From Goodreads: There’s one thing Maddie finds more tempting than red velvet cake: her coworker, Drew. All it takes is one of his sly winks or a playful hip-check by the cooler, and she’s incinerating the cookies. Her boyfriend would not approve.

When a reality TV crew descends upon the bakery, her simple summer job gets even more complicated. Maddie could become the Bakery Network’s next breakout star, if she can handle the heat of being cast as a show villain. Drew has an alternate idea: run away from everything, with him and his sexy tousled hair. She decides to take the leap, but when she finds out Drew’s been hiding a shocking secret, Maddie looks down at her packed suitcase and takes a moment to think. Should she fly off to Australia with a guy she hardly knows, or should she pick up her suitcase and hit him with it?

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Moon has created a hilarious novel; she’s a wonderful storyteller, capturing the reader’s attention from the very beginning with her true to life characters and their amusing circumstances.  Practice Cake is about Maddie’s struggles—a coming of age story, if you will—in which she has to deal with a controlling boyfriend, a crazy job, her sister and her sister’s unfaithful boyfriend, and an unhelpful egotistical friend, all while taking part in a reality TV show that begins to consume her life.  I spent much of the novel scoffing as I read, especially as Maddie tells it like it is, without sugar coating anything.  She’s a fresh and intriguing main character and I really enjoyed her.

Drew is also a very interesting character.  He’s aloof and sexy, yet his secret is a bit overpowering and may change the readers perceptions of him upon completion of the novel.  At least, it did for me.  Moon does a wonderful job fleshing him out and making the reader interested, but also cautious of his presence, adding a bit of suspense as the plot unfolds.  And yet, while Drew is a constant presence throughout the novel, the giant leap the synopsis touches upon above, concerning Drew and Maddie’s escape to Australia, really isn’t expanded upon until the very end of the novel.  This causes the reader to continue to turn the pages in rapid succession as he/she desires to know the truth about Drew, and even though most of the focus of the novel is actually on Maddie as she attempts to survive her day-to-day life, Moon has set up her novel to quickly intrigue and captivate her readers.  Overall, I really enjoyed this novel.  Four stars. 

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Zan is a teenage boy with a talent for discovering any girl’s secrets. If he asks a girl to poke her finger into his navel, he gets a psychic trip to Secret Town. Zan never likes what he finds.

When he meets mysterious, beautiful Austin, with her waist-length hair and mature laugh, he wants to get acquainted with her the slow way. Austin, however, can’t resist her curiosity, and when she pokes her finger into Zan’s belly button, he sees … nothing.

Austin dashes out of Zan’s house and out of his life, leaving Zan heartbroken and confused. To find peace, he must unravel the secret of his power. Is it a gift, or a curse? How can Zan love someone with no future? How can he not?

Poke is a fast-paced story about Zan’s adventurous summer, as he battles witches, experiments with astral projection, and discovers the secret of his strange power, all to be with the girl he loves.

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This is a very cute novella.  Moon has written a piece that many young adults are sure to enjoy, as will many adults.  When I first picked up this novella, I wasn’t sure exactly what I thought about a fortune telling bellybutton—bellybuttons gross me out, truth be told—but Moon has written a very intriguing story surrounding this strange fortune telling ability, and Zan was an easily lovable character. He’s kind of a cooky narrator, but he tells it like it is, allowing the reader to rummage around in his mind as he attempts to woo Austin, maintain his best friend status with Julie and James, stay away from two crazy witches intent on stealing his powers, and deal with everyday teenage angst.  I really enjoyed the male perspective; male leads seem to be a dying breed among novels these days, and Moon did a superb job capturing Zan and presenting him extremely well.  Overall, Moon did a really good job with this novella, and I’m definitely interested to see where the series goes.  Three stars.

I received a copy of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Fifteen-year-old Willo was out hunting when the trucks came and took his family away. Left alone in the snow, Willo becomes determined to find and rescue his family, and he knows just who to talk with to learn where they are. He plans to head across the mountains and make Farmer Geraint tell him where his family has gone.

But on the way across the mountain, he finds Mary, a refugee from the city, whose father is lost and who is starving to death. The smart thing to do would be to leave her alone — he doesn’t have enough supplies for two or the time to take care of a girl — but Willo just can’t do it. However, with the world trapped in an ice age, the odds of them surviving on their own are not good. And even if he does manage to keep Mary safe, what about finding his family?

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In all honesty, I spent the majority of this novel thinking that I really didn’t like it and that it was a bit boring and not my style, and there are many different reasons why I felt this way.  In the beginning, I had a very difficult time deciphering what was happening.  Willo speaks in a dialect that was not necessarily hard to understand, but more so annoying to deal with.  I haven’t read many books where the entire story is written in a dialect, but I’ve heard they’re out there, and this is definitely one of them.  Willo narrates the story, so he tells it all through his broken English, and although this sets the novel apart from most other YA novels on this basis alone, it’s not a style that everyone will enjoy.  While I can understand dialects in novels fairly easily, Willo’s grammar grated on my nerves throughout nearly the entire story, and the part that really got me was his constant referral to the dog skin he wore and the dog that talked to him.  That part really threw me throughout the entire novel because I wasn’t sure if Willo was delusional or just had an imaginary pet to help pass the loneliness.  But… he hears the dog speak to him on many an occasion and I, personally, just found that weird in terms of the story.

Aside from the dialect, I also found the story to be a bit bland.  Willo spends the majority of the story arguing in his head, in the dialect, with the dog, and I really didn’t feel like there was much of a story to be had since all Willo did was talk to himself.  Now, while there was obviously more to the story than that, this is the aspect of the story that really stood out to me, and it wasn’t until Willo made it into the city that I felt like the story began to pick up at all, and even then, it was at a very slow pace.

However, when I got to the last quarter of the book, I found that it picked up and I ended up liking it, especially with the twists and turns that began to take place.  Up until this point, I felt that the novel was just a continuous portrayal of everyday hardships, with Willo wandering here and there thinking about his father, but in the end, I found that there was a rhyme and a reason for everything that Crockett put into his story (except the dog), and I ended up liking it, overall.  I would have loved it if the entire story flowed the way the last quarter did, with suspense and intrigue, but I’m at least thankful that there was a good ending to this novel.  It somewhat reminded me of Waterworld in a way—at least the ending did, so if you liked that movie, you might like this book.  Three stars.

Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 27, 2012

From Goodreads: This was the New Beginning. Away from the memories, away from the past.

But sometimes the past comes back…

What is the secret of the old Black Pear tree that taps on Emily’s window when no one else is around?

And why did Alice, a long-forgotten resident of the house, leave a simple silver necklace twined among its branches?

Emily and her family moved to Orchard Grange to escape the memories of the past.

Unfortunately, Orchard Grange has some terrifying memories of its own…

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I was initially drawn to this novel due to the cover.  Though simplistic in nature, it is extremely creepy, in my opinion, and the synopsis presents an interesting enough storyline that my curiosity was piqued.  I started reading this novel late at night, but due to the intensely creepy scenarios Porter develops, I had to put it down and finish it in the daylight.  Though less creepy when I was able to see everything around me, Porter has written an attention-grabbing ghost story involving multiple generations and apparitions. When Emily first arrives at Orchard Grove, she is haunted by the events of her past, events that plunged her family into turmoil.  The fact that Porter is slow to release the details of Emily’s past adds to the overall suspense of the novel as the reader attempts to put it all together, both past and present, in order to make sense of all Emily is going through.  Though some of the events in the novel don’t necessarily seem to fit, Porter does a good job tying everything together and disclosing just enough information to keep the reader sufficiently interested. 

The ending is, of course, like many tales that have come before it, making The Black Pear a bit anticlimactic.  I was hoping for something a little more dramatic and a little less cliché, yet it’s still a well-written piece overall.  And, while I would have liked some more depth to the characters, especially Emily, Porter’s characters still have the allure that makes this an intriguing read. Three and a half stars.

This novel was free on Amazon at the time it was purchased.

From Goodreads: Veronica Wilde grew up accustomed to being stared at. If her steel gray eyes and shocking mane of red hair were not enough, her ability to read the thoughts of people she came in contact with unnerved strangers and acquaintances alike. When the county’s social welfare department gets involved, the eleven-year-old girl tested out beyond genius level and nearly put the test administrator into a mental hospital.

Her life-long friend, Billy Swift Fox, is equally as astonishing—materializing out of thin air and departing by the same method. Veronica’s mother, herself adept at magic, is not perturbed by the children, but Veronica’s father, who didn’t even believe in magic, found them difficult to deal with.

But Barbara Wilde, her mother, carries a depressing secret within her, not knowing how to explain to her husband, the only man she had ever loved, what was likely to happen to the daughter he adored. Only Barbara knew that Veronica, by a force much greater than family love and attachment, would be compelled to enter the Cave of the Wind. Furthermore, Barbara had the premonition that Veronica’s trials in the cave would far surpass anything she herself had faced when she entered the cave as a young girl.

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This is a spectacular novel; it’s the second novel of Hamilton’s that I’ve read, and it won’t be the last.  Hamilton is a phenomenal writer, creating vivid worlds that pull the reader in, making it nearly impossible to set the book aside until the very last page has turned. 

I really enjoyed the characters of Billy Swift Fox and Veronica.  Their ability to communicate without speaking, and Billy’s ability to appear wherever he wants to be is really interesting and captivating—I think all people wish they had some special powers, and Hamilton allows his readers to live vicariously though these children as they take on the powers inside the Cave of the Wind. 

Upon entering the Cave of the Wind, both Veronica and Billy are tested beyond their imagination, and they must learn to harness new powers and trust their instincts if they plan to ever leave the cave again.  This is a fast paced novel, following our two protagonists as they begin to come of age, hoping to stay together but ultimately learning to thrive by themselves.  I really enjoyed the many adventure of Billy and Veronica, and though their family is wracked with fear for their children’s lives, especially as they can’t enter the cave to help them, their story easily intertwines with that of the children.

I also loved how Hamilton created the cave to become its own separate world, complete with tribes and even a wicked witch set on forever trapping the children.  The characterization was great and so were the many different adventures, and I loved watching the children come of age throughout this novel.  This is a really great read and I I am excited to read the sequel, which Hamilton begins to set up in the ending on The Cave of the Wind.  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Hans Swensen holds a position of great responsibility in a hidden nation built in a subterranean cave system beneath the mountain wilderness of Norway. His people are able to exist in secret because of the discovery of an inexhaustible form of energy that has led to the development of a society more technologically advanced than anywhere on earth. While physically utopian, there is an oppressive side to this society, with a totalitarian form of government in place which is fearful of dissent, disorder and, above all, discovery by the outside world.

Hans knows something that imperils his people, and he must fight against all odds — including his cousin, Fredrick, the President of the Nation of Bergsland — to save his people from destruction.

When two young vacationers stumble upon this strange world accidentally, they are taken captive and find themselves caught up in events that test them to the very core — and become involved in a drama that will determine their own future, the future of this nation and the secret power that drives it.

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Acland has written a truly amazing novel about a secret nation beneath a mountain.  Through the discovery of a special energy source, Hans Swensen was able to help create a utopiaian society deep beneath the earth, cutting off all ties with the world he and his people left.  But, when Will and Natalie stumble upon one of the doors leading into the mountain after an avalanche, their lives are changed forever. 

I really enjoyed the characters of Will and Natalie.  Their defiance of a world they never knew existed, and never wanted to be captive in, is great.  I imagine my reactions would be similar to those of the teens as everything they ever knew is taken from them.  The rules and regulations of the new world were really interesting to read about, but I couldn’t help but feel for Will and Natalie as the restrictions put upon them were quite ridiculous—for a nation so advanced, their thought process was a little backwards, and Acland superbly shows how extreme paranoia and backward thinking can very quickly turn into a dictatorship.

This would be a five star novel, in my opinion, except for the amount of grammatical errors within the novel. I really enjoyed the storyline and I was drawn into it from the very beginning, but the excessive grammatical errors really bogged me down as I read.  The story is there, and it is awesome—I think this would even make a really cool movie—but the book needs to be edited so that it flows non-stop.  With more editing and a release of a second edition, this novel will be gold.  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads:  A sub-species of human beings…

Twenty-year old Julia Wade, a young woman tragically widowed, is in the middle of a bizarre bid between two mythical species who are vying for the unique properties she offers; her blood. The vampires need her to balance the food load of the human species and give them their coveted “Lightwalkers.” The Were wish to be moonless changers; a Rare One can make that a reality.

Julia wants to belong to herself.

Can she free herself and begin a new life?

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Blodgett has broached the vampire/were genre in her latest novel, Blood Singers, giving readers a unique perspective of the two factions.  She does a superb job presenting each distinct group within her novel, fleshing them out to the point that they become almost tangible.  The characters seem to leap off the pages as the story unfolds, diving deeper into the past while focusing on the present and future to come.  

Blodgett uses a wonderful technique in her storytelling, focusing on the present, but giving the reader small glimpses into the past as well.  This allows two different stories, two different worlds, if you will, to co-exist as Julia deals with the present, the revelation that vampires and weres do exist, and her remembrance of the past, what seems like a lifetime ago when Julia was carefree and deeply in love.  The suspense builds as the reader is given small glimpses into past events, piecing them together in order to figure out how Julia came to be where she is when the story opens.  From the very beginning, the reader is cast deep into the action of the story as the vampires and weres go to war over blood, but it isn’t until Julia’s background is laid bare for the reader that all the pieces begin to fit together.

Julia is a very strong, resolute character.  Though she is scared and longs for her life that once was, she does not lose faith or breakdown.  Instead, she takes a stand against both factions, and though she is only one against many, she does not back down. I really liked this about Julia and was excited that Blodgett chose to create such a strong female lead.  After the loss of her husband, friends, and life as she knew it, it would have been understandable if Julia gave in to the forces around her, but her spunk and constant fight to maintain control of her destiny made her a very well rounded character that captures the readers’ attention.   

Blodgett’s explanation of the sub-human group, the Singers, was especially intriguing and eye opening.  I enjoyed the descriptions of their abilities and how they fit into the world around them, and I also enjoyed getting to know the vast array of characters that set the stage for this intriguing novel.  Complete with a twist at the end that leaves readers yearning for more, Blodgett has written another masterpiece, and I cannot wait to learn more about the groups and Julia’s plight in the next novel.  Four stars.

I recieved a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

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This is a great book!  Michelle has created a paranormal masterpiece, keeping the reader on edge as the plot unfolds.  It’s unlike any other novel I’ve read, and I truly enjoyed it, especially as Nara and Ethan take on Fate and attempt to keep those they love from danger. 

I was immediately drawn into the story as Nara prevents a bombing, and the chaos that ensues afterward was extremely interesting, especially as Michelle has created real, vivid characters within her novel.  Aside from her ability to dream the next day, Nara is a typical stubborn teenager, unable to let go of her anger long enough to seek help from the only people who might give it.  Deciding to rely on herself and the ever-present Ethan, she finds herself in many jams as Fate attempts to outdo her, creating a suspenseful novel with a creepy feel to it as the plot thickens.  I absolutely loved how real both Nara and Ethan are within the novel.  Though the situations they find themselves within are anything but normal, both Nara’s and Ethan’s reactions to events are believable and well explained.

Of course, Ethan is my favorite; he’s a dreamy character, the brooding type, but he’s extremely likable and good to Nara.  Like Nara, Ethan has a gift as well, though he wouldn’t call it that.  I was surprised by the twist Michelle added to the novel through Ethan’s gift and, though at times I really wished his gift was different, it added a lot to the plot, especially in terms of the romantic aspect of it all.  Thus, even though the novel points to Ethan as a deceptive character, I found myself rooting for him nonetheless.

Brightest Kind of Darkness is full of suspense, especially as Nara loses her powers.  I was surprised on many occasions as the story unfolded and Michelle fills in the gaps in the story with extremely plausible, awesome explanations.  Michelle has done a great job captivating her readers and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.  If you enjoy suspenseful books, or if you enjoyed the premise of the Final Destination movies, then you should definitely pick up this novel!  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie’s only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie’s head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator’s grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations’ plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . .

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Imagine a world where minors have no rights.  Without a grandparent to claim them, any and all minors still alive after the Spore Wars are rounded up and sent to an institution, much like the worst labor camps known to man.  But those who are able to allude the Marshalls have a chance to squat in abandon houses and remain free, even though their lives aren’t much better than those in the institution. 

Enter Prime Destinations.  Everything they’re doing is illegal, but so far under the radar that very few people actually know about it.  But Callie has heard about the money they offer and anything, even giving up a few weeks of her life, beats squatting, going hungry, and watching her little brother suffer.  But then things start going wrong…

I really enjoyed Price’s characterization and situations throughout this novel.  Callie is a feisty protagonist with a big heart, doing everything she can to save what is left of her family.  Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Callie must figure out why she keeps waking up with guns in her hands, what her Ender is really trying to do with her body, and what Prime Destinations is planning for the future.  Price has created a gripping tale that captured my attention and didn’t let go until the very last page.  I especially enjoyed the suspense within the novel and, though atrocious what the Enders have planned for the young Starters, it was a captivating tale. Watching Callie piece everything together though the clues expounded throughout the story was a lot of fun.  I think this is a very well written novel and would recommend it to anyone

Although I would have liked to know more about the Spore Wars, as this is the first novel in the series, I am hoping that, in future novels, Price delves more into what happened in the past to explain more of what is going on in the present.  Overall, I don’t think it took away from the story at hand, but I did have a few nagging questions about how/why, etc., and though it was touched upon here and there throughout the novel, not all my questions were answered.

Even though book one isn’t even out yet, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of book two.  This is a series I will continue to read.  Four stars.

Random House Children’s Books has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 13th, 2012, in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

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This is an interesting psychological thriller in which Henry gives the reader access to all the characters thoughts though multiple first person points of view.  This is one of my favorite styles for point of views; first person is amazing as it allows the reader into the characters’ heads on a deeper level than third person (or so I think), and when there are multiple characters involved, jumping from character to character through the chapters helps add suspense while also keeping the reader on their toes, which is another reason why I really like this writing technique. 

Now, as this novel is about an abduction, I just want to put it out there right now that this is a clean read and there are no sexual encounters.  If you’re anything like me, and can’t stand to read novels involving rapes, then rest assured that there isn’t anything like that in this novel.  There is a psycho abductor, though, and his intentions are made known through the multiple perspectives, which is a bit scary, but also really informative, showing the reader exactly what the abductor is thinking, as well as what every other characters’ thoughts are as well. And, while it’s true that there is a little bit of back tracking and honing in on the same incidents, it gives the reader a new perspective, and Henry does a great job really focusing on the psychological aspect of her characters. 

Drew, the main male protagonist, constantly grapples with the knowledge that he was the one who took the phone call from the abductor, placing the abductor’s fake pizza order, and he berates himself repeatedly for not recognizing that the address given to him was bogus.  Had Drew realized it, he believes Kayla never would have been abducted as she went to deliver pizzas.  Imagine trying to live with yourself and this knowledge.  I believe Henry’s depictions of the turmoil that Drew feels is dead on; many people struggle with the “what if” factor and, when something goes terribly wrong, blame themselves, even though it would have happened regardless of who picked up the phone, who was on duty, etc.  It was very interesting watching Drew go through each day under the belief that he was to blame for Kayla’s abduction.

Gabie is the main female protagonist, and she was also a very interesting character.  She was supposed to be taken instead of Kayla, and the knowledge of this eats away at her, even though everyone around her, except Drew, tends to sweep this knowledge under the rug, including the police.  Knowing that a trap was meant for you can really mess with a person’s psyche, and again, Henry does a phenomenal job creating the intense paranoia and struggle that Gabie goes through as she tries to figure out who is out to get her.

Kayla, though a more minor character in the story, was also very interesting and the way she handles herself is amazing.  I don’t think I’d be as strong as her, and I admire her wit and ability to stay rational while trying to get away from a lunatic.  Overall, I can’t even begin to imagine the paranoia, nervousness, and scariness of this situation, and to even think of being in the middle of it is extremely daunting.  Henry has done an amazing job giving the reader the intense feelings that the characters also have, and I liked this aspect of the novel very much.

Yet, while the feelings of the characters are indeed very vivid and real, the plotline of the story, in my opinion, isn’t as realistic, especially when it comes to the police and the last quarter of the novel.  The police investigation seems to have been at a standstill before it even began, and the police weren’t really that involved with Drew or Kayla, telling them they were unhelpful, allowing them to continue working at the pizza shop with no security even though it is common knowledge that Gabie was the girl the abductor wanted, etc.  There are a few other instances towards the end of the novel that also made it seem a little far-fetched, but since it’s the end of the novel, I won’t spoil it for any potential readers.  Overall, I think the characterization was amazing, and the plot was decent, but I’d have liked the plot to be a little bit more believable.  Three stars.

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on March 13, 2012.

From Goodreads: Born into the cruel world of Victorian London, Eleanor learns that the world is purely a choice between fear or control. And, when Eleanor meets the mysterious Kate, Eleanor is introduced to an entirely new appetite for both.

A dark & haunting Gothic story, set amongst the abattoirs & Gentleman’s clubs of Victorian London.

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This is a very interesting short horror story dealing with revenge, and any adult looking for a quick, chilling read should definitely pick this up. Set in London, Eleanor suffers at the hands of those who took her in off the streets after her mother abandons her in infancy. Forced to do the mundane jobs within the butcher shop, and knowing no other life beyond the dirty, blood soaked walls, Eleanor finds herself the object of her very drunk “benefactors” lust. Downtrodden and alone, Eleanor stumbles the streets until a mysterious woman, the proprietor of a gentleman’s club, invites her to her home, setting the stage for the true horror of the novel as Kate’s business is not really what it seems.

I was thankful that this short story is not graphic in nature, yet gives just enough information for the reader to fill in the gaps. I would have loved for this to be a full novel, diving deeper in the psychological recesses of which John scratches the surface—fleshing out the characters even further, and yet, this short story still left me will chills at the end… a true horror story. Three and a half stars.

I won a copy of this novel from the author through a Readathon contest.

From Goodreads: What if there was a ring that, when worn, sent you back in time to reunite you with the soul of a deceased loved one? In Tandem Tryst, such a ring exists. In this paranormal mystery romance, three years after Jeff Voss’s young wife Marcy dies, he locates an enchanted ring. Jeff discovers that, while wearing it, he goes back one hundred years to the time of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Jeff soon learns the purpose of the ring when he meets Melody Bishop, a twin of his beloved wife. He finds out that Melody is Marcy’s ancestor, and her now living soul. Although Jeff has several hurdles to clear, including Melody’s boyfriend, he feels he has a second chance in this distant time with the love that was taken from him prematurely. To complicate matters, dark forces are at work, as a mysterious woman wearing various ethnic disguises, stalks and continually attempts to steal Jeff’s ring, even if by murder.

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This is a wonderful time travel novel!  I really liked the idea behind the story.  Full of mystery and intrigue, Jeff easily adapts to life in 1893, but a killer is on the loose and will stop at nothing to take Jeff’s ring and stop him from traveling into the past.  Though I found the prose to be a bit choppy in places, and the pacing to be more on the fast side, jumping from event to event, I think Tandem Tryst lends itself very well to this style.  At no point did I ever feel lost, or that events were happening too fast.  The characterization is pristine and, while I’ll admit that there is room to flesh out the events and the characters within the story, I found that it was a great read nonetheless—sometimes all the extra prose can be more or less pointless and weighs down a story.  Instead, Horner focuses only on the important events, stringing them all together and keeping the readers interest.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their plight, especially as Jeff and Melody begin to fall in love.  The explanations behind the rings powers and Melody’s and Marcy’s connections were very well thought out, and Horner does a phenomenal job switching between the language divide as Jeff transcends both past and present.  It is evident that a lot of research went into this novel, and the depictions of the Chicago World’s Fair are amazing; it’s a time period I would really like to see, and Horner was able to take me there in this great time travel novel.  Learning about the rings power through trial and error, Jeff and Melody’s adventures are compelling and it’s impossible not to root for them. I really enjoyed it and hope there will be a sequel, especially based on the phenomenal twist at the end of the story.  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Dancing in Heaven is an inspirational story about my sister Annie s life, death, and her significance in the lives of those of us who loved her and others who were touched by her. Born with severe brain damage, Annie never outgrew the needs of an infant. She didn’t walk or talk. Our parents fed her, changed her clothes, and lifted her from her bed to her wheelchair and back for her entire life of 51 years. This memoir provides a window into my family’ s life with a severely disabled member. But more importantly, Dancing in Heaven is a testimony to the basic intrinsic value of human life. —Christine M. Grote

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This is a truly beautiful memoir—one that will leave the reader both rejoicing and crying as Grote relays the story of her wonderful sister’s life.  Annie, born with severe brain damage, defied doctors and lived to be 51 years old, and though times were hard for Annie and her family, Grote depicts their lives with elegance.  Through this beautiful memoir, Grote shows just how special Annie really was, how much she touched the lives of those around her, and how much she means to those that really knew her.

I was very impressed with this memoir; Grote is a beautiful writer, painting a vivid picture of her life growing up with a severely disabled sister.  This is a topic that very few tread upon, and Grote presents both the good and the bad, juxtaposing her childhood remembrances with the last few weeks of Annie’s life in these riveting prose.  It’s a very powerful story, and one can’t help but walk away from a memoir like this amazed by Annie and all those around her.  It’s is a heart-warming tale, and though it left me bereft at the end, Grote has written a raw, beautiful recollection of her sister’s amazing life.  I am in awe of Grote’s entire family. It’s an amazing read, and I am so thankful to have the chance to read it.  I know that Annie is continuing to bless her loved ones, even now, as she’s dancing in heaven. Five stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.