Traveler by L.E. DeLano

     Jessa is a writer, and all her material comes from what she dreams at night. Or at least that's what she thinks until one day Finn, who plays a role in her every dream, shows up one day and asks Jessa to have coffee with him. He explains to her that they are both Travelers who can go through any surface they can see themselves in to alternate realities, and this seems like an amazing talent until Jessa is told that her other selves are dying one by one in each reality. Finn is here to make sure that this Jessa stays alive.

     Can I just say that I fell in love with this book?! I haven't had a book hangover like this one in a long time. I was mesmerized by every alternate reality that surfaced, wanting even more details and time in each than was allotted in the plot. The realities ranged from fluffy goodness to dystopian extremes, all pulling the reader in to its own place. I loved reading about all the different Jessas and their own stories. And of course, falling in love with Finn all the way. This book not only offers romance but adventure and a feeling of desperation for it all to work out. Traveler left me wanting more, and I cannot wait to lay my hands on book two.

     I rated this 5/5 and highly recommend.

     I received this free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gilded Cage by Vic James

     I received this free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

     In Gilded Cage, the Equals, who are aristocrats with magical powers called Skill, rule the world. Commoners that do not have money or Skill must enter a time period called Slavedays. This period of time is 10 years in length and is a time where each person loses their identity to become chattel. Abi is the eldest in the Hadley family and has arranged for her family to spend their Slavedays at an estate rather than a Slavetown, but something goes wrong and her younger brother, Luke, is sent to Millmoor, a Slavetown where he is met with violence. Abi and Luke are trying to change the world right where they are, but things don't always go the way it is planned.

     I was so glad to read this book and actually enjoy it after reading a flop. Abi was a character that wasn't surprising but yet one that was enjoyable. She is a strong and self-possessed until she meets a man that stirs her heart. Luke was written very realistically for a teenage boy except for when he is walking around the Slavetown thinking things are sweet or cute. Besides those few moments, Luke presents himself as a strong and independent thinker that is able to fight for what he believes. The Equals are even likable and if not completely approved are still entertaining to read about.

     The book does not end with a bow on top so a second book will be on the way. I cannot wait to read the next book to see what happens to all the characters even those I'm not sure about.

     I rated this 4/5 stars and recommend it.

The Girl Before by JP Delaney

     I received this free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

     The Girl Before is about 2 women that have lived through tragedy and move into a highly advanced technological house. Emma is the first to move in to this strange house after answering very interesting questions on the application. The first question is, "Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life." And the questions seem to become stranger still.

     Jane moves into the house after Emma is no longer there. She is fleeing her own personal tragedy, but soon after moving in she finds out that the previous tenant who had an uncanny likeness to Jane died in the house. Jane finds herself racing to find out how the other girl died. Then, she begins to experience the same things as the other girl.

     I can truly say this book was devoured. I loved the pacing as well as the mystery. Yes, I did suspect who the bad guy was, but I still enjoyed the whole journey to the end. A realistic mystery thriller is usually such a good choice for me, and I am so glad to have the opportunity to read this delectable morsel of a thriller.

     I rated this 5/5 stars and highly recommend it.

Bizenghast: Volume 1 by M. Alice LeGrow

I received this free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A young girl moves to a town called Bizenghast, and she is haunted by visions and fits while she is there. She and her friend stumble upon a cemetery where they find lost souls that they must help set free.

This is a manga that I truly enjoyed reading. I was so upset when it ended since I only received Volume 1. I need more!

There is a gothic feel to the whole setting and the artwork is done in perfection with that theme. Now, in honesty, there are some places where I was not sure what I was seeing in the image because it is a little dark, but I still enjoyed the story and plan to read the rest to find out how they help the lost souls become free.

I rated this 4/5 stars and recommend it.

The Swap by Nancy Boyarsky

     I received this free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

     Nicole and her husband have arranged a house swap with a couple in London. Nicole hopes that time away from LA and time together in London will help their rocky marriage.  Once they get to the house in London things go awry. The couple that they swapped with never arrive at Nicole and her husband's condo in LA, and she cannot even reach them by phone. She begins to notice people following her which progresses to threats made against her. Nicole thinks that her husband will believe her when she tells him of these threats but he does not and neither do the police. Nicole is in a lot of trouble, and she will have to face it alone.

     I truly struggled through this story. I kept pushing myself not to discontinue reading.

     First, I really dislike Nicole. She is the main character, and it is hard for me to read a story about someone I don't like and hope that they will be ok. I would catch myself saying quite often, "She is so stupid!" I was so frustrated with the foolish decisions that Nicole made through the whole story.

     And as if Nicole's decisions weren't enough, I had to come face to face with every cliche that could be written in a thriller/mystery. It's no fun to know what's going on the whole time you are reading a story that you are supposed to be guessing at. I need some mystery, please!

     And to top off the whole thing, the romance in the story was distasteful and unrealistic. I won't go in to too much detail because I don't want to spoil anything.

     Overall, this was just a very disappointing read that I had been excited about. It all fell flat.

     I rated this 2/5 stars.

The Complete Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol, Leah Moore, John Reppion, Erica Awano

     I received this free from NetGalley for an honest review.

     I am so torn about this review. I love the stories of Alice, and this book sticks to those stories. Where I am torn is the artwork. I like the artwork but I do not, as well. The artwork is beautifully done. The artist does a fantastic job of capturing detail and is quite skilled. I think we each have an opinion or idea of classics and how they look in our heads. I do think that this art would appeal to so many, but for me it just does not match what I think Alice and her adventures should look like. The artwork presented is very much formal and grandiose. I would like to see it more whimsical and fantastic.

     All in all, this is a beautiful rendition of a classic story, and I do not discourage others to give it a try. Just because it is not how I think it should be does not mean that it would not appeal to others.

     I gave this 3/5 stars.

Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt

     I received this free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

     Dr. Catherine Bennett has worked hard to earn her title, and all is left in shambles when she is accused of a murder she did not commit. Suddenly she must gather her belongings and her maid and head to the unknown, untamed West. Her adventure offers horrific violence, lost, fear, and romance. Was the move worth it or not? She may just lose her life anyway.

     I truly enjoyed this adventure. You can't help but fully support Catherine as a woman doctor that was such a rare occurrence. The opposition that she saw for her choice of career keeping true to the time. As she runs for her life she meets the unknowns of a life in an untamed land with horrors of massacres and raids. It was awful to read of the violence, but it is not the first time I have read these things as they were based on reality. It was still awful to read as the reader feels so connected with the characters in the book. There were so many things that Dr. Bennett came up against in the book, and I was cheering for her the whole way. She does find a passionate romance in the middle of so much trouble, and it is an enjoyable romance to read about.

     There will be a second book, apparently, since there was a sneak peek at the end. I read that sneak peek, and I cannot wait until August 2016 to read this continuation of Catherine's story.

     I rated this 4/5 stars and recommend it.