The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

Publication: May 5, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 352

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

My Thoughts:
Again, another fabulously adorable book by the crazy cute author Kasie West.

This was just an overall fun, cute contemporary romance. I so enjoyed this book.

Gia is a bit of a nut but I enjoyed her character development as the story progresses she realizes what she had become and what she really wants to be. I was quite shocked when at the end it wasn't a complete "happily ever after" which was a nice change from the norm and I appreciated that.

I really wanted to punch the main problem in this story because she was so annoying BUT without this girl, Gia wouldn't have been able to see how shallow she really was and it was able to see great things around her. In the end you just felt bad for this character because she will never be happy.

I loved Hayden the fake-date he was just perfect and I enjoyed everything about him. He is a sweet guy with a fun personality. I'm tired of toxic guys in books and love how this guy just tries to be good.

I really enjoyed Hayden's neurotic sister Bec. She's snarky and tells it how it is. However Bec has her own problems as she tries desperately to find her out who she is and where she belongs. I was a bit disappointed that it seemed for someone so smart she felt she had to be a certain way in order to catch the eye of some guy. I wonder if Kasie will do a story on her she would be a great one to tell. *hint, hint*

There are a lot of teen social issues in this book without all the extra content that other social YA books have which makes this one even more special. It shows the side of real issues that teens have and face during their high school years and it also shows wonderful things that happen and can shape a person.

Overall this is a sweet, fun yet deep story which it completely enjoyable.

Sexual Content: mild
Language: mild
Drugs/Alcohol:  mild
Violence: mild

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.

My Thoughts:
Oh my WOW! I loved this. I loved every line of it. I loved Jonathan's voice and the silly footnotes and humor and wit and imagination and scientific equations that went directly over my head and people talking in haughty British-English and did I mention the humor? I so seriously loved this. So hard. Allow me to stop rambling and give you a proper review:

First of all, the writing was impeccable. I was never pulled from the story for any reason, the voice was consistent and perfect and punctuation was utilized so perfectly that I'll bet an actor could cold-read this and get exactly the inflection Dixon was imagining when she wrote it.

And speaking of imagination, this book has it in spades. Everything from the world to the scientific explanations to the effects of the weird drugs was so new and different from anything I've ever read. It was so interesting! And the way the story evolved and things were revealed was so perfectly paced and perfectly handled. I could read Heather Dixon for the rest of my life and never get tired of her. This book was the fun of steampunk, the intelligence of Sherlock Holmes and the science fiction of I-don't-even-know-what. But it was good. The science portions were well-thought-out and made perfect fictional sense. Just so wonderfully woven together. Seriously. So good.

And the characters! Such lovely, well-rounded characters. I totally would have befriended Jonathan and the one-eyed-guard and Hannah and Anna and I just loved them all. So much. Even the bad guys had back-stories and moments where I understood them and wanted to reach in and give them a hug. Depth. They all had it.

And, the clincher (for me): It was clean! I mean, these kids are just kids, right? So they think about boys and girls and whatever but there is so much going on that not a whole lot of romance happens. There is a tiny element of romance but no fiery all-consuming passionate affair. Whatever happens is just sweet and childlike. Because they're children. And I love Heather Dixon a little bit for treating a teenage romance the way a teenager most likely would. Not the way adults imagine they would have liked to behave in those situations. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

You know what, just go read it already. It's so good. If you like clean, sci-fi, steampunk books set in 19th century England, you'll love this. Promise.

Sexual Content: Mild
Language: Mild (if any)
Drugs/Alcohol: Heavy (the entire plot hinges on a hallucinogenic drug...)
Violence: Moderate

Modern Monsters by Kelley York

Vic Howard never wanted to go to the party. He’s the Invisible Guy at school, a special kind of hell for quiet, nice guys. But because his best friend is as popular as Vic is ignored, he went…

And wished he hadn’t.

Because something happened to a girl that night. Something terrible, unimaginable, and Callie Wheeler’s life will never be the same. Plus, now Callie has told the police that Vic is responsible. Suddenly, Invisible Vic is painfully visible, on trial both literally, with the police, and figuratively, with the angry kids at school. As the whispers and violence escalate, he becomes determined to clear his name, even if it means an uneasy alliance with Callie's best friend, the beautiful but aloof Autumn Dixon.

But as Autumn and Vic slowly peel back the layers of what happened at the party, they realize that while the truth can set Vic free, it can also shatter everything he thought he knew about his life.

My Thoughts:
I was really wary about this book. It's about rape. The book starts out at a party and shortly after that we learn that a girl was raped. So I was expecting some graphic details and disturbing imagery and lots of drinking and drugs and cursing. But there wasn't. Kelley York handled this subject so incredibly well. We hear this story from the perspective of the boy who is accused of raping the girl, but he's innocent. So we see what happens to him as a result of being wrongly accused and how this storyline plays out with police and reporters and kids at school and friends. It's heartbreaking. And enlightening. And beautiful. And, mostly, it's hopeful. Yes, horrible things happen. Yes, there are terrible people in the world. And there are good people who make awful mistakes. But we can gather ourselves up again and keep moving, keep going, find happiness. Especially for being such a serious subject, this book was actually really uplifting that way.

I loved Vic's voice. He was such a sweet, kind, just all-around good guy who gets put through so much crap for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I just wanted to reach into that book, wrap my arms around him and protect him. He felt like he needed protecting. Especially with the whole mother storyline which, btw, I totally guessed from the beginning and she just made me hate the world. Her and the father. Seriously, every scene she was in, I was kind of annoyed by the way she treated everything. Made me mad. And sad.

Then there was Autumn. I liked Autumn as a character, as a loyal friend, as the fiesty girl that she was. Which was why I didn't fully understand the connection she made with Vic. I just didn't see that happening naturally. It made the story, for sure, but I just didn't think it would have actually happened in a real-life situation. That's all.

The end of this book broke my heart. I saw it coming and it was still tragically sad. I really did just want to jump in there and protect Vic. That poor guy. But this book was lovely. Tragic and realistic and hopeful. I loved it. Thank you, Kelley York for handling such a delicate subject so carefully and tastefully. I will definitely read more by this author.

Sexual Content: Mild (amazing, considering the entire premise of the book!)
Language: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild
Violence: Moderate

Call the Shots by Don Calame (Swim the Fly #3)

And . . . action! As the uproarious trio returns, sensitive Sean takes the spotlight — scripting a low-low-budget film while fielding unexpected female fans.

Coop is cooking up another sure-misfire scheme (big surprise), and this time the comedy plays out from Sean’s point of view. What’s the new master plan? Making a cheapo horror movie guaranteed to make Coop, Sean, and Matt filthy rich! It’s a terrible idea, and Sean knows it. But he actually is desperate for cash — and for a way to wipe that big fat L off his girlfriend-less forehead. But when he agrees to write a script about the attack of zombie-vampire humanzees, he has no idea just how powerful a chick magnet this movie will be. Suddenly Sean is juggling not one butthree interested ladies. There’s his accidental-girlfriend-turned-psychotic-stalker, Evelyn. There’s the wicked hot actress from drama class, Leyna, who seems willing to do anything to land the starring role. And even his twin sister’s gothed-out best friend, Nessa, is looking at Sean in a whole new way. Will any of them wind up as Sean’s true leading lady? Will Sean stop being a doormat and finally start calling the shots?

My Thoughts:
The last book in a series. As with the first two books, this was laugh-out-loud funny. Much laughing going on. And lots of raunchy boy humor. It was hilarious. And highly irreverent.

So we've established it's funny. What else did I like? The boys' friendship is really nice. They all give each other a hard time and call each other on whatever stupid thing they've done but they're ultimately good, loyal friends. And all the other relationships in the book seemed very normal, very layered. Brothers and sisters and parents and friends and everyone had relationships in which they cared for each other but sometimes got mad or sad or irritated or whatever else and it was so very normal without being boring. Well done, there, Mr. Calame. Except for Nick and Evelyn who were pretty much always scary/crazy. Evelyn's character actually bothered me a bit; I felt like she was an easy excuse for everything. She was the cause of the love triangle and just about all of the conflict and she made the book wrap up really quickly, concisely and easily without too much explanation or difficulty. So poor, psychopath, Evelyn, made this book possible by being the one everyone hates. I felt bad for her. And it felt like really convenient writing.

Apart from Evelyn, things that happened in this book seemed extremely coincidental. Like, Sean would be thinking about someone and, suddenly, they were knocking on the door. Or that time when Sean was at the mall and, like, five different things happened in quick succession to keep him from meeting up with that girl. While hilarious, I couldn't help but feel annoyed by the convenience of the way things happened. My mouth would be hanging open in disbelief by the time those scenes finished. But, yeah, it was funny. So maybe it was worth it.

I don't know what else to say. This book was hilarious, even if completely absurd. I love the characters and how they treat each other but there's a whole lot of raunchy, dirty boy humor going on.

Sexual Content: Moderate
Language: Heavy
Violence: Mild
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild (if any)

The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace

Drama and danger abound in this fantasy realm where dukes play a game for the throne, magical warriors race to find the missing heir, and romance blossoms where it is least expected.

In a world where dukes plot their way to the throne, a Performer’s life can get tricky. And in Johanna Von Arlo’s case, it can be fatal. Expelled from her troupe after her father’s death, Johanna is forced to work for the handsome Lord Rafael DeSilva. Too bad they don’t get along. But while Johanna’s father’s death was deemed an accident, the Keepers aren’t so sure.

The Keepers, a race of people with magical abilities, are on a quest to find the princess—the same princess who is supposed to be dead and whose throne the dukes are fighting over. But they aren’t the only ones looking for her. And in the wake of their search, murdered girls keep turning up—girls who look exactly like the princess, and exactly like Johanna.

With dukes, Keepers, and a killer all after the princess, Johanna finds herself caught up in political machinations for the throne, threats on her life, and an unexpected romance that could change everything.

My Thoughts:
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I'm not generally a huge fantasy person and the cover was a big deterrent. So I went into this with pretty low expectations. Which is usually the best way to go into anything. So maybe stop reading this review and go read the book before I get your expectations up too high.

If you're still going to read this review despite the warning, here's what I liked:

Johanna's character. She never whines, never has a tell-all dramatic monologue and is generally just who she is without complaint. She accepts her circumstances and deals with it. Loved that about her. Actually, most of the characters were just likeable. I really liked how Rafi's whole life revolved around honor. He was like a chivalrous knight. It was pleasant. And then there was Pira. I could totally relate to Pira's hard shell and her hiding her feelings and trying to be tough all the time. And the Leao storyline was just yummy. Mmmmhm. So, yeah. Characters.

The world. So this was fantasy in some strange new world with weird geography and Lords and Masters and a Kingdom and whatnot. I usually get lost in all of that but this was pretty easy to follow. I enjoyed all the political intrigue talk and learning about this world's customs.

No love triangle. Hallelujah! There were two completely separate romancey storylines. And they were both yummy. In completely different ways. Johanna's love story had the strangest beginning of any romance I've ever read and I was skeptical of whether or not it would work out. But it did. And, to reiterate, Leao was yummy. Need more Leao.

Wallace wasn't afraid to be brutal. There was a lot of mild grinning going on in this book but not so much laughing out loud. Which is fine, I guess, but I really appreciate humor in novels. And along with all the pleasant stuff going on there were some really dark themes floating around as well. Lots of murder and fighting and even, near the very beginning of the book, a scene in which a girl is found after she had been brutalized and murdered. Wallace handled these situations extremely well, especially since this is supposed to be a YA novel. Events were mentioned and properly handled without being graphic or gross or going for shock factor. So, yes, bad things happen but this novel didn't dwell on them or cause me to have nightmares about all the evil in the world.

There was a lot to like. But, you know, some of the story was a bit cliche; Nothing I hadn't heard before. Some things happened exactly as I'd expected them to. Some events, like the finding of the assassin, felt a bit too easy or forced or just too coincidental to feel real. Many secondary characters felt stereotypical or flat, but, then many beloved characters didn't make it to the end of the book. I don't know which is worse.

Also there's the worst cliffhanger! Ever! Wallace literally leaves some characters hanging. And there are so many unanswered questions. Jacare's dark history is hinted at throughout the entire book but we learn nothing about his past. Or Tex's past, for that matter. I am definitely going to read the next book in the series and probably whatever comes after that, but I am annoyed that I have to wait for it.

So, overall, it's a good, fun, clean read with a few dark elements. But the darkness gives it good roundness.

Sexual Content: Moderate
Language: None
Violence: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: None

Oblivion by Kelly Creagh (Nevermore #3)

**I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. It will be released on July 28, 2015.**

Publisher: Antheneum Books for Young Readers
Pages: 448

This electrifying conclusion to the Nevermore trilogy takes one last trip to the dream world of Edgar Allan Poe to reveal the intertwined fates of Isobel and Varen.

The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins? —Edgar Allan Poe

The fine line between life and death blurred long ago for Isobel Lanley. After a deadly confrontation with Varen in the dreamworld, she’s terrified to return to that desolate and dangerous place. But when her nightmares resume, bleeding into reality, she is left with no choice. Varen’s darkness is catching up to her. To everything. Threatening to devour it all.

Isobel fears for her world. For her sanity and Varen’s—especially after a fresh and devastating loss. To make matters worse, the ghostly demon Lilith wants Varen for her own, and she will do anything to keep him in her grasp—anything.

Can Isobel ever find her happy ending? Worlds collide and fates are sealed in this breathtaking finale to the Nevermore trilogy.

My Thoughts:
I have been waiting for this book for YEARS!!! I read the first book Nevermore when it first came out!!!!!! Nevermore is STILL on my most favorites list. The second book Enshadowed was a bit of a disappointment as I felt that the whole book was about rehashing what happened in the first book. It was only the ENDING that made it worth reading and it killed me when I read that ending. AAAH that ending....

Book three the FINAL book in this trilogy is finally here. Throughout the whole last book, Kelly Creagh stayed true to her imagination that is dark and haunting. Yet, beautiful in her writing style and creativity.
I am absolutely in love with the dynamics between Varen and Isobel. You have polar opposites who were able to see and reach beyond the surface and find each other.

I love the tragic side of Varen and how he coped with life throw dark tales of Edgar Allen Poe which brought about the adventure of all three books.

I love the character development of Isobel throughout the series where nothing became more important to her than getting Varen back.

The dark and twisted tale that brought about the separation of these two was utterly brilliant and in book three we continue to see how far one can fall and how hard it is to come back from a deep dark place. There is more to the story than meets the eye. I enjoyed the aspect of Edgar Allen Poe's stories brought to life and how dark and twisted they can be. I enjoyed the modern take that is weaved throughout the story.

I enjoyed learning more about certain characters and the 2 sides which mirrors another character in the book. It was fascinating. I loved it and even felt sorry for it. Brilliant.

However I must admit that even in this last book it got a little redundant in the fact that I felt I was just going in circles and I just wanted it to end! I wanted a happily ever after and instead I got 448 pages of ring-around-the -dark-twisted-rosy.

I was very pleased and satisfied with the ending. I can't wait to own this third book and reread them. But the first book, Nevermore, will still be-in my opinion-the best of all. I look forward to more from this author.

Sexual Content: mild
Violence: moderate (dark, a little creepy at times with characters)
Language: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: none

Mechanical by Betsy Cornwell

**I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It will be released on August 4, 2015.** 

Publisher: Clarion Books
Pages: 304
Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home. 

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

My Thoughts:
I wanted to read this because it had a Cinder feel to it. But I read that so many people were turned off by this book because it sounded so much like Cinder by Marissa Meyer. 

However I can honestly say this is NOTHING like Cinder and it is it's own unique retelling of Cinderella. Such a classic that retellings will never get old. 

Nicolette has become the servant of the house but on her sixteenth birthday she discovers a secret workshop in the cellar of her home that once belonged to her mother. Nicolette's mother was a mechanic or tinker. She created mechanical creatures to do things and Nicolette decides to carry on with her mother's work. Nicolette loves to create things and she's very good at it. 

In order to one day leave her current situation, Nicolette decides  to make things and sell them at the market. Well her inventions become a hit and soon she has several orders. At the market she meets two people and they become really good friends.

The story itself was cute and unique but I had a hard time staying focused. I wanted to see how the story would progress especially with the epic ball and prince scene we are all familiar with and what this author would take the story.

Sadly it couldn't really keep my interest. I finished it but I really had to push through it. There wasn't anything content-wise wrong with the book, I just didn't enjoy the story.

The romance was lame and I was disappointed with it all. I saw it all coming and knew right off the bat what was going on and that was a little disappointing. 

Overall if you want another retelling then check it out. I think younger audiences would appreciate it and possibly enjoy it more than I did.

Sexual Content: none
Language: none
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: none

The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard

Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. Coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.

Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows. Riven isn’t prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. For the first time in her life, Riven isn’t sure about her purpose, about her calling. Torn between duty and desire, she must decide whether Caden is simply a target or whether he is something more.

My Thoughts:
Didn't finish.

I started the book because my 14-year-old niece said it was really good. "My new favorite book," she said. So I was excited. And it was going well in the beginning. I was curious about what was going to happen, about the world, about the characters. But then I got about half way through... and couldn't read anymore. Here's why:

Howard tells us how brave and smart and talented and competent Riven is all the time. I mean, she's a frickin' general in her home world, right? She can beat up anyone and is the strongest, most feared, strategic fighter ever to come out of Neospes. Neospes, mind you, where everyone is trained to fight starting at the age of 2 (has Howard ever met a 2-year-old, btw?) and they learn warfare and combat and all manners of ways to kill people. So when she passes out in the first chapter and, like, five times afterward, and gets beat up and crashes her motorcycle and gets seriously injured and is rescued by the untrained love-interest at least ten times throughout the course of the half of the book that I read, I don't actually believe that Riven is smart or talented or competent or brave or any of that. It makes me think she's actually really bad at her job and only became general because her father is such a prominent figure in Neospes. And why would anyone appoint a 14-year-old general of an army? Ever? At all?

Ok, so we've established that while Howard tells us Riven is a uniquely amazing character, we actually find out that Riven sucks. Then there are the other characters. Most of whom die before we get halfway through the book, so they're probably not worth mentioning. The love interest, Caden, who is also Riven's target for reasons that still hadn't been revealed halfway through the book (which was annoying) but were generally made to sound bad for Caden, has a girlfriend when he meets Riven. And totally disses his own girlfriend and cheats on her with Riven. But we're not supposed to care about the questionable way in which this relationship began because Caden's girlfriend was your classic high school mean girl. So she's not worth caring about.

And I can't even figure out why Caden likes Riven at all. Not once is she nice to him. Ever. Riven gives him mean stares all the time and tells him how superior she is and that she doesn't want friends and doesn't like anyone. But Caden keeps trying to kiss her anyway. And when he succeeds it's this super-passionate moment when he has her trapped even though she told him flat-out that she wasn't interested and then she tried to beat him up. Unsuccessfully, because, you know, she's such a badass. So... Caden is pretty much the date-rapist type. That's what I got out of that.

I started out really curious about the world of Neospes. There's some vague Terminator-type of mechanical war that turned machines against humans and there was some kind of crazy warfare that causes Neospes to live in a bubble and the air is bad and water is scarce and there are crazy animals that are half-machine and they make themselves that way... but nothing was explained. This far into a book something should have been explained. I was getting tired of waiting for the reveals that should have come a little sooner. And been more interesting than the few reveals I did get to. And the twists felt contrived. The emotions were way too drama-y. And stupid. And I think you should just skip this book altogether.

But maybe you'll be like my 14-year-old niece who loved it. Who knows.

Sexual Content: Moderate
Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild, if any

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Philadelphia 1876. The Dead are rising. A zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor Fitt. Whoever controls the Dead Army has her brother. She avoids her mother's choice of husband for the lab of Spirit Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel. The situation threatens her reputation, and the lives of everyone in the city.

My Thoughts:
It took me a while to get into this book. I read the first chapter then put it down for a while because I wasn't interested it. I mean zombies? Really?

But then I picked it up again and read the whole thing in two days. There was just so much to love here!

First of all, I loved Eleanor. I loved that she was strong and brave and smart but Dennard never said any of that. Eleanor was just like that. As a reader we were shown Eleanor's character without being told Eleanor's character. Which was perfect. I loved the writing style, the quality (after the first chapter) of writing and the way characters were written. Loved it. I'm a new fan of Susan Dennard.

All the other characters were also well-developed and well-rounded. And they spoke like real people... in the 1800s. It was like a dark, steampunk Jane Austin novel. Which was really fun. Another thing that I loved was that there was a nice romance element but it didn't overwhelm the story. Nor was it some kind of super-passionate, love-trumps-anything-else-going-on type of affair. It was naturally-evolving and moved at a normal pace. Mostly. But it was still yummy. Although entirely clean.

One thing that bugged was that the huge reveal at the end wasn't surprising at all. It was one of those things you guess after the first chapter but hope it incorrect because it's just so obvious. Oh, well.

Anyway, it was fun. It was clean. It was well-written and really entertaining. Go read it.

Sexual Content: Mild
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: None

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen (The Malediction Trilogy #2)

Book: #2 The Malediction Trilogy
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Angry Robot
Pages: 464

Sometimes, one must accomplish the impossible.

Beneath the mountain, the king’s reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cécile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king’s power. Or his manipulation.

Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every night. But by day she searches for the witch who has eluded the trolls for five hundred years. Whether she succeeds or fails, the costs to those she cares about will be high.

To find Anushka, she must delve into magic that is both dark and deadly. But the witch is a clever creature. And Cécile might not just be the hunter. She might also be the hunted…

My Thoughts:
I fell in love with Danielle L. Jensen since I read her first book Stolen Songbird when it first came out!  I've had to wait, and wait for book two now I have to wait for book three! ARRRGH!

I love that this book/series isn't a little book, it has actual story and lines, and descriptions, and not some quick fast-paced book that is over in 200 pages! There is just so much to love about this book as much as the second.

I know some people were annoyed that a long part of the book the two main love interests remained separated, but I was totally okay with that. I mean it left you wanting to read more and more to know what will happen and how they are ever going to be reunited. *sigh* it's a beautiful thing. Generally once characters get together I loose interest in the over story. Sad but true...

Alright so in Hidden Huntress it follows Cecile who is a rising star on the opera stage, her mother is the driving force behind her success. However, Cecile can't keep out of her head or heart her husband whom she had to leave behind.

Under the mountain in the troll kingdom, Tristan is barely keeping it together. After is big betrayal to his father, Tristan has been in prison for some time. When he is released he is only just barely. The game continuing between Tristan, his father and others was really enjoyable to read about.

The alternating points of view in this book, was not annoying at all to me like it usually does. I really enjoyed what was going on with Cecile outside the troll kingdom and what was going on inside with Tristan. I felt the author did a FANTASTIC job of keeping points of view separate and very distinct.

The ending was amazing. I enjoyed the twist and turns and the action at the end. I wasn't too surprised with the "revelation" but it was still fun to read. The mystery, adventure of it all was just right for book two in this series. I can't wait for book three and look forward to more books by this author.

Sexual Content: moderate (kissing, knowledge that 2 characters had sex)
Language: mild
Violence: moderate (murder, battle, some torture-nothing too graphicO)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild (social drinking, a character gets drunk)

*overall I would recommend this series to anyone!

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Harliquin Teen
Pages: 496

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. 

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. 

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

My Thoughts:
I am so not going to lie here, I have read several of Katie McGarry's books and every. single. one. is the exact same storyline and is laden with cliques.

Bad boy/girl finds the love and desire to change their ways for someone they have fallen for.

So why did I pick it up? because I knew what to expect and I was in the mood!

Alight so we have Oz the bad boy desiring to join his father's club of motorcyclists called Reign of Terror. Where they all look like a gang but are just scary looking guys who like to ride and whose business is to provide "security" for truck drivers down a certain length of road so the drivers and eat, sleep, drive whatever without trouble or anyone trying to steal their cargo.

I appreciated the fact that it showed that not all people who look scary and ride motorcycles are in a gang which most people automatically assume.

Then we have Emily who was raised to believe that her father left her mother when he found out she was pregnant. She is made to believe her father is this no-good-dirty guy yet comes to see her every few years. She is happy with her life whose step-dad is a doctor and she just has the privileged life.

Then everyone's world is thrown off it's rocker when Emily and her parents decide to visit for a funeral of Emily's grandmother whom she has never met nor knew even existed. Problem is when Emily gets there she learns that her supposed dead grandmother isn't actually dead!

Emily soon finds that something isn't right between this long lost family and the life she was raised to believe.

I really enjoyed the mystery and felt that McGarry did a good job of slowly bringing about the true details and still involving a lot of drama, chaos, and conflict in the story without loosing the main focus.

I also enjoyed the personalities of some of the characters especially the grandmother, she was great!

Overall there were some good things about this book but again was the same.

Sexual Content: moderate/heavy (innuendos, sexual tension, knowledge that 2 characters had sex, kissing)
Violence: moderate (attempted murder)
Language: moderate/heavy (plenty of every word)
Drugs/alcohol: moderate (underage drinking, lots drinking in general)

*if content is of concern then I would suggest opting out of this one*

Last Year's Mistake by Gina Ciocca

Publication Date: June 9, 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 256

Before:
Kelsey and David became best friends the summer before freshman year and were inseparable ever after. Until the night a misunderstanding turned Kelsey into the school joke, and everything around her crumbled—including her friendship with David. So when Kelsey's parents decided to move away, she couldn't wait to start over and leave the past behind. Except, David wasn't ready to let her go...

After:
Now it's senior year and Kelsey has a new group of friends, genuine popularity, and a hot boyfriend. Her life is perfect. That is, until David's family moves to town and he shakes up everything. Soon old feelings bubble to the surface and threaten to destroy Kelsey's second chance at happiness. The more time she spends with David, the more she realizes she never truly let him go. And maybe she never wants to.

Told in alternating sections, LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE is a charming and romantic debut about loving, leaving, and letting go.

My Thoughts:
I usually stick to anything but contemporary and it really has to catch my eye in order for me to pick it up. Don't get me wrong I like contemporary romance, I just have to be in the mood for it.

So obviously this one caught my eye! It's a super easy read and you could finish it in a day or less.

The story is told in alternating times: Past & Present. Okay fine, I really wasn't too interested in the past BUT I had to be because it told the back story of David and Kelsey which lead up to this HUGE BIG CRAZY betrayal that cause Kelsey to not speak to David for over a year.

After this so called betrayal happens Kelsey gets a lucky draw and gets to move away and start all over! YAY! so she leaves the past and moves on and becomes the whole new person with new friends and a boyfriend.

Then her life is thrown upside down when when this blast from he past decides to move into the same town and attend the same school as her! WHOA how coincidental is THAT?!

As David becomes involved in her new life, Kelsey has to deal with past feelings and past hurts.

I enjoyed the tense feelings going on between David and Kelsey as they deal with present times and try to figure out what the heck happened to cause such a rift!

Kelsey-honestly was a bit annoying. She is a bit over dramatic about everything, and when it comes down to it she's a cheating backstabber. Now lets be fair-this is just a story.

David-really is nothing but a player, truly. Down to brass-tax he is. Sorry!

So we've got total high school drama/romance that really when you find out the whole "misunderstanding" I nearly chucked the book across the room. Which solidified the true characters of Kelsey and David. Blah.

Overall the book kept me interested and I'm not going to lie I kinda enjoyed the drama between David and Kelsey. I was in the mood for it!

Sexual Content: Moderate (kissing, talk of sex)
Language: moderate/heavy (I think.... I remember there being quite a bit)
Violence: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate (underage drinking)

*if you're in the mood for this kind of thing I would obtain the book from a friend or library*