The Masterpiecers by Olivia Wildenstein
The Masterpiecers by Olivia Wildenstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ivy Redd has won a coveted spot on a reality TV competition, The Masterpiecers, taking place in New York’s Metropolitan Museum. The competition is for young artists competing to win the grand prize of a hundred thousand dollars and a spot in the Masterpiecers, a school for new artists. However, Ivy has a twin, Aster, who has been arrested for murder after hitting a mob member with her car.
The story switches back and forth between Ivy and Aster as Ivy competes in the reality competition and Aster is locked away in an Indiana jail. Aster claims self defense and thinks she will be released from prison right away but as the story unfolds we find the real truth behind the actions of these twins.
The Masterpiecers is a psychological thriller that has a reader hooked from the beginning with so many secrets and lies to uncover all throughout the story. Definitely a page turner going back and forth between the sisters that will keep a reader thinking all throughout trying to figure out what had happened to land these girls where they are.
Each sister has her own personality and tale to tell but their lives are still intertwined in everything even being separated. The girls were treated differently growing up and Ivy has turned into the over achieving good sister while Aster grew up feeling she was never good enough and would never amount to anything. The two obviously have a close relationship but also share a mutual distrust of each other due to their situations.
Definitely a good job with an original setting in this story with the reality competition. These days it seems like reality shows are taking over on television but the idea of doing one for artists to compete was certainly an interesting twist. Also, being from Indiana myself even though Aster’s setting could be placed in a jail anywhere it was nice to read about my own home state so that was rather fun for me.
My only complaint when finished reading this story is that it ended, while this did give an explanation to what had happened that night there’s still a lot that could be covered in the twins story but then I found out there will be a second book in this series so I’m quite looking forward to picking that one up.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Everdeep by Candace Knoebel book blitz with giveaway
Everdeep
Candace Knoebel
(Night Watchmen, #4)
Publication date: April 14th 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
There are some sacrifices we never recover from…
Faye Middleton is at a crossroads in her life. After breaking the last seal and discovering their Rebellion camp was destroyed, she returns to Ethryeal City, determined to avenge the deaths of her mother and friends.
Faye and her team do what they can to keep their Coven intact now that the Priesthood has fallen, but with Darkyn attacks threatening the exposure of their kind, the Primeval Coven is close to being cut off by the United Nations.
Until Meredith, a mysterious Darkyn, appears, claiming she has information that will help Faye bring down the two responsible for the deaths of her mother and friends, and for the fall of her Coven. The only catch is that it requires returning to the very place she lost her mother—the Underground.
Not wanting to risk any more lives, Faye and Weldon agree to go with Meredith on their own. They know Faye will have to face the one machine every Coven is after—the Exanimator. No one who has ever stepped in has ever come out the same, if at all…
But Faye will do anything she can to protect those she loves, even if it costs her life.
Previous books in the series:
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EXCERPT:
Jaxen’s on the edge of the bed with nothing but a pair of gunmetal gray sweatpants on, an empty glass in his hand, and a half-empty bottle resting by his feet.
He looks so tortured. Looks at me as if he wishes he were seeing someone else. Someone less distant and broken. It feels like ice is eating away at my bones. Like fire is scorching every one of my nerves.
“How did your meeting go?” His strangled words slur a little.
“Okay, I guess.”
I make my way over to him, but everything feels so unfamiliar and shaky—like walking into another plane of time. Like stepping on a spider web and finding myself caught as the truth makes its way across, ready to spin me and drain my blood.
He makes a haphazard gesture for me to sit next to him. “That good?”
“It was fine,” I lie, taking the empty glass from his hand. I grab the bottle by his feet, pour myself a shot, and toss it back, reveling in the fiery burn running down my throat that washes away the awful taste the Belladonna I took a few minutes ago left behind.
“So, this is what we’ve become then?”
I hate the desolation in his voice. There’s a desert between us without a hope for either one of us crossing it.
“What’s that?” I ask a little tersely, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and downing another shot. I’m trying to pretend I don’t know where this is headed. That I don’t see and hear the heartache ripping our guts out right now, because I need to pretend. I need to fake that everything is okay. Need him to believe I’m fine because the moment I don’t… the moment he looks at me, knowing I’ll die and seeing that death reflected in his gaze, then it will all be over.
Everything.
He tries to clear his throat, but the sound is painful. Like he’s swallowing tears. “I don’t know. Strangers? Two lovers who lie to one another? Who hide things from each other? Who can’t turn to each other whenever something bad is happening?”
I don’t recognize this Jaxen. This raw ache in his voice that scratches at the door of my heart, waiting for me to open it. I find myself missing the old him. The one who had his emotions under control. Who could take this pain and survive in it.
I set the glass down. Brace my hands on my knees as the alcohol sends my brain spinning. “I love you, Jaxen. More than I could ever explain to you.”
He laughs like he might be losing his mind. “Yet, here we are, our entire future splitting off from each other.” The cynicism in his voice is as thick as tar, and it’s choking my ability to think. To make sense of what I should and shouldn’t say.
I need a breath of fresh air. Need a new body to hide in. One where I’m safe from his prodding. Safe from myself.
“Jaxen, what am I supposed to do?”
“Stop shutting me out.” His chest heaves, heart throbbing in his neck.
I find a shadow across the room. Feel my regret slip down my cheek.
“I can’t even feel your mind anymore. It’s like you’re… you’re purposefully pulling away from me. Like you’re a ghost haunting me.” His eyes are flashing with anger now. He’s two steps from falling off the edge. From losing it all. I want to tell him everything. Want to tell him about my impending death, and that it’s easier this way because he’s going to lose me, only, not because of his curse.
Because of my curse.
“There are things, Jaxen. Things we knew would happen one way or another,” I say, and I find myself surprised by how calm I sound when my heart rattles at the cage of my bones to be free from my irrevocable torture.
“Things,” he retorts, spitting out the word with heavy distaste. “No, Faye. Things are that dresser or this pillow. Things are not the secrets Mack, Weldon, and Seamus has asked you to keep from me. Things are not the way you’ve been handling everything lately. That’s called shutting down. That’s called knowing about something that’s going to happen… that’s going to affect both of us, and you deciding not to tell me.”
I can’t believe the anger radiating off him like heat waves. The fury raging in his eyes as his hands clench and unclench against his legs, like he’s trying to contain the outburst that’s been coming my way since we returned here to Ethryeal City.
Author Bio:
Candace Knoebel is the award-winning author of Born in Flames-book one in a young adult fantasy trilogy. She discovered in 2009 through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. And an outlet for all the voices residing in her head.
Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013. In January of 2014, the last book in the trilogy, From the Embers, was released, thusly completing the trilogy. She now works on the Night Watchmen Series, while guzzling Red Bulls and pretending to be a ninja on Heelys.
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Cover Reveal: Corrupting Chloe by Olivia Noble
Corrupting Chloe
Olivia Noble
Publication date: April 26th 2016
Genres: Erotica, Romance
She knew that it was dangerous to get involved with her boss…
Fresh out of nursing school, Chloe Rivers was easily seduced by a sexy, controlling doctor who turned the entire hospital into their personal playground. When her lover reveals his true colors, Chloe is completely devastated. Years of abuse and abandonment leave her feeling empty and driven to do something reckless.
Accepting her roommate’s invitation to an exclusive sex club, Chloe does not expect her whole world to be turned upside down. When she meets a gorgeous stranger with muscles ripped straight from a magazine, she thinks he is exactly what she needs to forget her troubles. But Dominic Black is much more than he seems.
Chloe quickly finds herself in too deep, in a world where money, pleasure, and power can lead to total ruin…
Author Bio:
Olivia Noble is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, two beautiful children– and a new baby on the way! The husband recently thought it was a good idea to read Olivia’s books, and he blames their “extremely inappropriate” content for their little accident. (She happily takes responsibility.)
Raising two rambunctious rug rats makes it nearly impossible to escape long enough to finish writing an entire book, but Olivia does her best to find “Mommy time.” She likes to keep her books romantic, steamy, and filled with fun characters that get into all kinds of trouble– the kind of trouble she wishes she could get into.
Subscribe to Olivia’s mailing list to receive a free book as a gift: http://eepurl.com/TRg95
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La Vie en Rose {Life in Pink} by Lydia Michaels book blitz with giveaway
La Vie en Rose {Life in Pink}
Lydia Michaels
Publication date: April 12th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance
Emma Sanders has always dreamt of being a bride, wearing fancy gowns, pretty pearls, and—of course—falling madly in love. Then life happened. Finding herself one fiancé short of her happily ever after, she leaves the fairytales behind. Some days are simply too perilous for pink gowns and pearls.
Riley Lockhart is the sort of man who can make a woman lower her gaze with only a smile. That he doesn’t realize his charm makes him all the more enchanting. Determined to save Emma the pain of her breakup, he steps in as a friend, but soon finds himself wanting more.
She was just a girl, but she somehow winds up being the strongest woman he’s ever known. Losing her is not an option and when life can’t be tied neatly in a pretty little bow, he holds tight to all that he loves—his Emma. His hero.
Sometimes the greatest scars are worn on the inside.
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Author Bio:
Lydia Michaels is the award winning author of 23 romance novels. Her novels from the darkly compelling Surrender Trilogy were iBooks Bestsellers and her work has been featured in USA Today. In 2015 she was the winner of The Best of Bucks Award and she has been nominated as Best Author in the Happenings Magazine two years running [2015 & 2016]. She is a four time nominee for the prestigious RONE Award. Her books are intellectual, emotional, haunting, always centered around love. Lydia Michaels loves to hear from readers! She can be contacted by email at Lydia@LydiaMichaelsBooks.com
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The Silent Twin by Caroline Mitchell
The Silent Twin by Caroline Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Silent Twin is the third book from author Caroline Mitchell featuring DC Jennifer Knight, all three books in the series seem to be fine to be read as standalone novels. Detective Jennifer Knight is a member of Operation Moonlight, a division of law enforcement that deals with any cases that may have a paranormal/supernatural nature to them. Jennifer has psychic abilities herself that she uses to help solve these special cases.
When a nine year old twin goes missing and the family is experiencing paranormal activity in their home Jennifer gets assigned to be their family liaison officer spending time with them in their home and doing her own investigating. With Abigail missing her twin Olivia has gone silent, the parents each have their own secrets they are hiding and the caretaker has a history of photographing children. Will Jennifer be able to unravel the clues in time to save Abigail?
A fast paced, page turning thriller with a child’s life on the line The Silent Twin had me hooked from the very beginning. A lot of twists and turns trying to unravel the secrets in the story as everyone seems to be hiding something. There was only a touch of paranormal involved this time but it seemed to work in well with the investigation.
I haven’t read the first book in this series but I did read the second and rated it three stars due to Jennifer was a bit too OCD with cleaning in that book that I was beginning to feel sorry for her more than pay attention to the story. But that has completely gone away in The Silent Twin so I was able to be a lot more investigated into trying to figure out the clues and what had happened to Abigail so I really enjoyed this a lot more than the other. While Jennifer felt much stronger of a lead character I also enjoyed getting to know the family involved and all that they had been hiding.
Overall, a great fast paced thriller with a slight paranormal twist to the story.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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