Weekend Book Sale: The Memory Witch: Volume One

Book news people! I am finally working on the sequel (and conclusion) to The Memory Witch. This is my only YA novel and features the dark and magical story of Quinn, an apprentice witch on a quest to have her lost memories restored. As I write the continuation of Quinn's journey, I am putting the first book on sale this weekend for just 99 Cents! Pick up your discounted copy on Amazon and Amazon UK through Sunday.

http://www.amazon.com/Memory-Witch-Heather-Topham-Wood-ebook/dp/B00XNKLLPM

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Memory-Witch-Heather-Topham-Wood-ebook/dp/B00XNKLLPM

Teaser and Giveaway: The Ex Trials by Heather Topham Wood

The official release date of The Ex Trials is August 17! I can't wait to share Casey's story with you all while also wrapping up the journey of Autumn and Blake and their group of friends from the Falling for Autumn series. Check out an unedited except below and enter to win my first giveaway to celebrate my upcoming release!

Excerpt:

Perception. It was a concept I would end up thinking about a lot. What did most people think when they saw me come into the room? What did the women assume about me? How did men react?

I never realized how much the perception of others colored the way I lived my life. The way I dressed, the way I spoke, every bit of my personality was based on how I wanted others to see me. I was the blonde flake. The party girl. The one looking for a good time. The slut.

The problem with being a fraud was that no one truly knew the real Casey Silvers. They thought they did. They thought I was fine with being treated like a disposable piece of garbage. They thought I was okay with being used and misused over and over and over again. As if my enjoyment of sex made me less of a woman. Society hadn’t evolved. We were still separating women into the Madonnas and the whores.

I don’t think anyone realized how much I wanted to fall in love. I needed love, maybe even more so than most. I watched enough daytime TV to know the girls who slept around were the ones most desperate for affection. I was always looking for the one man who made me feel loved and I loved back. And although the faces of my lovers changed over my four years of college, he always proved elusive.

But then one night, I thought I found him. His kiss, his touch—everything about him sent my heart and body into a never-ending tailspin. I resisted, but he broke down my defenses until I felt my heart belonged to him and him alone.

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Review: DIscovery by Brina Courney

Summary:

Discoveries can be dangerous. Discoveries can be deadly.

Nine months ago, Teagan Matthews' boyfriend disappeared and took her sense of stability with him. But when the opportunity to live with her aging grandmother in Salem arises, she decides it's time to get on with her life. A new home, new job, and new friends are adding up to a beautiful summer...

...until a young girl's body shows up one night in town, wearing a pentagram necklace exactly like Teagan's.

Now a guy looking remarkably like her missing boyfriend has arrived in Salem along with a mysterious stranger who may have some answers that Teagan has desperately been searching for. Teagan must now decide who to trust. It's a matter of life... and her death.

Publication Date: October 16, 2013

Discovery was a fun and witchy read! I love witch books and I thought it was a nice touch that the story took place in Salem. The book was a little slow to start, but picked up about halfway through.

Teagan is a likeble character and I found her easy to connect with. She didn’t use her head all the time, but I felt like her sometimes lack of common sense made her more relatable and I didn’t feel annoyed that she was Little Miss Perfect.

I liked the secondary characters too and the romance was sweet. I did think the book was YA though because the characters and plotline seemed more targeted to the younger crowd. I was surprised to find out that the characters were in their twenties.

There were a few dialect quirks that put me off a little bit. I think that’s just a personal reading preference though. Otherwise, the writing was solid and I did feel excitement, especially during the prologue and conclusion. I’d be interested in checking out another one of the author’s books.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy for review!

Review: The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young

Summary:

From a unique new talent comes a fast-paced debut, introducing a heroine whose dark visions bring to light secrets that will heal or destroy those around her . . .

When New York journalist and recently bereaved mother Charlotte “Charlie” Cates begins to experience vivid dreams about children she’s sure that she’s lost her mind. Yet these are not the nightmares of a grieving parent, she soon realizes. They are messages and warnings that will help Charlie and the children she sees, if only she can make sense of them.

After a little boy in a boat appears in Charlie’s dreams asking for her help, Charlie finds herself entangled in a thirty-year-old missing-child case that has never ceased to haunt Louisiana’s prestigious Deveau family. Armed with an invitation to Evangeline, the family’s sprawling estate, Charlie heads south, where new friendships and an unlikely romance bring healing. But as she uncovers long-buried secrets of love, money, betrayal, and murder, the facts begin to implicate those she most wants to trust—and her visions reveal an evil closer than she could’ve imagined.A Southern Gothic mystery debut that combines literary suspense and romance with a mystical twist, THE GATES OF EVANGELINE is a story that readers of Gillian Flynn, Kate Atkinson, and Alice Sebold won't be able to put down.

Publication Date: September 1, 2015

The Gates of Evangeline was such an unexpected surprise of a book! I loved the story as well as the subplots involving Charlie dealing with the grief of losing her young son. I believe this is the author’s debut and I am incredibly impressed by her storytelling abilities.

I have read several works of fiction about the grief of a parent after losing a child. I have to say this book is one of the most moving that I have ever read. The author did a great job of Charlie conveying the many emotions of a woman in the throes of unimaginable grief. I liked that the book was not only about Charlie solving a decades old mystery, but also her struggles to move on after her son’s death.

The secondary characters were intriguing and I liked learning about the scandals of the Deveau family. Also, there is a touch of romance, but it didn’t overpower the story.

The mystery was intriguing and I liked the paranormal angle. I loved the eerie vibe while reading and I enjoyed the setting of an older southern mansion. The book is more spooky than scary with the pacing on the slower side. I liked the buildup though and I felt like the climax really delivered.

The Gates of Evangeline a terrific book that will appeal to fans of Southern Gothic novels.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy for review!

Review: Honeytrap by Crystal Green

Summary:

Have you ever had a boyfriend cheat on you? Did you call him out on it, even if he's the hometown hero? I did and managed to get my heart broken in the process...

Now, back home in Aidan Falls for the summer, all I want to do is keep my head down until next semester starts—a hard prospect when my ex, his ex, and the whole damn town can’t seem to let go of the past.

And that’s not even mentioning Micah Wyatt, the ludicrously hot new guy who seems to know all about my past, and he isn’t shy about wanting to trap me in a bet he's made to get the town pariah—aka me—under the sheets.

I know Micah is bad news, but that doesn’t make him any easier to resist. After all, I’ve had a taste of bad before, and I’m not sure I want to go back to being the good girl…

Publication Date: February 17, 2015

This was a strange little book for me. I liked the premise, but I just didn’t care for the characters. Although I kept reading to the end, I never felt a connection with anyone in the story. The heroine seemed too weak-willed and the hero came off as a jerk. I love bad boy love interests, but I couldn’t decide if I liked Micah or not. He was too hot and cold and it made me doubt his feelings were ever genuine. Plus, I felt like Shelby could be a bit of a doormat with him. However, I liked the author’s writing style and I did like the subplot about Shelby being bullied. I felt like the bullying portions of the novel were probably the most realistic and heart wrenching for me. The conclusion wrapped everything up nicely and the book can be read as a standalone.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy for review!

Review: Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

Summary:

From the author of the New York Times bestseller and 2014 Edgar and Anthony nominee Reconstructing Amelia comes another harrowing, gripping novel that marries psychological suspense with an emotionally powerful story about a community struggling with the consequences of a devastating discovery.

At the end of a long winter, in bucolic Ridgedale, New Jersey, the body of an infant is discovered in the woods near the town’s prestigious university campus. No one knows who the baby is, or how her body ended up out there. But there is no shortage of opinions.

When freelance journalist, and recent Ridgedale transplant, Molly Anderson is unexpectedly called upon to cover the story for the Ridegdale Reader, it’s a risk, given the severe depression that followed the loss of her own baby. But the bigger threat comes when Molly unearths some of Ridgedale’s darkest secrets, including a string of unreported sexual assaults that goes back twenty years.

Meanwhile, Sandy, a high school dropout, searches for her volatile and now missing mother, and PTA president Barbara struggles to help her young son, who’s suddenly having disturbing outbursts.

Told from the perspectives of Molly, Barbara, and Sandy, Kimberly McCreight’s taut and profoundly moving novel unwinds the tangled truth about the baby’s death revealing that these three women have far more in common than they realized. And that their lives are more intertwined with what happened to the baby than they ever could have imagined.

Publication Date: April 15, 2015

Where They Found Her had a good premise, but I would have preferred a better execution. I remember really enjoying the author’s Reconstructing Amelia, but I had a much harder time getting through this novel. However, I did like the ripped from the headlines feel of the plot.

I thought some parts of Where They Found Her were really well done. I actually think if the book was told only from reporter Molly’s point of view, I would have given the book an extra star. Her sections were my favorite and I really felt like the author did a good job of portraying the emotional trauma of losing a baby. I didn’t particularly enjoy the point of view switches and the multiple newspaper clippings. These parts slowed the story down too much for me.

The mystery is captivating and I liked trying to figure out what was happening in the town of Ridgedale. I actually didn’t have the mystery completely figured out, so I give the author kudos for throwing me off. The ending wasn’t the best for me since it felt very rushed.

Overall, not a bad suspense book by any means, but I definitely prefer Reconstructing Amelia.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Stacking the Shelves #127

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and features books you've added to your shelves, both physical and virtual.

Library:

Cross Country by James Patterson

Split Second by Alex Kava

For Review:

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Hotel Ruby by Suzaane Young

The Veil by Chloe Neill

Stained by Ella James

Pixelated by L.S. Murphy

Review: The Devil Made Me Do It by Shawna Romkey

Summary:

Book Two in the Speak of the Devil series

The demons strike back!

Lily is working with the angels to stifle the last of the demon outbreaks and to figure out how to stop the Silence of God, so life can get back to boring normality. But all hell breaks loose when she’s stolen from school and brought face to face with the devil himself. Lily has to find her way back home to Luc, crack the prophecy that breaks the curse silencing God, and figure out how she and Luc can ever really be together. But Lucifer has other plans for her that don’t include her ever getting out of Hell intact.

Publication Date: June 15, 2015

If I could sum up The Devil Made Me Do It in one word I’d choose fun. The characters are super likable and the plot moves at a pace that never leaves the reader bored. I adored Lily and Luc and I immediately got sucked back into the plot that started in the first book Speak of the Devil.

I haven’t been reading a lot of YA books lately and Romkey’s novel was a reminder of why I always go back to the genre. I love the sweet romance depicted in YA books and Luc and Lily were such a cute couple. Luc is just so earnest and protective that I was swooning while reading. Not that Lily needed protecting all the time since she has a strong side to her personality as well.

The heaven and hell mythology in the series is unique and I liked the author’s spin on angels, demons and the devil himself. All of the characters in the book, even the bad guys, have so many layers to their personality. The characterizations and world building seemed improved over the book’s predecessor.

YA paranormal romance fans should definitely check out the series. I wouldn’t necessarily say The Devil Made Me Do It could be read as a standalone, so I would suggest starting with Speak of the Devil. There is a cliffhanger ending in the second book, but it will sure make everyone super eager as I am to read the next installment.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Die for Me by Cynthia Eden

Summary:

Katherine Cole thought her fiance was the perfect man until he turned out to be the perfect killer. He left his victims stabbed through the heart holding a telltale single red rose and was deemed the Valentine Killer. Three years ago he vanished. Now he's back. And he's hunting the one who got away. In New Orleans, Katherine dared to hope she was finally safe, yet somehow he found her. This time, Katherine won't just sit silently by; she'll do anything to stop the monster she once loved, even trust the sexy cop promising to keep her safe? Detective Dane Black never lets his emotions interfere with the job, even as the Valentine Killer surfaces in New Orleans to stalk his prey. But when Dane agrees to protect the killer's ex-fiance, he can't ignore the passion kindling between them. After a single unforgettable night binds them body and soul, Dane won't rest until Katherine is safe in his arms and the Valentine Killer is dead.

Publication Date: February 12, 2013

What a dark and twisty romantic read! This is the first book I read by the author, but I’m now an instant fan. I loved all of the elements of Die for Me: the mystery, the suspense and the romance. The heroine was easy to cheer for and I liked how the mystery was resolved.

The characters were very likable in the story. Katherine had gone through hell in her life, but was unbreakable. Her back-story was gradually revealed and I couldn’t believe she was so together after having a fiancé who turned out to be a serial killer.

The romance moved a little quickly for my personal tastes, but I still liked the couple together. The steam level was just perfect for me. Dane was a very alpha detective and he had serious chemistry from the get go with Katherine. I liked that he was super protective, but I also approved that Katherine seemed to be able to hold her own.

There was a twist that I didn’t predict, so I appreciated the author throwing me for a loop. I look forwarding to read more of the author’s thrillers.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Swerve by Vicki Pettersson

Summary:

It’s high summer in the Mojave Desert, and Kristine Rush and her fiancé, Daniel, are en route from Las Vegas to Lake Arrowhead, California, for the July Fourth holiday weekend. But when Daniel is abducted from a desolate rest stop, Kristine is forced to choose: return home unharmed, but never to see her fiancé again, or plunge forward into the searing desert to find him…where a killer lies in wait.

Publication Date: July 9, 2015

This book was good—really, really good. I’m a huge fan of psychological suspense and Swerve is one of my favorite 2015 reads in the genre. The book has non-stop action and the suspense keeps going at a frantic pace until the very last page.

I loved the setup of Swerve. A woman is led on a wild goose chase orchestrated by a murderer who is keeping her fiancé as the prize. I liked that there wasn’t a lot of information dumping at the beginning and the action started right away. Readers are giving more background as the story progresses about Kristine and her dark history.

There was so many twists and turns in the story that it kept me on my toes. I admit some of the twists I predicted early on, but it didn’t steal away any of my enjoyment of the book. The second half of the book was such a nail-biter that I stayed up way into the night to finish reading.

I can’t really say too much without giving away the plot, but some of the elements aren’t for the faint of heart. The depictions were pretty gruesome and there was a bit of disbelief over how many terrible things could happen to one person.

I would highly recommend Swerve to readers of thrillers. I’m now a huge fan of the author and can’t wait to check out more of her books.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: What Doesn't Kill Her by Carla Norton

Summary:

Reeve LeClaire is a college student, dammit, not Daryl Wayne Flint’s victim. Not anymore—not when Reeve is finally recovering a life of her own after four years of captivity.

Flint is safely locked up in Olshaker Psychiatric Hospital, where he belongs. He is walking the grounds of the forensic unit, performing his strange but apparently harmless rituals. It seems that he is still suffering the effects of the head injury he suffered in the car crash that freed Reeve seven years ago. Post-concussive syndrome, they call it.

For all that Flint seems like a model patient, he has long been planning his next move. When the moment arrives, he gets clean away from the hospital before the alarm even sounds. And Reeve is shocked out of her new life by her worst nightmare: Her kidnapper has escaped.

Less than 24 hours later, Flint kills someone from his past--and Reeve's blocked memories jolt back into consciousness. As much as she would like to forget him, she knows this criminal better than anyone else. When Flint evades capture, baffling authorities and leaving a bloody trail from the psychiatric lock-up to the forests of Washington state, Reeve suddenly realizes that she is the only one who can stop him.

Reeve is an irresistibly brave and believable heroine in Carla Norton's heart-stopping new thriller about a young woman who learns to fight back.

Publication Date: June 30, 2015

I liked What Doesn’t Kill Her a lot, but I do wish I knew this was the second book in the series before starting the thriller. Although the book can be read as a standalone, I do feel it would have helped me better understand the characters if I read the first novel.

Reeve was a good character and I liked that the trauma of her past has given her an awesome inner strength. Instead of being frozen in terror over Flint’s escape, she tries to stop him before she becomes his next victim. Flint was unbelievably scary and the flashback scenes with him gave me the serious chills.

The book is a quick read with a lot of suspense throughout. I never felt like the plot stalled or grew bored with the characters. There were a couple of moments where I felt Reeve’s answers to questions about Flint came a little too easily, but other than that, the plot and conclusion was solid.

Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy What Doesn’t Kill Her. I look forward to reading more from the author.  

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross

Summary:

Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living.

Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn’t exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she’s not ready to join her sister in the afterlife.

Now the guy who saved Lark’s life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.

Publication Date: March 31, 2015

This book had such a great premise! I loved the idea of a ghost twin haunting a living twin. For the most part, I liked Sisters of Blood and Spirit and I was excited to find out about the evil spirit haunting Lark’s classmates.

Lark was a character that needed to grow on me. She has a very dark with a negative mindset and a couple of times she came across as whiney and self-indulgent. But as the story went on, I was able to empathize with her and could root for her. Lark’s dead twin Wren was enjoyable to read about and I liked that she got her own love interest. Lark’s love life was a little blah for me and I had actually hoped she was going to be hooked up with a different guy introduced early on in the book.

The pace was good although the ending felt a little rushed. I’m thinking this is a series starter because there seemed to be a decent amount of plot left unresolved. My favorite parts of the book were the scenes between the two sisters. I felt like these moments packed the biggest emotional punch.

Overall, I’d recommend Sisters of Blood and Spirit to younger teens who want a creepy and fun read.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Luck on the Line by Zoraida Cordova

Summary:

To turn her life around, she’ll have to stand the heat. To fulfill his dreams, he’ll have to get Lucky.

Despite her name, Lucky Pierce has always felt a little cursed. Refusing to settle for less or settle down, she changes jobs as often as she changes boyfriends. When her celebrity chef mother challenges her to finish something, Lucky agrees to help her launch Boston’s next hot restaurant, The Star. Even if it means working with the infuriating, egotistical, and undeniably sexy head chef.

James loves being known as Boston’s hottest bad boy in the kitchen, but if he wants to build a reputation as a serious chef, he has to make this restaurant work and keep his scandalous past out of the headlines. Getting involved with his boss’s spoiled, sharp-tongued daughter is definitely not on the menu.

As the launch of The Star looms and the tension and chemistry heat up in the kitchen, they’re going to need more than a little luck to keep everything from boiling over.

Publication Date: November 11, 2014

This was a cute read with a very likable heroine. I liked the love/hate relationship between the main character Lucky and bad boy chef James. Besides a sexy romance, Luck on the Line is a coming of age story about Lucky figuring out what she should do with the rest of her life.

Lucky is a heroine that I easily found relatable. She’s opinionated and doesn’t shy away from conflict. Although she’s not afraid to stand up for herself, Lucky is struggling to find her place in the world. She’s floated from job to job without figuring out what she wants to do with the rest of her life.

The romance was great in this book. I love stories that feature characters who start out hating each other, but then realize they’re only fighting their undeniable chemistry. The romance was a heavy focus in the plot, but I still felt like the author took enough time to develop Lucky’s character. However, I would’ve liked more insight into Lucky’s relationship with her mom in order to understand her mother’s actions.

Overall, Luck on the Line is a cute romance with a lot of funny one-liners. I did enjoy the author’s writing style, so I’ll definitely be checking out more of her books.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!