Visions by Kelley Armstrong

 Ugh, I am so torn!!!

(sequel to Omens)

I absolutely loved this book, just like the first! While Olivia managed to clear her parent's names of two murders of the eight, there are still plenty of mystery ahead. Such being what about the other four murders and what secrets does Cainsville contain?

Gabriel and Olivia continue their partnership, despite some hitches along the way, and Ricky has made a more prominent place in the story this time around which leads to my internal conflict. Ricky is such a charming character being a dashing and caring man. We can't help but like him, but seeing as I am Team Gabriel, I found myself not exactly thrilled by Ricky's presence. But at the same time, how can one hate some good steamy romance?! What is a girl to do?

 

Despite the blossoming romance, we also get to know the secrets of Cainsville, and to what exactly Olivia is. Cainsville is definitely not all that it seems... prepare yourself! There's plenty of mystery, murder, and omens ahead! Tread carefully, fellow readers!  

 

Lauren - 4 stars

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

 Well, well Kelley Armstrong. Nicely done.
I must say I liked your books when I was a teen, and now I'm enjoying your books as an adult. Or should I say really enjoying? Cuz hot damn I tore through this like a ravenous animal.

Armstrong starts off with a simple life and a complicated girl; Olivia Taylor Jones. First a rich, well known socialite, suddenly thrown into the harsh spotlights of the media when it is revealed that she is the daughter of renowned serial killers, The Larsens.

Instead of sitting around crying about it, even when the people around her prove utterly useless and unreliable, Olivia takes matters into her own hands and seeks refuge. She finds it Cainsville, a mysterious, small, yet quaint town. It is here that she also meets Gabriel, a ruthless lawyer and this, in my opinion, is where the real adventure begins.

I liked how even though there are small descriptors given to our characters, Armstrong gives even better personality shape. I fell in love with our characters just by who they were rather than what they looked like which was nice. I wasn't forced to deal with the cliche, "he was dreamy, with wind-swept black hair I longed to tousle, and eyes so green they swept me away to the Irish fields!"

Kelley also did a fantastic job of tinging a mystery with paranormal. It wasn't all about Olivia's gift, they just helped move the story and mystery along. They helped increase the climax of a dangerous moment, or unveil more complications in an already messy situation! All books can be also easily swept away with romance, but Omens seemed to promise it more for the future, and build the tension leaving readers wanting more. (Oh, do I want more.)

Some might say that there were too many questions, but this book doesn't feel like your average book. The ending doesn't wrap up the way I'm used to, leaving things feeling slightly unfinished, which in an odd way, I enjoyed. It made me more eager to pick up the next book. There are many questions readers have, many Welsh words that are left untranslated, but at the beginning of the book Kelley promised that we would find out at the pace of Olivia. So I decided to be patient and wait, as frustrating at times as that may be!

 Lauren - 4 stars

My review to the sequel, Visions, is here! 

 

A Pocket Full of Murder by R.J. Anderson

            An adorable story, really.

 

 Some might say it's predictable, and while it is, readers must keep in mind the audience this book was intended for.

Isaveth is a poor girl who dabbles in Common Magic. She is sweet, full of gusto, loyal, and clever. Together with her new found friend, Quiz, they're the Detective Duo of the streets! They try to solve the mystery of a murder, one her father was wrongly accused of. We get a feel of this little magical world as the two explore and experience their surroundings and the people in it. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Anderson wrote a well paced and fun book, and I felt in some ways this book was realistic: not all stories get a fully resolved ending. Some reviewers said they felt the religious aspect of Isaveth's life wasn't really working for them, but honestly I did not mind it all that much. I felt it gave the book the extra twist of despair that it needed to make things harder for our main characters.

If I had to choose a favorite for me, it's definitely Quiz with his pure, innocent love, his strong desire for justice, and his bravery. I can't wait for more! 

Expect the sequel sometime of October of 2016!

 Lauren - 3 stars

A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab

Magical and exciting! Another winner from Victoria Schwab.

Imagine if you had magic: the ability to travel from one parallel universe to the next. Pretty awesome, right? 

Welcome to Kell's everyday life.
At first a slow start, I found myself soon wrapped up in Kell's plight. His troubles begin with his irresistible urge to collect items from the other Londons that he visits. Tricked into smuggling over an extremely dangerous magical item, Kell must rise to the face the consequences or risk losing his London, as well as the others.

Schwab gave great details and emotional connections in this book that helped bring the different worlds to life. I could almost feel the dustiness of Grey London, the chill of White London, and the glow of the Red London. It was fascinating to know that each was connected, but became unconnected when Black London became corrupted and devoured by it's magic. Each character was unique, strong, and brave in their own way, but Schwab built powerful connections. I simply loved Kell and Lilah. Lilah is so headstrong and spunky, it's hard not to like her! I was easily ensnared, with the strength and connection of them, and there were plenty of things left open to amp up excitement for the next book.

Lauren - 4 stars  

Shit is going down!! Feb 2016! 

The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett

Girly, badass, and full of trouble!

 (sequel to The Nightmare Affair)

Dusty and Eli are back! Be prepared for more mystery and more whodunnit fun! Tensions are rising in Arkwell Academy with the magical restrictions being gone, and a student found assaulted with fingers pointing every which way. Telling apart friend and foe becomes difficult, and magic kind starts taking sides against each other. Drama arises for our duo when they find out Dusty's ex is being released and is returning to the Academy.

While the book was fun and the mystery good, we sisters cannot help but have raised eyebrows (and not in a good way) at the part where the adults entrusted the super secret, ultra-important mission to the teenaged girl. “It’s all on you now. We can’t trust anybody else, young teenaged girl with impulse control issues.”

Not to mention the super cliched cop-out that Arnett pulled near the end. It made one of us want to vomit, it made the other want to put a bullet in one's head, it made both of us want to punch someone in the face...the point is it was terrible. It was a PUH-LEASSSE moment and we can't help but wonder why, oh why, Arnett does this to her poor readers.This hexy twist lowered our ratings. 

(P.S. It's getting harder to forgive you of these cruelities. *sniff*)

Dominique - 4 stars

Lauren - 3.5 stars

Coming out in 2015!

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

This is our very first review as Two Sister's, Two Cents! Thank you for reading and for your patience! We'll be editing the other reviews as we go along. ;)

Fun, fast paced, and interesting!

  

 It's a well written book that is similar to Hex Hall, or Harry Potter meets Vampire Academy, with the main scenery being based on a school for mythical creatures. Destiny, or preferably Dusty, is our main heroine in a story filled with awkward chest feedings, typical attractive and annoying female rivals, unpopularity, strange occurrences, and duh, duh, DUHHHH....murder.

It isn't easy being a creature who feeds on people's dreams, and Dusty really struggles in life as her Nightmare kind are ostracized as evil and manipulative. It becomes especially complicated when it is discovered that when paired up, she and Eli (human turned dream buddy) can see prophetic dreams. This ends up being handy when it comes to solving the mystery and discovering 'whodunnit' rests upon her and Eli's shoulders. 

We must applaud Arnett for bringing together high school and high stakes into a highly entertaining read. Arnett's concept on Nightmares was unique and interesting, and there were some fun twists thrown in as well! We may have waited the whole book for some romantic progression between certain someones, but sometimes good things are worth waiting for. (Although waiting is annoying. P.S. We forgive you.)   

 Dominique - 4 stars            

 Lauren - 3.5 stars

Follow our review for The Nightmare Dilemma!

Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

3.5 stars

Haunting, gothic, and wildly imaginative!

What is Clementine's story?

 I was certainly dying to find out! This was such a fun magic themed story, with great mystery behind it. 

 Clementine's tragic tale begins with her being forced to sleep with magic for ten years in a basement closet until she was finally discovered and rescued by one of our main characters, Fisher. But why and by whom is left unknown and Clementine is seeking to find some answers.

As we uncover the old town Clementine grew up in, things get weirder and weirder. My interest really began to peak when "bad things" started happening. Bad things being slimy green catfish with rows of monstrous needle-like teeth, ominous storms, demon dogs, the magical Hollow forest acting up; all signs of what they called The Reckoning. Problem is nobody knows why The Reckoning is coming or why it even happened ten years ago, either. 

One of my issues with the book was that after finishing it and running my opinions and thoughts through my head, I realized something rather shocking; I could not remember Clementine or Fisher's names. Clementine, although strong willed, sweet, and having a rather bizarre introduction, was slightly bland. Fisher too, suffered a similar fate as there was nothing defining about him except his unique craft. This problem is more than likely due to the wide cast of main characters to share with readers, but it doesn't make the book terrible just not as amazing as it could have been. I also found myself wishing I could have known a little more about the fiends. Information like their origins, and how they came to existence.

Yovanoff's story is engaging and fascinating and the small town really comes to life with its unique descriptions, and mysterious, as well as old, history. There were some fun characters as well and a happy ending. Fiendish was truly fun and mysterious and I will look forward to more from Yovanoff in the future.

The Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

3.5 stars

Not a bad read and it was unique, but it didn't really blow me off my feet.

A split POV book that ties two people's fates together.

Meet Kyra, a orphan girl who steals in order to keep a roof over her head, and food in her stomach. She is the best of her kind with her light footing, grace, and instinct for danger. Alas, along with her instinct comes a stubbornness that also lands Kyra in a lot of trouble and gets her involved in the Assassin's League.

On the other hand, we have Tristam, a knight and kind soul who longs for revenge for his slain friend, Jack. Jack was unjustly slaughtered by barbarians who are ravaging the land, stealing from villagers, and killing the innocent and Tristam works hard in order to find these vagabonds and protect the city all the while trying to stop the Assassin's Guild, as well. Eventually, Tristam and Kyra's tales become entwined as they have to learn to work together, and join forces to save the city from destruction. 

What made this book unique was the fact that it contained shifters, people who can change forms. It was also this unusual twist that left me with many questions. It's hinted that there are paranormal creatures out there such as griffins and dryads beyond the city and beyond seas, and yet we see no other supernaturals besides the shifters which leads to a lot of unanswered questions and curiosities. 

My other little disappointment was that the big secret of Kyra's was really no secret at all. I pretty much pieced it together right away. Another peeve of mine was that some of the plot developments felt slightly convenient and I also felt like everyone's emotions were rather fickle. Romantic feelings were easily developed in my opinion, and people kept betraying or lying to one another and some part of me wanted to scream out in exasperation of the sheer frustration of it all. Not to mention the relationship of certain someones in the book is left with a rather big question mark in the end. The feelings are obviously there, and they certainly are not enemies, but we are left to ponder on whether or not something will be pursued.

 In the end, I know a lot of my questions will most likely be tossed onwards to the sequel.

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

5 stars

(sequel to The Darkest Minds)

Such an amazing sequel, I want to kick myself for putting it off for so long!

We pick up where we left off in the previous book but some time has passed. Ruby is now an official member of the Children's League, and has become much more comfortable with her powers compared to how out of control she was before.

She works for the League doing a variety of tasks, mostly unpleasant. Whether its missions to help attain goods for the League, or questioning prisoners aggressively, Ruby does what she needs to do though Liam and friends are a constant on her mind.

We get to meet a few new people, mostly people from Ruby's team. We have the sweet and loveable Jude though he can be annoying, to the rather bitchy but stunning beauty, Vida. We also get to meet Liam's older brother but with his arrival comes bad news: Liam is unknowingly carrying information that is important to his brother, and possibly vital to the League, which puts Ruby in a situation since she sacrificed everything to protect him. 

Things become especially complicated when Ruby finds that there are untrustworthy members of the League that have no problem killing children or any one who gets in their way of their higher goals. The story once again takes on an on the run theme, as Ruby seeks the information Liam carries in order to protect him while keeping out of the reach of the dangerous clutches of the rogue League members. 

Readers unite with old friends, meet new enemies, and encounter old ones as well. The ending of the book leaves off in a triumphant and dangerous cliffhanger that was absolutely brilliant. The third book, In the Afterlight, should be released this year!

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

4 stars

A unique and powerful read! It truly delves into the darker sides of children.

Bracken absolutely tore my heart out with this book and yet I longed for more! In a dystopian twist where children become monsters, tools of war, and runaways, Ruby is a wolf among sheep biding her time before the inevitable happens. 

A disease strikes the children of the world, either rendering them dead, or gifted with unique powers. Struggling to keep everyone from panicking, the government sets up camps where they promise parents to help make their unique children "better" and to find a cure. These children are classified by colors based up their danger to others.

 Just imagine how powerful Ruby is when she has the abilities of an orange and the highest ranking power is red. But sweet and naieve Ruby does not long to use her powers against others, in fact she is scared of them and the consequences, to the point of manipulating the man registering the children into thinking she wields a less lethal ability, and is classified as a green. She must learn to adapt though, as she later escapes her horrible and abusive camp, and joins up with a group of children also on the run not only from the camps, but from bounty hunters. It's only with these lovable characters, Liam, Zu, and Chubs, that Ruby truly blossoms and cracks open her hard outer shell.

Alas, times are tough, and Ruby is wanted by many but the on the run feeling of the book was exciting, thrilling, and interesting. Bracken writes a great high paced dystopian that leaves you with the urge to weep or tear out your hair in the end. (Trust me, it's still amazing.) 

(my review of the sequel, Never Fade)

Half Bad by Sally Green

4.5 stars

Loving the blood effect on this cover as well as this debut novel.

I stumbled upon this gem while looking for another book at the store. Honestly, I was not entirely sure what to expect, but what I didn't expect was such an amazing and heart wrenching story!

Nathan's tale is one of sadness from the day he was born, for he is a half white and half black witch. What makes this so unfortunate is that Nathan's black blood is of the darkest and most dangerous origins. Despite being constantly viewed with disdain and treated with hatred by nearly everyone he meets, Nathan is strong, clever, and optimistic in his own unique way.

Sally Green does an amazing job with her story telling for it ensnares you and compels you to finish this book as quickly as possible. Along with a rocky and deliciously forbidden romance, readers also get to experience living in a cage, tales of torture, and an underground system for witches on the run or in need of an illegal favor that comes with a price.

There are a couple pages told from a first POV but I found it to be unique and different almost like you're being woven into the story. The idea of good/bad and black/white is strongly put into question.  I also found Nathan's view on life and his interactions with family and the people he meets to be beautiful as well as a touch cynical. My only dislike was my concern with his instant turn to brutality in certain occasions.

The ending was satisfying and left off with a mild cliffhanger but I see promise in it's sequel, Half Wild.

Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach

5 stars

(trilogy for Honor's Knight)

What an ending.

It was honestly a whammy of a finisher, and with this final book the Paradox trilogy has earned it's way to keeper on my bookshelf.

The action and spunk continues as Devi seeks justice for the daughters, a cure for herself, and aims to solve the dilemma and mystery of the phantoms.  She is on the run from nearly everyone, but this time she is not so alone. This book was more pleasing in the romantic aspect, and even has an eye-watering moment. 

The action follows up not too far after and we even get a bit of a drama bomb near the beginning of the book. 

The most intense battle and flee scene in my opinion was near the end involving nearly all important and hard-core characters! I dare not reveal a single moment so I don't ruin it but the fight even involves the phantoms, and Maat so look forward to that!

Rachel Bach has written an awesome trilogy full of passion, action, and girl power. (Hell yeah!) So what's not to love?

Honor's Knight by Rachel Bach

5 stars

(sequel to Fortune's Pawn)

Applause for Rachel Bach for such an action packed series! The sequel was made to not disappoint as we continue where we left off but with more questions and more drama!

Now that Devi is missing her memories, she finds herself frequently confused. If not by why her memory is suddenly blank, then her unexplained disgust for Rupert the cook, what happened for her to have such a huge gap in her mind and why she is seeing little glowing creatures.

Besides our heroine's internal struggle, there is the constant threat of the Fool's trouble attracting reputation that keeps her on her toes and in constant motion and along the way Devi begins to discover new information about the enemy. The more she learns the more the Fool and it's crew grow in suspicion and appear to be more than they seem...

I feel readers only scratched the surface with Fortune's Pawn, we gain more information about the mysterious phantoms, what is up with the Captain's quiet and unusual daughter, and just what is going on underneath the surface of the Fool? Be ready because you will be blown away. I can only fall on my knees in silent thanks that Rachel Bach is a kind author who released the third book a month later.

(Review for Heaven's Queen)

The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

5 stars

Love the matching theme cover, I must say!

(sequel to The Archived)

No sequel trauma here! What a knockout!!

Back with our independent heroine Mac, we start off with a new beginning, a new territory: school. Mackenzie is trying to cope with the trauma she experienced in the previous book with Owen, while attempting to take control of her life. Easier said than done in her case.

She finds it of course difficult since she suffers from morbid night terrors involving Owen that start to bleed into her waking life making her wonder if she's slowly going insane. What's especially difficult is that she can't show weaknesses right now since her job as a Keeper has been put on the line. 

To add to the mystery and chaos of it all people are disappearing and their only connection is to Mackenzie. 

Dun, dun, dunnn!

The Unbound round house kicked me in the face with awesomeness. We get more character development, more action, more mystery, and more layers of the "Archive" onion peeled away to reveal that there is more to this library of the dead than we could have ever hoped for...

For fellow Mac and Wes fans, I'm pleased to announce that they grow much closer in this book! (Finally!) 

Once again, I'm left dying for the next in the series, because everything was raw and intense. You feel Mac's pain, anxiety, and terror throughout the book and the ending leaves such promise for the third.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

5 stars

Look at that cover!! It's freakin' fantastic!

AHmazing!! I am so happy this book 
lived up to my expectations!

If you don't read this book you will be missing out. In my perspective, this book was a whole new view on the dead. This isn't about ghosts, and it isn't about a troubled teenager. It's about life, death, and something more. 

That's right, there's more!

So you have the three main "worlds" in this book. 

You have the Outers, everyday life for us normal beings. 

The Narrows, in my head I pictured a sort of go between for these different worlds for it has many doors and one narrow hallway like description with fog and darkness. 

Then you have the Archived, a library of dead people called Histories. 

Histories can awaken and they slip, where they start to lose themselves and their eyes become all black, it sounds pretty creepy. Mac's job is to find these histories and return them to the Archives. Sounds mundane, except that when they slip they can become violent and Histories don't bleed and are strong which ups the danger and excitement of this story!

What makes this book such a winner is the fact that its creatively imagined, the story is kept interesting because the apartment that Mac lives in has a dark back story of it's own which keeps the background intriguin. You also have a mysterious conflict and I loved the characters, and just when you think you know everything, there is much more to it than you thought you knew!

Just blew your mind there.
 All the excitement, mystery and action is why I can't wait for the second book, plus I want Wesley and Mac together. No lie.
The only complaint I have are that I pretty much figured out the villain right away. <spoiler>It had to be who I had priginally suspected, because the character was too...vague. We only knew that he/she was a sad character who had a somewhat mysterious past. 
I found Mac to be a strong heroine, defiant, and funny. I also thought the grief in this story was appropriate, not too whiny or clingy, but a family trying to recover from a harsh loss. The climax was awesome and blew my mind, especially when some of the clues were pieces together to reveal the "final form," as I'd like to put it.

The characters are wonderful and well developed as well. I simply adored Roland. Wes is pretty funny but I love Roland hands down. Just had to put that in there, that this book earns its fifth possibly secret sixth star for Roland. He is such an awesome character, I mean any character who wears Red Converse is just amazing automatically! I'm happy to find that Victoria Schwab has made another winner.

My review to the sequel, The Unbound.

Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn

4 stars

(quartet to Silent on the Moor)

Oh, what a tug on the heartstrings this one was...

We join Julia, Brisbane, Portia, and Plum as they head down to India to see Portia's lover Jane, who had left her in the last book in order to have children.

She is pregnant and suspects that her late husband was murdered. It is here that we get to meet some distant cousins of Julia and their unique tea plantation. 

More secrets are revealed about a lot of characters, including Brisbane, as we delve into the mystery and meet unique characters, get to read about the India traditions, hunt for a man killing tiger, and a murderer.

As usual there is plenty of drama regarding inheritance of the tea plantation, affairs, and more. Julia and Brisbane are both adorable and frustrating as they work somewhat together in their relationship. We also get to see Jane and Portia make amends and reunite with some of Julia's cousin's from the second installment, Silent in the Sanctuary.

Things get really dark in this one, lots of action, and as always, a few twists as well! With the way this one ended I cannot wait to see Julia and Brisbane work together in the field for the next mystery to come!

Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

2.5 stars

(trilogy to Silent in the Sanctuary)

To be honest, I pretty much skimmed this one. Once I saw that Julia and Brisbane were going to continue their cat and mouse game I was having none of it.

I should also mention that I was entirely turned off when I found out that there was a "keeping it in the family" theme going on with some of the secondary characters. You think I'm kidding but I'm quite serious when I say there was some unashamed brother and sister action going on.

Gross.

On the plus side, we do get to see Julia and Brisbane's relationship finally blossom, the ending section was so gratifying, and we also learn more about Brisbane's history and origins. The mystery was fair despite the blatant incest and happy endings were to be had for most characters. 

Hurrah and on to the next!

(My review of Dark Road to Darjeeling)
 

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn

4 stars

(sequel to Silent in the Grave)

I have to say such an improvement from the first.

It takes awhile for the mystery to get into gear, but honestly, you're too busy catching up with the social aspect of the story that waiting isn't all that bad. 

After touring Italy, Lady Julia Grey is returning home for Christmas with her two artistic brothers, Plum and Lysander. Along for the ride is Lysander's new wife Violante, and their friend Alessandro who carries a candle for our eccentric heroine.

Upon returning home she meets Brisbane who is among their Christmas party guests with a woman.  

Let the sparks fly.

When the murder happens things really get riled up in an interesting way! Brisbane and Julia get to work on hounding down the killer and suspicions begin to rise and secrets begin to surface. Secrets that people would kill to keep hidden. 

This book was definitely better because all the drama that ensues is seriously fascinating! Drama with Julia's brothers, Brisbane, Alessandro, and so much more!

  Not to mention Julia's father's house is really intriguing with all of it's secret passageway's and past history.

We really get to see a change in Julia and Brisbane's relationship (Thank God!) not to mention there were some serious twists I did not see coming that came around to give me a shock. I honestly can't wait for moor! *wink*

(My review for Silent on the Moor)

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

5 stars

A truly heartwarming and heart wrenching story.

It is about love between a soldier of humble origins and a girl who is known from her connections to her father who is rich and successful.

They come from two completely different worlds but they learn to try and work together when their space ship crashes and they get stranded on a strange planet.

The point of view switches between Lilac and Tarver as they journey through the planet's grasses, mountains, and forests seeking fellow survivors, food, and salvation. Their relationship is not instantaneous but at least the interest was there. At first Lilac and Tarver struggle to get along. 
Lilac comes off as slightly snooty at first, but when we really get to know her, she is an admirable heroine and a clever woman. Tarver is likeable right from the start since he is a man of good character and strength. You cannot help but respect his humble living and love his good heart. 

What really makes this story interesting besides the survivor aspect is that things get interesting when Lilac starts seeing hallucinations, and Tarver gets a suspicious feeling that something is strange about this planet. His clues being that there does not seem to be any inhabitants, but there is signs that someone had attempted to make the planet habitable. 

As the story leads up to their remarkable discover I was turning the pages eager for whatever was next. It's an intense read, and the ending is sweet and happy. I recommend to sci fi and romance fans! 

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

3 stars


There is the good and there is the bad.

This book really could be worse. If you are not one for Victorian, old age settings, and reading about a woman struggling in the woes of discovering herself and dealing with the loss of her late husband then exit stage left.

If you have patience for a heroine who is a little slow but you can see has promise, then it's time to meet Lady Julia Gray. Recent widow for about a chapter before a convenient time skip, she is approached by Nicholas Brisbane.

 He is a detective and is absolutely delectable.

 He shows up at her doorstep claiming that her husband was receiving threatening notes before his death and that Sir Edward Gray's passing may not have been as innocent as it seemed. At first she rudely turns him away, but a year later she discovers evidence that she cannot ignore, and must ask Brisbane for his help.

I must say it's pretty obvious who the culprit is, though I certainly didn't guess all the secrets Edward and the criminal had hidden away. At times I would really grow frustrated with Julia and how dimwitted she seemed at times or how she could be so easily sidetracked. Her family The Marches, highly interested me as they are known for their eccentricity and wild ways, and I saw growing promise as Julia began to cross lines, rebel, and live up to her wild March origins.

Despite Julia's lackings, she does have a kind heart as seen in her unusual household: she has taken in her younger brother for he and their father quarrel, an outcast gypsy for her laundress, an ex-prostitute for her personal maid, and much more.

 Brisbane was an absolute delight to read about as well, for he is a mystery within himself with his unusual origins, his knack for a mystery, his "gift" or "talent" as you will see, his unique acquaintances, and just his all out brutal frankness. I did mention he was delicious, yes?

His chemistry with Julia is at first rocky, but slowly progressed into, if I had to describe it, grudging interest. Nothing has come to fruit quite yet, but I have my hopes high and fingers crossed!


My review for Silent in the Sanctuary.