All the Books.

“Arkady Tsepesh has returned home, to Transylvania, due to his father’s declining health. His very pregnant wife, Mary has accompanied him and is curious to learn about the side of her Husband she’s never seen, the family Dracul. What I thought would perhaps be an origin story of Dracula, was instead a very complex and rather uncomfortable tale of complicated and rather disturbing family dynamics. The big reveal came far too late and the ending just dragged.” ⭐⭐ Pros: A truly unique Vampire Story Cons: The “Indignant British Gentleman” feel of the vast majority of the book and then the complete 180 was the end was really jarring/The ending went on for far too long, actually had me dozing at parts. Full Review:  Arkady Tsepesh is returning to Transylvania after receiving a telegram from his sister, Zsuzsanna that their Father is dying. He brings his young wife, Mary and their as of yet, unborn child with him. Unfortunately, he arrives too late and his father has already passed. Di...

"Cane did his research, basing the separate stories in this book on actual, historical events. It was a stark, painful, gut-wrenching look at the horrors of slavery but at the same time, Cane showed that there was always hope, strength and togetherness. His message that even the smallest spark can start a fire of Rebellion is one that will stay with me for a long time."  ⭐⭐⭐ Pros:  An unflinching look at the deprivations of slavery but also stories of hope and inspiration, proving that resistance against oppression will always find a way and can begin with a single spark.  Cons:    Cane’s writing style felt flat but also almost overdone at the same time.  Full Review:  It begins in Goochland, Virginia on Magnolia Row. Henri, a young slave who has recently been sold to the Raglands, who run Magnolia Row, feels lost and unmoored. He tries to find his place and do his work and finds a few friends, Ruby, one of the Souls who keeps the Master's house, a you...

"What I thought was going to be an overly done teenage romance ended up being a surprisingly genuine and frankly powerful story about connection, fate and, yes, love. Natasha and Daniel's whirlwind day of coincidences and fate in NYC had its moments of laughably teenage melodrama but overall, Yoon's written a remarkable testament to how everything has a cause and effect."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros: Yoon crafted a fun, informative, intelligent, sad, complex layered love story/I really enjoyed the small glimpses into the lives of the people Natasha/Daniel interacted with/This was a deep and genuine story and it honestly made me tear up.   Cons : I've always found the overly intense, teenage, "love at first sight" cliche hilarious because, come on now, take a minute😂 /The number of rare coincidences began to teeter precariously toward silly by the end but Yoon managed to balance it out in a practical and powerful way.    Full Review:  Natasha is an intelligent, driv...

"It began with a Birthday party and ended in a blood bath. The Folcrum Party Massacre destroyed so many lives and the repercussions of that horrible night are still rippling and making waves, decades later. Though Leewood Folcrum never wavers in his story, that he is innocent, there are those who are determined to find out the truth, no matter the cost. This was an intensely dark, edge of your seat, riveting thriller and I couldn't put it down."   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros:  Torre’s pacing was great and all the big reveals were jaw dropping. Cons: Though Perla was a terrifying character in her determination, she was also creepy in seeing her daughter as competition for her husband's affections.  Full Review Leewood Folcrum is currently serving life in prison for a crime he claims he didn't commit. The Folcrum Party massacre which began as an innocent Birthday/Slumber party for Jennifer Folcrum ended in a blood bath. Leewood was found with his daughters' body in his arms and ...

"Every family has its past, its secrets and its struggles and the Fall family of Paradise Springs is no exception. The fact that all the descendents of the Fall family are cursed doesn't make things any easier. Things finally start to change when a rainbow-haired girl named Cassidy shows up and helps all the Fall children understand that goodness and love can grow even in the darkest of times."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros : Nelson doesn’t shy away from the rough parts of life but through it all there’s always light and hope/The ending of Part 3 was quite a shocker/When all the pieces began fitting together it definitely improved the story.   Cons:  Miles and his obsession with sex, it got rather obnoxious/The lineage of the Falls was a necessary part of the story but I do wish people would just be honest with one another/Except for Cassidy, every other character bothered me for different reasons.  Full Review:  The Fall family has not had an easy time of things. Theo Fall...

​ "It's been two years since Addison stumbled onto the road, bloody and bewildered. She was lucky enough to be picked up by a kind-hearted truck driver and given the chance to create another life. But just as her new life starts to come together, someone from her past, who can tell her everything that happened and fill in the gaps, appears. This was an engrossing read, simply because I was curious as to what had happened to Addison to cause her amnesia but in the end it felt overdone and honestly, a little bit silly."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros: It did pique my interest because I'm a terribly curious person/Ed and Gigi seemed like genuinely kind and caring people.  Cons: Blythe was rather obsessed with wealth and stature and a bit of a snob/From Part III to the end explained everything that had happened but it all felt overdone and shady, like no one would have started asking questions about Cassandra's whereabouts?  Full Review:  It's been two years since Addison came to...

"The story of Achilles, renowned for his strength, speed and skills at warfare but as told from his ever faithtful friend and companion, Patroclus. Though it had its cliche moments as every romance will, I was pleasantly surprised at how true Miller stayed to the original source of The Illiad . This was a pleasantly surprising and unique take on Homer's epic tale."  ⭐⭐⭐ Pros:  I liked that it was told from Patroclus POV/Miller stays true to The Illiad , which I greatly appreciated.  Cons:  Lots of “burning pleasure” and “fierce, fervor”, all the romance cliches/Achilles arrogance is staggering but that's what Hubris is and that's why it's always the heroes' downfall.   Full Review:  When Patroclus is exiled from his father's kingdom for inadvertently killing a boy and sent to Phthia, he's alone and terrified. At first, he goes unnoticed by basically everyone. When he first sees Achilles, the young Prince, he's enraptured but far too shy to say ...

"When life-long friends, Sadie Green and Sam Masur decide to take a chance and work together to create a video game, they know they're creating something truly special. What follows is a story full of wins, losses, love, lies, friendship, betrayals and the list goes on. It's impossible to properly describe this book. It's one of those stories that you have to read to understand and appreciate."   ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: Marx is a genuinely good, caring, kind person and friend/The NPC part of this novel had me close to tears. It was heart breaking and beautiful.  Cons:  A lot of the drama could have been avoided if the characters were just honest with each other but, then there'd be no conflict/Sadie and Sam drove me a little insane and I wanted to smack them both at times.  Full Review:  Sadie Green first meets Samson Masur in a Children's hospitals in California. Sadie's sister is battling Leukemia, while Sam has gone through multiple surgeries to try and repair ...

"Aleys believes she's meant to serve a higher purpose, that her life should be devoted to love and serve God. When her father offers her hand in marriage to a wealthy merchant, she gets her chance as she runs off to join the Franciscan brotherhood as a way to escape her fate. Little does she know that her service to God will take her places she probably never imagined."  ⭐⭐⭐ Pros:  The plot was complex and intricate enough to keep me reading/Marte was a great character, thoughtful but quiet, rarely letting on how much she notices or hears. Cons:  Aleys could be a bit overbearing and arrogant at times/The tension with Friar Lukas at the end was just cringe-worthy. Yes, it led to the insane conclusion but at the same time, parts of it were just gross and unnecessary.  Full Summary: Aleys has always loved the stories from her mother's Psalter. She doesn't understand the words but the images and teachings have always stayed with her. She knows she's meant for some...