Author: pleasantnites

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m not a big YA Romantasy person. I loved Shadow and Bone, but haven’t delved much farther into the genre. But wow, was this book fantastic. I cannot wait for the sequel.

In Blaze’s empire, certain people are born into power-wielding families. Her family can control fire. However, Blaze was born a Rainweaver and drowned thousands of people with a storm on the day she was born, thus leaving her an outcast.

When she and her twin, Flint, are summoned to the Golden Palace to vie for the crown, they must use their powers to defeat the others with the same ability. Flint must use fire to show he’s the stronger fire-wielder. But Blaze, who never uses her power, isn’t sure how she will fare in the competition.

There’s a small romantic aspect to it as Blaze meets the Crowned Prince and a mysterious boy with a deadly past. As more secrets about the empire are revealed, Blaze must decide who to trust. This book had such good world-building and excellent characters. Definitely recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn’t work for me at all. The story is very bizarre, so stick with me here. Sidney Catchpenny is a sly, which means he’s a thief who uses mojo (magic) to travel between mirrors. He can enter a mirror and then exit another mirror in a separate location. This plot seems easy enough to follow, but when Sid is asked to help find a girl, the world-building becomes a lot messier.

Circe, the missing teenager, is involved in a video game that takes inspiration from a doomsday cult. Sid has to dig through Circe’s life to find her, but what he uncovers could be his own undoing because another sly owns his heart (literally). This book had so much potential, but it just tried to do way too much.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Twins Eirene and Phoebe live on an island ruled by descendants of Greek Gods. Leandros, the descendant of Eros, controls Desire, which he bottles and sells — literally selling love. However, he’s not a good person, always seeking more power. When his wife dies mysteriously, he has his sights on Phoebe. However, Eirene won’t let that happen. She takes Phoebe’s place, but Leandros won’t let that happen unless she accomplishes four nearly impossible tasks.

Eirene meets Leandros’s locked-away daughter, Lamia, and they forge a friendship. However, Lamia has a secret of her own. This book was actually pretty good, given I’m not a big fan of YA fantasy/romance. Eirene was a great main character, and the secret Lamia discovers about herself was a lot of fun. Definitely recommend this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m not a big reader of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this book, partly because of the unexpected turn it took halfway through. The story follows Bessie, who, to survive, turns to prostitution. Set in the 1870s, Bessie wants to live independently, but that was an impossible task for women at the time. So she lives in a brothel with a madam who takes care of her. As her wealth increases, she travels the country to visit other brothels and make connections.

When she meets a charming man, she falls for him. However, he isn’t who she thought he was. Then the plot shifts abruptly (and in a great way) and we see a very different side of Bessie. I really enjoyed this book. Bessie was fun and a great character. Even though she made some terrible decisions, I was rooting for her the entire time. This was a great one!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

As I was reading this, I kept thinking this is what students should read instead of A Separate Peace. The story takes place in 1951-52 at Bellerton College for Women. Six teens, “The Belles,” form a tight-knit group. As freshmen, they push the boundaries of the school’s rules. But, as told in the chapters set in 2002, we learn that not all of them were successful in staying true to themselves.

Deena is the outcast who has ingratiated herself into the group. The girls often play tricks on the housemother and regularly break curfew. But as some of their precious things go missing, no one can believe that anyone within their group would do such a thing as steal. Deena, especially, has to be careful so her lack of wealth isn’t discovered by these girls. This book was really great, and even though some of the characters are obnoxious, they were also a lot of fun.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this book.

Set in small-town Texas, Annie’s family are PIs, and when one of her friends goes missing, is later found dead, they get involved. One man is arrested, but his family swears he didn’t do it, so they hire the family to find the real killer.

Annie is a good main character, and the supporting cast is a lot of fun; however, this book was just not particularly interesting. The plot revolved a lot around who was dating whom, who went to college and came back, and various other personal details. Most of these details are completely irrelevant to the plot and feel like filler.

I wanted to enjoy this more and read the rest of the series, but I have no desire to re-enter this world. Bummer.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

What an outstanding thriller! That said, it’s tough to give a lot of info without spoilers because so much of the story reveal is critical to understanding who is involved.

The two storylines that the readers follow are of the woman in the shed. She’s unnamed, but we quickly learn she was kidnapped and has been held hostage for five years. The other storyline revolves around Emily, who owns a restaurant and meets a new man.

In between are some interstitial chapters that provide more insight into the woman in the shed’s kidnapper. These chapters are both horrifying and enlightening, and they will stick with me. The woman’s story and Emily’s story are related, but it takes some time for this to happen. This book was excellent and I definitely recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book

When two people go missing in an exclusive resort, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is brought in to liaise with the local sheriff’s department. Frances Cash, from the CBI, and Sheriff James Colcord work together to solve the disappearance.

The resort is actually a Jurassic-Park type, but with woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths brought back from extinction. The evidence shows the animals didn’t attack, and it must be people; the list of resort enemies is at the forefront of the investigation.

Where this book goes was a complete surprise to me. Cash and Colcord made a fun investigative duo who work together well, despite the mess that continues to grow at the resort. I had no idea what to expect with this book, but I really enjoyed it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Iðunn has been waking up exhausted, despite sleeping through the night. She goes to doctors, tries holistic help, sleep medications, and realizes she’s been sleepwalking. She also wakes up with mysterious bruises and scratches.

To stop this from happening, she bolts herself into her room, but somehow she’s still able to get out. As she follows her GPS, she realizes she’s going to the same location each night.

She’s trying to live a normal life by dating a man, even though the death of her sister still weighs heavily on her. As her exhaustion takes an increasing toll on her, Iðunn realizes what horrors are happening every night. This book was excellent, short, and I read it in one sitting.