Should've Said No by Tracy March

This mystery is set in a cute, small time. Lindsey Simms is hired as a curator for a museum being built from the ground up. Lindsey also has a secret: she belongs to one of the families in the family feud as big as the Hatfield and McCoy's.

Carden Crenshaw belongs to the Crenshaw family, and he falls for Lindsey, but while he wants his family's name and reputation to stay intact, he's still in love with Lindsey.

Lindsey does eventually find the truth, and, of course, get her man, and the book is a nice, tidy romance.

The secondary characters in this book were well developed. I enjoyed the two little old ladies and their fairy tale house. Even Carden's grandmother was OK, in the end. People behaved like regular people, not sterotypes.

This is a quick read. I recommend.

The Deathsniffer's Assistant (The Faraday Files #1) Part One of the Series: The Faraday Files by Kate McIntyre

I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one to be released.

This gem is set in an alternate-England where magic has been contained and the Industrial Age never happened. Salamanders, water sprites, sylphs, and other dangerous magical creatures have been bent and shifted into items similar to an Edwardian England with both hackney cabs and winged coaches.

The Deathsniffer is Olivia Faraday, and her assistant is the penniless Christopher Buckley who finds himself thrust into service to pay for his sister, food and keep a roof over their heads. He has an old family friend who helps him along the way, but he's forced to take his gentlemanly ways and his magical ability with words to keep Miss Faraday's memories for her.

The British nobility is Old Blood in this book, and everyone else is forced at age 19 to have their abilities tried and tested. However, Christopher's younger sister is a truly gifted Spiritbinder, and she saves Christopher's life several times bringing them to national attention.

Christopher is a delightful, androgynous character. He hasn't ever kissed a girl, but he'd like to. He also has a couple of interactions with other androgynous male characters, and he is surprised by Olivia's reaction and the reaction of others in the time period. He's not a manly man, rather a clever, fashion conscious, very well mannered gentleman. He's uncomfortable crossing the rules of society, but he's surrounded by a whole host of women who are not bound by his fussy adherence to the same rules. These women are allowed to be policemen, detectives, and wizards. They are all as lovely and different as Chris and William and the other men in this book are different. Each character is distinct and well-formed.

His first case with Miss Faraday is solving the murder of a Duke, but his home life is swept up in keeping his sister safe. The case has several turns, and even if you can see the ending coming, you are already inside the beginnings of book two as this book ends.

Although I have a fairly good idea of where book two is going, it will still be enjoyable to see how the author gets there. I definitely will read the second novel in this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Time's Divide The Chronos Files (Book 3) by Rysa Walker

I have read all the books in this series, and there were still times while I was reading the book that I wondered where in time and place the story took place, and how things had shifted so drastically.

Physically, there are 4 major time shifts, and we learn much more about what causes a time stream. There's string theory and then there's the ultimate every decision creates a new parallel universe, and in this universe, the author has married the two. It created major issues deciding what was from "this" time stream (when it's shifted so far from what it started as in book 1), from "Other-Kate's" time stream (where we were in the novella 1.5), and from where we end up. It is also critical to the reads that the reader not just read the 3 main novels. The novellas matter to the current story, especially explaining the current Pru.

I did enjoy this story, and while I enjoy Current-Kate and Trey, my heart will always belong to Kiernan Dunne. I am very much Team Kiernan.

I must confess that halfway through the book I had no idea how she could possibly tie up all the loose ends. I also disliked every member of the 5th Column, especially Julia and Max, and even Charlayne and Bensen. I did still like Tilson. He's remained a very stable, likable character for me. The rest of the characters seriously twist and turn. I suppose it is part of the suspense and drama to never know beyond Trey and Kiernan (and sometimes not then!) who to trust, but I got emotionally tired of wondering who to trust. There were two loose ends that really should have been tied up, that I wondered about all night after I finished reading.

It turns out that the bad guys really are simply psychopaths, and that everyone else is much more complicated. That's not a spoiler. We do finally get to see 2308, but not as it should have been, but as it becomes after multiple time shifts. However, we do get a Terminator/Skynet ending. I suppose as long as time stays fixed as Kate is finished, that shouldn't be a problem, right?

While I would recommend this book to my students, the author is not kidding when she describes her book in Doctor Who "Timey-Wimey" terms. I was not certain I loved where we were at the end. Sometimes, I thought the story was just too convoluted, and I really, really loved the other books in the series. For me, the major twists (and there were many in this book) were too many. One would have been enough. There were just so many. I also think this book could have been 1/3 shorter and it would have been a great finish.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher for an honest review.

Brazen by Christina Farley

Brazen,  the third book in the Gilded series, starts with the world thinking that Jae Hwa is dead. She belongs utterly to Kud, and she must work alone to save Korea from Kud's plan. Worse, she knows she needs the Guardian's help, needs her boyfriend to trust her, needs her grandfather to give her information, and because she stood with Kud to save her loved ones, no one believes she is capable of withstanding his mark and fight against him. Even Jae Hwa is a bit worried.

However, once again, she embarks on another journey, this time to China. She retrieves the Yin to the White Tiger's Yang, and she must work to once again save Korea.

In this final installment, Jae Hwa is a very independent, strong character. She is able to stand alone, and she is also able to willingly give her own life, if that's what the gods require, to save Korea.

This is very much a hero's journey, and Jae has all of the required helpers on her journey. The book is distinctly Korean, and after 3 books, the reader can finally piece them all together and have a satisfying conclusion.

These books will appeal to readers who enjoy other epic Asian stories, especially those who are wanting to move from epic Manga to something that feels more like The Iron Trial or Magyk. I will  be purchasing these for my classroom.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Silvern The Gilded Series (Book 2) by Christina Farley

Silvern The Gilded Series (Book 2) picks up three months after Gilded,  when Jae Hwa is testing for her 2nd level black belt. In the ring, she meets a warrior from the spirit world, and from there, the story is off and running. Kud, a supernatural bad-guy even greater than she defeated in the first book, now wants her help to find the rest of the missing orbs and defeat the other Korean deities and overthrow the world. Jae would do anything to stop him, until he goes after her loved ones, one by one.

Jae's best friends are likable and they help her on the journey. She gets the opportunity to travel into North Korea, and the division between North Korea and South Korea becomes a natural part of the plot. Once again, Jae is forced to make sacrifices and very hard choices, but she is a warrior.

This is a middle book in a series, and in a hero's journey, this is typically the low point for the hero. This is true for Jae, but the reader believes she can save Korea, save the people she loves, and do whatever that requires.

The book cover is gorgeous. The characters act exactly as they should for their age and the plot. This book is one I will buy for my classroom.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Witches Protection Program by Michael Phillip Cash

In this story, Wesley Rockwell has worked hard to get his job working for his father's special division only to make a mistake and be kicked back to work for the Witches Protection Program in New York City where the good witches are good, but they sometimes go very, very bad.

His job is to protect Morgan Pendragon from other witches who want to take her company, and also take over the world.

Morgan, initially, wants nothing to do with Wes, but he becomes her protector. Together, they become a team, and Wes is bound to Morgan, and sparks fly between them.

This book feels a bit like Men In Black meets Paranormal Romance, but it's a good mash-up. The villains are love-to-hate, and the good-guys are true-of-heart and go-to-the wall.

I'd read another book about Morgan and Wes. Their world is interesting and the characters likable.

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox

The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox is book 2 in the "Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries," but aside from book 1, there's also a novella (1.5) between the two books. I did not read the first book, but did read the novella. Neither is required before reading this book. 

I have read Angie Fox's other series, my favorite being the Biker Witches Mysteries. This series is not nearly as fun, nor as funny as the other series. This is a true "cozy" mystery, complete with paranormal (ghosts, poltergeists, and energies), with a little (very little) romance thrown in.

Verity Long, the main character, discovers a body while helping her sister in the town library. Because she can see ghosts, the lead detective allows her in on the investigation, and she wishes to help solve the murder of one of her sister's close friends. However, she immediately suspects her (secret) boyfriend's mother of being the murderer. She's also dealing with his brother, her ex-fiance who thinks he might want Verity back.

The story does a lovely job with the paranormal. The ghost's stories are the most intriguing and thought out. The main cast of characters could use more. It's pretty clear what Verity needs to do to free Frankie, but it never occurs to them in this book. It's also clear that Verity and Ellis should stop dating in secret. Another thing that needs to happen is that now Verity has revenge on her ex-boyfriend's mother, she should be able to get back enough money to at least feed herself. The over-the-top viciousness of Virginia Wydell was the red herring covering the true villain, not that he was particularly well hidden.

This is an interesting series, and the story was very well told. I did enjoy the individual ghosts, Lucy (Verity's pet SKUNK), and Ellis. This was a solid read, and I wouldn't mind reading book 3.

I recommend this for those who love cozy mysteries.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Never, Never by Brianna Shrum

I love the story of Peter Pan, and I am also intrigued by a redeemable Captain Hook. Both of these elements drew me to this book.

James Hook, age 12, is readying to study at Eton. He's just had his 12th birthday, and his father has recently gone to sea. His mother is expecting a baby, and James is quite content to grow up to be honorable and a gentleman.

When his father leaves unexpectedly two weeks before James is supposed to report to Eton, James is utterly disappointed. He wanted his father to take him to Kensington Park as a last celebration. Instead, that night, James goes alone after dark, and there meets Peter Pan. Peter introduces him to the fairies, and he invites James to travel with him. James assumes he'll only be going to Neverland for only the week before he goes to Eton. However, once he's in Neverland, he realizes he can never return home.

James is devastated, and he feels Peter Pan has lied to him. He is also changed by the events the first night when Peter Pan kills a pirate on a ship James is sure he's seen, but only in his dreams. James remains a Lost Boy, but he is incapable of not growing up. One night, Peter Pan has a Thinning and James is forced out. Worse, while James remembers every moment of being with Peter and the Lost Boys, Peter forgets him entirely.

James goes out to the pirate ship where the crew immediately recognize him as their captain because his dreams brought them into existence. He then becomes Captain Hook, but is still very much trying to be a good man with "good form."

James' story is heartbreaking in many ways. He has grown to hate Neverland, but once he encounters his younger brother, he realizes he can never return home. He falls in love with the lovely Tiger Lily, and because she is also tied to Peter Pan, their dreams of running away together are never realized.

I was sad when I reached the end of the book. I loved James Hook, and I saw all of the plot points from the Disney Peter Pan and the original Peter Pan played out from the point of a wonderful man placed under extraordinary pressure who eventually broke down. There's no happy ending here, and that's even worse for me. Peter Pan was unlikable, Wendy reminded him of his mother, Tiger Lily inflexible, and James Hook miserable. I cried for him, the Lost Boy and Captain, and was so very sad for him as he swam to his finish at the end of the book.

I received the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Gilded The Gilded Series (Book 1) by Christina Farle

This book with its lovely cover drew me in. Jae, who has been raised in LA, has recently lost her mother to cancer, and her father takes a job in Seoul, Korea, moving Jae back to her father's country. Jae has been raised with Korean food and speaks the language, but in Seoul, she attends an internationally acclaimed school where the students are ultra-focused on their grades.

Into her new life, her grandfather and father are at odds because Jae's grandfather believes in the old gods, and he is afraid that Haemosu will take Jae as the oldest daughter. Their families have been linked for thousands of years and through thousands of princesses from her family.

Jae, at first unsure what to believe, begins to work with her aunt, her grandfather, and the attractive but enigmatic boy from school. She is attracted to Marc, but even more, Marc can help her save the world.

This is book 1 in the series, and while there's room for more stories, this book has good characterization, a lovely plot arc with a good beginning, great climax, and resolution. Jae is also lucky that she has a father who loves her, a grandfather to help her, and an aunt to train her instead of some of the paranormal books with absent families.

I would own this and recommend it to my class,

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Veil Fianna Trilogy (Book 3) by Megan Chance

The Veil, Fianna Trilogy (Book 3) by Megan Chance

I jumped into this book not having read the previous 2 books, and I followed the plot well. There was enough backstory that I quickly was inside the world and understood the characters.

I enjoyed reading about both sides of the Irish issue--the Irish immigrants here at home and the struggle of early 20th Century Ireland. I thought from the front of the book that it would be steampunk, but it's a very distinct historical fantasy. 

I enjoyed that there was no clear "good-guy" and "bad-guy." Although our heroine Grace had to choose between two men, they were both good men, and they loved her. Each of the men had to make hard choices, and they made them and were true to their characters. The author did a great job describing the challenge each faced, and as a reader, I felt how heavy and hard each was.

Because it's a true fantasy novel, sacrifices were required to save the world, and the characters were brave and strong as they made their final choices. It had a solid ending, and none of the characters chose the "easy" way out. That was refreshing. The end was very satisfying as a reader.

I would recommend this book to my students with one caveat: there's a sex scene that "unlocks" the main character's power, and it is a major, major plot point, so the reader can't overlook it. It probably can't go in my classroom library. However, the main character is 17, and the men she is with are older. That does raise the age of the intended audience.

I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Into Darkness by Hayley Barrett

Into Darkness by Hayley Barrett is set in post-apocalyptic New Phoenix in future New Zealand. This is clearly a novel to set-up characters and build a world.

Our main character, Alexandra Spencer needs to grow a spine. She chooses to take the fall for her boyfriend and ends up sentenced to a year in Elder Grey Detention Centre. Most of the book ends up telling the story, not of what happens at the centre, but the long journey to get to the jail.

I was 60% of the way through the book before the main character made it to jail, and I kept wondering why the journey took so long. Obviously, Alexandra needed to grow and change on the journey so that she would be able to make the choices she did at the end of the novel, but since the main plot point is that she goes to jail, the journey seemed to take forever.

This is an action-adventure novel, but it hinges on the romance between Alexandra and her guard, Will Metcalfe. Without the romance, Alexandra would not have made the choices she makes. That means, Alexandra is still wishy-washy and not making decisions on her own. I am not sure that's the kind of heroine I enjoy. I was irritated with her, especially for not being able to see how her city boyfriend was using her for her position and place.

I am sure the sequel will center on what happens next to Alexandra's motley group of prison friends as they are now struggling in the wild. They have discovered the vampiric Drifters and unlocked part of the secret: now they need to save the world.

I received a copy from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis

Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis is an updated story of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson. This is a futuristic, technology filled story with only a hint of magic. The reader forgets that they are in a fairy tale except for the familiarity of the story. 

16 year old Liddi Jantzen has lived her whole life having every moment of her life captured on film. She's a futuristic Kardashian, only all 8 of her brothers are amazingly talented and gifted. Her family own a large technology company, and Liddi, the only daughter, has inherited the lion's share of the corporation so that her brothers will not fight over the company and will band together to help Liddi. She's been sheltered and loved by her brothers, but she is a lonely girl with no one to truly call her friend.

Liddi's brothers suddenly are taken captive, and the main conduits to connect the 7 worlds are damaged. To save her brothers and repair the conduits, Liddi is thrust into a whole new world where she must work with people who don't believe technology is the key. They honor the older ways. In her journey, Liddi meets people she respects and learns to love, despite her inability to talk. She learns new ways to communicate, and her innate talent is magnified.

The story feels modern and fresh, and the writing is well done. Liddi is a very sympathetic character, and the choices she must make are world changing. I enjoyed this book very much and will recommend it to my students.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston is a gorgeous spin on Arabian Nights. 

When the king, Lo-Melkhiin has married 300 women and each die on their wedding night, a law is decreed that determines the tribute of one woman per town. When the king arrives in their small wadi, our heroine sacrifices herself to save her sister, the most beautiful girl in the wadi. Her sister swears she will make her a small god, and that the magic of the small god will accompany her to the city.

The heroine intrigues the king with her stories and her lack of fear. Each morning, she is surprised to see the sunrise, but also discovers that her own personal power grows. She knows it is the power of the small gods. She also discovers that Lo-Melkhiin has been radically changed, and when he is injured, she senses inside him a poisonous viper.

Through the power of sisterhood, the power of words, and the power of her own determination, the queen becomes like Scheherazade from the original tale. Although she is not in the city for a thousand nights, the  power grows from the thousands of people all counting on her to save them from the demon king.

The characters in this story are distinctive and each has a specific story about the king or about the heroine. Each tells us some new part of the story, the history of the king, or the power of the land. The symbolism of the lion and the lioness are a nod to the name Scheherazade (which probably means lion-born), and the demon king is created during the killing of a lion. His mother also wears a lion's mane as her wig.

The writing in the book is lovely and lyrical. It's formal as a good fairy tale should be, but the magic and mystery feel very current. There was a shift in narrator at the very end where suddenly "I" from the entire book is now talking about "she" and we know that "she" has been the narrator all along. There is a very spelled out moral to the story. Both throw the reader out of the story abruptly. In fact, I jumped back to the beginning of the book to see if I had missed something. I loved the story, but I did not care for the epilogue. 

I would recommend this book, and I intend to purchase a copy for my classroom.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

Playing with Fire A Novel by Tess Gerritsen

Playing with Fire:
A Novel
by Tess Gerritsen

I have read everything in print by Tess Gerritsen, and this book was different in a very good way. While the main story is taking place, Gerritsen skillfully weaves a Holocaust story throughout using music as the point that holds both stories together.,

At first, I was disturbed with what was going on with the main character's daughter, but the book ended with such an interesting twist to resolve the issue that I was pleased I had continued on despite my initial misgivings.

The main character of the modern story is an accomplished violinist who discovers the music belonging to the main character of the Holocaust story. Both stories are emotional, and it seems as if both characters are "playing with fire." Each has incendiary moments, and the mystery of the story revolves around a waltz called "Incendio."

This book was lovely, moving, mysterious, and well plotted. The pacing was perfect, and I am planning to share it with my students tomorrow as we talk about The Book Thief, Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Shades of Gray.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Uneasy In New Orleans A Big Easy Mystery (Book #1) by Carol Carson

Uneasy In New Orleans: A Big Easy Mystery (Book #1) by Carol Carson

I have to admit, I love a cozy mystery. I especially like them with a bit of romance and cooking. However, this was not my favorite read. It had all of the elements to make it work: hunky police detective, plucky heroine working for a private investigator, and the requisite kooky family members.

The policeman and PI remind me of Janet Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum, but in this book they are brothers. Our policeman, Jack, doesn't want our heroine Finn to work for his brother because it's dangerous. He is indeed proved right when pictures Finn has taken of a cheating husband come back to haunt all of them.

One of the things that bugged me was that no one ever really looked at the pictures. Tommy couldn't ID the man in the photos, even when he was attacked. Finn couldn't ID the carriage driver, and that was a plot element screaming out from far too early in the book. 

Another element that was not well developed was the ghost at the cooking school. He was almost a diversion, and certainly not helpful. He didn't appear to Finn until the book was almost half-way through. 

Although the book had no sex, (but plenty of accidents and murders), Finn was randomly kissing people, a stranger on a bus and Tommy, her boss. However, the reader is supposed to believe she likes Jack and that Jack actually likes her back. Their romance is so slow, it's not yet to the stove.

I did enjoy her aunt and younger sister. Those characters were well developed. The kidnapping, FBI's most wanted criminal who has a heart of gold was an odd element. Why she could wander around New Orleans and never be caught is only one of the inconsistencies. Certainly, she wouldn't be able to fly out of the country to escape... 

The mystery gets solved, despite pages and pages of cooking school, vet visits, and multiple trips to the hospital.

I think this book meanders and gets too far off track in places. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it, and normally, this would be my favorite type of book. I don't think I'll read the sequel.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Doctor Who: The Drosten's Curse by A. L. Kennedy

Doctor Who: The Drosten's Curse by A. L. Kennedy

The Fourth Doctor, with his hat and long striped scarf, arrives in Arbroath, 1978, without a companion. He immediately befriends Bryony who's working the desk at a Fetch's Golf Spa Hotel.

In true Doctor Who fashion, there's a serious alien infestation, one who feeds off of the emotions of those surrounding the area. On top of that, another alien has fallen in love with Bryony, and he and Bryony become the Doctor's companions for this adventure.

There's octopuses (or octopodes), a promise to become the jewel at the center of the universe, and jelly babies.

This will make a wonderful audio recording, and it is both true to the Fourth Doctor but will feel familiar to those who are NuWho fans.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for an honest review.

Life at the Speed of Us by Heather Sappenfield

Life at the Speed of Us by Heather Sappenfield took me by complete surprise. Nowhere in the description of the book does it mention time travel, quantum physics, or parallel universes, but this coming of age love story truly does have it all.

Sovren (misspelled because at an early age her dyslexia made Sovereign impossible) finds that her life has spiraled out of control since the death of her mother. On the anniversary of her death, Sovren's boyfriend dumps her, and she has a snowboarding accident that awakens her again to life.

Despite Sovren's dyslexia, she's a mathematical genius, and the new boy she meets makes her investigate quantum physics, quantum entanglement, parallel universes, and M theory. The author uses this science to create a lovely romance that hints a bit at reincarnation. This science fiction also has some fantasy in that the characters are able to travel through time, but are unable to choose the moments they travel.

Sovren must come to terms with her own reality, her loss, and her loves, and she learns that she can love someone who has died as well as loving life as it becomes, not simply as it was. 

The message that dyslexia doesn't make someone stupid is very clear. Sovren has great coping mechanisms, and they allow her to make her genius shine.

One thing I would change would be how abruptly the book ended. The climactic event of the book is very traumatic, but Sovren doesn't tell us much about how she will cope or does cope with these events. I would have liked an epilogue or a bit more to tie up her relationship with her boyfriend at the end. 

I did enjoy this book very much. Recommend.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Lumiere The Illumination Paradox (Book 1) by Jacqueline Garlick

Lumiere: The Illumination Paradox by Jacqueline Garlick is the first book in this series. 

The book sucks the reader in from the very first scene at the carnival, and each individual scene along the way is important to the plot and the characterization. Both main characters, Eyelet and Urlick, grow from beginning to end, and the additional characters are important and meaningful. Each character has some physical flaw which does not change their value to one another which is a welcome change from perfect boyfriends, amazing magicians, and other unrealistic characters usually found in this genre.

Although the book is set in the Victorian Age (the dates clearly put it in the 1890's), it's not a familiar London or United Kingdom. It's set in the Commonwealth, and the utopian Bretheren and Academy have become corrupt. The characters live in a dystopian world forever changed by an event in their childhood, where both of their fathers worked for the Bretheren. Since that event, the air, water, and world has been corrupted, and the Commonwealth has been changed. Outside the Commonwealth are zombies and ghouls as a corruption of the people.

Eyelet and Urlick must work together, each hoping that the machine built by their fathers holds a cure for them (Eyelet's epilepsy and Urlick's birth mark).  As they come together, their romance blossoms. As in most romance, their relationship grows quickly and their attraction is intense, a relationship forged in desperate times full of teen angst. Despite their physical flaws, both Eyelet and Urlick are capable creators, and the book is full of wonderful steampunk creations with just a hint of magic thrown in. 

I enjoyed and recommend this book.Book 2, Noir, will be available soon and is also a great read.  

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Noir The Illumination Paradox (Book 2) by Jacqueline Garlick

Although Noir is the second book in this series, I jumped into the book and caught up on the characters and plot very quickly.

Ms. Garlick has created a believable world, very much steampunk with a touch of post-apocalyptic destruction: murky air unfit to breathe, water unfit to drink, and a despotic ruler. For paranormal fans, the vapors that create ghouls and things that go bump in the wood also add to the world building.

There's a lost prince, a girl destined to save the world, two desperate women trying manipulate others for power, and a truly motley set of side-kicks (and they are actually from a freak show).

Ms. Garlick creates many moments with the characters, where the reader feels the connection each has to another. There's a chance to laugh, to cry, to feel jealousy, and to build friendships.

This book is well crafted, but most of it was one escape attempt after another. The amazing spaces they escaped from, and the unlikely ways they made their escapes were well thought out, but it was a series of escapes from beginning to end.

I would recommend this book, but there is a very strong romance story where our main characters take their relationship all the way. For my audience, I would probably keep this book as a "behind my desk" book with that caveat. I really enjoyed this book, and I would read the third book in the series.

Following Her by Melody Anne

I have read several books by Melody Anne, and they are entertaining romances that always guarantee a HEA.

The heroine in the novel is a strong woman, a lawyer, who's been played by her former boss and love-interest. She's caught him red-handed and helped build a case against him. His associates are making threats and accosting Ella. Her cousin, an Alpha Male from another book in this series, insists his partner protect Ella.

From the beginning of the novel, Axel and Ella collide. She's headstrong, and he's an FBI agent who's not going to be derelict in his duty. Over the course of the novel, the two tango through their attraction, their ability to intrigue one another, and to irritate one another. Their chemistry is good, and their dates are adorable.

My one complaint is the many scenes with Ella's girlfriends. Perhaps they will be getting their own spin-off books, and this book serves as their introduction to the reader. There were several times I wondered why I needed to spend so much time inside her relationship with her "chikas."

The book had a nice resolve, a great happily ever after, and was fun to read.

It's definitely for adults as there is sexual content, but it's definitely a ladies' romance to enjoy.

The Battle for Oz by Jenna Grace

Recently, I discovered a site which would allow me to read galley copies of soon-to-be released books. The first book I read was called The Battle for Oz.  I am a confessed Oz fan (owning most of the original Frank L. Baum Oz books) and my favorite book is Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by  Lewis Carroll.

This book has an interesting premise: if Oz is a magical world people can travel to, can people also travel between other magical worlds, like Wonderland. It starts with an invasion of Oz from Wonderland, and our two heroines of the original books, Dorothy and Alice, must return to save Oz and defeat the nemesis of Wonderland.

Of course, Dorothy and Alice have grown up. However, they don't feel like the Dorothy or Alice we know from books or movies. In fact, they are very flat. The reader is left to fill in who these young women are from previous readings or movies of Oz and Wonderland.

In some places, the stories overlap in truly odd ways. There's a mixture of real people (The Brother's Grimm, who have seemingly traveled Oz and are perhaps Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum from Wonderland), and an odd reference to the Munich Pact of 1938 and an odd reference to the Nazi Party and Hitler. The marriage of real people and fictional characters creates a disconnect in the suspension of disbelief required for the story to flow.

While this book reminds me of The Looking Glass Wars, I would have preferred more show versus tell from the author. The characters seem very one dimensional, and there's much exposition instead of letting the characters tell their stories through dialogue and character development.

At times, I was unsure of the intended audience. While the story is easy to follow and there's no problem with the teen/YA, Dorothy and Alice are consistently killing or destroying trolls, guards, and other characters. They are remorseless, and that is completely out of character for either of them in their previous novels. Understanding this is a war, Dorothy carries a pretty deadly whip and odd cookies and candies that do unusual things, like creating a shape-shifting Toto. Alice carries a sword and has specialty potions from Cheshire Cat that make her a formidable foe. A lot of characters are simply wiped out at the end of the novel.

Would I recommend this book? I consider it a "mash-up" that reminds me of the TV show Once Upon a Time. I won't purchase this book for my classroom, but I can see that people who are nostalgic about Oz will read this book, especially people who have loved The Looking Glass Wars or Alice in Zombieland.