Monday #Review - A Promise of Ruin by @CuylerOverholt @Sourcebooks #Mystery #Historical Fiction

Series: Dr. Genevieve Summerford # 2
Format: E-Galley, 320 pages
Release Date: August 8, 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Source: Edelweiss
Genre: Mystery & Detective / Historical

To stop the trafficking ring plaguing her city, Dr. Genevieve Summerford must dive into New York’s underworld 

In early 1900s New York, the formidable crime syndicate known as the Black Hand has been terrorizing the city's Italian community with bombings and kidnappings. When a young Italian girl is found drowned and sexually defiled, Dr. Genevieve Summerford suspects the organization has expanded into forced prostitution, and she won't rest until the trafficking ring is brought to justice.

A Promise of Ruin, by author Cuyler Overholt, is the second installment in the Dr. Genevieve Summerford Mystery series. This is a series that is set in 1907 New York City. Dr. Genevieve is a specialist in neurology and mental therapy (psychotherapy). She is the first woman to practice in this advanced field, which we now take for granted. Unlike other psychiatrists, Genna specializes in healing the brain, not just the body. Genevieve is a young woman marked by her past.

She holds herself responsible for what happened to her younger brother, which in turn, drives her to be more passionate and more caring when it comes to others who have a variety of problems. After her romantic interest, Irishman Simon Finn, pulls a young woman's body from the river that shows obvious signs of abuse, Genna becomes aware of a group calling itself the Black Hand. The Black Hand is apparently into extortion, and preying on their fellow countrymen, which in this case, are Italians. But, are they also into sex trafficking and kidnapping? 

What makes Genna get involved is a young Italian girl named Rosa who claims her friend is missing. A friend who recently arrived from Italy with hopes of marrying the boy she loves, and may have got caught up in something sick and twisted. I will agree with one aspect of this story. Italians really did take care of their own, and we always have. Italians carry a deep, dark distrust of police officers and the legal process that is supposed to protect the innocents. While this was a good and sustained mystery with some surprises, the parts that actually intrigued me were the ones that focused on the Italian Community.

As an Italian-American, I have often harped about the inconsistencies when it comes to Italian immigrants coming to the US. As one who knows all too well how my descendants were treated as they came ashore at Ellis Island, this story pains me to the bone. I know about how my ancestors were quarantined until they could show they didn't carry diseases. I know that my ancestors weren't allowed to leave unless there was someone there, IE a sponsor, who would take responsibility for them. 

I know that my ancestors somehow made their way from lower Manhattan, where they lived in squalor, to Upstate New York where my mother was born and raised. A Promise of Ruin is a story about a group of people who lure young women from Italy with promises of marriage, and a new life, only to be sold into sex slavery. I don't think this issue has been raised to the level where anyone in this country can say that they are not OK with what is happening to these young women, girls, and yes, even boys for that matter. So, while Genna navigates her way through a decent mystery, the actual historical setting is what impressed me the most. For me, I could actually put myself into the story and feel as though the author did an impressive job creating a realistic setting and realistic characters like Pauline Goldstein, and Lucia Siavo. I am hopeful for another story in this series, but I feel rather satisfied at the way this story ends with Genna, Simon, and some new friends in a really good place.

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Saturday #Review - Ferocious by Paula Stokes #YALit #Science Fiction @pstokesbooks @torteen

Series: Vicarious # 2
Format: E-Galley, 352 pages
Release Date: August 15, 2017
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.

When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter—finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.

Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?

Ferocious, by author Paula Stokes, is the second and final installment in the author's Vicarious duology. As we learned from the previous installment, Winter Kim's sister (Rose) is dead, the man who she thought of as a father figure (Gideon) is also dead. Jesse Ramirez and Sebastian Baz Faber are in the hospital, and it appears as though Winter may have a brother who she never knew. A brother who was born after Winter and her sister Rose were given up for adoption in South Korea, and later brought to Los Angeles.

What's worse, the man responsible for it all, Kyung Cho, wants the ViSE technology that was created by Gideon. Kyung is a disgusting piece of work. He made Rose and Winter's life a living hell by putting them to work as sex workers in LA, now he wants to tear Winter's world apart even further. Winter's past was brought to light earlier in the series, and that is explored even further. She has what's known as DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). Winter's alternative personas include her sister Rose, and a new character who we meet in this story called Lily. Lily is such a dangerous and frightening character. While Rose may be the voice of reason, Lily is the one who does the things that needs to be done to survive.

After the ViSE tech is stolen from her, Winter gets a surprising partner to hunt Kyung and end him for good. That person is Jesse Ramirez. Jesse is a veteran who lost his hearing in one ear, and has survived being shot and nearly dying. A partner who has obvious feelings for Winter. Winter's journey takes her from St. Louis, to San Diego, to Los Angeles, and then on to South Korea. South Korea is the favorite part of this story. I say that because Ms Stokes has obviously done her research and that research clearly shows in her story. She has obviously been to the country and therefore knows the scenery, the culture, and the cuisine better than anyone who hasn't been there before.

Stoke's story is amazing in that I felt as though I was along for the ride right next to Winter, Jesse, and even Sebastian who later shows up offering his much needed expertise. I have never been to Korea. I have no desire to travel there with everything going on in the Asia-Pacific region. But, I do want to try the delicious food that the author mixes into her story. Stokes does a remarkable job of weaving her characters into the real world environment that she has chosen. Stokes could have played it safe and stayed in St. Louis for the duration of this series. Instead, she upped her game even more with elements of surprise, action, and relationship moments that are finally sussed out. 

Winter's DID isn't covered up by the author, but explored with phone calls to her psychiatrist. Winter's worries about a relationship with Jesse isn't just a crutch for the story. It is an important ingredient to the final product that is filled with diverse and curious characters. Winter being a broken character who attempts to rise from her issues with DID is what made me yearn for this sequel. A sequel that might actually even better than the first installment. 

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#Review - The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee #YALit #Fantasy #Myth & Legends

Series: Unknown
Format: E-Galley, 336 pages
Release Date: August 8, 2017
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

American Born Chinese meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this grounded supernatural YA mash-up

The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie’s every waking thought. But when she discovers she’s a celestial spirit who’s powerful enough to bash through the gates of heaven with her fists, her perfectionist existence is shattered.

Enter Quentin, a transfer student from China whose tone-deaf assertiveness beguiles Genie to the brink of madness. Quentin nurtures Genie’s outrageous transformation—sometimes gently, sometimes aggressively—as her sleepy suburb in the Bay Area comes under siege from hell-spawn.

This epic YA debut draws from Chinese folklore, features a larger-than-life heroine, and perfectly balances the realities of Genie’s grounded high school life with the absurd supernatural world she finds herself commanding.

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is the debut novel from author F.C Yee. 16-year old Genie Lo (Pei-Yi) is a Chinese-American girl who is driven to get into the best Ivy Leagues schools. Things become rather intriguing after she watches 6 men beat the hell out of a unknown boy who she tries to help by throwing her book bag at. A unknown boy who shows up at her school unblemished, and perfectly fine. A boy who calls himself Quentin Sun. A boy who is soon stalking Genie because he believes he knows who she really is. 

According to Chinese Mythology, the Monkey King made a fateful journey to the West alongside his master Xuanzang, a monk in the Tang Dynasty, and his trusty weapon Ruyi Jingu Bang in exchange for his freedom. The author also imports yet another Chinese myth in the form of Bodhisattva Guanyin who really stands out. This story becomes something of a full pledged demon hunt after 100 demons escape from Chinese Hell known as Diyu. Most of them already have been defeated by the Monkey King. Now, the clock is ticking. Quentin and Genie must put aside their conflicts and join together to save not only her town, but California.

Not only does the author flip the script by creating a kickass female demon hunter, but he also writes Quentin as being small in stature, while Genie is tall for a female, which is bloody brilliant since it is absolutely amazing to finally have a character who is similair to me in height being a kick ass heroine in an action packed story. One of the more interesting twists in this story is Genie's anger issues. They give her what's called battle rage, or if you like, blood lust enough to do what needs to be done to save her town from a wild Demon invasion that seems unstoppable. 

One of the highlights for me in this entire story is the Chinese Mythology that encapsulates every single character in this book. There is so much humor and crazy banter between Genie and Quentin that you can't help but giggle and laugh your butts off. Yes, Genie has a dry humor. Yes, Genie does have anger issues at times. But it is these anger issues that makes her such a kickass heroine. One that I look forward to following to the next installment in this series.

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#Review - A Kiss Before Doomsday by Laurence MacNaughton #Urban Fantasy @Pyr_Books ‏

Series: Dru Jasper # 2
Format: Kindle, 290 pages
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Publisher: Pyr
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: Urban Fantasy

When an undead motorcycle gang attacks Denver’s sorcerers, only one person can decipher the cryptic clues left behind—Dru Jasper, proprietor of the Crystal Connection and newly minted sorceress.

Though Dru has learned how to harness the powers of her crystals, she’s in over her head. A necromancer is using forbidden sorcery to fulfill the prophecy of the apocalypse and bring about the end of the world.

Dru’s only chance to stop him requires tracking down her would-be boyfriend, hot rod mechanic and half-demon Greyson. Everyone thinks he’s dead, but Dru believes he’s still alive, and finding him is the key to unraveling this evil.

To learn the truth behind the necromancer’s attacks, Dru must team up with her friends, and maybe even an enemy or two. Only Rane’s brawn, Opal’s wisdom, and Salem’s spells can help her infiltrate the necromancer’s hidden lair, stop the prophecy, and save the world. But they need to do it fast before legions of the undead rise to consume the souls of everyone on earth. . 

A Kiss Before Doomsday, by author Laurence MacNaughton, is the second installment in the authors Dru Jasper series. For those new to this series, I eagerly recommend that you start by reading It Happened One Doomsday. Why you ask? Because AKBD begins right where IHOD left off. Dru is struggling to regain her mojo after her job was destroyed in the last installment. She is also wondering whether or not Greyson survived their trip to the Netherworld where they (Dru, Rane, & Greyson) temporarily put a hold on the Apocalypse. 

Unfortunately, things have not gone back to normal in Denver. Sorcerers are missing. The Apocalypse scrolls haven't been found, and creatures shooting webs from their hands are capturing people. The plague of undead walking the streets gives Dru the idea that someone is pushing ahead with the original seven harbingers idea of cleansing the world and beginning all over again. But, who is to blame? Dru and her crew, which now includes Opal, attempts to uncover the newest villains devious plot. Will they be successful? 

Let me reintroduce you to the characters in this series. 

Dru Jasper is the bookish owner of The Crystal Connection. It is a sorcery shop that sells potions, charms, and enchanted crystals. Real sorcerers haven't given her any respect over the years, but her shop is the first place they run to when they need help. Dru has had a rough time lately. She lost any hope of a normal life when Greyson showed up and rocked her world. Now, the one person who has the ability to make her powers even stronger than they are is missing, and the fate of the world is still hanging in the balance thanks to yet another megalomaniac. 

Greyson and his 1969 Dodge Charger called Hellbringer are the next characters you should know about. Both Greyson and his car are possessed. Greyson by what we've learned is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I've taken to call Hellbringer the reincarnation of Steven King's Christine. Greyson was last seen at the end of AKBD in a bad way, but we've not see the last of the street-smart mechanic who has the ability to make Dru even stronger and her heart flutter. 

The third character we've already met. Her name is Rane. She calls herself Dru's best friend. She's a sorcerer who has the ability to transform into rock or mental just by touching it. She is a loose cannon at times, and she has a sarcastic attitude that matches mine which means I love this woman. Rane has some romantic issue's this time out. Nothing a good punch in the nose won't fix. 

Our fourth character didn't participate much in the previous installment, but she does in this one. Opal is Dru's business partner and one who keeps Dru focuses. She has no magic of her own, but she can find and research anything quickly which saves Dru tons of time. Opal's wicked fashion sense got a huge giggle out of me when she, Dru, and Rane attend a strange costume party that has lured sorcerers in from all over Denver. Have to give the author credit. Opal's presence was a really good addition to the story.

The last character worth mentioning is Salem. Salem and Rane have a history. A history that is like a rollercoaster from hell that just can't stop entertaining. Salem is quite possibly the most powerful sorcerer in Colorado, and has a tendency to treat Dru like dog crap, to be honest. Which brings us to his conflict of egos after discovering that Dru isn't a pushover, but someone that needs to be respected. Can Salem put his personality on hold for a moment to help Dru save the world? 

I really have no squabbles with this installment. I adore the quirky characters. I love the action, and suspense. I do have high hopes that a third installment will be forthcoming soon.

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#Review - Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff #Thriller #Mystery @XpressoTours

Series: The Huntress/FBI Thrillers # 1
Format: Hardcover, 
Release Date: November 18, 2014
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Source: Publisher
Recommended By: 
Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Book One in the riveting new Huntress/FBI series about a driven FBI agent on the hunt for that most rare of all killers: a female serial.

FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke is closing in on a bust of a major criminal organization in San Francisco when he witnesses an undercover member of his team killed right in front of him on a busy street, an accident Roarke can't believe is coincidental. His suspicions put him on the trail of a mysterious young woman who appears to have been present at each scene of a years-long string of "accidents" and murders, and who may well be that most rare of killers: a female serial.

Roarke's hunt for her takes him across three states...while in a small coastal town, a young father and his five-year old son, both wounded from a recent divorce, encounter a lost and compelling young woman on the beach and strike up an unlikely friendship without realizing how deadly she may be.

As Roarke uncovers the shocking truth of her background, he realizes she is on a mission of her own, and must race to capture her before more blood is shed.

Huntress Moon is the first installment in author Alexandra Sokoloff's The Huntress/FBI Thrillers series. This is a series that features FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke who is hunting what might well be the first of its kind; a female serial killer. A female killer that is targeting the darkest, and most twisted in our society. As the story begins, Roarke and his team are on the brink of taking down a criminal organization. One could say that Roarke has a sixth sense. 

He senses that something horrible is going to happen. Roarke watches as his undercover operative is killed right before his eyes after encountering a mystery woman who witnesses claim said something to the undercover agent before he was killed. Soon thereafter, Roarke is flying to Salt Lake City, and Portland to investigate possible links to the mystery woman who was spotted in all three cities. A mystery woman that has left no clues, no fingerprints, and has done such a brilliant job cleaning up after herself, that you wonder if she is a professional killer.

This is a series that has been on my radar for quite some time. I was lucky enough to be approved by Xpresso Book Tours & sent the first four books in this series to read. Plus, the publisher sent me a finished copy of Huntress Moon for a fair and honest review. If you are like me, you remember Aileen Wournos. Wournos killed seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990 by shooting them at point-blank range after accusing them of raping or sexually assaulting her. 

Roarke is a former profiler for the FBI's BAU unit. He is very good at his job. He is in his element when he hunts for killers. As I mentioned before, he also has a unique intuition that leads him down avenues other might not think about. Everything that happens in this story can be linked back to one event that happened 30 years ago in a quite town in California. An event so brutal that it led one person, Roarke, into going into the FBI, while leading another, who we later learn is Cara Lindstrom, to hunt down very bad people which includes a child abuser, two rapists, a drug dealer, and a bomber. 

The author asks you to question things as you are reading. What makes people turn into monsters? What makes them do horrifying, hurtful things to people they don't know? Is it nature, nurture, or a fucked up childhood? Could something be missing in their brains that leads to a lack of good conscience? One could say that these people got what they deserved. But, others will shout up who the hell made her judge and jury? Truth be told, had my rapists not been caught by the LEO's in NY, I would have gone after them myself. Does that make me a bad person? After 20 years, I do believe I've done my penance for my anger issues. 

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#Review - The Savage Dawn by Melissa Grey #YALit #Fantasy

Series: The Girl at Midnight # 3
Format: Hardcover, 496 pages
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

The sides have been chosen and the battle lines drawn.

Echo awakened the Firebird. Now she is the only one with the power to face the darkness she unwittingly unleashed . . . right into the waiting hands of Tanith, the new Dragon Prince. Tanith has one goal in mind: destroy her enemies, raze their lands, and reign supreme in a new era where the Drakharin are almighty and the Avicen are nothing but a memory.

The war that has been brewing for centuries is finally imminent. But the scales are tipped. Echo might hold the power to face the darkness within the Dragon Prince, but she has far to go to master its overwhelming force. And now she’s plagued by uncertainty. With Caius no longer by her side, she doesn’t know if she can do it alone. Is she strong enough to save her home and the people she loves?

Whether Echo is ready to face this evil is not the question. The war has begun, and there is no looking back. There are only two outcomes possible: triumph or death.

The Savage Dawn, by author Melissa Grey, is the third and final installment in the author's The Girl at Midnight trilogy. As the story picks up, Echo is fearful for the safety of Caius who was taken by his sister Tanith. The same Tanith who dethroned him as Dragon Prince, and also allowed the dangerous darkness known as Kucedra to enter her body. Echo has been hearing about the fated Firebird prophecy from Ala, the Avicen who saved her, since she stabbed herself in the heart, and became it's vassal. But, Echo disrupted the balance when she welcomed the Firebird into herself, and into the world, and now the world is in deep trouble.

Even though there's clearly a whole lot of blame to go around, Echo is taking much of the blame on herself for what happened to the Avicen nest and also at Avalon Castle where she failed to stop Tanith. She's showing signs of uncertainty in how she is supposed to save the world from the Kucedra who she is supposed to offset with her light. After Echo's fight with Tanith, there are now issues with getting around, and there are holes in the very fabric of the world. This makes things really interesting when Echo & Darian try to rescue Caius along with Jasper who I'm still not impressed with. I do have to say that I loved Echo's growth. She's found a family who respects her, even though she is a human, and a thief, and rallies around her when the chips are down.

I have to say that I am happy that Rowan has become another character altogether. He doesn't mope around and get jealous over idiocy when the world is about to be torn apart. He is Echo's friend no matter what, and friends stick with each other even through disagreements. The other character I have loved from the beginning is Ivy. She is a pure of heart, and pure of soul character. She is a healer who works her ass off to save both her own people, and the humans affected by the Kucedra's darkness. She also believes in people though they sometimes need a quick kick in the ass.

Grey really impressed me with her Tomb Raider like scenes with Echo & Dorian & Jasper following a rather brilliantly built trail where death is imminent at every turn. Plus, did I mention the brilliant appearance of a freaking Dragon? Readers of this series have known that Grey would finally go full bore and bring out the battle between good and evil. For this to happen, Echo and her allies have to save NYC from Tanith and her shadow monsters. Unfortunately, I'm very sad, again, at how this book ends. I said as much after reading Our Dark Duet. It's my choice as a reader not to feel happy when things don't go the way I believed they should have. Especially with all the heart aches that Echo has had to suffer through from the beginning of the series. Perhaps the only real down fall of this whole final story.

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#Cover Reveal! Amanda Carlson's Holly Danger Series #Science Fiction #Dystopian @amandaccarlson ‏

Announcing the

Holly Danger series

by Amanda Carlson

Book One:

DANGER’S HALO

 Coming September 18

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Futuristic

ABOUT DANGER’S HALO

153 years in the future, Earth doesn’t look much like it used to.

Holly Danger’s current assignment, gleaned from a set of foggy instructions and a handful of coin stuffed into a slot, is pick up a street kid who’s about to terminate himself by jumping off a cliff. And, as a rule, she doesn’t turn down currency. Her job as a salvager keeps her fed and clothed above the norm, which isn’t saying much.

The norm in this city is a scrape-by existence in a post-apocalyptic world, where the rain never stops, food is always scarce, and the elite have deserted the ranks in search of something better. Picking up this urchin won’t take much time, even if he’s located outside city limits. Her craft is fast, her weapons deadly, and her tech has been optimized as well as it can be for a climate clogged with iron dust.

But things take a big turn when she decides to become the boy’s guardian instead of hand him over. Outskirts have descended on the city, and their plans don’t include playing nice. When her crew is backed against a graphene wall, it’s a good thing her Gem is primed and ready to go. It’s almost as deadly as she is…

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The rest to come…

Book Two:

DANGER’S VICE

 Coming October 23

Blurb and Buy links to come

Book Three:

DANGER’S RACE

Coming December 4

Blurb and Buy links to come

Author Bio:

Amanda is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a BA in both Speech and Hearing Science & Child Development. She went on to get an A.A.S in Sign Language Interpreting and worked as an interpreter until her first child was born. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three kids.

Website: http://www.amandacarlson.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amandaccarlson

Instagram: http://instagram.com/author_amanda