Thornbird by E. Kennedy

 “The world is hunting for answers—but what if the truth leads straight to you?

Ten years after her father—the infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn—was caught, Ryan Shipley is back in Starling, Tennessee, trying to lay low. No one can know who she really is. No one can know the truth about her past.

But as fresh eyes dig deeper into the case, old secrets refuse to stay buried. Cryptic texts, eerie coincidences, and a chilling note leave everyone wondering—does Ryan know more than she’s letting on? As the truth unravels, one thing becomes in a town full of secrets, Ryan might be the biggest mystery of them all.” - taken from Goodreads.

Ryan has arrived back to her hometown after the death of her grandmother to live with the only family she has left, in the hometown where her father killed her mother when she was a child after discovering that he was a serial killer. But trying to keep her true identity and the past a secret is harder and more traumatizing than Ryan ever imagined. As the date leading up her her father’s execution inches nearer, someone out there knows who she is and what really happened.

Just when you think the mystery has been solved, the Earth cracks beneath Ryan to uncover even more secrets that will rock her world (and yours). This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I couldn’t put it down. The audio version was an incredible performance. 

Visit E. Kennedy's website.

Masquerade of the Heart by Katy Rose Pool (Garden of the Cursed book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Garden of the Cursed, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite stories for you.

“Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society , all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother's disappearance. 

Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she’ll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be.

Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she’s willing to pay for the truth.” - taken from Goodreads.

A satisfying conclusion to Marlow's story as she attempts to stop her newfound father's magical aspirations. With help from old and new friends, the race to stop Vale and save the city of Caraza is heart pounding until the very end. Fans of this duology will be happy with the ending.

Visit Katy Rose Pool’s website.

The Darkening by Sunya Mara (The Darkening book 1)

 

“Vesper Vale is the daughter of revolutionaries. Failed revolutionaries. When her mother was caught by the queen's soldiers, they gave her a choice: death by the hangman's axe, or death by the Storm that surrounds the city and curses anyone it touches. She chose the Storm. And when the queen's soldiers--led by a paranoid prince--catch up to Vesper's father after twelve years on the run, Vesper will do whatever it takes to save him from sharing that fate.

Even arm herself with her father's book of dangerous experimental magic.

Even infiltrate the prince's elite squad of soldier-sorcerers.

Even cheat her way into his cold heart.

But when Vesper learns that there's more to the story of her mother's death, she'll have to make a choice if she wants to save her city: trust the devious prince with her family's secrets, or follow her mother's footsteps into the Storm.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a compelling story about a city under siege by a vast storm. Home to beasts, those who survive touching the storm are cursed. The child of failed revolutionaries, Vesper is determined to save her father after he is captured by Prince Dalca. Dalco is the last in a long line of royals who attempt to keep the city safe and believes Vesper’s father is the key to his salvation. The two work together to find a way to save their city, but at what cost?

The conclusion, The Lightstruck, will be out August 29, 2023

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

“Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.” - taken from Goodreads.

Why did I wait so long to read this book! Mink and Alex are online acquaintances who share a love of movies. Bailey, AKA Mink, moves across the country to live with her father who has to live in the same town as Alex. She doesn't tell Alex that she has moved because she wants to work out a plan to try and find him first. Bailey gets a job at a local museum where she meets Porter Roth, a boy who immediately infuriates. Soon. Bailey/Mink finds herself drawn to Porter while pulling away from Alex. But what happens when her real life and on life persona collide? A cute romance story. 

Visit Jenn Bennett’s website.

 

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle (Wings of Ebony book 1)

 

“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue's taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders.

Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life.

Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Rue has spent her whole life in the east row neighborhood of Houston with her mother and little sister. All that changes when her mother is shot dead on their front stoop and the father she has never known whiskers her away to the magical unknown island of Ghizon. One year later, Rue takes a forbidden trip to see her sister, She quickly becomes aware of how her two separate worlds are on a collision course towards destruction. 

A haunting fantasy that deals with magic, genocide, racism, and vengeance.  Perfect for the fans of the Orisha trilogy by Tomi Adeyemi or The Hate U Give.

Book two, Ashes of Gold, is due out on January 11, 2022.

Visit J. Elle’s website.

The Great Destroyers by Caroline Tung Richmond

“The Hunger Games meets Pacific Rim, set in the 1960s Cold War.

Jo Linden grew up in a world where wars are won with the use of giant mechanical soldiers and the nuclear bomb was never invented. Yet the Cold War still rages. Only now international rivalries between democracy and communism play out at the Pax Games, an Olympic-style competition that pits young pilots of mecha soldiers against each other. The USSR's beaten the US in every game since its inception, and in the 1963 games, the US is desperate for a win. Because it's more than just the Games at stake here. Premier Khrushchev will be attending, and after he and President Kennedy are slated to sign a peace accord stabilizing the war in Vietnam-and their relationship.

Raised in her father's mecha repair shop, Jo knows more than anyone about the awesome machines and piloting. She's also the most unlikely pick for Team USA since she's a virtually unknown fighter. So when Jo is invited at the last minute to compete, she jumps at it. This could be the last chance to save her family's home from debt collectors. When Jo arrives in DC for the Games, all eyes on her. But she's got secrets of her own. Secrets that could get her kicked out the Games-and cost her family everything-if anyone found out. As competitors start dying in the arena, it's suddenly clear that it's more than the usual Pax Games, and Jo finds herself drawn into a deadly political plot with the very stake of freedom at its center.

In a global chess match between superpowers, playing out in violent games that only humanity could create, comes a terrifying story of clashing titans, deadly competition, patriotism, and the girl caught in the middle of it all.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Welcome to 1963 where World War II was won with mecha (giant robots controlled by humans) and the atomic bomb wasn't invented. The Cold War still rages and Communism and Democracy are at odds. Every four years, countries enter their best and brightest mecha drivers into the Pax Games. With the games being held in the U.S. and a possible peace agreement between Kennedy and Khrushchev, the U.S. is desperate to best the Soviets in the games.

When Jo Linden, a relatively unknown mecha pilot is tapped to replace an injured competitor, her world is turned upside down when she arrives on the international stage in a sport where few females compete. Up against the best in the world, Jo and finds herself in the middle of a political storm where someone is trying to frame her for poisoning her rivals. Can Jo uncover the culprit before war breaks out?

This is the perfect read for fans of Ryan Graudin’s Wolf By Wolf.

Visit Caroline Tung Richmond’s website.

 

Fable duology by Adrienne Young

 

“For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Fable’s story blew me out of the water. Abandoned by her father after her mother's death to protect her, she has eked out a way to survive on the island of Jeval. Determined to make her way back to her father and a place on his crew, Fable earns enough coin to pay for passage on the Marigold. Little does she know the extent of the secret she's about to uncover.

The perfect fierce girl story for fans of Tricia Levenseller and Adalyn Grace. 

Fable’s story is concluded in Namesake.

Visit Adrienne Young’s website.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

“Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Another phenomenal book by Elizabeth Acevedo. Two girls who have never met are brought together by the tragic death of their father. Told in alternating points of view between Camino and Yahaira, this story about what happened when their father’s secret life comes to light. Full of grief, loss, and betrayal but yet acceptance for the difficult situation they are left in. Well worth the read!.

Visit Elizabeth Acevedo’s website.

Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller

“How do you kill a god?

As her father's chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: to win back her honour, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year or die trying.” - taken from Goodreads.com 

Once again, Ms. Levenseller crafts a flawed but preserving female heroine who stands up for what she believes in. In this standalone novel, Rasmira has everything going for her until the day she is betrayed and banished from her village. Set forth with what seems to be an impossible task, to kill an unrelenting god, Rasmira is determined to get back to her five sisters. Meeting two boys who were banished from a neighboring village, the three devise a plan to complete their tasks.

This was a book I quickly read to see how Rasmira and the boys fared. I can not wait to see what this author publishes next.

Visit Tricia Levenseller’s website.

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano (The Glass Spare book 1)

“A banished princess.
A deadly curse.
A kingdom at war.

Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with her power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a unique fantasy Princess Wil discovers that she has a deadly curse that leads to tragedy. Banished by her father, Wil travels to find the one man who might be able to offer her a cure. There are lots of unanswered questions and a heartbreaking ending to set up the second book in this duology one of my favorite reads so far this year.

Book two in this duology is The Cursed Sea due out September 1, 2018.

Visit Lauren DeStefano’s website.

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig (The Girl From Everywhere book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Girl From Everywhere, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first book.

“Some things should not be stolen.”

“Nix has escaped her past, but when the person she loves most is at risk, even the daughter of a time traveler may not be able to outrun her fate—no matter where she goes.

Nix has spent her whole life journeying to places both real and imagined aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. And now it’s finally time for her to take the helm. Her father has given up his obsession to save her mother—and possibly erase Nix’s existence—and Nix’s future lies bright before her. Until she learns that she is destined to lose the one she loves. But her relationship with Kash—best friend, thief, charmer extraordinaire—is only just beginning. How can she bear to lose him? How can she bear to become as adrift and alone as her father?

Desperate to change her fate, Nix takes her crew to a mythical utopia to meet another Navigator who promises to teach her how to manipulate time. But everything in this utopia is constantly changing, and nothing is what it seems—not even her relationship with Kash. Nix must grapple with whether anyone can escape her destiny, her history, her choices. Heidi Heilig weaves fantasy, history, and romance together to tackle questions of free will, fate, and what it means to love another person. But at the center of this adventure are the extraordinary, multifaceted, and multicultural characters that leap off the page, and an intricate, recognizable world that has no bounds.” - taken From Goodreads.com

I know I was in a reading slump when I picked this book up. It took me way longer than usual to finish. I liked the story and reading from Kashmir’s point of view. The last 100 pages had me gripped but I did feel like the ending was rushed. The mix of real life characters from history and legend was great but I was left with a few questions at the end.

Visit Heidi Heilig’s website.

Long Way Home by Katie McGarry (Thunder Road book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! Readers of the first two books in the Thunder Road series have already met Violet and Chevy. Fans of Isaiah and Rachel from Crash Into You play a part of in this story.

“Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.
But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness. Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.” - taken from Goodreads.com This is an incredible end to not only the Thunder Road trilogy but provides some insight to Isaiah Walker’s story from the Pushing the Limits series. The major hint that is dropped near the end of his story in Take Me On is revealed. Fans will devour this story to see how things work out for everyone.
Visit Katie’s McGarry’s website.

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

“She is myth. She is history. She is gone.”

Slate is a Navigator who time travels aboard the Temptation. Originally from modern day New York, he is on a quest to return to Honolulu, 1868. His sixteen-year-old daughter, Nix, travels with him but he has yet to teach her how to Navigate. He is depressed over his continued failure to return to Lin, Nix’s mother, and save her life. He originally navigated to Hawaii on an old map by Augustus Mitchell, 1866. There, Slate met Lin at an opium den where she worked. Lin was able to break Slate’s addiction to the drug but since her death, he has relapsed. Lin died from an infection that would be easily cured with modern day antibiotics on the day Nix was born. Slate had Navigated to a map of Hong Kong, 1850 in order to earn the money to marry Lin. He had no idea that she was pregnant. Slate traveled back to Honolulu on a map he had for 1869. Upon arrival, Slate found Nix instead and learned that Lin had died. Now, he is on a mission to locate a map of Honolulu, 1868 in order to go back and save Lin. If he is successful, no one knows if Nix will continue to exist. The only thing that is known for sure is that every time they Navigate, the past is changed.

Nix has dreams of her own. Having never really belonged to a particular time or place, she has stolen a map from Slate and hidden it. She is preparing to set off on her own once she learns how to Navigate. Her destination? A map of Carthage during Roman rule in 165 A.D. She knows that if she strikes out on her own that she will never see her father’s crew, including Kashmir, again. Nix is tired of Slate’s moods and constantly worrying about her future. Slate’s current plan is to Navigate the Temptation to New York 2016 and purchase a map of Hawaii, dated 1868 from Christie’s auction. With money in hand from the sale of a gold pocket watch that Kashmir lifted during their last map Navigation, Slate is successful in his bid to purchase the map. The map is delivered later that day to the Temptation. In his cabin, Slate shows it to Nix and her worries are compounded after looking at it. It looks authentic. Nix’s heart is touched when her father says that he cannot wait for her to finally meet her mother. In the moment, Slate tells her that Navigating isn’t just about the maps but also believing that it will work. Slate knows that it is also fate that Lin will be there waiting on him. Nix now knows that her father is delusional.     

The Temptation sets out the following morning. Slate is Navigating and Nix soon realizes that the map is actually working. Once the ship arrives at the new map, Nix is surprised to find that she is still around. Slate is ecstatic until he looks at the landscape about a half mile at shore and his disappointment is evident. He shakes off Nix’s attempts to talk to him and leaves. Nix scans the landscape herself and notices that the flags are flying at half staff at Iolani Palace. The Palace wasn’t been built in 1868. Thinking back, Nix didn’t immediately realize that the palace shouldn’t have been on the map. She was too focused on the date. Kashmir, a member of her father’s crew, asks her if the map or the captain is the one broken. Nix isn’t sure but she hopes that the mapmaker, A. Sutfin, might be able to answer that question.

Will Slate be able to Navigate back to Honolulu 1868 and save the love of his life? Would Nix cease to exist if he is able? How does Navigation work? Does anyone suspect Nix’s plans of heading out on her own? Why didn’t A. Sutfin’s map work? Can Nix locate Sutfin? What happens when Nix goes to Honolulu learns more about her mother? Who will she meet?

Visit Heidi Heilig’s website.

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

Ryden Brooks' daughter is six months old. At seventeen, he is struggling with how to be a father when he has never known his own as a possible role model. Hope constantly cries whenever she is in his care but is a good baby for everyone else. Senior year and soccer season are getting ready to start and Ryden hasn't figured out how he is going to make it all work with child care. His single mother helps him with Hope when she isn't working herself. He works a part time job at Whole Foods and is holding out hope that he will be offered a soccer scholarship at UCLA. Hope's mother, Meg Reynolds, stopped her chemotherapy treatments when she discovered that she was pregnant. Ryden and her parents all begged her to have an abortion, but she refused. Meg died shortly after Hope's birth. Meg's parents have nothing to do with Ryden or their granddaughter. Ryden feels like everyone blames him for Meg's death and has pulled away from his friends since his daughter’s birth. He finds a little bit of comfort in reading the one journal of Meg's that he has but his heart is broken when he looks at their daughter who reminds him so much of her mother.

With the start of school, Ryden begins to try and assimilate with his classmates. He finds it hard to juggle all of his responsibilities and make it work. When Meg’s parents refuse to even open their door when he knocks, Ryden is at his lowest. Meg's sister, Mabel, gets word to him and comes out to meet him down the street at the corner. She gets to meet her niece for the first time and immediately falls in love. She also gives Ryden the one journal of Meg's that she had. She warns him that it will not be an easy read. Her parents have placed all of Meg's things into storage. As he begins to read it, Ryden thinks that she left a journal for not only the two of them but for her best friend Alan as well. Ryden begins a ruthless search to find more of her journals and see what other clues she many have left behind for them.

When Ryden meets the quirky Joni at his job, he begins to come out of his self imposed shell. Joni doesn't know the "baggage" that Ryden hides and he wants to keep it that way. But as Joni begins to make strides into Ryden’s life, he finds that his secrets cannot be hidden and may find a way to heal not only his broken heart but relieve his guilt over Meg’s death.

Will Ryden locate the father he has never met? Do Meg's parents ever take an interest in Hope? Did Meg leave a journal behind for each important person in her life? Can Ryden make his dreams of UCLA a reality? Will he find his footing as a father? Does he ever forgive himself for Meg's death and go on with his life? Will Joni stick around after she discovers Ryden’s secrets?

Visit Jessica Verdi’s website.

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry (Thunder Road book 1)

Emily’s biological father, Eli, left her mother behind when she found out she was pregnant. They rarely see one another, once a year in fact. Her mother doesn’t want to talk about her time in Kentucky. Their life has been complete since her mother married her father, who adopted her at the age of five. Emily comes home one day to find her mother in tears and in her bedroom. She is thrown for a loop when her father hands her an email Eli sent. It asks that they tell Emily the news and his mother’s obituary is attached. Emily had never met her grandmother. Not one to try new things, she is shocked when her father informs her that her mother has already purchased plane tickets to attend the funeral. Emily hates funerals. Once in Snowflake, Kentucky, Emily's mother is stricken by a panic attack and she and her dad go to the funeral home alone. The cab driver is reluctant to leave them because of the biker gang hanging out on the parking lot. Emily cringes when he tells the driver that she is family. Walking towards the door, a woman and toddler come out and her dad, a pediatrician, goes over to help. The child is having an asthma attack and the mother cannot get her to use the inhaler. With a soothing voice, her dad has no problem helping the child. He wants to stay with the two and sends Emily in to find Eli on her own. Not wanting to stay too long, she is horrified when a drop dead gorgeous guy near her age asks if she is lost. Everyone stops to look at her. She states that she is looking for Eli McKinley. The boy checks her out and an older guy that absolutely scares her states that he is inside. She goes in and finds a large crowd. The young guy from outside is following her and Emily looks for Eli. She finds him in the viewing room next to the open casket. She cannot help but notice how young her grandmother looks. Eli is thrilled to see her, it means a lot to him, but wants to know how she knew. He sent her dad the obituary and Eli is puzzled. A woman says that it means a lot to her as well and Emily freaks out. Her dead grandmother is out of her casket, talking to her. Eli tells his mother to stand back. She apologizes, saying that she thought Emily knew. Eli introduces her to Olivia, her grandmother. Emily loses her breakfast all over Olivia's shoes.

Oz cannot wait to follow in his father's footsteps and join the Reign of Terror, a motorcycle club. The club runs a security business that escorts tractor trailers loaded with high priced goods through highly pirated areas. He is skipping going to his graduation ceremony for Olivia's wake. She and Cyrus are the closest people he has to grandparents. Her illness has caused hard financial times for the members of the club. He follows Eli's long lost daughter, Emily, through the funeral home and witnesses her freak out. Only the McKinley inner circle knows about Emily. Oz is glad that he isn't blood related to Eli because Emily's mother is considered a traitor and Oz feels that Emily is a traitor as well for how she pushes Eli away. When Eli offers Oz a chance to prove himself for joining the Reign of Terror, he jumps at the chance, even if it involves Emily. The club is having problems with The Riot, an illegal motorcycle club based in Louisville. The Reign is doing some business in what the Riot considers their territory and they are demanding payment. They are beginning to go after members of the Reign of Terror. Oz’s father was attacked the night before. With Emily showing up unexpectedly, Eli wants to keep his only child safe and away from the Riot. Oz is to watch her until she is on the plane back to Florida.

Exhausted from a late night and everything else that is going on, Oz falls asleep on his watch. He wakes up just in time to see Emily leave the hotel room at 3am with members of the Riot waiting nearby. She heads towards a drink machine. He is able to get to Emily and keeps the two of them hidden. When the coast is clear, Oz gets Emily to his truck. Not wanting to leave her parents behind, Oz tells her Eli is on his way and his priority is to keep her safe. They leave and Oz drives for around 40 minutes before taking her to an exquisite log cabin secluded deep in the woods. Emily is shocked to learn that the cabin belongs to Eli’s parents. Her perspective on a motorcycle gang is about to change. All Emily wants to know is if her parents are safe. Oz tells her the last he checked they were but he isn’t one to offer false hope. On the porch, she sees Cyrus, the grandfather she never knew that she had. Inside, Olivia tries to fuss over her. Emily is uncomfortable when Cyrus and Oz go back outside to talk. Cyrus informs Oz that it is obvious Emily trusts him. Inside, Emily just wants to go to the bathroom. Exhausted, she will sleep when she is back with her parents. Olivia offers to show her the way. I her bedroom, Olivia shows Emily a photo from her jewelry box. It is of Emily’s second birthday. Olivia isn’t suppose to tell Emily about the past but with one foot essential in the grave, she no longer cares what Eli wants. Emily doesn’t believe that she and her mother lived with Eli’s parents until she turned two. She doesn’t want to believe anything Olivia tells her and asks to go to the bathroom. Olivia takes her to by her former bedroom before showing her the bathroom. Emily is rattled

Emily doesn’t come back. Since everyone knows that she trusts Oz, he is sent to check on her. She doesn’t answer when he knocks on the door. He unlocks it and lets himself in. He finds the window open. Going through a window, he finds Emily outside watching the sunrise. Neither one has ever stopped just to watch before. The mutual attraction between the two of them is hard to ignore but they do their best. Emily doesn’t want anything to do with the motorcycle club and Oz considers her a traitor. He is determined to do whatever it takes for Eli let him join the club and Emily cannot wait to be reunited with her parents. They hear the rumble of some motorcycles and walk around to the front of the porch. Eli comes towards them and Emily asks if her parents are coming. Eli tells her no. Oz catches her before she hits the porch floor. Emily had fainted.

Tensions between Emily and Oz increase when her parents and Eli agree that until the Riot is subdued, it is best for her to stay with Eli. All of her summer plans have just been disrupted. And a life she never wanted is now her reality.

Did Emily and her mother live with the McKinley’s until she was two? Why did her mother take her and leave? Are her parents alright? Can she and Eli ever have a relationship? Why did Olivia fake her own death? What happens when Oz confesses to Eli that he fell asleep while watching Emily? Will he still be allowed to join the club? Can the Reign of Terror stop the Riot from striking out at them? Does the Riot come after Emily? Will Emily accept her past and make amends with Olivia before she dies? What happens when the spark between Emily and Oz ignites? What fallout occurs?

Book two in the series, Walk the Edge, will be Razor's story.

Visit Katie McGarry’s website.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

"Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun."

Emaline has spent her entire life in Colby, just like her mother. Her family has owned Colby Realty since her grandparents were married fifty years ago. She is the result of a summer romance between her mother and a vacationing boy from the north. He went back home and started college while Emaline's mother had a baby by the time she graduated from high school. Her father and his family initially didn't have anything to do with her. At the age of two, her mother married a young widower with two older daughters of his own and he adopted her. Her father wasn't a part of her life until she contacted him at the age of ten about a family tree project for school. Finally, Emaline had found someone with whom she could talk to about school related things.

Emaline and her boyfriend throughout high school have just graduated. Both of them are going to attend the local university. She has a full scholarship. Her birth father had pushed her for several years to think about attending Ivy League schools. When her acceptance to Columbia comes, she is disappointed when he can no longer pay for her to attend. In Colby, she sees people come and go all summer long putting aside their regular lives to enjoy a vacation and she begins to long for the opportunity to escape her reality. Colby is a small town where people either stay their entire lives or they leave as soon as they can. Everyone expects her to stay in the family business and marry Luke but Emaline dreams some times of leaving the little town for bigger and better things.

When a documentary filmmaker from New York City arrives in Colby for the summer to work on a film, she brings along an intern, Theo. Emaline soon starts to see Theo everywhere she goes and he always goes out of his way to speak to her. Then she gets a phone call from her father that he will be in Colby for the summer to settle his aunt's estate. He wants to meet with her even though she heard nothing from him about her graduation. Her mother is a nervous wreck that Emaline's father will disappoint her daughter like he did her all of those years ago. Soon, both her father and Theo think she is too smart to stay in Colby. Even though she longs for a bright future, Emaline also clings to her loving family and the familiarity of her small town life. All she has ever wanted is the moon and more.

Will Emaline stay in Colby or move away? Why has her father come back to Colby and will he disappoint her again? Will she and Luke stay together? What happens when Theo pulls her into the making of the documentary film? Can Emaline find balance between her life and dreams and achieve the moon and more?