Reawakened: by Morgan WylieMy rating: 1 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review.This was my second novella in the Havenwood Falls High series and I must confess that I will not continue with it. It appears I need a break from the Young Adult genre, although I still enjoy the New Adult Havenwood Falls series.I found the characters were simply created for the purpose of driving the plot forward and inserting unnecessary excitement, whereas on their own they had little depth and held little interest. And the romance between the main character and her boyfriend felt rather…

The Winged & the Wicked by Kristie CookMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the authors in exchange for an honest review.This was my second Havenwood Falls novella and it was just as cute and quirky as the first one. The characters fit each part of the story perfectly; from the evil villain to the innocent, unsuspecting victim. It was fun to read a story in which gender roles were reversed and still held true to the skillful art of storytelling without the obvious “in your face” social commentary.The plot was to the point, easy to understand and held the reader’s interest.…

Netherworld by Amy MilesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review.This was my second book by the author and once again I was more than blown away by the story. It is so refreshing to meet characters, who are neither stock nor do they only possess the best of every personality trait. The main and secondary characters alike are complex and do not always do what is in their best interest. They are not always shown from their best side, which is rare to come by in most YA novels. The reader is introduced to…

Casting Dreams by J.L. WeilMy rating: 1 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review.What did I do on the weekend? Why, thanks for asking. I read a novella about a young woman, who is a tough cookie, a special snowflake, “a rare diamond” (her words, not mine). I’m apologizing in advance for any sarcasm that seeps through in this review. It may also contain elements of ranting and venting as I try to make sense of the purpose of this relatively short story.The characters had one task and one task only: repetition. The main character kept repeating…

COVETOUSNESS: by Randi Cooley WilsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review.That was a lovely treat. Elements of mystery, paranormal and romance all come together for a highly entertaining read.The characters were quirky, full of life and interesting to follow. The protagonist was a refreshing change from the all-too-well-known special snowflake that needs a fresh start. She was witty, awkward and realistic. I cannot express how refreshing it was to read a story about a young woman, who doesn’t expect a red-carpet reception wherever she goes.The plot was straight forward with some unexplained mysteries still…

Essex County by Jeff LemireMy rating: 4 of 5 stars I can’t really say that I grew up in Essex County per se, but I did spent a considerable time in my late teens and early twenties in that general area. The mood the author/artist creates captures the mood perfectly. It was little bit sad, a little bit nostalgic and shows a part of Canadian life in southwestern Ontario so perfectly. View all my reviews

Yes Please by Amy PoehlerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I got the audiobook version from my library. The beginning was slightly slow, but her candid and honest way of talking about many topics and issues made up for any hesitation I had in the beginning. I appreciated how open Poehler wrote/spoke about all the obstacles and insecurities women experience and how it is ok to be our true selves.I am definitely considering getting the print version to read various chapters again in the future View all my reviews

LTB Ultimate 1 – Phantomias – Die Chronik eines Superhelden by Guido MartinaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I was not aware of this series until recently and growing up, reading Donald comics I would always skip the Phantomias stories, since I never really understood his origin. Somehow I stumbled upon a Phantomias comic not too long ago and I was hooked and excited to read more. It’s been difficult finding and reading them in order, but I’m glad I finally got to read the beginning of Phantomias. View all my reviews

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri ManiscalcoMy rating: 1 of 5 stars Originally, I gave this story a three-star rating, but after much consideration and mulling over my feelings during and after reading it, I have come to the conclusion that I should change it to a one-star rating. As a historical fiction piece, I felt disappointed by the execution of this potentially great new series that could have put a new spin on the young adult, historical fiction crime/mystery genre, sadly it fell flat due to the following reasons:The characters were inconsistent in their personalities and overall nature. As a reader, I felt torn between cheering on the female…

Final Girls by Riley SagerMy rating: 1 of 5 stars All the praise, all the excitement and all the hoopla around this book had me very excited to start this year’s season of horror/thriller/mystery reads. What a disappointment it was! Truth be told, I wanted to quit this story about 20% in, because I could already tell that I might reach a new record in eye rolling, if I continued. Now I’m sitting here, stuffing my face with cake and shaking my head wondering how I can write a review, when I just want this book to fade into a distant memory.The characters were ‘stock’ at best. The protagonist was…