KILLING TIME By Brenna Ehrlich

March 7, 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.

KILLING TIME By Brenna EhrlichKilling Time by Brenna Ehrlich
Published by Inkyard Press on 3/8/22
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 309
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Summer in Ferry, Connecticut, has always meant long, lazy days at the beach and wild nights partying in the abandoned mansions on the edge of town. Until now, that is.

Natalie Temple, who’s never been one for beaches or parties in the first place, is reeling from the murder of her favorite teacher, and there’s no way this true-crime-obsessed girl is going to sit back and let the rumor mill churn out lie after lie—even if she has to hide her investigation from her disapproving mom and team up with the new boy in town…

But the more Natalie uncovers, the more she realizes some secrets were never meant to be told.

Short and Sweet Review

Natalie Temple isn’t like the other kids in town she’s into true crime and murder so much so that the other people in town think she’s weird. When her favorite teacher is murdered Natalie’s world is rocked but she also uses this as a chance to start her own investigation.

Where do I even start? Natalie loves true crime, she was in the true crime club at school until her mom found out and she has a podcast about true crime and murders with her best friend Katie. When her favorite teacher dies Natalie knows she has to investigate. Natalie is probably the worst detective, obviously she’s not experienced but the amount of mistakes she would make just made me shake my head. She would make rash decisions and her intuition wasn’t the best. Also we have the POV of her mother from 20 years ago when her mom was in high school. We see that her mother is also dealing with a murder and she’s not investigating but she’s a reporter. This POV shows us more of why Helen is so protective over Natalie and doesn’t want her mixed up in anything like murder investigations. Natalie also meets Kurt he’s weird but he’s her romantic interest in this book. He added nothing but weird vibes and everyone thought he was sketchy expect for Natalie (again bad decisions).

Honestly this book fell short of my expectations way short. Natalie was not a character I liked I would not want to solve another murder with her. The conversations between her and her mom were horrible it was too much over protectiveness from one and rebelling from the other. The ending was horrible, like the motive from the suspect was just nonsense, but I guess people have done worse with less. This is not a book I would recommend, I wanted to put it down multiple times but decided to push through. The characters especially Natalie, Helen, and Kurt were hard to like and some of the things that happened were just a result of bad and stupid decisions.

Filed Under: Reviews

LUMINOUS By Mara Rutherford

October 5, 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.

LUMINOUS By Mara RutherfordLuminous by Mara Rutherford
Published by Inkyard Press on 10/5/21
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.

To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos—and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.

Short and Sweet Review

Liora is a witch and she’s different, she glows. Her father has kept her hidden away but when Liora catches the eye of the King’s warlock Darius trouble ensues. Darius ends up taking Mina, Liora’s younger sister back with him to the palace and Liora becomes her neighbor Margana’s apprentice. During Liora’s apprenticeship she learns that Margana can weave things that will take life after she cast a spell once she is finished. Margana works for Darius and has been working on a tapestry for him, but after an argument Darius pushes Margana’s son Evran into the Tapestry and Liora goes in looking for him, after leaving the tapestry some of the creatures from that world also escape and now Evran and Liora are tasked with stopping them.

I feel like the pacing of the book was kind of slow and then it picked up when Liora had to go in the tapestry but then it slowed down again. People with powers had to basically stay hidden because Darius would use them to grow his own power, but he had his own villain backstory that Liora had to work to get. Liora and Evran had a cute romance but at times it was annoying how often he would push her away. This was an interesting book it reminds me of some other young adult books but it’s different in its own way. My only problem was the pacing otherwise a good story.


Filed Under: Reviews

THIS IS WHY WE LIE By Gabriella Lepore

September 24, 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.

THIS IS WHY WE LIE By Gabriella LeporeThis Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore
Published by Inkyard Press on 9/21/21
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Everyone in Gardiners Bay has a secret.

When Jenna Dallas and Adam Cole find Colleen O’Dell’s body floating off the shore of their coastal town, the community of Gardiners Bay is shaken. But even more shocking is the fact that her drowning was no accident.

Once Jenna’s best friend becomes a key suspect, Jenna starts to look for answers on her own. As she uncovers scandals inside Preston Prep School leading back to Rookwood reform school, she knows she needs Adam on her side.

As a student at Rookwood, Adam is used to getting judgmental looks, but now his friends are being investigated by the police. Adam will do whatever he can to keep them safe, even if that means trusting Jenna.

As lies unravel, the truth starts to blur. Only one thing is certain: somebody must take the fall.

Short and Sweet Review

When Jenna and Adam find Colleen O’Dell’s body floating lifeless in the shore, their small town is shocked, but things get worse when they learn this wasn’t an accident. When Jenna’s friend Holly becomes a suspect Jenna starts to look into things and knows she needs Adams help to piece everything together. Adam goes to Rookwood reform school and is used to being judged and now that he and his friends are being investigated he knows that he needs to do everything he can to keep him and his friends safe.

Jenna likes to take in Gardiner Bay’s scenary early in the morning and that’s when she hears Adam calling for help, and sees that Colleen O’Dell is dead. Thats when this whole mystery kicks off. Jenna went to school with Colleen and wasn’t really close with her but was kind of in the same friend group. When Jenna’s friend Holly becomes a number one suspect because of a recent fight she had with Colleen, Jenna knows she has to do something to help clear Holly and that means digging a little deeper into the girls at Preston Prep and the boys at Rookwood. Jenna’s aunt is a cop so she knows when some people are being looked at more closely than others and that this was a murder and not an accident. We get the POVs of Jenna and Adam and we see that Adam and his friends are hiding something we just don’t know what it is, while with Jenna she’s working towards uncovering what could have happened.

There’s a lot of layers to this mystery and a few twists that I was not expecting. The ending caught me off guard because I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong. I like how some of the characters mainly the Rookwood boys have something they are hiding, while the Preston girls have an interesting dynamic as most high school girls do. This was a read that kept me hooked from beginning to end and I loved the texts, the news clips, and police interviews that are sprinkled in. Definitely pick this book up!

Filed Under: Reviews

COUNTING DOWN WITH YOU By Tashie Bhuiyan

May 5, 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.

COUNTING DOWN WITH YOU By Tashie BhuiyanCounting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan
Published by Inkyard Press on 5/4/21
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents’ rules—even if it means sacrificing her dreams. When her parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, Karina expects some peace and quiet. Instead, one simple lie unravels everything.

Karina is my girlfriend.

Tutoring the school’s resident bad boy was already crossing a line. Pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace Clyde does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books (a week) if she goes along with his fake-dating facade. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back.

T-minus twenty-eight days until everything returns to normal—but what if Karina no longer wants it to?

Short and Sweet Review

Karina’s plan to get through high school is to keep her head down and follow her parent’s rules. But when her parents leave for four weeks Karina expects some peace, but instead she ends up tangled in a lie. Karina starts to tutor the schools resident bad boy, Ace, and eventually the two start to pretend date. Karina can’t wait until things go back to normal but as time starts to get closer to when her parents get back she wonders if she really wants it to go back to normal.

Karina is a 16-year-old Bangladeshi Muslim who loves to read and write poetry. She wants to study English, but her parents want her to study medicine. There isn’t a lot of room in her life for her to live it the way she wants so when her parents go to Bangladesh for a month, leaving Karina and her brother with their grandmother, Dadu, Karina finally feels free.

Karina is asked to tutor a boy in her English class, Ace, who is struggling in. Karina knows that her parents wouldn’t be to happy with her spending any time with a boy, but Karina agrees because her favorite teacher is asking and it’ll replace the grade for a project that counts for a large portion of her grade. The more Karina gets to know Ace the more her feelings for him begin to complicate. Ace starts to introduce Karina as his girlfriend even though they’re not dating, which makes everything start to fall apart.

During the time that her parents are gone Karina is shown love from the people around her, like her friends and Dadu.

The romance was beautiful and I liked that Ace and Karina were honest with each other and respected boundaries. Ace was everything someone would want in a boyfriend and I just loved their relationship.

The book pulls the reader in and I love how the characters were brought to life! Karina has a lot of love and support from those around her. Counting Down with You is beautiful and raw and it really shows you what it means to follow your own path in life. I highly recommend this book!


Filed Under: Reviews

FIVE WAYS TO FALL OUT OF LOVE By Emily Martin

March 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.

FIVE WAYS TO FALL OUT OF LOVE By Emily MartinFive Ways to Fall Out of Love by Emily Martin
Published by Inkyard Press on 3/16/21
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Aubrey Cash learned the hard way not to rely on love. After all, Webster Casey, the new boy next door she''d been falling for all summer, stood her up at homecoming in front of everyone with no explanation. Proving her theory that love never lasts seems easy when she''s faced with parents whose marriage is falling apart and a best friend who thinks every boy she dates is "the one." But when sparks fly with a boy who turns out to be Webster''s cousin, and then Webster himself becomes her lab partner for the rest of senior year, Aubrey finds her theory—and her commitment to stay single—put to the test.

As she navigates the breakdown of her family, the consequences her cynicism has on her relationship with her best friend, and her own confusing but undeniable feelings for Webster, Aubrey has to ask herself: What really happened the night Webster stood her up? And if there are five ways to fall out of love…could there perhaps be even more ways to fall back in?

Short and Sweet

Aubrey doesn’t rely on love and she learned that the hard way after being stood up by Webster Casey on homecoming night. Aubrey’s parents have a marriage that is falling apart and Aubrey uses that as proof that love doesn’t last but things change after she meets Holland, who also ends up being Webster’s cousin, and now Aubrey’s stuck being Webster’s lab partner for the rest of the school year. Aubrey’s determined to stay single but will she last?

Characters

Aubrey: Aubrey is our main character and has become accustomed to her parents fighting which makes her wonder if love is even worth it. Aubrey focuses on making it through the rest of her senior year and avoiding anything to do with love.

Webster: Webster lives across the street from Aubrey. When he first moved in they spent a lot of time together and they were supposed to go to the homecoming dance together but he stood her up.

Holland: Holland is Webster’s cousin and he meets Aubrey at a party. Holland and Aubrey start going out.

Romance

Aubrey and Webster: Aubrey and Webster haven’t really talked since that night at homecoming so now that they’re lab partners its weird and there’s definitely some tension. I’m not really sure if I liked them together they were either okay or mad at each other and it was just back and forth.

Aubrey and Holland: I liked this relationship more than the one above but for some reason even though Holland treats Aubrey great she can’t stop thinking about Webster so that was the end of this duo.

My Thoughts

Aubrey has sworn off love especially since she got stood up at homecoming. I thought it would be a bigger mystery as to why Webster stood Aubrey up but we get the answer 40% of the way through the book, honestly everything that happened at homecoming could have been avoided if Webster just talked to Aubrey. I didn’t really like any of the characters, I didn’t connect with any of them. Aubrey was probably my least favorite, she was always such a pessimistic person. Aubrey’s best friend, Reese is always there for her but Aubrey for some reason thought it was a good idea to try to calculate how long it would take for Reese and her boyfriend to break up. It was things like that that made me dislike Aubrey. Aubrey just wouldn’t let herself be happy with Holland even though he was a great guy, she just kept thinking about Webster. I didn’t really like how the book ended and thought in general the whole thing could have been better.

Overall

I thought I would enjoy this book, because the synopsis sounded promising and in the end it just fell flat. I didn’t like the characters, the romance wasn’t good and its just not what I thought it would be.


Filed Under: Reviews

ONE OF THE GOOD ONES By Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite

January 4, 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.

ONE OF THE GOOD ONES By Maika Moulite, Maritza MouliteOne of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite
Published by Inkyard Press on 1/5/2020
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.

One of the good ones.

Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honor Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.

Short and Sweet

Kezi Smith is a social activist, after attending a rally and being taken into custody Kezi is killed under mysterious circumstances. Kezi’s family is still dealing with her death. Kezi becomes another victim remembered for police brutality in the US. To honor Kezi’s memory her sisters, Genny and Happi embark on a journey following The Negro Motorist Green Book and Kezi’s notes.

Characters

Genny: Genny is the oldest sibling and she’s very sensible. You can definitely tell that she’s the older sibling, she’s always looking out for her siblings and trying to keep them safe.

Kezi: Kezi is the middle child. Kezi was very interested in African American studies and being an activist. Kezi knew a lot and she shared the information she knew on her YouTube channel. Kezi was very dedicated to doing what’s right and standing up for people.

Happi: Happi is the youngest child. Even though she’s the youngest she doesn’t wanted to be treated as the baby of the family. Honestly Happi, despite her name was not a Happy character. Happi had such a bad attitude during most of the book I didn’t want to read from her sections. Its not even from grieving we see seems from when Kezi was still alive and Happi would say the meanest things to her sister.

Quotes

~ “But I didn’t know Kezi. Not the way a sister should.”

My Thoughts

So we get multiple POVs and these alternate from past and present from when before Kezi was arrested, the day of, and after. I thought that we would also get Genny’s point of view but we didn’t. We got Kezi’s, Happi’s, a girl who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and a relative of the girls.

Anyway we get to see what happened to Kezi during the days leading up to her arrest and what happened in at the rally. We also see what was going on with Happi. After everything that happened we Genny decides that she wants to honor Kezi by going on a road trip that Kezi planned on taking. Genny, Happi, and two of Kezi’s friends Derek and Ximena hit the road following The Negro Motorist Green Book. I liked the road trip aspect of the book and how the characters learned a lot of history and felt like Kezi was with them along the way. Happi eventually becomes more of a bearable character during the trip, which I liked because her attitude made me want to put the book down on multiple occasions.

Overall

I liked this book a lot, especially learning about different historical sites and their importance. I also enjoyed the POVs though I don’t think all of them were necessary. It was also an interesting plot twist and I was just shocked and everything about it was unexpected. I would recommend this book, it does relate to a lot of things that are currently happening in our country.

Filed Under: Reviews

ROMAN AND JEWEL By Dana L. Davis

December 30, 2020 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.

ROMAN AND JEWEL By Dana L. DavisRoman and Jewel by Dana L. Davis
Published by Inkyard Press on 1/5/21
Genres: Contemporary, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Jerzie Jhames will do anything to land the lead role in Broadway’s hottest new show, Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet inspired hip-hopera featuring a diverse cast and modern twists on the play. But her hopes are crushed when she learns mega-star Cinny won the lead…and Jerzie is her understudy.

Falling for male lead Zeppelin Reid is a terrible idea―especially once Jerzie learns Cinny wants him for herself. Star-crossed love always ends badly. But when a video of Jerzie and Zepp practicing goes viral and the entire world weighs in on who should play Jewel, Jerzie learns that while the price of fame is high, friendship, family, and love are priceless.

Short and Sweet

Jerzie wants to land a lead role in Broadways newest show, Roman and Jewel, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Jerzie gets a role as an understudy and she’s the understudy for Cinny a megastar. On set Jerzie meets Zeppelin Reid, the actor playing Roman. It’s like love at first sight but Jerzie knows she doesn’t have time to fall in love, or does she?

Characters

Jerzie: Jerzie is our main character and she’s insanely talented. I loved everything about Jerzie especially her dialogue she’s funny and smart and you can’t help but to root for her. This is her first broadway show so everything is relatively new but she’s learning a lot along the way and I love that she doesn’t lose who she is even though she’s about to be in a big show.

Zeppelin: Zeppelin is the leading man in the show. He’s a ladies man and most of the girls are trying to get his attention. Zeppelin is actually very sweet and he has manners. I loved Zeppelin he was everything you’d want in a guy.

Cinny: Cinny is a megastar and she has the role of Jewel in the play. Cinny is sweet in front of people but behind closed doors she’s awful. I could have done without Cinny but every book needs a villain and she just happens to be ours.

Romance

Jerzie and Zeppelin: These two are just so cute together, love was in the air! Its almost like they knew each other from a past life, the chemistry between the two was just there. I loved the scenes with these two and how comfortable they were with each other!

My Thoughts

Roman and Jewel is about to be Broadways hottest new show and Jerzie has a part as the understudy for the role of Jewel. Jerzie is mainly on set or with her Aunt Karla traveling around New York. On set Jerzie meets Zeppelin and even performs a scene with him, some how their rehearsal gets leaked online and people think that Jerzie should have the lead role instead of Cinny. This is where the trouble begins. Jerzie decides that it’s probably better to stay away from Zeppelin but finds that it’s easier said than done. We see Jerzie learn that the price of fame is rough, but she does have a good support system her family is amazing. At one point something does happen and my heart hurt for Jerzie. I did enjoy going around New York and following Jerzie to rehearsals.

Overall

I loved the plot and the pacing of the book was great. The dialogue was amazing it had me smiling, laughing, and crying. I loved everything about this book and it quickly became one of my favorites for 2020. The ending was great, and honestly I just fell in love with the characters. Definitely do yourself a favor and pick this book up!

Filed Under: Reviews

KINGDOM OF SEA AND STONE By Mara Rutherford

October 2, 2020 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.

KINGDOM OF SEA AND STONE By Mara RutherfordKingdom of Sea and Stone by Mara Rutherford
Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl #2
Published by Inkyard Press on 10/6/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Ever since Nor was forced to go to a nearby kingdom in her sister’s place, she’s wanted nothing more than to return to the place and people she loves. But when her wish comes true, she soon finds herself cast out from both worlds, with a war on the horizon.

As an old enemy resurfaces more powerful than ever, Nor will have to keep the kingdom from falling apart with the help of Prince Talin and Nor’s twin sister, Zadie. There are forces within the world more mysterious than any of them ever guessed—and they’ll need to stay alive long enough to conquer them…

Short and Sweet

Kingdom of Sea and Stone takes place right where Crown of Coral and Pearl left off. After being in Ilara, Nor wanted nothing more than to go back home to Varenia, but after returning she learns that her people have turned her back on her. She’s also looked down upon by the people of Ilara. Nor knows that there’s trouble ahead and she’ll do anything to keep her people safe even if they don’t believe in her.

Characters

Nor: Nor is back as our main character and she’s gone through a lot, she suffered while at Ilara having to give her blood to Ceren, and now they’re connected in a way where he can see her dreams and memories and she can see his. Nor also has to accept the fact that even though she would risk her life to save the Varenians they wouldn’t do the same for her. Nor loves hard and that’s one thing I really like about her, even though others might call her weak for it its actually what makes her strong.

Romance

Nor and Talin: I honestly feel like their relationship fell flat in this book. You can tell that they cared about each other but there was no chemistry. I feel like the relationship they had in the first book compared to what was going on in this book was very different, and not in a good way. I felt like Nor would have been better off with someone else.

Quotes

~ “Because even if love was my greatest weakness, it was also the thing that made me strong.”

My Thoughts

~ We see a lot more of Zadie in this book and I’m glad that she decided to go with Nor on her journey, I liked seeing the bond between these two. I will say that after Zadie is reunited with Sami we don’t really see that much of her.

~ Nor and Talin know that Ceren is coming after them so they seek help from Galeth. Galeth is one of those places that tries to be neutral, so our group doesn’t outright tell them that they want the Galethians to help them fight on the side of Talin’s mom.

~ In Galeth we meet a few allies, Roan and Adriel. Roan is a commander at one of the forts in Galeth and he’s pretty funny he’s also very opinionated and doesn’t hold back. Adriel is a healer and that sort of made her an outcast. Adriel and Nor hit it off and I think Adriel helped Nor to accept herself for who she is and not for what everyone wants her to be.

~ In the beginning of the book we don’t see much of Ceren unless Nor is having a dream, it’s not until we’re 65% in that his presence is more prominent.

~ We also see Talin’s mom Talia. Nor doesn’t entirely agree with Talia’s plans and that kind of puts a rift between Nor and Talin.

Overall

I thought this book was better than the first in terms of the plot. I liked that we see everything that the characters were worried about come into fruition in this book. It was also interesting to see how the blood bond between Nor and Ceren worked. Nor becomes more sure of herself in this book which is something I liked seeing. This series is worth the read and Kingdom of Sea and Stone was a good ending to this duology!

Filed Under: Reviews

THESE VENGEFUL HEARTS By Katherine Laurin

September 7, 2020 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.

THESE VENGEFUL HEARTS By Katherine LaurinThese Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin
Published by Inkyard Press on 9/8/20
Genres: Contemporary, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Whenever something scandalous happens at Heller High, the Red Court is the name on everyone’s lips. Its members deal out social ruin and favors in equal measure, their true identities known only by their leader: the Queen of Hearts.

Ember Williams has seen firsthand the damage the Red Court can do. Now, she’s determined to hold the organization accountable by taking it down from the inside. But will the cost of revenge be more than she’s willing to sacrifice?

Short and Sweet Review

Ember is ready to take down the Red Court. Whenever something scandalous happens at Heller High there’s one name that comes up and its the Red Court. Ember has been ready to get revenge on them ever since the accident that left her sister paralyzed. Now that Ember has been invited into the club she has the chance to dismantle it. The Red Court is more than Ember bargained for, especially when the jobs will effect those closest to her.

I did like the mystery of who the Red Queen was and who the other members of the court might be. Ember did get a little caught up into the world of the Red Court she liked the power and control she felt. It was interesting, she got a partner, Haley who was kind of like a mentor in all things Red Court and they had jobs that they had to accomplish. Most of the jobs were kind of heartless. All of the jobs that the Red Court received were from students of the school and once that job is completed the student ends up owing the Red Court.

Ember did have a little romance with Chase. I honestly thought their interactions were really cute. I love how competitive they were with each other. It was hard for Ember to keep her secret from Chase about being involved in with the Red Court. I also liked Ember’s relationship with her best friend Gideon although I did think he was a bit much sometimes, but he did try to keep Ember in check during her involvement with the Red Court.

I really liked this book! The mystery was great and I didn’t suspect who was the Queen of Hearts. This was a quick read and it held my attention the whole time. Definitely pick this book up if you’re interested in revenge and mystery books!

Filed Under: Reviews

QUEEN OF VOLTS By Amanda Foody

August 31, 2020 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.

QUEEN OF VOLTS By Amanda FoodyQueen of Volts by Amanda Foody
Series: The Shadow Game #3
Published by Inkyard Press on 9/1/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 608
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Return to the City of Sin, where the perilous final game is about to begin...The players? Twenty-two of the most powerful, most notorious people in New Reynes.

With no choice but to play, Enne and Levi are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But any misstep could turn deadly when a far more dangerous opponent appears on the board — one plucked straight from the city’s most gruesome legends. While Levi hides behind a mask of false promises, Enne is finally forced out from behind hers and as the game takes its final, vicious turn, these two must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.

Because in a game for survival, there are no winners...

There are only monsters.

Short and Sweet

Queen of Volts takes place right where King of Fools left off. After the corrupt election and street war everyone is ready to move on except there’s one last game everyone has to play. 22 notorious and powerful people in New Reynes have been given a card and a target, and one of these players is a legend who isn’t going out without a fight.

Characters

Levi: Levi is still struggling after losing Jac, but Tock makes him realize he still needs to do his job as the leader of the irons. Levi just wants the gangs to be pardoned and for things to go back to anything that seems normal. Levi is ready to make new alliances and put politicians at peace, anything to be sure his friends will be safe.

Enne: Enne on the other hand has to be careful with everything she does. Now that it has been revealed that she’s a Mizer any misstep could lead to her death. Enne needs to be pardoned to but she’s going to have to work a lot harder to make it seem like she’s not a threat. Enne just wanted to feel safe like the rest of her friends and she had to make more sacrifices than others to get it.

Lola: Lola is on a mission to get information and the information she wants is on Enne’s parents. I didn’t really like Lola in this book as the other characters said she was “the worst version of herself.” I feel like she wasn’t around her friends much and dismissed them for most of the book which isn’t like her. She also bargained something away and I don’t think she really thought of what she’d actually lose when she made that decision.

Sophia: All Sophia wants is to find the bargainer and regain her memories and maybe her split talent back. I didn’t mind reading from Sophia’s POV she was just trying to get back the part of her she felt was missing. She’s kind of like an outsider to our group.

Harvey: Ahh Harvey. Harvey is a hot mess. All Harvey cares about is Bryce he would do anything for Bryce which is upsetting because Bryce would not do the same for Harvey. Anyway Bryce is the reason all our characters are in this mess so I had no love for him. Harvey tries to see the best in Bryce and he’s the only character wasting their time to do so.

Romance

Levi and Enne: The relationship between these two is strained mainly because of what happened with Enne and Jac, it hangs in the air between these two. Its also not great that they begin to use each other to get what they want. I like it better when they trust each other and work as partners and we don’t see that until the last half of the book.

Quotes

~ “The City of Sin was a game, and the only way to win was to stack the cards in your favor.”

My Thoughts

~ Its been a while since I’ve read King of Fools so I didn’t really remember what happened and it took me a bit but everything started clicking and I started following the story with ease.

~ So Bryce set up this game where everyone has a card and a target and the game will end when one of the players collects 5 cards. It’s actually a very complex game which is what our players realize and they decide the best way to go about this is to work together.

~ I loved seeing everyone work together, they may not have all known each other but they did have a common goal. I liked seeing everyone come up with a plan and seeing how they would execute it.

~ Above under characters I listed all of the ones we have a POV for. We have more characters that show up thought like: Bryce, Rebecca, Narinder, Harrison, The Bargainer, Tock, Roy, and Grace.

~ I didn’t mind all the POVs and there wasn’t one I preferred to read more than the other. I liked seeing where each of the characters were or what they were going through.

~ The bargainer is a big deal mainly because she has the ability to give you what you want after taking something from you. Bryce needs the bargainer to heal Rebecca.

~ The bargainer was an interesting character, she’s a legend in New Reynes but she befriends Lola and doesn’t seem like that bad of a person but on the other hand she is.

~ There were a few twists that I wasn’t expecting but they were welcome twists.

~ We also learn more about Enne’s family which I was excited for and what we learn doesn’t disappoint!

Overall

This was such an amazing ending to this series! I loved it so much I couldn’t put it down. I’m going to miss these characters a lot mainly Enne and Levi. This was probably my favorite book in the series and it really didn’t disappoint it was explosive and kept you on the edge of your seat watching this one final game take place. If you haven’t read this series I recommend you pick them up!

Filed Under: Reviews