Review: Notable by Marni Bates

Chelsea Halloway is the main focus of "Notable" book three in the Smith High series. That's how it should be though, right? After-all she is queen of the notables at Smith High, able to destroy your social life in the time it takes to flip her beautiful blonde hair. Everyone has this image of Chelsea - perfect, beautiful, and blonde. And according to her own mother dumb. Her mom was not shy about pointing out her flaws or fighting with her dad constantly about coddling her. So when Chelsea finds out that her parents are divorcing its really no big shock, but what she didn't expect was for them to ship her off to Cambodia!

Now she's in a dangerous country with a group of college kids who stereo type her from the moment they met, running from drug lords! How in the world did Chelsea get mixed up in something like that? You'll have to read the book to find out.

I absolutely love Marni' s quirky fun books and Notable is no exception. Notable practically oozes charisma from every page! Only Marni could make a book about a girl running from drug lords so deliciously fun and intriguing. Her characters are relatable, interesting, and multi-demisonal. I really enjoyed the adventure in Notable, not to mention the romantic tension as well ;) Overall it was a quick fun read. Exactly what I've come to expect and enjoy from Marni Bates.

** I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review **

Review- Sunblind by Michael Griffo

 On Dominy' s sixteenth birthday her life was forever changed when the curse that turns her into a werewolf took hold and she killed her best friend. Now in this amazing sequel to Moonglow - The Darkborn Legacy book 1, Dominy has to learn to harness her curse to help her defend those closest to her, not only from Luba, but some unsuspected alliances of hers as well. 

 As an ultimate evil is hovering, Dominy and her group of friends struggle to uncover who they can trust and who they can't , until they discover their opponent may have more influence in their lives than they ever expected. 

 I absolutely loved this book! I was very anxious to find out more about Dominy, her friends, and the butterfly and bee after the ending of Moonglow, but I never expected things to turn out quite like they did. Michael Griffo is one of those amazing authors that as soon as I know he has another book out, I just have to read it! Sunblind was no exception. It has action, suspense, and true friendship, all the makings of a great read. Even when I thought I had everything figured out something else would happen that made me realize that I had most of the puzzle but a few pieces were still left unseen. In summary Sunblind is a great followup to Moonglow and its fascinating fast-paced story will have you not wanting to put it down until you've read every word. 

** I received this book  from the publisher in exchange for a honest review ** 

review: Broken Beauty by Lizzy Ford

  Broken Beauty is part 1 of a 6 part novella series revolving around the rape of Mia Abbott-Renou. Mia is the seventeen year old daughter of a politician. Immediately following the horrible night Mia was found battered and raped, her dad not only treats her like a political pawn but also tries to convince  her she is wrong about who raped her.

Everything about that man just rubs me the wrong way. He is so despicable! Mia is struggling with the aftermath of all of this with no real support from her family. Thank goodness for Ari and Dom or I don't think I would have been able to continue reading through the coldness Mia had to endure from her father and his team.
Broken Beauty is a powerful and emotional story that had me hanging on to every word. Although this novella is short  , it had big impact and great flow. I feel like it was the perfect beginning to the novella series. It gave me enough to feel invested in the characters but ended in a major way, leaving me desperately craving the next novella. I can't wait to find out where Mia will go from here.

* I received this e-book through Netgalley for review purposes *

review : Quarantine by James Phelan ( Alone #3 )

Quarantine is the final book in the riveting " Alone " trilogy. 

Jesse has been living in post-apocalyptic New York, dealing with Chasers and fighting for survival, for over two weeks now. To say he's been through a lot is a major understatement. Now trying to cope with the events at the end of Survivor that left him one friend down and still struggling to survive, he decides that he must leave his shelter behind to find the group of survivors Caleb told him about in book 2. 

This series has been full of action and has had some major "Whoa!" moments. Quarintine does a great job of following through with that drama, while still bringing to light the fragility of human life and the drive to survive. I think the added danger from some of the other survivors ( other uninfected ones ) speaks volumes about human behavior in this story. 

I feel often times with the final book in a series there's a lot of pressure to tie everything into a neat little bow. While I thoroughly enjoyed finding out more about everything that happened, I tried not to get bogged down by the need to have all my questions answered. I mean when in life do we get handed all of the answers? So with that in mind I believe this was a great conclusion to the trilogy. 

I think this is a great young adult post apocalyptic novel. It's a fast paced, action filled story that I think has great crossover appeal. I would highly recommend reading books 1 and 2 in the series first for full impact.

* I received this book in exchange for a honest review * 

Review: Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

Although she’s still heartbroken over what happened between her and Logan Quinn, Gwen still has been searching for the artifacts that Nike previously revealed to her. She needs to get them before the reapers do. Gwen is used to Reapers attacking her and her friends. Since everyone knows she's Nike's champion now, she's expecting even more attacks. What she doesn't expect is for the Reapers to try to poison her and she especially doesn't expect them to accidentally poison someone else instead. There is only one place to get the antidote to the poison and Reapers are sure to be waiting there for her...

I absolutely loved Midnight Frost! I enjoyed each book in the series but I believe this may be my favorite. Estep once again carried me away on an enthralling mythological adventure that seemed to leap right off the pages. I was anxious to find out where Gwen and Logan would stand in the after effects of Crimson Frost but this book was so much more than just a follow-up on their relationship. A new character is actually introduced in this book that took the story to a whole new level. We find out a little more about Gwen's family history and gain a little more of a peek into that past. I also have to state for the record, I want a gryphon! I won't post any spoilers but I am totally in love with the gryphons now! 

Midnight Frost is book #5 in the amazing Mythos Academy series by Jennifer Estep. If you love to read young adult novels with mythology and adventure then this series is for you! 

* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review * 

Review: Invisible by Marni Bates

Marni Bates once again had me up flipping pages late into the night with her new laugh out loud worthy novel, Invisible.....

Invisible tells the story of Jane Smith. Jane has never wanted to be anything other than invisible at her school. Jane's best friend Mackenzie recently became an overnight internet sensation and their other best friend Corey started dating a rock star. Leaving Jane feeling left behind. Invisible was okay with her best friends by her side but now Jane feels left out and no longer as connected with her best friends as she once was. Now she's thinking it might be better to get some attention after all and to stop being so invisible. Which results in Jane being assigned a front-page article for her high school's paper, The Smithsonian. For that, Jane must write a groundbreaking story on which she is accompanied by Scott, the cute newspaper photographer that she just so happens to resent. 

I really liked Awkward, the first book in this series, and liked being able to get to continue the story here with Invisible while getting to know Jane better. I really liked Jane in this story. Even though she starts off a little reserved, her inner voice can actually be quite spunky and funny at times. Scott on the other hand is cute and infuriating but totally loveable. He really helps bring Jane out of her shell and they have great romantic chemistry. I was really surprised by Chelsea's role in the book and can't wait to read more about her in the upcoming book "Notable". 

Invisible is fresh, young, and hilarious. It will have you wrapped up until you can't help but to know what happens next. 

* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review *

Review Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep

I loved that in this novella we get to see Logan's point of view! Spartan Frost picks up right after the events of Crimson Frost. Logan and his father have now moved to their home in New York to put some distance between Logan and Gwen. He can't forgive himself for what happened even though he had no control after Loki took over his body. It's a little sad hearing how miserable he is but it also shows us how much his love for Gwen has grown. We also get a glimpse into a possible mending in his and his father's relationship. Hopefully that can be the silver lining of all the recent bad events. At the end of the novella I feel we start to see some of Logan's spark coming back. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book "Midnight Frost".
This is not a necessary read for the series, readers won't be lost if they go straight from book 4 to book 5. But would I skip it? No way! I think getting this "extra" little snippet will enhance your reading experience and help you to share better in Logan and Gwen's story. I always prefer when the novellas remain optional for the reader. Although I can't imagine passing this one up!

**I received this book in exchange for a honest review via netgalley**