[Review] Magick and Mayhem

This was a random pick from the library and turned out to be a very entertaining little witchy read. As much as I liked the main character Kailyn, she was eclipsed by Merlin (the real one) who accidentally ends up being transported to modern day and develops a love for pizza and lots of other foods, too! When Merlin teams up with Kailyn's aunt Tilly to help solve the mystery of who killed a local attorney in his office, hilarity ensues. This book was just plain fun. The small-town atmosphere was nicely done and made me eager to get my hands on the next one! 

[Review] Odd & True by Cat Winters

I read this in July and even though it's not the end of the year yet I'm calling this one as my personal favorite book of 2017. I was already a fan of the author and was excited by the premise, which did not disappoint. I loved this world and these characters, and I need Cat Winters to tell me it doesn't end here because I'm too damn invested now. These sisters kick ass and I can't wait for their next adventure! Get a hand mirror and a purple coat and put this on your reading list. 

Much thanks to Amulet Books and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

[Review] King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

I should have just stopped at Red Queen. But no, I put myself through the agony of reading King's Cage even though I couldn't bring myself to finish the second book in this series, Glass Sword, because it was so boring. King's Cage was slightly better than GS, but not much. It's another boring book filled with too many characters who don't do much of anything. A few interesting things happen but then it gets boring again, and honestly some of the peripheral storylines are just dumb. Does Farley really have to eat constantly just because she's pregnant? Give me a break. This was originally supposed to be a trilogy, but now there will apparently be a fourth book. I've learned my lesson though and will not being reading it. It's a shame because Red Queen, in my opinion, was a good book. I flew through it and loved the world that Aveyard created. It was unique and had many layers, but not too many that you had to fight your way out. She lost something in the second book though and never regained it, like a car spinning out of control. The push to do a trilogy (or even more) is most likely what killed this series, because it feels stretched beyond what it should or could have been.

[Review] The Curious Affair of The Witch at Wayside Cross by Lisa Tuttle

The characters in this second Jesperson & Lane book by Lisa Tuttle captivated me from the first page even though I had not read the first book. The detective agency duo of Miss Lane (Di, to her friends) and Mr. Jesperson is an interesting pairing. They’re both smart and good at assessing people. Jesperson fancies himself as a Sherlock Holmes type, with a flair for deduction and anticipating people’s actions.

I liked the supernatural elements of this mystery mixed with Victorian social mores of the time. Between investigating a murder and the disappearance of a baby, Jesperson and Lane have more than enough to keep them on their toes and guessing who among the odd cast of characters in the Norfolk countryside is friend or foe. My one complaint is that I found the ending slightly confusing, but overall it was a solid story and I flew through the pages.

As a matter of fact, I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately checked the first one, “The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief,” out of my local library. I would not hesitated to jump into this second book, however, even if you have not read the first one.

I’m excited to see what more is to come in the Jesperson & Lane series. Thanks to Hydra and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

“We must not look at goblin men, 

We must not buy their fruits: 

Who knows upon what soil they fed 

Their hungry thirsty roots?” 

“Come buy,” call the goblins 

Hobbling down the glen. 

--Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

I’ve loved Rossetti's poem since I first read it in high school and was interested to see what Molly Ringle would do with it as an inspiration. Overall I really liked the book. The allusions to the poem are very slight, but the bond between two sisters that is the backbone of the poem is there and it works. I would have liked to know more about the goblins, although two of their stories were wrapped up in the end and in one case showed that some part of humanity was still there long after the person had been turned into a goblin. There's plenty of romance, which isn't really my thing, but to me this is really more of a good urban fantasy that reminded me a bit of Raymond Feist's underrated Faerie Tale.

Thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and Netgalley for providing this ARC. 

[Review] Undertow--K.R. Conway

For the most part I enjoyed this book. The concept was unique and the characters were likable. Seventeen-year-old Eila inherits a big, gorgeous house in Cape Cod under mysterious circumstances and quickly moves in with her guardian Mae without much thought as to how this all came about. She meets a group of quirky friends and from the get-go you know that something is up with these kids, but not in a bad or threatening way, Along come two gorgeous guys that happen to fall in love with Eila and her friend Ana, and everyone is off on a big adventure with no parental supervision. 

We eventually find out what is going on with the quirky friends and how they are tied to Eila and her ancestors, but while the first part of the book told a great story and built suspense, things were not explained well in the end and ultimately I felt unclear about a very crucial part of the main plot. The other issue was the over-the-top insta-love, which nearly made me give up and not finish it. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Wicked Whale for sending me this ARC in exchange for a fair review.

[Review] The Disappearances—Emily Bain Murphy

This is one of those books that remind you why reading is such a pleasure. Set in Connecticut during WWII, it's ripe with secrets and Shakespeare, grief, a family curse, and all the reasons why we love. When the two diverging storylines came together I was hooked and reluctant to put it down to deal with real life. I honestly loved everything about this book and I hope people will find it and love it just as much. This is the author's first book and I look forward to more to come from Emily Bain Murphy.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.