BLOG TOUR: Dark Reflections by Kelsey Ketch

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Dark Reflections  by Kelsey Ketch. Thanks so much to Kelsey Ketch and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this fun tour, and providing me with a copy of Dark Reflections for honest review. I was in as soon as I read Vampires. Bring on the bloodsuckers!!

Title: Dark Reflections

Author: Kelsey Ketch

Published by: Ketch Books

Released: April 15, 2019

Source: arc copy provided by publisher for review

Goodreads  Amazon

Synopsis: Being possessed by a vampire sucks!

Alana Jones’s world has been completely turned upside-down after being bitten by a vampire’s reflection in a cursed mirror. Now she’s forced to stay in an abandoned Victorian inn on an isolated island off the west coast of Florida, where Alana lives a double life: one as herself and one as a vicious murderer. Over the past year, she has spilt and drunk the blood of sixteen victims. The guilt of their deaths slowly eating away her sanity.
Sixteen dead . . .
However, things become even more complicated when Alana finds Cole, a surfer she felt a connection with the moment they met on the mainland, locked up in the island’s shed. Knowing his death is inevitable, she attempts to distant herself from him, continually reminding herself of the monster residing underneath her skin. Unfortunately, it’s a small island, and the more she interacts with Cole, the more her feelings grow for him.

Eventually, she has to make a decision. Either accept his fate or find a way to expel the vampire’s spirit from within herself before she murders him as well. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: Thank you to Kelsey Ketch and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this fun tour and providing me with a review copy of Dark Reflections.

What a fun, refreshing, and addictive Vampire tale. I'm really hoping that Vampires will be making a comeback in the book world. After Twilight, the market was flooded with Vampire Tales. Some were great, some were bad, and then they just kind of faded back into the crypt. But I've missed a good ol' Vampire yarn, and I was very excited to encounter the evil undead in Dark Reflections. Kelsey Ketch really thought outside the box with her tale, she made it fun, exciting, and different.

I love the idea of Alana being possessed by a Vampire and having no control over what she does in the night. It kind of reminds me of the old werewolf tales. I also love that it's an evil, enchanted mirror that does it to her. So many cool things all in one book. I love it!

The writing was awesome too. Ketch pulled me into her story and I didn't want to leave. I was as horrified as Alana having no control of her actions. I wanted to see how Alana was going to get her life back. I also really enjoyed Cole and Alana.

I'm also a sucker for books that take place on an island, especially an isolated island. Give me that Island Life!

Dark Reflections was such a fun and refreshing read. Vampire fans will love it. It's so intense. I'm definitely going to have to check out more by Kelsey Ketch.

About the Author: Kelsey Ketch is a young-adult/new-adult author, who works as a Wildlife Biologist in the state of North Carolina. During her free time, she can often be found working on her latest work in progress or organizing the New Adult Scavenger Hunt, a biannual blog hop. She also enjoys history, mythology, traveling, and reading.

Website  Twitter

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Fresh Releases: July 30, 2019

These Releases are Fresh, Fresh!
Okay, so I only have one book for today and I know I've been super lax about doing these posts. I honestly don't know where to go to look up all the upcoming releases. It's either I remember they are coming out, or I see other people talking about them.
Anyway, here's the book I know of for this week

The Merciful Crow (#1) by Margaret Owen -- I'm so excited to read this one and I've heard such good things for it. I'm also really pumped because I won an arc of this from Goodreads FirstReads Giveaway! I hope to read it soon.

So that's my Fresh Release for this week. What book did I miss? Let me know in the comments.

Review: Honor Bound (The Honors #2) by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre

Title: Honor Bound (The Honors #2)

Authors: Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books

Released: 2019

Source: Library

Synopsis: Zara Cole was a thief back on Earth, but she’s been recently upgraded to intergalactic fugitive. On the run after a bloody battle in a covert war that she never expected to be fighting, Zara, her co-pilot Beatriz, and their Leviathan ship Nadim barely escaped the carnage with their lives. Now Zara and her crew of Honors need a safe haven, far from the creatures who want to annihilate them. But with two wounded Leviathan to treat, plus human and non-human refugees to help, they’ll have to settle for the nearest outpost, called the Sliver: a wild, dangerous warren of alien criminals. Zara’s skills from the Zone may be invaluable. However, Zara discovers that the secrets of the Sliver may have the power to turn the tide of the war they left behind—but in the wrong direction. Soon Zara will have to make a choice: stand against the ultimate evil or run from it. But she’s never walked away from a fight.

Honor Bound is the second installment in Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre’s thrilling and fresh space saga. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I am so confused and mixed on this series. There are some things that I just can't, nope, ugh, why?? Does it have its good parts? Yes, but the parts that I don't like are so glaring that they kind of take over, and it's all I can think about when I think about this series.

Now, you might be asking, if you don't like this series, then why did you read the sequel? Was it just to hate on it? But that's the thing, I don't hate it. I really like the sci-fi aspects to it. Honor Bound had a lot of fun, sci-fi adventure in its pages. We had a bunch of alien species, a somewhat shady space establishment called the Sliver, (which I read as the Silver for maybe over half the time they were there without noticing ha) and a lot of spacey space adventures. It was a very fast read too, I could get sucked in and just read big chunks at a time. The writing is also really good. Aguirre and Caine make a good team.

So my issues with this book center strictly on the relationship bonding crap pile. I think it is the most dumb, weird, cringe thing I have ever read. I just can't. I'm never going to buy into this relationship between a gigantic alien whale ship and the human that rides inside him. I think it's made even weirder by how sexual the authors' write it. I roll my eyes everytime they join and become Zadim *barf*. And then they decide to include a threesome of some weird kind. It's stupid.

I'm also not the biggest fan of Zara as a character. I think she has a lot of swagger and cockiness, and it just seems so forced. I don't buy it. She's too cool for school and she doesn't feel like an authentic character to me. It's like someone putting on a bad act.

I was also a little irritated by how Honor Bound  ended, in that it DIDN'T. It wasn't even a cliffhanger, it was an end right in the middle of a scene. That's annoying. And I'm also not sure of how I feel of the clues they were giving out of who might come to play in the next one. Seems like a problem that should have just stayed on Earth and been forgotten.

It's also very overdramatic in a lot of its scenes, which can make it like a baaaad soap opera.

I am so perplexed about this series. I'll probably read the next book just because I'm curious as to how everything will turn out. If this book hadn't had that stupid relationship, I probably would really like it, but the sexual bonding makes it dumb and I can't.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.4/5

I am so confused by this series. What is this??

Reading Right Now! (216)

What I'm Reading Right Now! this week is not really going to be that exciting, because it's the same things that I was reading last week. I'm just not that fast of a reader. Plus, with my experimentation on reading two books at once, it almost makes me kind of slower. Blegh. I want to be Ashley the Super Speed Reader! but I'm just Ashley the Mediocre Reader.
Anyway...

 

-- Honor Bound (The Honors #2) by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre -- This is such a weird series and I just don't know how to feel about it. There are parts that I like. It's very fast paced and I like the sci-fi vibe. I don't like how overdramatic it is ALL THE TIME! I don't really like the main character Zara, she has this swagger and cockiness that I just find not very believable, and like she's not a real person. I absolutely hate Zadim, the bonding BS, and the odd/weird/yuck sexual tension between an alien whale ship and a teenage girl. Plus, plus, plus, the threesome that happened in this book. It's just so weird and I don't like it, at all. But there are parts of the story that interest me. I'm so confused about this whole thing. Why did the authors think certain aspects of this story would be a good idea?? But I probably will read the next book because I kind of want to know what will happen next and I have this weird thing about finishing series that I start, even if I don't love them.

Oh and I'm almost done with this. Hooray.

-- Goodbye Paris (Pono Hawkins #3) by Mike Bond -- I got this one for free for honest review. So honestly, this book is just okay so far. It might just be because it's not really my thing, I don't tend to read this kind of story a lot. Pono Hawkins, I'm not really getting his appeal. Why is he this chick magnet? I've seen no evidence to back that up. 

This isn't a book that I'm flying through. It just reads kind of slowly.

I also don't think this is a book that's going to be for everyone because it doesn't take the Politically Correct Mode, which I applaud it for. It's about terrorism, it's about France, and it brings up issues that some might call conspiracy theories and others might say is the unapologetic truth. I don't think everyone will be a fan of this book.

I'm over halfway through. I think it's an okay read so far. I'm interested to see how it ends.

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! If I'm honest, I'm kind of looking forward to getting to something new. What are you reading this weekend?

BLOG TOUR and REVIEW: One Little Secret by Cate Holahan

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for One Little Secret by Cate Holahan. I love a good mystery. I was sent a free copy for honest review from Crooked Lane Books and Meryl Moss Media. Thanks so much to them for letting me be a part of this Blog Tour.

Title: One Little Secret

Author: Cate Holahan

Published by: Crooked Lane Books

Released: July 9th, 2019

Source: Review Copy from Meryl Moss Media / Publisher

Goodreads  Amazon

Synopsis: Everyone has a secret. For some, it's worth dying to protect. For others, it's worth killing.

The glass beach house was supposed to be the getaway that Susan needed. Eager to help her transplanted family set down roots in their new town - and desperate for some kid-free conversation - she invites her new neighbors to join in on a week-long sublet with her and her workaholic husband.
Over the course of the first evening, liquor loosens inhibitions and lips. The three couples begin picking up on the others' marital tensions and work frustrations, as well as revealing their own. But someone says too much. And the next morning one of the women is discovered dead on the private beach.
Town detective Gabby Watkins must figure out who permanently silenced the deceased. As she investigates, she learns that everyone in the glass house was hiding something that could tie them to the murder, and that the biggest secrets of all are often in plain sight for anyone willing to look.

A taut, locked room mystery with an unforgettable cast of characters, One Little Secret promises to keep readers eyes glued to the pages and debating the blinders that we all put on in the service of politeness. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: One Little Secret by Cate Holahan was a really fun and twisty read. It's a glass beach house with secrets and murder! That synopsis just sold me, and I knew I had to read it. I liked the book. It was a good time. The synopsis also bills it as a locked room mystery, which is an idea that I just love when it comes to books or movies or television. I mean, I'm a big fan of Clue, which is the ultimate locked room mystery, so that's a phrase that's designed to grab me. I think One Little Secret is the perfect who-done-it beach read.

There was so much suspense and intrigue in One Little Secret that I just loved. I was kept guessing to how everything would end and just who was guilty. The characters really weren't likable people. They all had secrets, they weren't perfect, and that made them kind of fun to read about and observe.

I definitely plan on reading more from Cate Holahan. She's one that I have to look out for. I'd definitely recommend giving One Little Secret a read. If you like murder mystery thrillers, this might just be the book for you.

Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books and Meryl Moss Media for sending me a gifted early copy to review.

Review: Heroine Complex (#1) by Sarah Kuhn

Title: Heroine Complex (#1)

Author: Sarah Kuhn

Published by: DAW Books, Inc.

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Synopsis: Being a superheroine is hard. Working for one is even harder.

Evie Tanaka is the put-upon personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter, her childhood best friend and San Francisco's most beloved superheroine. She's great at her job—blending into the background, handling her boss's epic diva tantrums, and getting demon blood out of leather pants.
Unfortunately, she's not nearly as together when it comes to running her own life, standing up for herself, or raising her tempestuous teenage sister, Bea.

But everything changes when Evie's forced to pose as her glamorous boss for one night, and her darkest secret comes out: she has powers, too. Now it's up to her to contend with murderous cupcakes, nosy gossip bloggers, and supernatural karaoke battles—all while juggling unexpected romance and Aveda's increasingly outrageous demands. And when a larger threat emerges, Evie must finally take charge and become a superheroine in her own right... or see her city fall to a full-on demonic invasion. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I thought I was going to love this more than I actually did. It was fine, it was all right, but Heroine Complex didn't grab me in the way I was hoping for. It's a very light version of a super hero tale. It tries to hit in that spot of funny and cute, but it didn't really succeed for me. I found a lot of the story to be kind of cheesy and annoying. I wasn't ever on the edge of my seat for any of it. Some situations just felt really rushed and I questioned how we even got there, what was the thought process.

I think I was the most annoyed at the beginning of the book, and Aveda Jupiter was the main reason. She was the most self-centered super hero I've ever met. She was like a large child, with minimal super powers and good fighting skills, who would then throw super tantrums. I don't think she was a good friend to Evie, but at the same time, Evie let her walk all over her. I don't think their friendship is one that I'd aspire to. The situation that Aveda puts Evie to, and that Evie agrees to, is just so frustrating. And it just kept piling on after that. Aveda was very controlling of Evie, and what was more annoying is that Evie let her. She didn't stand up for herself at the beginning, she just let Aveda decide these things for her. That's not friendship to me. Aveda was selfish. The only reason she was interested in protecting the city of San Francisco was because of the fame and attention it brought her. What a shallow reason.

As the book went on, Aveda got better, which is good, I guess. I think the sequel is going to be focused on Aveda, and it helps that I don't hate her now as much as I did at the beginning of Heroine Complex. It would be tough to read that sequel if I did despise her.

I liked the romance between Evie and Nate, but I feel like it needed a little more development. One minute they hated each other, and the next they're sex buddies. I mean, I love a good enemies to lovers story, but you've got to give the time to develop it. This just felt rushed.

Evie as a main character was okay. I thought it was dumb how she let herself get walked all over by Aveda. I thought it was dumb how quickly she wanted to give up her power. But what irritated me more about her power was Aveda just expecting for Evie to give it to her, once it proved useful. I mean, how selfish can you be.

So I ranted a lot in this review, but I did (mostly) enjoy this book. I thought it was fun, but there were just a lot of things that irritated me. I wanted something different than what Heroine Complex provided. Probably the main thing that really drew me to this book was the cover. It has an awesome cover design, the whole series does. I was also intrigued by the synopsis. So, for all my irritation, I'll probably end up reading the rest of the series. Heroine Complex wasn't bad, it just wasn't the awesome book I was expecting it to be.

This was my third read for The Book Junkie Trials Readathon, Team Mage. It counted for the quest of Glimmer.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

It's all about the FAME baby!

Reading Right Now! (215)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...
I'm trying to do that two book thing again. We'll see what happens.

 

-- Goodbye Paris (Pono Hawkins #3) by Mike Bond -- This one I received for free for an honest review. It's the third book in a series and I haven't read the first two, but I think that'll be okay. Goodbye Paris is a good ol' fashioned action thriller. It's about this former military man who has to go to Paris to catch a terrorist. I've pretty much just started it, but I'm excited to read more.

-- Honor Bound (The Honors #2) by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre -- This is the second book in The Honors Series, and I've got to be honest, I didn't love the first book. I liked a lot of it, but, but, but, there's just one thing that I find so dumb in it.

Anyway, Honor Bound is going pretty well so far. It's a super fast read. I do think Zara's bad-assery is too forced. I'm enjoying it overall.

Buuut the thing I find so irritating about this series is this weird relationship that Zara and Whale Ship/Leviathan Nadim have. It is so odd to me, so annoying, and weirdly sexual. I don't get it or understand it at all. I will admit to rolling my eyes every time Zadim is mentioned. That crap is so dumb. It's so dumb!

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you Reading?