Week 52 Review: Gallant

From Goodreads:

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

#1 New York Times–bestselling author Victoria Schwab weaves a dark and original tale about the place where the world meets its shadow, and the young woman beckoned by both sides. The Secret Garden meets Crimson Peak in this stand-alone novel perfect for readers of Holly Black and Neil Gaiman.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother's journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn't matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

New York Times bestselling author Victoria Schwab crafts a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors. An eerie, standalone saga about life, death, and the young woman beckoned by both. Readers of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Melissa Albert, and Garth Nix will quickly lose themselves in this novel with crossover appeal for all ages.

My Review:
I loved reading this book! I love Olivia, she was an amazing character, and I loved watching her learn about this world, about her family and their past. And of Gallant, and what it does, what purpose it serves. It was such a great read! 

Olivia can't talk, and given how her life has gone up to this point, given that she basically grew up in an orphanage, she's pretty bitter about the world, and has developed some pretty sharp thorns to protect herself from it. And she has this sprinkle of I don't care about the rest of the world, which is just utterly understandable!

We were told what her mom's journal said. But it didn't make any sense, because we didn't know about this world. And when we did, and we had that section where we could read those pages as they were written, not talked about, and with the drawings, it just made everything snap into place, and I loved that reveal! 

That ending though? That was just a little bit evil! More than a little really. That hurt, but given what they were facing, it does make sense. This is a book about love and family obligations, and sometimes things don't end happily ever after. It was satisfying but boy did not hold back its punches! 

Loved reading this book, it was a really fantastic read! 

Author: V.E. Schwab
Read: December 29th, 2021
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing so much and it sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2021 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Expected Publication: March 1st 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Dreams Lie Beneath

From Goodreads:

Perfect for readers of The Hazel Wood and The Night Circus, this lush and layered story about magic and the captivating power of dreams is delivered with acclaimed author Rebecca Ross's signature exquisite style.

A curse plagues the realm of Azenor—during each new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between people and their worst dreams.

Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians challenge her, she is unwittingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she secretly gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets begin to rise. Clementine must unite with her rival to fight the realm's curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn. 

My Review:
Well this was a really fantastic read! I really am loving Rebecca Ross's books, the worlds and characters she creates are just so easy to read, and I devoured this book in less than a day, because I did read other books besides this one on the 28th. I stayed up a little bit late, but it was worth it because it was a fantastic read!

The idea of a court that killed their Duke, and then were cursed, was a pretty interesting idea, and how that led to dreams walking. Which lead to magicians fighting dreams when they walked the streets on new moons. It was pretty interesting world building!

Clementine was a fantastic character to read about! She has her pride in the position that her dad holds, but when that's lost, well, she goes on a bit of a vengeance kick, and makes some questionable decisions, and it was anxiety inducing to read, but I loved it! 

I did guess which one of the twins her dad was. But that one final twist? That one I didn't guess, and that one hurt! Oh, was it a fantastic twist! With all the twists that had come before, it all came together really well! That ending was just fantastic! 

This was an amazing read, and I can't wait to see what Rebecca Ross writes next! 

Author: Rebecca Ross
Read: December 28th, 2021
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2021 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Quill Tree Books 
Published: November 2nd 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: 14 Ways to Die

From Goodreads:

A page-turning new YA thriller for the social media age, perfect for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One Of Us Is Lying.

Ten years ago, Jess's mother was murdered by the Magpie Man.

She was the first of his victims but not the last.

Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she's using it to catch the killer once and for all.

The whole world is watching her every move.

And so is the Magpie Man.

My Review:
This was a really fantastic read! The whole concept of someone using their social media platform and influence to help catch a killer is a pretty interesting one! And this book was so fast to read, the chapters never got more than 3 pages, and most were about one, and it was so easy to fly through this book! 

I had some imaginings what this book would be about, but I didn't quite guess. I thought that she would have her own channel, but it's a series that she joins, and it's a competition between her and other people with interesting hooks, to get the most views, so they can continue to be on the show. I would've liked a little bit more of this, especially given what happens with the show there...

A good portion of this book is about grief, and how people deal with it in various ways, and some ways different people react to it. Jess and her dad have been living with the loss of her mother for years, and they both have different ways of coping. 

I loved how the clues came together! Some things that we didn't know at the time were clues, but they were planted, and so that ending came together really well! That was pretty intense, but Jess mostly kept her head, and that just worked out very well!

Loved reading it, it was a compelling mystery! 

Author: Vincent Ralph  
Read: December 28th, 2021
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2021 Book!
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 
Published: June 1st 2021 

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Servants of the Storm

From Goodreads:
A year ago Hurricane Josephine swept through Savannah, Georgia, leaving behind nothing but death and destruction — and taking the life of Dovey's best friend, Carly. Since that night, Dovey has been in a medicated haze, numb to everything around her. 

But recently she's started to believe she's seeing things that can't be real... including Carly at their favorite café. Determined to learn the truth, Dovey stops taking her pills. And the world that opens up to her is unlike anything she could have imagined.

As Dovey slips deeper into the shadowy corners of Savannah — where the dark and horrifying secrets lurk — she learns that the storm that destroyed her city and stole her friend was much more than a force of nature. And now the sinister beings truly responsible are out to finish what they started.

Dovey's running out of time and torn between two paths. Will she trust her childhood friend Baker, who can't see the threatening darkness but promises to never give up on Dovey and Carly? Or will she plot with the sexy stranger, Isaac, who offers all the answers — for a price? Soon Dovey realizes that the danger closing in has little to do with Carly... and everything to do with Dovey herself. 

My Review:
I had a great time with this book! It was dark and atmospheric and I had a great time reading it! The idea of demons living in the devastation of storms, in that negative energy until they had the power to basically bring about those storms was pretty fascinating! 

The whole thing with the distal bones as well, that was interesting and so infuriating! It was an awful situation to be in, and I just wanted her to get out! But oh, was it an entertaining read watching it all go down, I just had to know more! 

This world, and what was hiding in the storm was so compelling! It was dark and twisted, and watching Dovey enter further and further, the tension just kept rising. Because we can't fully trust Dovey because she's coming off antipsychotics just worked perfectly with everything going on! 

That ending, though? Oh, that ending hit hard! After this whole time where she's learned that she's not crazy, the dark side of this world is hiding, and for things to end that way? Oh, that was just evil! I feel so badly for Dovey! 

This was a really dark and creepy read, and I had a great time reading it! 

Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Read: December 22nd, 2021
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a DAC Book, SAC 2021 Book and a RR Book!
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: August 4th 2014

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: The Unquiet Past

From Goodreads:

Tess has always been tormented by waking visions that make her question her sanity. When the orphanage she lives in burns down, she decides to face her fears and find out once and for all what is wrong with her. She believes the truth must lie with her parents, and so, armed with only an address and phone number, Tess travels to a crumbling mansion in rural Quebec, where she discovers evidence of mistreatment of mental patients. She also makes an unlikely ally and gradually unearths her family's sad history and finally accepts the truth about her paranormal powers.

My Review:
Oh, I really enjoyed reading this story! It is short, and it was quick and easy listen! I do wish that there could've been just a little bit more story, the ending was pretty abrupt, but yeah, I had a great time with this story!

Tess was a really interesting character to read about, she's an orphan who doesn't know anything about her past, and she sees people who are dead-or is sees moments of the past. She's smart and strong willed, and I really enjoyed her character!

The investigation into the only clue that she has-a phone number that was assigned to an abandoned house, was really interesting! And there she meets Jackson, they had this fantastic dynamic, where it always seemed like he was making some outrageous demand, and she was being calm and reasonable about the whole thing. Of course it wasn't always like that, but I really enjoyed their interactions! 

I did feel that the ending was a little bit rushed. We'd barely met the guy, and then suddenly he's the bad guy, and then the book was basically over. I do wish we could've gotten a few more details about what happened with his experiments, as well as where we're leaving these characters, because I do want to know more about what their lives are going to be like now. 

This was a fantastic read, and I'm really glad that it exists! 

Author: Kelley Armstrong, Narrated by Gabrielle Mon Desire 
Read: December 21st, 2021
Source: Library 
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a Historical Fiction 2021 Book and a SAC 2021 Book! 
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: September 29th 2015

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 50 Review: They Never Learn

From Goodreads:

From the author of the "raw, ingenious, and utterly fearless" (Wendy Walker, USA TODAY bestselling author) Temper comes a dynamic psychological thriller about two women who give bad men exactly what they deserve—perfect for fans of Killing Eve and Chelsea Cain.

Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she's even better at getting away with murder.

Every year, Dr. Clark searches for the worst man at Gorman University—professor, student, or otherwise—and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she's avoided drawing attention to herself…but as she's preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies close, Dr. Clark insinuates herself into the investigation and charms the woman in charge. Everything's going according to her master plan…until she loses control with her latest victim, putting her secret life at risk of exposure.

Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year. Finally free of her emotionally abusive father, all Carly wants is to focus on her studies and fade into the background. Her new roommate has other ideas. Allison Hadley is cool and confident—everything Carly wishes she could be—and the two girls quickly form an intense friendship. So when Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay...and turning her fantasies about revenge into a reality.

My Review:
This book was fantastic to read! I loved the whole concept, and it was such a great read! I loved the alternating perspectives of Scarlett and Carly. They're two wildly different characters-at the surface, but they both have this inner rage, at men and the horrific acts that they commit against women that they get away with.

I enjoyed getting to know both Scarlett and Carly. Scarlett's introduction is pretty intense, given that she kills a dude, but Carly's introduction is much quieter, with her parents dropping her off at college. She was so shy and had no confidence in herself, while Scarlett was unflinching and harsh and in control of herself and her body. 

When we get that reveal, that was so shocking! We were told just enough to make us think one thing, so that it all added up to something else was just fantastic! I maybe thought that Carly and Scarlett were going to end up working together, but what happened was even better! I love what that meant for this book, that came together really well! 

That ending was so sissifying though! It wasn't what I expected, but it worked out really well for the both of them! Watching them get away with these murders of the ones that are most deserving of it, at least in this little college town, was the perfect ending for this book!

I loved reading this book, and I can't wait to see what else Layne Fargo writes!

Author: Layne Fargo
Read: December 14th, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: It sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2021 Book! 
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Published: October 13 2020

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 48 Review: Certain Dark Things

From Goodreads:

From the 'New York Times' best-selling author of 'Mexican Gothic' comes a pulse-pounding neo-noir that reimagines vampire lore.

Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized.

Atl needs to quickly escape the city, far from the rival narco-vampire clan relentlessly pursuing her. Her plan doesn't include Domingo, but little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his undeniable charm. As the trail of corpses stretches behind her, local cops and crime bosses both start closing in.

Vampires, humans, cops, and criminals collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive? Or will the city devour them all?

My Review:
This was such a fantastic read! I loved the various types of vampires in this book, they're based of mythology that aren't just the European ones, and I loved learning about the different mythologies come to life in this book!

I loved the various perspectives, from Atl and Domingo, to the bad guys that are on their tail, to the cop that is investigating the vampire crimes. They all came together really well to tell an excellent story! I knew things were going to come to a head-there were 3 opposing view points, of course there was going to be some combination of clashing. 

Things were rough for Atl, having her family destroyed, and being on the run, in a world where vampires aren't allowed most places. I enjoyed her time with Domingo, he was a breath of fresh air, so lively and innocent. I had to know where their story would go! 

And oh, that ending! That was just a little bit sad, that after all that they went through, that that's how it's all going to end. But it's not like there was any better options, that future dream that could've been, but they couldn't really have, and that loss just made things so bittersweet. 

I loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Silvia Morena-Garcia! 

Author:  Silvia Morena-Garcia, Narrated by Aida Reluzco 
Read: November 30th 2021
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2021 Book!
Publisher: Macmillian Audio
Published: September 7th 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 48 Review: With You All the Way

From Goodreads:

Ada's life is a mess. She just caught her boyfriend cheating on her after a humiliating attempt at losing her virginity, and she's had it up to here with her gorgeous older sister's unsolicited advice.

But things really hit the fan during a family vacation in Hawaii, where Ada discovers her own mother is having an affair. Apparently, everyone is falling into bed with people they shouldn't. Everyone except Ada. But when Ada decides she's going to stop trying and start doing—sex, that is—her best laid plan overlooks an inconvenient truth:

Feelings, romantic or not, always get in the way.

My Review:
Oh, this book was so fantastic! I really enjoy Cynthia Hand's books, ever since her first one, and I had a great time going on this vacation with Ada and her family, as she deals with cheating and feelings! It was such a great read!

So this quite the usual cover that I love, since the colours aren't immediately there. But looking at it longer, the more details come to light. So I really love this cover!  The leaves and the layers and the colours, it just looks so great! 

This is a book about family, at the heart of it. That her mom is cheating, it's the final straw for Ada. There's a lot of family drama,and I really enjoyed watching their relationships, espcailly the one that she has with her sister,  Afton.

One thing that I love about this book is how sex positive it is, and how it talks about consent. This it stuff that teens need to know. That her sister has been candid about her own experiences was really helpful for Ada. So I really enjoyed that! 

I had a great time reading this book, and I can't wait to read more Cynthia Hand! 

Author: Cynthia Hand 
Read: November 30th, 2021
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really good and I enjoy her writing and it's a SAC 2021 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: March 30th 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 48 Review: Poor Little Dead Girls

From Goodreads:

The first time she is blindfolded and kidnapped, star-athlete and posh boarding school newbie Sadie is terrified. She wakes up in a dark room surrounded by hushed whispers, hooded strangers, and a mysterious voice whispering not-so-sweet nothings in her ear. But once the robes come off, she realizes it's just an elaborate prank designed to induct her into the group that's been pulling the strings at Keating Hall for generations. The circle has it all--incredible connections; fabulous parties; and, of course, an in with the brother society's gorgeous pledges. The instant popularity is enough to make Sadie forget about the unexplained marks on her body, the creepy ceremonial rituals, and the incident that befell one of her teammates the year before. So the next time Sadie is kidnapped, she isn't scared, but she should be. The worst of Keating Hall is yet to come. 

My Review:
Oh, this was another awesome mystery book! This one had a school setting so that was a lot of fun to read, dark academia had a pretty big wave of interest this year, so that was great! I had a great time watching this story unfold! 

My one thing about this book was that the writing style was a bit stilted, wasn't the most enjoyable to read. I really enjoyed the story and the characters, but the writing slowed me down a little bit. Which was too bad, but otherwise I had a good time with this book! 

I don't know why hazing still happens. Well, I understand, but given how often there are stories of it going wrong, adults really should be doing a better job of keeping it in check, at the very least. It wouldn't be as exciting, but it'd be safer. 

Some of the reveals were really shocking. That what she was put through, that she didn't know, that was just horrible. I did wish that there could've been something that shut down the group, or weakened it or something, but alas! 

This was a really great mystery, and I had a really great time reading it! 

Author: Lizzie Friend
Read: November 30th, 2021
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book and a SAC 2021 Book!
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: November 1st 2013

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Week 48 Review: Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets

From Goodreads:

Piper's fall was no accident. Did someone want her dead? It's up to her sister to discover the truth in this shocking new thriller with an unreliable narrator, from the acclaimed author of Little Creeping Things.

Piper Sullivan was in a strange hiking accident last month and has been in a coma ever since. Her older sister, Savannah, can't pretend to be optimistic about it; things look bad. Piper will likely never wake up, and Savannah will never get any answers about what exactly happened.

But then Savannah finds a note in Piper's locker, inviting Piper to a meeting of their school's wilderness club...at the very place and on the very day that she fell. Which means there was a chance that Piper wasn't alone. Someone might've seen something. Worse, someone might've done something. But who would want to hurt the perfect Piper Sullivan...and why?

To discover the truth, Savannah joins the club on their weekend-long camping trip on the same mountain where her sister fell. But she better be careful; everyone in the club is a suspect, and everyone seems to be keeping secrets about that tragic day.

And Savannah? She's been keeping secrets, too...

My Review:
I had a really great time reading this book! This mystery was so intriguing, and I just needed to know what was going to happen next! To go into a pretty dangerous situation, knowing that her sister was in a coma for doing about the same that she was about to undertake, the intrigue was high! 

I will say, that it was a slight bit confusing. Since Chelsea Ichaso had The Dark Way Down last year, and then this book, and I got ARC's of both. They have a similar synopsis, and Goodreads has them as different editions of the same book. If there are any differences, I don't know, but I read the 2022 version.

One thing that I really liked was that Savannah was the older sister, and Piper younger. Most of the time, the perfect, more beloved child is the older one. So that was a different dynamic, and I enjoyed reading it! 

Secrets is a big thing in this book, it's mentioned multiple times in the synopsis, and of course it's in the title.I just wanted to know what they were, and boy, there were some shocking reveals! Savannah had her secrets, but Piper did as well! Loved watching them all come out! 

This was a fantastic read, and I can't wait to read Chelsea Ichaso's other book! 

Author: Chelsea Ichaso
Read: November 29th, 2021
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2021 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Expected Publication: April 5th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 47 Review: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

From Goodreads:
Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.

Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.

But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness. 

My Review:
This book was so excellent  and so easy to read, and of course very dark! I've never read the original because I'm not one for classics, but it's spawned some pretty amazing retellings, and this one just joined the group for me! I loved reading it!

I loved the different parts of this book, of going to Victor's college town, to being back home, to the part where the truth is revealed, and action is taken! It was such a wild ride, but it made sense with each and every step!

I felt so badly for Elizbeth. She was in a horrible position, to be attached to this family, but not a part of it, with no money, no prospects, and dependent on being needed in Victor's life to continue as she is. But oh, if she only knew!

Things just keep getting worse and worse for her, she keeps having to cover for Victor-and he's doing some pretty awful things. But when she found out of all that he'd done, I loved how she took action, and how that ending went was just thrilling to read and it worked out very well, given the circumstances! 

This was a fantastic read, and I love that it exists! 

Author: Kiersten White
Read: November 24th, 2021
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Historical Fiction 2021 Book, SAC 2021 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Published: September 25th 2018

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 46 Review: Romancing the Throne

From Goodreads:
For the first time ever, the Weston sisters are at the same boarding school. After an administration scandal at Libby's all-girls school threatens her chances at a top university, she decides to join Charlotte at posh and picturesque Sussex Park. Social-climbing Charlotte considers it her sisterly duty to bring Libby into her circle: Britain's young elites, glamorous teens who vacation in Hong Kong and the South of France and are just as comfortable at a polo match as they are at a party.

It's a social circle that just so happens to include handsome 17-year-old Prince Edward, heir to Britain's throne.

Charlotte's had her eye on Edward, and soon they're snogging all over the campus lawn and common rooms—while Libby busies herself with settling into her studies and navigating the complicated social code of Sussex Park. Eager to put her sister at ease, Charlotte encourages Libby to hang out with her new boyfriend. And much to everyone's surprise, Libby and Edward hit it off.

Actually, they really hit it off.

In this juicy, contemporary girl-meets-prince story, two sisters find themselves at odds over the same boy amid high-society expectations and paparazzi scandals. In the end, there may be a price to pay for romancing the throne . . . and more than one path to happily ever after.

My Review:
I was apprehensive about reading this book. I tried reading it earlier, but I didn't get much further than the first chapter. I don't read a lot of contemporary YA's, or contemporary anything, it just doesn't have as much going on as I'd like. And with this story, knowing both girls are going to end up, well, romancing the throne at some point or another, well, the drama there scared me. But I read it, and I had a good time!

Charlotte and Libby are very different people. Charlotte is outgoing and athletic, and the one people would consider fun. Libby is shy and serious. That Libby gets along so well with Edward, that causes a lot of tension between Charlotte and Libby, even though Charlotte and Edward's relationship ends before anything happens between Edward and Libby. 

While this book is about the relationship that these girls have with Edward, it's also about the one that they have with each other. And it takes a beating, because Charlotte isn't okay with Libby being with Edward, but Libby does it anyway. But it was great to watch Charlotte, after all her paranoia, start to make decisions about what she wanted.

I'm glad for how everything turned out in the end. They had their rough patches, but they worked it out. They're sisters, they're family, and they ultimately didn't let a boy get between them, which I was pleased with. It was a really satisfying conclusion!  

This was an enjoyable read, and I can't wait to see what else Nadine Jolie Courtney writes!

Author: Nadine Jolie Courtney
Read: November 14th, 2021
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really good! And it's a SAC 2021 Book!
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Published: May 30th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 45 Review: The Ghostwriter

From Goodreads:

Four years ago, I lied. I stood in front of the police, my friends and family, and made up a story, my best one yet. And all of them believed me.

I wasn't surprised. Telling stories is what made me famous. Fifteen bestsellers. Millions of fans. Fame and fortune.

Now, I have one last story to write. It'll be my best one yet, with a jaw-dropping twist that will leave them stunned and gasping for breath.

They say that sticks and stones will break your bones, but this story? It will be the one that kills me.

This book is not a romance. It is contemporary fiction, but very suspenseful in nature. It is about a famous romance author and a dark secret she keeps. 

My Review:
Man, this book was so fantastic! I wasn't sure what was going on with this book, especially since the first two sentences of the synopsis aren't really mentioned at all in the story, but it's building up to that point, of what she lied about, and that was just fantastic to read!

We know right from the beginning that a) something was up, given that last tidbit of the prologue. And b) we knew she was going to die, having been given a terminal diagnosis. And watching her determination for this book to be written, one that she planned to write further in her career when she was a better writer, well, it was pretty heartbreaking!

This story is split between the present, of when she's wrapping things up, and writing this book, or at least dealing with the ghostwriter that she chose (that was a really fun story) and the other half was of her life, of the book that she needs to write.

That ending had a two part punch-finding out exactly what happened, and her death. The first was just devastating, and the second hurt, but we knew it was coming. The former was set up, but I just wasn't expecting it to go that far! It really didn't hold anything back! 

This was a wonderful, but heart-breaking book! Loved reading it! 

Author: Alessandra Torre 
Read: November 10th, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2021 Book!
Publisher: DCA
Published: September 29th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars