"Hello, I Love You"

My rating: ★★★★☆

Author: Katie M. Stout

Series: Stand-alone

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Music, Travel, Fiction, Young Adult

Page Count: 304 (Hardcover)

Release Date: June 9th, 2015

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Hardcover: 978-1-250-05259-9

Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Booksamillion
Indiebound

About Katie:

I'm from Atlanta, Georgia, but I have a passion for travel, which has taken me all over the world. I've lived in Thailand and England, and I've visited five continents. I love Southern sweet tea and English sticky toffee pudding, and I work in social media and marketing for a Christian charity.

I wrote this book called HELLO, I LOVE YOU, which is my YA debut and will be released in 2015 by Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's. It's about cute boys, sassy girls, and K-pop, and it was described by one reader as "the country, Asian, YA pop version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE," which sounds about right to me. I'm excited to get to share it with readers!

Website // Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Pinterest // Goodreads



Synopsis:
A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

My review:

Thank you to Michelle Cashman and St. Martin's Griffin for a finalized copy of this novel in advance in exchange for an honest *non-spoiler* review.

Stout delivers a debut that will instantly have you packing your bags for South Korea to look for your own musical heartthrob and to get a taste of a different culture. This novel pulls on the heartstrings of family, unexpected first love, and learning to heal from the past to move to a better future.

When I first heard about this novel, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of South Korea being the main focus/setting in a young adult (YA) novel, because it's something new that most YA novels don't have. I, myself, am Korean but have never been to South Korea, nor know enough of the language to consider myself fluent. It's fun to see new diverse YA out in the world because it's fascinating to read about different cultures and characters with different ethnicities because it makes the story richer and full of life.

The main character, Grace Wilde, starts off in this book practically running away from her hometown in Nashville, Tennessee to an international boarding school in South Korea to escape from her family and some sort of conflict that she had with her brother--and famous country singer--Nathan Cross. She travels to South Korea essentially with no knowledge of the language, culture, people, and what she plans to do after her graduates--well, that's if she is able to pass her tough classes. But with the help of a new, bubbly roommate and her twin brother, Grace's rough transition begins to take a whole different turn.

Sophie Bae is Grace's roommate and constant companion when she first arrives at the Korean School of Foreign Studies. She is the type of friend that I would love to have because she immediately welcomes Grace to this foreign country by staying by her side and taking her under her wing. Sophie is sweet, dependable, and unafraid to be adventurous, especially when it comes to trying new things. As a character, Stout has done a great job of writing Sophie as the roommate/best friend, because the truth is that when you get a roommate, you have no idea what to expect and sometimes, you and your roommate aren't going to agree on certain things; this aspect makes this story much more believable and realistic.

Jason Bae. *sighs* He is Sophie's twin brother who also happens to be part of a KPOP (Korean pop music) group called "Eden" with two other band members Tae Hwa and Yoon Jae. Jason likes to wear skinny jeans, leather jackets, and secretly likes to play old school American rock music. In the beginning, he's an extremely tense character that doesn't reveal much to us, as the readers, and to Grace. As the story progresses, there's this tug-of-war thing that he has with Grace because they both start to fall for each other, but they both have reasons and secrets that keep them from trying to admit it to one another.

In the beginning half of the book, certain conversations or situations between characters seemed a little choppy or awkward, and there were times when Grace acted a little out of character too suddenly after an event has happened. Also, I feel like there were one-too many back-and-forth emotions/actions whenever she interact with Jason (i.e. Grace will want to be with him and then Jason starts to show interest, but then Grace will immediately shut down on him and he's left confused). This happens a couple times in the book and gets me a little confused of her actions and the way that she responds to Jason (this was the only reason why I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars). But later on, it was nice to see Grace grow and heal, especially when she has to deal with her past and confront her problems head-on.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this debut, and the ending was the cutest thing that made my heart swell up like a bright pink hot air balloon. As I got deeper into the story, I love love LOVE how Stout weaved in an appropriate amount of Korean culture and language (food, greetings, etc.) into this book to make it a great learning experience (or I guess, re-learning experience in my case) for me, as the reader. The storyline was intriguing and charming, yet had dark undertones that I didn't really expect at the end (thanks for making me cry, Katie...), which makes this a pretty great contemporary debut novel. I definitely wish that there was a sequel or a companion book from Sophie's POV, but alas, we'll have to wait to see what Stout has in store for us in her future novels!

~Whitney Lauren

"The Conspiracy of Us"

My rating: ★★★★★

Author: Maggie Hall

Series: Book #1 ("The Conspiracy of Us" trilogy)

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, History, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult

Page Count: 336 (Hardcover)

Release Date: January 13th, 2015

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Chapter Indigo

About Maggie:

Maggie Hall indulges her obsession with distant lands and far-flung adventures as often as she can. She has played with baby tigers in Thailand, learned to make homemade pasta in Italy, and taken thousands of miles of trains through the vibrant countryside of India. In her past life, she was a bookstore events coordinator and marketing manager, and when she's not on the other side of the world, she lives with her husband and their cats in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she watches USC football and dabbles in graphic design.


Website // Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Pinterest // Goodreads






Synopsis:

A fast-paced international escapade, laced with adrenaline, glamour, and romance--perfect for fans of Ally Carter.

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead.

To unravel the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack. But as the clues expose a stunning conspiracy that might plunge the world into World War 3, she discovers that both boys are hiding secrets of their own. Now she will have to choose not only between freedom and family--but between the boy who might help her save the world, and the one she's falling in love with.

My review:

To everyone who continues to read on, I'm terribly sorry about the number of overwhelming gifs that I use... it seemed like the best way to show you guys how I was feeling while reading this amazing book!

"The Conspiracy of Us" is definitely one of my favorite books of 2015. Why? Well, one, I read the book in less than two days--which makes it an excellent book in my standards. Two, the storyline is unique and original--qualities that I look for in a brand new series! Three, the characters (mostly Avery, Jack and Stellan) are all three-dimensional with secrets that build suspense to the storyline. "The Conspiracy of Us" is a fast-paced story full of mystery and romance with a unique plot centered about a specific historical period that takes the characters on an adventure of discovering the secrets from the past that can have the potential of bettering or destroying the future.

Avery West is the main female protagonist, who constantly moves from city to city due to the nature of her mother's occupation, and has no idea that she had family from her father's side; this is important in the novel because her mother had told her that her father died and that he didn't have any family on his side, but that was a lie. Avery learns that her father's side of the family are part of a secret society called, The Circle of Twelve. Apparently, this "Circle of Twelve" was formed back during the time of Alexander the Great, and plays a huge role in the events that happened over the course of history. I also happen to be a fan of the Ancient Greek time period, so the storyline was fascinating to me! Avery is then thrown into the world of The Circle of Twelve full of politicians, national leaders, royalty and riches with a side dish of murder. She learns that someone is out to get her, but she has no idea why...until she learns the truth about herself later in the book. Because someone is out to kill her, she runs from the world that she just learned about to find answers and the truth about a certain prophecy that could possibly be about her.

Jack Bishop is one of the main male protagonists that plays a huge role throughout this adventure and in Avery's love life (*insert emoji with heart eyes*). The book introduces him through Avery's POV as the super good looking new guy with a compass tattoo on his forearm, who--similar to Avery--didn't really talk to others or make a lot of friends. But then after an event occurs, Jack reveals to Avery that he only enrolled in her high school to keep an eye on her for The Circle of Twelve, or more specifically, for the Saxon family. He goes along with Avery on the quest to find out the truth about the prophecy and who is trying to kill her. I really like how Avery and Jack connect with one another and learn to trust one another as they run for their lives to find answers in different countries while breaking a whole bunch of rules and laws along the way.

Stellan is the other main male protagonist, who is also part of the The Circle of Twelve but works for the Dauphin family. Avery first sees him when she almost hit him with her car while he walked out onto the crosswalk out of nowhere then again at the dance, which was strange since she was sure that he didn't go to school with her. A couple characteristics about him that stood out to Avery included his blondish hair, a slight Russian accent, and a sun tattoo. One thing I really liked about Stellan is that he understands things about Avery that no one else sees; despite his harsh attitude towards Avery, he somehow "gets" Avery and knows more about her than she knows herself. When his past and secrets were revealed, it made more sense about why he acts the way he does and his role in this story, which happens to be a pretty big role.

After certain events (which will not be named because *spoilers*) occur, Avery and Jack team up to figure out the secret behind an ancient puzzle that dates back to the time of Alexander the Great that also includes a prophecy about her and her role in the future for both The Circle and the world (*le gasp*). The whole idea of a prophecy and puzzle that link to a well-known historical greek figure totally intrigued me and kept me flipping page after page so that I can see what would happen next!

But another thing that kept me turning pages like a mad man was the relationship between Avery and Jack, which there shouldn't be any kind of relationship since The Circle has rules that forbid them to be together (*duh duh DUH*). They have a rocky start in the beginning, but over the course of the story, Avery and Jack help and depend one another as they search for clues and answers; they learn to open up--something that they both have in common--with one another, which helps build their character. It was so fun to read about their epic adventure filled with danger and mystery and how I kept getting *the feels* whenever they had a "moment" with one another.

Here's a gif that perfectly expresses my reaction every time an "Avery and Jack" moment happened:

Like OMG THEY ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER. I SHIP #JAVERY. Sorry Stellan, you sound hot and all with your Russian accent, but I totally ship Avery with Jack. However, I do see the appeal of Stellan since he's the typical bad boy with a troubled past and has that shutting-people-out vibe about him that makes him even more mysterious. But since he didn't go on the adventure with Avery the same way that Jack did, I think that's why I'm not as fond of Stellan like I am with Jack, plus, Jack is so much nicer to Avery.

After Maggie decided to drop bomb after bomb after bomb, she decided to end the book with a nuclear explosion. The last page--the last sentence--was something I didn't see coming, not even from a mile away.


My initial reaction after I read it the first time...

Then I started to process the words from the last sentence and then I thought... WHAT ON EARTH JUST HAPPENED. HOW COULD THE BOOK END LIKE THIS??

Then I was like....

For those of you who haven't read this book yet, when you do, make sure you don't have any sharp objects near you and that you put yourself at a safe distance from others (to protect them from yourself) because it's highly possible that you could either fall over from complete shock or feel the need to stab something or both (which is how I felt). I am being 100% honest when I say this, I had absolutely NO idea that the book would end like THAT. So I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book, read it, then come back and chat with me about because I NEED TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS WITH SOMEONE ABOUT MY SHOCK AND HOW I CAN'T ACCEPT THE LAST SENTENCE.

I kid you not, the last gif (the "NONONO" one) was my exact reaction. You can even tweet Maggie and ask because I sent her multiple tweets--some including gifs--expressing my shock and outrage about the last sentence...

After taking a couple hours to slow down my heart rate and taking my shock out on Twitter, I checked to see when the sequel would be released.

Then I saw that the sequel called, MAP OF FATES, won't be released until "early 2016"....

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was how I died... (just kidding!.... but seriously.... *sobs*)

Now that I've explained my love and shock and other emotions about "The Conspiracy of Us," I highly HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone in search of a new, fresh YA story to begin because this one was absolutely amazing and will take you on a rollercoster ride. Maggie is also such an incredibly kind author who will answer any questions that you have for her about herself or her novel (so make sure to check out her social media located in the "About Maggie" section). Hope that this review/rant (hahaha) was enjoyable or helpful in some way!

~Whitney Lauren

"Red" (ARC Review)

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Author: Alyxandra Harvey

Series: Stand-alone

Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Young Adult

Publisher: Entangled Teen (Entangled Publishing, LLC)

Page Count: 198 (Kindle)

Release Date: March 10, 2015

Places to order:
Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Indigo (eBook)

Synopsis:

Bad girls burn hot…

Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair.
It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble.
And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.

When her latest “episode” gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.

Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.

But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family…

My review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story is told from the perspectives of two teenagers, Kia Alcott and Ethan Blackwood. Kia is your average new girl--the one who immediately gets branded as a "psycho" because of her unfortunate past at her previous school. What those students don't know is that Kia didn't set the fire at all, or at least not intentionally.  She has the ability to conjure up fire if her emotions get the best of her.

At the beginning of the novel, I immediately liked Kia because of her witty attitude and smartass remarks which is very entertaining to read throughout the story. It's also easy to understand her feeling of isolation in her POV since she had to move to a new place with a grandmother she hardly knew and because of her strange powers that can hurt others. But when it switched to Ethan's POV, there wasn't much flow to the transition from one person's POV to the next, instead, as the reader, I felt thrown off and had to figure out where Ethan was and what he was doing. I totally understand that when there's more than one character narrating the story, it's okay to break the flow to show a different voice; but it felt too disjointed and disconnected to the point where I had to reread the beginning of the chapters to get a sense of where Ethan was (since it was mostly his POV that kept confusing me).

Despite some of the things I didn't like about the book, something that I did like was Alyxandra's writing style; it was simple, easy to understand (no complex diction or talking "pig latin") and effective. One example I saw throughout "Red" to show the simplicity/effectiveness of her writing style are the times when you can see Kia's character and attitude (which made me laugh multiple times though the story). Kia, as I stated earlier, is the classic new girl but instead of shrinking away and avoiding people like the plague, she's sarcastic, stubborn and gets herself into trouble with the "popular girl" (which would be Justine, who is also part of Ethan's strange group of friends). She's my ideal protagonist, period.

Pros:

• Beautiful cover
• Interesting plot & concept
• Witty, sarcastic female protagonist 
• Multiple secondary characters to help build the story

Cons:

• When changing from Kia's POV to Ethan's POV, it became disjointed and confusing/lack of flow
• Too fast-paced 
• Some of the characters' personality would change drastically

Overall, I really did enjoy this book, but everything felt rushed and didn't flow right to me. The overall idea and concept of the story is what kept me wanting to continue reading since there were a couple of unanswered questions and mysteries that weren't resolved until the last 50 pages. I applaud Alyxandra for coming up with the plot and storyline for "Red," and if she writes new novel in the future, I would pick up a copy to see more of her writing style as well as if she improved on it! :)

~Whit Lo

COVER REVEAL: "Lead Me Back Home" by Brandi Lynch

Here is the cover of LEAD ME BACK HOME by Brandi Lynch, which is releases on October 6th, 2015 from Spencer Hill Press, and this Brandi's debut YA paranormal novel! Make sure to send her some love via social media links down below or via email at brandi.m.lynch@gmail.com

"Lead Me Back Home"
by Brandi Lynch
Release Date: October 6th, 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Synopsis:

High school junior Trisha Myles thought her sister loved her, but her sister's suicide note revealed that she'd wished Trisha had never existed. In the aftermath, Trisha abandons her old life to become a social ghost. Not existing is sort of peaceful... until a vicious bully targets her.

She’s saved by Jesse Reagan--the one guy in Hoghfield, Alabama who outranks her as an outcast. Trisha’s desire to live blossoms, but spending time with Jesse is more than she bargained for. After she freaks over the slashes on his arms, he explains he’s cursed--a curse that can only be controlled by blood magic. Trisha thinks he’s insane--especially when he tells her someone has cursed her, too. But when freak accidents almost crush Jesse with a truck and destroy her attempts to reclaim her old life, Trisha knows it’s not just a delusion. 

A ritual can free them from their curses, but only if they can shed their guilt and anger. However, if Trisha and Jesse can’t let go, the curse will bleed Jesse dry, and Trisha will lose the person who brought her back to life. 

About Brandi:

Brandi Lynch lives in rural Arkansas with her fiancé. When she’s not reading or conjuring stories of her own, she enjoys delving into the rich world of an RPG or chatting on Twitter. Oh, and there’s work in between.

Blog // Twitter // Facebook // Goodreads

COVER REVEAL: "The Gateway of Light and Darkness" by Heather Marie +GIVEAWAY (U.S. only)

Here is the cover of THE GATEWAY OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS by Heather Marie, which releases April 13th, 2015 from Curiosity Quills Press, and is the follow-up to the YA supernatural thriller THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME.

Before you jump to the awesome cover below, here’s a note from Heather Marie:

"Hi hi! Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out the cover reveal! I’m so psyched to share the Light and Darkness cover with you. It went through a lot of changes before the final version was chosen, and watching it develop into what it is now was seriously exciting! If you enjoyed book one, you are in for a treat. I had way too much fun writing book two, admittedly more fun than the first, because Aiden and the gang go through some intense twist and turns throughout the entire story. If there’s one thing I love, it’s definitely hearing from my beta readers just how crazy and exciting the journey was for them. It’s my hope that you feel the same way and I can’t wait for you to read the final installment in the Gateway Series! With that being said, thank you again for reading Aiden’s story, and now let’s get to the creeptastic cover reveal, shall we? Enjoy!"

"THE GATEWAY OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS"
by Heather Marie
Release date: April 13th, 2015
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
eBook: 978-1-62007-848-8
Paperback: 978-1-62007-849-5
Hardcover: 978-1-62007-850-1

Disclaimer:

If you HAVE NOT read the first book "The Gateway Through Which They Came," you should not read the synopsis (in case of *spoilers*). BUT, go all the way down the post to see the GIVEAWAY if you are interested!

Synopsis (on Goodreads):

The battle of good vs. evil wages on for Aiden Ortiz in this final installment of the Gateway Series: The Gateway of Light and Darkness. With the Dark Priest defeated, and the Brethren of Shadows refusing to forfeit calling upon the Darkness, the Brethren are determined more than ever to discover a way to banish the Men of Light for good. And as the Dark Priest's curse invading Aiden's veins continues to take on a life of its own, he finds himself in a standoff between his own kind, and the Brethren that want to recruit him for all the wrong reasons. Accompanied by fellow Gateway, Julie Martin, and his best friends Trevor and Evan, seventeen-year-old Aiden prepares himself for the battle of his life. 

Protecting those he loves, and learning to put aside his differences for his father in order to learn the ways of the Light, Aiden begins to realize that the thing endangering their lives might not be the threat of the Brethren alone, but the thing taking shape inside of him —readying to unleash itself upon them all.

Places to pre-order:
Amazon (kindle)

About Heather Marie:

Heather Marie lives in Northern California with her husband, and spends the majority of her time at home reading. Before she followed her dreams of becoming a writer, Heather worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist for several years. Although she enjoyed the artistic aspect of it all, nothing quite quenched her creative side like the telling of a good story. When the day had come for her to make a choice, she left behind her promising career to start another, and never looked back.

Heather is represented by Danielle Smith at Red Fox Literary.

Website // Instagram // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Tumblr


GIVEAWAY:

One winner (U.S. Only) will win a signed paperback of THE GATEWAY OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS. Check out the Rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Winterspell"

My rating: ★★★★★

Author: Claire Legrand

Series: Stand-alone (plus "Summerfall" prequel novella & "Homecoming" epilogue)

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Page Count: 454 (Hardcover)

Release Date: September 31, 2014

Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
Books-A-Million
IndieBound
The Book Depository
Books of Wonder

Synopsis:

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

My review:

Okay, so I am a HUGE sucker for retellings, especially the not-so-typical retellings like this one of "The Nutcracker" ballet! I read this book the day it came out & WOW... every time I hear someone say "nutcracker" nowadays, my mind immediately flashes an image of this BEAUTIFUL cover!

Things I LOVED about this book:

• Originality 
• COVER (+ a map of Cane in the inside!)
• Strong female protagonist
• Dark themes (I say this because when people think of "The Nutcracker," they think of Sugar Plum Fairies; however, Legrand turns this story inside-out and upside-down, which makes this story even more unique and intriguing to the readers!)
• NICHOLAS *swoons*
• The world of Cane 
• Queen Anise = new favorite female villain
• THE ENDING *breathes into paper bag*

Legrand was able to totally twist this book into it's own original story, and I admire that in an author, especially one who decides to write a retelling of a famous ballet that has been known since 1892!  

In this book, Legrand used intense themes such as war, prostitution, drugs, homosexuality and other controversial topics and managed to weave them into this beautiful, dark fantasy world. But because of these topics, many people bash on these books, like "Winterspell," and shame them for taking teens/young adults innocence by exposing the younger readers to such violence.

In my personal opinion, I think it's unreasonable for one to have that kind of a mindset, because as teens or young adults (I also speak for myself since I started reading YA books at the age of twelve), the world we live in is not pure or untainted by darkness; young readers shouldn't be ignorant of controversial topics such as the ones in "Winterspell" because these topics apply to the world that we live in and it's something that shouldn't be ignored or unaware of. (Sorry if I'm ranting, but I saw a couple reviews from other people about this book that got me a little mad...) **But leave a comment down below, if you like, if you feel the same or the total opposite as I do, because I will respect your opinion since I am just stating my own!**

MOVING ON, the characters in this book were fan-flipping-tastic! We get multiple, dynamic characters that each have their own unique backstory and come with their own little box of secrets, which gets you to keep turning the pages! Drosselmeyer, Nicholas and Queen Anise are (in my opinion) the dynamic, well-developed characters that makes this story even more intriguing and gets the reader to question these chatacters' motives and actions.

If you do read this book sometime in the near future, REMEMBER, there is an epilogue! So make sure not to have a panic attack once you get to the end of "Winterspell," because THERE IS MORE! :)

(P.S. For those of you who aren't aware of this yet, I also have a BookTube channel where I film book reviews, book hauls, recommendations and all the other bookish things :) And I had filmed my review on "Winterspell" awhile ago, so I you want to take a look, click here!)

~Whit Lo

"The Winter People"

My Rating:  ★★★★★

Author: Rebekah L. Purdy

Series: The Winter People (Volume #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Page count: 320 (Hardcover)

Release date: September 2, 2014

Places to pre-order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

Synopsis:

An engrossing, complex, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore or Maggie Stiefvater, set in a wholly unique world.

Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn't forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
 


Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, his interactions with Salome take her life in a new direction. A direction where she'll have to decide between her longtime crush Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop. An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.

My review:

This winter wonderland is far from wonderful; "The Winter People" is a cold, dangerous world filled with romance, fear, deception and magic. Things are never what they seem especially when there are three impossibly good-looking guys--Colton, Nevin, and Gareth--who show up one after the other into Salome Montgomery's life, each with connections to her and to one another.

Things I LOVE about this book:

• The cover is GORGEOUS! (The typography and colors and everything else about it captures the novel so well!)
• The setting (Michigan)
• The imagery in this novel about winter (I kept getting chills while reading it... *shivers*)
• Fairies!
• Kingdoms are similar to the ones in "Snow Like Ashes" by Sara Raasch (since there are Summer and Winter Kingdoms in both stories)
• The romance is something that not a lot of people might like, but it was something I really enjoyed reading! (I couldn't predict who Salome was going to pick until I got closer to the end of the story and that made everything that much more interesting!)

I couldn't put this book down (except for three hours of sleep) due to the fact that I was completely drawn into this world filled with complex relationships and secrets that needed to be revealed. The characters are well written, each with their own unique story and background that helped build to the climax of the novel. Since I have family that live in Michigan that I visit during the winter and summer seasons, I was easily able to picture the bitter weather where all you want to do is have a nice steaming cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket to wrap around yourself. 

And when you think that the ending is all wrapped up with a pretty ribbon, you then remember that there are unanswered questions, things that will leave you with a chilling sensation that this happy ending won't last for long....

Which is why there is a SEQUEL! 

"Summer Marked" will be released on August 4, 2015 (according to Goodreads)

~Whit Lo