Review: The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

 

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

Publication Date: April 7th 2026 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 403

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Season four of The Escape Game, a reality escape room game show, didn’t end well. Sisters, Alicia and Sierra were pitted against each other on rival teams, each working to solve escape rooms for a cash prize. The finale was like a scene from a horror movie when Alicia is found murdered. It’s rumored Sierra killed her.

 

Surprisingly the show is going on with season five. There are new contestants: Adi, a cryptographer, not excited to be on the show but if he wins, it will help him escape the clutches of his mother, a horrid, attention seeking woman. Carter is brilliant at math and solving puzzles, famous on social media under her avatar, but she’s painfully shy in person. Beck designs his own escape rooms and has a history with the show’s backer. To everyone’s surprise, Sierra returns and is the most controversial contestant. A lot of people think she killed her sister in a fit of sibling rivalry, but she doesn’t let that derail her mission. Together they form Team Helsing.

 

Sierra’s motives are unclear at the beginning, especially when she leans into her goth-girl-with-a-grudge persona, but it didn’t take me long to root for her. I enjoyed seeing these misfits merge and slowly build trust. Together they confront danger from unknown fronts as they try to keep ahead in the game.

 

The Escape Game was an edgy and fun YA mystery that hooked me from the start!  I had my suspicions which were confirmed in one way, but there was a big surprise I didn’t see coming. Things got a little crazy in the end! This mystery wraps up, but there’s another book coming. I look forward to joining Team Helsing in their next adventure!

4 Stars

Book Description:

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

Review: In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann

In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann

Publication Date: May 26th 2026 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Seventeen-year-old Sarah and her two best friends, Fenny and Sam, have been amateur sleuths since grade school, the kind of kids who exposed bullies, uncovered secrets, and stirred up scandals that didn’t make them too popular. But lately, Sarah, the unofficial leader of their trio, has been pulling away. Their once‑tight friendship is strained and then Sarah disappears.

 

No one knows what she was investigating, but Fenny stumbles across a binder labeled “In Case I Go Missing” with clues Sarah left behind. Determined to find her friend, Fenny throws herself into the mystery, convinced that uncovering whatever Sarah was digging into is the key to bringing her home. It doesn’t take long for Fenny and Sam to realize this case is far more dangerous than anything they’ve tackled before, and the deeper they dig, the more dangerous things become.

 

Fenny’s at the center of things, and I felt for her. She was a well‑fleshed out character juggling her own family drama while desperately trying to piece together what happened. For the most part, she kept her head about her, methodically working the clues. Things got really crazy at the end, and I was seriously worried for both Fenny and Sam!

 

In Case I Go Missing was a fast-paced, addictive YA mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed!

4 Stars

Book Description:

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Fargo in this fast-paced YA mystery about a teen detective gone missing and her best friend who must finish her investigation.

Seventeen-year-old Fenny Allen has been Sarah Vincenty's sidekick for as long as she can remember, ever since the two of them solved the mystery of the stolen library books back in elementary school. Over the years, Sarah has ruffled a few feathers in their small town, building a reputation as both an amateur detective and a vigilante who has dispensed her own form of justice.

Now Sarah is missing. The police have written her off as yet another teen runaway, but Fenny is convinced that something more sinister has happened. When she discovers a binder Sarah left behind entitled In Case I Go Missing, Fenny learns that at the time of her disappearance, Sarah was investigating her biggest case yet.

Fenny knows that it's up to her to finish what Sarah had begun. As she and her friend Sam piece together the clues that Sarah left for them, they find themselves up against a decades-old mystery—one that links to the town's dark history. But is this binder a guide to finding Sarah—or are Fenny and Sam already too late?

The more the pair uncover, the clearer it becomes that those involved will go to great lengths to keep their secrets—even as far as murder.

 

Audiobook Review: Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer

 

Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin (The New Adventures of Enola Holmes #4) by Nancy Springer

Publication Date: February 10th 2026 by Macmillan Audio

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 6hrs 59min

Narrators: Tamaryn Payne & Matt Biddulph

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Enola Holmes is attending a graveside burial when she hears a bell ringing from a freshly dug grave. When she investigates, she makes a chilling discovery: a young woman named Trevina, buried alive and with no memory of how she ended up there.

Realizing Trevina is still in danger, Enola brings her home and nurses her back to health while trying to uncover who sealed her in that coffin, and why. Soon, Enola and her charge are thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse as the culprit, none other than Moriarty himself, sends his thugs after them. To complicate matters further, Enola learns that her brother, Sherlock Holmes, is investigating the same villain and warns her to stay away from the case.

 

I haven’t read the previous Enola Holmes books, though I’ve enjoyed the movies, and I’m not usually a big YA reader, but I found Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin a page-turner! It was clever, suspenseful, occasionally funny, and had a dark, sinister edge. Mystery and suspense fans will find plenty to enjoy here.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook. Tamaryn Payne narrates most of the story, with Matt Biddulph voicing the epilogue. Payne delivers excellent performances across the board, male and female characters alike, with just the right emotional nuance, and her English accent is a delight. The audio format really brought the story to life.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Enola Holmes—international bestselling and Netflix streaming sensation—returns when the rescue of a young woman sends her into battle with her brother Sherlock against his most deadly, implacable enemy - Professor Moriarty.

In February 1891, London, Enola Holmes—the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes—is attending a burial when she hears the faint sound of a handbell in the graveyard. It is not in Enola’s nature to ignore such oddities, no matter the occasion and when she investigates further, as is the Holmes' family instinct, she discovers something absolutely chilling. The ringing bell is attached to the tombstone erected over a recent gravesite and someone, buried within, is pulling the string to ring the alarm.

Galvanized into action, Enola and her companions swiftly and successfully unearth the coffin within, freeing a still-living young woman, one Trevina Trairom. Enola, by predilection and by trade a Scientific Perditorian, a finder of lost things, finds herself comforting and protecting this young girl. The girl herself is a mystery – she remembers very little, including her identity, and has no idea who has buried her alive, much less why. While protecting this mysterious girl from an enigmatic enemy, she discovers that Sherlock is engaged in a related mystery. Enola joins Sherlock in his battle against the scourge of London, the Napoleon of Crime himself, Professor Moriarty. Facing her most brutal foe ever, determined to protect and unravel the secrets surrounding the mysterious Trevina, Enola takes her place more fully than ever as a proud member of the Holmes family.

 

Review: Lies on the Serpent's Tongue by Kate Pearsall

 

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow #2) by Kate Pearsall

Publication Date: January 7th 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 320

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Rowan James is fiercely protective of her family which is one of the reasons Hadrian Fitch, their family’s farm hand, rubbed her the wrong way. Rowan can detect lies, and knew Hadrian wasn’t being truthful. But it was more than Hadrian’s lies that got under Rowan’s skin. They had an ongoing back and forth (mostly thanks to Rowan) in the last book. I knew they were going to make a great couple!

 

The James women and residents of Cabal Hollow are still recovering after the shocking events of the summer. Also, Rowan is still bitter over the vandalism of their family’s diner that caused so much damage and almost put them out of business. The case is still unsolved, and Rowan is determined to find those responsible. However, Rowan’s grandmother has had enough of her attitude and decides to send her on a volunteer assignment for the Forestry Service where they need help repairing a lookout cabin. Rowan will have to stay there on and off to complete the work.

 

Rowan encounters danger on a few fronts. Ginseng poachers, with the payouts so high are willing to do just about anything to illegally harvest the roots and strange happenings with the Bone Tree. Then there’s the people intent on tracking and proving the existence of the Moth-Man and the Wampus Cat, one particularly annoying group there for a podcast.

 

It’s hard to write a review that does this story justice because the story is so unique and layered! Magical gifts, interesting characters, a gorgeously described setting, more than one mystery with a suspicious death (or two), and beautiful writing! So many things to recommend and I loved every page!

 

Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue is book two in the series, with a separate romance and mystery, but I highly recommend reading Bittersweet the Hollow first because the events in the last book factor in heavily into this one. Utterly loved both stories!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

In this haunting companion novel to Bittersweet in the Hollow, a girl who can smell the lies of others uncovers the incendiary mysteries of her small Appalachian town.

Everybody lies. And in knowing their lies, I become the keeper of their secrets.

As Caball Hollow slowly recovers from a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.

18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell lies on the teller’s breath—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long struggled with her gift, which has taught her that everyone distorts the truth, and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old rival Hadrian Fitch shows up on her front porch—bloodied and bruised and asking for the kind of help only she can provide—her first instinct is distrust.

Except Hadrian’s attack isn’t the only strange occurrence. Now small items are disappearing, but rather than report the losses the owners act as if their missing things never existed. Rumors of a new monster prowling the Hollow begin to swirl. But how can Rowan smoke out the culprit in a town full of secrets? And worse, how can Rowan trust beautiful, solemn Hadrian when every other word he speaks has the distinct burnt smell of a lie?

About the author:

Kate Pearsall is a creative thinker, an award-winning copywriter, and a storyteller. She has a degree in business and public relations and has written for magazines and newspapers. Bittersweet in the Hollow and Lies on the Serpent's Tongue were inspired in part by a childhood listening to her mom’s stories about growing up in the Appalachian Mountains and visiting family in West Virginia.

Connect with Kate Pearsall:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Review: Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

 

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

Publication Date: November 7th 2023 by G.P. Putnam & Sons for Young Readers & 

Penguin Audio

Pages: 368

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 31min

Narrator: Karissa Vacker

Source: Publisher

Rating: 3-3.5 Stars

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have loved most of Ali Hazelwood’s stories, so even though I don’t read much YA anymore I was excited to pick this one up. It ended up being a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed parts, but some not so much, mostly because of Mallory. She was such a frustrating character. The way she treated her friends and Nolan rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I think Mallory’s approach to sex (in the beginning) was supposed to come off as sex positive, but I don’t count <Highlight for spoiler>frequent random hookups on apps like Tinder a positive for anyone<End of spoiler> much less the YA crowd this is being marketed to. Lots of pop culture references, and things in the story that felt they were there to check a box.

Things that worked for me: Nolan! He was so amazing to Mallory and her family. He didn’t get riled up even we he had just cause. Loved Mallory’s friends: Easton, Defne and Oz. Loved how Oz served up some much-needed brutal honesty to Mallory! I enjoyed all the bits about chess. I don’t know much about the game or competitions, but it was fun and it stirred my curiosity for sure.

I alternated between an audio and e-copy of Check & Mate. Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators and I think she made the story more enjoyable. She does such a wonderful job with both male and female voices. She breathed life into these characters for me! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

I’m one of the few who didn’t love Check & Mate, so I’d check out other reviews, like Kiersten’s on We Live and Breathe Books or Carole's Random Life.

3-3.5 Stars

Book Description:

In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life's moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory's focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious "Kingkiller" Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.

Nolan's loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What's even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory's victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can't help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist....

As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren't only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent...and infuriating...)

Review: Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall

 

Bittersweet in the Hollow (Bittersweet in the Hollow #1) by Kate Pearsall

Publication Date: October 10th 2023 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

In the little town of Cabal Hollow, Linden James, and her family run The Harvest Moon Diner, where they cook up delicious comfort food. But the James women also have special gifts that extend beyond the ability to make special tonics and teas. Linden can read the emotions of others, registering them as a particular taste. One year ago, she revealed her gift to Cole, her best friend and beau, causing a rift which led to a series of events that Linden still can’t recall. The only thing she does know is they found her after she’d gone missing one night and then turned up with a head injury.

Now a year later, one of Linden’s friends goes missing but her story doesn’t have a happy ending. Who murdered Linden’s friend and why? Linden’s last conversation with her has her questioning her own disappearance. Now snippets of memory start returning, and Linden starts to wonder if it wasn’t just an accident that had her barely surviving her misadventure in the woods.

I adored the James’ women and was fascinated by their powers! They were a close-knit, loving family, sometimes it was tough love, especially in the case of Gran, but there was no doubt they had each other’s backs. This is a small point, but I loved their names! They were fanciful but also a bit old-fashioned: Linden, Rowan, Sorrel, Juniper, Odette, Salome, and Zephrine.

Oh, this was sooo good! I don’t read much YA anymore, but I loved Bittersweet in the Hollow! Kate Pearsall’s writing was magical, bringing Cabal Hollow and its inhabitants to life! A dreamy, lush small mountain town with plenty of secrets! The mystery had me glued to the pages, and there’s a few to unravel! Spooky and tense in places! There’s a bit of a second chance romance, as well! Linden’s story and the mystery wraps up, but there’s a second story coming. I can’t wait! A definite recommend!

5 Stars

Book Description:

In this beautifully dark and enthralling YA, four sisters with unusual talents investigate a mysterious disappearance in their secluded Appalachian town. For fans of House of Hollow and Wilder Girls!

In rural Caball Hollow, surrounded by the vast National Forest, the James women serve up more than fried green tomatoes at the Harvest Moon diner, where the family recipes are not the only secrets.

Like her sisters, Linden was born with an unusual ability. She can taste what others are feeling, but this so-called gift soured her relationship with the vexingly attractive Cole Spencer one fateful night a year ago . . . A night when Linden vanished into the depths of the Forest and returned with no memories of what happened, just a litany of questions--and a haze of nightmares that suggest there's more to her story than simply getting lost.

Now, during the hottest summer on record, another girl in town is gone, and the similarities to last year's events are striking. Except, this time the missing girl doesn't make it home, and when her body is discovered, the scene unmistakably spells murder.

As tempers boil over, Linden enlists the help of her sisters to find what's hiding in the forest . . . before it finds her. But as she starts digging for truth--about the Moth-Winged Man rumored to haunt the Hollow, about her bitter rift with Cole, and even about her family--she must question if some secrets are best left buried.

About the author:

Kate Pearsall is a creative thinker, an award-winning copywriter, and a storyteller. She has a degree in business and public relations and has written for magazines and newspapers. Her debut novel, Bittersweet in the Hollow, was inspired in part by a childhood listening to her mom’s stories about growing up in the Appalachian Mountains and visiting family in West Virginia. 

Connect with Kate Pearsall:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway: 5 Young Adult Books!

 It's been a while since I posted a giveaway, but now that my boxes of books are all unpacked I went through a few that I wouldn't be re-reading. This giveaway is young adult. Check back on Saturday because I'll be posting another giveaway. 

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick-Hardcover-signed by author to me

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick-Hardcover

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick-Hardcover

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh-Hardcover

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh-Hardcover

Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. The giveaway is open to US Residents only. Good luck!

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Giveaway: 10 Young Adult Books!

 Another giveaway! This time ten Young Adult Books.

I'm getting ready to move in a couple of months so I'm trying to whittle down my mountain of books so I'll be running several giveaways. Here's the newest:

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann-Hardcover

Prodigy by Marie Lu-Hardcover signed by author to me

Legend by Marie Lu-Paperback ARC signed by author

Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay-Hardcover

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood-Paperback

Getting Over Garrett Delany by Abby McDonald-Hardcover signed by author

Deception by C.J. Redwine-Paperback ARC

Exile by Rebecca Lim-Paperback ARC

Mercy by Rebecca Lim-Hardcover

Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart-Paperback

The giveaway is open to US Residents only. Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

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Books From the Backlog #1

Books From the Backlog is hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books and it's a way to feature our neglected books on our bookshelf.  

This is my first time participating! Here's my choice:

Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Publication Date: February 1st 2013 by Hardie Grant Egdmont

Pages: 316

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

About the book:

Sam is a geek movie-buff with a ragtag group of loser friends who have been taking abuse from the popular kids for years. But when the super-cool Camilla moves to town, she surprises everyone by choosing to spend time with Sam's group. Suddenly they go from geek to chic, and find that not everything boils down to us and them. With their social lives in flux, Sam and Camilla spend more and more time together. They become the best of friends, and Sam finds that he's happier and more comfortable in his own skin than ever before. But eventually Sam must admit to himself that he's fallen in love. If he confesses his true feelings to Camilla, will everything change again?

I got a copy of this back when I still read a lot of YA, because it sounded cute, and because Melissa Keil is an Aussie writer. I don't know about you, but I've had great success with Aussie writers, like Melina Marchetta, Cath Crowly and Ellie Marney. There seems to be something extra special about their writing!  Well, this still languishes on my Netgalley account, giving me the stink eye every time I open up my shelf! 

What about you? Have you read this? If so, what did you think?

Review: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Publication Date: April 16th 2019 by Simon Pulse

Pages: 432

Source: e-ARC

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

My Thoughts:

When we meet Birdie and Daniel they’ve already met and had an intimate encounter that didn’t end well when Birdie freaks out and runs off. Birdie thinks *hopes* she’ll never run into Daniel again, but she’s mortified to find out he works at the hotel where she’s just been hired.

I struggled with Birdie at first, not really knowing her history, trying to avoid Daniel and what happened with them when he seemed like a nice guy.  I got it more as the story went on, but I think I warmed to Daniel more than Birdie even though the story is told in her POV.  Daniel handled her skittishness like a pro, coaxing her out of her shell and lowering her shields by enticing her with a mystery to solve, knowing she’s a hardcore mystery junkie, which I totally loved. Slowly they draw close, sharing secrets, and overcome the awkwardness of their first “date”.

Jenn Bennett makes the city of Seattle come to life, making me want to visit all over again! How did I miss the Elliot Bay Book Company?!! I enjoyed the secondary characters, although I thought Mona’s costuming was a little over the top, I just couldn’t picture someone dressing up like that on a daily basis, but what do I know? I did love Mona as a character, though: loyal, understanding and loving!  I really enjoyed her side story.

Jenn Bennett’s been hitting it out of the park with her young adult romances, and though this wasn’t my favorite among the bunch, it was still pretty lovely.

3.5 Suns

Review: Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Publication Date: April 3rd by Simon Pulse

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

In this romantic dramedy from the author of Alex, Approximately, a teen girl’s way-too-ordinary life is driven off the beaten path when she’s abandoned in the wilderness with her worst adversary—the boy who broke her heart.
Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong?
With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.
And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

My Thoughts:

I usually don’t post reviews here for Young Adult romances because first of all I don’t read many, and because this is primarily and adult blog.  But there were so many things to love about Starry Eyes I knew I had to post a review!

The setting! A locale I’m pretty familiar with was like another character in the story, and Jenn Bennett’s beautiful descriptions made it come alive! I could almost smell the pines and picture wading through the ferns while reading.

Backpacking! I used to be and avid backpacker so I loved that a good portion of Lennon and Zorie's story takes place while backpacking through the big redwoods. Trying to survive in the wilderness is a great way to be forced together again, and all those quite nights spent by the fire or in a little tent, set the stage for steamy encounters! Makes me want to rough it all over again!

Second chance romance! Zorie and Lennon are at odds, but circumstances throw them together again and I was thrilled with every step they took to get it right this time. I adore Jenn Bennett’s romances! So swoony!

I couldn’t stand Zorie’s dad! Ack! He was such a total dick! Judgmental and prejudice with he had ABSOLUTELY no right! What a hypocrite! Jenn Bennett creates characters you can’t help but care for so my emotions tend get a little high, lol. Especially when it’s in defense of another character.

 If you haven’t read one of Jenn Bennett’s Young Adult romances Starry Eyes is an excellent place to start, but I’ve also adored Alex, Approximately and The Anatomical Shape of a Heart. All are guaranteed to melt your heart!

4.5 Suns

Connect with Jenn Bennett:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |Goodreads