BOOK REVIEW: BLOOD GAMBLE BY MELISSA F. OLSON

Title: Blood Gamble

Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published on: July 25, 2017 by 47North

If there is one city that Scarlett Bernard hates, it’s Las Vegas. But when the cardinal vampire of Los Angeles convinces her to go investigate a new vampire-themed stage show, Scarlett quickly finds herself shoulder-deep in sequins, slot machines, and Old World intrigue.

The show’s creators are vampire celebrities Arthur and Lucy Holmwood, who once inspired characters from the original Dracula. Now, however, they have no qualms about announcing their true status to the human world, endangering the secrecy of the Old World and Scarlett’s mission to keep it hidden.

But before she can begin untangling the Holmwoods’ motives, Scarlett also discovers that their new production has attracted more than just fans: Las Vegas’s many vampires are suddenly disappearing, and rumors are flying that actual vampire hunters may have followed Arthur and Lucy to town.

Now, without her allies, her bargest, or her frequent partner Jesse Cruz, Scarlett must navigate a new underworld of secrets and murders in a city where nothing is ever as it seems. And the stakes have never been higher.

By now, Scarlett Bernard should need no introduction. Blood Gamble is book five in her series, and eight overall in the Old World Chronology. In this book, Scarlett finds herself trying to solve a problem unlike any she’s ever faced before. The timing isn’t great, as Scarlett broke up with her werewolf boyfriend Eli at the end of Midnight Curse. They both realized they had changed so much over the years. Scarlett and Eli were no longer right for each other. The two still remain good friends. And at least, Scarlett has her old roommate Molly (a vampire) back in her life.

The past four books in Scarlett’s series all took place in Los Angeles. Now, the new case brings with it a change of scenery. Dashiell, the cardinal vampire of LA, is the one who tasks Scarlett with looking into an issue. There’s a vampire-related show, Demeter, being performed in Las Vegas. Dashiell wants to make sure it doesn’t expose the Old World. Scarlett is reluctant to go at first, as she really doesn’t like Las Vegas. With a little…encouragement from Dashiell, Scarlett has no choice but to relent. She’ll just be a scout anyway. The case doesn’t appear like it’ll be as big as Scarlett’s previous ones.

BOOK REVIEW: MIDNIGHT CURSE BY MELISSA F. OLSON

Title: Midnight Curse

Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published on: February 7, 2017 by 47North

Scarlett Bernard is used to cleaning up messes. As a human who cancels out any magic around her, Scarlett’s job is to keep the supernatural world hidden—at any cost.

But on the eve of the Vampire Trials, a two-day tribunal that allows the otherworldly community to air their grievances, Scarlett receives a blood-soaked message from Molly, her estranged former roommate. Molly, a vampire, had been living with twelve human college students…and in one terrible night, she slaughtered them all.

Scarlett believes Molly’s been set up, but no one else in the Old World agrees with her. Meanwhile, the true perpetrator is determined to make sure Molly goes on trial for the massacre—and the penalty is death.

With less than two days to prove her friend’s innocence, Scarlett calls on former LAPD detective Jesse Cruz to help her dig into Molly’s past. But no one—Molly included—wants Scarlett and Jesse to bring the terrible truth to light.

The original protagonist of the Old World Chronology, Scarlett Bernard, is back for another adventure. This is an urban fantasy that takes place in contemporary LA. Scarlett is a null, a human capable of negating magic around her. She last appeared in Hunter’s Trail. Midnight Curse takes place after the Boundary Magic trilogy, set in the same world. It’s not necessary to read those books beforehand, though.

Three years have elapsed since Scarlett’s last big case. She’s still working as a crime scene cleaner for the vampire, witch, and werewolf factions. Scarlett is also in a relationship with Eli, the beta of the werewolf pack. Things appear to be going great with them. Scarlett also still has the bargest whose loyalty she won in Hunter’s Trail. For those who don’t know, a bargest is a huge dog magically endowed with immense strength and endurance. Dashiell, the cardinal vampire of LA, charged Scarlett with looking after the bargest, whom she named Shadow.

BOOK REVIEW: BREAK ME BY TIFFANY SNOW

Title: Break Me

Author: Tiffany Snow
Genre: Romance
Published on: March 14, 2017 by Montlake Romance

Just a few weeks ago, computer prodigy China Mack's typical night in involved Endor Star Wars pajamas and a sensible bedtime. Now she's dating gorgeous tech guru Jackson Cooper--one of Forbes's Top Ten Eligible Billionaires--much to the Twitterverse's delight.

Turns out, going from socially inept hermit to poster girl for geek chic has its challenges. China's relationship gets even more complicated because her role heading the top-secret Vigilance program--where she's partnered with Superman clone Clark Slattery--makes her a target. And when ruthless businessman Simon Lu plans to co-opt Vigilance software to blackmail government and military employees, he'll need China's cooperation--willing or otherwise.

But not every enemy is so easily identified. Some hide in plain sight, in very high places, and mistaking foe for friend could be the last mistake China ever makes...

Break Me is the second installment of the Corrupted Hearts series. The protagonist is China Mack (whose actual surname, according to her, is unpronounceable). She’s a gifted programmer with genius-level intellect. China’s also very OCD and is not good with social interactions. Despite being in her early twenties, China already has an impressive resume. She used to work for Cysnet, a prominent tech company owned by Jackson Cooper. In the previous book, the two became close and are now dating. China resigned from her job, though. She got an offer that she couldn’t refuse.

The aforementioned offer was a bit of a twist in the ending of Follow Me. As revealed, the project that China and Jackson had been working on was a program called Vigilance. It’s a sophisticated tool that can gather data from various sources. Vigilance can then use this data to predict, for instance, whether a specific person is planning a bombing. It’s very Minority Report meets Edward Snowden, so China obviously saw how dangerous and controversial the program could be. There’s nothing she can do about the government using this tool, though. The president issued a special directive (a sort of non-public executive order) to put together a team that will harness Vigilance. And he wanted China to be the leader.

BOOK REVIEW: SNAP JUDGMENT BY MARCIA CLARK

Title: Snap Judgment

Author: Marcia Clark

Genre: Mystery, thriller

Published on: August 29, 2017 by Thomas & Mercer

In the third installment of Marcia Clark’s bestselling series, attorney Samantha Brinkman’s investigation into a family’s deadly secrets is compromised by a threat from her past.

When the daughter of prominent civil litigator Graham Hutchins is found with her throat slashed, the woman’s spurned ex-boyfriend seems the likely suspect. But only days later, the young man dies in what appears to be a suicide. Or was it? Now authorities are faced with a possible new crime. And their person of interest is Hutchins. After all, avenging the death of his daughter is the perfect reason to kill. If he’s as innocent as he claims, only one lawyer has what it takes to prove it: his friend and colleague Samantha Brinkman.

It’s Sam’s obligation to trust her new client. Yet the deeper she digs on his behalf, the more entangled she becomes in a thicket of family secrets, past betrayals, and multiple motives for murder. To win her case, she’s prepared to bend any law and cross any boundary that stands in her way. Sam has always played by her own rules, and it’s always worked…so far. But this case cuts so deep and so personal that one false move could cost her everything.

Defense attorney Samantha Brinkman is back with her newest high-profile case. She and her associates (Michelle Jones and Alex Medrano) first find out about it through the news. Alicia, a college freshman, was found dead in her bathtub. As usual, the primary suspect is her ex-boyfriend Roan. There are…issues that point to his guilt. The case against Roan takes a wild turn when he turns up dead too. While the police investigate the circumstances, Alicia’s father Graham Hutchins stops by Samantha’s office. He feels like he may need an attorney soon.

Samantha first gives Graham condolences for the loss of his daughter. He’s a lawyer too, so Graham and Samantha are acquainted with each other. When Roan’s case becomes more pressing, Samantha officially takes on Graham as a client. She and Alex, her investigator, begin looking into Alicia’s life. They interview her friends seeking to find out who killed Alicia. Samantha’s goal is to discover if someone may have wanted both Alicia and Roan dead.

BOOK REVIEW: NEMESIS BY BRENDAN REICHS

Title: Nemesis

Author: Brendan Reichs

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: March 21, 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Orphan Black meets Lord of the Flies in this riveting new thriller from the co-author of the Virals series. 

 

It's been happening since Min was eight. Every two years, on her birthday, a strange man finds her and murders her in cold blood. But hours later, she wakes up in a clearing just outside her tiny Idaho hometown—alone, unhurt, and with all evidence of the horrifying crime erased.

 

Across the valley, Noah just wants to be like everyone else. But he’s not. Nightmares of murder and death plague him, though he does his best to hide the signs. But when the world around him begins to spiral toward panic and destruction, Noah discovers that people have been lying to him his whole life. Everything changes in an eye blink.

 

For the planet has a bigger problem. The Anvil, an enormous asteroid threatening all life on Earth, leaves little room for two troubled teens. Yet on her sixteenth birthday, as she cowers in her bedroom, hoping not to die for the fifth time, Min has had enough. She vows to discover what is happening in Fire Lake and uncovers a lifetime of lies: a vast conspiracy involving the sixty-four students of her sophomore class, one that may be even more sinister than the murders.

After reading book series like In The Company of Killers, I’m used to a tad of darkness in fiction. The synopsis for Nemesis is unquestionably dark. Some suit-clad guy kills the same girl every two years on her birthday. Yes, you read right: he murders her more than once. Evidently, the girl comes back to life somehow. This is as compelling a synopsis as it gets. What could possibly be the reason behind these murders? That’s what drew me to Nemesis. I wanted to find out what was going on.

The girl in question is Melinda “Min” Wilder, the protagonist. She’s sixteen when the book starts. It’s an odd-numbered birthday, so the man in a suit shows up as expected. Whoever he is, he kills Min yet again. And like before, she comes back completely unharmed. Min lets the reader know more about her murders. The man in the suit always succeeds, no matter what Min does. Why doesn’t anyone (like her mother) know about this? Well, the first two times Min told people about her deaths, they dismissed it, even the sheriff. Then a shrink told Min the experiences weren’t real. She’s been seeing the doctor ever since, and kept quiet about the murders.

Min has a best friend, Tack. They’re the inseparable kind of friends, akin to Harry and Hermione or Clary and Simon. The two are sophomores and live in a tiny Idaho town called Fire Lake. Min and Tack lead pretty normal teen lives (apart from the murders, which Tack has no idea about). They have to put up with the requisite school bully, Ethan. Min has a short fuse, which leads her to make a reckless decision at one point. It was quite shocking to me. Tack covers it up, which shows how faithful he is to Min. There doesn’t seem to be any romance brewing between them, though. I doubt it’d improve the story if Min and Tack became an item.

Shortly after Tack is introduced, Nemesis reveals another strange plot point. There’s an asteroid nicknamed The Anvil, and it’s seemingly on a collision course with Earth. This Anvil is a potential planet-killer. Everyone is anxiously waiting for a NASA live announcement that will answer whether the Anvil is striking Earth or not. Min’s mind is so busy wrapping itself around her murders that she barely even cares about the potential end of the world. But what does an asteroid have to do with a suited man who kills the same girl over and over? That’s one of the biggest questions in Nemesis.

The second protagonist is Noah. He is also a sophomore but doesn’t run in Min’s and Tack’s circles. Also, whereas Min lives in a trailer park, Noah is from one of the wealthiest families in Fire Lake. Min and Noah have something in common, though. Min’s investigation into what’s behind her murders (and resurrections) leads her to Noah. It seems he’s involved, but Min has no idea how. She’s relentless, so she eventually uncovers more truths about a mysterious government program. By this point I was still trying to guess what Nemesis is about. I had a few ideas in mind, but still.

When Min and Noah discover the truth about Nemesis, it surprised me. I did not see that coming. I made a few correct guesses, but the big picture? Nope. I’d never even dreamed about the…astronomical idea behind Nemesis. The truth (as well as the fates of the characters) raised more questions, though. The grand plan also has a few eyebrow-raising aspects. Why Fire Lake? And why are kids involved? I wouldn’t say the ending was underwhelming, though. The betrayal was particularly shocking. I’m definitely reading the next books to find out what happens next.

My rating: ★★★★★

5 stars - Absolutely must-read. It's outstanding!!!

BOOK REVIEW: A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN BY SARAH J. MAAS

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy, romance
Published on: May 2, 2017 by Bloomsbury Publishing

 

The epic third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the fate of Feyre's world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.

The story of Feyre Archeron continues in A Court of Wings and Ruin. This is the third entry in the series. It picks up the story not long after the ending of the previous book. And it was quite an ending. Feyre and her friends had their first confrontation with the series’ main antagonist. He’s known only as the King of Hybern. Feyre saved her group just narrowly. This was thanks to her special powers. Feyre unwittingly acquired them after the seven High Lords of Prythian revived her in book one. She was human then, but now she is High Fae.

There is a change that happened “off-screen”. To recap a little, Feyre has been living in the Night Court for a while. She fell in love with Rhysand, the High Lord of Night. Feyre not only accepted his love, but became his equal: the High Lady of the Night Court. This was significant, as the continent of Prythian has never had a High Lady before. Feyre hides her new status during the beginning of this book, as she embarks on a personal mission. This involves pretending that Rhysand brainwashed her (most of Prythian thinks he’s sort of a bad guy).

BOOK REVIEW: WARCROSS BY MARIE LU

Title: Warcross

Author: Marie Lu

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: September 12, 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

I’m aware of the hype that Warcross has gained. Readers seem to love the book (and its protagonist), so I wanted to see what was to like. Warcross is a sci-fi novel set in New York and Tokyo. Its world is a little more technologically advanced than ours. The main character is Emika Chen, an eighteen-year-old Asian-American hacker and bounty hunter. She’s living in Manhattan, New York when the book starts. Emika’s parents died some years ago, so she shares a cheap apartment with a roommate.

In the novel, Warcross is an uber-popular virtual reality videogame. It’s like a cross between Fortnite and Capture the Flag, with two small opposing teams. Warcross is so beloved that it has an annual Olympics-esque championship. It’s obviously lucrative, so many people engage in illegal Warcross gambling. Emika makes a living by tracking down such gamblers. Apparently, there’s so much crime that the police pay bounty hunters to catch low-level crooks for them.

BOOK REVIEW: AFTERLIFE BY MARCUS SAKEY

Title: Afterlife

Author: Marcus Sakey

Genre: Fantasy, thriller

Published on: July 18, 2017 by Thomas & Mercer

Between life and death lies an epic war, a relentless manhunt through two worlds… and an unforgettable love story.

The last thing FBI agent Will Brody remembers is the explosion — a thousand shards of glass surfing a lethal shock wave. He wakes without a scratch. The building is in ruins. His team is gone. Outside, Chicago is dark. Cars lie abandoned. No planes cross the sky. He’s relieved to spot other people — until he sees they’re carrying machetes.

Welcome to the afterlife.

Claire McCoy stands over the body of Will Brody. As head of an FBI task force, she hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks. A terrorist has claimed eighteen lives and thrown the nation into panic. Against this horror, something reckless and beautiful happened. She fell in love… with Will Brody. But the line between life and death is narrower than any of us suspect — and all that matters to Will and Claire is getting back to each other.

When it comes to novels (especially sci-fi) it all has been done before. Even novels about a life after death. Still, Afterlife manages to feel fresh and intriguing. I’ve read a few books by Marcus Sakey before—the Brilliance saga. He has a distinctive writing style and extraordinary imagination. I started this book with high expectations. Is Afterlife as compelling as it sounds? Read on to find out.

The main character is Will Brody, an FBI Special Agent. He’s in Chicago working an unusual serial killer case. An unknown subject has been murdering random people with his sniper rifle. Leading the task force to catch this murderer is Claire McCoy, the Assistant Director of the Chicago FBI office. After 18 casualties, the city is in full panic. One day Will follows a clue that he hopes will end in him catching the sniper. He goes to a church to stop the killer’s reign of terror once and for all. Unfortunately, Will doesn’t realize he walked into a trap until it’s too late. A bomb goes off, killing Will instantly.

BOOK REVIEW: DARE YOU BY JENNIFER BROWN

Title: Dare You

Author: Jennifer Brown

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult

Published on: February 14, 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books

In the second book of the suspenseful Shade Me trilogy, Nikki Kill becomes embroiled in another mystery where only her synesthesia can help her unravel the dark truth.

Nikki Kill didn’t realize that trying to find out who killed Peyton Hollis would tangle her in a web of dangerous family secrets that would rock her identity to the core. But now that Nikki knows the truth, the all-powerful Hollises want to frame her for Peyton’s murder.

And now Nikki’s only chance at escaping the cold black bars of prison or the crimson grip of death is teaming up with the enigmatic Detective Martinez and relying on an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of clues....

After the stunning events in Shade Me, I readily bought a copy of Dare You. It continues the story of Nikki Kill, a teen sleuth with an unusual condition. This sequel takes place several months after Shade Me ended. Nikki’s graduated from high school, but she isn’t sure what’s next. She hasn’t really stopped to think about what she wants to do with her life. It’s almost a given that Nikki won’t go to college. She has synesthesia, a condition that makes some of her senses overlap. While it’s been really useful for memorization and following clues, it makes reading difficult.

In the previous book, Nikki got tangled in a criminal investigation. Someone beat up Peyton Hollis (the school’s queen bee) brutally. Unfortunately, she couldn’t survive her injuries. After following several clues that Peyton left behind, Nikki discovered they were half-sisters. She also found out what led to Peyton’s attack…and it almost cost Nikki her life. Now, she’s left all that behind to lead as normal a life as possible. While Nikki’s just minding her own business, the police turn up and arrest her. It appears someone planted drugs in Nikki’s car. For what reason, it's revealed soon afterward.

BOOK REVIEW: CASSIDY JONES AND THE ETERNAL FLAME BY ELISE STOKES

Title: Cassidy Jones and the Eternal Flame

Author: Elise Stokes

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: March 5, 2017 by JACE Publishing LLC

Some boundaries should never be crossed…

The diabolic Metal Woman takes three people hostage. Her ransom demand: the location of a mysterious and unprecedented weapon, rumored to have been a gift to the Third Reich from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.

When a rescue attempt goes sideways, Cassidy Jones seeks justice. Her quest leads her to the Seattle Underground, where she falls into the grip of an inexplicable evil. Cassidy learns too late that her desire for revenge may cost the life of someone she loves.

Another mystery to solve emerges in Cassidy Jones’s latest adventure. She’s a fifteen-year-old superhero who has an array of great powers. Helping in her exploits is Emery Phillips, a teen genius. He’s the son of Serena, the scientist who accidentally gave Cassidy her powers. Cassidy is also now dating Jared Wells, a guy she’s had a crush on for a long time. Their relationship is going well, especially as Jared knows about Cassidy’s powers and her nightly activities. But Jared may be keeping a secret that could drive them apart.

Lily White/Metal Woman is back. She’s a supervillain who first showed up in Vulcan’s Gift. Lily’s body fused with her (mystical?) metallic suit of armor after Cassidy kicked her into a fire. Now, Lily has kidnapped a trio of people who she suspects know the location of something she’s after. Cassidy and Emery catch wind of this not long afterward. The two resolve to find a way to locate Lily and stop her for good. Cassidy can’t wait for another showdown with her. She’s pretty sure she can take the Metal Woman.

BOOK REVIEW: WHEN IT'S REAL BY ERIN WATT

Title: When It's Real
Author: Erin Watt
Genre: Romance

Published on: May 30, 2017 by Harlequin Teen

Under ordinary circumstances, Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett would never even cross paths. 

There's nothing ordinary about Oakley. This bad-boy pop star's got Grammy Awards, millions of fangirls and a reputation as a restless, too-charming troublemaker. But with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley needs to show the world he's settling down—and who better to help him than Vaughn, a part-time waitress trying to help her family get by? The very definition of ordinary. 

Posing as his girlfriend, Vaughn will overhaul Oakley's image from troublemaker to serious artist. In return for enough money to put her brothers through college, she can endure outlandish Hollywood parties and carefully orchestrated Twitter exchanges. She'll fool the paparazzi and the groupies. She might even start fooling herself a little. 

Because when ordinary rules no longer apply, there's no telling what your heart will do…

This book ended up being something totally different from what I expected. The synopsis made me think When It’s Real would be soap-operay, kind of like a rom-com guilty pleasure. Well, the book is a romance but not a comedy or soap opera. It’s more of a New Adult romance. The protagonists are Vaughn Bennet and Oakley Ford. The former is an average girl from LA. She lives with three siblings—their parents died in an accident years ago. Vaughn and her family are strapped for cash. She had to graduate from high school early so she could work and help keep her family afloat. Vaughn doesn’t know what she wants in life, anyway.

In contrast, Oakley Ford has known he wanted to sing since he was a kid. At nineteen, he’s a wildly successful pop heartthrob. The fame’s got to Oakley’s head a bit. He knows he’s a big deal and has become a big partier. Oakley’s had a creative block lately, though. Seeking to help him (and clean his reputation), his manager Jim Tolson cooks up a plan. He wants Oakley to date an ordinary girl, knowing it’ll make him seem more down-to-earth and relatable. Oakley feels like refusing…until renowned music producer Donovan King makes an irresistible offer. He’ll produce Oakley’s next album if the latter proves he can settle down and do music for the craft rather than money and fame.

BOOK REVIEW: TAMING TROUBLE BY JIFFY KATE

Title: Taming Trouble

Author: Jiffy Kate

Genre: Romance

Published on: November 30, 2017 (self-published)

The day Tucker Benoit left his father's farm in French Settlement to pursue his love of music was the best day of his life.

Or so he thought...

After years of booze, girls, drugs, and gigs, Tucker finds himself back where he started. Only this time, he finds solace on the farm that once isolated him from the world.

Now, the only thing hindering his much-needed R and R is the smart and sassy Piper Grey. The fire between them is palpable and lands them between the sheets more often than not.

But when a blast from Tucker's past shows up out of nowhere, he's forced to re-evaluate his life. The future never looked more uncertain and his heart never felt more torn apart.

Suddenly, staying on the road doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all...

After finishing the two books that make up Micah Landry’s and Sheridan (Dani) Reed’s story, I was eager to read Piper Grey’s. She is Dani’s best friend. Although Piper had a rather small role, she piqued my interest. I found her intriguing, and her name is cool to boot. Taming Trouble is book four in this southern romance series. I skipped the second because it's a prequel, and I was more interested in Micah, Dani, and Piper. The protagonists of Taming Trouble are Tucker Benoit and Piper Grey. It takes place in French Settlement, Louisiana. Tucker is a notorious bad boy and womanizer. I kid you not, Tucker earned himself the crude but amusing nickname Tucker the Fucker. He doesn’t do serious relationships.

Tucker used to be an aspiring singer. Failing to make it big, he returned to French Settlement to regroup. There, he struck up a friends- (or rather, enemies) with-benefits relationship with Piper. They couldn’t stand each other, but their chemistry was blazing. Taming Trouble starts after one of their trysts. They wake up after a drunken night at a club. It turns out a bandmate of Tucker’s filmed the latter’s drunk proposal and posted the video on Twitter. Tucker finds the situation amusing, but Piper is not thrilled. She runs away in a fury.

BOOK REVIEW: ONE OF US IS LYING BY KAREN M. MCMANUS

Title: One of Us is Lying

Author: Karen M. McManus

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult

Published on: May 30, 2017 by Delacorte Press

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

When I picked up One of Us is Lying, it was one of those books I knew would be among my top reads of the year. The synopsis sounded awesome. This is a YA mystery set in a high school in southern California. It has four protagonists who are brought together after a suspicious incident. On a fateful Monday, five senior students show up to detention after school. They are Bronwyn Rojas, Addy Prentiss, Cooper Clay, Nate Macauley, and Simon Kelleher. When it’s over, only four of them leave the classroom alive.

None of the five students run in the same circles. They’re sort-of teen movie clichés, but not boring at all. Simon is the one who’s dead by the end of the school day. After the police look into it, they conclude his death wasn’t an accident. Simon’s role in the book is unclear at first. He’s an outcast at Bayview High School. Simon is semi-respected (read: feared), though, as he’s the creator of a gossip app. Simon has been exposing his peers’ dirty secrets for years. The police discover that Simon was about to publish secrets about the four students he had detention with. This makes them suspects right away.

BOOK REVIEW: FIGHTING FIRE BY JIFFY KATE

Title: Fighting Fire

Author: Jiffy Kate

Genre: Romance

Published on: September 28, 2017, self-published

Fire is a fickle bitch. It comes in all shapes and sizes.

The power held within its heat and flames can either create something strong and beautiful or destroy everything in its path.

Sometimes it does both without you even realizing it.

If you want to live life, your only choice is to fight the fire. You might still get burned, but you’ll be stronger in the end.

Back when I read Finding Focus, I wasn’t aware the book was part of a series. It wraps up Dani’s and Micah’s story neatly. It wasn’t until 2020 that I decided to revisit the book. That’s when I found out there are three sequels. Book two is Deacon’s and Cami’s story. I wanted to continue reading about Dani and Micah, so I jumped forward to Fighting Fire. This book is Micah’s more than Dani’s, as the chapters hint. In Dani’s story, the chapter titles had a camera adorning them. This one has a glass with liquid and an ice cube. If you’ll remember, Micah co-owns two restaurants with his older brother Deacon. One is called Pockets, and it’s in French Settlement. The other is Grinders, located in Baton Rouge. Fighting Fire starts after a big tragedy.

This book reveals that Micah’s biggest dream is to open his own restaurant. Pockets and Grinders don’t count because he opened them with Deacon. Micah yearns to strike out on his own. He gets the opportunity when an old acquaintance shows up with an offer. She’s Alex Collins, who owns a building in the French Quarter in New Orleans. That’s just where Micah most wants to have his restaurant. There’s no love lost between the Landrys and Alex, though. Unlike Dani, Alex is a selfish opportunist. She’s also implied to be a spoiled rich girl who relies on Daddy to put out her fires.