Review: Sunkissed

Sunkissed by Kasie West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is time for summer vacation and Avery’s parents decided to go big.  They booked the family for two months in a family camp where there is no cell service and no Wi-Fi.  This is hard to adjust to, but Avery soon finds a distraction in an off-limits staff member.  Avery feels this is the best opportunity to try new things and test the boundaries of what her parents had planned for her.  Will a summer romance be in Avery’s future?  What limits will Avery stretch as she explores who she is?

 

Sunkissed is a stand-alone young adult romance that was a pleasure to read.  This was a very fun experience because romance was not the main focus.  There was the coming of age theme, building friendships and sibling issues weaved together.  The journey before Avery becomes more than she expects and the outcome will leave readers glad they invested the time in the book.  Sunkissed is a fun escape read that will appeal to readers of all ages.

View all my reviews

Review: Dare

Dare by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calla has always loved to pull a prank.  Everyone else feels she needs to stop, even if that means she is banned from Faerie.  Before they can get her out of their realm, Calla performs some extraordinary magic and becomes their Queen.  Now instead of pulling pranks, she is expected to rule the court.  When her friend Prince Dare is accused of releasing a new plague, she must decide what she trusts more … her heart or her people.  What pranks will Calla need to complete before she gets to the truth?  How will Calla’s feelings for Dare change through this trial?

 

Dare is the third book in the Pixieland Diaries series.  This book is very short (probably better to classify it as a novella), yet the storyline made huge jumps.  Bauer, once again, has written a book that is easy to love and a fun escape to read.  There is Faerie mischief and romance throughout and the diary format makes for an even faster read.  Although I would probably say this is appropriate for all young adult readers, there are a few “strong” words that might make a few middle school readers cringe.  Other than that, it is a great continuation and I can’t wait for the fourth book to be released next year.

View all my reviews

Review: The Serpent's Curse

The Serpent's Curse by Lisa Maxwell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Esta knows what she is doing.  Not only is she an experienced thief, she also is able to travel in time.  There is one mission she wants to be successful with and it will require her to travel to 1902 New York.  As with many plans, there is a problem.  A goddess was trapped in the artifact and she wants to use Esta to destroy the world.  Esta now has a new mission, but will time be on their side?

 

The Serpent’s Curse is the third book in The Last Magician series.  I usually love third books.  The reader knows the characters and the world-building and storyline are well developed already, yet, this book did not follow this pattern.  Maxwell’s newest story did not keep my attention and I constantly found my mind wandering away from the pages.  Those who enjoyed the first two books will most likely enjoy this third installment, but if you haven’t started the series yet, you might want to pass this one by.

View all my reviews

Review: Mirrorland

Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cat has lived in Los Angeles for over a decade.  She has no issues with staying away from her childhood home and the terrible memories that were left there, even if that means she can’t see her twin sister.  While children, they invented Mirrorland, a creation pulled from many of their favorite stories.  In Mirrorland, they were able to fight off the terrors that haunted them in the real world.  After El goes missing during a boating trip, Cat must return to the home that tormented her in her youth.  As Cat begins to live in their old house, she finds clues that seem to have been left behind by her sister.  Is El dead or playing a terrible joke?  What dark secrets will Cat remember about the childhood she left behind?

 

Mirrorland is a psychological thriller that on the surface appears to be a page-turner but in reality doesn’t pull through.  Johnstone’s overall storyline was good and the twists added needed distractions, but the characters were flat and overall I was easily distracted while reading.  I’m glad I finished the book because everything came together in the end, but if it had been a long read, I don’t know if I would have stuck it out to the end.  This would be a good read if your TBR pile is getting low.

View all my reviews

Review: The Bounty

The Bounty by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kate and Nick have been paired up again to catch a thief.  They thought it was going to be a simple job until they discover a treasure that was hidden by the Nazis.  Now they are trying to find it before a shadowy international organization finds it first (or takes them down).  This treasure is rumored to be worth $30 billion in gold and this pair knows someone who can help them outsmart the Brotherhood.  This is the same man that taught Nick how to be a great con man … his father.  As they travel around Europe and other countries uncovering new clues, they have to get help from Kate’s father too.  Now there are four people who can’t agree on anything.  Will they be able to work together long enough to reach the gold before the Brotherhood?

 

The Bounty is the seventh book in the Fox and O’Hare series.  This duo has been a favorite of mine since the first book and I am always excited to find out what trouble they will get into this time.  This is not a spine-tingling mystery that must be unraveled, but it is a fun escape with some shenanigans along the way.  I love how Evanovich took us through unlikely European locations.  The Bounty is fun for all Fox and O’Hare fans.  If you haven’t read the other books, though, go back and start at the beginning. 

View all my reviews

Review: Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not by Alexandra Oliva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Linda was little, she lived on a rural piece of property in Washington.  She knew nothing of the outside world and she didn’t know that the only reason she was alive was to replace a sister who died years before.  It is now years later.  She had been “rescued” from the only home she knew and was expected to transition into the modern world.  There may be technology to keep everyone connected, but Linda still feels isolated.  Who wants to be on social media when everyone already has an opinion about you?  Will Linda’s new neighbor be the ticket to finally making a friend?  After a fire at her childhood home, what truths will Linda find out about herself and her family?

 

Forget Me Not is a stand-alone novel that sounds like it would be great but left me feeling like pieces of the story were missing.  It is hard to classify this book in one genre.  Some might call it science fiction and others might call it a mystery.  Either way, it is not an average read.  The overall storyline was fascinating and I enjoyed slowly learning about Linda and her past.  Even with that being said, it had several sections that just dragged on.  This would be a good read if you don’t have anything already planned to read next.

View all my reviews

Review: Fire And Cinder

Fire And Cinder by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elle has finally found her true love, but when Alec goes missing it is Elle who must search for him in the Faerie Lands.  Elle may even need to delve into her alternate template to save Alec.  Will Elle become a genie?  Agatha, on the other hand, has never had an issue being Elle’s evil stepsister, but her life template is also trying to change.  Instead of an evil stepsister, her life template wants her to become an evil elf queen.  Agatha doesn’t want to make that change, but if she refuses the crown, she might also have to give up the elf prince, Jacoby.  What will Agatha do?

 

Fire and Cinder is the seventh book in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series (at least according to Goodreads).  These books are fun to read and short enough to be completed in one sitting.  I love reading fairy tale re-tellings and this series is great.  This story takes the characters to new depths and it is amazing what twists Bauer can write into her storylines.  There are two more books in this series slated to be released this year.  I will be reading them as soon as I can.

View all my reviews