REVIEW: Stalk Me (The Keatyn Chronicles #1), by Jillian Dodd

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Mystery

Summary:
Keatyn is the daughter of a hit movie star actress. She is the most popular girl and has everything she wanted, according to the script she has in her head for the life she wants to live; she has the boyfriend, the friends, the looks... everything. 

Soon she realises this isn't the life she wants and she's tired of making choices for appearances and wants a life without the fame. But when her mom is being threatened by a stalker fan, Keatyn becomes caught in the middle of a serious issue, whilst trying to discover what she really wants in her life.

My Thoughts:
This book sounded like one I'd have loved and from reading other reviews I really thought I was going to side with the higher ratings... how wrong I was. 

There are just so many things that made me dislike this book;


Cons

1. Main Character; Keatyn, is just unbearable. In summary she is a rich brat, who swears that's not what she is but yet is constantly being a right B to people. Looks are most important and I felt she didn't give a damn for anyone. And at 16 and in love with nearly every guy that looks her way. She literally went like "I'd never go near Cush... but maybe I will...I love Brooklyn...Brooklyn loves me...no he doesnt... Cush loves me... Oh I love Cush... I hate Cush... I love Brooklyn... Brooklyn is acting weird...I don't love Brooklyn... I love Cush...-then shipped off to boarding school- I miss Cush...I miss Brooklyn... I like Riley...Kissing Dallas is okay...Woah Aiden, he's the one!" WHAT. ON. EARTH! Literally EVERY. SINGLE. GUY. IN. THIS. BOOK. FANCIES. HER. and oh my god their pick-up-lines are horrendous!! It's just cringe worthy and boring as every guy seems to "love" her... 

2. Rest of the characters; I don't know if I liked anyone in this book.. maybe Damien and possibly Brooklyn for a while but then he totally did a 180. All were so superficial and just... one dimensional!! There was no depth to ANY of them. 
And Cush? WTF?! He claims to love Keatyn and yet he tells her she ruined his life before going off to his Dad's... was a bit much in my opinion. Dodd didn't really hit the describing nail on the head. It was all about abs imo.

3. plot; I expected a lot more focus on the whole stalker aspect.. the book is called "Stalk Me" after all. It was also totally obvious who it was from the moment that character was introduced so there was no suspense or surprise in that respect. A mention of a threat letter here and there and then the final act that wasn't too dramatic (Ov it was for Keatyn but for a book I thought the build up etc could have been extended to get the reader scared) and then the whole transfer to the boarding school was just as smooth as a hacksaw. Aaaand of course she decides she does not want to be popular and stand out so what does she do? Befriends the guys who naturally all fancy her and the star player thinks she's the one... yeah... that's believable! Seriously, if I knew the story was going to be about some rich bitch and about 8 guys... (Sander, Cush, Brooklyn, Vincent, Riley, Dallas, Dawson, Aiden) no way would I have bothered.. it's tiring and childish.

4. The Writing;  I can normally get over an author's writing style if I enjoyed the story, but wow... the writing in this really annoyed me! 

"You have a nickname?" Riley asks."Um, my little sisters call me Kiki. Like key, key."

a) Asking someone if they've a nickname when you just meet them? Yeah, that's normal! 
b) Saying "key key" is IRRELEVANT! Riley hears Kiki as "keykey" anyway so I don't get why that was necessary, maybe at the start of the book but not twice more!
I also hate the typing of children speaking, I just find the misspelled words irritating and I find it a lot more effective to type them correctly and then explain how the child can't pronounce her "r's" or something. 


There were many other issues I had with this book. It just had so much potential but lacked execution and precision. Would not recommend this book nor continue the series.

REVIEW: The Man From 3015, by Luke Hill

Rating: ★★★★★

spoiler free review 

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

Summary: 
Serena and her camera-man/best friend Ron are out reporting when a sudden storm brews out of nowhere. The result of this phenomenon is the arrival of Jonathon, a man who claims to be from the future, from the year 3015. 

He was sent back in time, to the current day, to find Serena and with her help try and change the way people live to save the Earth for future generations. Serena immediately puts together a report on Jonathon and his claims, believing this would be her big break that she always wanted in her career.

Her story is refused and hours later Ron is found murdered. Serena soon realises the danger she is in from associating with Jonathon. Someone wants to keep them quiet and out of the knowledge of the public. Serena is faced to decide if she is safe with or without this stranger, and has to make up her mind quickly or else she could end up like Ron. 

My Thoughts:
I really loved this book. I spent the majority of yesterday just curled up in my armchair reading this through. The 400+ pages flew by. 

The whole concept is ingenious and original and it felt like there was a lot of thought and research put into using the correct terminology and making this a credible story. From page one action ensues and this drew me in straight away until I had nearly completed the novel. 

The characters all had depth and quirks to them; the character of Jonathon being extremely interesting- his ignorance of the modern world portrayed in such a manner that made him seem fragile and innocent, but partnered with his physical and mental strength from his Training, resulted in an intriguing mysterious persona. 

The culmination of the novel was one of the best endings in a book I'd read in a long time. Along the whole way there are multiple twists and turns and the end just wraps everything up so well and slots all the pieces into place and answers questions you didn't realise needed answering. 

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this and was saddened when I had completed it. The plot twists combined with the myriad of emotions makes it a roller-coaster of a read. 


Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review! :) 

REVIEW: Reading The Dead; Fidelis in Aeternum (The Sarah Milton Chronicles), by J.B. Cameron

Rating: ★★★★☆

(spoiler free review)

Genre: Thriller, Paranormal, Mystery

Summary:
In this second book of the Reading The Dead series, Sarah Milton is faced with a new investigation where she has to prove her old partner is innocent for a crime he didn't commit. Various murders are occurring in a copy-cat fashion of the "Fancy Dress Killer", a murderer that she was responsible for putting behind bars. 


With the help of Sarah's ghostly side-kick, Anna Nigma, they are thrown into the paranormal world once more, realising that they are dealing with more than just a copy-cat killer. Meanwhile Sarah also has to deal with her love life (or lack of) and figure out her true feelings for Ryan once given reason to be jealous. 

My Thoughts:
I loved this novel and the 400 pages flew by. The pacing is appropriate with a lot of tension at the various plot-twists. Anna's humour is my favourite thing from this series, there is such darkness and suspense that her wit is a welcomed respite to the heaviness of the story.

I still love the characters in this series. They all have their own quirks and personalities and there's a credible depth to them which makes the whole story more gripping.

The last 20% of this book was so action-packed and the ending shocked me. Not sure if I agree with what happened towards the end with Sarah & Ryan but the cliffhanger certainly held my attention. 

Enjoyed this a lot and my only reason for it being 4 stars was that I think I preferred the first one slightly more. It was a brilliant follow-on from the first book though. 

Thank you to the author as well for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Reading the Dead (The Sarah Milton Chronicles), by J.B. Cameron

Rating: ★★★★★

(spoiler free review)

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Paranormal

Summary:
As a child Sarah Milton was considered weird and a loner with her imaginary friend, Anna Nigma. Following the death of her mother, Anna disappears from Sarah's life and Sarah finally tries to follow a path to a normal life. Determined to track down her mother's killer, she finds herself in the police career.

Sarah now works as a Criminal Profiler in the LAPD and is on the hunt to track down the latest serial killer who goes by the name of Raithe. On a trip to the pet store to buy dog food, an event changes Sarah's life and she finds herself fighting to survive. When Sarah awakes she is reunited with her old friend, Anna. 

Anna is here to stay now and helps Sarah on her path to discover Raithe and prevent more murders. Following up on a clue left at a crime-scene, Sarah discovers there's a paranormal and supernatural element to the murders, and Raithe is not acting alone. Sarah must try to stop Raithe whilst realising both her and Anna's "life" could be at stake. 


My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved the supernatural element to this thriller. It really gave it an edge to the rest of the thriller genre. I liked the naming of Anna (Anna Nigma= an enigma), and I really hope that's where the naming came from! 

The characters all had some depth and defining features or characteristics to them and I felt like they were all relevant and had a purpose in the novel. 

Anna is just hilarious, she is a 13 year old ghost and her attitude and humour is portrayed brilliantly and I really loved her character; she was probably my favourite character. 

The writing was lovely and it was an easy read considering the content; I found it really hard to put down as it was such a page turner as Sarah uncovered more and more of the mystery. There was often such vivid description but yet not reams of it to a boring level. I felt like everything was "just right" with this book.

Overall I would definitely recommend this to anyone that loves a thriller or supernatural/paranormal books as it was full of plot-twists and was just gripping from the start! Thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the second novel. 

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. 

REVIEW: Prescribed, by D.D. Parker

Rating: ★★★★☆

(spoiler free review)

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Summary: 
Emma believes being a surgeon is the career for her, however on her first day of volunteering in the hospital she faints at the sight of blood. Enter Dr Matthews. Young, gorgeous and available. Neither Emma nor Dr Matthews can ignore the chemistry between them but any moment alone where something may happen is inconveniently interrupted. 

Unlike the young doctor, Emma is not available. She is dating her teenage boyfriend, Eric, and she wonders if she is with him due to the memories of when they were younger, more so than their relationship now. 

According to Eric though, Emma is his and he is willing to go to extremes to make sure Emma stays by his side.


My Thoughts:
Oh wow! I started this book when I went to bed and actually completed it about 2 hours later, once I began I couldn't put it down. This was more to do with the character of Eric that kept my interest until completion than the chemistry between Ryan (the Doc) and Emma. 

It is extremely fast-paced as there are less than 100 pages, and my god there's a lot in those pages. I just really enjoyed the twist of the romance being threatened due to Eric and then the dramatic ending was just shocking. 

Personally this would've gotten 5 starts if it was just longer as I think there was so much packed into the story that the suspense could've prolonged the story for nearly double the amount of pages. I understand this was a novella so it's naturally going to be short with a lot of content but I would've really liked to have more character development and just get to know a bit more about Emma etc. 

Overall, I would recommend this as a great drama-filled new-adult romance and an action-packed start to this series!


Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

REVIEW: Rushed, by Gina Robinson

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Young-Adult, Romance 

Summary:
Alexis is a sorority legacy due to her mother, and physically she ticks all the boxes for what the leading house want in a pledge. But she feels she has nothing in common with any of the girls and would much rather go for a house that suits her personality... One catch though, as long as her parents are funding her education, she must please them and this includes following in her mother's footsteps and getting into Delta Delta Psi. 

This sorority has 4 guys that are known as "houseboys". They are looked down upon by the girls and out of bounds for romantic purposes. But Alexis sets her eyes on Zach and he reciprocates her feelings. However, he needs his job more than anything and if he gets close to Alexis he loses everything. Meanwhile Zach harbours a secret from his past and Alexis believes she'll be the exception and be able to help him, whilst protecting her place in her house.


My Thoughts...

I read this in one day so that's a good example for how it was an easy read and held my interest throughout. The story is pretty cute and is an enjoyable light read and was exactly what you'd expect from a YA romance. 

However... 
It just lacked something for me overall. I think it was credibility. Zach's secret is traumatic and everything but the ending was a little bit too coincidental for me, I know it's a writing technique but it didn't have the desired effect on me like I presume it was intended. 

The story was too predictable; from the blurb it was clear there'd be romance between Alexis and Zach but I expected more than just love at first sight... kiss...sex..."i love you"... IMO it would have gotten at least 4 stars from me if there was more of a natural build up and not just a jump-the-gun-she-is-the-one thing.

Characters really lacked depth; we got an insight into Zach's world but I just didn't feel for him, I didn't get that pang of sympathy that I wanted to and I can't explain why, but if Alexis had ended up with Dak, I wouldn't have screamed in protest like I have/would at other books. 

All that aside though, it still is a great novel. The story is simple but with a few minor twists here and there. It had to be good enough as it took less than 24 hours for me to complete and if there was a follow on book I would probably read it! 

Thank you to the author for allowing me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

REVIEW: Elixir, by Ted Galdi

Rating: ★★★★☆

(spoiler free review)

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Summary:
By his teenage years Sean is financially secure due to his winnings from a game-show, where he exhibits his extensive knowledge and mental abilities; a game-show he only entered in the hope of finding someone smarter than he was. 

At 14 he is attending a leading Tech University, and when he creates an algorithm that attracts the attention of the Government, Sean has to set up a new life in Rome with his aunt. 

Four years on and he meets the love of his life, Natasha. However after she falls ill from contracting a virus overseas, Sean has to try and accept that he can do nothing for her... Or can he? Hacking into confidential files attracts unwanted attention and suddenly he is running both for his life and to save Natasha's. 



My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. 

There were no grammar errors (as far as I could spot) and I loved the style of writing. There weren't too many characters, which is a problem with a lot of modern books where the story is drenched with insignificant/pointless characters. 

The story is written from Sean's POV and I liked how his mental anguish was portrayed, how he saw his intelligence as a hindrance more so than a gift. There was romance but it was not made the focal point of the story, there weren't even details of how Sean and Natasha's relationship developed but this worked for me as there was no wasted time spent on building that up.

I don't understand people's reviews about there being too many stories going on... In my opinion it was pretty straight forward and I loved the simplicity of it all but how it was made complex enough to be engaging and story worthy. 


My only issue with this book is the age of Sean and Natasha. When all this happens they are only 18 years of age and I personally feel their attitude/actions would be more credible if they were in their twenties; (mainly as I am 19 I fail to relate to characters younger than me reacting to such situations!)

I also expected a bit more "action" between Sean and the Government...There was a lot of potential for a lot more drama there but I guess it was good it wasn't over done either.


Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. It is original and a real page turner and I am thankful to the author, Ted Galdi, for the opportunity to be able to read it on advance in exchange for a review! It's a brilliant debut novel and should more novels by Galdi follow, I am sure I shall be adding them to my "To-Read" list! Well done! 

REVIEW: Perfect People, by Peter James

Rating: ★★★★★

(spoiler free review)

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Summary: After a young couple, Naomi and John, suffer the lost of a child due to a genetic disease, they join the current fad of "designer babies." This being where they attend a geneticist, Dr Leo Dettore who does various tests on the parents and can create babies down to the specifics the parents choose; this being anything from the sex and hair colour, to the rate of maturity and how moody the child will be as a teenager and how much sleep they would need. 

However, things begin to go awry for the couple from early on as they discover the doctor got the sex of their baby wrong, but that is only the beginning of where he deceived the couple... and it is too late to turn back. 

Meanwhile, religious fanatics are out to kill Dr Dettore and all of his "designer babies" that he has had a hand in creating. John and Naomi now have to deal with the consequences and come to terms with the fact they initiated their own nightmare, whilst trying to save what the Dr created for them, even if it is ruining their life. 


My Thoughts:
Wow! I absolutely loved this book so much. 
It took 10 years to produce and when the story began, the concept of designer babies was a futuristic idea, but now they are becoming a thing of the present and that adds to the effect of this novel. 

The reader is brought along the emotional journey of a living nightmare with the couple, as they deal with what they have encountered. It is a frightening reminder of how far science is advancing and what can actually be achieved and also the detrimental consequences of when the scientific processes are left in the wrong hands.

There are so many plot-twists throughout this novel that will leave you shocked and appalled at the ruthlessness of the characters and the distressing and traumatic events that occurs. 

This is a captivating thriller that has added impact due to the plausibility of the story. With a suitable balance of science and story, this is a whirlwind of a novel and impossible to put down from the start! 

REVIEW: Fallen Crest High, by Tijan

Rating: ★★★★★

(semi-spoiler free review)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary,

Summary: Written from the POV of Sam, she comes home to find her mom, Analise, amongst boxes announcing she was leaving Sam's father to live with her new boyfriend, and Sam was going with her. However, Sam's new step-brothers are the notorious Kade Brothers. Composed of Logan and Mason Kade, they are the most wanted by the girls and the guys and are stars on the football field.

Sam is the first girl they come across that doesn't give a damn about them. After discovering her boyfriend had been cheating on her with her "friend", Sam no longer cares about her "friends" or being popular or what people think of her in school, and she goes out of her way to hide her association with the Kades. She doesn't want to trust anyone and spends most of her time alone or out on extensive runs that tire her out.

Her fierce attitude intrigues the brothers and so sparks the beginning of a unique relationship with the brothers, as they take her under their wing and protect her from her abusive mother.

More drama unfolds and Sam finds herself in drama once again, but now she has true friends on her side, and she realises she "has the power".

Pros:

1. Characters! Really loved the characters in this book! Samantha is such a great heroin with her careless attitude and her hidden vulnerability that only the Kade brothers can identify. Logan and Mason are a perfect mix of dark, angst, humour but also have a loyal side to them and go much deeper than initially perceived, but not in that much of a "predictable typical" way. The parents are all off the wall but somehow it just works with the story.
2. Plot; The blurb doesn't give too much away about the plot of this book but the story was thoroughly captivating and addicting. It's mainly about Sam adapting to living with the Kade brothers and dealing with her psycho mom and trying to make her own genuine friends and just trying to overcome the constant obstacles that come her way whilst still not caring about what people think!
3. Pace; the pace of this book was perfect, it was fast enough to keep my interest but not too fast that I lost track of what was actually happening, and when Sam and Mason happen, it takes its time rather than happening too early on into the book, which I liked.
4. The Writing; although there were some errors, they were pretty insignificant overall. It was written from the POV of Sam and the tension was intense! The story was just delivered eloquently and I just loved how the scenes were written

Cons

1. Few errors, nothing major. Got a "little" lost with the female characters of Tate, Tanya etc and who was who but they were side characters and not too relevant.

My Thoughts;

Loved loved loved this book so much!

Couldn't put this book down as soon as I started and it is so different to a lot of the books in this genre. Had the perfect mix of suspense, romance and some darkness too.

Would definitely recommend this book, will be one of my favourites!

REVIEW: The Orlando File : A Genetic Conspiracy Thriller, by Ian C.P. Irvine

Rating: ★★★★☆

(spoiler free review)

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

Summary: Kerrin, the heroin, is a retired cop and now a journalist. He gets a call from his sister to tell him his brother-in-law is in trouble and trying to get out of America to save his life. Why?

He is part of a team of six scientists, all of whom are believed to have committed suicide within the space of a week of each other. But Kerrin is convinced these suicides are far from that, and now he has made himself a target.

These scientists all worked for a research company and were leading geneticists who were working on a project of creating a drug/programme that could prove to be an anti-dote for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, called The Orlando File.

Kerrin soon embarks on a journey, to both save his life, and avenge those of the six scientists whilst trying to find The Orlando File, which if he proves he has, could save his life, and those he loves. But he finds out the clock is ticking as his wife is taken and the race continues in a tense and shocking conclusion.

Pros:

1. Characters were well developed and interesting
2. Numerous plot twists, both for the reader and the main character, Kerrin
3. The story often changed perspective from character to character, without giving too much of the story away to the reader
4. Once I got past the brief lulls in the first half, I found the second half a lot faster paced and gripping

Cons:

1. The pace of the book was a bit slow in places, and personally I found it hard to remain concentrated and engaged but this was just the author building suspense but for me it was a bit too drawn out
2. Was left a little confused with the epilogue.. not sure if I actually assumed the correct conclusion or what
3. The business conversations etc were a bit too long for my interest and I found I was skipping bits to just get more of the overall story read

Overall:

This was a gripping suspense-filled thriller and I read the remaining 92% of the novel in 2 days. It was an original concept and an enjoyable read!

Despite the personal drawbacks of the book, overall for what it suggested it was, it delivered. It's a captivating (for the most part) page-turner and a drama-filled thriller, that doesn't disappoint.

REVIEW: Fractured; by Dani Atkins

Rating: ★★★★★

(semi-spoiler free review)

Genre: New adult, contemporary romance, mystery, sci-fi

Summary: Rachel is out celebrating with her friends one last time before they all go their separate ways to university. She is with her boyfriend Matt, best friend Jimmy and other girl-friends. However, whilst in the restaurant an out of control car crashes through the window. The car kills Jimmy as he saves Rachel.

Five years on, Rachel has to return to the village where she lost her best friend for a wedding. She is no longer with Matt although he tries his best to win her back. Faced with the memories and the scars, mental and physical ones, she tries to cope with the life she has been left with and not focus in the life she lost, but all she can think of is of Jimmy.

After an incident however, Rachel wakes up to find that Jimmy is still very much alive. She is also engaged to Matt and her father is of full health, whereas she knew him as dying of cancer. She has to work out if the reality she knew was real at all, and whether to embrace the alternative life she has been given or try to go back to the world she believed real where Jimmy was dead. She faces obstacles she never knew existed, and has to decided which man she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

My Thoughts:

This book was recommended to me by my mom! It has everything I love in a book; original idea, some romance, plot twists, and sort of a psychological thriller. The changing from both lives was seamless and well thought out. The book had an appropriate pace and was told from Rachels POV, so the reader found out info as the main character did, which added to the suspense and the impact from the ending.

This is a suspenseful page turner, with some romance, and concludes in a huge plot-twist that will leave you stunned. An utterly thrilling novel with such an original concept that will hold your attention throughout