What Lies Around The Bend...

" The sea holds many secrets. Moira Alexander has always been fascinated by the deadly sirens who lurk along the shores of her island town. Even though their haunting songs can lure anyone to a swift and watery grave, she gets as close to them as she can, playing her violin on the edge of the enchanted sea. When a young boy is found dead on the beach, the islanders assume that he’s one of the sirens’ victims. Moira isn’t so sure. Certain that someone has framed the boy’s death as a siren attack, Moira convinces her childhood friend, the lighthouse keeper Jude Osric, to help her find the real killer, rekindling their friendship in the process. With townspeople itching to hunt the sirens down, and their own secrets threatening to unravel their fragile new alliance, Moira and Jude must race against time to stop the killer before it’s too late—for humans and sirens alike." Review: I’ll give this book one thing, and that’s atmosphere. What a very middle of the road book. The prose

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE CAMELOT RISING TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 3. CHECK OUT  THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION  FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1, AND THE CAMELOT BETRAYAL FOR BOOK 2! "While journeying north toward the Dark Queen, Guinevere falls into the hands of her enemies. Behind her are Lancelot, trapped on the other side of the magical barrier they created to protect Camelot, and Arthur, who has been led away from his kingdom, chasing after false promises. But the greatest danger isn’t what lies ahead of Guinevere—it’s what’s been buried inside her.  Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlin’s help, Guinevere joins forces with the sorceress Morgana and her son, Mordred—and faces the confusing, forbidden feelings she still harbors for him. When Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war. Guin

"What does it take to come back to life? For Jessa-Lynn Morton, the question is not an abstract one. In the wake of her father’s suicide, Jessa has stepped up to manage his failing taxidermy business while the rest of the Morton family crumbles. Her mother starts sneaking into the taxidermy shop to make provocative animal art, while her brother, Milo, withdraws. And Brynn, Milo’s wife―and the only person Jessa’s ever been in love with―walks out without a word. It’s not until the Mortons reach a tipping point that a string of unexpected incidents begins to open up surprising possibilities and second chances. But will they be enough to salvage this family, to help them find their way back to one another?" Review: This was a fantastic read. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever read before, I don’t even know where to begin. With a lime green background and a bright pink flamingo on the cover, I think I was expecting something a bit more vivacious and action-packed. While it wasn’t e

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE CAMELOT RISING TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! "Everything is as it should be in Camelot: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom's influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.  Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to the people around her - Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde; Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen's knight; and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere - the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn't belong. She never will.  When a rescue goes awry and results in the d

" We were just these innocent girls in the night trying to make something beautiful. We nearly died. We very nearly did, didn't we? Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort--a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other "Bunny," and seem to move and speak as one. But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled "Smut Salon," and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus "Workshop" where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of re

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE MONSTERS OF VERITY SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT THIS SAVAGE SONG FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! "Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her ow

"Working as a Wench―i.e. waitress―at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a Knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college. Company policy allows only guys to be Knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place, clobbers the Green Knight, and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But this Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other Wenches and cast members join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first." Review: This book is a standard 3 star. Good, not great. And really not all that memorable if I’m honest. I appreciated the cause and the movement and I appreciated tha

  WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE DIVINERS SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 4. CHECK OUT  THE DIVINERS  FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1,  LAIR OF DREAMS  FOR BOOK 2, AND BEFORE THE DEVIL BREAKS YOU FOR BOOK 3! "After the horrifying explosion that claimed one of their own, the Diviners find themselves wanted by the US government, and on the brink of war with the King of Crows. While Memphis and Isaiah run for their lives from the mysterious Shadow Men, Isaiah receives a startling vision of a girl, Sarah Beth Olson, who could shift the balance in their struggle for peace. Sarah Beth says she knows how to stop the King of Crows - but, she will need the Diviners' help to do it. Elsewhere, Jericho has returned after his escape from Jake Marlowe's estate, where he has learned the shocking truth behind the King of Crow's plans. Now, the Diviners must travel to Bountiful, Nebraska, in hopes of joining forces with Sarah Beth and to stop the K

“Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother's dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called "calorie restriction,' eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, "Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn't tint hers?" She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.  In I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail-just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi ("Hi Gale!"), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which ma

"There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story. As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison. Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster." Review: Listen, I love a good moth-demon girl as much as the next person, but nothing beats “the only thing that could make you more beautiful to me than you are now is to see you

  WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE RED QUEEN SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 4. CHECK OUT  RED QUEEN  FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1,  GLASS SWORD  FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 2, AND KING'S CAGE FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 3! " VICTORY COMES AT A PRICE. Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all . . . starting with the crown on Maven’s head. But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolish everything—and everyone—in his path. War is comin

"OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE. Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield―her brother, fighting with the enemy―the brother she watched die five years ago. Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family. She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family w

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE SHATTER ME SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 5.  FOR THE REVIEW ON BOOK 1, CHECK OUT  SHATTER ME . FOR BOOK 2, CHECK OUT  UNRAVEL ME . FOR BOOK 3, CHECK OUT  IGNITE ME , AND FOR BOOK 4, CHECK OUT  RESTORE ME . “ Juliette Ferrars isn’t who she thinks she is. Nothing in her world is what it seemed. She thought she’d finally defeated the Reestablishment. She thought she’d finally taken control of her life, her power, and her pain. But Juliette has only just begun to unravel a lifetime of lies, and she finds herself faced with a familiar choice:   Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.   This time, she’s not alone. Stronger, braver, and more resilient than ever, Juliette will fight for life and love with her friends by her side—but first, she has to survive the war being waged against her mind: She has to remember who she was.” Review: Okay this one was waaaay better than the last one, I’m glad I pulled through. This installme

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE SAINT VIEW PRISON SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 3. CHECK OUT  LOCKED UP LIARS   FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1, AND  SOLITARY SINNERS  FOR BOOK 2! “When a judge declared Heath guilty and sentenced him to death row, everything we'd been fighting for went up in flames. We have no excuses. No appeals. No freedom.  Now, there's only one way out. One way left for him to avoid a lethal injection in his arm.  Escape.” Content Guidance:  This series contains explicit content that is not suitable for readers who are under 18. This book also contains dark themes that may trigger some readers. Please read with care. Review: Wow, what a fantastic way to wrap up this story. Being on the run has never been so peaceful frankly. Doesn't everyone want to live the rest of their days in a cabin in the woods with three hunky gentlemen all in love with you?????? My only quarrel is the very very end of the book with a last mi

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE SAINT VIEW PRISON SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 2. CHECK OUT  LOCKED UP LIARS  FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1! “In the middle of a prison riot, the psychopath who  murdered my sister holds me hostage. Soulless eyes  black, bloodied knife in his hand, my name a  whispered threat on his lips. My only hope is the  three men fighting for my heart…and their lives. Separated in the chaos, flames surround Rowe, the  growly prison guard who acts like he hates me but  always has my back. Liam, my lawyer on the outside.  I've only just realized the depth of my feelings for the  boy I once despised in high school. I dragged him  into all of this and now I need his  help more than  ever. And cornered by violent criminals is Heath, the  prisoner I've fallen for more with every day he's been  incarcerated. I know he's innocent and I'm here to  prove it, but I won't get the chance if he doesn't  make it

“Nothing prepares you for finding your sister's lifeless body covered in blood. But when the police arrest her ex, a man I know is innocent, I can't sit by and do nothing. Not when I've been secretly in love with him for years. Heath may not want my help, but I won't take no for an answer.  To catch a killer, I'm forced to take a job at Saint View Prison. Maximum security. The place they send the worst of the worst. But it's not just Heath who doesn't want me there. Rowe, the sinfully sexy head guard has made it clear I don't belong. I'd tell him where to go with my middle finger up, if my skin didn't prickle with awareness every time he touches me.  Then there's Liam, hotshot lawyer and my old high school enemy. All that tension and chemistry is still there, burning between us like flames. I need his help, but I'll be damned if I beg for it. With every lie we uncover, every secret we expose, the danger mounts. Until there's only one

“Seventeen-year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, a legendary bounty hunter—that is, until her father is murdered. The alleged killer is none other than Cohen Mackay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart.   She must go on a treacherous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force.” Review: This was an enjoyable read. For the most part, I enjoyed the friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers storyline. The relationship between Brit and Cohen was the center of this entire book. Was it the best romance I've ever read? Absolutely not, but that might just be because friends-to-lovers is not my favorite trope. Here's

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE ARCANA CHRONICLES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 5. FOR THE REVIEW ON BOOK 1, CHECK OUT  POISON PRINCESS ,  FOR BOOK 2, CHECK OUT  ENDLESS KNIGHT , FOR BOOK 3, CHECK OUT  DEAD OF WINTER , AND FOR BOOK 4, CHECK OUT ARCANA RISING ! “ In a world teetering on the edge . . .   When Evie receives life-changing—and possibly game-changing—news, she has trouble believing it. Why doesn’t she feel any different? Is it possible someone she trusts might be   lying?   With enemies at every turn . . .   Tensions seethe inside the castle of lost time as Evie starts to doubt her own sanity. Answers can be found outside their stronghold, but will Death help her find them—or prevent her from learning the truth about her future and Jack’s possible survival?  Darkness beckons.    A mysterious, sinister power begins to affect the Arcana in its path. Forced out into the wasteland alone, Evie must depend on unexpected allies. But as a battle

"Violet's in her element. Cosplay at the ready, she can't wait to feel part of her favorite fandom: The Gallows Dance, a mega book and movie franchise that she and her friends know every word of (canon and fanfic included). But at Comic Con, a freak accident transports Violet and her friends into the story for real. And in just the first five minutes, they cause the death of the heroine, and get taken prisoner by the rebel group she was supposed to lead to victory. It's up to Violet to take her place, and play out the plot the way it was written. But stories have a life of their own, and when you change the script in one place, the rest gets revised too...." Review: Alright this wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The nerdy girl has to replace the brave heroine from her favorite book?? Exciting. Or is it? Shrinking Violet and all her friends (and her dorky younger brother) all fall into the tale. All except Katie know how the plot is supposed to go. And yet..

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE FOLK OF THE AIR TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 3.  FOR THE REVIEW ON BOOK 1, CHECK OUT THE CRUEL PRINCE .  FOR BOOK 2, CHECK OUT THE WICKED KING .  “ He will be the destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne . Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.  Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan's betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her twin sister, Taryn, whose life is in peril.  Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in t

" Seven months. That’s how long I was kept captive. Locked in a room with a bed, refrigerator, and adjoining bathroom, I was instructed to eat, bathe, and behave. I received meals, laundered clothes, and toiletries through a cat door, never knowing if it was day or night. The last time I saw the face of my abductor was when he dragged me fighting from the trunk of his car. My only solace was Mason―one of the other kidnapped teens―and our pact to one day escape together. But when that day finally came, I had to leave him behind. Now that I’m home, my parents and friends want everything to be like it was before I left. But they don’t understand that dining out and shopping trips can’t heal what’s broken inside me. I barely leave my bedroom. Therapists are clueless and condescending. So I start my own form of therapy―but writing about my experience awakens uncomfortable memories, ones that should’ve stayed buried. When I ask the detectives assigned to my case about Mason, I get an an

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE SERPENT & DOVE SERIES, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 3. CHECK OUT  SERPENT & DOVE   FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1, AND BLOOD & HONEY FOR BOOK 2!   “Evil always seeks a foothold. We must not give it one. Lou has spent her whole life running. Now, after a crushing blow from Morgane, the time has come to go home—and claim what is rightfully hers. But this is no longer the Lou her friends knew. No longer the Lou who captured a chasseur’s heart. A darkness has settled over her, and this time it will take more than love to drive it out.” Review: This was certainly an interesting final installment. The overall feeling I’ve had throughout this whole series has been frustration. I’m frustrated with the plot, I’m frustrated with the pace and I’m frustrated with having to push through this read. Clearly though, I’m invested. I care where this goes, the author has made me care. But at what cost?  I think I was just hoping

"Sixteen-year-old Ariadne’s whole life is curated and shared with the world. Her royal family’s entertainment empire is beloved by the tabloids, all over social media, and the hottest thing on television. The biggest moneymaker? The Labyrinth Contest, a TV extravaganza in which Ariadne leads fourteen teens into a maze to kill a monster. To win means endless glory; to lose means death. In ten seasons, no one has ever won. When the gorgeous, mysterious Theseus arrives at the competition and asks Ariadne to help him to victory, she doesn’t expect to fall for him. He might be acting interested in her just to boost ratings. Their chemistry is undeniable, though, and she can help him survive. If he wins, the contest would end for good. But if she helps him, she doesn’t just endanger her family’s empire―the monster would have to die. And for Ariadne, his life might be the only one worth saving. Ariadne’s every move is watched by the public and predestined by the gods, so how can she find

  WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THIS FAR IN THE GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE TRILOGY, STOP NOW. DO NOT READ. THIS IS BOOK 3. CHECK OUT  GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE   FOR THE REVIEW OF BOOK 1 AND CHECK OUT GIRLS OF STORM AND SHADOW FOR BOOK 2! "There's one thing Lei knows - she can never return to the Hidden Palace. The trauma and tragedy she suffered behind those opulent walls would plague her forever. She could not be trapped there with the sadistic king again, especially without Wren... The last Lei saw of the girl she loved, Wren was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in terrorizing peril, will they find each other again or have their destinies diverged forever?" Review: What an amazing final chapter. This series has been filled with so much love and grief and hardship but this was the ending I think we all deserved. Lei and Wren have been separated and Lei is back in the clutches of the King.