Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland drew me in with the beautiful cover and my interest built with the synopsis. The mysterious Grace and the non-mysterious Henry are chosen to be the senior editors of the school newspaper. Grace flat out says no! The intrigue of Grace and the nonchalance of Henry pulled me into the story immediately. Complicated characters, complex lives and an emotional roller coaster make this book therapeutic. This young adult story is charming and endearing, romantic and humorous, and tragic, all at the same time. Wow! What a read! 5 stars for cleverness and un-put-down-ability! The author’s reference page is charming also. Highly recommended!

 

The Amateurs by Sara Shepard

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the opportunity to read and review The Amateurs by Sara Shepard! This new series by the well-known author of Pretty Little Liars impressed me. The mysterious disappearance and murder of a teenage girl goes unsolved for five years and then a group of online detective teenagers, that are part of the website known as the Case Not Closed group, decides they want to solve the mystery. Brett, Aerin (the victim’s sister), Maddox and Seneca each have their own tragedy that they are dealing with. They are a team full of teen angst and have to struggle and come to terms with each other to work well together. Dangerous events threatening their lives make them wonder if they should stop investigating and if they are getting closer to solving the mystery. The twists are fun and unpredictable and include a cliffhanger ending that left me anxious for the sequel. It’s nice to have a modern mystery fiction series for young adults to enjoy-5 stars!

The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to read and review The Fallen Kingdom, book three in The Falconer trilogy by Elizabeth May! Derrick, Kam’s pixie friend, continues to give comic relief to the dire circumstances of the fae and human realms. Kam comes to life without any knowledge or memories of who she is or was. She’s lost and wanders until Derrick finds her. The overwhelming power that has been given to Kam makes her angry and extremely strong. So angry that she harms Derrick. Kam’s memories return and she learns about a book that can alter time and reverse all of the violence, destruction and killing that has occurred. She wants to bring her mother back and all the people that have lost their lives during the fae battles. No matter what choice she makes, Kam will lose someone. Complex characters, complete world building and a roller coaster of emotions make me love this fantasy steampunk series – 5 stars!

The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to read and review The Vanishing Throne, the second book in The Falconer trilogy by Elizabeth May! Kam awakens from the terrible realization that the fae have been released only to find herself captive to Lonnarch, who keeps her imprisoned and takes her blood over and over so he can sift through her memories. Kam escapes and is eventually reunited with those she loves only to discover the many intricacies of their lives and her relationships with them. She also learns more about her own history and has to make decisions that will affect the light and dark fae kingdoms, as well as the human realm. My rating is 5 stars for the adventure, world building and romance!

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Falconer, book one of The Falconer trilogy by Elizabeth May, is interesting from the first page! The main character, Kam, is listening to gossiping ladies talk about how she supposedly killed her mother. This intrigued me plenty, but then Faeries are introduced into the story. Kiaran is an intriguing, enigmatic and mysterious faerie. Gavin is an old friend who plunges headfirst into danger and into the fae world with Kam. I enjoyed the dynamics between Gavin and Kam and Kam and Kiaran, the banter pulled me into the story even more. I’m curious about Kiaran’s whole being, past and purpose. The fae vocabulary, the detailed bestiary at the end of the book, the descriptions of the struggles Kam deals with and the beautiful characters make this book hard to put down – 5 stars!

Botanical Beauty by Aubre Andrus

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read and review Botanical Beauty: 80 Essential Recipes for Natural Spa Products by Aubre Andrus! This book contains abundant information categorized into different sections of the body: hands and feet, full body, face and hair. Each section contains recipes to pamper and beautify. The recipes go beyond commonly seen to ingenious creations and ideas. The lotion bar is the first recipe I want to make once I get my own copy of this book because, yes, I pre-ordered it! The helpful, natural and easy to follow recipes and instructions are accompanied by detailed photographs and this book includes descriptions of ingredients, container ideas and where to purchase them, thorough directions and it even has diy nail art and nail wraps, which I wasn’t expecting. The do-it-yourself ideas include the chemical (nail serum to toothpaste) and also material (creaseless hair ties to spa wraps)! Botanical Beauty earns a 5 star review from me while I patiently wait for publication and my copy to arrive!

Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity to read and review Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant! I was hooked just by reading the synopsis and I really like the book cover! Eva, pronounced like “ever” without the “r” on the end, has a unique ability to feel people’s memories and the emotions that go with them by touching the person or their belongings. Eva avoids touching anyone or their things because the feeling scribbles or fractals, as she now calls them, come at her like a storm. I relate to Eva in the way she analyzes and keeps her ideas to herself. Eva tutors math students and this is how she meets Zenn. The tutoring turns into more and their relationship is charming in many ways. I laughed out loud when Eva calls Zenn ‘The Rugrat Whisperer’ when he helps with her three-year-old quadruplet siblings. I love Eva, her logic and bravery and also how she doesn’t avoid what’s bothering her and tries to face any problem head-on, with caution. This book is full of charm, interesting and dynamic characters, complex relationships, romance and the hope of what the future holds. A really big 5 stars for this endearing romance!

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill! This fantasy story contains a refreshing new plot idea and wonderfully complex characters. The main character, Britta, has lost her father and after her allotted two months of mourning, will now lose her home. She has been told that her one true friend, Cohen, killed her father. Britta has the gift of knowing what is truth and what is a lie. She feels that Cohen did murder her father. She has been given an offer to catch Cohen and then she can keep her father’s home. She ventures out to find Cohen and discovers him and so much more about her past and her family. The believable characters and the clever and cohesive world building make this book one of my favorite reads and I am anxiously awaiting the sequel that comes out December 2017! I give Ever the Hunted a 5 star rating for a highly recommended fantasy read!

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review I See You by Clare Mackintosh! This mystery thriller has three points of view that switch on and off throughout the book. Kelly (a police officer), Zoe ( a nervous citizen) and the person behind the stalking and other awful acts that are occurring to random women that have somehow had their photos secretly taken without their knowledge or permission and posted onto a dating chatline. I was interested in the mystery and tried to figure out the guilty party, but it is very unpredictable and every time I thought I had it, I found out I was wrong. The twists and turns, the unpredictability and the ending that is creepy to the core make this murder-mystery a must read for suspense lovers; 4 stars!

Nemesis by Anna Banks

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for the opportunity to read and review Nemesis by Anna Banks! Sepora has escaped her kingdom with the help of her mother and her pet, whom she loves very much. In a neighboring kingdom, Tarik has been honored as he takes over the role of king when his father gets sick, deteriorates quickly and dies. This story is told in two points of view featuring Sepora as one and Tarik as the other. Sepora and Tarik alternate consistently throughout the book. I like this switching between the two because it gives insight into both of their thoughts and perspectives.

Sepora is captured then sold as a concubine in Tarik’s harem, which he never visits. She escapes and seeks an audience with Tarik and being amused by Sepora, he makes her an assistant. She’s a handful for Tarik and he’s not sure how to deal with her because he enjoys her and learns a lot from her, but he is expected to punish her actions by his peers and subjects. Told in beautiful prose, Nemesis weaves romance, intrigue and a unique story into a new and fantastic world, 5 stars! I’m looking forward to the sequel, Ally coming out Fall 2017!