Out of the Storm by Jillian Elizabeth

Out of the Storm is the debut novel by Jillian Elizabeth and is a cop/thriller/romance with adult content interspersed (the author does warn about this at the beginning).

Carter has always loved Andrea. Even though they had a period apart where hot-headedness kept them separate, their hearts only belonged to each other. Now back together they are stronger and more in love than ever. Their idyllic life is about to be horribly interrupted when a string of murders points to a nefarious underground circuit which Carter throws his whole being into solving. Andrea is also feeling a little uneasy about something or someone, but can’t quite put her finger on it. Could their pasts be about to collide in a very bad way with their present? If so will their love be strong enough to endure it all?

The story was good for a debut novel. It is confusing in the beginning as so much of their past is alluded to and is only explained in the middle of the book onwards. The writing is easy to read with only a few grammatical errors, but sometimes speech from the same person was broken up into different paragraphs which interrupted the flow of reading. The story is told from different POV which helps with the emotions and understanding of the characters, especially in certain heartbreaking scenes. The story itself is nothing new and is tied up a little too neatly for everyone, but is told with the passion and enthusiasm of a new writer.

I enjoyed it as a quick afternoon read and would be interested to see what happens to the couple. 

The Other Side of Him by Alice Rene

The Other Side of Him is part thriller and part general fiction and is a standalone novel.

Claire comes from a family that doesn’t shirk from working hard to get where you need to go. Her mom wants her to find a “ladies” job and a good husband to settle down with. Claire wants to go to college and become a social worker to help others. Her brother Tim introduces her to a doctor named Greg who seems absolutely idyllic. Perhaps a little too idyllic. As Claire goes forward in her relationship with him and finds things are not as they seemed, can she change its course, or is she bound by the constraints of an era that certainly didn’t afford its women enough protection?

I was ambivalent about this novel as the thriller part is gripping, but all of a sudden it becomes a general life story. With all the twists and turns that recent books have, I found the direction that the book took to be flat! I kept hoping for something exciting to happen and then all of a sudden it was over.

The editing and style of writing is good, but I don’t think the story will still be with me tomorrow. If you feel like an afternoon read where you can just go with the flow of a book then this one’s for you.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Behind Closed Doors is a standalone thriller that delves into psychological games/traps.

Jack and Grace have the perfect marriage. He is the attentive, handsome and thoughtful husband every wife longs for, while she is the ideal example of a rounded homemaker. It is strange though that Grace never follows up on promises to join friends for lunch, or constantly has a tummy bug, rendering her unable to see her sister every weekend. How does Grace manage to be a master of it all and still keep a gorgeous man so in love with her? Is there such a thing as perfection? Surely there must be more than meets the eye? (I can’t say more than that without revealing spoilers!)

This book was recommended on an fb group and I love psychological thrillers so I thought I’d give it a bash. While it was definitely a thriller, I thought that the psychological aspects of it were less subtle than implied as they were actually laid out for you. You can pretty much tell that there will be a twist just by the blurb and it’s obvious early on what it is. Knowing certainly does not detract from the feelings of revulsion and incredulousness you experience as the mind games continue. Grace does come across as a little soft, but I understand the frustration and reasons behind her decisions. Jack, well, Jack is certainly a piece of work. I did enjoy the way the book went from present to past and you get to see exactly how the story got to its point. What led to the ending felt a bit rushed, but it wrapped up well and you support the decisions taken that led to the finale. Some disturbing scenes will be upsetting, but you can see them coming so skip those parts!

I enjoyed this book, as the way it was written made me feel as though I was experiencing the emotions first-hand. The psychological aspects are quite draining and while the story does draw aspects from other books, I recommend this one for a gripping read.   

Hair in All the Wrong Places 2 by Andrew Buckley

Hair in All the Wrong Places 2 is the sequel to Hair in All the Wrong Places, but could be read as a standalone novel.

Colin is a 13-year-old boy living in Elkwood with his grandmother. Elkwood is no ordinary town, and Colin is no ordinary boy. After being bitten by Silas and turned into a werewolf, Colin is adjusting to his new life in a town filled with supernatural beings. While working with the Night Watch, a unit tasked with fighting rogue supernaturals, Colin encounters a being with red eyes, floating in the air. Things escalate and the situation ends badly. No one will believe Colin about the being and he is sent off in disgrace.

Colin and his witch girlfriend are back at school when a new principal arrives. Something is very off about him though. Soon stranger than normal strange things occur, and with the Night Watch away, it is up to Colin to save the day. It’s a huge burden to place on a young werewolf who hasn’t even transitioned at full moon by himself. Is Colin up to the task? And if not, is there anyone available to help?

Another great piece of writing by Andrew Buckley! He has taken the generally overworked supernatural sensation and put his spin on it. To be able to ensure that a middle grade book has enough substance to entertain an adult takes skill, and this series certainly entertains. You get action, humour, a clever storyline and a moral or two thrown in for good measure. Sometimes characters and plots can become cumbersome with descriptions or just too much info. Here we are presented with just enough so that the flow of reading is very comfortable. The author has a very easy to read writing style, which makes reading the book a pleasure. A clever little twist on the end definitely leaves you wanting more. Colin’s character is growing and many of his decisions are indicative of a good role model. New characters have entered the story, some good and some bad; but they all have their place.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to see what happens with Colin and Elkwood.

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka

Girl in Snow is a deep debut novel by Danya Kukafka about a murder; but concentrates more on those affected by it, whether friend, family or suspect.

Lucinda Hayes has been murdered and her body found in a pile of snow. Suspicion is immediately cast on Cameron Whitely as he is perceived as Lucinda’s stalker. Slowly more suspects enter the picture; Jade, from whom Lucinda stole a job and a boy, and Ivan, the janitor from the school who found her. Or could it possibly be Edouard, Lucinda’s ex, or Mr O, a teacher dating Cameron’s mother? With so much possibility pointing at someone, surely the most obvious person is the killer? Or is there more to this than meets the eye?

The story is told from 3 perspectives, one from Cameron, one from Jade and one from Russ, Cameron’s father’s partner in the police force.

Cameron from the off is a very intriguing character; slightly oddball, slightly scary. After his father was arrested for assault, let off and did a runner, his mother did her best to raise Cameron normally, but let’s just say he has quirks. He sees the world in a very different way and his thoughts tend to become tangled, to a point where he would respond to a situation in a different way to what is perceived as normal. To him the game of Statue Nights, where he stands very still at night outside a person’s house and watches, is not being a stalker. It’s taking in life; it’s learning and absorbing. He has memorised everything about Lucinda, from her appearance to her habits. Lucinda’s dad has seen him and chased him away so his night games are not unknown and clearly make him the prime suspect.

Unbeknownst to Cameron, Jade has seen his statue game too so can verify his strangeness. However Jade is not quite a mainstream teen either as she has her own reasons to hate Lucinda. Jade is the only character’s perspective to be written in the 1^st person which is very clever. It allows the reader to come closer to her angst and puts her story on a different level to the others. It’s almost as if her story can be changed by her actions whereas the others are guided by outside forces. Jade has a horrible home life with an abusive mother and has every reason to want to lash out at the world. Was Lucinda’s stealing of her job and guy enough to send her over the edge?

The janitor who discovers the body is Russ’s brother-in-law, a reformed convict who preaches a religious ideal. Russ is struggling with his present and future; so much that looked rosy is turning sour and with what happened to Cameron’s father he is reluctant to see Cameron as a suspect.

As more incidents happen and more memories surface you are torn between characters and whether they are guilty or not. I found myself rooting for someone then changing my mind as I thought it could be them. A book that keeps you guessing until the end is a rare find. Even though the revelation itself it rather quick, I enjoyed that fact that the story didn’t end there. The author takes you to those affected and shows you the ramifications; something a lot of stories don’t do. It breaks down the nitty gritty of people’s feelings and explores sharing and love and emptiness. Along with the excellent editing the interesting storyline and depth of character makes this an intriguing read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the book.

Blood and Stars by Jaime Lee Mann

Blood and Stars is the 5^th book in the Legend of Rhyme series and is suitable for middle grade children.

Our heroes find themselves scattered:

Teagan is with Queen Starla in the Chamber of Memories hoping to find clues about her parents. When Starla is called away Teagan is lured by someone who promises more information about her parents. Can this someone be trusted since Krystal has a trap waiting? A trap and a diabolical plan between Krystal and her sisters to rid the sea of mer Queen Starla.

Ariana and Asher are separated with Asher and Elora trapped in the dark and an evil voice goading Asher into being a bad version of himself.

Ariana is in Coraira with Calla and is shocked to find she has received a crown to rule. Calla then falls under a protection spell, one which seems set to stay.

With Elora’s background no wonder no one can trust her, especially Larque, but as time is running out our heroes may have no choice.

Is there a solution for everyone or will our heroes find themselves in impossible situations? And as for Grindlerod – will he ever find the outcome he so desperately seeks?

This is another great chapter in the series and answers quite a few questions. The author promises no cliff hanger which she delivers, but the book ends well and still sets up for another story. I loved the way the book started with a poem that reminded you of what had happened in previous books and that poems were scattered throughout the book to summarise where you were or jog your memory as to what had been happening with the other characters. I like that the author doesn’t try to create too many tangents to the story at the same time so that concentration is not lost, especially considering the target age group for the series. It was interesting that the issue of mental illness was raised for this age group, but it’s never too early to start learning, understanding and empathising.

Not too much to negatively critique in this book, just a bit of a confusing moment when Larque was spelt Large and I had to reread the sentence a few times. I also felt that the battle with the ice dragons, even though it was necessary for the particular ending, felt a little random.

I enjoyed the story and recommend it for a good, quick and light read. Be prepared for a mix of happiness and sadness! Thanks to Netgalley and Blue Moon Publishers for the opportunity to review this.

Patchwork by Karsten Knight

Patchwork is a YA novel which combines mythology, time travel, friendship and vengeance.

Renata Lake is lucky enough to consider her friends very, very close to her. She has a boyfriend who loves her, a best friend she can share anything with and the rest of the Amaranthine Society with whom she can pull pranks on unsuspecting victims. Prom night's prank is a doozy - throw a mannequin overboard  the cruise ship they are on and make people believe that someone is actually drowning. Cue a fireball explosion and Renata finds herself in the water where her whole world changes. She enters into the time travelling world of Patchwork where she is thrown into scenarios that have already happened in her life and where she knows the outcome. Surely if she knows a bad ending is coming she can change it? As she stumbles blindly through the maze that is Patchwork, not knowing exactly how the rules work, she realises that someone is after her. Someone strong enough to move between the Patchwork worlds with her. But who is this person and what do they want with her? As Renata continues to try and change the future she realises that some things are meant to be and that she might not be part of the future at all.

The book was mainly a hit for me. I enjoyed the idea of Patchwork and the blending of mythology as well as the phoenix concept that ran through it. To be able to go back in time and try to correct a wrong that may have happened is definitely a plus - but since we all know what happens with a butterfly effect it might be best to leave it alone. The writing was very good - simple enough that you didn't have to stumble over words or bad editing but complex in weaving together a story that had to be joined from so many angles.

Renata came across as an up and down character; very selfish and wrapped up in herself at times and then trying so hard to save her friends that she lands up flubbing her good intentions. I guess bearing in mind that this is a YA novel, some important morals must come through and maybe a reader will recognise some "iffy" qualities in the way they treat people themselves and take a good look in the mirror. Each of her friends had a great supporting role and it was interesting to see each scenario when you had hindsight into it. I did however find Patchwork and the concept of time travel confusing at times and I was wondering exactly how many scenarios we would have to go through before finding out who the killer was.

I would definitely recommend this for a quick read where what you see is not exactly what you get.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the book.