House of Silence by Sarah Barthel

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review House of Silence by Sarah Barthel! Isabelle is happily engaged to Gregory after spending the required year of mourning after her father’s death. Then she witnesses Gregory committing a fatal act, but he creates a believable story that makes him look like a hero, so no one believes Isabelle when she tries to convince them that Gregory is a murderer. Out of desperation and for her own safety, she is sent to Bellevue Sanitarium where she befriends Abraham Lincoln’s widow and gains allies in her fight against Gregory. A historical fiction mystery that takes place in the late 1800’s. I enjoyed the characterization and the deception of the antagonist along with the suspense – 4 stars!

First Contact by Kat Green

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to YABoundBookTours for the opportunity to read and review First Contact by Kat de Falla and Rachel Green (Kat Green)!
First Contact marks the beginning of the Haunts for Sale series. Sloane is a paranormal real estate agent that searches for haunted houses that her customers want to purchase. She’s using this guise to search for her fiance, Michael, who was killed by a drunk driver just weeks before their wedding. He had a motto for being patient and now Sloane is following it to search for him: “…be patient and if things weren’t working out, give it a year and a day.” This is now Sloane’s mantra to keep her going. The haunting mystery holds suspense and creepiness throughout the whole story. The romance factor adds a nice, warm touch to the spooky tale. Lovable protagonists and horrible antagonists kept me on my toes! I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to anyone wanting a macabre, spooky adult read!

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!

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!

Stranded

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I read Stranded by Melinda Braun as a Riveted free read download. Thank you Riveted! The story instantly grabbed me, as someone is trapped in a vehicle underwater and struggling to escape is described in terrifying detail. Emma survives the car accident, but her sister Lucy does not. Emma has to deal with survivor’s guilt and the recurring nightmares of not being able to save Lucy. Her counselor tries to help Emma and, while sitting in the counselor’s waiting room, she sees a brochure describing a week long adventure. She believes that this is the answer to pull her back to life. The camp turns out to be adventurous and terrifying. A freak storm, injuries, a forest fire and wild animals threaten the campers’ survival. Intense and character building, the story has something for every reader to enjoy – 5 stars!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Aaahhh, the joy of returning to the Wizarding World of J.K. Rowling! I watched the movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, before I read the screenplay. As I read this book, it was like re-watching the movie all over again, plus a bit more! I actually became teary-eyed because of pure happiness. It is so good to have a story written totally by J.K. Rowling that once again transforms reality into a wonderfully creative fantasy! The story curiously brings us to America, as we watch Newt Scamander trying to control his briefcase and immediately the action begins with interesting creatures, characters and thrills! Highly recommended, especially if you want a bit more insight and if you also want to relive the movie – 5 stars!

Touch by Jus Accardo

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Touch by Jus Accardo!

Dez lives with her father and on her way home from a party one night, she meets Kale and everything she has believed about her life explodes. She discovers that her father is dangerous and has been lying to her for years about her mother’s “death”. Kale has a touch that kills, literally. Dez has walked into a world that she had no idea existed and her father is the leader. Her life becomes more complicated than she could have imagined and she has to rely on the few people she feels she can trust to save herself and the people she loves. Science fiction and young adult (a heads up about a sex scene, if that bothers you). I rate Touch by Jus Accardo 4 stars, for a creative science fiction world that pulled me in! This is also the second book of Jus Accardo’s that I have read and I am excited to dive into more of her books!

Infinity by Jus Accardo

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Infinity by Jus Accardo!

An Army general’s daughter is trying to spray paint a mural in remembrance of her mother. The police and her father don’t appreciate it. The general has to leave town, so he has two soldiers watch over Kori, but she sneaks out to get a look at her progress on the mural before the mayor has it painted over. While out, she’s attacked by a stranger named Dylan and she is terrified. The two soldiers, Cade and Noah, save her. Kori unwittingly discovers alternate dimensions and family secrets while running for her life. Science fiction usually isn’t my favorite genre, but Jus Accardo put all of the pieces together flawlessly and interestingly. I love everything about this book – 5 stars for suspense, creativity and dynamic characters!

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Synopsis and buy the book links:

About the Book

Book Title: Infinity

Author: Jus Accardo

Release Day: November 1, 2016

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

There are three things Kori knows for sure about her life:

One: Her army general dad is insanely overprotective.

Two: The guy he sent to watch her, Cade, is way too good-looking.

Three: Everything she knew was a lie.

Now there are three things Kori never knew about her life:

One: There’s a device that allows her to jump dimensions.

Two: Cade’s got a lethal secret.

Three: Someone wants her dead.

Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220742-infinity

Amazon Buy Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/infinity-jus-accardo/1123132853

iBooks Buy Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/infinity/id1105088032

Kobo Buy Link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/infinity-38

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Entangled Publishing: http://entangledpublishing.com/infinity/

Excerpt of Infinity by Jus Accardo:

“Is that something people lie about around here?” His blue jeans were worn, pulled over battered black combat boots. The sole of the left one was peeling away from the shoe. Did he think he could slack because Dad wasn’t here? That no one would see him and report back? Even if they had permission to be in civies, there were strict standards. While off duty, a soldier had to maintain a neat, well-groomed appearance. This was more an outfit worthy of a high school rebel, which, honestly, this guy didn’t look much older than.

           The one in the back pushed him aside and came forward. Black hair fell just below his ears and had a slight wave to it. It was fuller than normally allowed, not even close to regulation. On some of our previous bases, hair standards weren’t strictly enforced. But at Hannity, they were sticklers. High and tight. Those were the rules.

           Like the other guy, he had on a leather jacket with black fatigue pants tucked into slightly worn combat boots. Unlike the first, though, this one had seen some trouble in his day. There was a thin scar on the left side of his face. It went from just above his eyebrow, down across his eye and to the tip of his chin.

           My pulse spiked a little as his gaze raked over me. Down and up, then up and down, lips parting slightly. I didn’t go for greenies, but this one sent the butterflies in my stomach tripping crazy. It was the scar. It added character to his angular face, suggesting that maybe there was more than meets the eye. Or possibly it was the way he was looking at me. With a spark of hunger and something close to wonder in his expression. I’d never had anyone look at me that way. Like I was something mythical and rare. A creature that shouldn’t exist. I twisted, shifting so that the door obscured just a little more of me from his view.

           He hesitated, focus still trained on me, and for a moment I thought he might poke me to be sure I was real. Clearing his throat, he finally said, “I’m Private First Class Cade Granger, and this is…” He paused to glance over his shoulder. “Recruit Noah Emeal.”

           “A private and a fuzzy Really?” I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased or insulted. I mean, why bother sending supervision at all if you were going to scrape the bottom of the barrel?

           “I promise you’ll be safe with us, Miss Anderson.”

           Miss Anderson. Huh. Maybe there wasn’t more to this guy. He sounded just like the rest of them. Formal and uptight. “That right? So you’re here to save me from myself?” Because, really, that was the problem, right? I couldn’t be trusted to keep myself out of trouble.

           “I’m not sure I understand.” He tilted his head to the left, confused, but didn’t take his eyes off me. In fact, if anything, his gaze grew more intense. It was like he and I were the only ones in the room. In the world…

           “I’d really appreciate it if you could stop staring.” I snapped. “I can’t tell if you’re mentally trying to strip me, or contemplating which way to cook my skin for Sunday dinner. Either way, it’s creeping me the hell out.”

Overdrive by Dawn Ius

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Overdrive by Dawn Ius! Julia, a teenage car thief living in a foster home with her ten year-old little sister, is busted during a car grab. Julia has been trying to become independent enough to raise her sister, Emma, on her own. She does not want to be separated from Emma and will do whatever it takes for them to stay together. I admire Julia because she loves her sister tremendously and by choice, wants to take care of her. Roger Montgomery wants to give Julia and Emma a place to live. Julia is suspicious, but feels like she has run out of options. A “Gone in Sixty Seconds” young adult story involving teenage foster kids and all the thrills and car chases as the movie. Eleanor, the amazing Mustang from the “Gone in Sixty Seconds” movie, even has a cameo appearance! Since I am a fan of the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this! It takes a while for the foster teenagers to mesh and get along, but after Roger tells them his secret, they get to know each other better and work well together. Roger seems a bit strange and the teenagers are cautious around him and unsure of his intentions. The teenagers figure out Roger’s secret and things change dramatically after that. Overdrive gets a 4 star rating because of its complex emotions, teamwork and the thrill of the chase!

Every Hidden Thing

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel. A dinosaur expedition to dig up the first Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil is the story in this book. Told in alternating points of view between Rachel and Samuel, both of whose fathers are competing paleontologists. The transitions between the two points of view took me a while to get used to because a small change in font is the only acknowledgment. The fathers are competing against each other and Rachel and Samuel are along for the expedition. They end up working the same dinosaur site with tremendous animosity. This historical fiction story includes T-Rex bones, Badlands fossils, the infamous Mr. Barnum with a bit of romance added into the mix. Someone steals from the Indian burial grounds and the Sioux Indians are looking for the items that were taken. This adds more suspense and interest to the story. The story is inspired by a true paleontologist rivalry between Edward Drinkwater Hope and Othniel Charles Marsh. This rivalry took place in the late 1800’s and is known as the “Bone Wars”. 4 stars for this interesting paleontology read!