From Goodreads: When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

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This is a very interesting story that reminds me of my favorite off air TV show, Heroes.  I absolutely loved that show!  Like Heroes, Accardo’s characters harness some amazing powers that, in the wrong hands, can lead to heartache and death.  And, with a cast of characters that readers won’t soon forget, Accardo has created an epic tale that demands an encore. 

Dez and Kale’s story is an enticing one, especially as Kale’s gift is more like a curse.  With a touch that kills, he’s lived a very lonely life, cooped up as a prisoner of Denazen Corporation for as long as he can remember.  This creates the premise behind the exciting storyline as Kale enters the real world, meets Dez (who isn’t as different from Kale as he thinks), and elicits an all out war between those with abilities and those who want to harness their power. 

I really enjoyed this story.  Kale is a very dreamy character and, inability to touch aside, he’s a very ideal young man.  He’s a perfect gentlemen, and his blossoming relationship with Dez was extremely interesting to watch, especially as his sheltered life leaves him without understand of many situations, creating both comical and sad revelations as he continues on his journey.  Accardo is a very talented writer with a vivid imagination that captivated me from the very first page as the story began to unfold.  And, the battle between good and evil has just begun.  I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for an action packed read, and of course, anyone who enjoyed Heroes.  Four stars.

I purchased this book from Amazon.

From Netgaley: In the shadows of a graveyard, a SHOT rings out…

Hannah Esh fled the Home Valley Amish community with a broken heart, throwing herself into her worldly dreams of a singing career instead. But as much as she tries to run from her past, something keeps pulling her back. On a whim, she brings four worldly friends to the Amish graveyard near her family’s home for a midnight party on Halloween. But when shots are fired and one of her friends is killed, Hannah is pulled back into the world of her past.

The investigation into the shooting uncovers deep-buried secrets that shock the peaceful Amish village to its core. Determined to prove her value to the community she left behind, Hannah attempts to bridge two cultures, working closely with both handsome, arrogant FBI agent Linc Armstrong and her former betrothed, Seth Lantz, now widowed with a young daughter.

Caught between Seth and Linc, between old and new, Amish and worldly, Hannah must choose her future. Unless a killer, bent on secrecy, chooses it for her.  

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This mystery novel drops the reader right into the middle of the action as Hannah and her goth friends decide to spend Halloween in an Amish graveyard  near her childhood home.  Yet, unbeknownst to her, the graveyard on which she treads holds more than just the dead buried there, leading to an intense murder mystery as Hannah and her friends become victims of a graveyard shooting.  As the investigation unfolds, Hannah is forced to move back home to her Amish roots, facing the same situations and people she ran away from so long ago, including the man who broke her heart.

Return to Grace is an intense mystery novel that had me captivated from the very first page.  I love novels about the Amish way of life, and when these stories are combined with that of a mystery, one of my favorite genres, I am eager to read them.  Like Marta Perry, Harper weave’s an intricate tale of murder, love, and betrayal within the Amish countryside, juxtaposing the quiet Amish life with the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced city as Hannah’s community is drawn into the public’s eye due to the violence she survived in the graveyard.   

Hannah is a complex character, torn between what is “right” and what she wants.  Though she’s donned the gothic lifestyle to replace that which she has lost, she hasn’t truly given up her past.  Her struggle is very vivid and real, extremely believable, and I couldn’t help but be drawn in by her, rooting for her all the way.  She has many difficult choices to make, including whether to stay and join the church, marrying Amish, or go back out into the world—should she survive the murderer on the loose. Harper’s cast of complex characters throughout this novel were extremely well written and I enjoyed them all, especially the characters of Seth and Linc as they both vied for Hannah’s attention, offering her different pieces of the world that she yearns after.

This whodunit style novel is extremely original and entrancing, especially as everyone is a suspect.  I was surprised by the identity of the murderer, though, in retrospect, the foreshadowing was there, and the case against the actual culprit is extremely strong.  Yet,  I didn’t see it until the killer’s identity was revealed.  I truly enjoy novels that are able to keep me in the dark until the last possible moment, and Harper has done a truly amazing job writing such a complex story. It’s very well written and I highly recommend it to all.  Five stars.

Harlequin Publishers has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on February 28, 2012.

From Goodreads: Marley Claviger is just trying to get her life together. Stumbling into an ancient conflict between celestial forces is going to make that a whole lot harder…

When Marley wakes up to a phone call from a pair of terrified children, she doesn’t expect to be pulled into a secret war. She rescues them from an empty house and promises to find their missing uncle. She even manages to feed them dinner. But she barely feels competent to manage her own life, let alone care for small children with strange, ominous powers…

And when a mysterious angelic figure shows up and tries to claim the girls, it all falls apart…

Plagued by visions of disaster, Marley has no idea what she’s gotten herself into, but she knows one thing: magical or not, the kids need her.
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This is a very intense story with great world building and characterization.  Marley, a young woman struggling to keep herself afloat, suddenly finds herself in the midst of a battle between good and evil, throwing her already chaotic life into even more disarray. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Marley’s character, especially as she matures throughout the story, going from a woman full of anxiety to a more self-assured person willing to do anything to protect those she cares about.  She is a very believable character, and I loved that she is flawed, just like the rest of humanity.  It was refreshing to have a genuine heroine that wasn’t always sure of herself and was afraid, and yet persevered to do what is right.  Having no previous dealings with children, it was also comical to see her interact with the four-year-old twins who are being sought after by a band of sinister creatures.  Marley’s inexperience shines through as she tries to figure out what to do with the girls, what to feed them, how to communicate with them—and as if this isn’t anxiety provoking enough for Marley, the girls uncanny abilities, and the abilities of those attempting to take the girls from Marley, all add to this enticing story.

Now, the young girls do see a lot of things that no child should ever see, and some readers may find this a bit jarring—especially as the children become extremely distraught on many an occasion, worried that the adults in their lives will abandon them as everyone seems to have already done.  It’s a bit heartbreaking, and I definitely thought, many a time, that these girls were witnessing way too much to come away unscathed, and my heart hurt for them.  Although a fantastical story, Tzavelas gives her characters and their feelings extreme human qualities, which, in my opinion, makes it a very well written story and the girls are an interesting pair, adding depth to the story.

I really enjoyed the otherworldly feel of this novel as well.  While good and evil converge on Marley’s world, confusing her beyond belief, the author creates an amazing array of action sequences as Marley finds herself on the run.  Unsafe and scared, Marley must trust people she wouldn’t normally give the time of day, and rely on them to keep the girls, and herself, safe.  This is a really good read.  Four stars.

Matchbox Girls is set to release tomorrow, February 21, 2012

I received a ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Why do bad things happen to good people? Simple. In the ancient war between the Angels of Light and Darkness, the Dark won. Now it is the job of an undercover force simply known as The Army to rectify that.

Using every tool available, The Army has worked to liberate our world from The Enemy for thousands of years, slowly and painfully lifting Mankind out of the dark. On the front of the great Conflict are the Angelkillers, veterans of the fight with centuries of experience.

Jonah Mason is an Angelkiller, and his cell is targeted as part of a plot to unseat a very powerful Minion of The Enemy. Mason and his troop are drawn into a battle that stretches from real-time to virtual reality and back. The Conflict is about to expand into cyberspace, and if Mason is unable to stop it, The Enemy will have gained dominion over yet another realm.

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Angelkiller is an interesting take on the battle between heaven and hell, a battle that has been morphing along with society for thousands of years.  And, as society evolves and moves forward, so do the tactics taken to fight The Enemy.  Jonah Mason, the main character throughout this novel, has been fighting the Darkness for far too long to remember, meeting with his newest cell group through online gaming.  This was a very interesting development within the story as it gives each member the anonymity and privacy they need to discuss their plans for action against the Darkness without leaving the comfort of their own home. 

I was originally interested in this novel because of this usage of cyberspace; I used to have friends really into gaming, and I wanted to see where Blalock was going with this concept.  It turns out the terminology is a little bit beyond me, I’m not a gamer and I don’t know very much about all the logistics of it, but I was able to follow Blalock fairly well as the story progressed, explaining how everything worked while adding suspense to the story, especially once these gaming sessions are compromised and not everyone is who they seem to be. 

Though the story jumped around a bit, Blalock does a good job bringing all the pieces of the puzzle together, referencing prior scenes and making them all fit together nicely.  Yet, I didn’t feel as connected to the characters within the story as I had hoped, and I think the anonymity of the story overall has a lot to do with that.  While I would have liked a lot more character development, I also don’t think it would have fit with the story, especially as the members of the cell are meant to give away as little information about themselves as possible.  Thus, I wasn’t attached to any specific characters, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.  I think readers especially interested in technology and the gaming world will really enjoy this story.  Three stars.

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

From Goodreads: When the sixteen-year-old runaway Chap is mistaken for a missing boy named Cassiel, his life changes dramatically. Chap takes on Cassiel’s identity, gaining the family and friends he’s always dreamed of having. But becoming someone else isn’t as easy as he hoped—and Chap isn’t the only one hiding a secret. As he teeters on the brink of discovery and begins to unravel the mystery behind Cassiel’s disappearance, Chap realizes that he’s in much deeper danger than he could have imagined.

After all, you can’t just steal a life and expect to get away with it.

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Valentine has written a great mystery novel revolving around a mistaken identity, a daring theft, and a possible murder.  Chap relays his story through a first person narrative, making it easy for the reader to connect with him.  First person limited is my favorite point of view because it allows the reader a direct line to the narrator’s thoughts, creating a deeper connection between the reader and narrator than, say, a third person narrative.  I was glad to see that Valentine evoked this point of view, giving me an insider’s perspective of everything that happened, heightening the suspense and mystery as Chap begins to fear for his life. 

This is a great mystery novel, and watching Chap attempt to fill in the gaps concerning the disappearance of Cassiel, the boy he’s pretending to be, is quite enjoyable.  It was amazing to see how all the pieces fit together, and Chaps back-story—where he came from and why he was on the run—was exceptionally interesting.  In retrospect, the intricacies of the novel make perfect sense, yet I never noticed how any of the piece fit together until Chap made the connections for me.  That, in my opinion, is good writing.  I was pleasantly surprised throughout the novel, and I was especially happy with the way Valentine ends the novel—there are too many stories out there that leave off on a sad note, and this was a nice change.  Four stars. 

Disney-Hyperion has been extremely gracious in allowing my to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to it’s release on February 21, 2012.

From Goodreads: It’s a year after 9/11.  Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge, trying to make sense of the random acts of violence.  Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives.

Craig’s crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him…and if he’ll do it again…and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody.

Lio feels most alive when he’s with Craig.  He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world.  But being with Craig means being vulnerable, and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.

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I received a copy of this novel as part of an ARC tour back in May of 2011, and I must say that this is a truly beautiful novel.  The amount of depth Moskowitz pours into her characters is amazing, and I am in awe of Moskowitz’s sheer writing capabilities.  I read this novel in one sitting; it was that good.  Originally drawn to the novel due to its relation to the Beltway Snipers that ravaged the Maryland/D.C./Virginia areas, I was floored by the intensity of the characters, Craig and Lio, as they struggle to make sense of their tumultuous lives while also dealing with the anxiety of the sniper shootings and remnants of September 11, 2001.  This was a beautiful blend of history and fiction, and Moskowitz stays true to the harrowing events of 2002, adding much strength to this powerful novel.  The vivid descriptions and alternate perspectives of the characters allows the reader to become one with the story, connecting with the events and characters in a way that makes the reader feel as if they are in the story themselves.

I absolutely loved the different perspectives Moskowitz portrays through the voices of Craig and Lio as each chapter alternates between them, giving the reader access to their inner thoughts and feelings through the first person narrative.  Confused and hurting, both Craig and Lio pour out their souls while looking for redemption from their metaphorical ghosts, and they are extremely real, deep characters.  Moskowitz is a superb writer of the male persona, and I was truly inspired by this coming of age novel.  The book is completely character driven as Craig and Lio come to terms with their pasts and future, and I was in love with the novel from the very first page.  This is not an action thriller, but rather an in-depth look at the human psyche, a look into the very soul of humanity, including its triumphs and fears.  It is a superb read, and I highly recommend it.  Five stars.

Kindle | Paperback | Hardcover

So, as I stated above, my copy of the novel came as part of an ARC Tour, in which each participant was given a week to read the novel before shipping it off to the next reviewer.  As the reviewers of this copy of GONE, GONE, GONE, our job was to write all over the novel, add photos, drawings, etc., so that when it gets back to Hannah Moskowitz, it’s a highly personalized, beautiful copy that proves its traveled the whole United States.  I was the first to receive the book on the tour (which will extend into April as the book is set to release April 17th), and I had a wonderful time reading Hannah’s musings and adding my own commentary.  I’ve included a few photos below for all to see how truly cool this ARC Tour was!

From Goodreads: When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family’s summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He’s almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn’t bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family – and a stack of overdue assignments – instead of his friends. Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.’s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

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This is an amazing story.  There are very few novels out there that actually cause me to swoon for days upon end after completion, and even further still that haunt my dreams.  Yet, On the Island has done exactly that, tenfold.  I am in awe of Garvis-Graves, she has literally rocked my world and I can’t get her novel out of my head.  It’s a perfect story; the reader can’t help but become attached to both Anna and T.J. as they embark on this incredible journey spanning eight years of their lives.

I will admit, I was a bit skeptical when my friend, Tammara Webber, told me I just had to read this novel.  Not because I doubted Garvis-Graves writing ability, but because I was nervous about a novel dealing with a 30-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy marooned on an island.  Yeah, you’re there with me, you know what I’m talking about.  But, ladies and gentlemen, rest assured, it’s nothing like that. Yes, there are sexual situations, but it’s not what you’re thinking, at least, it wasn’t what I was thinking when I originally heard of the story.  Yes, there is romance, but it’s not rushed, remember, this novel takes place over eight years, and throughout all this time, Garvis-Graves draws the reader in, building up both Anna and T.J. into respectable, caring people that you can’t help but root for as they battle the elements to stay alive—to stay sane.

I laughed aloud while I read.  That’s an extreme rarity.  There’s just something about “Operation chase a chicken” that made me giggle, as did many instances on the island as Garvis-Graves creates a superb picture in the readers mind of what life must really be like for Anna and T.J.  I cried too.  A lot.  But, mostly those tears were tears of joy, though sometimes they were not, and I felt like a piece of me was dying alongside the characters as events unfolded.  This is a very powerful novel.

I began reading On the Island at 11:30 at night.  I had every intention of just perusing it until I was ready to sleep.  But, let me tell you, sleep didn’t come that night.  I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning, until I turned the last page, and even after that, I couldn’t have gone to sleep if I had wanted to.  This story is an epic tale combining love, suspense, laughter, and sorrow, and I am still in awe, days later.  I need to read it again.  Right now.  Five stars.

And, do you know what?  In 30 minutes I will be posting a giveaway for this novel, which will have both signed paperbacks and ebooks available, making a total of seven winners.  Stay tuned, you don’t want to miss this!

From Goodreads: “Once upon a time, there was a castle with huge arches and tall golden towers that reached high above the cobble stone walkways toward the open blue sky. In this peaceful land lived the king’s best man Neil with a legend to tell of more than five hundred years.

Followed by the brave and pushed forward by the arms of future peace for all in his kingdom, he carried the mighty torch of peace for all.

Far to the edge of the Green Sea was the west end of the Mystic Mountains. This was believed to be a different land. There lived the one who commands the shadows of darkness, evil sorcery, and the never-ending quest for chaos. Once loved by many yet misled by the temptations of power and greed, he felt deep into the jaws of evil and the forces of pain, corruption, and decay. This dark sorcerer was not just a villain but a powerful warden of the wicked and the face of death to the pure. Argon was his name, and he was now the emperor of his own sinister world!”

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I am sorry to say that this novella isn’t for me.  While I think the idea of the storyline and the ensuing adventure is interesting, there were a few too many discrepancies for me to enjoy it.  One of the issues I had with the novella is that it jumped around a lot, interrupting the natural flow of the story, while also creating excessive repetition as the same ideas were rehashed throughout the segments.  Along the same lines, the overabundant use of exclamation marks made it difficult for me to read as the extensive usage took away from the novella; hence, I found myself focusing more so on the punctuation than the actual storyline.  I felt like every sentence needed to be read with gusto, but it didn’t fit the lines within the story on many an occasion, and so I found myself hung up on this minute point.

While the timeline of the novel is not necessarily clear, it seems like this story should take place in the distant past, yet the dialogue and even the names are what I consider to be much too modern for it to make it real.  I do enjoy fantasy, but I am always looking for validity within the pages, and I unfortunately didn’t find it in this novella.  I’m not sure if this created the reason for my lackluster response to the multiple characters within the novella as well, but I also found that they didn’t really  interest me.  All in all, I felt like this novella was telling more than showing, and so I wasn’t drawn into the story as much as I had hoped.  This novella is probably best suited for a younger MG aged child as they will be able to focus on the story at hand and less on the other elements within the novella.  Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.  One and a half stars.

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

From Goodreads: In almost no time at all, Lucy Leary has managed to become one of the most high-profile vampires in history. The problem is, she has angered the Enforcers, a vigilante group of vampires who consider it their job to keep vamps out of the public eye.

The Enforcers will stop at nothing to find her, even if it means leaving a trail of fire and corpses in their wake.

Now, Lucy and her companions must choose whether to run, fight, or surrender. But first, they need to determine the consequences of their actions for themselves, and the world.

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The final book in Patterson’s Blood Calling Series, The Enforcers offers an action packed, riveting story to readers, as well as the perfect closure to this amazing trilogy.  Patterson’s novel brings back the beloved characters of Lucy, Wash, and Emma, as they fight not only to clear their names, but also for justice against the Enforcers, a group of rogue vampires who take it upon themselves to wipe out any and all vampires who threaten to reveal their way of life.  Bring into the mix a human now on the Enforcers’ radar due to helping his vampire friends move during the daylight, an angry “baby” vampire wanting nothing more than to go home to her parents, and a police investigation hot on their tails with the Enforcers closing in from the other side, and you’ve got an amazing adventure.  Patterson expertly weaves his tale, explaining the intricacies of not only the characters and their dilemmas, but also the mysterious Enforcers. 

Up until now, the Enforcers have always been a serious threat, but Lucy, the protagonist, didn’t always understand exactly how dire their situation really was.  As the story unfolds, and the reader learns more about the Enforcers bloody beginnings and Emma’s close brush with death at their hands, it becomes clear that the Enforcers will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who stands in their way, and if that means killing an entire township of humans in their quest, so be it. 

I loved the presentation of the Enforcers, the group that should represent good, a policing force for the underground vampires, but they’re anything but that.  The Enforcers’ heartlessness and self-preservation is the perfect foil for Lucy and her friends as she attempts to do the right thing, but how far will she and her friends go to protect themselves and everyone they love?  Caught between the desire to live in safety and the need to protect the innocent, Lucy, Wash, and everyone else must make some extremely difficult choices, and not everyone will walk away unscathed, making this an intense, but wonderful read. 

I was surprised by the conclusion of the novel, yet it works perfectly with the series and, though a clean ending, leaves room for more if Patterson ever decides to continue the series, which I hope he does.  The Blood Calling series an enthralling series, and it’s come so far since the very first book.  I think this is the best book of the series yet.  Five stars.

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

From Goodreads: “Please God, if you’re listening, keep Rachel safe.” She couldn’t turn her back on her family in their time of need. So when her sister was injured, financial expert Andrea Hampton traded the big city for Amish country to help turn her grandmother’s house into an inn. But life with the Plain People took a treacherous turn when a string of accidents and pranks threatened her family. Someone didn’t want the secrets the old house harbored to come to light. Trusting anyone-even the handsome carpenter who seemed so genuine-was a battle for Andrea, but her life depended on her ability to find the truth.

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This is the first novel in The Three Sister’s Inn series, and I must say it’s an absolute gem.  It’s another story of mystery and intrigue surrounding the Amish countryside as Andrea attempts to piece together the acts of violence and figure out who is stalking the house before it’s too late.  Although this novel doesn’t deal specifically with the Amish like Perry’s Amish Suspense Series does, it’s still set in Amish country where there is a more laid back, cozy atmosphere among the residents.  Thus, Andrea, her family, and Cal are at a loss as strange events continue to occur around them, and a lone figure is seen stalking the house.  This is a great suspense novel and I really enjoyed it, especially as I found myself to be just as confused as the characters when it came to fingering a suspect.  I was highly surprised by the ending of the novel and the turn of events as they came to light, and I think Perry does another fantastic job writing this series, fleshing out the characters, and add a bit of romance into the mix.  I plan to read the other two books in the series ASAP.  Four stars.

From Goodreads: Leah Miller’s peaceful life as a member of the Spring Township Amish church shatters when she’s accused of theft from an Englisch home in which she works. Even if she is not charged, if the crime is never solved, she will live under the taint of the theft and may never be able to participate fully in her Amish community. Josiah King, friend of Leah’s brother, is drawn into helping Leah—and discovers the ‘little sister’ he’d always tolerated has grown into a strong, appealing woman.

But what future can they have together if suspicion makes Leah an outcast? As they attempt to learn the facts behind the accusation, danger grows around them. It’s only through their trust in each other and the support of a faithful Englisch friend that Leah and Josiah can find their way through a tangled, dangerous maze to the truth.

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I’ve always been interested in the Amish, and Perry gives us an in-depth look into the Amish lifestyle through her fantastic novels, while also adding mystery and intrigue.  This is a very quick, compelling story concerning Leah as she’s accused of stealing a very expensive ring from one of the women she works for.  It’s an intense novella and I really enjoyed the authenticity Perry provides through her research of the Amish lifestyle.  While not a murder mystery like the other novels in the Amish Suspense series, this is a wonderful “who-done-it,” casting doubt on multiple characters, including Leah.

Perry is a very talented writer and her story is so compelling that I was draw into it from the very first page.  Having read Vanish in Plain Sight, and now this novel, it is obvious that I need to read more of Perry’s work, as she is a fantastic author.  Four stars.

From Goodreads: To Begin Again is a collection of short stories and narrative essays. Each piece herein focuses on those small decisions that can, often unexpectedly, lead to monumental transitions in a person’s life.

Knox examines the beauty of unexpected and unconventional romance, the connections that keep us near our family despite distance, and the delicate shift between anger and acceptance. This collection is eclectic, but within each story there is a balance of grittiness and inspiration that will stay with a reader long after the last page.

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It’s always difficult to write a review of a book of short stories since it’s not one solid story, but multiple short stories that somehow connect together and it’s up to the reader to make those connections.  Knox’s stories look into the human psyche, showing us our own humanity and depravity as her stories unfold.  I particularly enjoyed “At the Window” as it looks at the phenomena surrounding witness apathy during violence.  A woman is struck in the street by a madman, but those who witness are slow to help, ducking away and hoping not to draw attention to themselves.  Why?  The woman notes this lack of apathy, and years later continues to question it as more cases develop in which it becomes apparent that the more witnesses to violence, the less likely anyone is to help.  This was an astounding piece of writing that made me question what I would do in a situation where many of us witness violence.  While I’d like to say I’d help, Knox has really made me question myself. 

“Like Smoke” is another interesting story about a young woman going through hardships after the death of her father.  It’s difficult not to feel sorry for her as she attempts to pick up more hours at her airport job, but what ends up happening blew me away.  I didn’t see it coming and couldn’t help but cheer for Amira as she makes her final choice.

“Negligence” is the story of a father who takes his daughter to beauty pageants and wants his darling to win.  It grabbed my attention right away because it made me immediately think about Jonbenet Ramsey.  However, nothing as sinister happens to the narrator’s daughter, that we know of, but something does happen to someone.  What I really enjoyed about Knox’s stories is that many of them, such as “Negligence,” end without ending, leaving the interpretation up to the reader.  While the allusions are there, we never truly know what happened, and that’s what makes these stories so enjoyable.  Of course, there are too many short stories to relay in this review; these are just a few of the ones that stood out to me, among many others. Three and a half stars.

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

From Goodreads: A young veteran of the Iraq war drives across America while struggling to find his place in the country he just defended. Confronted with complacent attitudes and narrow minds, he realizes his fellow citizens don’t even understand America is at war, let alone respect his sacrifice. At least he has his fellow Marines from his second tour of duty, along with a mysterious girl who is waiting for him on the East Coast. Or so he thinks. Travel with this veteran through the barren desert of California all the way to New York City as he learns about modern America, as well as himself.

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This is one of those stories where you think you know the answers, you think you know what’s going to happen, only to have the rug pulled out from under you as it all unfolds.  This is a very interesting story about a young veteran crossing the country to meet the girl of his dreams.  It’s a very powerful story, and the ending left me breathless.

Whether or not we support the war, we need to support our troops, who risk their lives for us, whether we want them to or not.  Without their sacrifices, we wouldn’t remain free.  Read this novella; it’s amazing. Four stars.

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

From Goodreads: Carla the florist is surrounded by the duplicitous and the craven – and that’s just her flowers. The human beings are infinitely worse, especially the men. There’s Gwynne, her oafish and cold hearted brother, Gerald, the suave and sophisticated doctor whose hidden agenda is unspeakable, and finally there’s David, the handsome, dashing lawyer whose deceit hurts most of all. If only God weren’t a fictional character then surely they’d get their just deserts . . . except, it is only through their perfidy that love finds a way into her world.  

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This was hilarious.  It’s a satirical novel about human priorities, and it made me giggle as Carla goes about her life attempting to keep her “humble” little florist shop afloat.  Her brother Gwynne is a buffoon, completely wrapped up in himself and his periphery relationships, offering no help or solace to his struggling sister.  Though, Carla isn’t exactly easy to please, and her want of money soon lands her in a comical situation that leaves her with more than she bargained for.  This is a very well written novella looking deep into the greediness of humanity through the satirical lens, creating a superb read.  Four stars.  

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