Review - To the Dark Room of Souls by David McMullen-Sullivan

Title: To the Dark Room of Souls

Author: David McMullen-Sullivan

Series: Moorehead Manor #3

Pages: 371

Release Date: September 22nd 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: The evil that has been trapped in the Moorehead houses walks free, seeking its revenge, and Emily, Adam and Jimmy must fight one last time for their lives.

In order to defeat the black magic, they must trace it to its source, but the trail leads to the greatest evil of all. Are they strong enough to win the battle, or has their luck run out?

My Review: The 3rd and final book in the Moorehead Manor series was great, it focused a lot more on Emily compared to the others which was nice, you can see how much she has grown as a character since book one.

Emily and Jimmy are now married and trying to have a child, they have good jobs and Adam is working as a resident in a hospital while secretly crushing on a classmate.

Emily goes to visit Mr McMannis from book 2 to see if he had any updates on finding the rest of the houses that were cursed, he informs her of one he had found and tells he what he is going to do with that house but she is not happy and she takes it upon herself to destroy the house how she believes it should be done.

While trying to burn down the house she gets stuck inside the house and sees visions and Jimmy and Adam come to her rescue.

While at work in the hospital Adam is tasked to take a body down to the morgue where the dead body comes to life and attacks him.

The three along with Mr McMannis help to get rid of the evil once and for all, while doing so Emily gets visited from a spirit boy who explains why he is there and that something is happening to him and the other child spirits that are trapped, Emily asks the boy to find out anything about the man who trapped their souls.

After sometime Emily is revisited by the spirit boy who she eventually names Daniel who has come to warn her to be ready for some visions. At first these visions come one at a time until asks for them all to come as she does not have enough time if they come one at a time every so often as she needs to find out how to help the trapped souls due to an interfering woman. Emily manages to find the Dark Room of Souls but she also leads the woman right to them.

I am really sad that this series is over and I wished that Mr McMullen-Sullivan had wrote a book about each house but when I asked him why he hadn’t he said that it would just be dragging the story out and he didn’t want his readers to get bored.

I enjoyed this series and I defiantly recommend the series.

Currently Reading: The Birth of Vengeance by P. A. Ross

Read in 2019: 10/30

Review - Sleepless by Melissa Frost

Title: Sleepless

Author: Melissa Frost

Series: Tales from Esteria Book 3

Pages: 71 pages

Release Date: August 8th 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: This Sleeping Beauty won't take things lying down...

After being shoved from a high castle balcony into the moat below, Princess Talia searches for the man responsible for saving her from certain death. After much digging, she is surprised to find that her rescuer is none other than an outlaw named Phillip Aurora—an enemy to the crown. Once she tracks Phil to the castle dungeons and helps break him out, the two unlikely allies must band together to take down the crime lord responsible for the attempt on her life.

As the two battle bandits and take on impossible odds together, Talia finds herself falling for the rogue at her side. If they can survive the challenges in front of them, perhaps she’ll be able to put to the test that they aren’t all that different after all. 

My Review: This story was told by a Princess of Esteria named Talia. It is a spin on Sleeping Beauty.

Princess Talia gets pushed from a castle balcony into a moat. The intention was to kill her but she was rescued by a stranger to her but he is actually a wanted criminal and an enemy to the crown Phillip, when Phillip saves her they share a kiss.

Talia falls into a long sleep after the fall and when she wakes she remembers kissing the stranger and she asks her father for the name of the person who saved her so she can thank him personally, he sends her on a wild goose chase so Talia decides to start kissing everyone until she finally finds out he’s being held in the dungeons.

Talia breaks Phillip out of the dungeon and the two team up to go after the person who tried to kill her.

While searching for her attempted killer Talia and Phillip start to fall for each other.

There is a big surprise twist at the end that even surprised me but I liked it.

Sleeping Beauty is my all-time favourite Fairy Tale so when I saw that the third instalment in this series was from Sleeping Beauty’s POV I was a little sceptical but I enjoyed it.

Currently Reading: The Birth of Vengeance by P. A. Ross

Read in 2019: 10/30

Review - Anastasia: Story of an Ugly Stepsister by Melissa Frost

Title: Anastasia: Diary of an Ugly Stepsister

Author: Melissa Frost

Series: Tales From Esteria #2

Pages: 112

Release Date: December 20th 2017

Format: Kindle

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Anastasia has no idea about the changes that have happened while she’s been away in Germany in a student exchange program. While she’s been studying computer courses and first aid classes, her sisters have been battling mythological creatures from another dimension, and it’s a secret they’re not sharing. Annie feels like she doesn’t know Drusilla anymore. Cinderella has become an invasive presence despite her open hatred of her stepsisters before Annie’s trip. And the new next-door neighbor has edged his way into their lives despite her protests.

Anastasia is determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious events happening around her, but the things she uncovers become more and more shocking. Her crush is from another dimension. Cinderella has a fairy godmother and is on speaking terms with a real, live prince. Gnomes exist and live in her backyard.

What is she willing to risk to open herself up to an unimaginable experience and possibly a romance that’s literally out of this world? Is she prepared to handle the truth and the dangers that come with it? The only thing she knows for certain is that life will never be the same.

My Review: This spin on Cinderella was told by Anastasia one of the ‘evil’ stepsisters. Anastasia ‘Annie’ – Drusilla’s twin sister – has just come back from her time in Germany. Annie is angry with her sister for leaving her stranded at the airport while she was off with Ella.

At first Ella and Drusilla try to keep Annie in the dark about the mysterious portal but she gets suspicious and follows them to see why her twin who she was so close to before her trip is now keeping things from her and why she is now so friendly with Ella but when she finds out their secret she is shocked to say the least.

Annie see’s something strange and she faints, when she is told what had happened her sister explains to her that she kept it secret as she knew she would react that way.

Annie ends up falling for the new neighbour’s younger brother who is just as much a tech geek as she is.

When Annie finds out her sisters secret she joins them on a mission which ends up going very badly for her and her sister boyfriend gets injured.

This story was nice and short, I would recommend it to anyone who has read the first one, loves a quick read and loves Fairy Tales. I cannot wait to see if Anastasia starts to get used to the fighting of magical creatures and if her relationship progresses. I would also like to see if Ella can manage to convince the Prince of Esteria to marry her.

Currently Reading: The Birth of Vengeance by P. A. Ross

Read in 2019: 10/30

Review - Drusilla: Story of an Ugly Stepsister by Melissa Frost

Title: Drusilla: Story of an Ugly Stepsister

Author: Melissa Frost

Series: Tales From Esteria #1

Pages: 139

Release Date: December 21st 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: What if Cinderella isn’t the sweet and tortured angel everyone believes? Instead, what if she's the most popular girl at school who is hell bent on making sure her ugly stepsister doesn’t stand in the way of her popularity? A new story unfolds through the eyes of Drusilla...

Being sisters with bright and beautiful Ella is an unending nightmare for Drusilla. That is until the sisters accidentally open a portal to another dimension. The unlikely duo is forced to team up against a swarm of angry sprites, a clan of territorial gnomes, and a few other unlikely creatures. Their new portal comes with a fairy godmother, and there's even a bona fide fairy tale prince up for grabs. It might take impossible odds to bring these two together, but it’s a story that proves even the ugly stepsister can sometimes be the hero.

My Review: As you know I love my spin on Fairy Tales and this one was just as good if not better than other that I have read previously. This spin on Cinderella was told by Drusilla one of the ‘evil’ stepsisters.

After a fight Cinderella ‘Ella’ and Drusilla end up in their back garden when Ella throws a shoe towards the lake at the back of their home in a temper tantrum and accidentally opens up a mysterious portal to another realm that has not been open for a long, long time.

Ella and Drusilla are made guardians of the portal on their side of the portal guided by a fairy godmother that just magically appears whenever the girls are needed to solve a situation. Not only do they get a fairy godmother but they get some of the kings guards come through the portal to help them out. These guards are trained in fighting with one being a tech geek, one being nice and bubbly and the other being very serious.

The two end up fighting sprite’s, helping Gnomes find a new home and more, this task ends up with the two becoming closer and Drusilla more confidant.

Currently Reading: The Birth of Vengeance by P. A. Ross

Read in 2019: 10/30

To Read in May

To keep up with my Goodreads challenge of 30 I have picked 2 books to read this month.

Just because I have set these 2 books for this month I may not finish them as I do beta reading, I have College and I have an essay to do for University.

This month I have picked:

1. Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel
2. In Some Other Life by Jessica Brody

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone, don’t eat too much chocolate.

To Read in April

To keep up with my Goodreads challenge of 30 I have picked 2 books to read this month.

Just because I have set these 2 books for this month that does not mean that I will finish all of the books on the list as I do beta reading and I have College and University.

This month I have picked:

1. Descent by Tara Ellis
2. To The Dark Room of Souls by David McMullan-Sullivan

Review - Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel

 

Title: Art Geeks and Prom Queens

Author: Alyson Noel
Series:
Pages: 240
Release Date: September 1st 2005
Format: Paperback

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Being the new girl is tough, just ask sixteen-year-old Rio Jones. A New York transplant, Rio has no clue how she's going to fit in at her fancy new private school in Southern California. Plus, being late, overdressed, and named after a Duran Duran song doesn't make the first day any easier for her.

Then Rio meets Kristi. Beautiful, rich, and a cheerleader, Kristi is the queen bee of Newport Beach. And Kristi isn't friends with just anyone, so Rio is thrilled when she's invited to be part of the most exclusive, popular clique. Of course, like any club, Kristi and her friends have rules: Always smile (even if you don't mean it), always dress cute (and never repeat outfits), and always flirt (but only with jocks, preps, and rich college guys).

At first Rio is having a great time, but as she becomes more immersed in this jet-set crowd, she figures out there is one last rule that her new friends forgot to mention: Don't cross Kristi . . 

My Review: Rio is starting a new school mid term, she is a geek and proud but her mum - an almost super model - thinks that Rio could be less geeky and more girly and popular and she goes as far as choosing what Rio should wear on her first day at school so that she will get noticed and become popular.

On her first day she is late and the girl sat next to her in her first class spends the whole time staring at her but during her second class Rio makes friends with Mason and Jas, they are in her art class and they invite her to Jas' house for lunch, while there Rio find out that they smoke weed and because she doesn't want to seem like a loser she joins in and when the three go back to school they end up being late getting caught and getting a weeks detention.

This incident makes her mum tell Rio that she shouldn't hang with Mason and Jas as they are bad for her but Rio doesn't really care what her mum says and the next day she continues to hang out with Mason and Jas.

After a few days Rio becomes friends with Kristi, Kristi is the popular girl but becoming her friend comes at a price, she MUST stop hanging out with her fellow art geeks and spend her time shopping and doing whatever else Kristi says. When Rio invites her new friends home her mum is finally happy to see that she is now friends with the popular group. The problem is deep down Rio is really unhappy being Kristi's friend as there are rules she must follow, but she doesn't want to go back to being the kid no one notices.

Kristi helps Rio to get with JC who just wants to sleep with Rio but she keeps putting it off, Rio's mum and Kristi even plan a party for her that she doesn't want. While being Krisit's friend Rio starts to take drugs, partying and drinking.

Rio eventually starts to date Tyler a senior and becoming more popular than Kristi and she doesn't like this, Rio even has a date to the Moondance and all the seniors like having Rio hanging with them and Drew the guy who Kristi is hooking up with all the time doesn't ask her to go to the dance with him.

Rio, Tyler, Kristi and the others attend a party where they play spin the bottle, at first Rio doesn't want to join in as she doesn't think its right to hook up with someone else while Tyler is with his friends drinking but when he asks her to join in she does. This is where everything starts to change, Drew spins the bottle and ends up kissing Rio and Kristi doesn't like it and when Kristi spins the bottle it lands on Tyler, Rio hopes that Kristi and Tyler won't do anything but instead they leave to go upstairs to hook up. Rio takes herself off upstairs and cries but after re applying her make-up she goes downstairs and have a few drinks and ends up making out with Drew who starts to make a move on Rio who has to kick him to get him off her.

While trying to leave the party Rio and Kristi get into an argument and Rio's whole world starts to fall down around her. Kristi starts to spread rumours about Rio and everyone at school starts to ignore her even Tyler and the rest of the seniors. Kids in the hall start pointing and laughing at her and calling her names, someone also defaces her locker and puts dog poo in the locker and when she tries to tell the Head Teacher what had happened to her locker and who she thinks did it he doesn't believe her.

Now she has no friends Rio pretends to her mum that everything is wonderful until one day her mum tells her that she needs to pick out a dress for the Moondance, Rio snaps she can't take it anymore, she goes into the bathroom and cuts all her hair off and then goes down for her dinner and her mum freaks out and Rio finally tells her everything.

The following Monday Rio goes to school and confronts Kristi and calls her out on all her rubbish and she starts to become friends with Mason and Jas again.

The ending was great as Rio finally gets to be who she wants to be and her mum is happy for her she is even happy with Rio being friends with Mason and Jas again. This story tells it like it is for most young people who go to High School, especially if your new. It basically tells you to be who YOU want to be and NOT what everyone else wants.

Currently Reading: Drusilla: Story of an Ugly Stepsister by Melissa Frost
Read in 2019: 6/30

Review - Revenge of the Viper by D.C Akers

Title: Revenge of the Viper

Author: D. C. Akers
Series: Haven
Pages: 278
Release Date: February 20th 2014

Genre: Fantasy, Magic
Publisher: 
Source: Amazon
Format: Kindle

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Revenge of the Viper is (Book #2) in the Bestselling series HAVEN, following A Stranger Magic (BOOK #1) which is available as a FREE download on Amazon!

The Great War of Haven ended thirteen years ago but Alisa Dalcome is about to discover that the war did not end for her. Placed on Earth as a sleeper agent for the Majesty of Haven, Alisa had one objective—protect the portal keys at all costs. In the wrong hands the magical keys could jeopardize the safety of everyone on Haven. But Alisa’s relocation was more than just Majesty business; it was also a chance for her to escape her enemies, enemies that still wanted her dead. Alisa wasn’t thinking about herself when she left Haven, she was thinking about her children Sam and Sarah. The Great War had already taken her husband Rylan; she would be damned if she would let it take her children too. But what Alisa didn’t count on was her inquisitive son Sam and his friend Travis. Sam’s world has turned upside down after discovering magic is real. After barely escaping the caves Sam begins to piece together the past day’s events when he stumbles onto his mother’s secret past. With the clues mounting, Sam must dig deeper to uncover the truth that could change his life forever. 

But Sam doesn’t realize that his mother’s past has already caught up with them. Hidden within the shadows nearby is Haven’s most malevolent predator—the Viper. A hunter forged from the blackest of magic, it watches, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Can Sam uncover the truth in time or will his mother’s past collide with the present placing them all in grave danger?

HAVEN SERIES: Known as a place of refuge, Haven is a sanctuary for those with supernatural abilities. Decades of peace between the Witches, Vampires, Goblins, Elves, and Orcs is coming to an end. Now the once tranquil world is shrouded in deception and corruption. Dark secrets tear at the very fabric of their alliance, giving way to an evil that stirs in the shadows. Exhilarating and utterly gripping, the HAVEN series is an action-packed journey full of suspense, magic, mystery, and intrigue.

My Review: After finding the hidden cave Sam got into trouble with his mum and he had upset his sister so he decides that he would clean out the garage that his mum had asked him to do without complaining.

While cleaning the garage he finds something hidden it has his mums name on it and inside is a letter. Sam reads the letter and when he reads out a certain word a ball in the garage starts to fly around crashing into items knocking them over, Travis turns up just in time to help him to tidy it all back up so that he doesn't get into trouble.

After the strange garage incident the reader is taken to the world of Haven - which is a sanctuary for the supernatural - where a meeting is about to take place between all the elders of each race, during the meeting they are told that the Viper has returned and that Sam and his family were still alive and were living on Earth to keep them safe.

Some of the people at the meeting are outraged at this revelation and they leave after an argument. One of the members of the meeting had figured out that Sam and his family were still alive and the remaining people are told that Sam and his family are in danger.

For the rest of the story some members leave Haven to got to Earth to see the Dalcome are safe but Sam, Travis, his mum and sister are attacked and they have to fight the Viper with the help of the people from Haven. Once the fight is over Sam and his family with his friend Travis go to the cave and they all travel to Haven.

I enjoyed this story, I would have liked to see more of Haven, maybe after everyone had arrived from Earth back to Haven instead of it all being focused on the fight in the Dalcome home.

Currently Reading: Drusilla: Story of an Ugly Stepsister by Melissa Frost

Read in 2019: 6/30

To Read in March

To keep up with my Goodreads challenge of 30 I have picked 3 books to read this month.

Just because I have set these 3 books for this month I may not finish them as I do beta reading, I have College and I have an essay to do for University.

This month I have picked:

1. Drusilla: Story of an Ugly Step Sister by Melissa Frost
2. Anastasia: Story of an Ugly Step Sister by Melissa Frost
3. Sleepless: Diary of an Ugly Stepsister by Melissa Frost

Review - Return to Hollow Inn by Tara Ellis

Title: Return to Hollow Inn

Author: Tara Ellis
Series: Samantha Wolf Mysteries
Pages: 104
Release Date: February 28th 2019
Source: Author
Genre: Mystery

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Be careful what you wish for.

It's been a year since best friends Sam and Ally solved their first mystery at Hollow Inn. They've always wanted to go back and their wishes are answered with another invitation from Sam's aunt and uncle.

The mountains of Montana haven't changed, but some things about Hollow Inn have. Nestled deep in the woods are more than just memories. Someone's keeping secrets. Secrets that can get people hurt and threaten the very existence of the inn.

Can Sam and Ally once again untangle the mysterious past of Hollow Inn? Or will it collide with the present in such a way that not even Samantha Wolf can stop it?

My Review: I love this series I can't get enough of Sam and Ally.

Sam and Ally finally return to Hollow Inn for the week and almost right away they are pulled into a mystery when a little boy who is staying at the inn goes missing. A woman finds the boy, this woman is from the house next to the inn.

We meet Sam's cousin Kevin, the pair don't get along. Kevin has been sent to the inn as a punishment and is 'helping' around the inn. We also meet Tori who is the new groundskeeper while Ted is away due to family matters.

Sam and Ally soon find out that Kevin isn't helping out as much as he should be and that Tori is hiding something, she also wants to know more about this family living next door and why her aunt and uncle are having trouble with them. While Ally doesn't want to get into trouble she tries to get Sam to leave it alone so she agrees that she just wants to look into the family and she will leave it alone.

Later on Sam and Ally find Kevin hiding and he tells them that he wants the glory of being the one to find the missing Hollow landmark and when Sam and Ally tell him that they knew nothing about this until he told them they convince him to let them help him find it.

While discussing how they are going to find the missing Hollow landmark Kevin holds up a piece of paper and Sam spots that it has a map on it. After finding the map the three plan on going to it the next day so that they can see what condition it is in and if it is actually there before telling their aunt and uncle.

When the three teens find the missing Hollow landmark trouble finds them like it always does. At the end of the story Sam and Kevin seem to have a more friendly relationship and it seems like they are now going to be closer than they were before.

This is a great story with a new character and a new mystery that links to the old mystery. I enjoyed seeing Sam try and not to get into trouble more than she normally does but somehow trouble always seems to find her and Ally. I am looking forward to seeing what trouble Sam and Ally get into next.

Currently Reading: Drucilla by Melissa Frost
Read in 2019: 6/30

Review - In the House of the Vodouisant by David McMullan-Sullivan

Title: In the House of the Vodouisant

Author: David McMullan-Sullivan
Series: Moorehead Manor
Pages: 58
Release Date: November 28th 2015

Genre: Fantasy Paranormal
Source: Amazon
Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Three years have past since the horrors of Moorehead Manor almost took the lives of Emily, Adam and Jimmy. Now the legacy of Moorehead is pulling our heroes back into an even deadlier encounter of black magic and betrayal that they may not be able to survive.

The finale to the Moorehead Manor series concludes with book 3: To the Dark Room of Souls

My Review: This story was much more creepy than the first.

Emily,Jimmy and Adam are invited to help a wealthy guy to get his granddaughter back, she appears to have been taken by an evil spirit and the guy tells the guys that if they don't help him he will tell the police what they did at Moorehead Manor three years ago.

This was another story that I couldn't put down, I wouldn't say it was better then the first but I did enjoy it, there was a good story line, plenty of plot twists and some romance with a happy ending.

I can't wait to see what book 3 brings.

Currently Reading: Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
Read in 2019: 5/30

Review - Please, Let Me Go by Caitlin Spencer

Title: Please, Let Me Go

Author: Caitlin Spencer
Series:
Pages: 288
Release Date: December 1st 2017

Genre: Biography
Source: Asda
Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Please, Let Me Go tells the shocking true story of Caitlin Spencer, a survivor of sex trafficking in England. From the age of 14, Caitlin was completely controlled, repeatedly raped, provided with alcohol, given drugs, sold and passed on to new gangs over and over again. The majority of her abusers were Pakistani men, who were blatant in their attacks upon her, often collecting her from school or home, to be taken to flats they owned, family homes, or hotels booked for the day, to be horrifically and systematically abused. At a time when the abuse ring realities of young white women in Rotherham and other major English cities are coming to light, Caitlin's story will appal readers - not just because of the degree of horrific attacks which were perpetrated upon her, but also because of the ways in which the authorities refused to act. Caitlin speaks openly about what she has suffered, and also shows just how unwilling many people are to face up to what is happening in our midst, for fear of being called racist. By bravely speaking out, she will, hopefully prove just how deep these problems are and just how the abusers get away with it in plain sight of the authorities.

My Review: I don’t normally read this genre but I wanted to read something different from what I normally read and my sister gave me this to read.

It is written from Caitlin’s POV, she tells the reader about what she has gone through in her life and tells that she still suffers from ill health from everything that happened to her.

As horrible as the accounts told by Caitlin are I couldn’t put this book down, I had to keep reading to see if she made it out of the situation safely. It is emotional, heart breaking and overwhelming.

Caitlin has been incredibly strong by sharing her story and I hope that by sharing her story it helps people to see the signs that could help save a young person from going through what Caitlin and many other go through.

Currently Reading: Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
Read in 2019: 5/30

Review - A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

Title: A Week of Mondays

Author: Jessica Brody
Series:
Pages: 464 
Release Date: August 2nd 2016 

Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Amazon
Format: Hardback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: When I made the wish, I just wanted a do-over. Another chance to make things right. I never, in a million years, thought it might actually come true... 

Sixteen-year-old Ellison Sparks is having a serious case of the Mondays. She gets a ticket for running a red light, she manages to take the world’s worst school picture, she bombs softball try-outs and her class election speech (note to self: never trust a cheerleader when she swears there are no nuts in her bake-sale banana bread), and to top it all off, Tristan, her gorgeous rocker boyfriend suddenly dumps her. For no good reason!

As far as Mondays go, it doesn’t get much worse than this. And Ellie is positive that if she could just do it all over again, she would get it right. So when she wakes up the next morning to find she’s reliving the exact same day, she knows what she has to do: stop her boyfriend from breaking up with her. But it seems no matter how many do-overs she gets or how hard Ellie tries to repair her relationship, Tristan always seems bent set on ending it. Will Ellie ever figure out how to fix this broken day? Or will she be stuck in this nightmare of a Monday forever?

From the author 52 Reasons to Hate My Father and The Unremembered trilogy comes a hilarious and heartwarming story about second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances. Because sometimes it takes a whole week of Mondays to figure out what you really want.

My Review: I am a huge Jessica Brody fan so when A Week of Mondays was released I knew I had to have it, I waited and waited for it to be released in paperback but in the end I couldn't wait any longer and got it in hardback instead.

When I saw the interesting twist in the plot I knew it was a must read and I wasn't disappointed. How horrible would it be to live Monday over and over?

Ellison Sparks had a bad weekend which lead to an even worse Monday. First Ellie spills water over her extra credit paper, then she runs a red light, it starts to rain and she forgot her umbrella and that it was school picture day, she also has an allergic reaction to something she ate and it makes her lips swell so her election speech goes horribly wrong, then she doesn't get onto the JV softball team and to top it off her super hot musician boyfriend dumps her.

Ellie goes to bed that night and wishes for a do over so she can make it right and her wish comes true but not in the way she hoped. Ellie ends up spending a whole week repeating Monday with things happening slightly different each time until she finally gets it right.

My favourite Monday was the fifth Monday where she gives up and becomes a bad girl (This Monday also gave a cheeky nod to another one of Jessica Brody's books) Ellie didn't care what she did on this Monday as she knew that she would wake up the next morning and it would appear as if it didn't happen and the only person who knows any different is herself.

Ellie tells her best friend almost every Monday that she is repeating the day - to convince him she has to tell him about a dream that he had told her about on the very first Monday.

I loved the ending as it show hoe much Ellie has grown from her first Monday to the final Monday where she eventually gets everything right.

Currently Reading: Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel and Return to Hollow Inn by Tara Ellis
Read in 2018: 4/35

Review - Heritage by Tara Ellis

Title: Heritage

Author: Tara Ellis
Series:The Forgotten Origins: Bloodline
Pages: 336
Release Date: June 2016

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: 
Source: Amazon
Format: Kindle

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: "Alex has managed to stop a viral outbreak but must now fight her way out of the resulting chaos to prevent an even more disastrous threat. After escaping capture by a plotting regime, she calls upon her friends and own unique abilities to discover earths true past and fate. Amid a collapsing society, they battle unseen forces, unlocking ancient secrets in an attempt to change the course of the human race.

Be sure to read Book One of the Forgotten Origins Trilogy: Bloodline"

My Review: Heritage is book 2 in this great series. It is set right after Alex and Chris release the anti-virus to the virus that caused death and disaster all over the world. It is action packed and keeps you turning pages.

Alex visits the Professor that she meets in book one and he tells her that he believes that its not over and that the Munameere are looking at releasing a new version of the virus and he has been working on an anti-virus which he wants Alex to take to the Senator in Montana but before they all leave Alex gets taken by the Munameere.

While she is in the Munameere's lab they give her an injection that contains the new virus and Alex has to take the anti-virus tablet that the Professor gave her so that she doesn't become a Shiner. However the tablet isn't able to take away all of the Shiner side affects.

Alex manages to escape the lap after several days of pretending to be a Shiner and once she gets back home she, Chris and their friends and family all leave to get to the Senator.

There was never a dull moment in the book and I had to keep reading to find out what happens next and I never expected what happened.

I am excited to start book 3 to see if they manage to stop the Munameere from releasing the virus and creating chaos.


Currently Reading: Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
Read in 2019: 4/30

Review - TAG by Alice La Roux

Title: TAG

Author: Alice La Roux
Series:
Pages: 242
Release Date: February 22nd

Genre: 
Publisher: 
Source: Author
Format: Kindle

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: They did this.

The government.

But it wasn’t just our government, no, it was every governing body, in every country, around the globe. In an attempt to reduce overpopulation they unleashed a virus unlike any other, but they couldn’t predict what happened next. The infected became cannibalistic monsters, every trace of humanity gone.

They hunt us down wherever we go.

We are the survivors, the ones who made it to the first anniversary of the outbreak. Our numbers are dwindling, but we have one last shot at fighting back. We just have to survive long enough to save the human race.

The fate of the country lies with a lonely school girl and a city boy with a shady past.

The rules are simple: don’t get caught. 

My Review: As usual Alice brought the goods. I enjoyed the story. I've read plenty of Vampire and Witch type book's, but this is the first Zombie book I have read and I have to say I enjoyed it.

I loved the chemistry between Alex and Mia, I think that they worked well together which is shown in the story when they are planning to see what Mia's father is up to. I liked Donovan he was cool and his involvement in places helped the story. I hated Karen, she was horrible for no reason. It's not like it was Mia's fault that their friend got shot in the leg with one of Mia's arrow's, they turned up at her place not the other way round. I thought that Leo was a lunatic, who did he think he was? and Sammy and Mia's father are stupid, did Sammy really think that Alex was going to break into a secure safe for a lunatic. Also did Mia's father really think he cold keep his little experiments on the Z's a secret forever? I don't think so.

I was going to give this 5 stars as I really did enjoy it but I was disappointed in the ending, to me it felt like it ended on a cliffhanger with some unanswered questions.
- Did they ALL get back to Rosehill and the Army Base Camp?
- Did the cure work?
- Did Anna manage to escape and meet up with the others?

Despite these questions I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read and anyone who likes to read about Zombies.

Currently Reading: Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
Read in 2019: 4/30

To Read in February

To keep up with my Goodreads challenge of 30 I have picked 2 books to read this month.

Just because I have set these 2 books for this month that does not mean that I will finish all of the books on the list as I do beta reading and I have College and University.

This month I have picked:

1. Return to Hollow Inn by Tara Ellis
2. Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel

To Read in 2019

I've finally put a list together for this year. These are books that I want to read, I probably won't make it through them all due to beta reading, college and university but I am going to try.

This is my 2019 To Be Read List:
Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel

Fly Me to the Moon by Alyson Noel
The Bone Thief by Alyson Noel
Faking 19 by Alyson Noel
Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel
Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel
In Some Other Life by Jessica Brody
Addie Bell's Short Cut to Growing Up by Jessica Brody
The Chaos of Standing Still - Jessica Brody
Return to Hollow Inn by Tara Ellis
Heritage by Tara Ellis
Descent by Tara Ellis
Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
Drusilla by Melissa Frost
Anastasia by Melissa Frost
Sleepless by Melissa Frost
Enchanted by Aletha Kontis
Hero by Aletha Kontis
To the Room of Dark Souls by David McMullen-Sullivan
Haven: Revenge of the Viper by D. C. Akers
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Allegiant by Veronica Roth

To Read in January

To keep up with my Goodreads challenge of 30 I have picked 2 books to read this month, these books finish off series I started last year.

Just because I have set these 2 books for this month that does not mean that I will finish all of the books on the list as I do beta reading and I have College and University.

This month I have picked:

1. Heritage by Tara Ellis
2. Haven: Revenge of the Viper by D.C Akers

Wow its 2019 already, last year went by so fast and so much stuff happened.

I quit my job at the beginning of the year and started going to college to study Criminology, Spanish and Creative Writing. In March a teacher and friend made me see a doctor and I was diagnosed with depression because my ex broke up with me and left me heartbroken as it wasn't something I wanted, he left me just before my 30th birthday (in 2017) during this time I stopped reading and I thought that I was never going to reach my Goodreads goal and I started back off reading all the time and I was on track to reaching my goal.
     Then in August my dad passed away, he was the best person ever and meant everything to me as I am a proper daddy's girl, this made my depression worse. My brother was being a jerk, 4 hours after I had found my dad dead he called asking for something and he is constantly asking my sister and myself for something, every time he contacts us and if it wasn't for his kids I would tell him to leave me alone, I don't want anything else to do with him. I went back to see the doctor in November and she increased my medication. After my dads death it didn't affect my reading much if anything I was reading more but as my depression got worse so did my reading.
     My dads death made me realise life is to short and I should try harder to achieve what I want, and that I should stop the petty arguing with my sister, and touch wood we haven't fallen out for months even though we've spent so much time together.
     I started my second year of my University course so that I can become a teacher, I am doing the course with my sister and we have 4 more years left after this one finishes in June. My sister and I both started College we joined Basic Skills in Maths and Sociology. We picked these free courses mainly so we could join the gym cheaper.
     I joined the gym in September but I hardly went and have not managed to lose any weight, if anything I have put weight on because I have been to depressed to do anything and I have been eating too much junk food, takeaways and fizzy pop.

Now in 2019 I have decided that I am going to stop drinking fizzy pop, cut down on my takeaways and junk food and go to the gym more regularly as well as moving into my own place. It also means that it's a New Year which means the start of a new reading challenge so I have to set myself a Goodreads goal. I have thought very hard about my challenge and what books I'm going to read this year, I have decided that I am going to stick to 35 as it is a good number especially around my University and College work.

     I have also decided that I am going to finally get round to read all those series that I've been putting off year after year, I will be starting by finishing off the Harry Potter series and then reading series like Twilight, Divergent, The Lunar Chronicles and the Gallagher Girls.

     Amongst these series I want to read all of my Alyson Noel, Jessica Brody, Tara Ellis-Meyers and Cathy Glass books that I have yet to read.

Happy New Year

I would just like to wish everyone a very happy New Year

Remember to read lots of books and be nice to each other

Have a great New Year love Annamarie

Happy Christmas

I would just like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas, I hope you were good this year.

Review - The Mystery of Old Gully Trail by Tara Ellis

Title: The Mystery of Old Gully Trail

Author: Tara Ellis
Series: Samantha Wolf Mysteries
Pages: 116
Release Date: November 29th 2018

Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Publisher: 
Source: Author
Format: Mobi

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: For fans of Nancy Drew & Trixie BeldonRead as a stand alone
Some trails lead to unexpected places. 

When Sam and Ally meet a young troubled girl, a family secret draws them into a mystery that reaches back generations. There's untold history wrapped up in the origins of their town of Oceanside, and a conflict that was never solved. 

With summer break fast approaching the girls embark on a quest that will lead them through the woods near their homes and into the past. But will they find the answers on Old Gully Trail? Or will the haunted memories it protects be too much for them to overcome? 

My Review: Another fantastic mystery with Sam, Ally and Cassy.

The three girls Sam, Ally and Cassy are clearing trails at Covington Ranch so that they can use them for horse rides, the girls are also getting ready for Sams 13th birthday and the towns annual celebration, but this celebration is going to be a lot different from the last 99 town celebrations, its the towns 100th anniversary and the girls are participating in the parade to promote the Ranch and they are digging up the time capsule that was buried by the towns founding fathers (one being old man Gully).

In this mystery the girls meet a young girl named Penny Gully while they are clearing trails, Penny lives in a house on Gully trail and befriends the girls and later helps them clear the trails when they agree with Penny's family to join the Old Gully Trail to a trail on Covington Ranch to make it a longer trail so that they can offer day trips. This little girl gets up to mischief just like Sam and her friends do. Sam helps Penny solve the Gully riddle which helps Penny and her family.

I love these stories and I am looking forward to see what the girls get up to on their return to Hollow Inn in book 10.

Currently Reading: A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

Read in 2018: 30/35

Happy Birthday Alyson Noel

To Read in December

I have picked 5 books this month and again just because I have set 5 books for this month that does not mean that I will finish all of the books on the list as I do beta reading and my college course starts this month.

This month I have picked.

1. Descent by Tara Ellis
2. Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel
3. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
4. Addie Bell's Shortcut to Growing Up by Jessica Brody
5. The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher