Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

December 27, 2015

Don’t Look Back is a thriller/suspense/murder mystery book. You start biting your nails as soon as you start reading. The first sentences introduces you to a shivering, disoriented girl who is walking out of a wooded area (It was like watching a suspenseful movie in a windy, rainy night. Kind of creepy. Aaahhh…). This story is told from the POV of the girl, whose name is Samantha. She has amnesia, but that’s not the worst part, that frightful day two girls went missing, but only Samantha returned. As she starts to have hallucinations and they seem to point that she might be the main key to solving the mystery of the disappearance of Cassie, she realizes that she needs to start looking for clues. However, within days people are calling her crazy, and soon after, they start becoming suspicious of her, including the police. But she won’t stop her search, and soon finds an ally in Carson Ortiz (Whoa, he was totally cute and so patient with Samantha :). From there on, she searches for the truth, and what she finds out about herself and the people she used to surround herself with in school, is not good at all. Will she be able to redeem herself? What a book! I hope Ms. Armentrout writes another YA, murder mystery soon. :)

*high pg-13 level 

5 out of 5. :)

Going Rogue (Also Known As #2) by Robin Benway

December 27, 2015

Maggie finally feels like she’s really home. Her parents are happy, Roux is her BFF, and Jesse (He’s so cute. Love him. Not afraid to show his emotions. :) is her boyfriend. However, in an unexpected turn of events, her parents are framed. Their hard-earned, peaceful life might get destroyed. Without thinking it twice, Maggie goes undercover to prove her parents’ innocence, and to stop the corrupt Collective from harming others as they have done with her family. This was such a cute and funny, action/adventure book. Also, I really liked that this story took place in more than one country. :)

4 out of 5. :)

Wicked Little Secrets (Prep School Confidential #2) by Kara Taylor

December 26, 2015

In this book, the story revolves around a thirty year old cold case. What Anne finds as she searches for what really happened to Matthew are disturbing secrets that put her in greater danger than her first case. She’s not just dealing with the school, she’s also investigating a politician, a lawyer, and wealthy business men that had once attended the school. What she finds, disheartens her because it seems that Brent’s father is part of whatever happened to Matthew, and not just Matthew, but another person that disappeared during that time. Double murder? What was really going on with that close group of friends? While this is happening, she’s also having to deal with Brent’s way of reacting when she finds out that he’s part of a ritual, which he knows might have caused the death of Matthew that night long ago. A lot of serious, gritty issues were raised in this book, and I was like whoa, even though this group of friends came from the best schools and families, they were totally messed up, and in many different ways. Yikes!

Also, in this story, even though Anne was good at finding the clues pertaining to the case (I liked the way she did not back down, even when many people told her to stop. Even Brent. Come on Brent! :), the way she acted with both Anthony and Brent when it came to their feelings was sometimes a little bit awkward. She even told the guys, she had feelings for both (I was like, oh noooo…, couldn’t she had kept those unresolved feelings until she knew for sure. I’m still rooting for Anthony, but I have a feeling it might not end up that way...). Overall, though, Wicked Little Secrets, was a good read with its more complex mystery because Anne was not dealing with just a murder, it was also a cold case with many, many unanswered questions.

*high pg-13 level

4 out of 5. :)

Prep School Confidential (Prep School Confidential #1) by Kara Taylor

December 25, 2015

Loved the way the story evolved from beginning to end. As it progressed, there were so many ideas to who might have murdered Isabella that it kept you glued to the pages until the last chapter to find out who really committed the horrible act. Anne, the main character, although she’s also part of the privileged world, doesn’t shy away from doing the right thing no matter how powerful her enemies are, even risking a few friendships among new friends and faculty, if it means finding out what’s really going on behind closed doors of the Wheatley School. And, what she uncovers as she delves deeper, are not only the many unsettling, mysterious clues surrounding Isabella, but also the disappearance of another boy a few decades ago, who was never found (Whoa, kind of creepy….). I can’t wait to see what happens next (Especially, between Anne and Anthony). :)

*pg-13 level

4 out of 5. :)

Guys, Lies & Alibis: Langdon Prep #4 (Langdon Prep #4) by Kimberly Reid

December 25, 2015

Wow, it was really serious this time in the mystery that Chanti was involved in. She was facing quite a few obstacles, and the biggest one, Marco. Finally, it seems they are okay as a couple, and bam! After a game, they are in a freak accident. Chanti notices a few things and mentions it to Marco, but Marco acts as if nothing happened, and that’s when Chanti goes into detective mode. Something is terribly wrong, and Marco knows more than he is letting on. From then on, weird things start to happen around Chanti and Marco, but Marco tells Chanti to let it go. But she won’t, not when it seems Marco is in serious trouble, like life and death serious. Yikes!

This mystery as Chanti comes to realize is not just one layer, it’s even larger than what Marco is facing. So big, that even Cisco (He’s a mystery in itself. But Chanti is beginning to suspect something about him. Ooo… :) wants her help. Reluctantly, she agrees, and that’s when she comes to realize if Marco is as trustworthy/a good guy as she believes he is. I can’t wait to read the next book. A few questions were still left unanswered, especially when it came to Marco (What he did was something serious). I don’t know, but for some reason, I really didn’t like the way Marco acted a few times in this book. I got that he was in serious trouble, but still, some decisions he made, and the way he was always telling Chanti to leave him alone, I was like, really? She was like his best chance to get real help since the beginning. Oh, Marco... What will happen next...?

4 out of 5. :)

Sweet 16 to Life (Langdon Prep #3) by Kimberly Reid

December 24, 2015

The mysteries Chanti is solving are getting quite complicated as she gets more involved as an amateur sleuth. In this book, one of her friends, MJ, needs her help, and there’s no way Chanti won't help her friend. Even though, this means less time with Marco. Although, they are not "boyfriend and girlfriend" anymore, they are trying to keep their friendship alive (They are totally in love with each other. I hope Marco wakes up soon and acts before someone else does. Reginald, perhaps? Oh, oh... :), and even that is difficult to do while trying to figure out who's trying to send MJ to prison. Is it Lux? As always, Tasha, Michelle, and even Marco end up helping in Chanti’s pursuit to find the truth. I can't wait to read Guys, Lies, and Alibis, the fourth book in the series. Yay!

5 out of 5. :)

Hurricane Force (Miss Fortune Mystery #7) by Jana Deleon

December 23, 2015

Loved reading this book from beginning to end. As the summary states, a hurricane comes upon Sinful, however, because we are not reading about any small town, but about Sinful :), it not only leaves destruction in its path, it leaves lots of money behind. But as Fortune soon finds out, it's not only counterfeit money, it also traces back to Ahmad, the dangerous man that is after her. From there on, it's like reading two small mysteries that intertwine into the big finale, and what an ending it was. This book had quite a few surprising twists and turns, and of course, as always, the hilarious moments throughout the book that only Fortune, Gertie, and Ida Belle can be found in.

Even though, the way Carter and Fortune handled the revelation of her true identity at the end was an unexpected twist in itself, I thought it was quite an interesting turn in the Fortune mystery series. Since the beginning of the series, the way Fortune was portrayed as a young woman that does not wait to be saved, but does the saving herself, I kind of had a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy (or realistic, really) for Fortune to leave behind, just like that, without looking back, her career (Honestly, I don't think it would have really been a happy ending for Fortune if that had occurred at this time). During the progression of the story, she gave a few hints, as she stated a few times that she came to realize that she loved her job, because she knew in the end she was leaving a small dent of goodness behind. I can't wait to read the next book. Probably, Fortune and Carter will both reach a compromise that will make them both happy, or Carter will come to realize Fortune is just not made for "regular life", and he will have to accept her as she is. :)

5 out of 5. :)