THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS By Chloe Gong

September 5, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS By Chloe GongThese Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Series: These Violent Delights #1
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on 11/17/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 463
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Short and Sweet Review

These Violent Delights follow Juliette and Roma in the year 1926 in Shanghai. Both Roma and Juliette are involved in their families gangs and are the heirs, Juliette belongs to the Scarlet Gang and Roma to the White Flowers. Something strange is happening in Shanghai and people are claiming there’s a madness going around that’s causing people to kill themselves. Roma and Juliette have a history they were in a forbidden romance that ended in betrayal, now they spend their days staying away from each other. As the death toll increases Roma and Juliette realize they’ll have to work together to stop whatever is happening before neither of them can be the ruler of Shanghai.

This was such a different a unique take on Romeo and Juliette but it worked. I wasn’t sure how much I would like the gang aspect but I think with the setting and time it worked.

Juliette is the heir of the Scarlet gang and she’s sometimes not taken seriously by her family members mainly because of the fact that she’s a girl but she’s tough and willing to do what she needs to for the gang. Over the course of the book she kind of drops the ball on her duties but only because she’s out investigating the madness. Juliettes right hand women consist of her cousins, Kathleen and Rosalind although Kathleen seems to be more of a ride or die kind of person while Rosalind questions Juliettes choices.

Roma is the heir of the White flowers although his dad prefers someone else in the gang. Roma’s right hand guys are his cousin Benedikt and his friend Marshall. Roma is more willing to work with Juliette than she is to work with him. After Romas sister Alisa gets infected with the madness its basically a race against the clock to find who’s causing the madness and to find a cure. I will say that reading about these people ripping and tearing at their throats was brutal and kind of graphic.

I liked seeing Roma and Juliette sneak around the city so that their gangs wouldn’t know their working together. It also gave us an insight on their past and what went wrong but they really do make a good team. I liked seeing their right hands go on separate missions to follow other leads. The ending was so good and it just makes you want the second book in your hand to find out what’s going to happen next. I love these two characters but after this ending I wonder how they’re going to handle everything and I can’t wait to find out!

Filed Under: Reviews

STRANGE AND EVER AFTER By Susan Dennard

August 12, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

STRANGE AND EVER AFTER By Susan DennardStrange and Ever After by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #3
Published by HarperTeen on 7/22/14
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 405
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

It has been a tumultuous time for Eleanor Fitt since life as she knew it in Philadelphia came abruptly to an end. Although the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and Daniel—have helped her survive, Eleanor has lost just about everything.

And now, Jie is missing—taken by the evil necromancer Marcus. Eleanor is determined not only to get her back but to finally end this nightmare. To do so, she must navigate the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt amid the rising Dead, her unresolved feelings for Daniel, and her volatile relationships with Joseph and Oliver, her demon. And it won't be easy. Because Allison, her friend from Philadelphia, has tagged along, becoming strangely entangled in Eleanor's mission.

Short and Sweet Review

Eleanor and the remaining spirit hunters (Joseph and Daniel), and her demon are on their way to Egypt to follow Marcus who has also kidnapped Jie. Also joining this little group is Allison who came all the way from Philadelphia to find Eleanor. Anyway Eleanor is determined to stop Marcus once and for all.

I’m going to be honest, nothing in this book redeemed Eleanor for me. I thought after the second book that she was insufferable and that maybe just maybe she would be better in this final book, but I was wrong. Her dialogue was just awful she comes off as mean, selfish, and someone who won’t even listen to those around her. Eleanor did whatever she wanted to do and didn’t think about how her decisions would effect those around her. I don’t really know what happened during most of this book, it was boring and I would read and then not really care about what was happening because I just wanted it to be over.

Out of the trilogy this is the worst book. The ending wasn’t that good but I guess if you’ve read the first two books you might as well this book like I did just so you can have closure. Maybe this would have done better as a duology I feel like things could have been wrapped up nicely in two books.

Filed Under: Reviews

A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY By Susan Dennard

August 4, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY By Susan DennardA Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #2
Published by HarperTeen on 7/23/13
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and sees haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.

To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there's a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.

In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

Short and Sweet Review

After her brother’s death and having to put her mother in a mental facility, Eleanor has nothing left for her in Philadelphia so she decides to leave for Paris and find the Spirit-hunters. On her way to Paris, Eleanor meets Oliver who claims to have known Elijah and he’ll begin teaching Eleanor necromancy and things that go against what the spirit hunters stand for.

This is my second time reading this book and I never made it to the third and final book, and after reading this book for the second time I know why. I found Eleanor to be insufferable. She meets Oliver which was Elijah’s demon and he soon becomes Eleanors because she needed help escaping hell hounds. Eleanor promises Oliver to practice her magic and necromancy so that she can free him but Eleanor is basically using him and it seems cruel because she can command him to do things that he doesn’t want to. Obviously Eleanor knows that the Spirit hunters would have a problem working with a demon so she tries to keep that hidden which doesn’t work out so well, eventually she feels alone because everyone feels betrayed by her. I didn’t feel bad for Eleanor she brought everything that happened in this book upon herself. Joseph tries to help Eleanor control her magic but she ignores him because she thinks she knows everything and she throws a lot of tantrums. I feel like Eleanors character development decreased in this book, she made it hard to read and hard to root for her. In Paris the spirit hunters are looking for someone who is able to control the dead and also they have Marcus in the back of their minds because he’s still around somewhere. I thought this book was just okay. The arguments Eleanor had with everyone made me roll my eyes and her whole attitude and approach in this book was trash for a lack of better words. I do plan on finishing this series but I will say this book was a let down compared to the first.

Filed Under: Reviews

SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY By Susan Dennard

July 29, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY By Susan DennardSomething Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #1
Published by HarperTeen on 7/24/12
Genres: Historical, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Sixteen-year-old Eleanor Fitt’s brother is missing. And when she discovers that the Dead are rising in Philadelphia and wreaking havoc throughout the city, she knows that her brother is involved.

So Eleanor enlists the help of the Spirit-Hunters. This motley crew, hired to protect the city from supernatural forces, is after the necromancer who has been reanimating corpses. Their skills can save her brother. But as Eleanor spends time with the Spirit-Hunters, and their handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. Now not only is her reputation at risk, but her very life may hang in the balance.

Short and Sweet Review

Eleanor’s life is kind of falling apart, her family is running out of money, her brother is missing, and the dead are rising in Philadelphia. Eleanor goes to the Spirit-hunters, they were hired by the city to help stop the rising dead. Eleanor feels that they can help her find her brother because she feels that he’s in a certain kind of trouble only the spirit hunters can help with.

Well Eleanor is just trying to stay afloat, because her brother has been gone for a while and isn’t really helping with the family finances, Eleanors mother is trying to have her meet a wealthy suitor to marry. Which is where Clarence comes in, his family is pretty high in society and him and Eleanor go on a few outings but something is off with him and he knows somethings about Eleanor’s brother. After Eleanor’s brother doesn’t come home she goes to the spirit hunters which consists of Joseph, Jie, and Daniel. This trio is pretty busy but they do admit something weird is going on with Elijah’s disappearance. We learn about the trios past and we see them struggle to gain the support of the city. Eleanor decides to start helping the spirit hunters so that she can get the answers she wants at a faster rate.

This book was fast paced and there was a lot going on. I liked that Eleanor was determined and she wasn’t afraid to do things that would make her look bad in society. The spirit hunters are great I like that they each had their own specialty, Joseph with his knowledge about the dead, Jie is great at defense, and Daniel is their inventor. I will say the ending wasn’t the best mainly because we see a character who was mentioned but wasn’t really in the story until the end. Overall this is a fast read and an interesting take on zombies and I like that it takes place in the 1800s.

Filed Under: Reviews

SENSE AND SECOND-DEGREE MURDER By Tirzah Price

April 1, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SENSE AND SECOND-DEGREE MURDER By Tirzah PriceSense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price
Series: Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2
Published by HarperTeen on 4/5/22
Genres: Historical, Mystery & Detective, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.

But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery: a suspicious substance in their father’s teacup—one that can only be described as poison. And poison, as Marianne’s father taught her, always points to murder.

It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won’t bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort—and it might even lead to love.

Short and Sweet Review

When Elinor Dashwood finds her father dead at his desk she knows that hardships are coming. The Dashwood sisters and their mother are forced out of the house by John, their half brother and his wife. Before they leave their house the girls discover a substance in their father’s teacup and now the girls are searching for a murderer.

Elinor and Marianne are our main characters here and we also see their younger sister Margaret in the mix. Elinor is the eldest and she likes to shield her family from things she thinks would be too painful for them to bear, she also the most responsible. Elinor wants to be a scientist she just hasn’t found something that she wants to specialize in. Margaret is the middle sister and she was working as her father’s partner at Norland & Company, the family’s private investigation firm. But when her brother and his wife take over Norland & Company, Marianne has no choice but to find new clients and prove herself as a worthy investigator. Once Marianne learns that her father could have possibly been murdered she and Elinor take this as a chance to investigate and find out who could have wanted their father dead. Margaret is the youngest sister and an aspiring writer. She’s younger and doesn’t always get to go out with Elinor and Marianne but she does provide them with good insight. There’s a few other characters we meet like Brandon, Edward, and Willoughby.

I liked that the girls had different interest like Science and Investigating. Both Elinor and Marianne were pivotal in solving what happened. It was fun following the girls around while they found clues and tried to decipher what they meant and how everything fit together. I will say that the culprit wasn’t who I was expecting. The ending was great but my favorite part was the epilogue. I’m excited to read the next book. Sense and Second-Degree Murder had me hooked from beginning to end, the characters are great and so is the mystery!


Filed Under: Reviews

MY FINE FELLOW By Jennieke Cohen

January 10, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

MY FINE FELLOW By Jennieke CohenMy Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen
Published by HarperTeen on 1/11/22
Genres: Historical, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 343
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

It’s 1830s England, and Culinarians—doyens who consult with society’s elite to create gorgeous food and confections—are the crème de la crème of high society.

Helena Higgins, top of her class at the Royal Academy, has a sharp demeanor and an even sharper palate—and knows stardom awaits her if she can produce greatness in her final year.

Penelope Pickering is going to prove the value of non-European cuisine to all of England. Her contemporaries may scorn her Filipina heritage and her dishes, but with her flawless social graces and culinary talents, Penelope is set to prove them wrong.

Elijah Little has nothing to his name but a truly excellent instinct for flavors. London merchants won’t allow a Jewish boy to own a shop, so he hawks his pasties for a shilling a piece to passersby—but he knows with training he can break into the highest echelon of society.

When Penelope and Helena meet Elijah, a golden opportunity arises: to pull off a project never seen before, and turn Elijah from a street vendor to a gentleman chef.

But Elijah’s transformation will have a greater impact on this trio than they originally realize—and mayhem, unseemly faux pas, and a little romance will all be a part of the delicious recipe.

Short and Sweet Review

The year is 1830 and culinarians consult with society’s elite to create amazing food. Both Helena and Penelope are in the top of their class at the culinary school. One night both of the girls meet street vendor, Elijah, Helena makes a comment that she can make Elijah a gentleman chef. This becomes Helena’s end of the year project and she know’s if she succeeds only greater things will come in the future. But Elijah’s transformation may be more than the girls originally expected.

We get all three characters POVs and I will say I enjoyed Penelope and Elijah’s over Helena. Helena is one of those people who’s really passionate about what she’s doing but she’s off-putting and I think because she’s higher in society she looks down on people below her. Helena’s goal is to be the best culinarian England has seen. Penelope is half Filipina and she wants to show England that other cuisines have value. Penelope was just an easy character to like she was so nice to everyone and tried to mediate when Helena came off too harsh. Elijah is the street vendor trying to become a gentleman chef and maybe in the end own his own shop if he can impress the right people.

When Helena and Penelope meet Elijah, Helena is not impressed and says she can make him an even better cook and a gentleman. Elijah takes her up on her offer and he begins his lessons in cooking and learning manners to impress society’s upper class. Helena is a tough teacher she wants perfection, when Helena loses her patience Penelope steps in and this is where we see some sparks fly between Penelope and Elijah.

Most of the book involves Elijah’s training and then halfway through we see Elijah show off his training at fairs and cooking for the Princess. I liked seeing the dishes that the trio would prepare.

This retelling was engaging and descriptive. The characters represent different classes and races and it’s just so well done. I couldn’t put this book down!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE STORYTELLER By Kathryn Williams

January 10, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE STORYTELLER By Kathryn WilliamsThe Storyteller by Kathryn Williams
Published by HarperTeen on 1/11/22
Genres: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.

For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax?

With the help of a supremely dorky but undeniably cute local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery.

But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.

Short and Sweet Review

After helping her mom clean out her great aunts home, Jess finds a trunk full of old diaries unfortunately they’re in Russian. Jess enlists the help of a college student Evan, who agrees to help Jess translate the diaries for a fee. After reading a few of the diaries Evan suspects they could be the diaries of Anastasia Romanov, so did Anastasia survive the assassination attempt and live out the rest of her life as a woman named Anna? The more Jess reads the diaries the more she realizes that she can be who she truly is and write her own story.

Jess Morgan lives a double life she can be herself around her friend Katie, but around her boyfriend and family she’s a different person. It’s hard for Jess to keep everything together especially when she’s with her boyfriend and his friends, you can tell she’s unhappy. This is the side plot in this book. I thought it was predictable in the fact that you can tell at some point she would crack. I did like how Katie would bring Jess back to Earth and make her realize that she wasn’t herself around.

Anyway the big thing here is the diaries. The diaries Jess found in the trunk are in Russian and when Evan reads a few they sound like they could be written by Anastasia Romanov the Grand Duchess who was assassinated with her family. Jess and Evan become immersed in the diaries and the stories that are woven in them. The more they read the more they believe that Jess’s aunt Anna could have been Anastasia.

I did like that we got to read the diary entries along with Jess and Evan and maybe get a glimpse into what life was like for Anna. The more Jess read the entries the more she saw that she’s not the only one having problems hiding who she really is. I think this is when she starts showing who she is and starts to speak up for herself. Also the relationship between Evan and Jess seemed to progress to quickly I thought they could have been better as friends, especially since Jess just broke up with her boyfriend. The ending got dark and depressing really fast and I wasn’t expecting it, but overall it was a good book and I enjoyed the mystery of who was writing the diaries and whether or not Anna is Anastasia.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS By Mackenzi Lee

November 12, 2021 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS By Mackenzi LeeThe Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #3
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 11/16/21
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Historical, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 592
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Adrian Montague has a bright future. The sole heir to his father’s estate, he is an up and coming political writer and engaged to an activist who challenges and inspires him. But most young Lords aren’t battling the debilitating anxiety Adrian secretly lives with, or the growing fear that it might consume him and all he hopes to accomplish. In the wake of his mother’s unexpected death, Adrian is also concerned people will find out that he has the mental illness she struggled with for years.

When a newly found keepsake of hers—a piece of a broken spyglass—comes into Adrian’s possession, he’s thrust into the past and finds himself face to face with an older brother he never knew he had. Henry “Monty” Montague has been living quietly in London for years, and his sudden appearance sends Adrian on a quest to unravel family secrets that only the spyglass can answer.

In pursuit of answers about the relic, the brothers chart a course to locate their sister Felicity. But as they travel between the pirate courts of Rabat, Portuguese islands, the canals of Amsterdam, and into unknown Artic waters, the Montague siblings are thrown into one final adventure as they face a ghostly legend that threatens their whole family.

Short and Sweet Review

Adrian Montague, is the heir to his father’s estate and he’s an up and coming political writer, he has a fiancé who is an activist and inspires him. But what no one knows is that Adrian struggles with anxiety, his mother also had a mental illness that she struggled with and after her recent death things just seem unclear to Adrian. When Adrian comes in possession of a spyglass that was his mother’s he thinks it will uncover the mystery of her death. Along his journey Adrian meets the siblings he never knew he had, and as they sail the seas the siblings will face off with a legend that threatens their family.

Adrian Montague is the youngest Montague sibling but he doesn’t know that because he’s grown up his whole life believing that he’s an only child. When he’s given a spyglass that once belonged to his mother it brings him to Monty his older brother. The reunion is a shock and not really a joyous one. It only leaves Adrian with more questions and with the realization that there’s one more Montague sibling out in the world. With the spyglass in his possession Adrian decides he needs answers so he sets sail with Monty at his side. Adrian tries to find out what led to his mother’s death, he’s convinced that the spyglass was cursed by the Flying Dutchman and now we’re back on the seas with pirates traveling to different areas trying to find anything that will give Adrian the answers he’s looking for.

Adrian is a character that struggles with anxiety and OCD so seeing everything through his POV is interesting. He’s a character that struggles with speaking up for himself and keeping his emotions in check. We can see that some of the characters just meeting him didn’t know what to make of him, like at first Monty didn’t know what to do but Felicity knew that she needed to be more patient and be careful with how she worded things. I loved that we got to see characters from past books Monty, Felicity, and even Percy! Adrian is engaged but we only see his fiancé Louisa in the beginning and end so not so much in the middle but she did seem like a strong female character. The adventure that our protagonist goes on was exciting and I feel like it was needed for him to realize that everything he needs is what he already has. Adrian now has his brother and sister and a fiancé who loves and cares for him.

I loved the ending and I’m sad that this was the last book in the Montague Siblings series but the ending was wrapped up well and these are characters and voyages I won’t forget!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE CORPSE QUEEN By Heather M. Herrman

September 15, 2021 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE CORPSE QUEEN By Heather M. HerrmanThe Corpse Queen by Heather M. Herrman
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on 9/14/21
Genres: Historical, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Soon after her best friend Kitty mysteriously dies, orphaned seventeen-year-old Molly Green is sent away to live with her "aunt." With no relations that she knows of, Molly assumes she has been sold as a maid for the price of an extra donation in the church orphanage's coffers. Such a thing is not unheard of. There are only so many options for an unmarried girl in 1850s Philadelphia. Only, when Molly arrives, she discovers her aunt is very much real, exceedingly wealthy, and with secrets of her own. Secrets and wealth she intends to share—for a price.

Molly's estranged aunt Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. As Molly learns her aunt's trade in the dead of night and explores the mansion by day, she is both horrified and deeply intrigued by the anatomy lessons held at the old church on her aunt's property. Enigmatic Doctor LaValle's lessons are a heady mixture of knowledge and power and Molly has never wanted anything more than to join his male-only group of students. But the cost of inclusion is steep and with a murderer loose in the city, the pursuit of power and opportunity becomes a deadly dance.

Short and Sweet Review

Molly Green has lived in an orphanage and soon after the mysterious death of her best friend Kitty, Molly is sent to live with an aunt she’s never meant or heard of. When Molly meets here aunt she learns that she’s wealthy and she became wealthy by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students to practice. Molly’s aunt Ava wants her help in getting the corpses, though Molly is hesitant at first she agrees. Molly spends her day exploring the mansion and trying to get a peak at the anatomy lessons that Dr. Lavalle holds at the old church on her aunts property. Molly want’s to join the class but that requires more of her working with the dead than she would have ever expected, and the cost is dangerous especially with a killer on the loose.

Let me just start by saying the premise was far more interesting than the story was maybe because the execution wasn’t the best. Molly wasn’t a great character I found her annoying and her thoughts were all over the place she as a character was all over the place. The plot was just Molly moving in with her aunt and going around getting the bodies for her aunt at night and acting like a high society lady during the day. Molly also has a romance with Tom a guy that works for her aunt and goes with Molly to get the bodies. This romance is lackluster and ridiculous, mainly because he’s known her for less than five seconds but thinks he can tell her what to do with her life. Anyway Molly also learns that there’s this person named the knifeman going around killing people around the area and she wants to find out who it is because this person could have killed her best friend Kitty so that’s a subplot. Moving on Molly also joins Dr. Lavalle’s classes much to the annoyance of the male students in the class. I found Molly to be extremely annoying during the scenes in class, she seemed smart and like she knew what she was talking about but when she was asked to demonstrate she would hesitate and start acting weird and proving the point of the male students that she didn’t belong and then she would huff and puff and get angry. She definitely had a lot of mood swings and I was not into it.

There were things that were confusing in this book and the ending was not the best. I still feel like if things were excited better this book would have been a solid read.

Filed Under: Reviews

LUCK OF THE TITANIC By Stacey Lee

July 31, 2021 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

LUCK OF THE TITANIC By Stacey LeeLuck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on 5/4/21
Genres: Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Valora Luck has two things: a ticket for the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world, and a dream of leaving England behind and making a life for herself as a circus performer in New York. Much to her surprise though, she's turned away at the gangway; apparently, Chinese aren't allowed into America.

But Val has to get on that ship. Her twin brother Jamie, who has spent two long years at sea, is there, as is an influential circus owner, whom Val hopes to audition for. Thankfully, there's not much a trained acrobat like Val can't overcome when she puts her mind to it.

As a stowaway, Val should keep her head down and stay out of sight. But the clock is ticking and she has just seven days as the ship makes its way across the Atlantic to find Jamie, perform for the circus owner, and convince him to help get them both into America.

Then one night the unthinkable happens, and suddenly Val's dreams of a new life are crushed under the weight of the only thing that matters: survival.

Short and Sweet Review

The year is 1912 and Valora Luck has quit her job and is planning on smuggling her way onto the Titanic to find her brother and make a better life for them in America. A part owner of the Ringling Brothers Circus is on board and Valora wants to convince him to allow her and Jamie to become acrobats in the circus. Valora can only keep her ruse so long and she’s not even sure if Jamie wants the life she’s proposing. One night the unsinkable ship is dealt a fatal blow.

Luck of the Titanic starts off with us meeting Valora. She’s determined to get on the ship and reunite with her brother, they only have each other now that both of their parents are dead. Valora doesn’t really have a way on the ship since it was her employer who was the one who had the ticket. So now Valora smuggles her way on the ship, and is pretending to be her dead employer Mrs. Sloane and makes her way to first class. Valora finds her brother in third class with other Chinese laborers. While Valora thinks that her and Jamie should move to America and become acrobats in the circus Jamie is more reluctant and clearly shows he doesn’t like the idea.

This book was okay but not much happened. Valora goes between first and third class and tries not to get caught by the staff. Valora also spends a lot of time trying to convince Jamie to join the circus. There’s a subplot where an aspiring fashion designer, April Hart, wants Valora to wear her designs around the titanic. Anyway that’s all that happened in the book there was a romance, kind of, nothing really happened. I like how Valora was determined at first I felt sorry for her but then she became annoying. It’s like she couldn’t imagine that Jamie might not want the same thing she does. She would not leave Jamie alone even though he’s fine with the life he has now and the new friends he made, it’s almost like she couldn’t wrap her head around that and it was her way or the highway.

Everyone knows what happened on the Titanic and we also see that in the book but the ending was… it was something and I don’t have the right word for it. When the book ended I was relieved, the pacing was slow and when nothing’s happening it just makes for a boring time.

Filed Under: Reviews