Review: Stay With Me

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Format: Paperback
Pages: 448
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Staying with Goodreads): At 21, Calla hasn’t done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.

But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought she'd left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.

Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from the moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn’t give them her mom.

What I Think: Kristen did not like this book as much as I did. From what she told me, it didn't live up to her expectations. However, I liked it. I thought that it felt pretty well into this series (which isn't really all that much of a series). I love that you don't have to read this in order or really remember anything that happened in the other novels. 

I enjoyed the main characters as well as the fact that the old characters were tied in. I thought that the story was sufficiently interesting. It could have been more but most novels could be. But Kristen was right, this was a pretty long novel. Some parts seemed too unnecessary. They could've been cut but oh well is all I have to say about that.

Let's move on two my two major problems with this novel. Neither of these things were deal breakers, mind you. Firstly, the swearing. Swearing can be a good thing in novels. I mean, people swear. Face the facts. So, it's okay for books to swear too. They are supposed to be life like (sometimes). Now all that is true but when novels swear almost just for the sake of swearing, it seems off. This is one of those novels were the swearing just seems off. It's overdone. It stands out. It's just too much in this novel. I dealt with it.

Secondly, the chick in this novel has some seriously screwed up priorities. Like really, all this bad stuff is happening to you but you think that it's important for you to focus on the hot body? Try to think about the problems that you've got to deal with...you've got plenty of them! It drove me nuts. Sex this, sex that, sex, hot boy, sex, look the hot boy. STOP IT GIRL YOU GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW! She was killing me. I could look past it but only so much. Still, it stood out.

That said, the book was interesting. Try to focus more on the characters and their interactions than the plot, maybe. It helped me anyway.

Conclusion: It was good but not anywhere close to Jennifer Armentrout's best. I wouldn't recommend starting with this novel. Try another. If you've read her before than go for it! Don't listen to Kristen. I'm glad that I didn't.

Review: Headhunter (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #11)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Greg Cox
Format: Paperback
Pages: 343
Rating: 6 out of 10 (only cause it's not a reread kind of book for me)

Summary (hunted down on Goodreads): A package bearing no return address arrives at the Anthropology Department of the University of. Nevada...and a shocking discovery is made upon opening the box: a genuine shrunken head. At first, Gil Grissom and his team of crime scene investigators -- Catherine Willows, Warrick Brown, Nick Stokes, and Greg Sanders -- consider this merely an oddity, a grisly relic from the past. But when all the evidence points to the fact that it's really the result of a gruesome modern-day murder, suspicions run high that a brutal serial killer with an unorthodox modus operandi may now be on the loose...

Thoughts from inside my head: Ah CSI books...sometimes they are good, other times not so much. I'm very picky about my CSI books. Different authors for each means different writing styles and different ways of describing things or writing action or doing this or saying that. It can really wear you down after **Goes to count how many CSI like novels she has** like 20ish books. 

This novel was written really well. I learned a great deal about the whole culture/history tie in thing they had going on. One of my favourite things about this novel is that you don't know who it is right from the beginning and spend the rest of the novel trying to catch them. By "you" I mean the CSI's. I guess who it was but I was just lucky, I usually don't when reading. Something is always held back to keep the murderer just out of reach. In this novel it wasn't frustrating; it was perfect. It kept you interesting, bouncing around the "who did it?" 

CSI books really need to stop picking on the Anthropology department! In the last one I read the Anthro department was involved and now it is again. On behalf of all Anthro majors (myself included), knock it off CSI! We know stuff...we could get away with kill you. Anyway...Bones is still on the air and only 1/3 CSI's is left so eat it. You're just jealous and it's unbecoming.

I would have liked to have a little bit more about why the killer did what they did. There is a little bit mentioned but I think it could have been better. Call in the BAU if you have to (CROSSOVER!!) but do something. I believed you, I just wanted a bit more explanation. Run with it.

So: What I've learned from this review is that I watch too many TV shows about crime/murder and that I also read about it (See my reviews for Kathy Reichs and Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: Miami, and CSI: NY). I think maybe I should try to branch out. You, though? You should read the CSI book if you like the TV show. This was one of the better CSI novels I've read. CSI: Miami ones are still the best however.

Review: Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices #3)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Cassandra Clare
Format: Paperback
Pages: 565
Rating: 10 out of 10...I guess...

** Spoiler Alert: Read the review for Clockwork Prince here**

Summary (from Goodreads): Tessa Gray should be happy—aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

My Thoughts: URG THE FEELS!!!

I may have died...
I have died...
I am certain...

I loved this novel. Great wrap up. It pulled in things from the other series by Clare to tie it all in together. It made me want to reread the Mortal Instruments. I'm so glad Kristen wanted me to suffer through these novels because as much as they hurt, I didn't feel like anything was missed and I really enjoyed them.

There was an amazing solution to the love triangle. How it was dealt with was more unique than anything I've encountered before. Clare gets bonus points for that. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out until the last minute. I liked it that way. I usually don't. I usually hate love triangles with a passion but there was just something about this series. It might have been that I didn't prefer one guy over the other. Neither were bad people. They each had...faults, but they weren't ones that made me hate them. I was so conflicted while reading these novels.

HOWEVER, this novel gave me the worst book hangover I've ever had. I can't stop thinking about it. I read it weeks ago and it's still the last thing I think about before I go to bed. It's pathetic. Really. I just can't help it. I love them all and oh man, it hurts.

Without spoiling, in the end (not the very, very end) I feel bad for Tessa. Her situation would be so impossibly hard. I'll keep my life, thanks. She would have had to struggle with so many choices that I could never make.

Basically, you should get this series. I think you should read it before Mortal Instruments but I didn't so, obviously, it's not necessary. I think if you liked the other series, you'll enjoy this one but you'll enjoy it if you love adventure and romance and...feels...oh the feels. Enjoy! (Go buy them.)

Review: Return to Me (Last Chance Rescue #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Christy Reece
Format: Paperback
Pages: 330
Rating:  6 out of 10

Summary (I've returned to Goodreads): 
DESIRED TO DEATH 
Posing as an underage teenager, Samara Lyons is out to trap an online predator. Smart, fiery, and fresh off a broken engagement, Samara is up for the challenge. But this challenge might not be so easy. Her boss, Noah McCall, head of a private international corporation called Last Chance Rescue, can't disguise his raw, physical desire for Samara-and she's going crazy battling her own feelings for him. The middle of a high-stakes op, with the fate of dozens of innocent lives on the line, is not the time to indulge in sensual delights. 
Then the sting explodes, forcing Noah to face his dark past and throwing Samara into the middle of an evil tug-of-war. Noah must confront an enemy he knows better than anyone else in the world, while Samara must find a way to stay alive. Now it's no longer a matter of desire-it's all about survival.

So, I can't remember reading the first book in this series. I swear I have it and I've read it but I remember nothing of it but the cover. I can't even find it in my house. From what I gathered, that doesn't really matter. There are overlapping characters but it isn't a hundred percent necessary to read the others in the series. I say this because I am certain that I don't have the third one. Oh well...

Anyway, I enjoyed this novel. It was easy to follow and to understand. I'm sure I would have been drawn into the story more if I had known the characters from the previous novel. I most likely would have already known a bit about the characters. Maybe some facts about the characters would have been less of a jump or less sudden had I read it...but I didn't. Sigh. 

At times, it felt like information was given because the story would not have made sense without it. No, that last sentence didn't make any sense. Most novels give some information on characters or plot on an as needed basis because if the author gave all the information at once the reader would be overwhelmed and would forget what was important. It would also spoil the whole story line. This I understand and I respect because the author has to do it this way. I can't even claim to do anything different in my own writing. I'll also admit that some things are made up on the spot so that there are no plot holes. I understand this as well. I felt, however, that the information was so sudden, just a quick thought, that it was too easily missed. Other information was obviously important in the moment because of how it was said in the story. This whole paragraph isn't making much sense to me. I hope you can figure out what I'm trying to say. I think that the author could have put more into the thoughts of each character. Had this been done slowly, over time, when 'new' information arose it wouldn't feel so forced, so out of place.

Now about the ending...Half way through the novel, I felt like I had reached the end. Almost everything was wrapped up. After finishing the novel, this no longer bothers me but, at the time, I was looking at the unread pages wondering what they could possibly hold. It wasn't a waste of paper, space, or time. It was just a feeling I had. Thought after all the build up to the end, it all comes so suddenly. I didn't hate the ending, I won't tell you that I did. I won't even tall you that it was unsatisfying. It was just...I don't know, out of left field? I wanted more about how Noah came to the decision that he did. Three hundred pages, give me a little more about it!

Basically, I liked the novel. It was a fast enough read. The middle felt like the ending but, then again, so did the ending. We'll say that it felt like two novel in one without all that (sometimes) annoying (most of the time useful) recap information authors put at the beginning of sequels. The action kept me interested in the plot, enough so that I can over look the cliches. Reading the first novel in this series (or whatever it's called) is unnecessary but I think I read it (I need to take a memory test or something). Honestly, I probably won't be searching for the third novel. This doesn't mean that romance fans should ignore this novel. It will never be failed as the best book to come from its genre but it was worth the handful of hours it took to read. How's that for explaining my complicated and confusing thoughts on the topic of this novel?

Review: Out of Breath (Breathing #3)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Rebecca Donovan
Format: Paperback
Pages: 422
Rating: 7ish out of 10

** Spoiler Alert: Read the review for Reason to Breathe or Barely Breathing here **

Summary (Goodreads should be out of breath due to all the work it does for Kristen and I): Emma leaves Weslyn and everyone in it behind to attend Stanford University, just as she always intended. A shell of her former self, she is not the same girl. She is broken, and the only way that she’ll be whole again is through forgiveness. Emma must find a way to forgive herself and recognize her own worth before she can receive the love she deserves. This final installment will have readers holding their breath until the very last page.

My Ponderings: I hate time gaps so much! So much. You don't understand. You cannot possibly understand how much unexplained time gaps bother me. What happened during all that time? I don't know. We will never know! That bothers me.

What else bothers me? When the children of alcoholics drink to get drunk...all the time. Enough said about that. 

What did I notice about the time I started reading this novel? This series has like a million pages in it. They are so long. Why are they so long? 

What happened then? I got distracted by my interest in the stories. I wanted to know what happened to the characters. I needed to know what happened. So I read this novel, faster than I thought I could read. Why? I still felt bad for Emma. I still loved Evan. I felt meh about Chase....was that his name? I've already forgotten.

P.S. I wish I was rich like she was so I could just rent a huge ass house of the beach. Sounds like it would be an awesome time. Kristen and I are going to go read on the beach soon...maybe next week. I digress...

Other thoughts about this novel? I really enjoyed them even for all the pain they put me through. 

THEN AGAIN WITH THE TIME JUMP AT THE END. I CAN'T FOLLOW THESE STUPID TIME JUMPS. I DON'T PAY THAT MUCH ATTENTION. AUTHOR'S PLEASE INFORM ME EXACTLY HOW THIS TIME JUMP IS AND WHAT THE CHARACTERS DID DURING SAID TIME JUMP. DON'T JUST SUDDENLY INFORM ME THAT SOMETIME DURING THE LAST TWO WEEKS THERE WAS A DISCUSSION THAT I WAS NOT PRIVY TO THAT HAS LED TO A LIFE ALTERING DECISION! I CANNOT FUNCTION LIKE THIS ANYMORE. 

So: I liked this series a lot. I would reread them, were I not battling a pile of to read books sitting beside my bed, threatening to murder me in my sleep. Anywho....these novels were good though they pull at your heart and I can't help but blame Emma a little bit for her problems (Don't move in with your mother or stay there or drink like you've been). I'm harsh; I know. I'm sorry. But, yeah, check this series out.

Review: Barely Breathing (Breathing #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Rebecca Donovan
Format: Paperback
Pages: 502
Rating: 7 out of 10

** Spoiler Alert: Read the review for Reason to Breathe (Breathing #1) here **

Summary (I could barely breathe without Goodreads): "I've spent most of my life trying to make it to a future that still hasn't happened, or avoid a past that won't let me go. I don't remember when I've ever just stopped to live in the present, to hold on to the seconds I'm in."

Emma Thomas’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart-pounding conclusion in the final chapters of Reason to Breathe, the first installment of The Breathing Series— Rebecca’s Donovan’s bestselling romantic-thriller (USA Today). Now her secret life has been exposed, and her tormentor can’t hurt her anymore. Yet some are still haunted by that night. The bruises may have faded, but scars and fears, remain. How will she reclaim her life when she's barely breathing?

Thoughts: I liked this novel a lot more than I liked the first in this series. I thought that this one showed more of the characters and who they really were. However, I hate that it skipped over the important discussion of what happened at the end of the last novel. We can't not talk about it. We need to talk about what happened. Yet, there is never a discussion about it. I hate that about this novel. Emma's life changes more than a life ever should and she just goes on. It's almost as if nothing happened. It's like the author just didn't know how to handle the situation so dropped it. 

As for Jonathan... I don't even know what to say. How can someone so not normal look so normal? I liked him. He was a great character when he's dating Emma's mother. I was okay with that. I love, absolutely love, when they have the water fight. All I have to ask about that is who has a water fight inside their house? I don't care. It was a perfect moment. I want to just read that part all over again.

I feel bad for Emma in this novel. It sucks that her life just can't get easier. I do not like her mother, no matter what people say to defend her.

Sadly, I feel like if the previous novel would have ended properly (with an actual ending not a horrible, mean, evil cliffhanger) then I don't think this novel would have been necessary. That said, I feel like I would have enjoyed this novel more if the last one would have been wrapped up in a positive way. I felt thrown into the action yet, at the same time, the action was lacking at the beginning of this novel.

Closing: I liked this novel but would have liked it much more if the first had been tied up properly. Evan makes me a little bit mad but I also love him for putting up with everything he has to. Jonathan was interesting. I feel horrible for Emma. The end of this novel drove me bonkers. The next one was even more fun. Can't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy! 

Review: Reason to Breathe

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Rebecca Donovan
Format: Paperback
Pages: 456
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (I breathe easier with Goodreads): "No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?"

In the affluent town of Weslyn, Connecticut, where most people worry about what to be seen in and who to be seen with, Emma Thomas would rather not be seen at all. She’s more concerned with feigning perfection—pulling down her sleeves to conceal the bruises, not wanting anyone to know how far from perfect her life truly is. Without expecting it, she finds love. It challenges her to recognize her own worth―at the risk of revealing the terrible secret she’s desperate to hide.

One girl’s story of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and her precarious grasp of hope: Reason to Breathe is the first installment of the acclaimed Breathing Series.

What I think: This book did not seem like it was 456 pages. It felt like it was 20. I went through this novel so quickly. It was like watching a good movie, where the time flies and you are so absorbed into the show that you forget the world exists. I was right there with the characters. 

Sarah bothered me a little bit. Calm down, please. You know what your friend is going through so you shouldn't get so upset about certain things she says. Her reactions to certain things made me very upset. What the heck kind of friend are you?

I felt so helpless. Every time Emma went home, I would get so sad for her. I wished that I could help her. What makes this worse is that while I was reading this novel, I was dealing with a friend who has had struggles like these in her life. It was hard to see it from the perspective of the person involved. It was hard. I was emotional. It was bad.

You know what really made me angry? Ending the novel how it did. Kristen only gave me the first one and suddenly, I was attacking her because I needed the next one. I'm all for cliffhangers but this just wasn't fair. I promise there will be much more complaining about this in the review for the second in the series when it becomes a bigger deal. Anyway, I feel horrible for anyone who read this novel and then had to wait to get their hands on the next in the series. It's just cruel. I would have died.

Basically: You get sucked into this novel and will find yourself reading it very quickly. I didn't realize how long it was until I began to write this review. I enjoyed the series but the end of this novel bothered me a lot. This novel offers a unique perspective that I am lucky to have not gotten otherwise. I would recommend this novel. Try not to cry.

Review: Article 5

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Kristen Simmons
Format: Paperback
Pages: 362
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads sticks to the rules): New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

My Thoughts: Five out of ten sounds really harsh but from our review outline it fits right. I feel kind of bad but it definitely wasn't my favourite book ever. It was an okay read and it was easy enough but I excepted more from it. 

The most incredible thing about this novel was the pure hate and anger I felt while reading the reform school part of the novel. It was the bed written part of this novel. I was so upset. I was so disgusted at how they were being treated. What scares me the most about novels like these is that I could totally see some of these things happening to the world. I don't think authors have to work really hard to see the worst parts of society and make them even more horrid. The moral of this story for me is that I would have just given up and been "good" because I don't have the strength or patience to deal with these problems. Thank God I don't live in this novel.

This novel seemed to go fast at some points and slower at other time. I'm tired of a few things in novels though. I wish that authors could come up with other ways of carrying plot. First, we can/can't/can/can't be together relationships suck. Also, I don't enjoy characters that cause other people to die. I don't like that characters need to have people die for them. Let's have to strong characters. I mean, Ember had really strong moments but the stunt she pulls at the end kind of undoes the respect that she managed to gain. She could have been so much more.

Poor Chase. He breaks my heart.

So: Some parts will stick with me...maybe forever but I'm sure if I'm going to buy the next two novels in the series. I don't feel a huge need to find out how the series ends like most series make me feel. I don't know. It was kind of just okay. I guess it was worth what I paid.

Grave Mercy

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Robin LaFevers
Format: Paperback
Pages: 549
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Need you always Goodreads): Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart? 

My Thoughts: I found that the opening was a strange combination of both quick and slow. We are thrust into the life of Ismae. We see what she has been put through and how she suffers. The reader is quick to understand where she is coming from. She is also quick to agree to change her life for what she believes is the better. On the other hand, looking back, it didn't seem as quick as I thought. The author may have thought to include more about the political situation of the area since it turned out to be the real story here. Without the politics,  there would be no story. I guess this could be explained by Ismae's lack of knowledge, why should the reader know more than her when it's told from her perspective but I'm not so sure. I think knowing from the beginning would have helped a reader to know where the story is leading.

There were quite a few characters. I'm glad that there was a character index in the the beginning on the novel. I didn't use it but I could have at some points. The author did a good job at making sure that the reader kept up with the who's who. The characters were written in great detail so we knew what they were like. 

I love how they introduce Duval! It's perfect. I also enjoyed Ismae. She wasn't just some character to be messed with. She may be duped at times but she works to catch up and get ahead. She doesn't give up and she has the capacity to grow and learn. She doesn't take what people say at face value. She also learns to look at the bigger picture which characters often forget to do.

I wish the the end was explained in greater detail. Without spoilers, some things happen which are quite like miracles. They aren't bad. I was happy for them but I wasn't sure how Ismae came to the conclusions to fix things up the way she did. I feel like I missed something while I was reading that part. I read it twice but still couldn't figure it out. The solution had been mentioned earlier (this is relating to a specific plot twist near the end, not the whole novel) but it was mentioned in passing and as a metaphor, not a real solution. That confused me a little bit.

This novel, though 549 pages, wasn't long. Font size made it a quick read. I'm happy that this novel didn't have super small print or formatting issues because I've had too much of that lately. This novel was like a break for the eyes. It wasn't a break for the brain though. Outside of keeping track of characters and places (there is a character index and map after the front cover to aid the reader), the reader must keep up with all the politics. It's hard work. That won't stop me from rereading this novel again soon.

This novel really had a little bit of everything. There was death, illness, murder, mystery, politics, strategy, action and fighting, love and romance, friendship, betrayal, conspiracy, magic, and religion. Religion isn't really true to real life but go with it anyway.

Imagining this taking place in my world made it hard for me to relate to a lot of the story. Once I put it outside of my world, ignoring that there actually is a France, England, and Germany, I enjoyed it a lot more. I'm not suggesting imagining it on another world just don't try to fit this into real life like you might with other books. The fantasy and paranormal parts of the novel really stand out and it's hard to reconcile what most people know of the world with what happens in this book. Don't try, you'll enjoy it a lot more, I promise.

To End: Wow, that was long. I loved this book. I plan on rereading it again very soon. I would recommend this to young people that like a little romance but also love strong female characters, action, and can accept the violence and death that takes place throughout this novel. It gets kind of graphic at some points but it wasn't too bad. It's a well rounded novel.

P.S. The "series" is called His Fair Assassin and this is book #1. However, it's not really. The other novel has another main character which makes this novel stand alone if you want it to be. Thank God for that, they are so hard to find these days. Enjoy it!

Code (Virals #3)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 496
Rating: 8 out of 10

** Spoiler Alert: Read Virals OR Seizure (no review, summary on Virals review page. If you are wondering, I liked it) before reading Code**

Summary (via Goodreads): The Virals are put to the ultimate test when they find a geocache containing an ornate puzzle box. Shelton decodes the cipher inside, only to find more tantalizing clues left by "The Gamemaster." A second, greater geocache is within reach—if the Virals are up to the challenge.

But the hunt takes a dark turn when Tory locates the other box—a fake bomb, along with a sinister proposal from The Gamemaster. Now, the real game has begun: another bomb is out there—a real one—and the clock is ticking.

What I Think: I need to start by saying that I'm a very big fan of Kathy Reichs so I may be bias. I think that she is a great writer and I always enjoy reading her novels especially her young adult novels because they still require thought but are at a level that are easy to understand and easy to read. They make you feel like you are getting the science of a more hardcore novel but are still able to enjoy the drama of teenage life. It mixes two of my favourite things. I was however very dissapointed with the cover change. Now my set doesn't match. OCD FTW? I think this one should match, how hard is that?

Anyway, I digress! I love the setting of this series. The authors paint a beautiful picture of the area and allow me to visualize what the characters are seeing. That helps to get me into the story. It's a great place for these stories to take place too. I couldn't imagine how different it would be if it took place elsewhere. I'm happy that it doesn't.

The characters are great. They are each unique. Kit is as far away and still close as ever. He is more aware then is let on until the end. I feel like he gets ignored too often. He's a great guy. Whitney...urg! I'd kill her if I were Tory. God bless Tory for not killing her. Tory is a great leader. I like that she tests limits but also realizes the need to be safe. She is also compassionate and worries about hurting the feelings of other people. It's the perfect mix of what people feel. Everything is tossed inside but at different levels. She has the depth of a true person. However, she should have figured out what was what between Ben and Jason. 

I love the snappy writing and the small, quick jokes. I am sarcastic and relate to that well. This book gives a few good laughs while keeping itself honest and true to the characters and story line. Tension is released at the best moments and built when it needs to be. Emotions ran to fit the story; I got into it. I was upset at the end just as Tory was and I felt betrayed and hurt and happy like she did. Mostly, I felt bad that she had to put up with so much creepy. The biggest creep (in this story) being for a stupid reason in the end. Though, to level with you, I figured out what was going on before I got to the end. I also figured out quite a few of the puzzles which made me angry because if I could figure it out, why couldn't they? I should have been proud but I was just disappointed. The feeling didn't last though.

In Conclusion:I could see myself reading this novel again in the future. As I said before, I am a big fan of Kathy Reichs. I have all her novels and, of them, this series is definitely the easiest to follow. I enjoyed the quick wit, quick read, and small bites of science. If you like crime, puzzles, and mystery you might like this novel. However, it's not all true science since they are Virals. Science-fiction gets thrown into the mix so if you don't enjoy that beware. Me? I'm waiting for the next book.

The Reckoning (Taker #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Alma Katsu
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 352
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (via Goodreads): Lanore McIlvrae is the kind of woman who will do anything for love. Including imprisoning the man who loves her behind a wall of brick and stone.

She had no choice but to entomb Adair, her nemesis, to save Jonathan, the boy she grew up with in a remote Maine town in the early 1800s and the man she thought she would be with forever. But Adair had other plans for her. He used his mysterious, otherworldly powers to give her eternal life, but Lanore learned too late that there was a price for this gift: to spend eternity with him. And though he is handsome and charming, behind Adair’s seductive faÇade is the stuff of nightmares. He is a monster in the flesh, and he wants Lanore to love him for all of time.

Now, two hundred years after imprisoning Adair, Lanore is trying to atone for her sins. She has given away the treasures she’s collected over her many lifetimes in order to purge her past and clear the way for a future with her new lover, Luke Findley. But, while viewing these items at an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Lanore suddenly is aware that the thing she’s been dreading for two hundred years has caught up to her: Adair has escaped from his prison. He’s free— and he will come looking for her. And she has no idea how she will save herself.

My Thoughts: If you took Beauty and the Beast, Romeo and Juliette, and a slightly watered-down version of 50 Shades of Grey and put them together you would get this book. Looking at those titles, you can see where the problem might come in. I feel the need to say that this book was bizarre, just as the first novel in this series was. I can't say that it was my favourite though. Alma Katsu is an incredible writer and has a brilliant mind but Lanore's mind is a bit of a scary place to be. I didn't appreciate that she cut herself down to think that she might actually care for Adair. That's just plain not good for women everywhere. I personally do not like thinking about how screwed up some people might be.

This said, I am glad that she saw the characters through. I can't say that their decisions surprised me. They were true to how they were. Each one fought for what was right, or at least what they thought was right. Every character had a growing moment too. I don't agree with readers that hate when characters change; people change and grow so why wouldn't characters in stories?

I'm not pleased with the ending. It was too sudden. I was expecting some grand ending or some huge event that would lead into the next novel but I was left disappointed. There was no lead up. There was no subtle change over time that led to the conclusion of this story. The reader doesn't even get a glimpse into the mind of Adair. There is absolutely no explanation to what he chose to do in the end. It just bothers me. I hold onto the hope that the next novel will explain his decisions. Two books in, I hope I won't be disappointed. 

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed the writing itself but the end really upset me. For such a long story, I expected more. I pray that the final book will be better and leave me content. If you read the first in the series, it won't hurt to read this one but I liked the first one about a thousand times more than this one. Take from that what you wish...

The Taker

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Alma Katsu
Format: Paperback
Pages: 436
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (from Goodreads): True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting a quiet evening. Until a mysterious woman arrives in his ER, escorted by police—Lanore McIlvrae is a murder suspect—and Luke is inexplicably drawn to her. As Lanny tells him her story, an impassioned account of love and betrayal that transcends time and mortality, she changes his life forever. . . . At the turn of the nineteenth century, when St. Andrew was a Puritan settlement, Lanny was consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, and she will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for eternity.

My Thoughts: I feel it is necessary to start off by saying that this is definitely not a children's story. There is murder, mystery, intrigue, rape, immortal beings, and the police. When I picked up with book, from the amazing Wal-mart discount shelf (my first love), I choose it purely based on the cover. Okay, sure, 'don't judge a book by its cover', but I just love those masquerade masks...Anyway, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

First of all, this book is strange. Like Wuthering Heights, this story is a story inside a story during a large portion of the novel. I managed to follow this one better than Wuthering Heights. 

Then, of course, there is the fact that you are thrown right into the story. After that, a lot of what we read is the main character backtracking. What I can't understand is why Luke helps her. I mean, this chick shows up in the ER and asks for help escaping, are you just going to help her out? The police were the ones that bring her in. That would give me pause...

Next, the author tries to get us to believe in this world, which is our world, where there are, in fact, people that live forever but that also hang around each other. One is 'in charge' but it's kind of more of an 'I own you' kind of way. He's a bit of a wacko. Then again, this whole concept is nuts right. Sure but then why does it seem so real.

I found myself feeling sorry for the main character. What had she ever done? All she really wanted was love. Sadly, it came at a higher price then she would have thought. 

It leaves us wondering what is going to happen to Lanny. We think she is safe but is she really? She might be able to get herself out of this mess but does she? What will happen to her and Luke? We don't know. We are left completely stranded in this story. I found myself stuck, wondering what was going to happen. I super excited to read book two! I really want to find out what happens in the end.

Final Thoughts: I read this book while Kristen and I were on our break but kept an eye out for the second novel. I waited and waited until I could wait no more. I couldn't wait very long for the next book. Now that it's on my shelf I figured I would go back and review this so that I can gush about how awesome I hope the next one it. I'm going to start reading it right now. You should too.

Seriously though, this is not for children or people that are sensitive. There is murder, rape, torture, plain old capturing and locking up. At times, I found myself uncomfortable. Also, I told my one friend that she couldn't borrow my copy because she was simply too immature. Then again, I could be the sensitive one here... Let me know what you think about it.

Blue Smoke and Murder

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Elizabeth Lowell
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 404
Rating: mhmm...urg...gr... 6.5 out of 10

Summary (thank you Goodreads): Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events--including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings--culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.

Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information from unlikely and often dangerous sources. Though he's got the skills to be a highly effective bodyguard, being a bullet catcher isn't his preferred way to spend time.

Protecting Jill will take him into familiar territory--among a strange, savagely competitive bunch of collectors who'll do anything to stay at the top. But Jill is in deeper waters than she's ever known; as she soon discovers, the perils of running wild rivers are tame compared with the hidden dangers in the high-stakes game of art collecting.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this novel. It was hard to rate because I'm not quite sure if I would read it again though I would recommend it to some. I guess this was the fourth in a set, not series, but I didn't really noticed. A few things can be assumed about other characters so that it is not important to read the others. I did enjoy the characters though I felt that more attention was given to the story line and explaining the world of art (which was good since I lack in that area) but little was given to explaining why Zach and Jill became so close so quickly. I can get over that though since the action was decent and I felt an insane need to find out what happened to them in the end. I love finding out how people get out of sticky situations or how they survive things. I am a fan of the classic fighting-won't-give-up character. This story has those.

Final thoughts: Some parts of the writing were rough. I laughed a few times at some lines in both a good way and a bad way. I found one mistake (I like that. It makes it more real to me somehow.) but it didn't hurt anything. I loved the characters. I'm glad they were smart and believed in the truth instead of only caring about themselves and revenge. It is a romance novel though so keep that in mind if you are on here looking for YA. I really did like it!

Knock Out

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Catherine Coulter
Pages: 417
Format: Paperback
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Thanks GoodReads): Seven-year-old Autumn Backman needed a hero. When she saw Special Agent Dillon Savich on TV after he'd brought down bank robbers in a Georgetown bank, she knew she'd found him. She called Savich, but she didn't use the phone." "They were burying dead people in my daddy's grave ... they're coming after us. Please help me." "Who's they?" "Blessed, he's coming." "Ethan Merriweather, sheriff of Titusville, Virginia, a small mountain town near the Titus Hitch Wilderness, goes looking for a missing little girl. Soon after he finds her, Ethan realizes that Autumn has brought him a huge problem - a relentless madman who has the ability to control others simply by looking at them. And the madman is after her and her mom." "It's Uncle Blessed, and he wants Autumn." "When Savich answers Autumn's call, she tells him Blessed is from Bricker's Bowl, Georgia. Savich and Sherlock go to Blessed's home, learn about his brother, Grace, and meet their mother, Shepherd. Savich soon realizes the only way to stop Blessed is to "cut off the snake's head." Back in Titusville, Ethan, Autumn, and her mother, Joanna, are forced to hide from Blessed and Grace in the wilderness. Ethan knows the brothers will never give up their insane pursuit for Autumn. It's a race to stop the madness, or the madness will destroy them all.

My Take: Overall, outstanding but I won't lie to you, the beginning was a bit slow. It might have just been the fact that I was so busy I couldn't get into it though so don't let what I said scare you away. I didn't read the other 15 books by this author in this series, I read it as a stand alone, which worked but I did at times feel like I was left out of what was happening because I might not have had all the back story but I had enough to follow along and still enjoy it. I was able to relate to the character without knowing everything about them. We were filled in with the information we would need to understand their motivations and actions.

Also, there is enough action to keep your interest. Every so often I would have a moment of disbelief at what they were going through but in the end it all made perfect sense. I found myself even wanting to protect Autumn like all the other characters in the book did; she was very lovable. I was happy to find myself being able to tell the difference between reality and fiction when in this novel it is sometimes hard to tell what is really happening and what the character's are tricking others into believing. I found their "gifts" to be somewhat believable...okay sometimes it was a stretch but I have a great imagination and that helped.

Final Thoughts: If you like action and can handle the strange telepathic...stuff that happens then this book is great for you. There are many twists and turns that keep things fresh and interesting. You might want to start with the first book in the series before reading this but you don't have to. I think that I might go back and read the previous novels. Enjoy!

P.S. I'm sorry that not much has been up but it's major project and midterm time for us. Plus, I don't read when I'm sick...I stare at the walls and plan ways to get out of doing things like homework. (Not kidding...) It should start to pick up soon. Also, I need ideas for some good books or certain kinds of books. All I have at home are CSI books and Classics, neither of which interest me at the present. Any thoughts?

Trial of Tears

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Chris Semal
Pages: 193
Format: eBook (AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 1st)
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (from Goodreads): Pete Watts is a former undercover narcotics cop who got way too close to his job. He now runs a music rehearsal studio that draws the underbelly of the industry: violent drug gangs, a strange assortment of hangers-on and a gorgeous ex-mercenary who wears makeup in the form of multi-colored tears running down her face. These tears are, in fact, decals on which different poisons are concealed. Some survive the Trial of Tears, some don’t. The story’s taut climax is set in a posh townhouse in which only the courageous will emerge unscathed. 
An action-packed love-letter to New York City, it’s a story of friendship and redemption, that provides a roller-coaster of laughter, drama and suspense, leaving the reader wanting more. 

MyThoughts: This book wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be, and surpassed a lot of my expectations. Being a little bit "musically challenged" the music rehearsal studio undertone was a little intimidating, but Chris Semal explained it perfectly. In regards to the characters, it's set up that they all kind of have their mini stories. For a while you didn't know how they relate until the end of the book. The beginning of the book was a bit confusing for me, but I found my way through it pretty easily after that. The mob and NYC scene are different from what I'm used too, but I loved it. The conversations were funny and a relief to the story. Each character was different, and that led to it being so intriguing. Drugs, poison and crime were all connected, and I thought that Chris Semal did it flawlessly. 

Final Thoughts: Beyond a shadow of a doubt, check this book out. This is not one that you want to miss. It's a shorter novel, but it has such a plot driven story line, you'll be wanting more.