Top 10 Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2015

2014 has been an amazing year in books and I wasn’t sure if 2015 could top it. So many amazing new releases and sequels came out this year that I found myself struggling to keep up on all of them. If you were worried 2015 seems to be shaping up as another fantastic year for YA. There are so many titles I can’t wait to get my hands on that this list was really difficult to put together.

1. The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This book has such a beautiful cover and I’ve heard so many good reviews already that I can’t wait for it to be released in February

2. The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

This is the conclusion of the Bloodlines series and while I’m dying to read it, I’m also super sad that it’s ending. 

3. Dead of Winter by Kresely Cole

Love, Love, Love this series and I’ve been anxiously awaiting the latest book. 

4. The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

The last book ended on a cliffhanger and I am not a patient person…

5. Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

She held a contest to see who Layla ended up with and while I can probably guess the answer I still need to see my man Zayne even if it breaks my heart. 

6. Persuasion by Martina Boone

I need this now. I need to know what the deal is with the fire people and this “curse” situation. Martina threw me a curve ball in the last book and I cannot deal with these things

7. The Winners Crime by Marie Rutkoski

I’ve been remiss in that I just got around to reading the first book but at least I don’t have to wait as long. 

8. Frostfire by Amanda Hockings

It’s been awhile since we’ve all been in the Trylle world so I’m pumped to go back. 

9. The Heir, Kiera Cass

I’ve had mixed feelings with this but when I thought about it I decided I am actually excited to see this; I only hope we don’t end up with a Cassandra Clare Mortal Instruments situation. Let’s end a series when it ends. 

Top 10 Book Boyfriends of 2014

Book boyfriends are the best boyfriends and 2014 definitely allowed for a plethora of book boys. From bad boys, to good boys, to the royal boys, there were just so many boys to chose from.

1. Prince Maxon, The One by Kiera Cass

I loved him throughout the series, but I especially liked him during ‘The One.’ He’s the perfect combo of sensitive and gentlemanly. 

 

2. Zayne, Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I know most people are Team Roth but I’ve loved Zayne since the very beginning. He’s got the whole overprotective, good guy, thing down. Plus, those scenes between him and Layla were super hot. 

 

3. Adrian, Silver Shadows: A Bloodline Novel by Richelle Meade

Loved him from his time in Vampire Academy and my love only grew during the Bloodlines series. He’s a bad-boy dreamboat. 

 

4. Daemon, Lux: Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Daemon Black is intense, sexy, and witty as hell. Hello kitten…

 

5. Kaiden Rowe, Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

He’s a drummer, he’s tortured, and he’s literally the embodiment of lust. Hellllooo

 

6. Cole Holland, The Queen of Zombieland by Gena Showalter

He’s practically perfect. That is all

 

7. Rafe, Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

I really wanted Rafe to be the one to route for and it turns out he was. Yay

 

8. Gansey, Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Steifvater

I know most people are into the other boys but there is something about Gansey that I’m really into. Maybe it’s the sheer determination. 

 

9. Prince Damien, Ignite by Sara B. Larson

He’s tortured and intense and I love it. 

 

10. Dane, Snow like Ashes by R.C. Lewis

I adore Dane. He may be one of my favorite 2014 boyfriends. I especially love the ending and how he supports Snow. 

Top 10 New Adult Titles of 2014

So 2014 was a new year for me in terms of my reading habits. In previous years, I tended to stick to reading only YA but thanks to one of my very good friends I began to branch out to the New Adult genre. I decided for today’s Top 10 to focus on the New Adult titles I loved in 2014.

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Wicked, by Jennifer L. Armentrout: I love anything by JLA and this was no exception. I’m not usually into the fae thing but I was definitely into this book.

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The Accidental Assassin, Nichole Chase: I loved, loved, loved this book. Nichole Chase was one of the first NA writers I’d ever read and she certainty lives up to the hype with her new book.

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Fever, by Melissa Pearl: When I read YA I tend to stay away from contemporary romance but I loved this novel by Melissa Pearl, it was a wonderfully written piece and I flew threw it.

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Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Another JLA masterpiece. I didn’t think I’d be into the whole gargoyle situation but whew was this a mindblowing emotional rollercoaster.

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The Girl He Knows by Kristi Rose: Another contemporary romance that blew me away.

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Echoes of Scotland Street, Samantha Young: The “On Dublin Street” series is amazingly hot. If you want a decent NA Romance definitely check out Samantha Young.

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Nocte, Courtney Cole: Not only is the cover absolutely breathtaking but the story is incredibly interesting.

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Recklessly Royal, Nichole Chase: Another wonderful Nichole Chase book. I almost turned this one down because I’m not 100% into “sequels” about other characters (which is a strong NA thing) but I’m super glad that I picked this one up. I actually really liked Catherine and her story.

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Scoring Wilder, R.S. Grey: Hot, hot, hot. That is all

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Boomerang, Noelle August: This is one of those contemporary NA’s with a whole meet cute premise. It’s a romcom in book form.

Top 10: Best Book Covers of 2014

So after a nasty bout of flu this weekend, I’m back and ready to do this. I missed the beginning of the countdown but here I am ready to show ya’ll my favorite book covers of 2014. Please excuse any errors as I am hyped up on a ton of cough syrup and trying to pack for vacation and work at the same time

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The Collectors’ Society by Heather Lyons: The colors are so rich and wonderful and I love the sort of old meets new vibe of the entire thing. I’m the type of girl who is drawn to a book based on the cover and this one would catch my eye.

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Lailah, by Nikki Kelly: The hands. They freak me out but I’m kind of into them.

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Queen of Someday, Sherry Ficklin: Though, I don’t get the whole Russian Princess vibe from the model, I absolutely love the color choices, it has a very snow-like Christmas effect.

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Stitching Snow, by R.C. Lewis: This is one of those cover’s where you have to read the book for it to make sense, but then you go “ohhhh, that’s really clever.”

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The One, Kiera Cass: I always love a cover where a girl is wearing a fabulous dress. I especially loved this one because of the whole bridal imagery.

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Suspicion, by Alexandra Monir: I’ve seen mixed reviews on the book but everyone agrees the cover is brilliant

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Compulsion, by Martina Boone: The rich gold hue goes really well with the Fall release this book had. Plus, I love how it has a lot going on but not enough for it to be tacky.

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Rebel Belle, by Rachel Hawkins: A pretty pink cover with pearls and a dagger, yes please!

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Wicked, by Jennifer L. Armentrout: I have mixed feelings on this one, but I love the deep red floating dress.

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Ghost House by, Alexandra Adornetto: It’s delightfully creepy.

Review: Compulsion by Martina Boone

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Title: Compulsion by Martina Boone

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks

Whew, I have been DYING to read this and review it. Literally DYING over it. I think I died while reading it. I’m probably a ghost now. Compulsion was everything I hoped it would be and more. Maybe that sounds cliche but when you build up as much anticipation as I had around this book you really want it to blow you away, and boy did it ever. I spent a Saturday night flying through it. I didn’t sleep till 2am and finished in a total of five hours. I don’t actually think I moved the entire time I read. For some people this is totally par for the course, spending a Saturday night up and reading till the wee hours. Sometimes that’s even my life, but that Saturday it really was not supposed to be what I was doing. I blew off friends and plans and basically hid from the world while I let Martina Boone ensnare me in hers. I live in one of the best cities in the world, with great restaurants and nightlife, but there was no getting me away. I cannot wait to share my review and here other’s thoughts on it.

Synopsis: After her mother dies, Barrie moves into her mothers childhood home with the Aunt she never knew she had as her legal guardian. While at the house she begins to unravel the mystery surrounding Watson’s Island and the three families that founded it. Obviously she meets a boy, his name is Eight and he’s Southern, preppy, and delicious.

What I liked: Is it wrong to say everything? Probably. I’ll start breaking it down piece by piece and only leaving you guys with the highlights. Really, if I didn’t I’d be here all day. Usually, I’m a sucker for language and the development of characters. I studied English in college and have been reading novels since the fourth grade. I’m a huge mechanics nerd and boy did Boone really get me straight in my little nerd heart. She writes in such start, vivid detail that I almost felt like I was reading during the Summer while sitting in my huge plantation home. The setting was almost like another character, which was especially brilliant considering how much the town plays into the actual story. Not only is her setting vivid, but just the general imagery she uses really brings her story to life. I’m not kidding when I say that I was actually a little freaked out by all the ghost stuff, because it felt so real–it was also late at night and raining, but I’m going to attribute this to the language. All of these things were great, they all appealed to my inner nerd. Eight, the handsome boy next-door, appealed to my romantic. Boy did he have all the things I like in a book boyfriend. Hot (check); Southern (check); Smart/Driven (check); a little broody (check). His relationship with Barrie had just enough drama to keep in interesting, but not enough drama to drive me over the crazy edge, which was good considering the general plot line was doing a great job of that. Guy, this plot is AMAZING. There’s a lot happening and a lot that you need to pay attention to, but I did not see the end sneaking up on me the way it did. Speaking of…

What I Didn’t Like: The end! Why? Why? How could you create all those questions and then just leave me hanging. I need to know where the gifts come from, what’s going on with the house, can Barrie ever get out of her deal? I need all of these things and I cannot wait for them.

 

Needless to say, I’m now a HUGE fan of Martina Boone’s and I will be anxiously awaiting her next chapter. Compulsion is my favorite YA of 2014; it had all the elements I love and has me counting down for the next installment 5/5

 

 

 

Review and Giveaway: Witches of Glass Castle: Uprising by Gabriella Lepore

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Title: The Witches of the Glass Castle: Uprising by Gabriella Lepore

I received this ARC in turn for an honest review.

Synopsis: Mia and her brother Dino previously learned that they were witches and went away to the Glass Castle to learn their skills. Mia finds out that she has something that dark witches covet and decides to leave to try and keep her gift from falling into the wrong hands. She’s in love with a hunter named Cole who is charged with protecting her. They all struggle to trust one another as alliances are tested.

What I Liked: I love the relationship that Dino and Mia have and how they look out for one another, especially as they are thrown into this whole witch business. It’s great to see a sibling relationship in a book. Usually we get close friends and not  hint of family, but I like that family is the most important. Aside from Dino, I love, love, love, Cole and Mia. Whew is Cole a total hottie. Clearly, I have a thing for hunters and the protective streak that he has towards Mia makes him even sexier. Aside from all this character love, I adore the way Gabriella lays out her books. There is enough action to keep you hooked, but she’s great at explaining the intricacies of her world.

What I didn’t Like: I think that the only thing I didn’t like was that at times the book seemed to move really slowly. The story was incredibly exciting, but some moment seemed to drag on.

Overall, I loved this book. I found it to be an exciting sequel to the first book. Mia and Dino are a great sibling team and Cole is BEYOND hot. This is a great book to pic up for any holiday trips you may be taking, as long as you don’t have anything pressing to do because trust me you will have a hard time putting this down. 4/5

Be sure to enter the giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Gabriella Lepore lives on the coast of Wales in the United Kingdom. She began writing at an early age and grew up with a passion for all things supernatural—especially witches!

She currently has five Young Adult books in print: How I Found You, Evanescent, Phoenix Holt, and The Witches of the Glass Castle books 1 & 2.

 

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Review: Never Again Theresa Paolo

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Title: Never Again by Theresa Paolo

Buy Link: Amazon; Barnes and Noble

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis: Zach and Liz were once a totally in love couple and then Zach up and peaced out. Liz moved on and went away to college and then out of nowhere Zach decides to make a reappearance. Liz wants nothing to do with Zach, she has a boyfriend, but he’s determined to win her back. Something happens bringing them back together and true love wins again.

What I Liked: Zach. He was a perfect book boyfriend, a mixture of mysterious and light-hearted. I loved his interactions with Liz’s brother and the general humor he brought to a lot of situations. I really enjoyed him and even though he had some major jerk moments, I got it. I really liked the chemistry that he and Liz had. They definitely sizzled up the page. I love when two characters have such great chemistry and Paolo did an awesome job getting it across.

What I didn’t Like: I didn’t dislike anything specific, but I wasn’t totally in love with Liz. She seemed a little wishy washy and I’m not big on female characters who are weak. Though she wanted everyone to feel like she was over Zach,Liz really allowed him to dictate the events of her life and future. After their “breakup”, she really broke down and allowed it to totally affect her future. I wanted to like her but she was very much overshadowed by other characters.

Overall, this was a light and fun read. If you enjoy contemporary romance you’ll definitely enjoy this one. 3.5/5

Release Day for Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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We are over the moon excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Jennifer L. Armentrout’s WICKED! WICKED is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and the first book in Jennifer’s Wicked Trilogy!

 

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Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo

 

WICKED Synopsis:

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

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Excerpt:

It was him. Green Eyes. Ren. That was his name. Now I remembered. I started to step forward, but he beat me to it. Moving as quickly as a damn snake striking, he caught my wrists. He didn’t yank my arms to my sides. All he did was hold my fists away from his face.

A lopsided grin appeared on those full lips. “Can’t say I’m entirely surprised you took a swing at me.”

“Then I guess this won’t surprise you either.” Leaning back, I shifted my weight onto my left leg, but again, Ren outmaneuvered me with a quickness that was sort of embarrassing.

He stepped into what would’ve been a fantastic kick and forced me back against the wall. Then there was nowhere to go, no space whatsoever. My back was against the building, and the entire length of his hard body was pressed against mine.

Son of a bitch.

As if he could read my mind, that grin spread and the dimples played peekaboo. “Now I think we can have a conversation without me ending up bloody.”

I blew out an aggravated breath. “I wouldn’t bet on that not happening.”

He chuckled, and the sound rumbled through me. I couldn’t even remember being this close to a guy since . . . since Shaun. “Look, I’m sorry for snatching you off the street like a kidnapper, but you were about to make yet another huge mistake.”

His apology was lost on me. “Make another mistake?”

“Yeah, like the one last night that ended with you getting shot.” He dipped his chin, and the yellow glow of the light attached to the wall above us glanced off his broad cheekbones. “I know what you were about to do.”

“I didn’t make a mistake last night. I was doing my job,” I spat. “And I doubt your job includes grabbing chicks off the street.”

“That would be a hell of a lot more entertaining, but the moment you thought you could engage that fae last night, you made a mistake. And you were about to do it again, you little ass.”

“Little ass?” I sputtered. “You grabbed me off the street like a serial killer!”

“And I’ve apologized for that even though you should be thanking me. I just saved your life, sweetness.”

Floored, all I could do was stare at him for a moment. “You’re insane.”

“I’m a lot of things, but today I’m your fucking saving grace.”

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Author PhotoAbout Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

 

Review: Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

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I’ve been on a reading kick this week! I’m slowly but surely making it through the stack of books that are piling up around every available surface of my apartment. It’s getting a little out of control and I’m thinking of starting my own library. It has also been especially rainy lately and the perfect weather to curl up with a good book. “Stitching Snow” was covered in dust when I pulled it off my shelf, making me especially remiss. Retelings have been especially popular lately and there are several Snow White books floating around or in the mix. I’m not usually into the fairytale situation, but I thought why not? Thank God I did. I read this book in one sitting , in one morning after saying I’d read the first ten chapters before going to yoga. Yoga didn’t happen, but I managed to add another fantastic book to my Goodreads challenge.

Title: Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads

Synopsis: A re-telling, futuristic, fantasy world Snow White, except the Princess is a bad-ass mechanic running from her evil stepmother. She’s hiding out on a cold distant planet where she fixes droids (aka her Seven Dwarves). She meets her Prince Charming who ends up kidnapping her instead of waking her with a kiss. Generally the whole situation was pretty awesome

What I liked: Snow or Essie is a bad ass female character. Not only is she exceptionally intelligent, she’s also a fighter. She defintely has problems, big family ones, but she manages to fight through the things that hold her back and make a difference in her world. Essie is a female character I can totally get behind and one of the strongest ones I have ever encountered in YA, and I’m glad to see a wonderfully independent and realistic new role model. Granted, most girls are fighting against tyrants and trying to bring together an inter-planetary system, but still…While Essie is a totally Destiny’s Child type of chick, there is still a fiery hot romance. Essie manages to find her Prince and he’s totally into the fact that she’s strong as hell. If you aren’t someone who’s way into character development than let’s take a look at the world building. Lewis creates an intricate world set in space. Each planet holds a distinct set of characteristics and a distinct identity. Lewis brings her world to life in 3D technicolor. I was sucked into the lore and the mystery surrounding Snow and the other royals.

What I meh’ed about: I didn’t particularly dislike anything, but I wish there had been more about Essie’s mother. Her story was so intricate to Essie’s motivations but I felt like her story was glossed over. I wanted to learn more about her story with the King. THAT would be a great Prequel (cough cough)

Basically, if you like futuristic plotlines and kick butt female characters than you’ll love this book. 5/5

 

Review: Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

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Title: Suspicion, by Alexandra Monir

ReleaseDate: December 8th

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So, Suspicion has been floating around my Kindle for a second. I was originally enchanted by the cover and decided it would be a good binge read–that was before November and NaNoWriMo hit. Really, people should tell you how much time that whole book writing thing takes. Anyway, when that ended, I decided it was time to begin the book, thinking it would be a nice brain relax from the stress, after all, previous reviews I encountered talked about it like it was Princess Diaries meets Downton Abbey. Those were mostly lies. If you are looking for something that’s just light and fun, turn back. If you love a good thriller set in the English countryside, grab this! It’s amazballs. What Monir does correctly is outstanding, buttt I do have to say if you are looking for some magical mystery tour situation this may not be it. There is magic, but it kind of falls flat. Anyway, on to the review!

Synopsis: Girls privileged family all seem to die tragically over the span of 7 years. Girl escapes to NYC to be brought up by her parent’s best friends. Whoops, girl is a Duchess and has to go back to her tragic (beautiful) estate to claim her title and keep everyone from being kicked to the curb. There’s some Kate Middleton fashion moments (I see that) a hunky British boy from her childhood, ohhh and a murder mystery. Add a little magical backstory and you’ll gobble this YA adventure up.

What I liked: The flow of the book is really good. Every page kept me totally engaged and I didn’t want to stop, which is a problem when you are reading at 11pm and realize you need to be up at 5:30 the next morning. Monir wrote her novel so that in almost every chapter you learned something new making you want to binge read the entire book just to figure our the Who Dun it. Speaking of the mystery, HOLY COW, the ending. I wish I could say more about it other than that it is amazing. We are set up to really question all of the characters and their connection to the main character Imogen and her family, but when the truth is finally reveled it’s very unexpected. Monir takes the who idea of “don’t believe what you think you know,” and turns it on it’s head. I’m usually really good and piecing the mystery together but this one caught me off guard. It also made sense. I hate when authors put in a throw away character just so that you don’t have to hate any of the main ones, but Monir really set up a great situation.

What I didn’t like: I hate to focus on the negatives, I really, really do, but I have to say I HATED the magical back-story of this. I understand the literary purpose of it, but it felt really secondary to the main story when the ending was revealed. Up until I realized that the book was going to center around a murder plot and that our ending would most likely come with it being solved, I really was digging the magical aspects. From the beginning it didn’t feel well thought out, but I assumed that was because the author planned some big surprise at the end; however, with the book ending the way it did, the magic felt secondary and unnecessary.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It has a lot of really strong qualities and is a fun, fast-paced read if you like mysteries and a discussion of the English peerage system. I’ve never read any of Monir’s other works but I am excited to add her to my list of writers to watch out for and excited to see if Suspicion will have a sequel. 3.5/5