Review: Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #3
Publication Date: September 18th, 2018
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Genera: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Amazon ~ Goodreads

Synopsis: Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea.

It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

The Stalking Jack the Ripper series has been amazing thus far, but Escaping from Houdini was definitely the weakest book.

Audrey Rose and Thomas are travelling to New York via the RMS Etruria, a luxurious passenger boat with lots of activities planned to keep the passengers happy. The Moonlight Carnival is on the ship to perform for the guests, but when a passenger is murdered during the first show, everyone puts blame onto the Carnival. It is up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to solve the mystery of who is truly behind the murders and clear the carnival's name, but the closer they get to New York, the less time they have to solve the case.

One of the main things I have loved about this series was that there was no love triangle, it was just Audrey Rose and Thomas on their adventures. Unfortunately in this book, Audrey Rose begins to have feelings for someone other than Thomas and the readers must suffer through another love triangle. I honestly found this to be unnecessary and I know I'm not the only one who groaned when Audrey Rose was falling for someone else, especially this late in the series.

While I didn't enjoy the character development whatsoever, I did like the other aspects of the book like the setting (even though its on a boat there is still lots going on) and the pace of the story. The mystery aspect was also very well written, as I was constantly guessing who the murderer could be.

Overall, I will be definitely continuing with this series, with strong hopes that there are no more love triangles in the future of these books.

Huge thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Campfire by Shawn Sarles

Publication Date: July 17, 2018
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Genera: YA, Horror, Mystery
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Be careful what stories you tell around the campfire... they just might come true. Fans of Scream and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will devour this chilling horror debut.

While camping in a remote location, Maddie Davenport gathers around the fire with her friends and family to tell scary stories. Caleb, the handsome young guide, shares the local legend of the ferocious Mountain Men who hunt unsuspecting campers and leave their mark by carving grisly antlers into their victims' foreheads.

The next day, the story comes true.

Now Maddie and her family are lost in the deep woods--with no way out--being stalked by their worst nightmares. Because there were other, more horrifying stories told that night--and Maddie's about to find out just how they end... 

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Campfire is the perfect summer read, especially if you're in the mood for scary stories.

The summer before Maddie's older brother goes away to college, Maddie and her group of tight relatives and friends embarks on a camping trip into the woods. The best part of the trip is that not only Maddie's best friend is coming, but their guide up the mountain is very handsome. When the group decides to tell harmless scary stories around a campfire, they never expected any of them to start coming true. But when a murder occurs at the campsite, the group knows they need to get out. But who is the murderer? Is it the mountain men from one of the stories, or could it be one of them?

This book was definitely a great read if you love the outdoors, are going out into the woods soon, or if you just love scary stories. Campfire is a fairly quick read, especially since there is tons of action and the story itself has scary stories in it as well, so there is definitely a lot going on in this book that keeps the reader interested.

Maddie is a fantastic main character. She is strong, compassionate and very brave, but the best part is that even she has her flaws, which I actually enjoyed because the choices she makes in the book definitely fit her age and make her feel like a real person rather than the "perfect character."

The setting and world-building of this story were fantastic as well. As someone who loves to be outdoors and go hiking a lot, the author managed to capture the feeling extremely well, and it actually made me want to go hiking as I was reading the book. The imagery of the flora and fauna in the story was perfect.

Overall, while I really liked the story and couldn't find anything I didn't really like about it, it just didn't give me that feeling of "wow this book was amazing," which is why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5. I will definitely be picking up future novels from this author, and handing this book out to all my friends, especially those that have cabins and go camping a lot.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: You May Now Kill the Bride by R. L. Stine

Series: Return to Fear Street #1
Publication Date: July 24th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genera: YA, Horror, Thriller
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: NEW Fear Street stories with a retro look, perfect for fans of Stranger Things!

Two sisters, divided by time. Each with a terrible resentment she can barely contain.

Two Fear family weddings, decades apart... Each bride will find that the ancient curse that haunts the Fears LIVES ON. It feeds off the evil that courses through their blood. It takes its toll in unexpected ways, and allows dark history to repeat itself.

In this all-new Fear Street story, family ties bind sisters together—till DEATH do they part.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

There is nothing better to read during a thunderstorm than a R. L. Stine novel, filled with horror, drama, and a family tragedy. I absolutely adored You May Now Kill the Bride, and cannot wait to read more from this series.

The worst thing a sister can do to another, is steal her boyfriend. Set in 1923, Rebecca steal's her little sisters boyfriend Peter, Ruth-Ann can't help but engage her time in the dark arts and begin practicing magic. Ruth-Ann swore that her sister will never get married to Peter, but on their wedding day a tragedy strikes that brings a new curse on the Fear family and the place the wedding takes place. Fast forward to current time, Marissa Fear is getting married in the exact same place the tragic wedding of 1923 took place. Harmony Fear, Marissa's younger sister wants nothing more than to play a few pranks using her magic to ease the tension of the wedding, but doing a little magic in a cursed place can have repercussions, and when Marissa goes missing on her wedding day, Harmony must find her and stop the curse from taking another life.

I honestly think this book was really well written. The part set in 1923 had a great use of old language and the setting felt absolutely perfect. R. L. Stine really made me feel like I was back in the 1920's with the clothes, cars and the choice of slang and behaviour from the characters. I also think it was a great addition to the story, rather than just having someone explain what happened in the past to one of the main characters, we actually got to read through it ourselves.

The present story was also good. I enjoyed this Fear family a little bit more, mostly because we got to see a lot more from the parents, and Harmony actually got along very well with her brother so it wasn't just her against her family like Ruth-Ann was. All of the characters in this book were very different but enjoyable at the same time. Although I will admit that the second part of the book did drag on a little too long for my taste.

Overall, I loved the characters, I loved the change in the timeline and I love the horror and thriller side to the novel. You May Now Kill the Bride is a fairly quick read, but it definitely has enough action to capture your attention. I definitely recommend this novel to all R. L. Stine fans and/or fans of mystery/thriller novels.

Happy Reading,

Aneta 

Review: Tell Me No Lies by A.V. Geiger

Series: Follow Me Back #2
Publication Date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Love. Obsession. Jealousy. Murder.

No one knows what happened to pop icon Eric Thorn. His Twitter account? Frozen. His cell phone? Cracked and bloody, buried in the snow. 

Agoraphobic fangirl Tessa Hart knows the truth, but she's finally left her #EricThornObsessed days behind. She has no intention of ever touching her Twitter app again. But Snapchat... That's safer, right?

After months of living under the radar, Tessa emerges from hiding, forced to face the deadly consequences of her past. But in the interrogation room, answers only lead to more questions in the pulse-pounding conclusion to the Follow Me Back duology.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Tell Me No Lies is a fast paced read with twists and turns in every chapter. I could not put this book down.

Everyone thinks that Eric Thorn is dead, and that Tessa was the one who killed him. In reality, Tessa and Eric escaped the clutches of Blair, Tessa's creepy stalker, as well as all the other crazy Eric Thorn fans by running away to Mexico. Everything is working out great for them, until Eric's celebrity friend comes back to life after faking his own death, and is now asking Eric for help. The only problem with returning to the spotlight is that everyone is after Eric and Tessa, and the people who were once close to them can no longer be trusted.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, and this one definitely didn't disappoint. Just like the first book, I read this one in a day because I could not put the book down. It is a fairly short read, but theres so much action in every chapter that you just cant put it down.

I really liked both Tessa and Eric. Tessa had such a huge character development in the first book, I never thought that she could top it in the second book, but she definitely did. Tessa continues to impress me, especially as she's working through her problems and comes to terms with her own issues. Their romance is absolutely wonderful, I shipped them from beginning to end.

Overall, I loved the pace of the book, the characters and all the plot twists that I didn't see coming. This book was definitely a lot more unpredictable than the first, and the character development was phenomenal. I will be looking forward to reading more book from this author in the future.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Blitz: Sneaking Out by Chuck Vance

Sneaking Out
Chuck Vance
Series: Chased, #1
Published by: Dunemere Books
Publication date: March 6th 2018
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

Synopsis: Could you sleep next to a murderer?
Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.
For fans of “A Study in Charlotte” and boarding school lit, “Sneaking Out” (book one in the “Chased” series) immerses readers in the privileged prep school world, with a mystery that exposes the dark side of life on a residential high school campus.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

Luke stood up and held out a hand to help Pippa up. He didn’t let go after she rose, and he clasped it firmly as they walked together. It didn’t feel awkward—he’d already held her hand a couple of times. He felt protective. They walked along in silence.
They passed a mailbox, its hinge squeaking in the wind. The wind had picked up a plastic bag, which was scraping along the road, dancing with the fallen leaves. Every noise was amplified.
Luke pulled Pippa toward him to avoid a ditch. It was then that Luke sensed something. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the flash of someone jump behind a tree. Luke’s muscles tensed. They were being followed.
“Don’t turn around, but someone is behind us,” warned Luke. “On foot.”
He saw Pippa’s neck stiffen. “Who is it?” she whispered.
“Not sure, but let’s speed up.”
They started walking as fast as possible without running. Luke felt as if there was a bullseye on his back. Was the person who was following them crazy enough to do something to harm them? What if he had a gun?
They were about a block away from the nearest streetlight. Luke feared that if they walked under it, they would be completely exposed to whoever was following them. It seemed safer to remain in the shadows. He abruptly pulled Pippa diagonally across the street. They picked up their pace and stayed on course.
“We’ll be able to see who it is when they pass the streetlight,” said Luke.
“Do you think he crossed, too?”
Luke pricked his ears. He could hear a distant tap, tap. Footsteps. “No, he’s on the other side.”
They walked past the streetlight and up about thirty feet before stopping short and turning around. For a split second, they saw a figure bathed in the light, but then it darted to the side. It looked like a man, in a baseball hat. But he was too fast for them. Luke grabbed Pippa’s hand tightly.”
“We need to run.”

Author Bio:
Chuck Vance is a pseudonym for a bestselling writer of both adult mysteries and novels for young adults. Vance attended boarding school in Connecticut and graduated from Columbia University. Vance has lived in New York, Moscow, London, Paris and Los Angeles and is frequently on the move.

Website / Goodreads

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Review: S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett

Series: (Possible Sequel based on ending?)
Publication Date: February 13th 2018
Publisher: Delacrote Press
Genre: YA, Thriller, Contemporary 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: =One deadly weekend.

At St. Aidan the Great School, or S.T.A.G.S., new things--and new people--are to be avoided. Unfortunately, Greer MacDonald, token scholarship student, is very much a new person. She has just transferred to S.T.A.G.S., and finds herself ignored at best and mocked at worst by the school's most admired circle of friends, the Medievals.

So imagine Greer's surprise when this very group invites her to an exclusive weekend retreat at the private estate of the parents of their unofficial leader, Henry de Warlencourt. It's billed as a weekend of "huntin' shootin' fishin'," and rumor has it that the invitee who most impresses the group will be given the privilege of becoming a Medieval themselves.

As the weekend begins to take shape, however, it becomes apparent that beyond the luxurious trappings--the fancy clothes the maid lays out on Greer's bed, the elaborate multicourse dinners held in the Great Hall--there are predators lurking, and they're out for blood. . . . 

My Rating

2/5 stars

My Review

I thought I was really going to enjoy S.T.A.G.S. but I was just left very disappointed from beginning to end. 

First of all, the book starts off in past-tense from the main character, Greer's point of view. In the beginning, she mentions that a certain individual was killed and that she and a few others were the murderers, then she dives into the story from how she got to the school. Normally this type of thing works really well in mystery novels, where they reveal the killer in the beginning but then start the story and theres always some type of crazy plot twist. Yet this book didn't really have a plot twist, and I honestly think it revealed way too much at the beginning. It left me bored and not wanting to read the book, since I already knew what was going to happen.

The main character Greer, was alright in the beginning, but eventually I just ended up not liking her at all. She talks about how she's different, and she wants to be herself rather than worshiping the medievals and being just like them, but throughout her trip she slowly starts becoming more and more like them, obviously not the rich part, but the snobby, I think I'm better than everyone, evil kind of way. It honestly felt like her character development was going backwards, rather than forwards.

The romance in this book was absolutely horrible! In the beginning of the book, Greer mentions how much she dislikes Henry and the other medievals, but of course she ends up falling for him and his tricks the first moment he shows her any type of affection. Greer was described as a smart girl in this book, but man was she dumb for falling for this guy. Then of course she is so blinded by her love for Henry after he calls her beautiful once, that she can't even see that there is someone who actually likes her for real, until he says it out loud. Even then, it was kind of like where the heck did this come from? It was just not written very well.

The writing was alright, but wasn't the best either. If the book didn't do the "mystery" aspect of revealing that someone dies in the end, the action would have been really good. But of course since it was spoiled, it wasn't the best. The world-building was good, there were lots of good descriptions of the school and the mansion and all the land it contained. 

The reason why I'm giving this book two stars instead of one, is because of the ending. I found it absolutely hilarious, even though it wasn't meant to be funny at all. So in the end, Greer realized the mistake she made in trusting someone, who ended up being the "most evil" person in the book. I think this was supposed to be a "plot twist" but you could see it from a mile away!! In this moment, Greer was actually shook when she realized what was really going on, and I thought her stupidity was the funniest thing ever. For an elite school for super smart kids, you'd think they'd figure this stuff out.

Overall, I would not call this book a thriller or mystery at all. Although it was definitely not the book for me, if you've read previous books that sound like this and want to give them a try, then I'd say go for it, but if you find yourself bored in the beginning like I was, just give up. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Busted by Gina Ciocca

Publication Date: January 2nd 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA, Contemporary, 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Catching cheaters and liars is a lucrative hobby—until you fall for one of the suspects. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, this new novel from the author of Last Year's Mistake will steal your heart!

Marisa never planned to be a snoop for hire. It wasn't like she wanted to catch her best friend's boyfriend making out with another girl. But as her reputation for sniffing out cheaters spreads all over school, Marisa finds herself the reluctant queen of busting two-timing boys. 

And her next case? It's for ex-frenemy Kendall. She's convinced her boyfriend, TJ, has feelings for someone else and persuades Marissa to start spying on him. But the more Marisa gets to know sincere and artistic TJ, the more she starts to fall for him. Worse yet, the feelings seem to be mutual. Marisa knows she needs to give up her investigation—and the spoken-for guy who may just be the love of her life. Then she uncovers new secrets about Kendall and TJ, secrets that take "cheater" to a whole new level...

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Busted was a fantastic read. I got so invested in the story that I had to finish it as soon as I could because I just needed to know what happens next.

Like any good friend, Marisa has her best friend Charlotte's back. So when she catches her friend's boyfriend with another girl, she will do anything to snap a picture of him in the act to prove to her best friend that he is a cheater. When news gets around about what Marisa did for her best friend, other girls want in, and Marisa becomes Reverse Cupid, private investigator. But when an old friend hires her to spy on her boyfriend, Marisa can't help but catch feelings for the supposed cheater. Can Marisa bust her old friends cheater, before someones busts her?

Going into this book, I was a bit worried that it would be predictable and have lots of cliches, but I was happily surprised about how this book ended turning out. This book deals with a lot of different issues, other than just falling in love with a boy you're not supposed to. It also focuses on issues like online bullying, friendship, family, college, and cheating (not only on your significant other, but also in school).

Marisa was a fantastic main character. She is brave, smart, down to earth and extremely friendly. She has really great friends, and will do anything to keep them. You know her friendship is real because her and her friends don't get in little fights, they are quick to see each other's point of view and make up. Her relationship with her family is also very important, she has a fantastic relationship with her brother, and it was so lovely to read a book where the brother and sister are friends rather than enemies for once. We didn't get to see to much of her mother and father, but when we did she was very polite and kind to them as well. The thing I loved most about Marisa is that while she was very smart and got accepted to a better school, her parents afford to send her there, yet Marisa didn't hold a grudge or didn't act like a spoiled brat. Sure she was disappointed, but she understood why. It is so wonderful to see such a capable character who is also understanding of her parents. There were times where Marisa's character was a bit naive, but by the end of the book she definitely learned her lesson, making her an even better character all together. 

The plot of this story mostly focuses around the mystery aspect of trying to catch the 'cheater' and later on about catching the person who framed Marisa's best friend. So if you're not really into a mystery read, then there wont be too much action for you until the very end of the book. While I enjoyed it, I know a few people might not.

Other than the slow beginning, the only thing I didn't like about the book was that it left me with questions about what happens after the book ends. A lot of the focus of the book was Marisa writing an essay about her experience to get a scholarship that could send her to her college of choice, since her parents cant afford to send her there. But we end the book shortly after Marisa submits the essay, and we never find out if she got the scholarship, or if she got to go to her college of choice. While its not a huge deal, the book does focus on college a bit, and it seemed weird not to include if she got in or not.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to all YA contemporary and mystery fans. This will be a cute and short read that you will definitely enjoy. I cant wait to read future books from this author.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Publication Date: January 2nd 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA, Mystery, Contemporary 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. When Corey moves away, she makes Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return.

Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated―and confused. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones about the town's lost daughter, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger.

Corey knows something is wrong. With every hour, her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets―chilling secrets. But piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter... 

My Rating

2/5 stars

My Review

Before I Let Go is a story about Corey dealing with the death of her best friend Kyra. When Corey hears that her best friend has passed away, she races back to her hometown of Lost Creek, Alaska to mourn the death of her friend. Kyra was never liked in the small community, even though her parents are very successful and well loved, Kyra's only friend was Corey. When Corey was leaving the town, Kyra finally decided to go to a psychiatric hospital to help her with her bipolar disorder. As Corey comes back to town, it turns out that Kyra never left, and in those 7 months that she was away, Kyra went from most hated person in town, to friends with everyone. When things don't add up about Kyra's death, Corey must uncover the secrets of the town and what exactly happened the past 7 months in order to solve the mystery behind Kyra's death.

This book was alright. It wasn't great, but it also wasn't horrible. It just floats in the grey area of "meh" books.

The book started off very slow. It felt like there were a lot of parts that were very repetitive, and other parts that were kind of pointless. 
On the plus side, this book was a fairly short and easy read (language wise). So you can definitely finish it in one day.

There was only one character I liked in this book, and it wasn't Corey or Kyra. It was Roshan. Kyra was a good person, from what we hear about her from Corey's point of view. If she got the right help she could have been a truly amazing person. I completely understand whys he did the things she did once Corey left the town, but I don't necessarily like them, with a little bit of thought and effort from Kyra's part the story could have turned out very differently. Corey was an okay character. We see parts of her growing up in Alaska and just how much she has changed in the 7 months she was away. It was a bit boring reading from her point of view, as it was very repetitive and for someone who's lived in this town before, she made a lot of mistakes where she should have known better. Throughout this whole story, it didn't really feel like Corey developed or changed at all, she is basically the same person at the beginning and the end of the story.
The character I loved most was Roshan. He is new to the town, and only arrived when Corey left. He knew Kyra, and helps Corey deal with her passing. When Corey gets in trouble he is there to help her without asking for anything in return. He's not like the others in the town, and will definitely follow his heart to do what is right. I honestly wish that he played a bigger role in this book.

The plot line was okay. The mystery wasn't that big of a mystery. It was really easy to tell what really happened to Kyra and how she died, early on in the book, even though Corey couldn't see it. The pace was very slow, the characters were boring. I didn't feel like there part of the book that really shocked me, there were no twists or turns in the book. It was basically a flat line right to the end.
A pet peeve of mine is plots with loose ends. There were multiple things in this book that weren't explained, and they were just left there without any answers.

Overall, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book, unless you were looking specifically for an easy book to read with a plot line like this. I think with a few changes this book could have been a lot better.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Series: Burn for Burn #1
Publication Date: September 18th 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster 
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Paranormal
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge.

KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend.

LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it.

MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him.

None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.

With an alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

“This is Karma. I'm a bitch. Can you think of anyone who deserves a bitch slap?" 

Three girls, all seeking revenge on people who wronged them. The only way they can truly achieve the best revenge is if they work together. When the bad girl, the cheerleader and the new girl come together, all hell breaks loose as they seek their revenge.

Burn for Burn is a lovely quick read. The characters will touch your hearts and the plot line will have you falling off your chair.

I honestly don't know which character I liked more. While I liked Mary, she wasn't my favourite, thats for sure. But I really loved both Kat and Lillia. Kat is the badass girl that everyone envies, she's not afraid to do anything and is so loyal and strong that you can't help but fall in love with her good side. Lillia is basically the girl I've always dreamed of being, she's smart, kind and rich. Her love for her sister was so wonderful, I really admire Lillia's character.

I loved that the story was a bit on the shorter side, it doesn't take very long to finish. Even though its short, the authors created some twists throughout the book that will make you want to finish the book in one sitting. I loved the climax of the story and how it ended, it was so wonderfully written.

The one aspect I didn't really like about the story, was the paranormal aspect. I was expecting this book to be more of a contemporary read going into it, and to my surprise one of the characters has some sort of magical powers. While I normally love that type of thing in stories, it seemed very forced and not well written in this story. Every time I came across it I couldn't help but cringe. Hopefully either the writing is better or there are some changes made to make the paranormal aspect a bit more interesting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, the characters were great and the plot was unpredictable. I can't wait to see what happens to the characters next.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #2
Publication Date: September 19th 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

Hunting Prince Dracula was absolutely stunning. I loved this book so much, it was just as good as the first one, if not better. I’m already dying to read the next book.

After the death of her brother and the haunting past of the Jack the Ripper case, Audrey Rose cant shake the feeling that she’s being watched. It doesn’t help that now shes living in Dracula’s castle where she has to battle for a spot to attend one of the best medical schools. When a new murderer starts killing students and villagers, and draining them of blood, everyone believes that Dracula has come back to life and is taking his revenge. Could Prince Dracula be immortal, or is someone murdering people in his name.

I forgot how much I adore Audrey Rose. I love her strong personality, she’s not afraid to be a feminist in a time where it was quite scandalous for a woman to act this way, but that doesn’t stop her. She tells people exactly how it is, she won’t let a man undermine her and she is not afraid to outsmart anyone in her class. Honestly I wish that Audrey Rose was a real person, because I would love to be best friends with her.

Her romance with Thomas is as wonderful as ever. This book definitely didn’t have second book syndrome, and their romance was basically the same as from the first book, but slowly moving forward.

The thing I love most about this series is the fact that it always manages to surprise me. I have so many guesses to who the killer really is, but the author always manages to lead me away form the true killer and think “No way it could be this person,” I love it. I’m always pleasantly surprised at how the mystery turns out. 

Overall, I love this series so much. I highly recommend it to everyone, whether you love contemporary, fantasy, or mystery this will be a series you love. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough

Publication Date: October 3rd 
Publisher: Flatiron Books 
Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: I was dead for 13 minutes.

I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

It's been two days since I've finished this book, and I can't stop thinking about it. I haven't even been able to pick up another book, because I just want to re-read this one. This book was absolutely amazing, I loved the mystery and the ending. This book leaves such a lasting impression, its wonderful.

Tasha was dead for 13 minutes. Thankfully a man walking his dog found her and was able to pull her out of the water. The only problem is, that Tasha can't remember anything a day and a half before the accident. With her best friends acting strange, a former best friend trying to rekindle their friendship and the whole school watching, Tasha has no clue whether what happened to her was an accident, or if someone had tried to murder her.

While the story is about Tasha, the main character is Becca Crisp, Tasha's former best friend a few years ago before Becca was outcast from the group for being too fat. We essentially get to read from both girl's point of view, and I have to say I enjoyed both equally. While I loved Becca's character because she was so real and interesting, I also enjoyed Tasha's point of view because it was really different and it made the story so much better. 

Everything about this book was fantastic, the storyline, the action, the characters and even the romance. One of the things I hate the most is when stories have a happy ending regarding the romance, I swear it happens in almost every book, so watching the main character break up with her boyfriend and finally get over him and move on was absolutely amazing. This is the kind of character development I love, where the character decides that yeah she messed up, but she's also awesome and she deserves to be happy. 

The mystery aspect was great. Half of the time I'm able to guess who the killer is and be right about it from the beginning, well that wasn't the case in this book. I didn't figure out who the killer was until about 2-3 chapters before the author made it very clear on who it was. Now that I think about it, it was pretty obvious on who it was right from the beginning, there were definitely signs pointing towards this person, yet I considered every single person before them.

I seriously hope this book gets a lot my hype in the future, because it definitely deserves it. The characters, the mystery, the plot, and the action, I'd give them all an A+. I will be passing around my copy of the book to all of my friends because I need more people to read this book so that I can talk about it with them.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: Yesterday by Felicia Yap

Publication Date: August 1st 2017
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: How do you solve a murder when you only remember yesterday?

Imagine a world in which classes are divided not by wealth or religion but by how much each group can remember. Monos, the majority, have only one day’s worth of memory; elite Duos have two. In this stratified society, where Monos are excluded from holding high office and demanding jobs, Claire and Mark are a rare mixed marriage. Clare is a conscientious Mono housewife, Mark a novelist-turned-politician Duo on the rise. They are a shining example of a new vision of tolerance and equality—until…

...a beautiful woman is found dead, her body dumped in England’s River Cam. The woman is Mark’s mistress, and he is the prime suspect in her murder. The detective investigating the case has secrets of his own. So did the victim. And when both the investigator’s and the suspect’s memories are constantly erased—how can anyone learn the truth?

Told from four different perspectives, that of Mark, Claire, the detective on the case, and the victim—Felicia Yap’s staggeringly inventive debut leads us on a race against an ever-resetting clock to find the killer. With the science-fiction world-building of Philip K. Dick and the twisted ingenuity of Memento , Yesterday is a thriller you’ll never forget.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Yesterday was an amazing novel. An engaging mystery, a creative world, and unique and entertaining characters. Yesterday will go down as one of my favourite mysteries for the year.

Claire is a mono, meaning she can only remember yesterday. When a detective comes knocking at her door, accusing her husband Mark of murdering a young beautiful woman that wrote in her diary that she was Mark's mistress, Claire must piece together what has happened the past few days, and what secrets her and Mark's history truly contains. 

This novel had some amazing characters. Right from the start I really liked reading from Claire and Mark's point of view. I was a little salty at first with the detective's point of view, I would have much rather either read from the two main characters view points or from the diary of woman that was murdered. Eventually I ended up liking the detective and his story, although I never liked him as much as the other characters.

I loved the mystery aspect and the world that the author created. The fast that she wrote a mystery in a dystopian world where you can only remember either the day before or two days, and have to use a diary to remember the rest was extremely creative. The feeling of not knowing whether you killed someone or not because you can't trust what your past self wrote in a diary is crazy when you think about it. This story was so entertaining, I loved the dystopian world and the mystery was fantastic.

I was a little disappointed while reading that the mystery was being too obvious. When the plot twist hit, I nearly fell off my chair. I totally wasn't expecting the ending and it honestly made me love the book so much. 

Overall, the characters, the world, and the plot was absolutely fantastic. I truly loved this book. If it wasn't for the detectives point of view not being as enjoyable as the rest and the obvious beginning of the mystery, I would have given this book a full 5 stars. Either way, I still recommend this book to all mystery, thriller and dystopian lovers.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

Series: Jackaby #3
Publication Date: August 23rd 2016
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mystery
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis:  Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

“It is the ugliest aspect of human nature that we fear what is most different from ourselves with such violent contempt.” 

This series just keeps getting better and better. Ghostly Echoes has been my favourite book in this series so far.

Ten years ago, Abigail was murdered. Now there are similar murders occurring, and Jackaby and Abigail might finally have a shot at figuring out who truly murdered Jenny and what happened to her fiancé. 

I really liked Abigail in the first book, she really grew on me in the second book and now she has become one of my favourite characters. Her character development has been absolutely fantastic. She has gone from a scared girl who stays back, to a strong woman that dives right into the action. The part in the book where Abigail volunteers to do something very dangerous, I had to put the book down for a second because I was so proud of this girl. She's not afraid to do what has to be done, she's comfortable with who she is and she's so outgoing. I honestly love her. 

Jackaby is still the crazy goofball that surprises you one minute, and makes you laugh the next. His character doesn't go through much character development, but that is perfectly fine because he doesn't need to change. He's the character that makes you laugh during a serious moment and confuses you at one point but shows you the light the next scene. He is absolutely fantastic.

The plot-line of this story is so much more interesting than the other two books. I think it might be because its not as out there as the first two books were, and its much closer to the characters we've gotten to know. This book felt a little more serious compared to the silliness in the first two books, but it was so very well written that I absolutely loved the change.

I can't wait to read the next book. We get a little hint about it at the end of this book and I'm dying to read it already. 

Overall, I highly recommend this series to all fantasy and YA lovers. I guarantee you will fall in love with at least one of the characters in this book.

Happy Reading,
Aneta