Starters by Lissa Price

Goodreads Description:  Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . .

My thoughts:  Oh MY Goodness!!  Let me start by saying that I breezed through this book in about 4 hours.  It would have been quicker, but I had to do laundry, take my kids places, and go to the store.  The whole time, I just wanted to sit and immerse myself back in this book!

The story just captivated me.  I will have to admit though, that there was a little bit of The Host (by Stephenie Meyer) which is my favorite book, in it, but not enough to put me off.

I really liked Callie.  She had a lot of courage, but still had a real vulnerable side to her.  She loves her little brother Tyler, and would do -almost- anything to help him.  I also really liked some of the Renters.  Other Renters, not so much.

The story moves along quickly, as there is a lot that goes on in a short amount of time.  It was really intriguing that there were no middle-aged people in the book - only the really young (Starters), and the really old (Enders).  There also didn't seem to be a "middle-class".  There was either the very poor, like Callie, Tyler, and Michael, or the very rich.

There were a couple of major "I really did not see that coming" moments towards the end.  I am still shaking my head.  I will definitely be reading the next in the series!

I really like the cover!  You can't really see it by the picture, but it is shiny and bumpy.  I received this ARC in a giveaway.  There are a couple of light kissing scenes in it, and I don't remember any language. 

Erebos by Ursula Poznanski, Judith Pattinson

Goodreads Description:

An intelligent computer game with a disturbing agenda.

When 16-year-old Nick receives a package containing the mysterious computer game Erebos, he wonders if it will explain the behavior of his classmates, who have been secretive lately. Players of the game must obey strict rules: always play alone, never talk about the game, and never tell anyone your nickname.

Curious, Nick joins the game and quickly becomes addicted. But Erebos knows a lot about the players and begins to manipulate their lives. When it sends Nick on a deadly assignment, he refuses and is banished from the game.

Now unable to play, Nick turns to a friend for help in finding out who controls the game. The two set off on a dangerous mission in which the border between reality and the virtual world begins to blur.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book!  It is over 400 pages on my Nook, but it didn't feel like a very long book.  It had so much going on that I kept reading it just to find out what was going to happen next!

The behavior of the teenagers involved was very realistic, and the game was just amazing.  One of the things about the game that was so creepy was that it was like the game knew who you were and everything about you.

  I really liked how the game really blurred the lines between fantasy and reality.  I've seen it so often with my teenage boys, how they're in the middle of a game and you ask them to do something, and they get so upset because they don't want to let their teammates down.  Hello, welcome to real life!  That is a video game!  I liked how one of the questions that the book brought up was what would you be willing to do, in real life, to win a video game? 

Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Winner!! and Announcement!

I am sooo excited to announce the winner of the Random Acts of Kindness giveaway! My very first winner!! Woo-Hooo! Everyone join me in congratulating - (drumroll please...) Heather C Cox!! My new friend, Random.org picked #140, and that was Heather's number. Heather has 72 hours to respond. Thanks to all who entered!! And now for my Announcement!!! I just recently noticed that I have been blogging for a little over a year! I'm not a regular blogger, but I do try to post reviews to the books that I really enjoy. I also have passed 100 followers! So, I will be having another giveaway! I need to go through my stash and find something that I can part with. Stay tuned...

Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop!

Friday, February 17, is Random Acts of Kindness Day!  I am celebrating by hosting my very first Giveaway!!  Woo-Hoo!  Thanks to Read for Your Future and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for bring us the Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop. Now, what am I giving away, you ask?  Well, I am giving away the boxed set of The Mortal Instruments, first 3 books - City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass!

These are paperbacks, gently read 1 time just by me.  Would you like to win these?  Just fill in the lovely Rafflecopter form below.  All you need to do (mandatory) is follow me via GFC.  Extra entry for answering my question.  Thanks!!  (US entries only please)

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Goodreads Description:  When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

My Thoughts:  Such a great fun read!  I had this read in about 4 hours.  There were some twists and turns in the book that surprised me.  Kat was a great leading character.  I wanted her to be able to stay at Colgan School for longer!  But, family ties are strong, and she really felt like she needed to help her dad.

There were some great quirky characters.  Simon was fun, I loved the Bagshaws, and Hale.  All through the book I kept trying to think of W names to help Kat figure out Hale's first name.  :o)

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Only part in the book that was questionable was when Kat put on a dress, and the boys focused on, and kept mentioning her boobs.  Other than that, it was a clean, cute read.

Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson

Goodreads Description:  Chicago businessman and bachelor Devon Pierce is completely unprepared to be the guardian of Australian four-year-old Ryan Caldwell. But Ryan's solicitor, Stella Walker, won't take no for an answer. Little does Devon know this "minor" adjustment will grant him a future he never expected to have. Told in a fast-paced, poignant, and witty style, Minor Adjustments will take you on a journey of humor, growth, romance, and love.

My Thoughts:  I've been wanting to read this book since it came out!  The cover and the description just grabbed me.  It might be because I love the movie "Baby Boom", and it seemed like the basis was about the same.

Having said that, the premise of both stories - a very focused businessperson being given a child from someone that they didn't know very well, was about the only similarity between them.  I love that this story was set in Australia, a place that I really want to visit!

I loved the characters!  Cute Ryan would be able to steal anybody's heart, Stella was very tenacious and I loved all the trivia that she knew, and I enjoyed watching Devon's change of heart.  Devon's parents and family dynamics really cracked me up.  His dad was great!  Justin was a perfect bad guy.  I really did worry there at the end about where Ryan would end up.  And, is there really a chance for Devon and Stella to have any type of a relationship with one being in the US and the other in Australia?  Hmmm

I really enjoyed this book!  I would give it 4.5 stars.  Very clean content.

I won this book in a blog giveaway.  Rachael, herself, signed it before she sent it on to me!

The Ember Gods by Andrea Pearson

Goodreads Description:  Jacob Clark has just returned from the world of Eklaron, where he frustrated the evil plans of the Lorkon and returned the magical Key of Kilenya to its rightful owners. His quest is far from over, though--Aloren is trapped in Maivoryl City by the Ember Gods, and Jacob can't return to save her until he receives the potion that will protect his team from the corrosive influence of the Lorkon.

Balancing between this new world and his own proves tricky. Not only has he started his first year of high school, but his magical abilities are bringing him too much attention. He feels pulled by both sides, hoping he'll figure out his special powers to save Aloren in time.

My Thoughts:  I liked this book even more than I liked the first book of the series, The Key of Kilenya!  Jacob is really coming into his own and learning to deal with his powers.  I loved that he could use his powers to try to get the graffiti off of the school desks, to the amazement of the kids sitting close to him.

I'm glad that we got to know Jacob's brother, Matt, a little more in this book.  It was fun seeing these boys interact with each other, and to see Matt's reaction to the world of Eklaron.  Jacob really had a hard time trying to balance everything in his life, and I'm glad that he had Matt there to help and support him.  I felt a little bad that Jacob wasn't able to share his adventures with his "human" friends, especially Tani.  That would have been so hard for me to keep something like that secret!

There weren't too many new characters in the story.  I would have like to see more of Akeno, but am glad that he was healing.  Hopefully we'll see more of him in the next book.  Even though this book is called the Ember Gods, they didn't really factor into the story very heavily.  I like how Andrea puts little tidbits in the story to make you wonder what will happen next.  Like, what is with Shirley Christensen and her mom?  I also loved the Bald Henries - really not what I expected them to look like.  Made me chuckle.

There was a great twist towards the end of the book that I really did not see coming!  I'm really looking forward to seeing how all that plays out!  What is it, you wonder?  Hmmm, you'll just have to read the books and see.

I've really enjoyed these books and am passing them on to my kids to read too.

To learn more about the author:  http://www.kilenyaseries.com/
To purchase this book on Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/91099

Crater Lake: Battle for Wizard Island by Steve Westover

Goodreads Description:  While visiting his crazy Uncle Bart at Crater Lake National Park, thirteen-year-old Ethan's world collapses when all the adults at Crater Lake disappear, including his parents. Now Ethan must rally his new friends and decipher the legends of Crater Lake to find the key to rescuing his parents from their earthen prison before he's captured too and their captivity becomes permanent.

My thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book!  I love books that are descriptive enough that you feel like you are actually in the book, that you can visualize everything that the characters are going through.

The story follows 5 youth, as they race against time to uncover the mysteries involving Crater Lake.  Everyone 16 and over has been swallowed up in the earth, and it's up to this unlikely group to save them.  I loved the typical sibling relationship between Ethan and Jordan, and loved the interaction between Allie and Ethan.  Jacob and Brady were awesome too, and so opposite, but they were able to work well together.

I loved all of the legend and mystery surrounding Crater Lake, and I'll bet that Ethan wished he had listened more to his "crazy" Uncle Bart.  Che-Tan always had me wondering, and Chief Llao was such a good, bad guy *shivers*.

What would you do to save those that you loved?

Received this book from Netgalley.  It is scheduled to be released in March 2012 by Cedar Fort Publishing.

If I have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's my Prince by Melissa Kantor

Goodreads Description: 
Wicked stepmother? Check. Evil stepsisters? Check. Miserable life? Check.

Lucy Norton’s life has all the makings of a Cinderella story. Her dad’s always away on business, leaving Lucy with her cruel stepmother and bratty stepsisters. She’s burdened with chores, and has a hard time fitting in at her new school. So when she sees Connor Pearson, the star player on the varsity basketball team, Lucy hopes her destiny has finally changed. With everything else going on in her life, doesn’t she at least deserve to get the handsome prince?

Melissa Kantor’s enchanting novel proves that sometimes the happy ending isn’t quite the one you’d expect. Lucy’s about to discover the truth about finding her real Prince Charming… and finding herself.

My thoughts:  This was a cute story.  Lucy's dad remarried, and then moved her across the country to live with her new stepmom and stepsisters.  Her father didn't die, but he kept his job where they used to live, so he was only with them on the weekends.  When he was home on the weekends, of course he wanted to spend time with his new wife.  Lucy's stepmom decorated the whole house except for Lucy's basement bedroom.  She only had an air mattress to sleep on, but she didn't have a closet or anywhere store her clothes.  Of course, her younger twin stepsisters had everything they wanted.

Lucy didn't have any friends at her new school, but luckily she was really into art, so she did have somewhere to escape to.  She also is very much into basketball, and when she accidently shows her knowledge and enthusiasm for the game, she catches the interest of one of the star High School basketball players.  She then finds herself part of the in-crowd at school.

I did enjoy the book.  It amused me that through most of the book, Lucy felt like she was living in the fairy tale.  I did expect, though, that her new friendship with the popular girls was going to turn out to be some type of a joke or a dare.  I loved the realizations that Lucy had towards the end of the story.

I did not like all the teenage drinking (which was heavy), and the language.  All in all, a pretty good book.

Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

Goodreads Description:  I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.

My thoughts:  I really liked this book!  Llona is a really strong girl, with really strong powers.  I felt bad for Llona, just for the fact that she didn't have her mother there (who was also an Aura) to teach her all about her great power and how to use it.

She is being raised by her uncle, who is a great guy, but the first part of the story, he is in a great depression following the death of Llona's father (who was his brother).  I liked when her uncle comes to his senses and starts being involved in her life.  But, even he can't help her with her powers, or her role as an Aura.

The Vykens are major bad guys, and I figured out pretty early in the story who the Vyken was.  That being said, there were still so many people in the book that raised suspicion, and I didn't know who exactly Llona should trust.

I really loved the relationship between Llona and Christian.  There was a lot of conflict there, but towards the end of the story I was able to understand why.

Oh, can I say that I loved May?

Looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see what is coming next!

Received this ebook from NetGalley for review.

Enduring Light by Carly Kelly

Goodreads Description:  She leaned toward him and rested her elbows on the brass rail at the foot of her bed. “All right, cowboy, just when did you fall in love with me? I’m definitely curious now.”
He regarded her in the moonlight. “I knew I was a no-hoping goner when I caught that ridiculous hat of yours on the platform at Gun Barrel.”

 Julia sucked in her breath. She tried to be severe. “Mr. Otto, nobody falls in love that fast!”
“I did,” he said simply, as he left her room.

Julia Darling is finally able to marry Paul Otto for eternity. But it’s a harsh world for a rancher in turn-of-the-century Wyoming, especially a Mormon rancher. When alienation and threats begin, Julia must prove she’s her husband’s equal in strength and endurance as she learns to let go of scars on the outside and inside.

Bestselling author Carla Kelly has woven a new story of a determined rancher, his wife, and how they discover the depths of love.

My thoughts:  Wow, there were so many things that I loved about this book!  I really loved Paul and Julia, and their relationship!  I always chuckled at their pet names, as my hubby and I still have little names that we call each other even after 25+ years.

The differences in the world's that they lived in were enormous - Julia was from "civilized" Salt Lake City, and Paul from wild Wyoming.  Even though the differences were there, it was great to see how Julia was able to adapt to her new circumstances of wife of a cattle rancher.

Julia was an amazing character!  Her love for her husband, and her faith, helped her so many times!  One of my favorite parts of the book was the cattle drive that Julia was able to go on.  Her adventures with cooking with Cookie were great, except for the "Rocky Mountain Oysters" and sonofagun stew...  yuckyuckyuck.

I haven't read the first book of this series, but now will have to.  I want to see how this great love story started!

Received this ebook for review from NetGalley.

Twilight's Last Gleaming by Laurie L.C. Lewis

Goodreads Description:  While cannons roar and rockets ignite American skies, disease ravages the upper Connecticut Valley. Few notice the sufferings of the families . . . Of a single child . . . A remarkable lad named Joseph. Attentions are forced elsewhere on the Chesapeake, which guards the entrance to the infant nation's threatened capital. It is the height of the War of 1812. As the beleaguered American forces begin to rally, Britain's military is divided between battlefronts on two continents. Until Napoleaon can be toppled and all of the crow's resources can be diverted to the American campaign, Britain needs a tactical diversion. They attack the Chesapeake Bay! Lieutenant Jed Pearson heads to war, leaving his beloved Willows estate in the care of powerless freed slaves. But soon circumstances will blur the line between adversary and friend, family and foe, British and American. In this second volume of the epic historical series Free Men and Dreamers, witness the saga of five families caught in the tumult of the oft-forgotten war that cemented American Liberty and set the stage for the great work of the Restoration.

My Thoughts:  What a great 2nd book of an amazing series!  Most of the books that I have been reading this year have been YA paranormal/fantasy/dystopian, so this series is definitely out of my preferred genre comfort zone.  Having said that, I love these books!

The characters in these books are so well-thought out and wonderful (hello Jed and Hannah!) that you just get caught up in their story and sometimes forget that the things that they are going through are actual events in our country's history.

I just can't imagine what it would have been like, living back in the infancy of this great nation, but Laurie's writing really makes it come alive.  Would I have had the courage to deal with the slave issue, just as Jed did?

These books have been so well-researched and thought out!  Thank you Laurie, for bringing this pivotal time in our nation's history alive!  I love this quote that is on the back of a postcard that came with this book, "The Founding Fathers' vision of "One Nation Under God" was not left to chance.  But what if yours was the generation tasked with forging that nation?  And forced to defend her once again..."

Laurie was in town a couple of weeks ago, at our local Deseret Bookstore.  I had to stop by and meet her!  I bought this book there and had her sign it for me.  It was nice to have a few minutes to be able to chat with her.  What a neat lady, and what wonderful books!  Thanks again, Laurie!

No Holly For Christmas by Julie N. Ford

Goodreads Description:  As Brian McAlister struggles to move past being jilted not once, but twice by the only woman he's ever loved, he's all but given up on relationships. Then, on special assignment for the DA's office, he crosses paths with ex-socialite turned social worker, Holly Cavanaugh Winter-and romance blossoms.

Widowed, practically penniless, and reduced to shopping at WalMart, Holly is dreading the approaching Holiday Season. However, her angst isn't due to her husband's untimely death the previous December 25th, but because of a secret that could reveal itself unless she can find a way to avoid the coming Christmas.

Love at first sight quickly turns frigid for Brian and Holly when Holly gets pulled into a manhunt for an accused murderer who now has his sights set on her. His case unraveling, Brian finds himself tasked with keeping Holly and her two daughters safe while bringing an assassin and the powerful man who hired him to justice.

My thoughts:  This was a pretty good book.  I enjoyed watching how Holly and Briand were able to evolve and get past hard things that had happened in their past.  There was also a lot of suspense in this book.

Negatives:  There was a lot of language and some sexual situations in the book.  There was also an attempted rape scene that was a little rough.

Received this book for review.

Variant by Robison Wells

Goodreads Description: 
Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.
Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.
Where breaking the rules equals death.
But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

My thoughts:  This was a good book.  It was very suspenseful, and had a great twist that I didn't even see coming!  The characters were written really well, and I didn't know, from the beginning, who to trust!

Meerkat Wars by H.S. Toshack

Goodreads Description:  It s all very well helping a young meerkat who s been poisoned by a scorpion. But when you've made friends with the whole Duwara tribe of meerkats, and you discover that they're at war with the Utongo, you may find yourself involved in that too, even if you re only a little black-and-white cat. And when you realise that the two tribes are fighting because each one believes it lives under The One True Sun, then you may have to undertake a very dangerous journey to help them see things differently. You may have to go through The Gorge.

My thoughts:  I really loved this book!  But then, I really love the Redwall series too!  This was such a good story.  It was about Sheena, a common housecat, that gets lost in the middle of the African wild.

She meets up with, and starts living with a tribe of meerkats.  It's amazing the adventures that Sheena finds herself in, and the plans that she comes up with.  Yikes, scorpions and flesh-eating ants?!!  I loved the personalities of all the animals, especially Sheena, Spickle - the baby porcupine, and Pebble - the Meerkat. 

A wonderful middle-grade book!

Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Goodreads Description:  Jen's life of partying and sneaking out has grown stale. So on a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a goody-two-shoes geek, into a "bad boy." As she hangs out with Trevor, however, she finds it's actually kinda fun being a geek. But when Trevor finds out about the bet, Jen must fight for the things she's discovered matter most: friendship, family, and, above all, love.

My thoughts:  What a great book!  I just couldn't stop reading it!  As much as I didn't want to, I really liked Jen!  You just can't help but really be able to see beneath her tough, Goth exterior.  It's so fun to watch all the characters, and how they interact with each other.  It's sad seeing how some people reacted to Jen and her friends, and really made me think about how I treat others that are different than me.  Oh, and can I say that I fell in love with Trev too?  :o)

This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me say "Awwwww"!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, wherever you are!  I have so many things to be grateful for!  If I took the time to list them, this would be a really long post!  The top things that I am grateful for, are:  my Faith, my wonderful husband (that puts up with me), my 5 beautiful children, and good friends.  I am also grateful that, from a young age, I have loved books.  They truly are my friends!

My family has gone through some hard things the last few years, but things always seem to go better when I take the time to count my many blessings.  May we continue to do that all throughout the year!

I'm grateful to have you all as part of my life!  Have a wonderful Day!!

Dark Sky At Dawn (Free Men and Dreamers - Volume One) By L.C. Lewis

Goodreads Description:  A historical fiction surrounding the years after the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812. Free people who dream and pursue what liberty and independence should be for their families lives.

My Thoughts:  The above description really does not do this book justice!  The book was just packed with information about the founding of our great country.  So much of it, I was not familiar with!  I love how it also highlighted the faith of early Americans.  This book really brought out a lot of emotions, especially when it came to the slave issue.  I wonder how it would have been to actually live in those times.  I really enjoy fiction books that have actual history in them.  It amazes me how authors can weave wonderful fictional characters into actual events!

Now I need to read more of the series.  I really want to see how this leads into the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I won this book in a giveaway.  Thanks Laurie!!

Blue by Lou Aronica

Goodreads Description:  Chris Astor is a man in his early forties who is going through the toughest stretch of his life. Becky is Chris's fourteen-year-old daughter, a girl who overcame enormous challenges to become a vibrant, vital young woman - and now faces her greatest obstacle yet. Miea is the young queen of a fantasy land that Becky and Chris created when Becky was little, a fantasy land that has developed a life of its own and now finds itself in terrible, maybe fatal trouble. Together, Chris, Becky, and Miea need to uncover a secret. The secret to why their worlds have joined at this moment. The secret to their purpose. The secret to the future. It is a secret that, when discovered, will redefine imagination for all of them. Blue is a novel of trial and hope, invention and rediscovery. It might very well take you someplace you never knew existed.

My Thoughts:  I really loved this book!  I got really caught up with all of the characters, especially Chris.  I hurt right along with him and wanted things to get better for him.  What great love he had for his daughter Becky!  No matter what his ex-wife Polly threw at him, he wasn't going to let that get in the way of trying to have a relationship with Becky.  It broke my heart when you start seeing the symptoms of Becky's disease returning.

What can I say about Tamarisk?  My hubby used to make up stories for our kids when they were little.  How amazing would it be to be able to visit a world that you had actually created with your imagination?!

A great book about love and possibilities.

Free download on my Nook!

*This book is clean.  There might have been a few swear words, but nothing that stands out.

Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black

From the Back Cover:  On a rainy night eight years ago, Fiona Claridge lost control of her car and crashed, injuring herself and killing her roommate, Mia Hardy.  Now, she strives to keep the painful past at bay by staying burrowed beneath the demands of her job as a college professor in a small New England town.  But when someone starts leaving her gift-wrapped boxes containing malicious reminders of Mia's death, Fiona's guilt and grief come flooding back.

She assumes her stalker is Kimberly Bailey, a disgruntled student, and enlists the help of fellow professor James Hampton.  But when Fiona encounters the angry wife of an old flame, it becomes clear her student isn't the only one with an eye for revenge.  Cruel messages escalate to danger, then murder.  As past and present become horrible  entangled, Fiona struggles to unravel the truth about a determined killer--before she becomes the next victim.

My Thoughts: 

Wow! What a great page turner! From the very first few pages to the very end, the story had me guessing. Could Linda's death have anything to do with what was happening to Fiona? There were so many conflicts and side stories (not in a bad way), that I didn't know who I could trust! The ending was kind of expected but also had a component that I totally did not see coming! Yeah, this story had me so creeped out, that I was even spooked to be in my house in the middle of the day! Great clean, suspenseful book!! I received this signed book from the author for review.