Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

 

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace.

He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do. Though, you’d like to get to know Grace better.

But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

Things I liked:

1) Grace- I really felt bad for her most of the time. I also felt like she was a strong character also. 

2) The writing of this story was amazing. It felt more like a movie then anything.  I really wanted to know what was going to happen.

3) Millie- My favorite character of this book. She was just so smart even though people didn't think she really was. 

Things I Was Not Fond Of:

1) The only thing I really didn't care for in this book was the ending. I felt like what happened in the first 3/4 of the book deserved a better ending. I felt like the ending was more of an after thought.

My rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

* I received this book from the publisher on a read and review basis* 

After Anna by Alex Lake

 

Goodreads Blurb:

 A girl is missing. Five years old, taken from outside her school. She has vanished, traceless. The police are at a loss; her parents are beyond grief. Their daughter is lost forever, perhaps dead, perhaps enslaved. But the biggest mystery is yet to come: one week after she was abducted, their daughter is returned. She has no memory of where she has been. And this, for her mother, is just the beginning of the nightmare.

Things I liked:

1) Julia- I really felt bad for her. She did make some mistakes but I really didn't think she deserved a lot of the things that happened to her.

2) The writing of this book was amazing. It was everything I want in a thriller; mysterious and fast paced

3) I liked the different points of views. You knew who was talking at which points. I always enjoy when you don't have to guess.

4) Brian- Another character I felt bad for. Julia was not the nicest to him that is for sure. He did things also but that was because he thought he was protecting him and his daughter.

Things I was not fond of:

1) Edna- I can't really say why but this woman was such a witch.

2) I am not sure if this book is suppose to have a sequel but the ending of this book kind of made it seem like there will be.


 *I received this book from Edelweiss on a read and review basis*

My Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥


 

Shiny Broken Peices(Tiny Pretty Things #2) by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

 

Goodreads Blurb:
June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose…and no one is playing nice.

June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wants might cost her everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. Even if she returns, though, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price.

After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?



Things I liked:
 1) The writing of this book was rather addicting. Once I got into it I could not put it down and had to know what was going on. 

2) June- One of my favorite characters. She does make some questionable decisions but not as bad as the other girls.

3) The drama- I'm sure that its not a good thing that I liked it but still think the way it is done is this story is so good and just makes it that much more enjoyable.

Things I was not fond of:

1) Gigi- I know that I was probably suppose to feel bad for her but I really couldn't. She is just so mean to everyone. 

2) The things these group of girls did to each other were horrible. I really did not feel like most of it was necessary

* I received this book on a read and review basis for free*

My rating:  ♥♥♥♥

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

 

Goodreads Blurb:

 Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Things I liked:

1) I thought this story was unique. It definately was a different spin to what Cinderella stories normally are.

2) Prince Kai- I get why alot of people liked him. I think he was my favorite in this story.

 3) The writing was done well. It got you into the world without giving fluff type information which I am not a fan of most of the time.

Things I Was Not Fond Of:

1) I felt like the plot was a bit weak. It may be just me but there really was not much going on most of the time and I found it boring.

2) Cinder- I liked that she was sarcastic but found her to be rather whiny at times. I also that she was rather annoying as well. 

My rating: ♥♥♥

The Hunt(The Cage # 2) by Megan Shepherd

Goodreads Blurb:

After their failed escape attempt, Cora, Lucky, and Mali have been demoted to the lowest level of human captives and placed in a safari-themed environment called the Hunt, along with wild animals and other human outcasts. They must serve new Kindred masters—Cora as a lounge singer, Lucky as an animal wrangler, and Mali as a safari guide—and follow new rules or face dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, Nok and Rolf have been moved into an enormous dollhouse, observed around the clock by Kindred scientists interested in Nok’s pregnancy. And Leon, the only one who successfully escaped, has teamed up with villainous Mosca black-market traders.

The former inhabitants of the Cage are threatened on all fronts—and maybe worst of all, one of the Hunt’s Kindred safari guests begins to play a twisted game of cat and mouse with Cora. Separated and constantly under watch, she and the others must struggle to stay alive, never mind find a way back to each other. When Cassian secretly offers to train Cora to develop her psychic abilities—to prove the worthiness of humanity in a series of tests called the Gauntlet—she’ll have to decide fast if she dares to trust the Kindred who betrayed her, or if she can forge her own way to freedom. 

Things I liked:

1) Cora- She is still my favorite character in this book. Definitely one of my favorite female characters in a book ever.

2) I really enjoyed how this book started where the first one left off. I always love that!

3) This book was a wild ride. It was really mysterious and you really had no idea who to trust.

4) Cassian- I was not so sure about him in the first book at all but in this one I really thought he brought something special to the story.

Things I was not fond of:

1) The one and only thing I did not like about this book was the ending and that is because it left in a cliff hanger. 

*I received this book on a read and review basis from Edelweiss*

My rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Please Don't Tell By Laura Tims

Goodreads Blurb: 

Debut author Laura Tims writes an intense and utterly gripping contemporary YA tale perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars. Joy has done everything to protect her twin sister...including murder.

Joy killed Adam Gordon for what he did to her sister, Grace. At least, that’s what she thinks happened. Now Adam can’t hurt anyone ever again, and her sister can be free from the boy who harmed her.

But someone else knows what Joy did, and they’re going to out her as a cold-blooded killer if she doesn’t expose the scandalous secrets bubbling just below the surface of her mundane town. As the demands escalate, and she finds herself falling for Adam’s half brother, Joy must figure out the blackmailer’s identity before everything spirals out of control

Things I liked:

1) Joy- Although she was kind of all over the place for me I still really think she was an essential part of this book.

2) The writing of this was rather addicting. I just really wanted to know what was going to happen and could not put it down.

3) The twists and turns of this book were amazing. You could predict some things  but not everything that happens.

Things I was not fond of:

1) For me there were a few things in the book that I really did not think were necessary and just took away from the main story.

2) The cussing I was not a big fan of at all. I felt it to be unnecessary most of the time. 

My rating: ♥♥♥♥

*I was given this by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

The Cage by Megan Shepherd

Goodreads Blurb:

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

Things I liked:

1) Cora- She did have few flaws but still I found her to be the character that I most related to. She was more level headed then the other characters I think.

2) The writing of this was really mysterious. There were a few shocking factors in this book that I really didn't expect.

3) I liked getting to know the other characters as well. They all had very different stories and you could tell who was who(even if you didn't read the name on the top).

Things I was not fond of:

1) I didn't like how Cora kept obsessing over Cassian. I understand why she did it but still it really bothered me.

2) The ending- This didn't bother me quite as much since the second book I already have but if I didn't I would have been extra upset.

My rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Goodreads Blurb:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. 

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Things I liked:

1) Elisa-  I related a lot to her in the beginning. She was sarcastic, strong, and for the most part did what she thought was right.

2) Alejandro- He definitely was not not a character that you were suppose to like by the end of the book but I still really enjoyed him. 

3) This book started off slow but then it just became so interesting that you just really wanted to know what was happening or was going to happen.

Things I was not fond of:

1) I did not like how Elisa kept comparing herself to her sister with everything she did in this book. It made me sad every time that she felt as though her sister would have done things better. 

2) The use of the word fat in this book was just so excessive and unnecessary. I really didn't get why the author thought that was a good idea to do. 

My rating: ♥♥♥♥

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson

Blurb from Goodreads:

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.



Things I liked:

1) Lia- She is the main reason I really liked this book. She was one of those strong female characters who is not a cliche character at all. She knew what she wanted and how to get it. Yes she did make some questionable decisions but I feel like most people would in her situation.

2) The writing of this was so addictive. I like how you really didn't know which was which when you were reading. I rooted for both guys of course until I found out who was who.

3) Pauline- What a great friend. Definitely someone you need when you get into this situation.

Things I Was Not Fond Of:

1) I really was not fond of the ending but it wasn't so bad since the story does continue. Immediately after I started reading the second one. The ending made me sad but still I needed to know more.


My rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥

Unforgivable by Amy Reed (Unforgivable #2)

Goodreads Blurb:

Marcus knows pain. The kind that swallows you like a black hole. His brother committed suicide, his mother left him, and his dad mostly ignores him. Relief only seems to come from drugs, alcohol, and secret acts of self-destruction.

Until he met Evie. Together, they lived in the moment. They fell in love—hard—creating their own beautiful world. But they each had their own secrets, their own pain, hovering like a thick fog, suffocating them in a world too small to share.

Unforgivable takes off where Invincible left us—with Evie drowning in San Francisco Bay. Marcus finds her just in time, but her survival is not the happy ending he was hoping for. Forbidden from seeing Evie by her parents and unable to reach her, Marcus learns of a pain that might break him completely. 

Things I liked:

1) I liked learning about Marcus' side of the story. I just really loved knowing his thoughts 

2) Even though Evie was barely in this book I liked knowing how she recovered and what she was doing also.

3) The ending, although it broke my heart I knew it was coming and kind of had to happen.

4) Evie's sister- She was a character that was in this book more and I really enjoyed her in it. 

Things I was not fond of:

1) Evie's parents-  These two are so ridiculous and just stupid in my opinion. They just didn't make a lot of sense about what they were doing.

My rating: 💜💜💜💜💜

*This book was provided for free by Edelweiss on a read and review basis*

Outliers by Kimberly McCreight

Goodreads Blurb:

It all starts with a text: Please, Wylie, I need your help. Wylie hasn’t heard from Cassie in over a week, not since their last fight. But that doesn’t matter. Cassie’s in trouble, so Wylie decides to do what she has done so many times before: save her best friend from herself.

This time it’s different, though. Instead of telling Wylie where she is, Cassie sends cryptic clues. And instead of having Wylie come by herself, Jasper shows up saying Cassie sent him to help. Trusting the guy who sent Cassie off the rails doesn’t feel right, but Wylie has no choice but to ignore her gut instinct and go with him.

But figuring out where Cassie is goes from difficult to dangerous, fast. As Wylie and Jasper head farther and farther north into the dense woods of Maine, Wylie struggles to control her growing sense that something is really wrong. What isn’t Cassie telling them? And could finding her be only the beginning?

Things I liked:

1) This book I found to be rather addicting. I could not put this down and wanted to know what was going to happen. 

2) Wylie- I really enjoyed her as a character, she was not your normal YA girl.

3)  I really enjoyed the suspense of this book, it was not at all boring and just kept you on your toes.

Things I was not fond of:

1) I was not the biggest fan of Cassie. I just felt like the way things happened with her were weird and sometimes just made no sense. 

2) The ending- I know I have an issue with endings a lot but this one was just rushed really to me. I wanted more of a twist I guess.

My rating: 💜💜💜💜

*I received this book on a read and review basis for free from Edelweiss*

Down With The Shine by Kate Karyus Quinn

Blurb from Goodreads:

There's a reason they say "be careful what you wish for." Just ask the girl who wished to be thinner and ended up smaller than Thumbelina, or the boy who asked for "balls of steel" and got them-literally. And never wish for your party to go on forever. Not unless you want your guests to be struck down by debilitating pain if they try to leave.


These are things Lennie only learns when it's too late-after she brings some of her uncles' moonshine to a party and toasts to dozens of wishes, including a big wish of her own: to bring back her best friend, Dylan, who was abducted and murdered six months ago.

Lennie didn't mean to cause so much chaos. She always thought her uncles' moonshine toast was just a tradition. And when they talked about carrying on their "important family legacy," she thought they meant good old-fashioned bootlegging.

Things I liked:

1) Lennie-  I like how naive she was about what she could do. Also she was really relatable in my opinion.

2) The Uncles- They were rather interesting to say the least. I felt like they were so weird but for some odd reason I really liked them a lot.

3) I found this book to be rather funny. Not sure if that was a good thing but I was okay with it. 

Things I was not fond of:
1) Although I really like the premise of this book it was rather unrealistic and most of the time really just made no sense.

2) The ending I was not fond of. This is what stopped me from giving this book a 5 stars.


My rating: 💜💜💜💜

*I received this book from Edelweiss on a read and review basis*

In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Goodreads Blurb:

What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

Leonora, known to some as Lee and others as Nora, is a reclusive crime writer, unwilling to leave her “nest” of an apartment unless it is absolutely necessary. When a friend she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years unexpectedly invites Nora (Lee?) to a weekend away in an eerie glass house deep in the English countryside, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. Forty-eight hours later, she wakes up in a hospital bed injured but alive, with the knowledge that someone is dead. Wondering not “what happened?” but “what have I done?”, Nora (Lee?) tries to piece together the events of the past weekend. Working to uncover secrets, reveal motives, and find answers, Nora (Lee?) must revisit parts of herself that she would much rather leave buried where they belong: in the past.

Things I liked:

1) Lenora- I did feel as though she was really naive about some things but I still thought she was a great character and the book would not have been the same without her.

2) The writing of this book was done so well. I felt as though it was really suspenseful and sometimes gave me chills.

3)  I liked the way the book was split up in what was happening and then what already happened and you were just left wondering what was going on.

Things I was not fond of:

1) Another rushed ending that really didn't get explained well. 

2) I thought some of the characters were lacking in personality and just were really there for no reason.

My rating: 💜💜💜💜