Tuesday, June 28, 2016

A Ghoul's Guide to Love and Murder (Ghost Hunter Mystery #10)


A Ghoul's Guide to Love and Murder by Victoria Laurie
My Rating: ★★★

M.J. and Heath are back from a well-needed vacation only to discover that Gilley lost his mind and loaned one very dangerous dagger to the museum for their ghostly exhibit. His mistake causes M.J. and company to battle some of the scariest spooks that they've ever faced in this series closer. Will they find who stole the dagger before he or she has time to cause a significant supernatural disaster?

I must say that I'm a bit sad to see this series end. However, all good things must come to an end, and M.J. and company go out with a bang. The opening of this installment seemed more like a summary of the series than an opening to the final book. It just made me a little sad to see the series end, but I was ready to jump into the story and see some of our favorite characters enter a new phase of each of their lives as the story closed. The good news is that the story quickly picks up, and we start to see some of our favorite characters return to the story. I don't know about anyone else, but I was a little excited to see some old spooks and some characters from early in the series. It was kind of like a small portion of the ghost family was getting back together for their last hurrah.

I love how M.J. and Gilley truly seem like siblings all the way to the end. I can relate to the two of them feeling like they're both leaving the nest at the same time after being so close in proximity for most of their lives. It was also interesting to see a non-believer discover that these spooks are real. All in all, I really enjoyed the story and the nice non-supernatural twist that was thrown into the mix. Laurie did a great job highlighting the different books in the series while also giving us a glimpse of where these character's stories will go after the final pages. The series may have ended, but I feel good about where everyone was at once I made it to the last page.

Monday, June 20, 2016

The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1)

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
My Rating: ★★★★

Paige Mahoney is a clairvoyant living in Scion London. In 2059, clairvoyants are widely feared and considered unnatural by much of society. If found, find themselves sentenced to prison, or looking for other clairvoyants to arrest. Paige is among the many that haven't been found. Working in the criminal underworld, she is paid to find information by using her ability break into other people's minds. Paige enjoys her life and her work until she is discovered. She is drugged and transported into a secret city that is controlled by a mysterious group called the Rephaim. The Rephaim collect, use, and feed on clairvoyants under the guise that they are helping Earth. Paige must tread lightly and figure out who she can trust as she seeks to escape this new prison, or die trying.

The story follows Paige, a dream walker that is highly sought out by the leader of the Rephaim. After accidentally killing someone with her abilities, she is located, drugged, and transported to a city under the Rephaim's control. The plot of The Bone Season is a slow burn, but the story is so compelling that it does not feel like it gradually moves forward. There is a lot of technical information about this world and what it means to be a clairvoyant as Shannon slowly builds this world. I am fascinated by how the plot takes place in an alternate universe of sorts where people started developing psychic abilities as little 200 years ago. There are so many layers to this world that continue to unfold as the pages fly by.

I love that Paige is not a natural badass, nor is she weak. She's not perfect, and she certainly has her flaws. We can feel her confusion as she's removed from her old life and dropped into a new and confusing one that is more dangerous than the one that she was torn from. Her confusion, stubbornness, and determination in this new setting make her seem very realistic. She is someone that people can relate to as a person from the very beginning. I also love many of the characters that she meets and befriends, who are each realistic and relatable in different ways. Even the Warden is a fascinating character. I still don't quite know what his true motives are, but I am interested in seeing where his story goes in the future. Many of the characters are frightening, including some of Paige's fellow clairvoyants. I found myself glued to the pages because I was captivated by the characters and the story itself. I can't wait to see how it continues!

Friday, June 17, 2016

Second Coming (First Fruits #2)

Second Coming by Amanda Carney
My Rating: ★★★★

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Parsley finally has everything that she's ever wanted: friendship, love, and mutual acceptance. However, not all is as it seems in Allswell because vampires are not on the list of potential refugees. Faced with planning a future without Jesse or risking everything to be with him, she must choose between living a safe life or risk everything to reunite with Jesse. What will she do?

Second Coming picks up right where First Fruits left off. Carney brings us one action packed story that had me glued to the pages. Jesse's battle is torturous. It was absolutely heart wrenching to see him make tough choices so that he could ensure that Parsley would remain safe. His story allows us to see more into Patrick's terrifying mind. Getting a glimpse into what Patrick has put him through during his second lifetime gave me a better idea of how awful and manipulative Patrick truly is. It also makes me wonder how many of his "sons" are loyal because of his manipulation in the long run.

I really feel for Parsley, especially when she knows that all is not what it seems once she makes it to Allswell. I enjoyed seeing her enter this world and get to know the people there. I love that we had some chapters from the perspective of characters from Allswell so that we could get to know the town and its people a little better. It truly is a magical place that I wish I could visit. The characters are so bright and endearing that I found myself hoping that they would safely come out of the battle that was soon to come. Plus, this new environment allowed Parsley to find her footing, fully accept herself, and make new connections with like-minded souls.

I highly recommend this series if you are looking for an action packed paranormal novel. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story as well as the many characters that it features. Carney presents a series of complex characters, many of them relatable in different ways. I hope to see these characters again if the story continues in a third installment!

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

First Fruits (First Fruits #1)

First Fruits by Amanda Carney
My Rating: ★★★★

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Parsley is a telepath who has been on the run for several years of her life. Never able to stay in one place for too long, she has learned to keep her distance from most people. She must protect herself while also creating new friendships that she will grow to miss when it is time to move on. However, she finds herself lured in by a mysterious man with a serious problem. Jesse is a vampire that has been under the way of his maker since he was reborn 300 years ago. Parsley is not only his target, but also the love of his life. Their meeting is a recipe for a dangerous new life on the run for the both of them.

If you’re looking for a dark vampire novel, this is the book for you! This series opener constantly balances between light and dark. For every scene with Parsley or Jesse, we see who the pair will eventually be faced with. Parsley is kind and caring, but she’s definitely jaded by her past experiences. We slowly learn why she’s constantly on the move as the story unfolds. There’s a bit of mystery surrounding her because of this, which makes her more intriguing. We also see the inner struggle that takes place in Jesse. He’s finally woken up and struggles between what he truly wants and what he has been commanded to do. As the story continues, we meet Patrick and learn how sadistic he is every time his chapters appear. His characterization is bone chilling. He is used to having his way and he will do whatever he wants to fulfill his wishes.

The story is written in multiple perspectives. Each perspective is unique to the character, which makes it easy to tell which character is narrating. There’s a little bit of romance, suspense, mystery, and horror mixed together to create this page turner. The way the characters develop and blossom is interesting and gripping. There are some passages that contain sexual assault, so I would issue a warning so that anyone who might be triggered can decide on wither or not they want to read it.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Organize Your Corpses (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #1)

                                    
Organize Your Corpses by Mary Jane Maffini
My Rating: ★★★★

Charlotte Adams, a budding professional organizer, has found herself back in Woodbridge after dumping her cheating fiancé. Unable to be picky about her clients, she finds herself agreeing to take on none other than her former hellish teacher, Helen "Hellfire" Henley. After Hellfire turns up dead at the scene of her new job, Charlotte's former good friend and current enemy is determined to stick her with the murder. It is up to Charlotte to find the real killer so that she can clear her name and put her former teacher to rest.

If you're looking for a touching and light, cozy mystery, then you've come to the right place. Organize Your Corpses is a wonderful series opener that introduces us to the town and characters. Charlotte is relatable as the kind-hearted protagonist who tries to look at the best in people. She truly enjoys helping others even when they are not the nicest of people themselves. She's also an animal lover, which leads to some goofy and relatable scenarios as her adorable dogs strike. Charlotte is determined to find out what happened to Hellfire to relieve her guilt and clear her name. She's also trying to help her friends, strangers, and slowly dip her toes back into the dating world. She's a kindhearted character that I relate to. She does a lot less organizing than I expected, but it is not something that is too noticeable because the story and the characters are incredibly compelling.

Jack and Sally are Charlotte's entertaining best friends that double as her family. They are scandalized that she's working with Hellfire, the teacher who tormented majority of the students that she taught. The pair are soon sucked into the gossip and mystery that surrounds Hellfire's death and stick with Charlotte until the very end. Jack and Sally are not central characters; they are still relatable as we begin to see them more often throughout the story. I personally enjoyed Jack's antics as Charlotte reentered the dating world, and Sally's perpetual and untamed messiness. I can see why these three remain best friends and something close to a family long after their high school years.

While the characters and their lives are enjoyable, the mystery is also compelling. I still didn't put two and two together until the big reveal. I was successfully duped! I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series, and I hope to find out what happened between Charlotte and Pepper soon.