Misbalance

Misbalance
by Amber Peterson
 
Book: Balance #1
Publisher: Narmare Publishing
Pub Date: April 30, 2024
Genre: Fantasy
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon

It’s been thirteen years since we fled our home planet. To avoid detection, her power and her memories were repressed. We had hoped it would keep her safe from all those that want her power for themselves. But somehow, he found her. Now it is a race against the clock for her to get her power back in time to save us all. A group of teenagers in charge of saving all of creation, what could go wrong?

My Review: It's few and far between that a book can grab my attention within the first chapter and keep it throughout the whole book, but this one sure did. 

Mandy is like any other student. Attending class, taking note and planning what to do about college. She didn't plan an armed intruder enter the school, let alone looking specifically for her. 

So what's a girl to do when on the run from a crazed person hunting her down. Well get a job working with horses apparently. 

I enjoyed the first few chapters slowly introduced us to Mandy and Brian. The world building was at the perfect pace with the right amount of detail. When we finally got to the chapters of Mandy know the truth, it really just took off from there.

This book is certainly worth the read for anyone who wants a mix of Sci-Fi and Supernatural aspects. 

 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪

Of Blood and Crowns

Of Blood and Crowns
by Raven More

Book: Broken Bonds #1
Publisher: Author
Pub Date: January 17, 2023
Genre: Young Adult, Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Book Links: Goodreads  
On my sixteenth birthday, I’ll become a murderer.

I don’t want to kill anyone but it’s my duty as princess.

To stop the threat of the Cursed. The ones who destroyed our planet and most life.

If I don’t participate in the ritual to seal my initiation into the ruling council and solidify my mother’s empire, everyone will figure out the truth.

My truth.

That I’m a Cursed.

It gets worse.

My only hope rests in the hands of Ryker, whose sister I sentenced to death.

My Review: Ummm...What did I just read? 

The blurb sounded good and the cover is lovely, but thats about it for the list of good things.

I just had to leave this book as DNF. I couldn't even get halfway through. 

You kind of just jump right into the story. No real background, watching the characters develop, things jumping around. It started off as if you were reading it as the next book in the series and not the first.  

The idea is there but it's too all over the place to make it work for me.

Based on how this went as the first book, I'm going to leave the rest of the series as DNF. I just can't justify a reason to give it a chance. 

My Rating:

✪

Weekly Spotlight - Girls with Sharp Sticks

 

“I'm starting to see how unusual our lives are here. And the more I recognize it... the more I want to change it.”

― Suzanne Young, Girls with Sharp Sticks

Girls with Sharp Sticks

Thrilling start to a subversive near future series from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young about a girls-only private high school that is far more than it appears to be.

Some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns.

The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved—it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardian, they receive a well-rounded education that promises to make them better. Obedient girls, free from arrogance or defiance. Free from troublesome opinions or individual interests.

But the girls’ carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears. As Mena and her friends uncover the dark secrets of what’s actually happening there—and who they really are—the girls of Innovations Academy will learn to fight back.

Bringing the trademark plot twists and high-octane drama that made The Program a bestselling and award-winning series, Suzanne Young launches a new series that confronts some of today's most pressing ethical questions. 

My Review

Girls with Razor Hearts

It’s been weeks since Mena and the other girls of Innovations Academy escaped their elite boarding school. Although traumatized by the violence and experimentations that occurred there, Mena quickly discovers that the outside world can be just as unwelcoming and cruel. With no one else to turn to, the girls only have each other—and the revenge-fueled desire to shut down the corporation that imprisoned them.

The girls enroll in Stoneridge Prep, a private school with suspect connections to Innovations, to identify the son of an investor and take down the corporation from the inside. But with pressure from Leandra, who revealed herself to be a double-agent, and Winston Weeks, an academy investor gone rogue, Mena wonders if she and her friends are simply trading one form of control for another. Not to mention the woman who is quite literally invading Mena’s thoughts—a woman with extreme ideas that both frighten and intrigue Mena.

And as the girls fight for freedom from their past—and freedom for the girls still at Innovations—they must also face new questions about their existence…and what it means to be girls with razor hearts.

My Review

Girls with Rebel Souls

The girls make their final stand in this third and final novel in the thrilling, subversive near-future series from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young about a girls-only private school that is far more than it appears to be.

There is no one who can save your rebel soul…

The girls of Innovations Academy escaped the confines of their unethical school, fought against the system protecting predators who targeted girls for harassment, and they’re not done yet. They’re still not free.

Reeling from one revelation after the next, Mena and her friends begin to unwind the truth of their existence and, as a result, their destiny. The men from Innovations Corporation still hunt them, the woman who created them still wants control over them, and worst of all, Mena realizes that through all her pain, all her tears, the world of men has not changed. There is no more time to hope for the best. The girls know they are in a battle for their lives, a war for their very existence.

The girls of Innovations Academy have sharpened their sticks to fight back, they have fought for justice with blood from their razor hearts. And now, the girls will choose their true nature...and how they define their rebel souls. 

My Review

Weekly Spotlight - Stardust

Make You See Stars

A fresh start…

Determined to have a life of her own, Victoria Weiss flees the safe haven of New Berlin on the planet Mars by accepting an internship on the most remote space station in the solar system. Being the daughter of the Great German ambassador isn’t all glitter and glamour, and Tori needs a fresh start away from her overbearing parents. 

But running away from your past isn’t easy when you’ve hidden away the darkest parts. Tori hasn’t trusted men ever since a sexual encounter that left her soul scarred, and when the station’s Chief of Security shows an interest in her, she feels torn between running away from him and allowing herself to open up to new possibilities.

A troubled past…

The last thing Alen Novak expects is to lose his head over an Elite girl. But when Tori Weiss walks into his life, he can’t help but feel she’s different from the Great German leaders who effectively destroyed his Croatian homeland during the Great Wars in Europe. Even though he is the station’s Security Chief, Alen doesn’t command the respect of all his colleagues because of his prison past – and he’s afraid Tori will dismiss him for it right out of the gate. After all, he’s been hurt by a woman he loved before.

Fanning the flames of passion…

There’s no way to avoid working together, though, and the two are irresistibly drawn to each other. Will Tori and Alen learn how to face their darkest fears, or will the past nip their passionate love in the bud?

A sweet, erotic romance for lovers of New Adult with a hint of Futuristic.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+

My Review

Chase You to the Sun

When Svetlana Ivanova lands a job on Desida One as trade liaison for the Russian Elite, she is over the moon. Even though her rich father owns the largest gemstone mine in the solar system, Lana wants to make it under her own steam. Working on one of the Desidan space stations is a dream come true. 

Things take a turn for the worse, though, when she and her friends Tori and Alen are attacked by rebels on their way to Earth. Bruce Randall, a notorious space pirate and her father’s worst enemy, kidnaps her to hold her for ransom. If Mr. Ivanov doesn’t pay up, she’ll get hurt – badly. Bruce may have a handsome face, but his soul is darker than the night. Or so he claims, anyway.

Locked up in a mansion in an unknown location on Earth, Lana’s world slowly begins to unravel. Bruce is not just holding her hostage for money – in fact, he tells her things about her father’s company that she can’t believe. The pirate seems to know more about her mother’s death, five years ago, than she was ever told. And his kisses may be dangerous, but too good to resist.

Lana comes to realize that beneath the villainy and violence, Bruce is a man very different from the character in the stories told about him. A man with crushed ideals and a past haunting him everywhere he goes, no matter what he does.

A man she could fall for.

A slightly darker, erotic romance novel in the Stardust Series, for lovers of New Adult with a hint of Futuristic.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

My Review

Fly You to the Moon

After her father’s death, the last thing Ava Windsor wants is to leave Earth and move to an Elite colony on the moon for the next ten months. Nicolas, a half-uncle she doesn’t even remember meeting, is to be her custodian until she reaches the age of twenty-one. Until then, she is not allowed to touch the money her dad has left her. Being the only child of a disowned Elite father and a common mother just got a lot more complicated. 

But surviving among the Luna Six Elitists who treat commoners as servants should have been the least of Ava’s worries. Nicolas Carter is nothing like she expected. He condemns the Elite lifestyle, he is a lot younger than her father, and he is definitely way sexier. 

Ten months on the moon seem like an eternity if you know you shouldn’t be falling for your guardian… but just can’t help yourself. 

A sweet, steamy romance novella for lovers of New Adult with a hint of Futuristic. 

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

My Review

Stuck

Stuck

by Samantha Durante

Book: Stitch Trilogy #3

Publisher: Samantha Durante

Pub Date: December 15, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Dystopian

Format: ARC

Source: Author

Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon   

3, 2, 1... BOOM.

Things are finally looking up for the Resistance. Sure, Alessa is still processing the revelation that the best friend she'd presumed dead is miraculously alive, though far from well... And her boyfriend is being manipulated under threat of blackmail. But her quest for justice against those behind the systematic extermination of the world population is so close to victory she can taste it.

And then in a matter of seconds, everything Alessa believes in is shaken to the core. Months of preparation are obliterated. The people she cares for most are lost.

But Alessa is still standing. And Paragon must pay.

The odds are grim, but unexpected allies surface in the most unlikely of places: A new pair of citizens still under the colony's rule who notice something amiss in the latest drama. An old adversary who realizes the error of her ways. And a veritable army of inhuman power and terrible strength, with an insatiable thirst for vengeance. The trustworthiness of each of these factions is yet to be proven, but without many other options, Alessa may have to take what she can get. Especially since the Engineers, never to be outdone, also have a few more tricks up their sleeves...

The long-awaited final installment in the riveting Stitch Trilogy, Stuck will have readers gripping their seats as Alessa and a handful of intrepid survivors usher their harrowing journey to a close, risking everything as they endeavor - once and for all - to set things right. 

My Review: Finally!!! The long awaited book has arrived and Samantha blew it out  of the park!

Alessa and Isaac are doing well in the Resistance. Things are looking up, however there are hidden secrets. To reveal them could cost them everything they've worked hard for. They know the Stitch caused a lot of problems. They know a little girl could save lives with immunity. Each secret if revealed, will come with a huge cost. Right now, the few who know the secrets will remain silent.

We all know since book one, that it's time for things to end. No more drugging people through food, no more making people live out a certain life for others entertainments. No more virus. No more anything from Paragon.

Be prepared for the emotional ride. There will be losses, struggles, new allies, but no matter what they won't give up. The best moment of all is having Alessa and Isaac walk together into their new home. Finally they can relax and live their lives however they want....well at least until a special gift arrives.

Every aspect of this book was blown out of the park. The story starts off as if it hasn't been 5 years since the last book. It was well worth the wait and I can't wait to get my hands on anything else she writes.

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Weekly Spotlight - Uninvited

“Exactly what he wanted me to do. Exactly what they all thought I would do. Everyone in here. Everyone out there in the world. A world so afraid of carriers, it makes killers out of the innocent.” 

Uninvited
The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

My Review

Unleashed
Unleashed, the romantic, high-stakes sequel to New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's Uninvited, is perfect for fans of James Patterson's Confessions of a Murder Suspect.

Davy has spent the last few months trying to come to terms with the fact that she tested positive for the kill gene HTS (also known as Homicidal Tendency Syndrome). She swore she would not let it change her, and that her DNA did not define her . . . but then she killed a man.

Now on the run, Davy must decide whether she'll be ruled by the kill gene or if she'll follow her heart and fight for her right to live free. But with her own potential for violence lying right beneath the surface, Davy doesn't even know if she can trust herself.

My Review

Determinant

Determinant
by A.M. Hargrove

Book: The Guardians of Vesturon
Publisher: Prime Productions
Pub Date: June 30 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance, Paranormal
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Book Links: Goodreads   Amazon

January St. Davis, on her own since the age of sixteen and struggling to stay in college, thinks she’s scored in a major way when she lands a paid summer internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. One evening, after working an especially long shift, a chance encounter with a group of mysterious men alters the course of her life.

Rykerian Yarrister, a Guardian of Vesturon with unearthly powers and impossibly gorgeous looks, finds himself at odds over the human female he recently saved from certain death. When it seems he is on the verge of winning her over, she is ripped from his hands by a strange and powerful being, threatening to destroy her if his demands are not met.

Do Rykerian and the Guardians have the ability to meet this fierce barbarian’s ultimatums, or will January suffer a horrid demise?


My Review:  January is having a difficult life; her mother threw her out of the house, she doesn't know who her father is, and she doesn't have any money.  Then there's Rykerian is Rayn's brother. He has everything he needs and his life is good, but if only he can forget the beautiful young girl he saw near his house. When Rykerian saves January's life,a spark forms between the two. Rykerian finally has the chance to win her over, but she is suddenly taken away from him by a being who threatens to kill her.  Will January let go of her past, and give Rykerian a chance? Will Rykerian be able to resue January from her abductor? The plot is much more quicker, in book 3.  Although the setting is the same, it is very  well explained and detailed. I wish that the first two books were also about Janurary and Rykerian. I love them. January has been through so much, but she is willing to change everything she has believed to get a chance at real love. Rykerian is just the perfect dream boy, protective, caring, strong-willed and overly sensitive.

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪