Review: Gage

Gage by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gage is the leader of L’Griffe and this dragon shifter mafia takes care of illegal and legal aspects of dragon shifters on Earth.  The other groups of non-humans also have their own gangs.  Usually, they stay away from each other, but when the demons create The Horde, the balance of power shifts considerably.  Gage knows they must conquer this new threat and, lucky for him, his love interest’s family are fierce warriors.  They learn that the leader of The Horde is an old foe long thought dead.  Will this group be able to overcome all the obstacles that come their way?

Gage is the eighth and final book in the Angelbound Offspring series.  Bauer mentions at the beginning that she didn’t do her usually backstory reminders and that readers should have read the previous books first.  I second that thought.  This story jumps right in and the characters fight evil and their personal passions in their usual way … which may be confusing for those who start here.  I enjoyed the cameo appearances of some of my old favorites and was sad to think this is the last book.  I’ve read most of Bauer’s works, though, and who knows where they might pop up in the future.

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Review: No One Is Alone

No One Is Alone by Rachel Vincent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Michaela has a good life.  She has a best friend she can tell anything and a single mother who she has a good relationship with.  She doesn’t see her dad very often, though.  He lives a few towns away and only comes around near holidays and on her birthday.  That all changes when her mother is hit by a car and dies.  She learns she must move in with her dad … and his other family.  Turns out he wasn’t a confirmed bachelor who didn’t want a family.  He already had a family and her mom was the other woman.  His wife knew about Michaela, but her two brothers and her sister just found out, hours before she was brought over to live with them.  Will this new family ever become hers?

No One Is Alone is a stand-alone realistic fiction story that grabbed my attention at the beginning and kept me reading until the end.  Vincent created characters that were easy to understand and empathize with.  I lost my father when I was young, but I didn’t learn about another family that needed to be understood while also grieving.  This could have happened to me (or anyone else) and that realization made the book that much more compelling.  I recommend No One Is Alone to everyone who enjoys a good read.

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Review: Cold, Cold Bones

Cold, Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The cold has come to North Carolina, but Tempe isn’t concerned. Her daughter has returned to civilian life and she plans to use the time indoors to reconnect. During one of their nights in, Tempe receives a very odd package … a human eye with GPS coordinates etched on it. These coordinates lead to more remains and when a mummified body is found in the state park … Tempe starts to see a connection. On the surface, they don’t seem to be linked, but Tempe notices that they look like homicide cases she worked on early in her career. Are these bodies connected or is Tempe grasping at straws? Why is her daughter not available to spend time with her all of a sudden?

Cold, Cold Bones is the twenty-first book in the Temperance Brennan series. One of my favorite parts of this series is that I don’t need too many pages to remember the basics about each character. Since each book is its own mystery, I don’t need to remember specifics about the previous stories and can just relax and enjoy the one in front of me. Cold, Cold Bones was no exception. As the bodies piled up, I was thinking ahead and trying to figure out where the events would lead. I loved all the twists and turns and needed this escape from reality for a few hours.

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Review: Katzenjammer

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cat is trapped in her high school.  She doesn’t remember why she never leaves or why she has a cat mask made of her own flesh.  Everything changes when her school stops being a place of safety and begins to cause damage to those around her.  Cat never thought she would be able to leave her school, but if she wants to live, she will need to find a way out.  What is the reason Cat is stuck in her school?  Will she be able to uncover this secret and save herself?

Katzenjammer is a stand-alone supernatural mystery that has the potential to be an interesting read, but in the end, fell short.  I enjoyed the switching timeline to learn about Cat’s past as she was experiencing her new reality, but I felt like the ending was contrived and rushed.  Overall, the premise of the story seems forced to fill a niche about what is going on in today’s schools.  A good read but shouldn’t be rushed to the top of anyone’s TBR pile.

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Review: Blade Breaker

Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We are back for the sequel to Realm Breaker with some old friends and many new adventures.  Mortals and immortals alike must deal with death and chaos while many people’s pasts come back to haunt them.  New and old magic is in the air and this group of unlikely heroes must work together to face Queen Erida and the evil she has planned.  Will they be successful?  Will they all make it to the end of this novel?   I highly recommend that anyone who picks up Blade Breaker read Realm Breaker first.  The world-building and character development will be hard to follow if the original pieces are missing.  A fun fantasy and I have already added the next book to my TBR list.

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Review: Rivals

Rivals by Katharine McGee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beatrice is now the Queen of the American royal family.  She didn’t expect to take charge so young but she is giving it her all.  Princess Samantha has always been the fun-loving royal, but now she has fallen for Lord Marshall and wonders if it is for real or if her heart will be broken.  Beatrice may have met a royal with the potential to be a friend but will she be able to let down her guard enough to make a lasting connection?    Nina and Daphne have always been rivals for Prince Jefferson’s attention, but when Lady Gabriella attacks both of them, this unlikely duo teams up to hopefully put her in her place.

Rivals is the third book in the American Royals series.  This alternate history novel was just as fun to read as the first two books.  Although the point of view was constantly changing, it wasn’t hard to keep them straight because the “voice” of the character came through as the story moved forward.  I loved the young adult drama with a royal spin and couldn’t wait to see how this installment was going to end.  McGee does mention in the author’s note that a fourth book is in the works and I will be looking for it when it is ready.

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