well-written and told in a respectful and mindful manner. She told the background and history of Polly and her family, town, and friends. She offered details to the investigation and relayed how the investigative techniques used, some for the first time, in the search for Polly helped shape and change the way police and the FBI handle cases, especially those of child abduction. 

This was such a well-written book about a very sad topic, but handled in a manner that was gracious, yet very informative. We learn a lot about Polly, her family, the police and detectives who spent 65 days searching for Polly, the techniques used to apprehend and convict the killer, and the outcome it has had on investigations today. 

Even though I knew the outcome of the tragedy, the story kept my interest with the how’s and why’s, and this was largely in part to the great writing by Cross. I would highly recommend this book to any true crime reader or anyone looking to further their knowledge of police/FBI background, techniques, and procedures.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Romance

Rating: 5/5 stars

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this book. If I were a re-reader this would be at the top of my re-read list.

As a five-year-old child, Rune moves from Norway to Blossom Grove, Georgia, and meets Poppy. They become instant friends and as they grow up, develop romantic feelings for each other. At fifteen-years-old Rune is forced to move back to Norway. Poppy cuts ties. When Rune returns to Georgia at seventeen, he’s changed, heartbroken, and destructive. Why did Poppy ignore him while he was gone? 

The emotions, the heartache, the love, the hope, the yearning that I felt as I watched Rune and Poppy find their way back to each other was almost soul-shattering. There have been two books (both read years ago) that have brought me to tears and this just made the third. And with this book it happened twice. It was so well-written, so well-told. I felt like I developed a bond with these two characters. I felt like I was feeling what they were feeling. That’s solid writing. In addition, the background of “a thousand boy kisses” was dreamy and tender. And Rune just 🥰 

The one thing that almost marked this book down to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was the epilogue. It needs to be cut. It’s utterly ridiculous and unrealistic. When I finished this emotionally wrenching book, reading that junk epilogue almost squashed those feelings and voided everything that I read. GET. RID. OF. THE. EPILOGUE. 

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

(Update: I listened to this book. The male narrator is Norwegian which deepens and intensifies the mood of the book.)

Genre: Suspense

Rating: 5/5 stars

Oh my cheeseballs! This is a debut novel? Where have you been? The anticipation throughout this novel was overwhelming!

This book held me in a chokehold. It was thrilling, suspenseful, and gripping to the end. I was completely immersed in the search for Lola Scott. Lola has gone missing and her boyfriend has been deemed suspect number 1 and only. In the meantime, a young girl named “Mary” has been found on the side of the road, beaten up and with no memory, not even of her name. What’s the connection? Think you know?

As I was reading, I was completely impressed with the level of writing by not only a young adult author, but a new one at that. It was very well told…I felt like I was there -- searching for her myself or trying to figure out who I was, as the novel was told in dual perspectives, the boyfriend Drew and the found girl Mary. As is typical with young adult thrillers, the teens go off and try to solve the mystery on their own. This was the point at which I thought it was all going to fall apart. BUT NOT AT ALL! Not one time did I cringe at their choices! They were rational and realistic. YAY! 

Megan Lally actually reminds me of John Grisham with the way in which her words flow with a preciseness, without the redundancy and over telling (kinda like I’m doing here - haha), with purposeful word-choice, brilliant sentence structure, and first-rate story telling.

I definitely recommend this book!   

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Suspense

Rating: 5/5 stars

Wow! Just wow! This book was ah-maz-ing! I requested a book called "Teen Killers In Love" on Netgalley, got approved, then realized it was a sequel. I rolled my eyes. I happened to be at my public library when I saw the approval and luckily they had this book. I read it in a day! In. A. Day. I am a high school librarian and will definitely add this to my collection and recommend it over and over. The story was solid, well written, well told, with phenomenal character development. The parts that really couldn't happen in real life seemed like they could most certainly happen in real life. 

Signal has been sent away for murdering her best friend. In order to get out of prison earlier, she agrees to a deal that sends her to a camp where she becomes a member of the "Teen Killers Club" along with 7 other misfits. Unfortunately, this club teaches them to become assassins "and not get caught." Unexpected friendships form and of course things don't quite go according to the director's plan.

This is a highly recommended young adult coming-of-age thriller full of mystery and action. Five stars!

Genre: Romance

Rating: 5/5 stars

Liz grew up with friends Michael and Wes. She was always a bit eccentric, living in a dreamworld, obsessed with romantic comedies, and obsessed with Michael. As they grow up, Michael moves away and her and Wes drift apart. But when Michael returns and Liz decides her heart is still with Michael, she enlists the help of Wes to obtain a date with Michael. But things don't go as planned, feelings are confused, and miscommunication abounds. 

This was such a sweet, well-written rom-com. The characters were well-rounded and I found myself rooting for Liz and Wes from day one. 

Even though the plot was predictable, Liz and Wes were just so darn cute and funny that I could over look that. I was rooting for them so hard! 

Genre: Realistic

Rating: 5/5 stars

This page-turner of a book knocked me off my seat with the ending.  As we are intertwined in the currently sad, messed up life of Mary, we also catch glimpses of her traumatic past through interviews, magazine articles, book chapters, etc. that tell us the crime she is accused of - allegedly.  We are taken into the sad situations of "baby jail" and group homes - which I am sure can be as described in this book, but I sure hope not.  The author does a stand up job developing a character that pulls at your heart and your mind.  I fell in love with Mary and was rooting for things to finally go her way.  And then the ending happened!  I had to read it twice to make sure I read it right - completely unexpected!  Excellent debut novel by Ms. Jackson.  I will definitely read her next book.

Genre: Realistic

Rating: 5/5 stars

Mercedes has sex with virgins. She has sex with guys to teach them how to make their girlfriend’s first times perfect. They don’t tell anyone and neither does she. She’s doing those girls a favor. But people talk. And when she refuses to have sex with her bestfriend’s boyfriend, well he talks. And all hell breaks lose. Mercedes fees like she’s going to lose everything, and even believes she’s getting what she deserves, but in the end she gains more than she could have ever expected.

This book was fabulously done. I was worried when I picked it up, that the execution of the storyline would send a completely horrible message. Her characters are flawed yet believable and relatable. The story delves into teenage issues including sex, slut-shaming, friendships, parents, self identity, and choices. It promotes both safe sex and waiting until marriage. It also touches on the topics of non consensual sex and abuse. As we follow Mercedes from what she originally views as “good deeds” through the ramifications of her decisions, we see her grow and come to a self-awareness of who she is and can be. Loved this book!

Genre: Scary

Rating: 4/5 stars

Clown in a Cornfield 2!? Yes please! Killer Clown meets The Purge! I was like, “how in the world is he going to be able to write a sequel that doesn’t just suck? That’s not just stupid and stereotypical?” Kudos to Mr. Cesare! Was it a bit unbelieveable? Of course! Was it a bit over the top? Of course. Was it good? Yes!

In this epic sequel, Quinn, Cole, and Rust, survivors of Frendo the Clown, are being hunted by conspiracy theorists. And these guys are whack! A few times I would question the actions of this group but then I would realize they really aren’t too far off from reality - which is both unfortunate and scary.

This was packed with action, adventure, and gore. A great kick butt sequel. Clown in a Cornfield 3? Sign me up!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

Genre: Sports

Rating: 4/5 stars

This book basically reads like a thought letter to a missing father. Walker’s dad Hank is missing. Along with his uncle, Rufus, Sawyer’s dad. Walker and Sawyer are best friends, just like Hank and Rufus. Walker struggles to handle the fact that his father is missing. 

At first this book was hard for me to read because Walker would be talking about what’s going on and then all of a sudden, right in the middle, he would start addressing his thoughts to his dad in second person. I finally got the hang of the layout of the book. It’s unfortunate that Hank wasn’t a great guy, and Walker idolizes this man. But as we continue through the story and gain more insight into Walker’s thoughts, we notice that he does struggle with his father’s definition of a “strong man” and what real men are and are not supposed to be or do. Luckily his coach takes a deep interest in him and his life and he begins to see what being a real man really means.

Because of a poor decision on the first day of school, Walker has to spend time with his counselor. He is encouraged to write his thoughts down. Every now and then we get to “see” what he writes and I think the way in which this is done makes it much more meaningful. Same for his English class bell ringers. Unique.

It took a while for this book to pick up. The first half was a bit slow and redundant. Then he starts to find out the mystery surrounding his father and learns what being strong really means and the story gets a whole lot better.

This is a pretty strong book that would probably be of interest to teen boys.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. 

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 4/5 stars

Perfect Little Monsters is a “One of Us is Lying”esque type book. Queen Bee Ella is murdered at a pool party. Whodunit? New girl, best friend #1, best friend #2, boyfriend, secret lover… They all had motives and they all had secrets.

Told in dual POVs and timelines proved to be an interesting take on this storyline. I can’t really explain why without giving the ending away. I was fully intrigued with this book. Kudos to the author for not having Dawn and Raquel be the police in the story, even though they were doing some of their own investigating. What they did was believable - and that’s a breath of fresh air for young adult mysteries. What did bother me a bit, and tends to be a common theme throughout ya books, is the level of bullying portrayed by these teens. It just seemed exaggerated.

Even though the ending was a bit far-fetched and I had to pause a second to consider the direction it went, I found it to be a worthwhile read.I will recommend this book to my high school students. 

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Suspense

Rating: 4/5 stars

To start off, I requested an ARC of this book without knowing it was a sequel. When I got approved and realized that, I rolled my eyes, because I needed to read the first one before I could get this one underway. Had I known I probably would not have requested it. But. Am. I. Glad. I. Did! I happened to be at my public library when I received the notification that I had been approved for Teen Killers in Love and lucky for me, they had the first one!

The first one in the series, Teen Killers Club, was ah-maz-ing! I am a high school librarian and will definitely add this to my collection and recommend it over and over. The story was solid, well written, well told, with phenomenal character development. The parts that really couldn't happen in real life seemed like they could most certainly happen in real life.

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 4/5 stars

Lies! Murder! Betrayal!

Plot: Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be best friends, having skipped out together during a middle school field trip to live the Greatest Day Ever. And as expected, they drift apart. But one morning they run into each other in the school parking lot and decide to skip school again. As they decide what they are going to spend the day doing, they witness a classmate where he’s not supposed to be, where they aren’t supposed to be, and this day turns into anything but the greatest day ever.

Thoughts: After having read One of Us is Lying, my first Karen McManus book, I have gobbled her books up as soon as they come out. I’ve yet to find one as good as the first. Until now. Well, it’s not as good but it’s my second favorite of hers. (All except the ending! Will there be a sequel?) The story was engaging and well told. I was engrossed in what was going on and about to happen. It was an easy, entertaining read. I liked all the characters, but I rooted most for Mateo. He was the most down to earth, endearing, intriguing character. He was honest. He was personal. He was relatable. I felt the most sorry for Cal. He was naive, gullible, and exploited. And Ivy was just there. Her relationship with her brother was quite bothersome and contrived. I don’t understand sibling relationships with such animosity for no reason.

The cover is spectacular!

Recommendation: Heck yeah! If you are a YA fan, this is a definite read!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Memior

Rating: 4/5 stars

   First let me start by saying that the only 

   reason this book is 4 stars rather than 5 is 

   because Riley is not an author. It wasn’t a 

   poorly written book, but it lacks some of 

   the transitions and flow expected in a 

   book. On the flip side, Riley provides 

   concrete evidence and claims to support 

   her stance. She provides examples and 

   scientific proof, along with first-hand 

   experience.

Riley Gaines gained notoriety when she tied with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the finals of the NCAA Swimming Championships in 2022 and decided to take a stand against biologically born males competing with females.

To put it in simpler terms, those who competed against Thomas were basically “competing against a male whose only physical change was that he had just grown out his hair.”

It seems like we woke up one day and the world had lost its common sense. After reading this book, I learned this has been going on for decades! The facts and the cases presented by Gaines are astounding and tragic. People’s reactions to this farce of thinking and the treatment of Gaines in fighting the battle are sickening. I cannot wrap my mind around the thinking that some believe males competing against women in the “women’s” category of a sport is fair and even much less safe. 

“The worst part is that we, as women, are being silenced. Our universities and institutions are gaslighting and emotionally blackmailing us into feeling like we are in the wrong.”

On the topic of being called numerous inappropriate names because of her stance to fight for women’s rights, Riley states, “It’s what the opposition resorts to when they have no other means to dissuade from the argument.” Fighting for women’s rights does not make one a transphobe or a hater of any kind. Not once does Riley have anything negative to say about transgender people - in fact she encourages them to participate in things! 

“There are only two sexes. Therefore, there should only be two categories that accommodate them. Everyone can play. And everyone should play regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, etc…”

“Two distinct categories based on sex still gives every single person despite their gender identity athletic opportunity and chances for success. This means some may not get to compete in the category that aligns with how they perceive themselves, but that’s a consequence of the decision to transition…Do what makes you happy but understand that that doesn’t mean you get what you want at all times.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars

Well done Ms. Alexander! A teenage love story reminiscent of The Fault in Our Stars. But...I didn't like The Fault in Our Stars but absolutely adored Unknown Variables. I was drawn to this book because of the math connotations but quickly fell in love with ALL the characters in the book. From the nerdy math group to the cranky old lady to the friendship between two young girls, not to mention the love story. I couldn't help but feel touched by each character and appreciate the clumsiness of teenage love. Phenomenal book!

Genre: Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars

Even though this is a typical romance book where the handsome, popular football star connects with the pretty new girl in town, I really liked this book.  West struggles with watching his father die from cancer while Maggie struggles with her past.  Told in alternating perspectives, Until Friday Night is an edgy, racy romance full of love, heartache, sadness, and honesty.I felt drawn to the relationships West had with his parents, his best friend, Brady, and the rest of his teammates (but his relationships with girls was very sexist) as well as the relationships Maggie made with her new family.  The exchanges between the boys seemed fair and realistic while the interactions among the girls were harsh and oppressive.  The love story advanced fairly fast, typical for a teen romance, and was pretty intense.  West and Maggie's relationship was so strong, possessive, and overbearing at times that I couldn't make up my mind whether I was rooting for them or against them!  In the end, I can't quite put my finger on why I liked the book.  I just found that I couldn't put it down!

Genre: Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars

Let me introduce you to Charlie and Bailey. These two met on a plane from Alaska to … I don’t even remember. Anyway, Charlie is in line “sucking a girl’s face off” (how is she even in line because I felt like it was close to boarding, idk) when he and Bailey have words. Then lo and behold, he sits next to her on the plane. What a coincidence. And Charlie is a straight up, A-1 jerk. Very unlikable. They arrive and go about their business. A year later, they run into each other at the movies. Big deal. Apparently it was…they start liking each other -- love at second sight?? -- but tell no one. Now we’re at present day, and lo and behold again, they both get a job at the weirdest name place in the world. They become “best co-workers” because ya know, Charlie is so cynical that they can’t be friends, that’ll never work out! 

For whatever reason, Bailey doesn’t like that her divorced-for-a-while mom might be happy with her boyfriend and is convinced by Charlie to destroy their happiness. Oh, and in another turn of events, to destroy her friendship with Nekesa. Although Bailey is smart enough to see that it’s a bad idea, she’s so hung up on this friendship with Charlie, no one else matters anymore. Let’s not forget that Bailey thinks he’s a jerk, but he’s still her best friend. (He kinda shows a softer, sweeter side, but still does jerkish things throughout that doesn’t quite offset that sweet side.)

Anyway, there’s a lot of things to unpack in this story. Too many things really. Therefore, some of it doesn’t get fully unpacked. This book was heavy on the issue of divorced parents. Both Charlie and Bailey were being quite childish about their circumstances. There were unanswered questions left with both circumstances. I felt we needed more information here.

The amount of pop references was a bit much. I lost count of how many different shows Bailey binged…and they were named in the book! I just kept thinking how dated this book will be before too long. TV show references, movie references, music references..it was so much!

And let’s not forget the potty mouth on Charlie. (And he called her “good girl” one time…ick.) I kept having to remind myself this was a young adult book and not an adult book.

Overall, not my favorite young adult romance. I absolutely adored Better Than the Movies by Painter, but this one, not so much. I wouldn’t not recommend it, because it still kept my interest piqued.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 3/5 stars

This debut novel follows Lauren O’Brian as she settles into a new town, new school, and new life following a tragic incident involving her boyfriend and a fire. She starts a casual hook-up with town pariah Robbie. Robbie and his brother are both town suspects in their girlfriend’s murders. Soon curious things start happening and a surprise death creates chaos. 

It took me a while to get into this book. It starts with a hook-up between Lauren and Robbie. So without knowing anything about anybody, I felt it was a bit of a turn off. Overall, I never connected with Lauren, or really anyone for that matter. Somehow, I liked Robbie the best. There were things throughout this book that bothered me. For example, Lauren was extremely addicted to cigarettes and talked about it so much, yet she had quit smoking and would find herself surrounded with people who smoked and go on and on about it, all while being this tremendous star athlete. I know that this is probably something that really happens but I just wasn’t convinced. Also, the relationship between her mom and her was so scattered, so inconsistent, so ugh, it just drove me insane. In addition, the stuff with the coach was never resolved which was a bit confusing. 

Overall, this book was an average mystery, suspense, young adult book. It had the element of surprise. I was sure I knew who the killer was early on but I was wrong. It did keep me wanting to know who it really was and what Lauren was hiding, so for that it gets a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Suspense

Rating: 3/5 stars

This is the final book in The Teen Killers Club trilogy. This series was an unexpected gem. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books. The third book was a bit different.

In this one, we see the conclusion to the camp, the experiments, the mysteries, and all of those involved. There was never a chance to digest all that happened in this book. With the amount of things going on throughout this last book, it could have easily been broken into another book, which I’m glad it didn’t. There was never a shortage of excitement, adventure, and mystery.. There was betrayal, theft, betrayal, theft, love, toxicity, blood shed, heartache, love, blood shed, toxicity, betrayal, and resolution. I’ve come to the conclusion that Signal and Eric are not meant to be--they are so toxic together! I just couldn't get myself to root for them, but I won’t spoil whether or not they made it. There were a handful of new characters introduced in this book which I had a hard time sorting out for a while, but by about midway, I think I had it. 

This is a solid young adult series that I will continue to recommend in my high school library. Excellent job Ms. Sparks!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Suspense

Rating: 3/5 stars

As high school seniors, the end of the school year is full of pranks. But these pranks aren’t the usual pranks, and things go wrong. Pretty predictable but okay.

This book just ended without enough explanation. Why did Jesse lose his mind? Why did Marley’s friends turn on her like they did? How did she know how things were going to turn out? Why did she do what she did? How did Ruthie know what she knew? There were a lot of unbelievable actions and perfect coincidences for everything to work like it did. (Also, Marley had a doorbell camera, but her parents never knew of anything she was doing.) 

There were some weird things that the author put in this book. There were three weeks of school left, yet they had already taken their finals. Why was there this big quiz that not everyone had to take? One time, Marley didn’t go to English, she went to crafts instead. Were people allowed to come and go off campus as they wanted? 

Now that I’ve written this review, I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. I’m not sure why it’s getting three stars instead of two, but I’m sticking with it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 3/5 stars

  This is the 3rd book in the One of Us is    Lying series. 

  One of Us is Lying is one of my favorite   😉 YA mystery books. I am a high    

  school librarian and recommend this   

  book constantly! And my students love 

  it!  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I describe it as a 

  Breakfast Club whodunit and the kids 

  grab it from my hands! Don’t like to 

  read--take this book; love to read--take 

  this book. 

  The second book in the series was just 

  ⭐️⭐️ for me while this one, the third in 

  the series ramped it up just a bit and 

  received ⭐️⭐️⭐️.

  I completely understand that since One   of Us is Lying was such a huge hit, even   receiving a Peacock series 🤩, that   

  McManus wanted to continue riding 

  on its coattails--I would do the same! I   

  just think she captured the whole story 

  in the first book which is why it was so 

  great. It wasn’t meant to be a trilogy. I 

  don’t regret reading it--it was okay. It’s 

  just that the continuation is taking 

  away from the greatness of the first 

  book, giving these characters just too 

  much conflict, strife, struggle, etc. It’s j

  just too much! And I’m getting tired of 

  the “dumb” police and their inability to 

  do anything. 

  There are new twists and turns, 

  “secrets” revealed, dead bodies piled 

  up, and explanations from the past--

  but none of it was really new to the 

  mystery genre and was pretty 

  predictable. Unfortunately, this is just 

  an average book. But having said that I 

  would still say it’s a must-read if you 

  like the series.

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

High school girl Neve Lanier just cannot catch a break when it comes to friendship. As a social pariah, she thinks she hits the jackpot when new girl Yasmin befriends her. The two become best friends. Until they aren’t. Neve is betrayed by Yasmin. Left alone and broken, her family encourages her to attend an all-girl’s empowerment camp called GLAM (a bit cheesy, but okay.) The girls at the camp seem friendly and she makes friends quickly and easily. Although warned by others, she is especially drawn to beautiful Diane, both as a friend and a potential love interest. After learning each other's secrets, they make a joke -- Diane will murder Yasmin if Neve will murder her brother -- only one of them doesn’t consider it a joke.

Neve is a likable character, and I felt anxious for her whether it was her trying to make friends, trying to convince herself it was okay not to have a best friend, or trying to get out of the whole “Strangers on a Train” murder for murder situation. I think the story was a bit predictable but there was one twist at the end that I think caught me off guard. It made total sense when it happened but I didn’t really see it coming. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars

This has been a very surprising series. It seemed like it came from nowhere. But what a very pleasant surprise. The first two books in the series were fabulous. The conclusion of the second book seemed to wrap everything up nicely so I was delighted to find out there was a third book!

It took me a little while to get into this one. It dragged at the beginning, a little bit slow, I put it down, picked it up, put it down, picked it up, which is why it doesn’t get four stars. But when the drama and surprises began they flipping began. The second part of the book was full of so much! There were revelations, friendships, love, and angst - everything you’re looking for in a young adult romance.  With the cliffhanger at the end, there will definitely be a fourth book…which I will be reading!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars

So based on how this book ended, this series is over. I enjoyed reading about Bea, Sam, Jeff, Daphne, and Nina throughout these four books. But I must say that I’m glad it’s over.

This fourth book wrapped up the drama and excitement that is the Washington family, the royal family of the United States. Without spoiling anything, everything is wrapped up nicely in the end and HEA’s for everyone -- except one person.

This book was filled with a bit of mystery, a bit of discovery, a bit of growing up, and a bit of love. (I found myself rooting for a couple of unlikely pairs.)

Overall this was a decent ending to a series. Well-done and perfect for young adult (and adult) romance readers, especially those who like The Selection Series.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Well...this was a typical teenage who-dun-it.  Nothing new, nothing overly shocking or clever.  Would I recommend the book?  Sure.  Will I remember to recommend it?  Maybe, maybe not.  It wasn't memorable, which doesn't mean it was bad, it just lacked the punch it needed to make it stand out.  There was a lot going on in the book, maybe too much to really delve into all the scenarios to make it really good.  Every so often a chapter would go five years into the past.  These chapters were in third person focused on one character and just seemed odd.  Anyway, it was a decent book.  I'm not unhappy that I read it.  

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 2/5 stars

This book was a struggle to read. I kept pushing through because the reviews were so glowing. 

The story started with Bella addicted to alcohol. I think because of this, I couldn’t build a connection with her at all. She was a very unlikeable character from the start. As her background was woven into her rehab story, I didn’t feel the emotion, or have empathy, or any kind of warmth for Bella at all. The one person I liked was her best friend that encouraged her recovery. 

The storytelling and writing were choppy. Her time spent in rehab was brief and unbelievable. I will admit that I’ve not been through it but it just didn’t seem legit.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 2/5 stars

I was excited about this book because I live in the western part of Kentucky where she’s from and next to the town this novel is set in, if it weren’t a fictional town. So it was interesting when she would throw real things in the book.  But that’s about it.

I found so many things about this book lacking. The plot was slow, predictable, and is a story that’s been told over and over. There was nothing new in this story. The characters were obnoxious and unpleasant. Lucy was so strange and mind-boggling. Her step-brother is murdered and she and Neil are constantly talking about the Olympics. Other tragedies are happening, and they’re talking about the Olympics. It makes no sense that that’s the focus of their lives with what’s going on. The other book characters aren’t much better. Tragedies are happening and the people affected are acting so apathetic and casual.

I hate to be so negative about a book, especially a local author. I finished the book in order to post a review but there were many times I thought about quitting. It just wasn’t hitting the spot.