Shattered Memories (The Mirror Sisters #3) by V.C. Andrews

In this finale of the darkly gothic Mirror Sisters trilogy, one twin fears her reunion with sister dearest—from the legendary New York Times bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic and My Sweet Audrina (now Lifetime movies). For fans of Ruth Ware (The Woman in Cabin 10) and Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies).

They share an unbreakable bond...

An inescapable bond.

As identical twins, Haylee and Kaylee Fitzgerald have always done things in exactly the same way. Under their mother’s guidance their every outfit, every meal, and every thought was identical.

But now things are different.

With Kaylee back at home after her sister's betrayal, her life has been turned inside out. Both her mother and Haylee are away and Kaylee’s alone and more lost than ever. Her father suggests going to a new school where she can have a fresh start, and where no one will know about her dark past. But if Kaylee knows her sister at all, she knows that her twin isn’t through with her yet…

Shattered Memories is the amazing finale to a dark and captivating series! If you have not read the previous books this review will contain major spoilers! 

Just as beguiling as the first two books of the trilogy, this one picks up with Kaylee trying to piece back together her life after being rescued from the abduction that her very own twin sister set in motion. Haylee is being treated at a mental hospital and Kaylee is set to start at a new private school for a fresh start. 

I assumed there would be a trial where Kaylee would have to face her captor and rehash her horrifying experiences but unfortunately that was not featured. I would have liked to see that as that seems like the next logical step of the story and also to hopefully answer a couple of my lingering questions.There was however the fact that Kaylee would soon have to face her sister for the first time after confirmation that she in fact was behind the whole abduction. Needless to say the tension was high and I was anxious to see how things played out. 

Kaylee also has to deal with the fact that her mother is still in a sensitive state of mind and wants everyone to not mention anything that happened and to pretend Haylee is just away at school. Aside from the difficulties she faces within her family Kaylee's story also features this other life she has made for herself at school. She meets new friends but has to keep them at a distance so as to not let them find out who she really is and what she's been through. She also meets a boy and it's interesting to see how she deals with flashbacks of her imprisonment and how she tries to heal. 

They bond on some strange wounded level and it's nice that someone else gets it. There wasn't quite as much of a showdown with Haylee as I pictured but ultimately I think the ending was appropriate. Shattered Memories is definitely a page-turner. Highly recommended!  

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. April

Weight of the World: the prequel by A.D. McClover

Weight of the World is the first of a 2-part series featuring Stephon St. Claire aka Saint. Saint is an ambitious, self-motivated dreamer who sees the world for what it is; the haves and the have-nots. His three-year stint in prison for selling cocaine within 1000 feet of a school zone left him feeling abandoned, angry and alone. With the mounting pressure of raising two infant sons that were both born while he was incarcerated, Saint needs to come up with a new master plan for his life. 

Blessed with the gift of gab he trades in the drug game for the underground world of “managing escorts”, which some may refer to as pimping. With his main girl Amanda by his side, things start to look up. 

The money is flowing but it’s too much for one man to handle so he solicits the help of his first cousin Ant. On the way to achieving his ultimate goal of providing a better life for his kids and of course himself; greed, envy and back-stabbing enter the picture. Will Saint rise to the occasion or crumble under pressure? 

The author is serving time in a Florida prison and the story starts out like a long letter from your favorite inmate. I originally struggled with how every other sentence ended in an exclamation point. The story revolves around Saint, who gets out of jail, meets Amanda the first day who agrees to pack up all her belongings and go with him on the road. They go to Atlanta where they get the hotel clerk to quit her job to join Amanda who’s working at a gentlemen’s club while Saint manages their money. Saint then gets a third girl working at the club to join them on their travels after one conversation.

It was at this time that I decided to suspend belief, stop finding the holes in the story and just go with the story. And what do you think happened? Yup, I enjoyed the book. Once I accepted that although the author’s bio states that “his graphic and startling tales are all actually based on his life and the life those he knew in the streets”, the ‘re-telling’ are just the highlights with no substance whatsoever. 

I can see how some details can be true to life but it’s also obvious that the story is based on fantasy. A fantasy from someone serving time All in all, I am not saying that this not a good book, it just needs to find the right audience. AND I wouldn’t be completely opposed to reading his sequel “The World I Once Knew”. McClover has the talent and with some coaching once he gets released, I expect him to become a very successful author.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Roberta

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson

Growing up, Kate Priddy was always a bit neurotic, experiencing momentary bouts of anxiety that exploded into full-blown panic attacks after an ex-boyfriend kidnapped her and nearly ended her life. When Corbin Dell, a distant cousin in Boston, suggests the two temporarily swap apartments, Kate, an art student in London, agrees, hoping that time away in a new place will help her overcome the recent wreckage of her life.

Soon after her arrival at Corbin’s grand apartment on Beacon Hill, Kate makes a shocking discovery: his next-door neighbor, a young woman named Audrey Marshall, has been murdered. When the police question her about Corbin, a shaken Kate has few answers, and many questions of her own—curiosity that intensifies when she meets Alan Cherney, a handsome, quiet tenant who lives across the courtyard, in the apartment facing Audrey’s. Alan saw Corbin surreptitiously come and go from Audrey’s place, yet he’s denied knowing her. Then, Kate runs into a tearful man claiming to be the dead woman’s old boyfriend, who insists Corbin did the deed the night that he left for London.

When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence and calms her nerves--until she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment and accidentally learns that Corbin is not where he says he is. Could Corbin be a killer? What about Alan? Kate finds herself drawn to this appealing man who seems so sincere, yet she isn’t sure. Jet-lagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself, so how could she take the chance on a stranger she’s just met?

A completely engrossing story. The type of book that you can’t wait to pick up again to start reading where you left off. It’s better if you can do it in one sitting or at least over a weekend. The story starts out when Kate, having already suffered past trauma with a psychotic boyfriend is thrust into a new situation which has her questioning her sanity and even her luck in attracting psychos.

 Originally from London, she agrees to switch apartments for the summer with Corbin, her distant cousin living in Boston. As soon as she arrives to Boston, she finds out that the next door neighbor was killed the same day her cousin left for London. Although her cousin denies having known her, Kate soon finds out that they were actually involved in a relationship. The story then focuses on the search for the killer with all the main characters narrating from their point of view. Each character is fully drawn with their own intriguing back stories. A very satisfying read. You will recommend and even pass the book along for the next person to enjoy.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Roberta

Upper East Side Girl by Bernard F. Conners

One of the things Parker Livingstone loves about his apartment at 822 Fifth Avenue is that it reminds him of the vanished mother who left it to him. The old building seems almost immune to the passage of time: its foyer, its furnishings, its etiquette are from another era. And once Parker discovers an out-of-service elevator with room to sit and write, he finds he can escape from the present completely. Not so at his job as a junior literary agent, where he faces a demanding boss and an intrusive coworker.He features them both as characters in his novel, the theme of which is his great preoccupation: time.Parker believes that time ultimately renders everything meaningless, and that the present is just an illusion. When Parker meets Sarah, however, he suddenly sees his future.She is all he has ever wanted in a woman: charming, beautiful, smart, confident, cultured.But she is elusive: a chance meeting in the Park, a picnic in the old elevator, and then she is gone again. As Parker's boss and coworker grow increasingly suspicious - demanding to see his manuscript Parker grows increasingly paranoid about losing his job and obsessed with his mystery woman. Who is she? Why are his neighbors silent on the matter? Where does she disappear to? And what might he have to forfeit to be with her? Upper East SideGirl is a moving portrait of a man in love and in crisis, as well as a thoughtful meditation on the nature of time itself." 

When I received this book, I was really surprised at how thin it was and I was a little skeptical whether the story would be very good or not. Once I started reading Upper East Side Girl however I found I was really into the story after the first 10 pages and I hated to put the book down when I had to. I love how Mr. Conners gave a lot of detail to the scenes and the characters. By describing the look of the apartment building I could see it in my mind as if I was there. The way Mr. Conners detailed the characters I felt like I knew them just as well as “Parker.”

I loved how suspenseful the story was and how fast the story seemed to move. Usually it takes me between 4 days-1 month to finish a book, I was able to finish this book in 3 days. Every time I thought I knew what was going on or what would happen next, I always found that my guess was off and I really enjoyed that. I love when a story can keep me guessing and interested throughout the entire book.

     I have never read any of Bernard F. Conners books before, but I loved this book and think he did an amazing job with this novel. I plan to read his other books now and I hope they are just as great as this one was. I liked how short all the chapters were, I knew that if I had to put the book down that I could finish a chapter beforehand and not worry about being in the middle of one. I think that short chapters are great for those readers who love to read but have short attention spans. 

I liked that the novel felt like a vintage type. To me it felt like I was reading a vintage story, but at the same time it could be set in today’s time as well. Out of a 10 I give Upper East Side Girl by Bernard F. Conners a 9 and Mr. Conners a 9 as well. I can’t wait to read more of his stuff!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Tiffany

The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness by Maddie Dawson

Three women, three lives, and one chance to become a family…whether they want to or not.

Newly orphaned, recently divorced, and semiadrift, Nina Popkin is on a search for her birth mother. She’s spent her life looking into strangers’ faces, fantasizing they’re related to her, and now, at thirty-five, she’s ready for answers.

Meanwhile, the last thing Lindy McIntyre wants is someone like Nina bursting into her life, announcing that they’re sisters and campaigning to track down their mother. She’s too busy with her successful salon, three children, beautiful home, and…oh yes, some pesky little anxiety attacks.

But Nina is determined to reassemble her birth family. Her search turns up Phoebe Mullen, a guarded, hard-talking woman convinced she has nothing to offer. Gradually sharing stories and secrets, the three women make for a messy, unpredictable family that looks nothing like Nina pictured…but may be exactly what she needs. Nina’s moving, ridiculous, tragic, and transcendent journey becomes a love story proving that real family has nothing to do with DNA.

Nina Popkin wants to know about her past.  The death of her adoptive mother sends her on a search for answers about her birth mother and the circumstances of her adoption.  Who does she take after?  Who does she look like?  And the most important question of all—to whom does she belong?  In The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness, author Maddie Dawson explores what it means to be a family and how one woman ends up building her own.

            Nina first meets her sister, a woman that she went to school with, and knew only peripherally.  The meeting does not go as planned, though, and Lindy (birth name: Poppet), has mixed feelings about meeting Nina (birth name: Kate).  Nina just seems so unstable—living in her dead mother’s condo, divorced, and too needy.  Through many attempts, the two decide to work together to find their birth mother and learn the secrets of their past.

            The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness is ultimately a book about creating a family for yourself.  Nina comes to accept her own flaws and the quirks of other people and is able to move forward in her life.  There is a subplot about Nina’s new romance with a newly divorced dad and his two teenage children.  Nina, the love-them-and-let-them-go type, becomes the de-facto mother to the kids and learns that parenting is not as easy as it seems.

            When Nina finally meets her mother, she is surprised to learn that she is a moderately famous musician.  Far from receiving the welcome she expected, Nina is faced with a woman who regrets her life choices and just wants a quiet existence.  While Lindy and Nina pursue answers from their mother, Phoebe, she has to decide how much of her past she wants to reveal.

            The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness had many appealing aspects.  I liked the relationship between Nina and her new boyfriend, the divorced dad, as well as the interactions she had with his children.  His daughter, Indigo, had the most vibrant characterization of anyone else in the book.  She was spirited, and I enjoyed reading about her growth. I also enjoyed Nina’s voice in the beginning of the book.  Her character was full of sharp quips and great personality.

            As the book continued, I became disappointed by the overly dramatic push-pull of the relationships in the book.  Nina was either pulling or pushing her sister, the mother was pulling or pushing the daughters, the teenager was pushing or pulling Indigo.  It was enough to give me whiplash, but it really just made for a tedious middle of the book.  In addition, when the big reveal for the circumstances of the adoption, I realized that there was no big reveal at all.  Most of it had been told in a prologue at the beginning of the novel, and the part that had not been revealed, was underwhelming.

            The theme of making your own family shone through loud and clear, but I wish there had been a little less push-pull and a little more actual drama.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Regina

Royally Roma (The Royals #1) by Teri Wilson

In this charming, modern retelling of the classic Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday, a royal prince tries to escape his hectic and rigid life and ends up leading a young graduate student on a chase through the Eternal City.

Julia Costa is too busy trying to complete her PhD while also holding down a full-time job as a private tour guide in Rome to keep up with celebrity gossip. So when she crosses paths with a real, actual prince, she mistakes him for a client and takes him on a daylong tour of the city.

Intrigued by the idea of spending time with someone who obviously has no idea who he is, and delighted at the prospect of a day free of royal obligations, Niccolo La Torre, Crown Prince of Lazaretto, acts on impulse and assumes the role of Julia’s client. He swears to himself that he’ll return to his royal duties after only half a day…but he’s having the time of his life.

Until Julia presents him with the bill. Since he snuck out of the hotel without so much as a dime, he tries to escape, only to discover that she won’t let him out of her sight until he can pay her back. She’s determined to get her money…and perhaps more from the handsome stranger she’s fallen for. 

With a nod toward the classic film, Roman Holiday, Royally Roma by Teri Wilson is a breezy, light-hearted romp through the streets of Rome and other Italian locales.  This sweet confection is the perfect escapist novel.

            Julia takes her job as a tour guide seriously.  A graduate student with a day job taking wide-eyed tourists around Rome, Julia is trying to escape the shadow of a family scandal that nearly ruined her life.  Add a disastrous relationship, and Julia is just trying to make do in the beautiful city she loves.  When a new tour goes terribly wrong, she is determined to stand up for herself and get the compensation she deserves.

            Niccolo La Torre, Crown Prince of Lazaretto, is tired of being the responsible prince.  While his brother recklessly parties and shames the family name as a playboy prince, Niccolo is left to uphold royal responsibilities and please his grandfather, the King.  Niccolo, faced with a schedule as daunting as it is boring, decides that he needs one free day where no one knows who he is.  When he sees Julia in a restaurant, Niccolo decides to pose as Julia’s client.  Now, if only he can make it through the crowded streets without being recognized or found by his princely security detail, Niccolo might just have time to fall in love.

            If you can suspend your disbelief and accept a few flaws, you will enjoy Royally Roma.  There was definitely some insta-love between Niccolo and Julia, though there were a few measly efforts to make the relationship take a while to develop.  It really did not seem realistic that the prince would not be recognized just because he shaved his beard.  And my biggest problem was with the whole reveal of the two characters’ deepest secrets to one another—Julia revealing her family problem and Niccolo revealing his status.  The scene, long awaited, was over so quickly that I was left scratching my head and rereading.  All that build-up for so little drama!

            But really, I did not care all that much about the flaws.  I needed to read a lighthearted book, and Royally Roma delivered.  I would absolutely read other books in the series, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Regina

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

This book was a delightful read. It starts out by introducing us to Susan, the editor of the hugely successful Atticus Pund series. Excited to receive the manuscript for what is to be number nine in the series, she dives right into the story that evening. This story is a murder mystery set in a typically idyllic English village. Imagine our (Susan and the reader’s) surprise when we get to the end of the story only to discover that the last chapters are missing. And right when Atticus is about to reveal who was the killer! Figuring out she’ll get the two missing chapters in the morning, Susan outlines her theories of who is the possible killer and there are enough suspicious characters to keep us busy.

 Unfortunately (spoiler alert!), the author Alan Conway turns up dead the next morning. This is where the second murder mystery starts, with Susan trying to find the missing chapters but ultimately figuring out that Alan’s death was suspicious. I won’t go into more detail so as not to spoil it for others but suffice to say, both endings, the fictionalized story and the author’s death were solved to my satisfaction. 

I’m sure this is not the first book with a story within the story but the writing really makes the reader feel as if there were two separate books. They each have a distinctively different writing style with more than half being the Atticus story. The reader ends up getting two great stories/mysteries for the price of one book!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Roberta

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

He was the first person to inspire her, to move her, to truly understand her. Was he meant to be the last?

Lucy is faced with a life-altering choice. But before she can make her decision, she must start her story—their story—at the very beginning.

Lucy and Gabe meet as seniors at Columbia University on a day that changes both of their lives forever. Together, they decide they want their lives to mean something, to matter. When they meet again a year later, it seems fated—perhaps they’ll find life’s meaning in each other. But then Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East and Lucy pursues a career in New York. What follows is a thirteen-year journey of dreams, desires, jealousies, betrayals, and, ultimately, of love. Was it fate that brought them together? Is it choice that has kept them away? Their journey takes Lucy and Gabe continents apart, but never out of each other’s hearts.

     Upon getting this book, I couldn’t wait to read this book. But upon reading the summary on the back cover I was a little unsure if I would like the story or not. I liked this story, but I had a hard time keeping it straight which character was “talking” at that point in the story. I found I could really get into the story every time I was able to pick it up. I was just a little confused on the characters each time and it would take me a little bit more time to read but I still enjoyed the book, I really liked the characters I found them to both interesting; both whenever they were together and as individuals.

     

     I really liked how the author organized the story and the way she made the story seem reminiscent to One Day (book & movie.) One of the things I do think would have helped me be able to follow the book easier is if there were sections/areas where it was mentioned who was supposed to be “talking” or “remembering.” I really liked the way the 2 characters intertwined over the course of 13 years; I found it an odd number, but figured maybe it could be Ms. Santopolo’s lucky number and that’s why she had written it that way. I really like the way Ms. Santopolo wrote the story, I just think it would have been easier to read if I knew which character was “talking” at that moment. I give The Light We Lost an 8 out of 10 and Jill Santopolo a 9 out of 10.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Tiffany

Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love

The Crenshaw Six are a small but up-and-coming gang in South Central LA who have recently been drawn into an escalating war between rival drug cartels. To outsiders, the Crenshaw Six appear to be led by a man named Garcia . . . but what no one has figured out is that the gang's real leader (and secret weapon) is Garcia's girlfriend, a brilliant young woman named Lola. 

Lola has mastered playing the role of submissive girlfriend, and in the man's world she inhabits she is consistently underestimated. But in truth she is much, much smarter--and in many ways tougher and more ruthless--than any of the men around her, and as the gang is increasingly sucked into a world of high-stakes betrayal and brutal violence, her skills and leadership become their only hope of survival. 

Lola is a 26 year old from Huntington Park, a predominately Latino lower income city adjacent to South Central L.A. After a drug deal goes bad, she is given two days to find the cartel’s cash and heroin before they kill her. She also inherits or maybe even borderline kidnaps a young girl. 

Turns out that this young girl is in the same situation that Lola was in when she was younger; being pimped out by her junkie mom for a fix. No one knows that she’s the actual leader of the local gang called the Crenshaw Six. She is a boss dealing with being a woman and a minority in a male and while dominated field/city. The story does a great job of capturing real life details. This give readers a truer understanding of a different culture who literally lives only just 10 minutes away from the ‘liberal westside’. 

My only complaint (and I understand that I am only nit picking) is where did the gang name come from given that the street Crenshaw is nowhere near their city of Huntington Park? Other than that, it’s a very well written book from this first time author. You’ll also enjoy this book if you are a fan of Michael Connelly and other writers who base their stories in Los Angeles. Serendipitously, I just started watching a TV drama called Life for which this author happened to be listed as a screenwriter.  

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Roberta

Just the Thing (The Donnigans #2) by Marie Harte

 FLING MIGHT BE JUST THE THING...

Gavin Donnigan left the Marine Corps a shell of a man, hounded by guilt for deaths he couldn't prevent. But teaching a self-defense class at the local gym brings some stability to his life―along with a gorgeous leggy woman who won't give him the time of day.

Zoe York lost her twin sister to a freak car accident a few months ago. She's been struggling to bury her grief, but it isn't until she signs up for a self-defense class with its distractingly hot instructor that she begins to come out of her shell again. With the memory of her sister telling her to live a little, Zoe decides a fling with buns-of-steel Gavin Donnigan might be just the thing.

Soon they're sparring both in and out of the gym. And for the first time in a long time, each is looking forward to tomorrow.

 Just The Thing is the second book in The Donnigan's Series. If you have previously read Marie Harte's The McCauley Brothers Series, then you will recognize the name as the McCauley's cousins with which they often compete. This book focuses on Gavin Donnigan, which I was really excited about. He's always able to make me smile with his goofiness and charm. He is definitely more than meets the eyes though. Behind those muscles and fun-loving humor, Gavin has some very serious things he's dealing with after being medically discharged from the military. 

In the previous book that focused more on his brother Landon, we saw Gavin falling apart a bit and I was glad that he took Ava's advice and was now seeing a Dr. to help him deal with his PTSD and survivor's guilt. His work at the gym also seems to help him deal with these things. When he is flirting with the feisty girl at the gym and trying to snag a date I couldn't help but smile. I was happy though that Zoe finally came around to giving him a chance. 

They definitely have great chemistry and I liked that they were able to understand each other's grief and help each other to heal. They also have similar a sense of humor, which I thought was wonderful. When Gavin got Zoe involved in the family prank wars... HILARIOUS! That balance of the fun banter and budding romance, with the emotions and heartbreak of the characters loss, made this book a realistic and captivating read. Harte's writing is so genuine and satisfying.

 I can't wait to read the next one! I'm not yet sure if I am hoping it is about Theo (the youngest brother) or Hope (the sister). This book can be read as a standalone if you so wish. 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. April

I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi

A story from debut author Abby Fabiaschi that is "as absorbing as it is illuminating, and as witty as it is heartbreaking."

Maddy is a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother, host of excellent parties, giver of thoughtful gifts, and bestower of a searingly perceptive piece of advice or two. She is the cornerstone of her family, a true matriarch...until she commits suicide, leaving her husband Brady and teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering what happened. How could the exuberant, exacting woman they loved disappear so abruptly, seemingly without reason, from their lives? How they can possibly continue without her? As they sift through details of her last days, trying to understand the woman they thought they knew, Brady and Eve are forced to come to terms with unsettling truths.

Maddy, however, isn’t ready to leave her family forever. Watching from beyond, she tries to find the perfect replacement for herself. Along comes Rory: pretty, caring, and spontaneous, with just the right bit of edge...but who also harbors a tragedy of her own. Will the mystery of Maddy ever come to rest? And can her family make peace with their history and begin to heal?

Upon receiving this book, I couldn’t wait to start reading this book. When I started the first chapter, I was immediately drawn into it. I wasn’t sure what I was reading, the way “Maddy” was explaining about having found the perfect candidate to put into her husband’s and daughter’s life had me a little confused at first. I wasn’t sure if “Maddy” was already dead or if she was sleeping and deciding what she was hoping to accomplish once she died. When I read the summary on the back cover I already knew that she died, but then starting the story, I was surprised at the way it started. While I was expecting the story to start completely different than it did, I was caught up in I Liked My Life already.

 I hadn’t planned to read 4 chapters in one sitting, but I was glad I did. I love how Abby Fabiaschi could draw me in to the story so quickly. I loved how much emotion the author put into each character and could make me feel it just by reading about them and what they were going through. I felt a lot of sadness and uncertainty with “Brady” and I felt a lot of mixed emotions, but sadness and anger the most with “Eve”; I could imagine if I was going through a tragedy like that and trying to move on exactly how I would feel during that terrible time. I really liked how although “Maddy” was dead she still had a lot of emotion and say-so in what was going on with her family. Although “Maddy” had died I was still able to put myself in her shoes and feel the same feelings she did and I was rooting for her just as much as I was for her husband and daughter. I loved how concerned “Maddy” was for them even beyond the grave.

     I liked how involved “Maddy” was in everyone else’s life too not just her husband’s and daughter’s. The way I was wrapped up in I Liked My Life, I felt like it could be an actual movie or something that was happening to someone who was close to me. By the last 2-3 chapters of the book, I was both surprised and happy at the same time. I was surprised because I thought I already knew the details about what had happened to “Maddy” and then it seemed to me like the plot did a 180 degree turn and ended a little different than I thought it would. 

I was happy as well because I thought that although things weren’t as they seemed everything worked out for everyone and it seemed like “Brady” and “Eve” were able to move on and find happiness again. I really liked the way Ms. Fabiaschi separated the chapters. It made it easier to follow along by knowing who which character was speaking or had the spotlight at any given point. I wish more authors would do that, sometimes it gets confusing trying to remember which character is “talking” at any certain point. I think a lot of readers who like Jodi Picoult will enjoy reading this author too. I give I Liked My Life a 10 and Abby Fabiaschi a 10! I can’t wait to read more of her books, I hope they’re all as good as this one was.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Tiffany

The Good Widow by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Elementary school teacher Jacqueline “Jacks” Morales’s marriage was far from perfect, but even in its ups and downs it was predictable, familiar. Or at least she thought it was…until two police officers showed up at her door with devastating news. Her husband of eight years, the one who should have been on a business trip to Kansas, had suffered a fatal car accident in Hawaii. And he wasn’t alone.

For Jacks, laying her husband to rest was hard. But it was even harder to think that his final moments belonged to another woman—one who had left behind her own grieving and bewildered fiancé. Nick, just as blindsided by the affair, wants answers. So he suggests that he and Jacks search for the truth together, retracing the doomed lovers’ last days in paradise.

Now, following the twisting path of that fateful road, Jacks is learning that nothing is ever as it seems. Not her marriage. Not her husband. And most certainly not his death… 

I was immediately hooked with the story after only reading the first two chapters. I was a little confused with the first chapter, but I knew I wanted to find out who the couple was and what her secret was. Once I finished the second chapter I was wanting to find out the answer to “Jacqueline’s” question regarding her husband. I felt bad for “Jack’s” but at the same time I caught myself laughing at the question itself. 

I felt like everything “Jack’s” knew about her life and depended on were taken away from her and flipped her entire world upside down and she had to learn how to get her life back and learn a new way of moving on. I loved how “Jack’s” wasn’t the only person whose world was turned upside down, by the information about her husband’s death. I felt bad for “Nick” as well because his life was turned upside down as well. I loved that “Jacks” and “Nick” could help each other through their difficult time and find out exactly what happened to their other halves.

     I really loved how the story was written; I like that the story was written in 1^st person, from the main character point of view. I honestly felt like I could see and experience everything “Jacqueline” was doing and going through. It made it an easy read and I loved how involved I felt in the investigation that her and “Nick” were doing. 

I really like how Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke broke up the chapters, with before/after and then with the character’s name that that certain chapter is more centered around. I love these types of stories that deal with mysteries and a family or husband and wife. I thought this was a great book and a quick and wonderful story. I give The Good Widow an 9 and Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke a 9.5 out of 10.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Tiffany

Clockwork Samurai (The Gunpowder Chronicles #2) by Jeannie Lin

As a physician, Jin Soling can see that the Emperor is cracking, relying on Opium to drown his troubles. The Ch’ing Empire is failing, and war with the British is imminent, but the man to whom Soling was once engaged has a bold idea to save it.

A leader within the Ministry of Engineering, Chang-wei suggests an alliance with Japan, whose scientists claim to have technical advancements that could turn the tide of the war. But Japan has kept itself in isolation for the last two hundred years, cutting all diplomatic ties with the Ch'ing Empire. Chang-wei must enter the island nation in disguise to seek an alliance—an alliance forbidden by the Japanese shogunate.

Seeking to escape the politics of the imperial court, Soling arranges her own passage on the airship to Japan. But once they land, Chang-wei and Soling become targets of the shogunate's armored assassins. Caught between two empires, in a land distrustful of foreigners, the deadly war machines are the least of their worries... 

 In Clockwork Samurai by Jeannie Linn, the reader is thrown back to China in the mid 1800s.  Being a female physician is a challenge during this time.  Jin Soling has the added challenge of serving the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.  While serving the Emperor’s large harem, Jin navigates the difficult world of palace politics.  The Empire is in trouble with an opium epidemic and a potential war with the Yangguizi. 

            Jin Soling’s old love, Cheng Chang-Wei, reappears to serve the Emperor.  As a leader in the Ministry of Engineering, he is interested in the technological advancements of the Japanese.  Despite the conflict between the two empires, Jin and Chang-Wei set off to attempt to negotiate between the two powers.  Unfortunately, the Shogunate is not on board with this plan.  With assistance from retired Samurai, other scientists, and a variety of other colorful characters, Jin and Chang-Wei work to get out alive.

            There is a great deal of history about China and Japan in this book, and it is more adventure story than romance.  The steampunk elements are great—the focus on accumulation of novel types of weapons, the mechanically enhanced soldiers, and the scientific bent of the characters.  While the focus is not on romance, Lin does not neglect the relationship of her two main characters.  Her characters subtly draw closer together over each book.  If you are looking for a fast, quick romance, this is not the book for you.

            I liked the first book in this series better than this one, but this was still an enjoyable romp.  This book was definitely an “on the road” novel where most of the time, the characters are travelling from one place to another.  It became a bit tedious toward the end, and I was ready for the resolution to happen.  I would still read a third book, even though this was not my favorite installment.  You really should read the books in this series in order to get the most enjoyment out of them.

            Jeannie Lin writes books that no one else is writing.  Her unique settings—both of time and place—make her novels interesting and fun.  If you are at all interested in steampunk, Clockwork Samurai is worth a read.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Regina

Whitefern (Audrina #2) by V.C. Andrews

The long-awaited sequel to My Sweet Audrina, one of V.C. Andrews’s strangest, most beloved books—and now a Lifetime movie! Whitefern swallowed Audrina’s childhood—and now the sprawling Victorian mansion threatens her adult life too… Audrina remembers a better time, when her husband, Arden, was a young man with a heart filled with devotion for her. He didn’t used to be this ambitious, expansive…this cruel. But then, the death of Audina’s father changed a great many things. When the reading of her father’s will reveals that Audrina herself will control fifty-one percent of the family brokerage—the halls of Whitefern again don’t feel safe. Arden’s protestations become frantic, nearly violent. And while Audrina didn’t anticipate running the family business, she’s curious to do so. And she can’t help but wonder what had made her father change his will at the last minute? What did he know about Arden that she didn’t? Trapped in the middle of it all: her fragile, simple sister—the beautiful, trusting Sylvia. Audrina promised her father she’d watch over the young woman. But after years of relative quiet, the dark days of Whitefern may have returned…

Audrina is married to Arden. When her father dies she must take care of the mansion “Whitefern”, the brokerage firm, and her sister Sylvia, who is special. Her father changed his Will and left things to Audrina and not Arden. Is there a reason? What does Audrina not know?

Sylvia wants to be in the rocking chair. This rocking chair brings flashbacks to Audrina of how her childhood was. It is said that the rocking chair is a way for Audrina and Sylvia to speak to their deceased father.

Can she handle the mansion as well as her past while taking care of the mansion and brokerage firm? Audrina must find a way to overcome her past and the secrets of the mansion that were dormant for some time. She has to find a way to deal with reality instead of letting the past take over the present time.

When things start to change Audrina must find the truth of the situation and what actually happened and how it happened. Will she be too late? Will she accept the reality?

This was a good read, a real page turner. There are twists and turns along the way. Just when I thought I had it figured out and what was going on there was sure to be another twist. A very well written book.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Knevits

All Things New by Lauren Miller

Jessa has always felt broken inside, but she’s gotten very good at hiding it. No one at school knows about the panic attacks, the therapy that didn't help, the meds that haven’t worked. But when a severe accident leaves her with a brain injury and visible scars, Jessa’s efforts to convince the world that she’s okay finally crumble—now she looks as shattered as she feels. 

Fleeing from her old life in Los Angeles, Jessa moves to Colorado to live with her dad, where she meets Marshall, a boy whose kindness and generous heart slowly draw Jessa out of her walled-off shell and into the broken, beautiful, real world—a place where souls get hurt just as badly as bodies, and we all need each other to heal.

     I really liked the way All Things New started by having the main character “Jessa” narrating the story. Upon reading the first chapter I felt like I had just put the book down halfway through the story. I felt like “Jessa” was describing all the same experiences and emotions I had gone through at her age. While the story is a work of fiction and the characters aren’t real; I felt like the emotions and some of the situations could be real experiences (at least for some people.) I liked how Lauren Miller was able to incorporate real emotion into the character’s experiences and situations. While all authors put emotion into the stories they write; I felt like Lauren Miller succeeded in making me feel the same emotions as “Jessa” and at the same time I also felt a lot of sympathy for what she was having to go through.

     The two characters that I didn’t really care for were “Jessa’s” parents. I kept thinking that they were more into themselves and one-up each other. It seemed to me a few times that they didn’t really seem to care about what their daughter was going through. I thought it was sweet how “Marshall” really seemed like he was always trying to impress her. While he was able to break down the walls “Jessa” kept around herself he was able to help her at the same time to accept things the way they were. I felt bad that “Jessa” seemed to have a lot of trouble with her panic attacks and how she was having a lot of trouble trying to get used to her new reality. I think anyone who reads this story will feel sympathy for “Jessa” and will be able to see a little of themselves in her and her experiences.  I liked that the length of the chapters weren’t too long, but they weren’t too short either. I think the chapters were the right length especially for any young adults who read All Things New. Out of a 10 I give All Things New an 8.5 and Ms. Miller a 9. I think many young adult readers will love this story as well as many adults as well!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Tiffany