Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Genre: YA Fantasy, YA, Magic

Rating: *****

This has got to be a book that has gathered dust on my shelf for over four months. I never touched it except to move over books around, it just stayed there looking rather wistfully at me as I chose other books. However, this has changed!

Snow Like Ashes is the first book in an exciting series about a fantastical world that follows the life of orphaned Meira. Meira has always known her status as an orphan to mean she is nothing, she desperately tries to prove her worth by becoming a soldier and anything she can to help her longtime love, and King, Mather.

Yet there's a twist. As always there's a bloody twist. Meira's world is based on the seasons. Her race is Winter, a place that has been destroyed and taken over in a war that has cost their population to decrease severely. But there's a tonne of secrets that if I even tried hinting at, I would definitely spoil this for everyone, therefore, I will remain silent.

It's an exciting book that echoes Game of Thrones and Throne of Glass (seriously it does!). I was swept away in the way that Raasch writes. Completely blew me away this book, and now I've just got to finish the second in hopes that it'll be just as good, or even better.

You can buy Snow Like Ashes from Amazon

Am I Normal Yet? (The Spinster Club Series #1) by Holly Bourne

Published by: Usborne

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Mental Health, Teenagers

Tagline: It's tough being a girl

Evie is a typical teenager. Okay, she's not quite as 'normal' as society might dictate. Instead, she suffers from a mental health illness that requires her to take medication. In fact, by the time we meet her, she's just coming off of them. All she really wants is to be normal and go out to parties, meet guys and potentially get a boyfriend like almost every teenager wants to have at that age.

But there's an issue. Generally the case for most teenage girls, relationships are messy and can often blur the line between sane and crazy (pardon my usage of the word). Evie is caught up with the emotions and rush of the moment, her mind and heart conflicting against one another as she tries to pretend that she is one of the girls, that she does not have anything wrong with her. But how much is enough?

In all honesty, I truly liked this book. Thinking that it was a series based around Evie solely, I picked the book up and devoured it instantly. As someone who had issues with OCD as a teen myself, I felt that this hit one issue that not many people write or know about without making obscene and stupid remarks about.

Evie is a great protagonist. Her friends are as well. They work well together and balance each other out as collectively one could consider them 'normal'. I think naming the series a spinster club is good and bad. They are just impressionable young women and spinster is usually a derogative term but in this case, they are trying to change the meaning to create something positive, the power of female friendship.

Perhaps this is what Bourne is trying to do. She is very honest and open about being a feminist, something that most female YA authors are speaking out about in a movement that is long overdue. I think this is wonderful. It's teaching the next generation of readers the basics of feminism whilst educating them on female friendship and that it is okay to be different. I can't think of anything better.

Am I Normal Yet? Can be purchased from Amazon now.

The Heir and The Spare (Untitled #1) by Emily Albright

Published by: Merit Press

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Rating: ****

American Evie Gray has finally achieved her dream. To be able to attend Oxford just like her mother did before she tragically died. But there is more to the story. Directed throughout her life by mysterious envelopes written by her mother, Evie finds herself in the same school, and friendship circle as the spare heir to the British throne, Edmund. The two dance around the city of London and surrounding cities as they try to figure out what exactly Evie's mother wants, and whether there is such a thing as fairytales.

My first impressions of this book were quite dismissive. It felt too cringeworthy, especially after the Kate and Wills story but now that I have read this, I can honestly say that it definitely isn't as bad as I thought.

Starting with Evie's brief moving into her student digs at Oxford, she is immediately befriended by fellow students and meets the mysterious Edmund (who looks familiar but not). The book quickly introduces the reader to all of what they need to know about everyone whilst setting up the romance pretty quickly (and rather solidly.)

The Heir and The Spare can be purchased from Amazon now.

Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard

Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard

Published by: Tor

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Rating: four star

I absolutely love this book but I felt that there were moments that I wasn't too sure it deserved a five star rating. But I requested this, read it and then ordered the book so that means something right? Alright so I buy almost every book I review in a physical copy because I need to start my library somehow. You didn't come here to read that though so let's get to the review.

Dennard strikes rich in this book. She's created another fantastic series (Dennard wrote the highly successful Something Strange and Deadly Series) that has strong and impressionable female leads who make you laugh, smile and wish you could be them (minus the trouble of course). I was positioned to like both female characters, a rare thing but it was done so cleverly, and from there my life changed.

I was taken by the world in which they live in, their powers and how they came across using them. Safi and Iseult are very down to Earth, even Safi who is an aristocrat (not that you could tell). It was a very real and gritty tale that kept me on the tip of my toes as I tried to guess what the ending might be (a hint is that it is brilliant). But in the end I just went along with these two different women and rejoiced in the friendship they had. It was nice to see a bigger picture than two friends trying to escape the badguys and their futures.

I cannot wait for the next book. A huge thank you to Tor for letting me read this before the release date!!

Truthwitch can be bought from Amazon US and Amazon UK now.

The Rose & The Dagger (The Wrath & The Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh

The Rose & The Dagger (The Wrath & The Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre: YA Fantasy, YA Romance

Rating:*****!

I LOVE THIS SERIES!

The capitals were definitely needed. The Wrath and The Dawn was one of my favourite books to read last year and the sequel did not disappoint.

It kicks off after the end of Wrath and boy did it get going.

As we might know, Shahrzad is not with Khalid, the man believed to be a monster but is actually the Caliph of Khorasan. Instead she is back with her family and the one person we all secretly dislike, Tariq (aka the childhood sweetheart). She should be happy. I could have been happy but Tariq is so set on destroying Khalid's rule that Shahrzad cannot go back to her previous life without difficulty. Technically she's a prisoner of war despite there being no locks on tent doors. However, like she did in the first book, she finds a loophole that allows her to plan.

I finished this book within twenty-four hours and was left wanting a third book (Ahdieh please answer our wishes and grant us one last trip). Overall the series has been a wonderful journey and if you're looking for a book to devour this summer, then the series is perfect. Plus the hardback cover is absolutely beautiful!

The Rose & The Dagger can be bought from Amazon UK now.

Lady Midnight (Dark Artifices#1) by Cassandra Clare

Lady Midnight (Dark Artifices#1) by Cassandra Clare

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Romance

Rating: *****

I don't think there has actually been a time where I have ever given Cassandra Clare a negative review. 

It's true though. I absolutely love her world and where she takes the reader. Lady Midnight is no exception to this rule because Emma is so different to Clary or Tessa. She's the next generation shadowhunter and absolutely fantastic to read about. 

The reader sinks straight back into the world of demons and angels alike, as if it was only a month since the publication of the Mortal Instrument's final book. But like usual, Clare creates a difficult but understandable relationship for her protagonist and it does break your heart when there is no clue as to whether things will work out or not.

Of course we get brief appearances of Tessa/Jem, Clary/Jace which makes our hearts sing with joy as we all want to know what is happening with them. I guess I just wish she wrote a separate book for just them because I did flick forward a few pages.

Lady Midnight is out now. 

See How They Run (Embassy Row #2) by Ally Carter

See How They Run (Embassy Row #2) by Ally Carter

Published by:Scholastic Press

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary

Rating: Four Stars

Following on from the thrilling first novel in the Embassy Row series, Ally Carter crafts an intriguing story that carries on from the aftermath of Grace's revelations. The arrival of her brother in the Embassy sets her on an edge, one bigger than the troubles of the previous book, and things certainly don't get boring. Filled with a thrilling tale of who is to blame for her mother's death and whether she can trust anyone at all, See How They Run is absolutely fantastic. You're always kept on your toes.

I was pleasantly happy with this book. As sequels come, this continued on from the first without a need to recap everything every ten pages. Instead I felt slightly reminded and then thrust back into Grace's world and her endeavour to seek the truth about her mother and her life. The reasoning behind the four stars was because I felt there could have been a bit more to the book. There was a moment that felt quite unrealistic. I mean come on if someone was stabbed, then they should be injured longer than a few pages.

See How They Run can be bought from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Lock & Mori (Lock & Mori #1) by Heather W.Petty

Lock & Mori (Lock & Mori #1) by Heather W.Petty

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Genre: YA, Mystery, Retelling

Rating: ****

Lock and Mori was the type of Sherlock retelling that I think I was dying to read but didn't know. I found the book to be a simple and wonderful reworking of the popular Arthur Conan Doyle tales that I actually hadn't experienced in both print and fanfiction form. 

The book follows the unfortunate life of James Moriarty otherwise known as Mori by our lovely Sherlock, but James is no ordinary human. They're female cursed with a masculine name. However Mori is having a tough time. Her mother just died and her father isn't exactly coping in the best way, add in a few mischievious brothers and then we have a big problem.

Sherlock changes Mori's life though. He adds the sweet to the bitter and they have such a weird but cute relationship. It's something that I wish one day I could have, that easy-going banter and conversations where they just play their deductive games. It's just so cheek squeezingly adorable. 

But the reason I didn't give this a five star rating is just because some parts just didn't add up. I felt that some matters were a little illogical for a pair of high school students to get away with, but if you read the book, and I do reccommend it, then you will see what I mean.

Otherwise the book is available to purchase from Amazon UK and Amazon US now. 

The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows

The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows

Published by: Katherine Tegan Books (yay!)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Rating:****1/2

Wilhelmina is a princess of a fallen kingdom. It fell during an invasion by the Indigo kingdom where Wil lost her parents and ran away to watch and plot from afar, her climb back to the throne. Hiding away in the Indigo kingdom, Wil is leader of a pack of thieves and orphans who she cares for and asks to aid her.

At a chance opportunity, Wil and best friend/fellow thief Melanie hide away in the castle under the guise of migrants seeking aid. Using the time to map out the kingdom and to work out a plan to get her kingdom back, Wil is literally on her own and becomes half the princess she is. Truly in the moment she is dressed as she should have been, she becomes this wise and strong leader that gives the reader faith that the sequel will be strong and amazing.

I'd write more but I'd probably drop more spoilers than describing the book. However one thing I have always stood by is that if  a book was published by Kathering Tegan, then it is amazing. Her imprint is almost always publishing captivating and thrilling books that make readers stop and think a little whilst sending them away to other worlds to be blown away.

The Orphan Queen is out now and is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Sea of Stars (Kricket #2) By Amy A. Bartol

Sea of Stars (Kricket #2) By Amy A. Bartol

Published by: 47North

Genre:Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi, YA/NA

A huge thank you to 47North for letting me read this wonderful book.

Sea of Stars is a fantastic sequel. Most books following such a fantastic first are often rushed or boring because the author takes time to setup for the next or the final. Sea of Stars made me very happy as I was literally continuing on Krickets big adventure.

Following on from Under Different Stars, Kricket is evolving into a true citizen of Rafe and has so far denied most of her Alameedian heritage. Thankfully most of the bad stuff that happened to her in the first isn't over. She's getting stronger and we find out more about those abilities of hers.

War is happening. But it's a classic case of Cassandra with Kricket. You feel awful but understand why the Rafians react like that. It's just a very weird place the reader is placed in but we're completely aware of all sides to the story at that moment.

I admit I skipped a few pages on this book. I got a little bored with all the romance drama between the Alameedian guy (literally cannot remember his name right now) but I was more annoyed with the face she did nothing but run away or be rescued. Yes I know women on Rafe don't fight or anything but surely she could have been allowed to do something remotely active.

I think this is the end of my review for now. When I've read the third and final installment, I might change things a little on here.

Otherwise, Sea of Stars can be bought from Amazon UK or Amazon US,

The Fixer (The Fixer #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Fixer (The Fixer #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published by: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Genre: Young adult thriller, contemporary, crime (almost)

Tagline: Any problem can be fixed for a price.

Sold as Scandal meets Veronica Mars, I was immediately intrigued by this book. And I have to say it was absolutely amazing! I'm a huge Scandal fan so reading this felt like one of those episodes and left me wanting absolutely more.

The Fixer focuses on teenage protagonist Tess Kendrick whose parents are dead. She lives with her grandfather on a ranch away from the hustle and bustle of Washington D.C. However this all changes when her sister manages to get her to move into the city and places her into a new world of politics and typical rich people problems as Scandal does. Yet as she starts at the fancy school for children of the higher up, she discovers she has a gift just like her sister.

Ivy Kendrick is a fixer. She finds and solves problems for the politicians, royals etc. She's a younger Olivia Pope in all simpleness. Tess and Ivy are typical sisters who have grown apart. There's a lot of tension between the two as expected but Jennifer Lynn Barnes makes it work. Okay so she makes it very natural and not at all over the top as some authors do.

But then there's that little problem. There's a theory that a death wasn't just a death and Tess copies her sister and delves into it headfirst whilst tackling school, family secrets and possible romance. She's not just any schoolgirl, she's a fixer like Ivy.

------
My overall opinion?

I absolutely bloody loved this book. Devoured in less than two days,  I found myself hooked on every word as the storyline developed into a fascinating and amazing storyline. I gasped and gripped my kindle throughout the shocking moments, the parts where I wanted to scream at the book and even when I was super happy about everything and nothing.

Tess Kendrick is an amazing protagonist. A strong female lead that we need more of in books targetted for young audiences!

***

The Fixer is available in hardback via Amazon UK with the paperback available from May 2016 but in the states it is available now.

Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements #3) by Jennifer L Armentrout

Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements #3) by Jennifer L Armentrout

Published by: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA, Romance, Fantasy

I absolutely adore Jennifer Armentrout. Since the day I started her Covenant series to the recently ended Lux series of which both series are absolutely amazing and may have made me cry a little (or a lot.)

But Every Last Breath was different.

This time there were no waterworks. Strange you might think? Or perhaps you might think I've become less emotional. The actual reason was simply I had no emotions for the ending. Okay so I did and they were a little negative because I wasn't completely happy. Yes there's a happy ending for our troubled love triangle but at the same time, it just read quite rushed and made me a little mad.

Yes I am aware there was a poll to see which of the two guys out dear Layla would end up with. Yet I didn't want her to be with either. She's a VERY strong female lead with the tendancy to get a little caught up with everything, but in the end she didn't really need to choose one or the other. She's less than eighteen years old. Christ. If I was with someone from that age then compared to my age now, I'd cry and probably wish I'd remained single because we don't have the best taste then, plus we experience new things daily. Off topic slightly there. But Layla didn't need to choose Roth or Zayne in that book. It could have been left open for a possible sequel in that sense. 

Back to the main story though, I thought it was a good storyline, it concludes the series like a gift box wrapped in a wonky but tied bow. Yes visualise such a thing. It was complete and good but there was room for improvement ie more words to be said I think. But this is just my opinion.

I'll forever love Armentrout and her books, the way I'll probably always sing along to swifty. 

Every Last Breath can be bought from Amazon UK and Amazon US now. 

Under Different Stars (Kricket #1) By Amy A. Bartol

Under Different Stars (Kricket #1) By Amy A. Bartol

Published by: 47North

Genre:Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi, YA/NA

A huge thank you to 47North for letting me read this wonderful book.

Under Different Stars is a type of book I've not read for awhile. I mean, I've read a lot of fantasy romances and such aimed for that Young Adult audience but this series felt different. The protagonist is different to most and that was good and bad.

Kricket is an escaped teenage delinquent avoiding trouble so she doesn't have to go back to juvie. She's been careful, spent time hiding under the radar until she's finally old enough to be completely forgotten about. But there's a flaw in the plan.

One night she's targetted by two groups of men who tell her contrasting stories about who she really is. One claims she's a priestess and his intended consort, whereas the other wants to take her to pay for her crimes (or rather her parents). Confused, alone and wanting to escape this crazy, Kricket tries to evade these weird people who also say they're from another planet where she apparently belongs to.

Born of both worlds, Kricket Hollowell is left with a big decision. Should she go or stay? Who does she belong with truly? What should she believe or rather who?

But what surprised me the most was the love triangle or rather lack of. It's clear who Kricket loves and despite one man telling her she is his and the other not, it's a very basic feature found in nearly every book. I admit I was bored by this as the book blew me away otherwise. Yet it only added to the storyline because it's a different world.

Bartol writes a fantastic tale of intergalactic romance that makes us and the protagonist question who they really are and whether things are really as they seem (Recent photo of the woman from Mars could link to this.) It's another fantastic story from Bartol and it makes me wish for next installment of the Premonition series even more.

Under Different Stars can be bought from Amazon UK and Amazon USA now.

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman

Published by: Balzer + Bray
Genre: Young Adult, Historical fiction

As a sequel I wasn't too sure about reading this. Mainly because of the topic and that I didn't know whether it would stand up to how amazing the first book was. However it was much much more thrilling. 

Gretchen and Daniel have been living in England, their lives so different to the ones in Germany but on Gretchen's birthday, a telegram arrives. Daniel leaves and heads back to the place the story started. Hitler's Germany.  Gretchen follows him, after recieving some money from her adoptive English family (who are super kind) and has to avoid friends, family and enemies as she tries to track Daniel down. The worst part? She sees the ones she loves, cares for get taken away by the SA/SS/police. It's a horrific thing to even imagine, let alone read. I hold a big amount of respect to Anne Blankman.

As a historical fiction aimed for young adult, I can't express how happy I was to read such a well-researched and compelling series. I was blown away by how Blankman managed to write about such a horrific time and by writing from a different perspective as well. 

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke can be bought from Waterstones, Amazon UK  and Amazon US

Royal Wedding (The Princess Diaries #11) by Meg Cabot

Royal Wedding (The Princess Diaries #11) by Meg Cabot

Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre: New adult, romance

One stage of my reaction to the announcement of the book

When I heard there was a new Princess Diaries novel last year, I cried tears of joy, happyness and excitement. I've grown up reading Meg Cabot. I read her adult books through my mother (who probably didn't realise I was reading the Boy series or Queen of Babble whilst she was working or not near me). Nonetheless I grew up reading her. Embarassingly I got into the Princess Diaries later than I should have. I was busy with Jinx, the Mediator series (Jesse <3) and Airhead. But as I cracked open the nnth book (i was a late reader and got them in the wrong order) I found myself reaching out for my library card and ordering the series.

Months later and I managed to get ready for the tenth book which we all assumed to be the last (and thank the lord it wasn't). Oh how I wept over how Michael and Mia got back together, laughed through Lana's neverending dialogues. I just loved the life of the dysfunctional POG (Princess of Genovia). Of course we all knew there was something about JP that didn't add up but still we held faith in our clumsy and awkward princess. 

It worked out though! 

The eleventh book is targetted for a more adult audience as us Princess Diaries readers have matured and grown into young woman who are secretly still wondering what would Mia do. Yes I question my choices through seeing how book characters would choose them. But Cabot hasn't lost her touch. I smiled and cried through the book. *Spoiler* I'm more ashamed that Frank is dead. I LOVED Frank and Helen!! *End Spoiler* 

But Grandmere is still the same. We couldn't have a book without her. And there's more of a realistic theme to the books. Readers will witness firsthand the problems of a couple separated by work but Mia and Michael manage to make it happen. They even have a surprise. But overall, all readers will reminisce about the good old days where we used to be able to read about Mia and we managed to glean information about what it's like to be older. 

Now we're left wanting to go back to those days where everything was brilliant and innocent. But at least this book channels those emotions into making you want that twelfth novel. Especially with the addition of a little sister. But again who knows what will happen to the Genovian royal family or with the Royal Wedding.

Royal Wedding is available from Waterstones here and on Amazon UK here.

US readers can purchase the book here.

The Wrath and The Dawn (The Wrath and The Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and The Dawn (The Wrath and The Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult romance, retelling, fantasy

This has got to be one of the biggest books of the year in terms of debuts and overall.

A retelling of Arabian Nights where Shahrzad tells her husband tales to keep herself alive, Ahdieh unknowingly wrote the book that I had been waiting most of my short life for. I was blown away by such a wonderful retelling, hell I even bought a copy of Arabian Nights so I could read the stories she told in more detail. However what made the book stand out even more, was the fact the book drove away my writers block.

The Wrath and The Dawn follows the tale of Shahrzad, a sixteen year old girl who sacrifices herself to marry Khalid (a prince). The stitch however is that Khalid's brides always seem to die at sunrise which leads to a rumour that he is a cruel man etc. Shahrzad though goes into the union with intentions to kill Khalid as he killed her friend. It's one of those moments where the reader can be found on the tips of their toes wondering whether she'll succeed or not.

Nonetheless something does happen. I'm not specifying what because it's a big spoiler. But throughout the book, the reader is left gasping and hooked. Honestly. You will devour this book. It's chemically brilliant. I just couldn't put it down and when I did, I ended up buying it so I could continue to paw through this wonderful book.

Therefore I will end the review at this.

The Wrath and The Dawn can be purchased on Amazon UK here and in the US here.

The Penryn and End of Days Trilogy by Susan Ee

The Penryn and End of Days Trilogy by Susan Ee

Book one: Angelfall

Book two: World After

Book three: End of Days

Published by: Skyscape

Genre: YA,dystopia, angels, supernatural, demons

The reader is introduced to Penryn in a really relatable way. She's a young carer and takes care of her mother who is a little cuckoo and her younger sister who is disabled and in a wheelchair. However  things take a turn for the worse when the badguys aka angels take her sister and leave poor Penryn to locate her and to try and get things back to normal (whatever that is). 

However Penryn's plan gets foiled by the arrival of another angel naemd Raffe (three guesses which famed archangel he is). Raffe is a fighter. Their first meeting is him fighting against two-three other angels and his wings are cut off in the midst of it (poor guy), thus starting the beginning of Penryn and Raffe's journey. 

In Angelfall, the duo explore more of West coast America, mainly Sillicon Valley for some reason. But Susan Ee has done a marvelous job of creating this dystopian world, to imagine our Earth after its been ravaged by angels... For some reason I kept imagining it would be like a mix of Walking Dead and the video game The Last of Us.

An example of The Last of Us

The above artwork can say enough about how the story is described so wonderfully. I had zero problems envisioning the world in which the characters roam.

World After is devastatingly good. Like keeps you on the tip of your toes good. Most sequels get a little eugh. Especially the dystopian/fantasy ones but few stay good simply as they're known as fillers. I felt as if this book carried on the storyline I knew and loved. Therefore when it finished, I almost cried because it meant I had to wait til I could purchase the book.

Then finally End of Days is like a christmas and birthday present all wrapped up in one. It's the big battle we all wanted to happen and more. All I really want to scream is how much I love Raffe but that can wait til later. The book concludes on Penryn and Raffe's journey to save the world and to reattach Raffe's wings. Occasionally there's a few tiny battles featuring demons, angels and zombie-like things but everything is a-okay in the end.


All of the books can be found here on Amazon

Rein It In (The A Circuit #4) by Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka

Rein It In (The A Circuit #4) by Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka

Published by: Bloomsbury USA childrens
Genre: Young Adult, horses, romance

The fourth (and last?) in the A Circuit series continues on from the series I've come to love. This time the girls are about the compete in the "Indoors" which are a series of competitions that will add to their rankings as riders. All three girls, Zara, Tommi and Kate are all on a high of some sort where they're just sold an expensive horse (Tommi), still in love (kate) and just surviving (Zara). 

I can't say much as there isn't much that happens in the novel that would make sense without reading the rest of the series. However the fact I searched for this book for a long time meant that when I had the physical copy in my hands, I almost cried in joy. For UK readers to enjoy this series, I reccommend Ebay as that was where I could grab my copy without extortionate shipping prices and more. 

Unfortunately it was fantastic and ended on an almost cliffhanger that makes me yearn for a fifth and possibly a sixth... However I am satisfied (partially) that the characters managed to get some form of a life together and would be able to live on. 

The book can be found here and for sale in the US here

Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog #1) by Anne Blankman

Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog #1) by Anne Blankman

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Genre: Historical Romance, Young Adult

Tagline: To uncover the truth, she must deny her past...

The novel develops as Gretchen matures and realises somethings aren't right but paired with her best friend Eva Braun, she tries to manouver her way through love, family problems and whether her father truly died a hero or was he betrayed by his own people.
The book was absolutely brilliant and if I said anymore, then I think I would ruin the book for everyone. I honestly loved the book and the sequel is on my to-read list.

Prisoner of Night and Fog wasn't the kind of book I would normally pick up. However I loved it. From page one, the reader is hooked into the world of protagonist Gretchen Müller whose "uncle" is Adolf Hitler. Yup. That little fact alone made me want to read it, as not many World War Two based novels make this situation sound interesting but Blankman did and it's fantastic!

Yet there's this boy. One that she rescues from her brother and his vicious ways, and one that pops up every so often as he tries to give her information about her father's death. But Gretchen has a choice to make. Does she want to give up her life as a plaything of Hitler, or would she choose the opposite, to be with a Jewish man?

The book can be found on Goodreads Here and be purchased in the UK here or in the US here

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

So this book is like most of McGarry's novels. A romance novel with elements of danger and excitement because everyone loves a badboy.

Of course McGarry doesn't just focus on that element, instead she delves deeper into real-life issues and brings them to light, making all audiences reading the books feel connected, that they have some awareness of what to do in a similar situation. However if one doesn't like that, then there's always the distraction her books bring which in the upcoming summer will be fantastically timed.