Review: A Fortune of Sand

A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marjorie has never been accepted by her family.  She is artistic and free-spirited, and they are controlling and money-hungry.  After she learns about an artist’s program near her, she applies and is accepted.  This is her chance to develop her talent away from her family.  She quickly learns that the program has a lot of rules, some of which don’t make much sense.  There is a rumor that the building is haunted and that women have disappeared.  Is Marjorie’s grip on reality starting to slip?  What happens to the women who don’t follow the rules?

A Fortune of Sand is an historical fiction story set in 1927 Detroit.  Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the roaring twenties as the story slowly unfolds.  I found the hidden nuggets of history were fun to learn about, and the overarching story kept me turning the pages.  Sepetys has taken a time period that is often explored and placed it in a city that isn’t.  A Fortune of Sand will be a hit for all historical fiction fans.  

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Review: Royal Summer

Royal Summer by Kass Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hannah has a great summer planned.  She is spending it in Edinburgh, Scotland, as a summer intern for her favorite author.  She is in the country for less than 48 hours when her employer tells her she is going to Japan with her boyfriend, and Hannah isn’t needed.  Thank goodness Finn, a boy she met the night before, stopped by because he has connections and can get her a summer job at Inveresk Castle.  She finds out on her first day of work that Finn is also known as Finnian … the prince of England.  Are Finn and Hannah destined for a summer fling or something more? 

 

Royal Summer is a stand-alone romance that will be perfect for fans of all things royal.  There are a few scenes that stretch the limit on being racy, but overall, this romance is good for most teen readers.  The story was interesting and exciting, and I enjoyed it even more because I have visited some of these areas in Scotland.  I’m not on the lookout for a new romantic encounter, but if I were… this is what I would want.  Royal Summer is a great teen romance.   

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Review: In the Blood

In the Blood by April Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tessa has lived a good life, but she doesn’t know who her biological parents are. She was left at a fire station as a newborn and adopted soon after. She has just turned 18 and decides to take an at-home DNA test that she anticipates will give her some answers. Although she does find out some things about her mother’s family, no one has spoken to her since the day she ran away, and her father is a complete mystery. Soon after her test results come in, she is contacted by the Portland police because it appears that she is related to the Portland Phantom, a serial killer who has spanned fifteen years. What is Tessa’s origin story? Will the Portland Phantom be caught?

In the Blood is a stand-alone mystery that was an interesting read with the advancements in forensic science and AI. I normally think of Henry’s books starting with a dead girl, and this one was a different format. I enjoyed the different points of view (Tessa, the detective, and the serial killer), and these views give the reader a deeper understanding of the events. In the Blood was a quick read and kept me invested until the end.

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