Iron House by John Hart

Iron House by John Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I do love John Hart novels and Michael and Elena tore my soul apart. This book has it all psychological thriller with lots of torture, death, mob ties and political machinations thrown in also. This is a must read about 2 brothers, 1 strong and 1 weak in an orphanage with bullies all around. Something horrible happens and Michael flees while something good happens to his sensitive brother, Julian. I could not stop reading this book; there was so much horror in Michael and Julian's life that to know them, you needed to start at the beginning of their lives and oh what a tangled web that is. Abigail Vane wants to adopt both brothers but death and lies FORCE Michael to flee. As all of John Hart's book are- this is a must read if you like heart stopping writing, believable characters you root for and lush storytelling.

View all my reviews

Dare you to (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

Dare You To by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Katie McGarry's series Pushing the Limits and so did my students when I was a librarian McGarry takes Beth, a teen with a drug addicted mom and abusive boyfriend who can't think straight about caring for her mom. When forces collide, Beth is sent to live with her uncle, forbidden to see her mom and old friends. Beth resents her uncle, his wife and those who remember what "her family" is like. But Ryan is someone who accepts Beth for who she is even as she tries to keep him at arms length. There is so much tension, drama and chemistry between these two, I rooted for them to find and keep one another in each other's lives and hearts. Even reluctant readers will love these books! They move quickly, plots are believable and there is lots of attraction going on with many of the teen couples.

View all my reviews

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brittany Pressley's narration of Grace and the doctor were perfect; McGinnis' story of insane asylums during the early 1900s, the injustices perpetrated against patients and just victims of society as a whole and the work Grace performs trying to catch a serial killer had me riveted. The plot was thick with mystery and the horrors of life in the Ohio asylum and I appreciated the change to the Boston asylum where the patients were treated as humanely as possible. Grace's friends were real and very supportive of her; it was Grace who really had to figure out who she was and what she wanted in life. A great psychological thriller, McGinnis is one of my new favorite authors!

View all my reviews

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I could not put this book down, #2jennsbookclub certainly picked a winner and even better, it is the first book in a series and the second book is due out April 2017. Celestine's family and boyfriend see her as perfect and lives in a society where people deemed FLAWED must live by strict rules, be branded and be treated as less than human. One day she makes a decision that costs her the love of her life and makes her fear for the safety of her family and herself. Who can she believe and trust? Cecelia Ahern builds a scary believable world where life seems perfect until you are deemed flawed. But Celestine is so believable as a character who is so sure of her place in society that when she intervenes to help a flawed older man putting her life into danger; Celestine just as believably becomes a symbol the reader roots for - she is vulnerable, afraid, but convincing as she wades through fear, secrets, and lies to obtain information and truth. I loved Celestine, her grandfather, mother, father and Carrick. I can't wait to find out more in the 2nd book and I hope there is a 3rd book too!!! Highly recommended dystopian series!

View all my reviews

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

Ghost by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again Jason Reynolds has penned a book that speaks to kids, middle grade boys and girls, who have dreams and live in a tough world. How they figure it out is what Jason Reynolds is truly awesome at- the setting, characters, dilemmas, points of view all work perfectly in this book. Ghost is definitely an urban kid who has not had an easy life but he has enough bluster to make "things" work. Take a track coach with a team trying out and Ghost watching the runners. He takes on a sprinter and blows him away...thus begins Ghost's initiation into running, friends, a coach and dare I say it - will he be able to handle this life where he lives on the wrong side of the tracks, can't afford the "right" running shoes, and still gets into fights? I loved Ghost and I ached for his life where he longed for normalcy with a mom who works by day and takes online courses at night with no money to spare and fear of closed spaces and lots of anger. I sure did admire the stable role models in his life - his mom, store owner, Mr. Charles, Coach Brody, and Principal Marshall. They guide him to become a better Ghost by remaining steadfast with their rules, expectations, and humanity. There was just the right amount of suspense, humor, with the aches and pains of being an athlete interspersed throughout this "real" novel of life and the many "stories" that make up a neighborhood, school, and those in these communities. Highly recommended! Can't wait for the next Track series!

View all my reviews

Redemption Road by John Hart

Redemption Road by John Hart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this John Hart audiobook narrated by Scott Shepherd and liked his narration of all the characters EXCEPT Liz the good cop. Shepherd's voice for Liz (not her conscious thoughts) just did not do it for me. Shepherd's Liz was always monotone, flat, with no emotion and did not get across to me, the reader, her brokenness, and her determination. I love John Hart novels and this was one I could not stop listening too but I did not like the resolution of the mystery!!! I do not want to add any spoilers but yuck; I found it almost unbelievable and awful. Maybe if I had read this thriller I might have felt differently but I chose to listen to it and I always love my audiobooks, but even though I LOVED the drama and psychological suspense and love Hart's writing, this audiobook lacked a strong voice for Liz and a less than worthy revenge but I did love Liz, Channing & Adrian's travails and eventual redemption.

View all my reviews

The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book!!! The 1200's was a time of upheaval in the church after the Holy Wars and heretics were pursued ruthlessly, rooted out and killed, burned at the stake, and families and those who knew or helped were punished thoroughly. Julie Berry's historical fiction story about Dolssa who is a pious young woman & talks to her beloved lord, works miracles, and is hunted mercilessly by a knight and friar after miraculously escaping the burning pyre. Botille is a matchmaker and has been dispatched to a town to bring heirs back to an old friends's vineyard. Botille discovers Dolssa on her deathbed, hides her and takes her back to Bajas so she and her sisters can nurse her back to health. What the 3 sisters learn about Dolssa and her passion changes their lives and brings danger to then and their village. What a wondrous story of love, friendship, zealots, hatred, fear and heresy. I loved the seaside village of Bajas that Berry painted with it's beautiful sea and sand and the villagers with their troubles, personalities and sense of community. A harsh picture of fear
and heresy in a troubled time of the church but with cast of wonderful strong female characters, highly recommended!

View all my reviews