Seven Days of you caught my attention right away, but as I got deeper into the story, I started to lose interest. Sofia is a likable main character, she has an interesting life, but I didn't feel a real connection with her. Jamie was nice enough, but I didn't feel the connection between them.

In just seven days, Sofia goes through an emotional roller coaster with almost everyone in her life, almost all her relationships change, and I'm surprised she didn't have a breakdown. The ending definitely left something to be desired.

In all, it was a fun, slightly lackluster, contemporary YA read.

*I received a galley of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Never judge a book by its cover...

Due to her involvement in an unfortunate set of mishaps between the dragons and the Fae, Librarian spy Irene is stuck on probation, doing what should be simple fetch-and-retrieve projects for the mysterious Library. But trouble has a tendency of finding both Irene and her apprentice, Kai—a dragon prince—and, before they know it, they are entangled in more danger than they can handle…

Irene’s longtime nemesis, Alberich, has once again been making waves across multiple worlds, and, this time, his goals are much larger than obtaining a single book or wreaking vengeance upon a single Librarian. He aims to destroy the entire Library—and make sure Irene goes down with it.

With so much at stake, Irene will need every tool at her disposal to stay alive. But even as she draws her allies close around her, the greatest danger might be lurking from somewhere close—someone she never expected to betray her...

Sloane isn't expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that's exactly what happens.

Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera's twin brother and the most serious person Sloane's ever met. When a beloved painting by the twins' late mother goes missing, Sloane takes on the responsibility of tracking it down, a journey that takes her across state lines—and ever deeper into the twins' lives.

Filled with intense and important friendships, a wonderful warts-and-all family, shiveringly good romantic developments, and sharp, witty dialogue, this story is about finding the people you never knew you needed.


I really enjoyed This Adventure Ends. Sloane was such a breath of fresh air from traditional contemporary YA characters. She didn't take anyone's crap, she stood up for others, yet she was completely at a loss when it came to having friends because for the first time in seventeen years, she had people she cared enough about to make an effort.

The novel only follows a portion of Sloane's senior year, after moving from New York to Florida, in the wake of her father's writing crisis. Unlike most teenagers, Sloane was unaffected by the move and didn't really care either way - due to the fact that she really had no attachments keeping her there. Could you imagine that kind of self enclosure?

So when she meets Vera and Gabe, twins that are like night and day, her world begins to shift. Vera is bubbly, outgoing, and makes everyone feel like they're the only person in the room, while Gabe is surly, and serious, and basically has made it his life's mission never to smile. Through some unfortunate circumstances, a special painting done by Vera and Gabe's mother right before she passed, is sold and Sloane makes it her mission to get said painting back. Without telling them of course.

The characters are what really drew me into this one. I couldn't help but love Sloane. She's witty, has the perfect come back for everything, and honestly thinks about her responses to questions. She ventured into new situations with caution, but didn't guard herself so completely as to not put herself out there. Her family dynamic was interesting, and I liked her relationship with her father.

I gave This Adventure Ends five stars because I laughed - a lot, I cried, and I became emotionally invested in Sloane. Emma Mills did a fantastic job writing this novel and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a contemporary read that's not your typical YA love story, or your typical female lead. It's very refreshing and I hope to read more of Mills' work.

*I received a copy of book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. All eyes are on Flynn—he must know something. After all, he was—is—her boyfriend. They were together the night before she disappeared.

But Flynn has a secret of his own. As he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself.


One fall night, January was last seen leaving her private school. She never came home and no one had heard from her since. Not her distant mother, politician step father, psychotic step brother, or even her boyfriend Flynn. While Flynn tries to figure out what happened to January, he’s led down a path of discovery that reveals January wasn’t the person he thought she was, as are none of the other people in her life the way she made them out to be.

Initially I was intrigued by the mystery side of Last Seen Leaving, but as I kept reading it felt like it became two conflicting stories. On one side there was the disappearance of January, and the mystery behind what happened to her – following the clues, and the whodunit, Flynn playing the role of the loyal boyfriend. On the other side is Flynn hiding a giant secret, which inevitably comes out, and to seems to take over the entire narrative overshadowing the plot of previously mentioned missing girlfriend.

Without going into too much detail and giving anything away, basically it began to feel like it was more about Flynn finding himself than January, and dealing with the fallout from the revelations of his personal life than the actual disappearance of his girlfriend, which was not the story I was expecting going in.

Flynn is a likeable character and I sympathized with him for the most part. He was January’s boyfriend and the prime suspect in her disappearance, as usually happens when something like this occurs. It’s understandable that he’s under a lot of stress and he doesn’t necessarily make the wisest decisions.

Much of the time I felt like the author was trying to sell me something, as if he was paid to write product advertising into the book – similar to product placement in television shows. It became obnoxious - constantly mentioning Lexus, smooth rides, and supple leather seats, iPhones, etc, when a simple mention of “we got into his car” would have been sufficient. I don’t know if this is a thing now, but if it is, I’m begging you, please make it stop! It reminded me of when you watch a tv show and they add a whole unnecessary scene with the characters waiting for their new car to back up and park itself just for the benefit of showing the audience *barf*. Give me a break. Books are a place we’re supposed to be safe from that crap! If this wasn’t intentional, I’m sorry to Mr. Roehrig, but this is how it came off. I understand a high level of detail can immerse a reader into the story, but I think there's a line where it can be too much. Last Seen Leaving crossed that line for me.

Overall, I give it three stars, mainly because I felt the story lines were conflicting and it didn't feel like one arc but two. I know some readers will greatly disagree with me, and that's okay! Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood for it, but I wouldn't rule out reading it completely. If you're a fan of mystery, some romance, and some back and forth with the story, give it a shot!

*I received a copy of book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A tragic kidnapping leads to an unlikely friendship in this novel about finding light in the midst of darkness from the author of The Truth About Alice. 

When Caroline's little brother is kidnapped, his subsequent rescue leads to the discovery of Ethan, a teenager who has been living with the kidnapper since he was a young child himself. In the aftermath, Caroline can't help but wonder what Ethan knows about everything that happened to her brother, who is not re-adjusting well to life at home. And although Ethan is desperate for a friend, he can't see Caroline without experiencing a resurgence of traumatic memories. But after the media circus surrounding the kidnappings departs from their small Texas town, both Caroline and Ethan find that they need a friend--and their best option just might be each other.

Four years ago, Ethan was kidnapped and never heard from again. A week ago, Caroline’s autistic brother, Dylan, was taken. The odds of a tiny Texas town to be struck by two kidnappings is slim to none and by some miracle, Dylan’s kidnapping leads to both his and Ethan’s rescue.

Afterward is a thought provoking novel told from the viewpoint of Ethan and Caroline, living in the aftermath of this horrific event. Caroline’s family is struggling to keep it together, not sure how to move forward, or how to help someone who can’t articulate what happened to him, and Caroline herself who blames herself for her brother being taken. Ethan, is struggling with coming back to his family after living with his kidnapper for four years, with parents who love him and want to get him all the help he needs (and may not want), who can’t quite come to terms with what happened to him or figure out where the blame rests. When Caroline realizes that her parents aren’t going to do anything to help her brother, she decides to take charge and talk to the only other person around who might have some answers about what happened to him. They become an unlikely duo in the aftermath of this chaos.

What struck me about Afterward was how raw it was. Situations like this are a million to one. Most children who are taken are not given the opportunity to be reunited with their families in a positive way and I think that makes Ethan’s story unique. While it’s a work of fiction, for me it was a very emotional. Ethan has to work through four years of psychological torture and come out the other side into a world that has moved on without him. The world and his family are the same, but not. Caroline’s world seems to be slowly unraveling with no upward swing in sight. She doesn’t have two caring, put together parents willing to face what’s happened to her brother or the financial means to get him the help he needs. She’s hanging on by a thread, getting on day-by-day holding on to anything that might make her feel good.

I give Afterward 5 out 5. It really just hit me right in the gut - I cried more than once and that hasn’t happened in a long while. If you’re in the mood for a contemporary YA read, with a real story that will grab your heartstrings, this is it.

*I received a copy of book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Librarian-spy Irene is working undercover in an alternative London when her assistant Kai goes missing. She discovers he's been kidnapped by the fae faction and the repercussions could be fatal. Not just for Kai, but for whole worlds.

Kai's dragon heritage means he has powerful allies, but also powerful enemies in the form of the fae. With this act of aggression, the fae are determined to trigger a war between their people - and the forces of order and chaos themselves.

Irene's mission to save Kai and avert Armageddon will take her to a dark, alternate Venice where it's always Carnival. Here Irene will be forced to blackmail, fast talk, and fight. Or face death.


The Masked City is book two in Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library series (you can read my review of book one here). It was once again full of action, danger, suspense, magic, fae, dragons, werewolves, and chaos. Also, multidimensional travel!

Right off the bat we’re thrown into action with the kidnapping of Irene’s assistant Kai, and there’s barely a dull moment after. We see the return of characters from The Invisible Library, such as the Sherlockian Detective Vale and the overbearing fae, Lord Silver, and we’re introduced to many new characters, from Kai’s family, to those who’ve orchestrated Kai’s kidnapping, and more.

Irene is a bad-ass who risks everything to save Kai and, at the same time, try to prevent a war that could destroy worlds. She ventures into unknown worlds with nothing but her brilliant mind, a tentative and reluctant allegiance to help free Kai, and the Language. Once again, her beloved Library leaves her to fend for herself and take the weight of this task on her own shoulders, and she does a magnificent job. I love Irene. She knows she’s not super human, she knows her limits, and still manages to keep pushing on and fighting to get the job done. I liked getting to know Vale more and I hope to see his and Irene’s relationship (working or more) develop more in the next book.

If you’re a fan of world building, Cogman is a great author choice for you. She describes her alternate Venice in beautiful detail, along with the rest of the alternate worlds. I could picture myself sitting at the opera or wearing a Carnival mask on a gondola ride. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll stop there, but I recommend you read it and find out for yourself!


Cogman delves deep into this world and knows every inch of her universe. I got lost a few times trying to keep up, and I’ll admit I have a few questions as to how the rules of chaos and order work, and how the Library manages to keep things in order, but in the end it didn’t matter. The story was engrossing, fast paced, and so, so smart. Cogman is brilliant. The only reason I didn’t give this a 5-star review is because the ending didn’t feel like an ending! It seemed like there should have been at least another chapter or two. I couldn’t believe that was the end. It felt unfinished. There is a third installment coming this December, The Burning Page, and that’s most likely why but I felt robbed! How could you do that to me Genevieve?!

The Masked City is available in the US on September 6, 2016

Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.

I fall to my knees. Shattered glass, melted candles and the outline of scorched feathers are all that surround me. Every single person who was in my house – my entire family — is gone.

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange markings on his skin.

The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…

Beautiful Creatures meets Daughter of Smoke and Bone with an infusion of Latin American tradition in this highly original fantasy adventure.
The opening scene of Labyrinth Lost hooked me immediately, it got a little shaky in the first third, but after that it was smooth sailing.

I enjoyed Labyrinth Lost because it opened up an unknown world to me. I know very little of this spiritual culture and their superstitious beliefs. Alex and the women in her family are bruja’s, each possessing some form of magic. On their Deathday celebration, they bind to their family and fully embrace their powers. Unfortunately Alex thinks she’s cursed and wants nothing to do with her magic, so she tries to cast a counter-spell to rid herself of her magic and everything goes sideways.

She’s pulled into a world she once thought was make-believe, used as children’s bedtime stories to make them behave. Once there, she’s forced to face demons, the river of the dead, an unholy queen of the underworld, and betrayals of the worst kind. It’s not all bad though. She comes out stronger for it in the end and finds those who matter most to her. She also finds herself along the way.

I appreciated Córdova’s character development. I thought I would be tired of a story where the main character has this amazing gift and doesn’t want it. Way to be unappreciative of this wonderful power the universe has seen fit to bestow upon you, but Alex actually seems to have a legitimate reason. Although it’s only hinted at in LL, I think it will be fully explored in book 2.
While I wouldn’t rate Labyrinth Lost as excellent, I’d give it a solid 4 stars. It held my attention and took some interesting twists. I think this would be a good read for those who enjoy fantasy, something you can probably breeze through in a weekend.

Available September 6, 2016

In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…
In Ink and Bone Rachel Caine managed to build a unique world where the Alexandria Library did not burn down but survived. By doing so, the Great Library managed to grow and eventually control the world’s knowledge, and in turn the world.

Paper and Fire brings us back to this world and the story of Jess Brightwell, where we delve deeper into the workings of the Library and its dark secrets. Jess and his friends are in danger, the Library is not what they thought, and nowhere is safe.

I cannot tell you how much I love The Great Library series. I don’t think it gets enough attention or the praise it deserves! The idea, at least to me, is completely unique and frightening. To think that a Great Library has ultimate rule over the world with the idea that its goal is to spread knowledge to all, when in fact it’s true mission is to maintain power no matter the cost. Knowledge is more important than lives. Containment is key. Keep people happy and suppressed just enough that they don’t ask questions. Keep information filtered and censored. It sounds a lot like living in North Korea actually, but I digress.

Paper and Fire answers many questions left by Ink and Bone and opens up more that we’ll have to wait for Volume III to answer. We finally get to see Rome and more of London, the automatons are creepy as all get on, and the gang is reunited at last. It’s not all happy, it’s actually more morose than happy, which fits with Jess and his life. Caine has done a fantastic job bringing the reader into his mindset and immersing them into the somber tone of the world and story surrounding the characters. I found myself having to know what happened next, not wanting to put the book down. The proverbial "one more chapter" and managed to read it in a weekend. It's just so good! A book (and series) definitely worth your time.


Overall I give it 5 out of 5 stars and cannot wait for the next installment to see how Jess’s story plays out! I enjoyed Paper and Fire more than Ink and Bone which isn't always the case with a series (enjoying the second book more than the first!). It’s fast paced, dramatic in all the right places, and managed to get me right in the feels. It’s a great read for anyone who loves fantasy, sci-fi, or steam-punk.

Paper and Fire is available on July 5, 2016

*Disclosure: I received a galley of this book through Netgalley, but this opinion is entirely my own.


It starts with a nightmare that prompts Penelope to create her own museum, cataloging the items from her heartbreak, beginning to end, leading to the creation of The Museum of Heartbreak. From here, we’re taken back to the beginning, to the first item and guided through her story. From meeting Keats, aka the perfect guy - handsome, charming - if only she could get him to notice her. To Eph, her life-long, confusing, infuriating, best guy friend. To Audrey, her increasingly distant best friend, who is growing closer with Penelope’s arch nemesis Cherisse.

Penelope, Eph and Audrey, have been best friends since elementary school and Penelope has this unshakeable belief that it will be just the three of them forever. She doesn’t need other friends or to expand her social circle. She’s never been kissed, is a total fangirl, and loves to read the classics. She believes in all-day tv marathons and holding on to childhood traditions like her life depends on it. She believes that nothing will ever get between her friendship with Eph and Audrey. That is until Keats shows up and throws a wrench into her carefully crafted world. It’s the beginning of something new and the end of everything she thought she knew.


Her relationships are tested; she learns that life isn’t this perfect, Gilbert Blyth and Anne Shirley romance where everyone lives happily ever after. Life is hectic, and messy, and confusing, and everything you took for granted can be taken away with just a few words. Things can break. She manages to meet new people who help change her point of view, and also manages to come to terms with the fact that things don’t always go the way you expected and that’s okay.

While it did have a teenage love triangle, and sometimes I wanted to smack Penelope, I really liked her. I saw much of myself in her - I was a major goodie-two-shoes in high school and could relate to much of her personality. Makes you (me?) wonder who wanted to slap me at times back then, right? I enjoyed her Buffy & Angel references and her imagination was incredible. I think Meg Leder did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life. It was funny and relatable, but also got down to the nitty-gritty of teenage heartache. It was a breeze to read and had a few literary Easter eggs I enjoyed (brothers names Keats and Beckett anyone?).


Overall, I enjoyed The Museum of Heartbreak and give it a solid 3.5 stars. I think it would be great for those who enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss or Anatomy of a Misfit.

*Disclosure: I received a galley of this book through Netgalley, but this opinion is entirely my own.

No One Knows is a suspense thriller that opens on the day Aubrey Hamilton's husband is declared dead, 5 years after his mysterious disappearance. Aubrey has been living a shadow of a life since the fateful night, Josh, was last seen, and she was falsely accused of murdering him for a large insurance payout. 5 million dollars to be exact.

Goodreads

Now 5 years later, the courts have finally declared him legally dead and people want that money. Aubrey's friends invite her out and she meets a mysterious man that reminds her so much of Josh that she can't help herself. She starts to open up and her world is once again turned upside down as everything she thought she knew about the last 5 years might be a lie.

I wasn’t prepared to be sucked into No One Knows like I was – normally thrillers don’t hook me in that way. The story is unveiled through a series of back and forth from then and now, through the years of the main characters’ lives and point of views. Sometimes I hate this type of storytelling, but it really worked here, and it definitely helped keep the twists and turns from revealing themselves too early.

J.T. Ellison managed to have me loving and hating Aubrey, Josh, Tyler, and Chase from beginning to end, which is not a very easy feat. Definitely a good read for fans of Gone Girl or Dark Places, mystery/suspense and is set to publish March 22, 2016.

Are you into thrillers, murder/mysteries? Any suggestions for my next read?