Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson! The story begins with May in her teen years helping her mom take care of her cancer stricken father. The story continues on with May and her mother trying to deal with the loss of their loved one, after her father took his own life. They handle things differently and in their own ways but eventually they move forward with their lives, still keeping him close to their hearts. This book is about relationships, tragedy, friendship and love and is a tear-jerking read; both sad and happy tears. It’s also a soothing balm to help heal wounds and sadness. I love Hearts are like Balloons with its humor and strong characters. 5 stars for this realistic fiction, romance story!

Kiss Me Kill You by Larissa C. Hardesty

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Kiss Me, Kill You by Larissa C. Hardesty! Emmy is a succubus but she has no idea that she is because her mother has kept her in the dark, even though it’s her job to teach and train Emmy. Emmy feels like an awkward teenager and the only guy she’s interested in, (Paul), turned her down when she asked him on a date. Emmy is changing due to being a succubus and guys are noticing. She goes on a date with Jake, has her first kiss and he ends up in the hospital. Emmy is freaked out and her mom and best friend, Lily, are finally telling her the truth. She fights against her succubus duties and struggles with her feelings for Paul. There is a boost in the amount of swearing in the last part of the book, so I give it a rating of 4.5 stars. Kiss Me, Kill You fits in the supernatural genre and it’s fun and fast moving and kept me so entertained that I didn’t want to put it down; I read it straight through.

Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson! Harper and her twin brother Cole attend and reside at a boarding school. Their father is their only parent and they’re not in a very close relationship with him. Harper has always felt responsible for taking care of her brother. Sterling Lane is a new student with a reputation of getting kicked out of schools. He bulldozes into Harper’s self-controlled life and she can’t quite get her head around it. Cole seems to be in serious trouble and his life, as well as Harper’s, begins to spiral out of control and Sterling is right in the middle of it all. Serious and mysterious, as well as cleverly intelligent and full of humor, this book is a wildly entertaining, young adult, realistic fiction read worthy of 5 stars! I had a blast reading this book and absolutely love the personalities of Harper and Sterling and the way they balance each other out and make formidable partners!

Atlantis Reborn by Gloria Craw

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Atlantis Reborn by Gloria Craw! Alison becomes clan chief and makes choices that change her life. Each book in this series has Alison handling a different life changing event. Atlantis Reborn, the third book of the Atlantis rising series, gives Alison much more than one change to her life. She’s matured and knows everything about her past, her parents and her heritage. She gains loyal friends, becomes stronger and enjoys her relationship with Ian. Atlantis reborn is the book of this series with the most action, humor and romance. The ending is also perfect. 5 stars for an entertaining fantasy read!

Atlantis Quest by Gloria Craw

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Atlantis Quest by Gloria Craw! Alison has now learned about her heritage from her biological mother and also about her abilities and now she’s expected to rescue her enemy from a kidnapping. She travels to a ski resort and spies on the Truss family to find Nikki and any news about her kidnapping. Alison meets and stays with a distant relative, Theron. He tells her about her father’s lineage and the story of how she was left with humans. Alison is given even more dangerous tasks to perform and help her people. Theron’s gruff demeanor mellows as his familial relationship with Alison grows. They are good for each other. This second book of the Atlantis trilogy amps up the dangers, action and intensity of Alison’s world while her responsibilities grow. 5 stars for this interesting fantasy adventure!

Atlantis Rising by Gloria Craw

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Atlantis Rising by Gloria Craw! Alison works hard to not get noticed by anyone because she wants to blend in and stay invisible. Her adoptive parents love her tremendously and treat her well. She meets new students, Ian and Brandy, who start attending her school and, despite her best efforts, they become her friends. When she was younger, a stranger recognized her abilities and warned her to keep them secret. He also told Alison that she’s an Atlantis descendant like he is. He noticed her when she used her thought transference ability while playing, which means she can give other people thoughts and then they follow through with them. For example, if someone shows interest in her, she makes them think she’s boring and to not pay any attention to her. She fell and hit her head at school and is now having a difficult time using her transference ability. She discovers that Ian and Brandy are children of Atlantis also and they fill her in on her past and how she is being hunted by the man who killed her biological mother. Complex story and interesting characters make Atlantis Rising a great fantasy read; 5 stars!

Remember Me Forever by Sara Wolf

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Remember Me Forever by Sara Wolf! The refreshing sense of humor of Isis Blake opens the story and I’m so happy to be with her again:). She’s setting off fireworks at the top of a chimney with her beloved grandmother at four in the morning. We can see where Isis gets her interesting personality. The author recaps the past events of Isis’ and Jack’s lives smoothly and through alternating points of view. Their roller coaster relationship makes life difficult for both Isis and Jack. They are both trying to figure out their present plans and their futures. This book is the culmination of past relationships, struggles and secrets that have haunted their individual lives and the people they love. I love the snark and out loud ramblings from Isis and also her generous personality and the mystery of Jack and ALL that he encompasses. Remember Me Forever is romantic, suspenseful and fun and ends the series perfectly, 5 stars. Sara wolf knows how to bring her characters to life and have them grow and become part of her readers’ hearts. At the end of this book, a new series by Sara Wolf is introduced- Bring Me Their Hearts which is planned for release in 2018! I’m interested!

Keeping Kyler by Siobhan Davis

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I voluntarily read and reviewed Keeping Kyler by Siobhan Davis. Just when I thought there couldn’t be any more surprises, more pop up in this book, the third installment in The Kennedy Boys series! As the story is opening, Kyler runs in anger and doesn’t even tell Faye where he’s going. He won’t respond to her texts, frustrating and worrying her even more. This leaves Faye to deal with her own surprises without him, so they are both alone in their struggles. Kyler meets his biological father and turns away with complete disbelief and disgust. And the surprises keep coming, loaded with twists and turns. The relationship between Kyler and Faye is cute, sometimes cheesy, to the annoyance of everyone around them. They are mature for their age and I suppose it’s because of the difficult experiences they have lived through, which makes their lives anything but dull. 5 stars for this new-adult romance and mystery story!

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the opportunity to read and review Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton! The list of characters at the beginning of the book helped refresh my memory of the first book in this series, Rebel of the Sands.
The introduction summarized the past events also and brought me up to speed. Rebellion and war are center stage in the middle of a bundle of tumultuous relationships. Amani gets herself captured so she can rescue other rebels, willing to sacrifice herself if needed. This story is filled with death defying actions and more disguises than I can keep track of, all pulled together seamlessly to strengthen the rebellious plot. Spies, intrigue and harems in the desert setting build a tale of a dangerous Sultan and his kingdom and several heirs to his throne. The tension grows in this sequel and some lives are lost while some are spared. The surprise ending of this sequel, full of turmoil and deception, leaves me anxiously awaiting the third book. 5 stars for an action packed adventure fantasy!

One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

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Voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review One was lost by Natalie D. Richards. The first two chapters show the setting and describe the main and surrounding characters. The action and suspense begins in the third chapter. There’s some kind of animosity between Sera and Lucas that comes to light a little at a time. As I read, I learned more about the four main characters and the struggles each of them has in their lives. Being in a forest is a perfect setting for a horror story and the bridge washing out helped move the danger of being stranded along. Nice steady pacing of the mystery and suspense. The book kept me wondering to the end. Great horror story for young adults, 5 stars!