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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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Review: Dustborn

Dustborn by Erin Bowman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Delta has just lost her sister to childbirth and is struggling to care for the daughter left behind when she discovers that her village has been burned and her family taken.  She sets out with the baby and is captured to be sold as a slave.  She is about to be beaten because she resisted the baby being taken when it is discovered she has marks branded on her back.  She has always been told to show it to no one.  Now her secret is out and she has to get away.  Will Delta be able to decipher the marks and save the people from her village?  Is there anyone that Delta can trust as she seeks these answers?

 

Dustborn is a stand-alone post-apocalyptic adventure.  This story pulled me in right away and I was invested in Delta and the world she lived in.  Readers will love the back story that slowly unfolds and the strong female protagonist is a force to be reckoned with.  Bowman weaved tidbits of the answer throughout the storyline and when Delta discovers the truth, most readers will have an a-ha moment with her.  I loved that the story is complete and I believe that readers will be satisfied with how everything ended.

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Review: Pride and Premeditation

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Bennet wants to be a lawyer, just like her father, and she is going to prove her abilities to him.  When a murder has a society man as the possible culprit, Lizzy decides that it is just the case she should solve to persuade her father.  She runs into many difficulties along the way, but the largest of them is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.  He is a friend of Mr. Bingley and the lawyer hired for the defense.  Lizzie believes that authorities have charged the wrong man and will stop at nothing to find the real killer.  Will Lizzie be able to prove Mr. Bingley’s innocence?  Will she be able to untangle the complicated knot Darcy seems to be causing her emotions to make?

 

Pride and Premeditation is the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series.  Let me start by saying I LOVE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE!  I watch every version that is made into film and read all the adaptations that come out.  Some are great and many are useless, but this book was perfect.  I loved how all the characters I love (and hate) are there in their proper place, but we also have a heroine who isn’t afraid to rock the normal role of women in her time.  It doesn’t matter if you like Pride and Prejudice or just a good mystery, this series is going to be addictive.  My only disappointment is I have to wait for the next installment. 

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Review: With You All the Way

With You All the Way by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ada’s life is far from perfect.  The day after not losing her virginity to her boyfriend she finds him cheating on her.  It doesn’t help that her older sister just loves to give advice on everything, including Ada’s nonexistent sex life.  Her life falls apart, even more, when she finds out her mother is having an affair.  It was supposed to be a time for family bonding in Hawaii, but even her family vacation wasn’t exempt from her life imploding.  That is when Ada decides she just wants to get it over with.  Sex that is.  She has a plan, but is she ready to execute it?

 

With You All the Way is a stand-alone romance that will leave the reader wondering what is going on in other peoples’ brains.  There is a lot of sex talk, yet this is totally PG-13 without a lot of explicit descriptions.  There were points in the book where I didn’t like the protagonist, but her flaws were key to the story coming together in the end.  I recommend With You All the Way to all YA romance readers.  

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