Everywhere You Want to Be by Christina June

Title: Everywhere You Want to Be
Author: Christina June
Genre: Contemporary
Series: N/A

Trade Paperback, 284 Pages
Publication: May 1, 2018 by Blink

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher/Saichek Publicity in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

Matilda Castillo has always done what she was told, but when she gets injured senior years, she watches her dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer slip away. So when Tilly gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the summer with a New York dance troupe, nothing can stop her from saying yes--not her mother, not her fears of the big city, and not the commitment she made to Georgetown. Tilly's mother allows her to go on two conditions: one, Tilly will regularly visit her abuela in New Jersey, and two, after the summer, she'll give up dancing and go off to college.

Armed with her red vintage sunglasses and her pros and cons lists, Tilly strikes out, determined to turn a summer job into a career. Along the way she meets new friends ... and new enemies. Tilly isn't the only one desperate to dance, and fellow troupe member Sabrina Wolfrik intends to succeed at any cost. But despite dodging sabotage and blackmail attempts from Sabrina, Tilly can't help but fall in love with the city, especially since Paolo, a handsome musician from her past, is also calling New York home for the summer.

As the weeks wind down and the competition with Sabrina heats up, Tilly's future is on the line. She must decide whether to follow her mother's path to Georgetown or leap into the unknown to pursue her own dreams.

Everywhere You Want to Be is a story of coming of age and self discovery. Tilly is expected to attend college come fall per her mother’s wishes but Tilly is stuck at a crossroad; debating if college is the right path or joining a dance troupe, her one and only passion. And she only has summer in New York to figure everything out. Follow her dreams or her mother’s.  

This book is said to be a modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, I could see some similarities but in my opinion it’s very, very loosely based. And honestly if it wasn’t part of the tag-line; I’d probably would of never made the connection. With that said I enjoyed June’s sophomore novel. She did a wonderful job capturing New York, I personally never been there but I can imagine it is just as she described. As for the character, Tilly was a pragmatic, kind and understanding heroine. In all profession, there is always someone who is willing to sabotage another to get to the top or to be noticed but Tilly was alway true to herself and did what she thought was right after being targeted relentlessly by another dancer in her class.

Another great thing about Everywhere You Want to Be is the strong and supportive female cast that surrounds Tilly from her Mother, Stepsister, Grandmother to Sage the dance director and roommate Charlotte. I absolutely loved that and it reinforces what type of person Tilly was or who she wanted to be. Tilly had a little quirk, she stress bakes as a type of release late at night. One scene I remember clearly was Tilly in the kitchen baking and then her stepsister Tatum and roommate came out to bake with her. They didn’t want to feel like she had to do anything alone; whether it was baking or what to do with her conflicted feelings about Sabrina, the other dancer. That scene perfectly describes this book: full of heart.

Overall an enjoyable, quick and light read about a young girl following her dreams and falling in love in the magical city that’s New York. Unlike most YA that are a bit too much drama borderline soap-opera, Everywhere You Want to Be found all the right balance for a realistic story of self, family and friends. 

Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

Title: Iron and Magic
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Iron Covenant #1, Kate Daniels #9.5

Trade Paperback, 380 Pages
Publication: June 26, 2018 by Nancy Yost Literary Agency

Source: Personal Library

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work.

Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast.

Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she's trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.

Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies?

As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.” Hugh and Elara may do both. 

Iron and Magic is the first book in The Iron Covenant Series and takes place between Book 9 and 10 in the Kate Daniel series. If you read the Kate Daniel series then you know who Hugh d’Ambray is, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs and Warlord of the Builder of Towers. He is the epitome of what it means to be maleficent and villainous. Like many of Andrews fan, I was skeptical of how they were going to redeem Hugh, it seemed impossible…but yet Andrews did it! They made Hugh, I dare say, likeable? Who would of thought?

Hugh was rescued from the streets at a very young age by Voron and Roland and from that moment on he knew nothing of pain or suffering...he had anything and everything he wanted. He was almost like a god among men until Roland abandoned Hugh. Roland was Hugh’s purpose for being and living and he didn’t know who he was without Roland. Thus began his descent into despair and darkness, drowning himself with booze to escape the real world. When someone hits rock bottom, there isn’t anywhere to go but up and that is exactly what Hugh did. Readers will watch Hugh grow and change over the course of the book. I loved seeing Hugh’s transformation to be a better person. There was a scene in the book where it literally hit Hugh that he was evil by the reaction of the people from nearby settlements that heard of him. He is loved and worshiped by his own Iron Dogs and Elara’s people eventually saw him as a protector but to have people recoil from him and fear to have their children around him was a rude awakening. There were a lot of changes for Hugh externally and internally, and it was great to see how far his character has come.

But it isn’t to say that Huge isn’t still a jerk…he is. And he has met his match in Elara Harper. She’s literally a girl version of Hugh! Elara who is known as The White Warlock is an enigma and very powerful. Elara’s people love her but everyone else is afraid of her and I am excited to learn more about her power and history. Hugh and Elara ends up getting married, a mere business agreement and from the moment they met they were determined to make eachother’s life a living hell. It was hilarious. No one does snark and witty dialogue like Andrews, and everything you love about their other series can be found in Iron and Magic; amazing character, world and mythology.

Hugh’s book started as an April’s Fool joke, but I am so glad that Andrews decided to turn it into a novel. Iron and Magic was brilliant and a great series opener and addition to the Kate Daniels series. Iron and Magic can be read as a standalone but any Kate Daniels fan out there, this must be read before the final book, Magic Triumphs which releases this month. I’m already looking forward to reading the next Iron Covenant book!

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

Title: Drink Deep
Author: Chloe Neill
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Chicagoland Vampires # 5

Trade Paperback, 321 Pages
Publication: November 1, 2011 by NAL

Source: Personal Library

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can’t tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city iself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven’t been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That’s when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago’s mayor insists it’s nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She’ll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who’s behind this, and stop them before it’s too late for vampires and humans alike.

Neill has a spinoff series, Wild Hunger, from her Chicogoland Vampires releasing next week and I thought maybe I should go back and try to finish the series. I last left off with Hard Bitten and it ended there because I was too devastated to continue. Ethan, the Master of Cadogen House died! But I took the plunge and started reading Drink Deep long after the series ended. It was surprisingly easy to re-immerse myself in the series as if I read Hard Bitten yesterday and not 6-7 years ago. However, the spark I found in the first three books were totally lost in Drink Deep; which made it difficult to get through the book.

Drink Deep read like a whodunit novel with very little action. The natural elements in Chicago was going haywire because the balance of good and evil were being mixed and Merit and Jonah were running all over the city, going from one supernatural group to the next asking if they done it or knew who did it. That pretty much summed up 80% of the book and the other 20% involved turmoil in-house thanks to the GP rep Frank. Drink Deep left me so bored. And the characters weren’t making anything better. Yes, I understand everyone is still grieving two months after Ethan’s death but it made for very emo characters (those within the Cadogen House). All the other characters were bland, two-dimensional or irritable/angry. No one likes reading those type of characters. Thus making the entire reading experience unpleasant.

Like many others, I don’t plan on continuing with this series. I don’t have the desire or care to see Merit’s journey through. Not anymore. Ironically, I still plan on checking out the spin-off, hoping that the spark that I originally loved about this series can be found again. 

#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil

Title: #Murdertrending
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 352 Pages
Publication: August 7, 2018 by Freeform

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

WELCOME TO THE NEAR FUTURE, where good and honest 8/18 citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0.

When eighteen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one?

#Murdertrending is pitched as The Purge meets Scream meets The Hunger Games, which I must say is an appropriate and accurate description. McNeil throws readers right into the fray as our main character, Dee, wakes up imprisoned on the infamous game show app island Alcatraz 2.0 for murdering her sister. An island full of convicts; whom are hunted by a group of sadistic killers. The popular show has a cult following of millions of viewers that are watching 24/7 but what they don’t know is that these convicts are actually not convicts at all and it’s up to Dee to expose the truth and to find her sister’s murderer.

#Murdertrending is a Young Adult novel but McNeil doesn’t shy away from the gruesome details…if you thought The Hunger Games was gory and brutal, then you haven’t seen anything yet. The concept of the novel is by no means new, hence the comparisons mentioned in the previous paragraph. But McNeil still created an engaging story with distinct characters full of twist and turns. To make this book even more relevant to our day and age, readers will find conversation threads/Chatroom-IM from viewers to see their point-of-view on what is happening on the show. I really liked the addition; it was fun reading everyone reactions and hypothesis.

Dee was a good but not unique main character. I thought her falling into her role as Cinderella Survivor and dispatching seasoned killers was far too easy and unrealistic. The other characters that Dee end up meeting on the island while all distinct, all played into their basic roles; we had the hot babe, the jock, the nerd and the introvert which can be found in most stories in some form or another. All good of course, but in my opinion it could have been better or more fleshed out. While some things were cliche or predictable, the mystery was executed perfectly and the twist at the end was a pleasant surprise because I definitely didn’t see it coming. All in all, I enjoyed #Murdertrending, it was a quick and light read. I would certainly recommend this book for the older audience of YA (16-18 years old). 

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Binds
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels # 9

Mass Market Paperback, 342 Pages
Publication: May 2, 2017 by Ace

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this...

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar.

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in a never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

Magic Binds takes us into the home stretch for the end of the Kate Daniel series. With mere weeks away from Kate and Curran’s wedding everything is chaotic as Kate reluctantly plans the wedding and a deadly prophecy hangs over her; stating that marrying or not marrying Curran can doom all of Atlanta.

I can’t believe that the Kate Daniel series is going to wrap up this year. It doesn’t seem real, yes, I’m still in denial. But at the same time I know the authors know exactly what they’re doing and appreciate that they’re not stretching the series out longer than necessary for a buck. With that said, Magic Binds packs a punch. There was so much going on…where to begin? The book started out on a high note with the wedding plans and it’s hilarious. One word: Roman.

In my last review, I suspected, as everyone else, that Roland was going to play a big part in the next book and boy, does he. Roland is an interesting character and his interaction and relationship with Kate is both touching and convoluted. It’s odd, on one hand he’s trying to make sure that she has the wedding of her dreams, everything a dad can give his daughter and on the other hand he still wants to destroy her and everyone she loves. Yup. Like I said it’s pretty screwed up and that’s putting it lightly. In a disturbing way he loves, adores and is proud of Kate but wouldn’t feel much remorse at ending her life…I mean, he has been hunting her a very long time.

On top of dealing with Roland encroaching on Kate’s territory (she claimed Atlanta in the last book) and life, the Circle gives Kate a devastating, life changing prophecy that Kate does everything in her power to change and the length she goes to do it is mind-boggling…but this is Kate, and you know she’ll do absolutely anything for the people she loves even if it means her death. While everything seems bleak, the novel isn’t without it’s usual humor to balance it out. A little relief is seen from wonderboy Derek and angelic face Ascanio…oh man, their scenes were pure joy. I also loved all the scenes that had to deal with the wedding. One scene in particular that stood out from memory was Kate finding out that Curran actually did a cake tasting for their wedding and narrowing It down to 8-16 cakes was priceless. There were a lot of great scenes though.

I am anxiously waiting for Magic Triumph. On one hand I can’t wait to see how the story will end for Kate and Curran, they are long overdue for a happily ever after. But at the same time bummed because it means goodbye to everyone. In anticipation of Magic Triumph, I’m planning on rereading or doing an audio-book of the series again. I heard reading anything over a second time is always better…you catch things you didn’t before. Magic Binds was another great addition to the series. Andrews’ work keeps getting better and better. This is an amazing series that I highly recommend. If you haven’t read this series yet…you need to get on it A.S.A.P!

Like Never and Always by Ann Aguirre

Title: Like Never and Always
Author: Ann Aguirre
Genre: Thriller YA
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 336 Pages
Publication: July 17, 2018 by Tor Teen

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

On a hot summer night, a screech of brakes and shattering glass changes two lives forever.

Liv wakes in the hospital, confused when they call her Morgan. She assumes it’s a case of mistaken identity, yet when the bandages come off, it’s not her face in the mirror anymore. It’s her best friend Morgan’s.

Morgan always seemed to have the perfect life, yet Liv must navigate endlessly disturbing secrets of the criminal and murderous variety—and a romance that feels like a betrayal. Torn between the boy she loved as Liv and the boy she’s grown to love as Morgan, Liv still has to survive Morgan’s last request.

I’ve read a lot of Aguirre’s work from her Sci-Fi series, Paranormal Young Adult series to her series written with her husband; so I’m quite familiar with her writing style. And in my opinion Like Never and Always is one of her best work. Like Never and Always is a contemporary Young Adult Thriller with a dash of Science Fiction and Paranormal. There are two plots interwoven in the story; the first is Liv, a sixteen-year-old girl wakes up in the body of her best friend Morgan and from there navigates life as Morgan incorporating some of her own personalities and the second is finishing up Morgan’s task in finding out what really happened to her mom. Did she commit suicide or was she murdered?

Aguirre’s latest Young Adult novel touches on a lot of serious topics such as tragedy and grief, lies and betrayal, social status, death, and rape/pedophilia. I really liked how Aguirre layered the mystery in both regards to how Liv ended up in Morgan’s body and they mystery surrounding Morgan Mom’s death. And how she presented these topics into the story tastefully without it feeling forced. I thought Liv and Morgan’s characters were well developed and fleshed out. Even though readers only had a secondary impression of Morgan, by Liv living as Morgan and discovering her secrets; everything made complete sense from her relationship to her friends, acquaintances and to her own father. I don’t know what I would do if I woke up in someone’s else body. Terrified would be an understatement. However I thought Liv handled it as best as she could or thought she could (for the most part). By Liv occupying Morgan’s body she ended up meshing the best qualities of both of them to basically create a new person.

My only issue was the love triangle and how easily Liv was able to move into Morgan’s life. A little too easily and happily I may add (when it came to Clay). I didn’t like how in the beginning Liv was all about Nathan, his feeling, missing him and how she planned to tell him the truth and then a few chapters later she’s all about Clay and makes the final decision that she’s choosing Clay over Nathan. Whom are brothers by the way. I thought it was messy and heartless. She dated Nathan for 8-9 months and he’s was a complete wreck over causing her death yet she ends up falling madly in love with his brother after a a couple of weeks, a month? Not cool. However, by the end of the book I did eventually see Liv differently. Once she made her decision she never went back on it or wavier-ed; meaning despite Clay learning the truth, if he decided he didn’t want to be with her then she would be by herself. No going back to Nathan, no Clay. So there was that. It took a long time and a lot of eye-rolling but Aguirre somehow made everything work and gave the characters a HEA.

With that being said, I still enjoyed the book. It was the perfect combination of a thriller mystery and sci-fi/paranormal. There were a lot of twist and turns and I loved that I didn’t know where the story was going and by the time the ending came, I was completely shocked! I hope we get more books like this from Aguirre because it was unputdownable! I highly recommend it, it’s definitively something new, fresh and has a unique spin on body-swapping/mistaken identity. 

Wildfire by Ilona Andrews

Title: Wildfire
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Hidden Legacy # 3

Mass Market Paperback, 391 Pages
Publication: July 25, 2017 by Avon Books

Source: Personal Library 

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

Just when Nevada Baylor has finally come to accept the depths of her magical powers, she also realizes she’s fallen in love. Connor “Mad” Rogan is in many ways her equal when it comes to magic, but she’s completely out of her elements when it comes to her feelings for him. To make matters more complicated, an old flame comes back into Rogan’s life…

Rogan knows there’s nothing between him and his ex-fiance, Rynda Sherwood. But as Nevada begins to learn more about her past, her power, and her potential future, he knows she will be faced with choices she never dreamed of and the promise of a life spent without him.

As Nevada and Rogan race to discover the whereabouts of Rynda’s kidnapped husband and are forced to confront Nevada’s grandmother, who may or may not have evil motives, these two people must decide if they can trust in each other or allow everything to go up in smoke.

I am so glad that I stuck with The Hidden Legacy series because Wildfire was freaking amazing. The cat is out of the bag now, everyone knows about Nevada’s truth-seeking ability and who she’s related to;  Victoria Tremaine, a powerful prime everyone fears. There are other houses with the same/or similar truth ability but no one was as strong as Victoria… until now. Now everyone wants a piece of Nevada, seeing her as a viable power match, a pawn or both. Wildfire explores more Baylor familial, scheming and corrupted politics, powerful magical display and trademark humor you always find in an Andrews novel.

I love this world that the Andrews created, even at only three books (so far), I feel like I know the world and characters just as well as the Kate Daniel series. I’ve becoming attached and invested in everyone’s lives and loved seeing them progress with each installment. The plot thickens as we see more powerful primes jumping into play, a lot of the elites are following this mysterious Caesar. The amount of people involved and the revelation of some of the key players were surprising. Andrews mentioned that they left trail of clues for readers on the identity of Caesar, but I haven’t the slightest clue who he/she is! I think I’m going to need to reread the series to see if I can figure it out.

One of the things I absolutely loved in Wildfire was the relationship of the Baylor clan. The Clan includes super independent, opinionated, take-no-shit-from-anyone women; from their grandma to the youngest Baylor sister, Cousin Leon is both brilliant, funny and sometimes scary and the people that help run Nevada’s surveillance team are just as awesome…Especially Bug! That Coffee scene with Rynda was hilarious. I’ve said this many times before and I’ll say it again, I love character driven and think it’s essential in a novel. And Andrews know exactly how to create realistic characters that you instantly connect with and will have you following a series till the end.

I’m not a big fan of romance in general, but this is Ilona Andrews and if their name is on it, I’m going to read it. This is probably the second romance series I’ve ever finished, so y’all know it’s good! If you’re looking for a good paranormal romance series with high-stakes, lots of action, fleshed out world building and complex characters then this is a series you don’t want to miss! I was overjoyed when I heard that Andrews are continuing with the series and the next couple of novels will be featuring Catalina Baylor. Sad that there won’t be anymore Nevada and Rogan books but another good news is that the authors are publishing a novella this fall featuring Nevada and Rogan’s wedding!