Review: The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

Read if you like: fun, fast-paced adventures, pirates, and science- and book-loving historical ladies.

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy | Mackenzi Lee

Series: Montague Siblings

Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Adventure
Released: October 2nd 2018
Pages: 512
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

Felicity Montague is through with pretending she prefers society parties to books about bone setting—or that she’s not smarter than most people she knows, or that she cares about anything more than her dream of becoming a doctor.

A year after an accidentally whirlwind tour of Europe, which she spent evading highwaymen and pirates with her brother Monty, Felicity has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of Callum Doyle, a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh; and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a small window of hope opens. Doctor Alexander Platt, an eccentric physician that Felicity idolizes, is looking for research assistants, and Felicity is sure that someone as forward thinking as her hero would be willing to take her on. However, Platt is in Germany, preparing to wed Felicity’s estranged childhood friend Johanna. Not only is Felicity reluctant to opening old wounds, she also has no money to make the trip.

Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid. In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that will lead her from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.

I knew I'd love this because the first book became one of my favourites of last year, and I'm so glad it lived up to expectations. Feminism and fury and a girl who wants to be a physician when the world just wants her to give up, PLUS pirates and sea dragons and girls being supportive friends and Montagues being supportive siblings, AND a giant, slobbering dog and a ship's canon battle for good measure. There's nothing this book doesn't have. I loved every bit of it.

5 stars

Review: Love & Other Train Wrecks

Read if you like: snarky romance, character-driven stories, and books that stick with you (I'm still thinking about this and talking about it two months later).

Love & Other Train Wrecks | Leah Konen

Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance
Released: January 2nd 2018
Pages: 368
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher

A twenty-four-hour romance about two teens who meet—and perhaps change their minds about love—on a train ride to Upstate New York in the middle of a snowstorm

One train ride. Two strangers.

Noah is a hopeless romantic. He’s heading back home for one last chance with his first love, whom he broke up with when he went off to college.

Ammy doesn’t believe in true love—her parents being prime examples. She’s escaping from a mom who can’t take care of her to a dad who may not even want her. That is, until one winter night when Noah and Ammy find themselves in the same Amtrak car heading to Upstate New York.

After a train-wreck first encounter between the two of them, the Amtrak train suddenly breaks down due to a snowstorm. Desperate to make it to their destinations, Noah and Ammy have no other option but to travel together. What starts off as a minor detour turns into the whirlwind journey of a lifetime, and over the course of the night they fall in love. But come morning their adventure takes an unexpected turn for the worst. Can one night can really change how they feel about love...and the course of their lives forever?

Charming from start to finish. I love how the female character was the cynical, non-romantic and the guy was the hopeless fool. I loved their chemistry and interactions and the snark. I loved the train breaking down (second best cliché ever, only to a lift breakdown.) I loved EVERYTHING. Except that twist toward the end (cruel, cruel author.) And the fact the ending feels less like an ending than an abrupt stop. But everything else? Sweet and realistic and full of heart. Highly recommend!

5 stars

Review: The Gentleman's Guide To Vice & Virtue

The Gentleman's Guide To Vice & Virtue | Mackenzi Lee

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books, June 27th 2017

Genre: YA, Historical, LGBT+

Pages: 513

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen Books, via Edelweiss

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

I have several bones to pick with this book. I thought it was going to be a lighthearted, fun romp through Europe, and admittedly, it was, but I never signed on for all this heartache and pain and ANGST.

Monty and Percy and Felicity are the best characters I could ever ask for. I love all of them. They make this book so easy to love, and I identify so hard with Felicity. I can't wait to read her next adventures. As for the other two, they hurt me so much with their unrequited-but-actually-requited love, their longing glances, little touches, Gods, I love them. I'm so happy this book ended the way it did.

This book was so much more dangerous than I expected though, with everything from highwaymen to pirates to to-the-death fights on a crypt-island. Add to that a healthy dose of sarcasm, humour, and romance, and I honestly could not have loved it more. I do keep calling it The Gentleman's Guide to The Galaxy, though.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★★

Review: A Madness So Discreet

A Madness So Discreet | Mindy McGinnis

Published by: Katherine Tegen, October 6th 2015

Genre: YA, Mystery, Historical

Pages: 376

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen, via Edelweiss

Grace Mae knows madness.
She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

For such a dark, harrowing book, A Madness So Discreet was surprisingly hopeful. Loved everything about it!

This book has: historical mental illness, a girl recovering from abuse, a serial killer who poses his victims like dolls, and friendships between girls that are healthy and hopeful and healing. I just love friendships, and this book does them so well. This book will scare you, hurt you, and heal you, and you'll love every bit of it. It is slow, pace wise, but it's so worth it. This book is wonderful despite its grimness and despairing and darkness, and I so needed it.

Sherlock Holmes meets Jack the Ripper with a troubled female lead. Literally everything on my bookish wishlist. 

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Review: The Last of August

Charlotte Holmes: The Last of August | Brittany Cavallaro

Published by: Katherine Tegen, February 14th 2017

Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen, via Edelweiss

In the second brilliant, action-packed book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, Jamie and Charlotte are in a chase across Europe to untangle a web of shocking truths about the Holmes and Moriarty families.

Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter break reprieve in Sussex after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But nothing about their time off is proving simple, including Holmes and Watson’s growing feelings for each other. When Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the Holmes estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring—the game is afoot once again, and Charlotte throws herself into a search for answers.

So begins a dangerous race through the gritty underground scene in Berlin and glittering art houses in Prague, where Holmes and Watson discover that this complicated case might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other. 

Oh yeah, the last of August. REAL FUNNY TITLE THERE. 

Aside from tricking me into thinking August was safe and tricking me into liking him, this book is pretty great. Not as good as the first book, but I like how it takes place away from the school. I thought they'd all be set in the school so it was fun to mix it up with Europe.

The plot is interesting, and has a tonne of different elements, but I didn't connect with it in a way I did the first book. It didn't really feel urgent, or important, even with Leander being in danger and Charlotte's mum poisoned. But I liked the relationships between everyone, and it had enough of that Charlotte Holmes spark (genuis and inventive and destructive all at once) that I read it quickly, and it didn't bore me once. Plus it wraps up nicely and cleverly and feels a lot like the ending of a Sherlock Holmes story.

Just as smart and thoughtful and moving as book one - I just didn't love it quite as much. Still can't wait to see what happens to Charlotte and Jamie next! Just hope it involves less emotional turmoil!

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Review: Dare You

Nikki Kill: Dare You | Jennifer Brown

Published by: Katherine Tegen, February 14th 2017

Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 480

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen, via Edelweiss

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.... 

Mark this down as my favourite mystery/thriller series - even if it treats me cruelly and hurts my favourite characters.

I wasn't sure if this would be as high octane or high impact at the first book, but it SO was. I wasn't sure if Nikki wouldn't continue to grow, but she grew SO MUCH. (She's still a crappy person and I still love her so, so much for it.) I wasn't sure if Nikki would ever have a thing with the bae, Martinez, but it looks hopeful on the romance front ... even if every other front is 100% hopeless.

Basically - epic action, thrilling mystery, twists and awesome reveals, a really unique set of antagonists, a beating sarcastic heart, and just enough kissing to make my happy. Love this series. Dying to read the next one!

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Review: What The Dead Want

What The Dead Want | Norah Olson

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books, July 26th 2016

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Gothic, Ghosts

Pages: 320

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen, via Edelweiss

16 -year-old Gretchen takes photographs to understand the world around her, a passion her mother Mona fostered and encouraged when she was still around. Since her mom disappeared years ago, Gretchen and her dad have lived on their own in New York City, haunted by Mona’s absence.

When Gretchen’s great aunt Esther calls unexpectedly to tell her that she has inherited the pre-Civil War mansion on her mother’s side of the family in upstate New York, Gretchen understands nothing except that her aunt needs her help. But what she finds there is beyond her imagination. The house is crumbling apart, filled with stacks of papers and journals from decades, even centuries past, and it’s crawling with rodents. It’s also full of secrets and a legacy of racism and violence so reprehensible that the ghosts of the past are exacting revenge on the living.

Somehow the mystery of Mona’s disappearance and the atrocities that happened on the land during the Civil War are inextricably intertwined, and it’s up to Gretchen to figure out how…before even more lives are lost. 

This is a damn good ghost story. When I went into this book I expected a run-of-the-mill horror. Flat characters, bland relationships, a tonne of unanswered questions, a bit of tense spookiness to keep me going. But it was Halloween, and What The Dead Want seemed suitably creepy. 

This is not run-of-the-mill. This is stand out, well written gothic paranormal and it has memorable, likeable (what?!) characters. The story was not predictable at all. I LOVED the element of photography, how spirits could be captured on film, and how integral it was to the end of the story. There's a perfect blend of ghostiness (that's a word!), history, mystery, danger, and plucky and brave characters trying to uncover secrets. I also loved how it confronted the racist history of the house and the church, and how Gretchen accepted her own link to her predecessor's horrific actions. How she never shifted the blame or responsibility and was determined to get justice for the victims.

Multi-faceted, horrifying in unexpected ways, and driven by passion and heart. You won't find a better ghost story than this.

Characters ★★★★☆
Setting/World ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

ARC Review: Shade Me

Nikki Kill: Shade Me | Jennifer Brown

Published by: Katherine Tegen, January 19th 2016

Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 448

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen, via Edelweiss

Nikki Kill does not see the world like everyone else. In her eyes, happiness is pink, sadness is a mixture of brown and green, and lies are gray.

Thanks to a phenomenon called synesthesia, Nikki’s senses overlap, in a way that both comforts and overwhelms her.

Always an outsider, just one D shy of flunking out, Nikki’s life is on the fast track to nowhere until the night a mysterious call lights her phone up bright orange—the color of emergencies.

It’s the local hospital. They need Nikki to identify a Jane Doe who is barely hanging on to life after a horrible attack.

The victim is Peyton Hollis, a popular girl from Nikki’s school who Nikki hardly knows. One thing is clear: Someone wants Peyton dead. But why? And why was Nikki’s cell the only number in Peyton’s phone?

As she tries to decipher the strange kaleidoscope of clues, Nikki finds herself thrust into the dark, glittering world of the ultrarich Hollis family and drawn towards Peyton’s handsome, ne’er-do-well older brother, Dru.

While Nikki’s colors seem to help her unravel the puzzle, what she can’t see is that she may be falling into a trap. The only truth she can be sure of is that death is a deep, pulsing crimson.

I actually really loved this book. I enjoyed it all the way through, but it wrapped up so well, and so dramatically, that I've definitely bumped it up a half star.

Things I love about this book:

-Synesthesia

-A really realistic teen main character who's into as much dark shit as a lot of realistic teens.

-The dangerous, gritty side of being rich and popular.

-A mystery that keeps you guessing THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH.

-A swoony hot guy that you can't help but be attracted to even though you're 100% sure he attacked his sister at the same time. So many conflicting emotions!!!

-Trust no bitch.

-A girl who can fight. Like, legit fight. It doesn't come from nowhere - she trains like mad for her ability and it really gives this book another dimension.

-A THOROUGHLY SCREWED UP FAMILY. Seriously. They have so many secrets and I was shocked by most of them.

-A cop who isn't clueless, corrupt, or manipulative and bad. HOORAY! Finally!

-Actually I just really liked Detective Martinez. I hope Nikki makes out with him in the next book for no other reason than he's cute and loyal and good.

-This book is thrilling. Just so exciting and unnerving and scary in places. I loved it!

Things I don't like about this book:

-Yep. I got nothing.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Follow all my reviews on Bloglovin!

ARC Review: A Study In Charlotte

Charlotte Holmes: A Study In Charlotte | Brittany Cavallaro

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books, March 1st 2016

Genre: YA, Mystery, Retellings

Pages: 336

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy. 

I've decided to rate this 5 star, and go with my heart-rating, not my brain-rating. Because I loved this book. It immersed me fully in the nostalgic experience of reading the original stories for the first time.

Charlotte and James are great characters, without being carbon copies of Sherlock and John. Charlotte is the most like her ancestor, but that similarity is very well explained - stoicism, her knowledge, and her skill set have been bred into her since birth. She's trained to be that way. But over the course of the book we do see her break away from what she's supposed to be in order to be friends with James, and we also see her buckle under pressure, which was nicely realistic and made me really feel for her. I loved the relationship between the two, and while a big part of my is dying for romance, I also really hope they'll be best friends forever. Other great relationships in this book include friendships (and betrayal!) and father-son stuff which was an unexpected surprise.

What this book does fairly well is realistically portray a victim dealing with rape, particularly sex she was too high to consent to. It isn't presented as Charlotte's fault AT ANY POINT, which I really appreciated.

As for the story, it's a great multi-faceted mystery. There's a villain that stands out a mile, but this book tricks you into thinking it's too obvious. Also, she's just a puppet so it's kinda-her-kinda-not-her at the same time. I will say the archetypes (of Holmes, Watson, and Moriarty) feel a bit forced at points. I'm tired of the every-Moriarty-is-a-bad-guy thing, but I'm hoping we'll meet another Moriarty in the second book and that'll all be resolved.

Well written, well researched, and full of love for the originals. It was pretty emotional to see my own passion for the Sherlock Holmes stories mirrored in this book, and I loved it.

Characters ★★★★☆
Setting/world ★★★★☆
Writing ★★★★☆

Follow all my reviews on Bloglovin!

ARC Review: Shallow Graves

Shallow Graves | Kali Wallace

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books, January 26th 2016

Genre: YA, Mystery, Paranormal, the Undead

Pages: 360

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen, via Netgalley

Breezy remembers leaving the party: the warm, wet grass under her feet, her cheek still stinging from a slap to her face. But when she wakes up, scared and pulling dirt from her mouth, a year has passed and she can’t explain how.

Nor can she explain the man lying at her grave, dead from her touch, or why her heartbeat comes and goes. She doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past.

Haunted by happy memories from her life, Breezy sets out to find answers in the gritty, threatening world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight, and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she discovers is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

This book is WAY more fantasy than anticipated. I expected a ghost story grounded in contemporary mystery. And while it kind of is that, it really isn't. It's VERY paranormal, with ghouls and revenants and witches, and it's AWESOME.

Breezy is a great main character. Seriously dark, complicated, and she doesn't flinch from blood and murder. I love her. She's also bi, and has a Chinese father, and the diversity doesn't hurt this book one bit. As far as characters go, there's a thoroughly diverging bunch in this book. You have compassionate, down-to-earth ghouls Zeke and his brother (Jake? Jack? I forget), and major bitch Rain who's most interesting when she's manipulating, and Violet who is brainwashed by bad guys. And then you have the slew of white middle aged male villains. This book is angry about all the injustices today - racism, sexism, male privilege - and I LOVE IT. It's subtly angry though, which feels even cleverer and better.

More things I love about this book: the mystery surrounding Breezy's death, the thrilling chill of Breezy hunting down murderers, the monster-hunting assholes, the tension between EVERY single character in this book (it's so hard to tell who you can trust), THE SPACE AND SPACE FACTS. Anyone who knows me knows space and all things related are my favourite things in the whole world. It was such a delight to have stories and info about astronauts and planets throughout this book (and an even bigger delight to have equal mentions of female astronauts as male!) 

My only complaints are it's a bit slow in the first half, and I had no idea where the story was going, but as they both serve the book, they're not real complaints.

Completely different to my expectations, but way, way better. I loved it.

(NOTE: The cover, the title, the blurb don't accurately represent this book at all.)

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Follow all my reviews on Bloglovin!