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Review: The Lady Julia Grey Bundle by Deanna Raybourn

May 222013

I am a big Deanna Raybourn fan (see my review of A Spear of Summer Grass) and have really enjoyed her Julia Grey novels. They are historical mysteries with just a hint of paranormal and Amazon is currently packaging the first three books as a bundle for only $9.99. This is a steal for three terrific books so I thought I would share this deal with you, lovely readers, and give you my take on each of the books. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn Book #1 in the Lady Julia Grey Mysteries Genre: Historical Mystery Publication Date: [ Read More of this Review ]

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Reviews: Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz and Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

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Apr 292013

Reviews: Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz and Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

I recently read two well-written YA novels whose storylines were a bit off the beaten path. If you are looking for a unique read, Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz or Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff might satisfy your reading itch. Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz Genre: YA Fantasy/Magical Realism Publication Date: 1 January 2013 Book Borrowed from Local Library Synopsis from Goodreads: A gritty, romantic modern fairy tale from the author of Break and Gone, Gone, Gone. Be careful what you believe in. Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. [ Read More of this Review ]

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Early Review: His Majesty’s Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal

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Apr 222013

Early Review: His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal

His Majesty’s Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal Book #3 in the Maggie Hope Mysteries Genre: Historical Mystery Publication Date: 14 May 2013 Print Galley Provided by Bantam Books Synopsis from Goodreads: For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Laurie R. King, and Anne Perry, whip-smart heroine Maggie Hope returns to embark on a clandestine mission behind enemy lines where no one can be trusted, and even the smallest indiscretion can be deadly. World War II has finally come home to Britain, but it takes more than nightly air raids to rattle intrepid spy and expert code breaker Maggie Hope. After serving as a [ Read More of this Review ]

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Early Review: The Loop by Shandy Lawson

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Apr 092013

The Loop by Shandy Lawson Genre: YA Thriller Publication Date: 30 April 2013 ARC Received from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion Synopsis from Goodreads: Ben and Maggie have met, fallen in love, and died together countless times. Over the course of two pivotal days—both the best and worst of their lives—they struggle again and again to resist the pull of fate and the force of time itself. With each failure, they return to the beginning of their end, a wild road trip that brings them to the scene of their own murders and into the hands of the man destined to kill them. As [ Read More of this Review ]

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Early Review: Sketchy by Olivia Samms

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Mar 172013

Sketchy by Olivia Samms Book #1 in the Bea Catcher Chronicles Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller Publication Date: 30 April 2013 ARC Provided by Netgalley and Amazon Children’s Publishing Synopsis from Goodreads: A popular cheerleader—raped, beaten, and left for dead. An edgy outsider with a gift. Can they team up to catch a killer? Bea’s life has been a mess ever since she got kicked out of private school and sent to rehab. Now clean, Bea is starting over at Packard High School, in a city shaken from two assaults on young women. The latest victim, Willa Pressman—the one who survived—doesn’t [ Read More of this Review ]

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Early Review: You Know What You Have To Do by Bonnie Shimko

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Mar 172013

Early Review: You Know What You Have To Do by Bonnie Shimko

You Know What You Have To Do by Bonnie Shimko Genre: YA Thriller Publication Date: 5 March 2013 ARC Provided by Netgalley and Amazon Children’s Publishing Synopsis from Goodreads: This quirky, appealing YA novel turns formulaic teen fiction on its head as funny, feisty fifteen year-old Mary-Magdalene Feigenbaum (otherwise known as Maggie) suddenly faces more than the usual typical YA concerns: a voice in her head that is telling her to kill people. Not just anyone—each time the target is someone who has done something terrible to a person Maggie cares for. You know what you have to do, the [ Read More of this Review ]

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New Release Review: Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams

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Mar 102013

New Release Review: Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams

Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams Book #2 in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries Genre: Cozy Mystery Publication Date: 5 March 2013 E-Book Purchased from Amazon.com Synopsis from Goodreads: Ellery Adams serves up a mystery that’s a real peach… Ella Mae LeFaye’s Charmed Pie Shoppe is wildly popular in Havenwood, Georgia—which is not surprising since Ella Mae can lace her baked goods with enchantments. The shop’s extraordinary success seems destined to continue when Ella Mae meets an engaged couple who hire her to handle the dessert buffet at their wedding. But Ella Mae has a lot on her plate. She [ Read More of this Review ]

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Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes

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Mar 042013

Michelle’s Review – 5 Skulls – A+ This book is so disturbing. I hated what it did to me, how it made me think, made me question how I treat others, question my own motives, and question my relationship with my family. I hated how I was so deeply embedded in the mind of a narcissistic sociopath that I could predict his reactions. What does that say about me when I know how a sociopath is going to react (or in this case, not react)? It says nothing about me, and everything about the author and her brilliant writing. Haynes [ Read More of this Review ]

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Genre Book Showdown: The Boyfriend vs The Gray Ghost Murders

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Feb 242013

Genre Book Showdown: The Boyfriend vs The Gray Ghost Murders

I recently read two ARCs (advance reader copies) from the crime/mystery genre. The Boyfriend by Thomas Perry followed the investigation of a serial killer targeting female escorts that all happened to fit the same physical profile. The Gray Ghost Murders by Keith McCafferty featured the discovery of human remains in a remote Montana location and the resulting investigation. Both of these books were good reads, but read on to see which novel wins this crime-filled showdown! The Boyfriend by Thomas Perry Publication Date: 5 March 2013 ARC Provided by Netgalley and Mysterious Press Synopsis from Goodreads: Jack Till, who has retired from [ Read More of this Review ]

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Review: The Burning Air by Erin Kelly

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Feb 162013

The Burning Air by Erin Kelly *early review copy provided by publisher and netgalley* Regina’s Rating: 3.5 stars/Grade B Blurb: Of course it was love for my children, love for my son, that caused me to act as I did. It was a lapse of judgement. If I could have foreseen the rippling aftershocks that followed I would have acted differently, but by the time I realized the extent of the consequences, it was too late.The MacBrides have always gone to Far Barn in Devon for Bonfire Night, but this year everything is different. Lydia, the matriarch, is dead; Sophie, [ Read More of this Review ]

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ARC Review: The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon

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Jan 292013

ARC Review: The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon

The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon *advanced review copy provided by publisher and edelweis* Regina’s Rating: 3.5 stars/Grade B+ Blurb: The summer of 1985 changed Reggie’s life. Thirteen, awkward, and without a father, she finds herself mixed up with her school’s outcasts-Charlie, the local detective’s son, and Tara, a goth kid who has a mental hold over Reggie and harbors a dark secret. That same summer a serial killer called Neptune begins kidnapping women. He leaves their severed hands on the police department steps and, five days later, displays their bodies around town. Just when Reggie needs her [ Read More of this Review ]

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ARC Mini Reviews: Season of the Wolf, Trickster, The Dinner, and The Best of All Possible Worlds

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Jan 282013

ARC Mini Reviews: Season of the Wolf, Trickster, The Dinner, and The Best of All Possible Worlds

February will see the release of some very eclectic new books from both the smaller and larger publishing houses and today I am bringing you four mini reviews from four very different books – a mystery/thriller, an urban fantasy, a contemporary fiction, and a science fiction romance. Season of the Wolf by Jeffrey J. Mariotte Genre: Mystery/Thriller Publication Date: 26 Feb 2013 ARC Provided by Netgalley and DarkFuse Synopsis from Goodreads: When Alex Converse, heir to a coal company fortune, visits Silver Gap, Colorado to make an environmentally themed documentary film, he’s hoping to change some minds and to soothe his own [ Read More of this Review ]

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ARC Review: The Twelve-Fingered Boy by John Hornor Jacobs

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Jan 252013

ARC Review: The Twelve-Fingered Boy by John Hornor Jacobs

The Twelve-Fingered Boy by John Hornor Jacobs Book #1 in the Incarcerado Trilogy Publication Date: 01 Feb 2013 ARC Provided by Netgalley and Carolrhoda Labs Synopsis from Goodreads: Fifteen-year-old Shreve Cannon doesn’t mind juvie. He’s got a good business dealing contraband candy, and three meals a day are more than his drunk mother managed to provide. In juvie, the rules never change and everyone is the same. In juvie, Shreve has life figured out. Then the new fish shows up. Jack’s a quiet kid. Small. Cries himself to sleep too. He’s no standard-issue titty-baby, though. There’s his hands, more specifically his [ Read More of this Review ]

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Best of 2012: Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction/Steampunk, Mystery

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Dec 282012

Best of 2012: Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction/Steampunk, Mystery

Now that 2012 is coming to a close, it’s time to look back at the books published during the year and pick our favorites. It was a difficult task, but we Badass ladies were up to the challenge! During the next 3 days, we’ll share with you the best reads in a varied assortment of genres (we couldn’t fit them all in one day). So sit back, relax and learn why were amazed, humbled, delighted, saddened, freed and inspired by some of the most amazing books published in 2012. Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire –Christal: This would be my [ Read More of this Review ]

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ARC Review and Giveaway: Mr. Real (Code of Shadows #1) by Carolyn Crane

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Nov 032012

Mr. Real (Code of Shadows #1) by Carolyn Crane *advanced review copy provided by author — thank you!* Rating: 4.5 Stars/Grade A (I loved it!) I loved this book so much I am giving away two copies of Mr. Real! Want to win a copy of the Mr. Real e-book? Play below! Blurb: He finds the girl of his dreams…with the secret agent of his nightmares. Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up [ Read More of this Review ]

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ARC Review: Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

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Oct 182012

ARC Review: Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal Book #2 in the Maggie Hope Mystery series Publication Date: 16 October 2012 ARC Provided by Edelweiss and Bantam Books Christal’s Review – 4 Skulls – A- Princess Elizabeth’s Spy was even better than Mr. Churchill’s Secretary! It had a quicker pace, a higher-stakes plot, and added more interesting characters. Susan Elia MacNeal has engaging, flowing prose and it is obvious that she has done her research about the time period. Her characters are all well-rounded and the events throughout the book come together beautifully to create an absolutely intriguing mystery. The tone [ Read More of this Review ]

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ARC Review: Devil’s Bargain by Rachel Caine

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Sep 192012

ARC Review: Devil’s Bargain by Rachel Caine Book 1 of Red Letter Days series Release Date: October 5, 2012 (Originally released October 2005) Book provided by NetGalley and Harlequin MIRA AH’s Review – 3.5 Skulls – B+ “If everything we do makes a difference, is this right? Are we doing the right thing?”(…) “You could make yourself crazy, thinking these things.” What I like about Rachel Caine is her versatility – she can write young adult books about vampires, an adult series about djinn and the weather, and some really original zombie conspiracy theory books. While I have not yet [ Read More of this Review ]

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Review: Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

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Sep 182012

Review: Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams Book borrowed from local library Christal’s Review – 5 Skulls – A This book was absolutely enchanting. Contrary to what the title might have you believe, this isn’t a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with pies. Instead we get a heroine coming into her own mixed with a murder mystery, sprinkled with some romance, and topped with a little magic. The characters were kooky and endearing, the setting was charming, and the magic was used just enough to be intriguing. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. Ella Mae has [ Read More of this Review ]

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ARC Review: Broken Harbour (Dublin Murder Squad #4) by Tana French

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Aug 312012

ARC Review: Broken Harbour (Dublin Murder Squad #4) by Tana French

Broken Harbour (Dublin Murder Squad #4) by Tana French *review copy of e-book received from netgalley and the publisher* Rating: 5 Stars/Grade A Blurb: Regina’s Review: Tana French could write an obituary and I would read it. I would, in fact, hunt down the newspaper just so that I could read it. Ms. French’s books are the sum of almost everything I love in fiction — flawed characters, seriously messed up pasts, conflicting moral questions, interesting settings and subtle social commentary. I believe French’s writing could be easily categorized as mystery or thriller, but I think putting French’s books in those boxes is [ Read More of this Review ]

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ARC Review: Off the Grid (Monkeewrench #6) by PJ Tracy

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Aug 302012

ARC Review: Off the Grid (Monkeewrench #6) by PJ Tracy

Off the Grid (Monkeewrench #6) by PJ Tracy *review copy of e-book received from edelweis and the publisher* Rating: 3 Stars/Grade B- Blurb: Regina’s Review: Monkeewrench is one of my favorite lite murder mystery series. It is funny, has engaging characters that I care about and which actually change over the course of the books, and the mysteries are not overly gruesome but are interesting. The series is written by a mother daughter team and typically most books are situated in Minnesota or northern Wisconsin. Being from the midwest, I love the setting. I can relate to it. Off the Grid is a book that I read, [ Read More of this Review ]

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