"All Dressed in White" by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke

All Dressed in White is a contemporary fiction thriller about a show called Under Suspicion that is like Unsolved Mysteries.   The book focuses on the most recent cold case the show is investigating about a missing woman who disappeared the day before her wedding from the Florida resort she was supposed to get married at. 

This book was very good.  I was never sure exactly what happened to Amanda until it was finally revealed near the end and the killer ready to kill again was a twist I did not expect!  This book is a warning to choose your friends carefully.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Kind Worth Killing" by Peter Swanson

In The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson, Ted and Lily meet at an airport bar.  They get to talking and drinking and all of a sudden, they feel a connection.  They decide to hatch a plan.  If it goes as planned, their lives will be forever changed.  I enjoyed this book.  The plot is good and the characters are cold-blooded to say the least.  I loved the ending!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Heart of Betrayal" (Book 2 of Remnant Chronicles) by Mary E. Pearson (UPDATED)

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson is book two in the Remnant Chronicles series, the sequel to Kiss of Deception, which I LOVED. Lia and Kaden are taken as prisoners by the barbarians of Vaden and deception is prevalent in this book throughout, but not for the reader as it was in book one. Lia continues to be both feisty, brave and deceptive. She pretends not to care for Kaden in order to save his life while relying on Rafe, the assassin, to protect her. Tension between Kaden and Rafe continues to escalate, but they both love Lia. Lia and Kaden catch short times together to hatch an escape plan, that is even more urgent as Lia’s wedding to the Komizar fast approaches. There is some brutality in this book with lots of interesting characters and relationships. Will Rafe betray the Komizar to protect Lia? Will he kill Kaden? Will Griz get his revenge? Will Kaden and Lia be successful in their escape?

I LOVED this book so much! It moved along quickly and was as much fun to read as Kiss of Deception. I thought the funniest part was when Lia beat Griz at cards, but the saddest was when the Komizar killed the little girl. This is a good series that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys adventure, romance and fantasy with royalty. I look forward to the next book to find out what happens! (Karen's review 8/1/15, 5 stars)

Gerard read this too 12/8/16, but didn't like it as much as I did:
This book is the follow up to Kiss of Deception which I liked better.  Lia is being held captive in the city of Venda and Kaden is keeping an eye on her, making sure no harm comes to her.  Rafe is also captured and is waiting for his army to come and rescue him and Lia.  As in book one, the part that Lia tells were the highlight for me.  She is really good!  There is some action finally near the end which sets up the final book.
(4 stars)

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"The Midnight Star" by Marie Lu

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu is the final book in The Young Elites series. Adelina aka "The White Wolf" is now the queen.  She takes care of people who get in her way.  But now she finds out that she has to make a deal with her enemy or else!

Marie Lu shows that she does not have to take a back seat to anyone.  This book had loads of action and the ending had plenty of twists and turns.  I LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"A Torch Against the Night" by Sabaa Tahir is as Good as the First in This Series!

After reading An Ember in the Ashes, I went right into the next book--A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir and loved it too.  In this one, Helene's point of view is added in the telling of the story and it is exciting right from the start.  Much of the book is Elias and Laia on the run with Helene and her three black guards chasing after them but the author has a way of having things happening in different places at the same time and making great use of cliff hangers at the end of the chapters to keep your interest.  There are some sad parts and the characters did some things I didn't like or understand; however, it did make for a good story.  I really like Helene who is put through the ringer in this book. 

This book has some surprises and again, some tight situations where. I felt I was on a roller coaster with all the ups and downs in this book.  It moved a bit slow at the beginning, but the last third of the book made up for it!  I had to take a break after several of the chapters to let things sink in and then go right back to it to see what would happen next. I look forward to reading the rest of this series!   
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir is the follow-up to Ember in the Ashes.  Usually I have trouble getting into book Twos because it was so long since I read book 1, but not so with this one.  I was into it from page 1!  It was so good to re-connect with Laia and Elias!  Both are wonderful characters.  This book flows very well and I was surprised more than once.  A lot happens in this which made it just as good as book 1, if not better.  I LOVED it!
(Gerard's review 10/5/16, 5++ stars)

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"Obsession" by Karen Robards is Quite the Page Turner!

Obsession by Karen Robards begins with a mystery right off the bat and is filled with action, mystery and suspense throughout. This is a book about an FBI investigation against the head of the CIA whose personal assistant, Katherine, is caught up in the middle and in great danger throughout the book. Katherine doesn’t know who to trust and finds herself in several life and death situations. This novel is full of betrayal, suspense, mystery and action with a bit of humor and romance.

This book kept me guessing all through, but at least I picked the right person that Katherine should trust, well, sort of. This has a wild plot and interesting characters. I especially liked Katherine’s cat, Muffy! Loved the ending! The one explicit sex scene I could do without, but other than that, I liked this contemporary thriller which is a page turner I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and unusual plots.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Watching Edie" by Camilla Way is a Good One!

In Watching Edie by Camilla Way, Edie was a little bit of a crazy girl in high school.  But she befriends Heather, a girl who has trouble of her own and no real friends.  However, when a boy named Conner comes along, Edie has time for him and him alone!!  Years later, Edie is at the lowest point in her life, alone and desperate when Heather shows up!  That's a good thing, right?

I thought this book was very good.  I went through a love/hate relationship with both Heather and Edie.  The writing was good too and it moved along at a good pace.  I recommend it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Boy at the Top of the Mountain" by John Boyne

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne is about a young boy named Pierrot who becomes an orphan around the time of World War II.  When he is 7 years old, rides three trains by himself to go live with his aunt whom he never even met.  While living with her, he is influenced by the people he meets and soon he sees things far different than he used to.

I thought the second part of this book was better than the first part and the ending was very well done.  However, I do not think this was as good as this author's first book (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) but still is a very good read.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

(Karen's review 6/17/16, 5 stars) 
I was eager to read The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne, the author who also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an amazing story!  The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is also set during World War II.  It shows how a nice, innocent 7-yr.-old boy, Pierrot, with German and French background is faced with a whole new life when his aunt takes him in to live with her after his parents both die. 

This story kept my interest all the way through and didn't have any boring part.  I finished it in just two days and liked how the author made Pierrot's struggles so clear.  This too is a sad book but thought provoking.  As Pierrot gets a new identity, he fights to keep his memories of "the good old days" and is torn apart when he realizes what he did was really wrong.  I thought the ending was great and recommend this one!  I hesitate saying any more about it because I don't want to spoil it for you.  Just read it and be shocked like I was!  I don't think I'll easily forget this book, just like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is lodged in my memory.


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"Need" by Joelle Charbonneau

NEED by Joelle Charbonneau is about a new networking site called "Need."  It is only available to teens in a town in Wisconsin.  This book is told through multiple points of view of the teens that go on this site.  What is the price you have to pay to get your need fulfilled?  You'll have to read the book to find that out.

I thought this book was very good.  Once the action starts, it is almost non-stop and do not know what is coming next.  I read this author's other three books (The Testing series) and in my opinion, this book is way better!  Read it and judge for yourself.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 4 stars:
NEED by Joelle Charbonneau is a disturbing contemporary fiction book about teens a new website for only Nottawa High School. The basic idea is that teens can request something they need on the website and then they will be given a small task to do. When the task is completed according to the instructions, then their need will be fulfilled. Kaylee Dunham requested a new kidney for her brother who is dying. When teens start dying, Kaylee begins to seriously question who is behind NEED and what it’s purpose really is.

This book is pretty creepy but certainly exposes the danger in going along with the crowd and expecting something for nothing. NEED was a pretty interesting “project” which was explained at the end of the book when the person behind it is finally revealed. 


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"Ice Like Fire" by Sara Raasch

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch is the second book in the Snow Like Ashes YA fantasy series.  In this book, Meira strives to act like a queen even though she prefers being a warrior.  The story is told from Meira's perspective and Mather's perspective.  This book has much less action than the first and focuses on inner struggles and the trip to find some magical keys and how to open the magical chasm found in Winter's mountains.  Theron wants to open it but Meira doesn't so tries to find the keys first and the Order of the Lustrate.  Finally, about the last 50 pages had some action and got really good.

This book was not as interesting as the first but was okay.  I still like Mather best and didn't understand some things.  The plot seemed dull to me and it moved along slowly.  The only reason I finished this book is because it is the second in a series and I plan on finishing the series.  It isn't gripping but it's still worth reading.  This has mostly introspection, politics, betrayal and travel in it.  
(Karen's review, 3- stars)

Now see what Gerard thought of it:
Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch is the follow-up to Snow Like Ashes, which I loved! Meira, the new Queen of Winter, is on a mission to get Winter out of the rule of the King of Cordell and she needs help to do that.

This book is nowhere near as good as the first. The first half of the book I had to plow through because nothing really is going on. The second half has some action and I was able to get into it more. The ending was just okay and not the big “wow” I hoped for. I will read the third book in hopes that it will be better and see how it all plays out.
(Gerard’s review, 3 stars)


See our review of the first in this series:  Snow Like Ashes

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"The Rose Society" by Marie Lu

The Rose Society by Marie Lu is the second book in The Young Elites series so you should read that one first.   Adelina is on the run and is now known as the "White Wolf."  She is feared and you better not mess with her!  Her goal is to strike down the down the inquisition.

I thought this book was so much better than the first one.  There is much more action with a great ending and I enjoyed it a lot!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Vicious" by V. E. Schwab - We had a Love/Hate Feeling About This One! (UPDATED)

Vicious by V. E. Schwab centers on Victor and Eli.  When their research moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong!  The first part of the book concentrates on Victor and the second part on Eli.  This book goes back and forth in time, leading up to a fantastic ending.

This is some book!  I enjoyed it right from page 1 and thought the characters were very interesting.  Here is a teaser I chose from it:

He hardly felt the cold through his coat.  He was too busy trying to picture what Eli's face would look like when he received their message.  [from p. 26]

Gerard's review, 8/21/15, 5++ stars)


Here is the spoiler-free review we saw on YouTube that convinced Karen to read the book too:


Karen's review (8/28/15):
I started Vicious by V. E. Schwab expecting it to be great based on this video and my husband's recommendation; however, I only read a little over half and gave up on it.  I didn't care for it at all.  I didn't like either of the main characters and thought the whole premise was ridiculous.  It is like a contemporary fantasy or science fiction, not sure which.  In my opinion, it's like the old Twilight Zone TV show!  The writing really annoyed me a lot too because it kept jumping all over the place.  It's in the present, then 10 years ago, last night, 3 nights ago, back to the present, 10 years ago through the whole book.  It only gets 1 star from me.  

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"The Cage" by Megan Shepherd was a bit Disappointing

The Cage by Megan Shepherd is about six teens snatched from earth and plopped into some space station called “the Cage” to be studied and tested, kind of like lab rats. Their habitat consists of a desert, a farm, a jungle, an ocean, and a town with fake buildings that has things similar to those on earth but from different time periods. There are black screens everywhere so they can be watched and only three rules.

I liked the premise, but was disappointed in the ending and felt betrayed just as the characters did. Cora, a 16-yr-old girl who is a senator’s daughter did not appeal to me and was the main character. The others were Rolf, Nok, Mali, Leon and Lucky. This science fiction/fantasy novel is about manipulation, the fight for humanity, some romance and betrayal.

I liked it okay in that it kept my interest and I did like most of the characters, but the ending was very disappointing to me and I had a hard time relating to the main character because she reacted completely different than I would in that situation.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


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"Where They Found Her" by Kimberly McCreight

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight is like a roller coaster ride! All the characters were very believable. A body of a newborn is found near a college in a wooded area. Molly is called by her boss to report on this for the town's local paper. She is trying to get over the loss of her own baby. It is told by women in this small town who have events in their lives that are better kept hidden but do connect them.

I Loved this book! I also liked Constructing Amelia by this author. She is two for two.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard is an Exciting, Fun Read! (UPDATED)

We both Loved this one!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is a YA novel about a young girl named Mare.  She is a "Red" who lives in a world that is controlled by the "Silvers."  One day Mare is captured and it turns out that she has powers that a Red is not supposed to have.  The Silvers quickly take her under their wing so that this is not discovered by the world. Mare wants to help her people, the Reds, even though it puts her in danger. 

 WOW!  This book has tons of action with lots of twists that I did not see coming.  LOVED it a lot!  Will read book 2 for sure.  This is my new book of the month!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

 Karen's review:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is an interesting cloak and dagger fantasy about humans with silver blood and super powers (Silvers) ruling over poor, down-trodden humans with red blood and no super powers (Reds).  Some Reds band together, calling themselves “The Red Guard” to try to change things for the better.  Mara is a Red, but is different.  She is an excellent pick pocket who discovers, by accident, that she has a super power in spite of her red blood. 

It’s not often I hate to see a book end, but with this one, I did!  I enjoyed this book with action, brother rivalry, lying and betrayal very much.  I liked the main character and couldn’t help pulling for her despite all odds.  I was disappointed to see this is just the first book of a series.  Now I have to wait for the next book to come out.  This book is similar to Cinderella and Divergent is some ways.  If you like adventure, fantasy and interesting relationships, I highly recommend Red Queen.  

(Karen's review 3-18-15, 5 stars)

 

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"The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is about a young lady named Rachel.  She takes a train to work every day, the same way back and forth.  She sees a couple most days and watches them.  Then one day she sees something from the train that changes her whole outlook on them.

WOW!  This book is so good!  I got into all the characters really fast.  It is great writing and the twists in the story are very good with a fantastic ending!  I LOVED IT!  Once I got into this, it was hard to put down.  It will be hard to find a better book than this one.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Hidden Agenda" by Lisa Harris is both Suspenseful and Action-Packed!

Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris is about Michael, an undercover cop whose cover is blown and is scheduled to be killed but is rescued by the son (Ivan) and daughter (Olivia) of the man who wants him dead.  They barely escape from the island and then are on the run for pretty much the rest of the book!  Ivan is deaf but good with computers and pretty smart but his older sister, Olivia, a reporter, feels responsible for keeping him safe.

This is a good read with a lot of suspense and action that kept my interest.  The relationships are all interesting too.  It deals with family relationships, secrets, betrayal, fear and romance between an unlikely couple from two different worlds. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Think Twice" by Lisa Scottoline is a Doozy We Both Likded! (Updated)

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline is about identical twin girls, but other than looks, they are very different!  When the one twin does unspeakable acts to the other, this novel takes off!  Think Twice is really good with plenty of action and a great ending.  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline is full of unbelievable cruelty from Bennie Rosato’s identical twin, Alice, who was raised in foster care and made a mess of her life.  Bennie is a successful attorney who owns her own firm but when she accepts a dinner invitation from Alice, she wakes up in a box buried alive!  Alice goes on to impersonate her twin and take over her life in the hopes of getting a new start.  It’s hard to believe anyone could really be this cruel, and I even wonder how authors can think up this stuff.  The book has plenty of action including gun play, chase scenes and even some sweetness tossed in for good measure.  I found myself thinking, “Oh, wow!” over and over as Alice continued to be a real piece of work in making her sister’s life miserable.

Although Think Twice isn’t realistic at all, I enjoyed reading it because I wanted to see Alice get caught—she was so bad!  I really liked Bennie’s boyfriend, Grady, and her co-worker, Judy, but thought the psychic cousin made this seem more like fantasy than real life.  The ending was pretty good with a bit of a surprise thrown in which I liked!    This book showed me how important it is to keep any written passwords away from my computer—I’m going to move mine!
(Karen's review, 5 stars) 

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