Book Review: Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride

My thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Lish McBride for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

A long time ago, nearly a dozen years maybe, I picked up a book called Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. The title made me chuckle because of the connection to the song and while I didn't grow up when the song was popular, I had eventually found my way to Elton John so I could appreciate the fun the title was having with it's rhyme. Then I started reading the book, about a young man named Sam who discovers he is a necromancer and I slowly became a fan for life of Lish McBride. What truly sold me on that first book was the name of the main character. You see, Sam was born on Samhain, the pagan holiday, and his mother decided to give him that for his name. And at first the fact that he was called SAM was making me a little disappointed until Sam explained that his name is pronounced SOWIN, he was only called Sam because his Dad wanted to get back at his mom for giving his that name.

SOLD!! Seriously, it might be insignificant but I knew, from that sentence forward, I would read everything that McBride wrote from then on out. I have read several books that have Samhain pronounced Sam-hane, actually going to the trouble to explain that is how it is pronounced and it would just bug me so much. So Lish McBride gained my admiration and full devotion as a reader with that sentence alone. Obviously it helped that the book was amazing. I've bought copies of ALL of them since (still waiting on word of a new Uncanny Romance, fingers crossed), so this was automatically added to my cart when it was available to order. I jumped at the chance to read it when I found it for review and I'm happy to report that it was exactly what I expected as a teen slasher written by Lish McBride. Dark and funny, filled with memorable characters and creepy deaths, I devoured this book in a day.

Most Likely to Murder follows two seniors and best friends, Rick and Martina, two teenagers happy enough with their lives on the fringes at school and the supposed culprits behind a few big pranks (never proven). When the school yearbook gets passed out at lunch, the layout for the "Most likely to..." page has been redone, listing certain classmates and faculty with macabre titles, the words coming off as threats as they hint at ways these specific people will die. Rick and Martina are automatically suspected of the prank, despite the fact that they too are featured on the page. When their school counselor is pulled out of the lake, the same way his picture and its title predicted he'd die, the whole school is on edge. Then more students end up dead the way the layout predicted and now Rick and Martina and the surviving members of the layout page have to come together to figure out who the killer is and why they are on the list before another one of their ranks ends up dead.

The story drew me in from the start. The idea of it was enough to draw me in, being a former member of my own school's yearbook staff, so the logistics and the image it made in my mind made me eager to give the book a try. The plot is perfect for the readers who grew up reading Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine, just like McBride states on the acknowledgements page, and if you're familiar with those books, you'll see the inspiration easy. The book was exactly what I wanted, creepy enough to keep me reading with characters I cared about, and I was invested from the start. I loved Rick and Martina, their families and their interests.

I admired Rick, a young man trying his best to pick up the slack for his mom and sister after his father abandoned the family. I wanted a best friend like Martina, who kept her head when the adults at the school suspected she and Rick were behind the prank, and who fought back and protected Rick when some students pushed back too hard about being targeted even though they had no proof that Rick and Martina were behind it. They were easy to love and I wanted to keep these two safe from harm. As their group expanded to include the other kids targeted in the yearbook, I slowly came to care for each character. A book becomes a great book when you have a group of teenagers on a page and are able to name each one and what their interests are without any trouble. Sometimes characters bleed together but not with this book.

In terms of plot, the reveals worked with keeping me hooked to the story. Add in chapters that fill in background story, things happening off the center stage of the story, and I am completely invested. Those extras caught me a little off guard but if you're familiar with slashers, it is par for the course and a must need to keep your attention. It was creepy and the descriptions made my eyes widen in surprise and I was constantly either smiling because of the banter between the teenagers or dropping my jaw a little when another character bit the dust.

I was trying to figure out who the villain was and while my prediction was right, I was not in any way disappointed by figuring it out early. I've just read a LOT of these kinds of books. It's a point of pride to be able to figure these out but it does not in any way detract from the experience of reading this story. It is a quick read and that is in thanks to the way it was written and the way the story unfolds, all plusses in my opinion. Nothing drags or feels out of place, everything just adds to the story and to the world in general. If McBride decides to set other books in this world, expanding this into a kind of series, I would be first in line to read those books.

I want to talk about so much more about this book but to do so would veer into spoiler territory and this book deserves the reveals it earned. The story unfolded the way it needed to, the characters earned their place as kids that deserved to live and breathe and survive and be happy, and when I got to the end of the book, I wanted to see more. Read this book if you loved teen slasher stories filled with good scares and smart teens. I'll be here waiting to see what Lish McBride writes next.

Rating on my scale: 9.5 Stars. I LOVED this book but it is a short book/fast read kind of deal. Some people might only like the book because of that but this is a very respectable read. If you've kept up with Lish McBride books, this is exactly what you'd expect a teen slasher from McBride to be. If this is your first time reading Lish McBride, believe me when I say you should go back and read other books by McBride. Everything I've read by McBride has kept me coming back for YEARS, and I will continue to read her books for as long as she writes. 

Book Review: The Half-Hearted Queen by Charlie N. Holmberg

My thanks to Netgalley, 47North and Charlie N. Holmberg for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I have been waiting, somewhat patiently, for this book. I had the fortuitous chance to read book one, The Shattered King, earlier this year before the release and leapt at the chance to read this book when it was available. On the one hand, I want to write a well-balanced review, talking about all of the character development, the plot twists and payoffs that made this book utterly brilliant. On the other, I want to scream into my hands and kick my feet and laugh maniacally like some crazed fan to extol the virtues of this book.

Guess which side is winning? Allow me to pause for a moment while I gather myself.

And now we are back. Honestly, I want to go on and on about how BRILLIANT this book is and have that somehow be enough because my emotions are still running high but at the same time, I know it's not enough to give this book flowery words of praise without delving into the contents of the story so without further ado, the review!

The Half-Hearted Queen picks up where The Shattered King left off, with Nym taken captive by King Nicosia. Nym is forced to be a political prisoner, guarding her secrets about how she healed Prince Renn while also also trying to work out the connections between the two kingdoms. Desperate to get back home, Nym has to survive the days as the prisoner to a king who will stop at nothing to figure out the inner workings of Nym's healing craft and how he can gain the talent for himself. Meanwhile, Prince Renn has to work to understand his place as the new King of Cansere, leading his people as they try to fight back the Sestan forces that have taken their homeland while an ancient prophecy starts to reveal itself. As the war continues on and Cansere realizes how ill-prepared they are for war, Prince Renn has to consider all the options he has available to save his people, including an alliance with a neighboring kingdom that could threaten his burgeoning relationship with Nym.

The story is strong. The threads from the first are carried through to this book, with reveals paying off with high emotions for me as a reader. As a book about an ongoing war, Holmberg has to work with some delicate subject matter, specifically the actions of a despicable man hellbent on getting what he wants, no matter what the costs, and how this intersects with the treatment of Nym as a prisoner. It made my stomach turn and yet, for the sake of depicting war, it was necessary to see how Nym suffered away from home and away from Renn. The scenes helped to paint Nicosia as the villain and helped to show just how strong and determined Nym had become, a woman who had grown into a force that apparently put this villain on edge enough that he was almost desperate to understand what set her apart from other healers.

I wanted to enter this world and destroy Nicosia myself. There was a moment in reading about what Nym suffered that I had to put this book down and breathe because I wanted it to be over, I wanted Nym back home where she belonged, I wanted her back with Renn and I wanted her to annihilate Nicosia. This is the payoff from the first book. Holmberg has created a character that readers adore and seeing Nym suffer forces us as readers to feel for her, to be on the edge of our seats as we witness her pain. When Nym finally manages to get out of Sesta, readers are as relieved as Nym is and we are able to breathe easier. It shows the talent Holmberg has that readers will feel so deeply for the lead of this book.

Another point about the plot and the emotions is the fact that this book got to me in ways I did not expect. Yes, I felt something akin to rage towards the villain, and yes, I was also annoyed with some new characters that I was ready to boot out the door. But it was the quiet moments of reunion that got me the most. I care for the characters I read about and when I rate a book high, it usually has to do with just how much I felt about the people in the story. I cared about these characters, even the ones that did not spend so much time on the page but as I had read about them enough with what Nym said about them, I came to love the people that Nym loved too. So when a particular reunion took place on the page and there was mention of a sob being choked back, I was right there with that character, rapidly blinking back tears and trying to swallow around the lump in my throat because I was that invested in this plot payoff. That emotion took me off guard and yet it made me smile, because a truly great book will make you run the gamut of emotions that the characters are going through.

But then Holmberg got me a second time, with yet another reunion between characters, and I had to put the book down because gosh darnit, my chest felt tight and my eyes were so watery I couldn't focus on the words in front of me. As a reader, I can only hope that I feel that deeply for the events of the book that I am reading, so the fact that this book got me to tear up TWICE, well, that catapults this book into all-star favorite status. You hear that sound? That's the slow clap and standing ovation I'm giving this book. And there were still moments to come that made this book continue to keep me on my toes, smiling and laughing at the romance and holding my breath at the battles, and waiting for the moment that the villain finally gets what is coming to them.

It was all a sight to behold.

The characters are still solid, even the new additions. Renn is still the strong lead that is necessary to keep Nym hoping for more than what she ever that would be possible for her future. Their interactions were swoon-worthy and their back-and-forths proved that their match was the one to root for. I loved how Renn was shown to have gained all of this strength and yet the character that was shaped by a lifelong illness was proven to be a humble man, wishing to keep the spotlight off of himself and yet accepting that in order to win the war, all the hopes of his people were set on him and what he could do. I loved his resolve and his determination to keep Nym, the person who loved him for who he was before he was healed and the woman who had sacrificed so much of herself to fix him. The book showed just how much Renn had absorbed in his life being in the background of his family and how he was able to use his knowledge to strategize how to win the war and work out an alliance that would hopefully keep his people safe now and in the future.

This time around, readers are given more time with Princess Eden and she proved to be a quiet force that kept Nym focused when she was captured. Eden was shaped by the life that she had led and I appreciated how Holmberg showed that Eden could see what had come before and after the events at the start of the book and how she had been sheltered as a member of the nobility compared to what Nym had gone through in her life. If Holmberg decides to continue writing in this world, I would read a duology focused on Princess Eden and what she has to overcome after the events of this book. I was happy when more of Nym's family made an appearance in the story even though I wanted all of them sequestered somewhere away from the battles. I wanted horrible things to happen to some less than likable certain characters, which shows that Holmberg can make readers hate characters just as much as she can make us love the people in this story.

In my review of the first book, my only complaint was that I wasn't really sure about how much time was passing between the different events of the story. This time around, Holmberg has the specifics that made this exactly what I needed to understand the heavy emotions of the book. The passage of time has a weight to it that makes every moment precious so to know that it has been three months in captivity, or two months since this happened, or this long on the road, it all helps to convey the effort it takes for these characters to get to the resolution of the book. I wanted to be able to keep track of time and the specifics were there to help me understand the loss and the relief as Nym moved through this book. It was everything I could have asked for right when I needed to know it, to help me feel just how difficult things had become for Nym while she was in Sesta, to understand the high emotion of Nym receiving certain surprises in the story, to illustrate exactly what the characters were pushing through as they tried to win the war. I loved every moment that Holmberg gave us in this story and I can't think of anything that needed more because I got everything I'd hoped to see and then some with this story.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars!!! This book gave me everything I needed to love it. This duology will live on a shelf of my favorite reads and I will be reading these again and again for years to come. I will be reading everything that Holmberg writes from this day forward AND I will be working my way through every past release as well, all the while working on getting physical copies of every book so that they can all live together on a shelf dedicated to the works of Charlie N. Holmberg. If you read the first book, this book is the perfect ending to the story. If you haven't read The Shattered King yet, what are you waiting for? Run and get a copy now and be prepared to fall in love with the story of Nym and Renn.

Book Review: An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong

My thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Kelley Armstrong for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have so many Kelley Armstrong books.

I've collected them for years. I still remember the series that made me want to read everything from Kelley Armstrong. I was randomly searching through books from my city's digital library when I found a book called Omens. It seemed interesting enough so I borrowed it. I was done with it by that evening, after which I promptly tried to find the rest of the series and consumed it in its entirety by the end of the week.

After that, I randomly saw A Stitch in Time for sale at Subterranean Press and I got a copy, then got the rest of that series when it became available. I started collecting the Otherworld series, searching used bookstores and websites to find every novel and novella that had been published. Then I heard the news of an upcoming series from Armstrong, a book called A Rip Through Time. The title sounded similar to A Stitch in Time, so I thought it was a spinoff and promptly pre-ordered a copy. Easy enough mistake to make but I'm glad that it happened because I LOVE this series so much. Every book is better than the last, and this book, An Ordinary Sort of Evil, is everything I've been waiting to see in this series for the last several years. I can't wait for this book to be released because all the fans of this series is going to be so excited. I spent quite some time sitting with a goofy smile on my face and hearts in my eyes during passages of this book, followed closely with shocked eyes and mouth agape because Armstrong threw in a few unexpected tidbits that caught me by surprise. I want to read this whole series again, I want to read the NEXT book already because there has to be more coming, right? I'm so grateful that the novella is out next month, even though it will set between books #4 and #5, as long as I get to spend more time in this world. THAT is how much I love these books.

An Ordinary Sort of Evil is about Mallory Mitchell, a modern-day homicide detective who has traveled 150 years back in time and now inhabits the body of a housemaid. Mallory has managed to make a good life for herself in the past, filled with people she can trust. She works for Dr. Duncan Gray, an undertaker who has an interest in what is becoming the start of forensic science, and Detective Hugh McCreadie, Dr. Gray's best friend and a well-respected officer of the law. Together they solve the murder cases that McCreadie brings to Gray for help to solve them. They know Mallory's background and have her expertise to help them, trusting her because of the friendship they have developed since the events of book 1. One night, Duncan and Mallory are summoned to the house of one of Duncan's patrons. When they arrive, they are told that a seance had taken place and that the ghost of a missing maid appeared and requested Dr. Gray by name to investigate her death. Mallory and Gray aren't sure if a crime took place but they decide to investigate in the hopes of finding the young woman alive. As they work, they are drawn into a case that has many twists and dangers that they have to stay ahead of because the case is more complex than it first appeared to be.

When I first started reading book 1, I was afraid of one thing. I was worried that the lead, a homicide detective from modern times, would walk around in the past without working to change the way she is. I thought the character would blaze around the town, demanding answers, acting the way a modern woman would despite the fact that she was in the past which would have different customs and expectations. It makes me so grumpy when I read books in which a lead is put in a situation they know nothing about and instead of being cautious and careful, they stomp around like nothing is different. So when Mallory arrived in the past, I cheered when she continued in her role as a maid, trying to fit in while working to understand where she had ended up and how she could get back home. Her reasoning was that in the event that she ended up back in her own time and body, she would want to be sure that the young woman whose place she took could slip back into her past without finding that Mallory had destroyed her life. And I LOVED that.

Mallory is one of the greatest, most interesting female main characters I've ever seen and I adore reading about her. I search every year since the first book was released to see if there will be a new book about Mallory and so far, these books don't disappoint. I love the way Mallory's mind works, how she sees the world she's in, making comparisons to the present, pointing out history that has not taken place yet, enriching the world of the story for the reader. I love the banter she has with her friends, the way they trust and believe in her, the way they know that she is intelligent and a detective in her own right and how that helps them with their cases. I love Dr. Duncan Gray, the way he holds back when he speaks but has a weakness for pastries. I love the way he believes in Mallory, the confidence he has in her abilities, the way he protects his sisters and works in a job that he inherited, being an undertaker, even though he hates it. Gray is on one hand the classic example of a Victorian and on the other an open-minded man who is not afraid of what Mallory is, fiercely independent and exceedingly intelligent. They are a match made in book heaven and their connection is what has kept me coming back to read these books, 5 novels and soon to be 3 novellas by my count so far.

I love Isla, Gray's sister, and Hugh, the detective best friend. They are the perfect companions to the two leads of this series, and together, this quartet of characters are so much fun to read about as they work on their cases together. Eccentric in the best ways and a found family that includes so many other interesting characters. After the last book, I was thinking to myself that it had been a while since we'd seen the rest of the Gray household so I was happy that so many favorites had moments in this book. Alice, the young maid with a questionable past, made an appearance with her new wildcat kitten rescued in the last adventure. Miss Wallace, the housekeeper, was around to keep Mallory on her toes. Simon, the groomsman, was the quiet support in the background, available for the many tasks and assistance that his employers needed. And we can't forget about Jack, the latest addition to the house who now works as a maid, who is also a self-described journalist who works with Isla to write out chronicles about Mallory and Duncan's adventures, which are apparently gaining popularity among a large variety of readers. Every character is enjoyable in their own way and to see them all again was such a pleasure after the last book had the main quartet out in the country for a wedding.

The main mystery of this book was an intriguing twist. I thought the idea of trying to solve a murder that no one knows for sure took place was the perfect new plot for Mallory and Gray to tackle. The idea of ghosts and spiritualism was something that gained a lot of popularity in the Victorian era, especially with Queen Victoria's interest in it, so it was definitely a draw to see how Mallory and Gray work on a case that has so many reveals that come about because of it. Also, the cameos that Armstrong placed in this book left me gobsmacked. I mean, the first big reveal was fun and I thought wow, that was unexpected but that final reveal just threw me for a loop, it was so unexpected and yet it made me giddy with laughter and FINE, okay universe, I get it, I'm going back to try reading some particular works of literature again. I swear, I say one time in a review that I don't particularly like something and then one of my new favorite books does something like THIS and okay, fine, I'll read them again. I can't be more specific than that without giving it away and that reveal is just utter perfection. Ugh, I'm still not over it.

Finally, the title of this book. I have not really thought to reflect on the titles of these books, they're usually sufficient in the sense that they perfectly encapsulate the plot of the novel and that's all there is to it. But this title, that phrase, just, I don't know if I can put it into words. When it hit in the story, I felt my stomach drop or maybe my heart turned over, just the impact that it made, a bittersweet melancholy that made me wistful and yet heartsick at the way it was used. It elevated this book just that much more compared to the rest of the series and for that, I want to shout off the rooftops about how utterly brilliant this installment was, it is just that great. I just finished talking to my Dad about this book because I bought these for him and he's catching up on the story and he LOVES these books too and until more people in our family read these, he's the only one I can talk to about how much I adored this book and have him understand because he feels the same way about these characters. I didn't spoil it though. I'm not that cruel. Still, the sentiment remains, readers will absolutely love this installment, I'm confident about that fact. I hope this series has many more books to come. Please, I beg of you, let this series continue for years to come, I love this world and its people so much.

Rating on my Scale: 10 STARS!!! Read this series and then come and read this book and revel in the reveals and the twists and the developments because this series is perfect for mystery lovers. I love these books and I will be reading these again and again for years. Please read these books so Kelley Armstrong can continue writing for this world and we readers can continue to have the opportunity of watching Mallory and Gray solve mysteries in Victorian Scotland. Then they can read everything else by Armstrong and we readers can continue to get great books from her for as long as she is able to write and we are able to read. A win-win for everyone if you ask me.

Book Review: Heartsong by S.E. Wendel

My thanks to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and S.E. Wendel for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What caught my attention first was the beautiful cover art. The blues and purples accentuated by the pinks and oranges mixed in the clouds behind the couple. I stopped in my tracks while I was looking at new reads and looked at the synopsis. The reference to Ruby Dixon sealed the deal. I took the chance to find a new author and I'm so glad I did because this was sweet and steamy and in the end, so interesting because a good romance has to have enough story to draw you in for a series if that's the goal and this one passed with flying colors.

Heartsong has gargoyles, or more accurately grotesques, on display in a special museum owned by an eccentric couple. Anna works at this museum, taking care of the visitors by giving tours and taking care of the front desk at a job that is almost too good to be true. She's happy with her job and interested in the museum pieces, specifically a warrior that is slate grey in color. Anna calls this one her statue and takes her breaks and lunches near him when she has the chance. Masked commandos storm the museum one night that Anna is working late and Anna ends up touching her statue as she is trying to escape. He comes to life and whisks her away to safety, calling her his mate, his heartsong. Frey tells her about a fae queen who stole the magic that created his people, turning many of them into the statues that are now on display at her job. Now Anna has to try to help Frey adapt to the modern world while trying to figure out how to help the rest of the statues that were once his people. All while trying to understand the connection she has to the warrior Frey.

I loved this book. It was everything I expected for a monster romance and it kept my attention through every twist and turn it took. I'm hoping for more news about the projected sequel soon. I found the world-building interesting, the story about how Frey was created to help the Druids fight against invaders for several centuries. It sounded like a legend that could have been passed down for generations. The hook about how a fae queen stole their magic back and forced them to become statues for fifteen hundred years was tragic and I was quickly drawn in to the entire mythology built for this book. I wanted to understand everything and I was happy to go along for the ride. This is my first book from Wendel and I was impressed with the writing skill, the easy flow of the writing and the chemistry between the leads. Nothing felt clunky, threads were woven and then came together seamlessly, the reveals were earned and nothing felt out of place. As a result, I'm looking into more works by Wendel to start reading to tide me over until book 2 is released.

Anna was an intriguing character, a woman who is suffering from chronic pain in the form of debilitating migraines that she is slowly trying to get under control with the help of medical care she finally has access to because of her job. I thought this was unique because so many heroines in these stories are young and healthy, thin and maybe awkward but Anna felt like a real woman with real issues. She's a little bigger than the average woman, has struggled to build a life for herself with the problems that arise from having to live a life with chronic pain holding you back. I enjoyed the fact that Anna had childhood issues keeping her from opening up, that hold her back from trusting people and that it was part of journey to learn that she deserved good things and that it was safe to trust someone when they proved that they could be trusted. It worked at keeping me rooting for Anna to get her happily ever after.

Frey was fun, a bit of a jerk at the start of the book but quick to learn and adapt. He was once a well-respected warrior, arrogant and bullheaded, and now he is determined to protect his love from everything, even herself, no matter what. I loved how he butted heads with Anna, how he thought he was making all the right moves and had to sit back and learn when she didn't fall over swooning when the reality was that he had made an ass of himself. Frey was a sweetheart with good intentions and I enjoyed watching him learn to read Anna, to understand that he needed to hear her side and take in what she said. Their dynamic made their connection feel earned. I've read many "fated lovers" stories leave the development of the romance to rest on the idea of being fated instead of showing how that is only the first ingredient to a good love story. The characters still have to make the choice to work together and make their connection worth it in order for their story to resonate and I loved that this book showed that.

My only complaint was with the reveal about the villain. The mastermind behind the breach at the museum seemed a little off, not enough to feel like a threat. After everything that had happened in the book, it came off as a bit of a letdown. I'm not sure what I was expecting but the way it was left definitely shows that this is the first book in a series. There will be more development in later books and more answers revealed, I know that, I just really didn't care about the whys for the villain, or really anything for the villain. It's just that for now, the way this was revealed, the villain turned out to be the weakest link of the story. Still, it led to some interesting reveals for the whole book so I will be reading the prequel novella Stone Hearts, within the month.

I also adore when authors provide glossaries and chapter notes to enhance their story. I greatly appreciate an author showing the effort that they made to expand their world with real sources that I can see for myself. It really helps with the world-building and just in appealing to my senses as a reader. I'm the type of reader who enjoys footnotes and having a romance novel with that kind of information added in makes my heart sing. Read this book if you love monster romances that have realistic leads and prove that love takes work. I hope this series is going to have lots of books in the future.

Rating on my scale: 9 Stars. Seriously, this is a VERY respectable read. I loved it, I just feel really annoyed about the villain. They seemed to have too much power for very little page time and I want more definitive dealings with getting rid of them. I'll have to wait and see how they deal with them but here's hoping it's not drawn out. So far, they are not interesting enough to make me care about their devious plans. But I loved the couple and I want to know what happens with the next leads for book 2.