Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Egmont

Pages: 357pgs

The Story

There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack - or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you're a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he's a Were, and Bryn's protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn't part of Bryn's pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha's Were. With threats - old and new - looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she's going to have to do it alone.

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

The Review

TRIAL BY FIRE is the second installment of the Raised by Wolves series. Already being a big fan of the first book, the same name of the series title, I was so eager to start reading its sequel as I expected it to be full of non-stop action - my absolute favourite element in Barnes's writing. While the book was enjoyable and flowed very easily for me to read and slowly savor, however it's a completely different book with a completely different feeling to it compared to the first book, and whether it was because the direction of the book was heading towards (which may not have been how I wanted it to all go) or it was because nothing was really connecting with me this time round, but, like I mentioned before, it was still immensely enjoyable for me to read.

TRIAL BY FIRE begins a few months after the first book, Raised by Wolves, had ended and even though I was slightly confused by a few things that were happening - mostly because I haven't read the first book in a long, long time - however readers will receive enough information of the back-story to get your bearings straight and understand what's going on. In the sequel Bryn is now an Alpha leader and like all new alphas she's trying to get that balance of adjusting to her new pack as well as trying to control and keep her pack members happy and together. But when a threat arises, putting her life and her own pack in danger, it's up to Bryn alone to put her Alpha skills to good use and determine who their new enemy is and how to stop them before it's too late.

The author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, continues to write a very compelling voice and in saying that I was really glad to see that Bryn's character had grown far more in this second installment. Bryn, as seen in the first book, was a young girl fighting in a dog-eat-dog world, but now, after having more control over her own pack and figuring out who she is as a leader while putting her new experience to the ultimate test, she was not only able to be the Alpha leader that she was born to be but she was also able to push herself against those dangerous boundaries between her human side and that fine line of her animalistic side as well, which was really pleasant to read about and it was probably my favourite part of the book. Her growth and her strength.

While I'm impressed with Bryn's development, however I just couldn't feel that strong connection I'd gotten from the Raised by Wolves book and most of the other character interactions weren't hooking me like I wanted them to. It's a shame, really. I mean there's still originality presented in this sequel, with the characters and the gritty relationships the character's share with each other, but I got that rare feeling where there was something missing from the storyline . . . 'the edge' mostly. Sure there was some plot-twists that were pretty surprising to me in certain scenes and I was certainly entertained by them, but I wasn't necessary blown away by them in the least but that's okay, I hope the third installment brings that edge back to the series once more.

Overall, TRIAL BY FIRE is a worthy sequel for the Raised by Wolves series and if you're looking for an action-packed, fast-paced, and an original werewolf young adult series, then I would highly recommend this series to you all because it's a must read for paranormal lovers!

The Rating

3/5 stars

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Pages: 379pgs

The Story

Don't look at Them.

Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs - including his reputation - begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world - the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

The Review

A big thanks to HarlequinTeen Australia for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

Like so many other crazy-obsessive fans of Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, a series which I happened to love very much, I was really looking forward to reading the spin-off series featuring the one and only and a much older boy, Ethan, the brother of our favourite heroine Meghan Chase. While this next installment and I didn't get off to a very good start, but since I have plenty of faith in Kagawa's writing in the past and how she develops her characters in each and every book, I feel rest assured when I say I'm sure the sequel will make me fall back in love with this new spin-off series!

In THE LOST PRINCE Ethan Chase was quite the fiery character if I do say so myself. He's angry. He's sweet. He's fearful. He's kind. He's infuriating. He's angry . . . yet again. For a much older version of Ethan there were just so many layers to his character arc which, I'm sure, will interest many of us readers but when it came down to this book alone I still didn't end up liking him as much as I hoped I would. It's sad to say, I know. But what I did like about Ethan was his love for his older sister, Meghan Chase, also known as the Iron Queen, and even after all these years of not seeing her he still managed to hold onto his sweetest memories of her from when he was a younger child. For the majority of the book he may have been angry at her at first (for leaving him behind you know?) but . . . there was still this brotherly love remaining for her alone, a love that was always there to guide him through the hardest of all times. I for one loved that sweeter side of him not the angrier one.

As we dive back into Julie Kagawa's magical Iron Fey world, we not only get to see many familiar faces along this very dangerous journey of Ethan's - including Meghan, Ash and Puck (PUCK PEOPLE! MY BELOVED PUCK IS BACK! YES!), but we are also introduced to some new faces as well. Both sneaky, intruding and equally headstrong as Ethan is, we get to meet Kenzie, Ethan's main love interest and the human girl who ends up being sucked up into Ethan's crazy, crazy world. Now I really enjoyed Kenzie's character! She was smart, resourceful, witty . . . the list goes on to be honest. But the main thing I loved about her character was HER way of telling Ethan off, especially when he oversteps the line and she always calls out the crap he puts onto her and other people, too. So because of that main quality I thought she was pretty awesome though I still expect more from her . . . so let's hope the sequel satisfies me with that.

Then we have another cool character that we're introduced to: Keirran, a young boy who may seem mysterious at first but once you meet him and find out exactly who and what he is . . . much like me you will be dancing around like a mad-woman (or a mad-man, whichever you prefer) and let's just say Keirran may be a romantic at heart and a total lovesick puppy when it comes to his own love interest (whom I didn't like at all unfortunately but ah well . . .), but I know this boy will have a lot to offer in future sequels so I'm definitely looking forward to that.

Without getting into 'too much' detail, overall I thought THE LOST PRINCE was a great start to a spin-off series and offers up something new, fresh and exciting for younger readers and fans of the Iron Fey series. I can't necessarily say this book blew me away like the previously series it was based on (mostly because I would've preferred Keirran's POV over Ethan's) but it was still such a fun read for the most part and it'll be interesting where the author takes this series off to next! But note to the author: BRING ME SOME MORE PUCK . . . PRETTY PLEASE!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 360pgs

The Story

In the end, all that's left is an echo . . .

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet's talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals - including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe - it's Violet's job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice.

When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by "the girlfriend collector" she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new "relationship" and Violet may have caught his eye . . .

The Review

I had so many high hopes for the third installment, THE LAST ECHO, of Kimberly Derting's bestselling young adult series The Body Finder. As expected the author continues to deliver a spine-tingling mystery with that same-old 'creepiness factor' that we love and adore in her writing (because they are so creepy, right?) and her books always leaves me with one eye open throughout the night, but for this time round there was just something missing in this next chapter of Violet Mathers's story and it's rather a pity too.

The main heroine, Violet, has been greatly loved by me from the first two books in the series and even today she still remains to be one of my favourite characters in the YA book genre. Being your not so average teenage girl with literal body-finding abilities and forever finding herself entangled in all sorts of mysterious and deadly cases, ones where she marginally escapes death itself, Violet in her short lifespan has experienced more than your average teenager should and I admire how she deals with every single situation that is thrown at her. That's what we love most about her character. However, while our Vi is strong, capable and determined, but much like with the storyline something has changed in Violet's character. Not in a bad way per se but enough to make me question her motives. From the previous two installments she had so much trust in others, especially with her family and friends, but I thought she trusted her new "family" of friends, her FBI gang with similar abilities as hers, a little too easily. Mostly with Rafe's character whom we met from book two.

Now I've found myself completely frustrated with this book (which was probably the central reason to why I didn't like this book as much as the others), more so when it came to the whole love triangle fiasco that Derting has etched into this story. Not only was it the direction I was hoping to avoid but it was also something that I felt - personally - didn't need to be in there in order for readers to fall even harder for this series. It just wasn't needed since we have Jay to cheer us up, the childhood best friend and now boyfriend of Violet, who is . . . honestly . . . the perfect boy through everyone's eyes and I love him to bits. He's totally in my top 5 of hot fictional boys and unlike those fierce and mysterious fantasy boys, what appeals to me most about Jay is how normal and down-to-earth he is and I want a Jay of my own! Seriously where is my own Jay been hiding? Who knows, really. But what this book lacked in so many ways was Jay himself and it was a total downer to say the least.

In the romance department I still firmly believe that Jay and Violet are made for each other - they're just SO perfect together - and he's always been there for her and her body-finder ability right from the start of things, but for once in this series I just wanted more spotlight put onto Jay's character because he clearly deserves it and he's totally capable of so much more than the author is willing to offer up for his character. Sure the character Rafe, a boy we were introduced to in the second book, Desires of the Dead, is an intriguing character all on his own and I can see what others see in him (you know with him being the mysterious dude with some hair full of secrets haha), but what I don't understand is why Violet would ever think about Rafe or look at him in a way she has always looked at Jay . . . especially when she now has the perfect Jay all to herself. Oh man, Vi needs to seriously rethink her situation because I've had it. *shakes head* You have Jay Vi . . . JAY! YOU DON'T NEED RAFE . . . like . . . EVER!

Overall, THE LAST ECHO was a disappointing third installment (it just didn't go the way I hoped it would) but the whole 'Girlfriend Collector' mystery was equally as enthralling as the other two installments beforehand and it reminded me so much of the Kiss the Girls movie which I loved. So, if you're already a fan of this series and of this author, then you're still going to love this new book no matter the frustrations of its love triangles and teenage angst. It's a killer for sure!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Bluefields

Pages: 397pgs

The Story

Ellie's sweet sixteen is a summer of firsts.

First car. First kiss. First boyfriend. First serial-killing stalker?

Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy's affection before. So when the hottest boy she's ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she's the center of his universe, naturally she's going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right?

The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she's convinced he's a psychopathic killer. The problem is he's the sweetest psychopathic killer she's ever met. Not to mention he's brutally hot. No matter how hard she tries, she can't help but fall for him. Will Ellie find true love, or will her summer of firsts turn out to be a summer of lasts?

The Review

A big thanks to the author for providing me a review copy of the book!

This is the first book I've read of Kelly Oram's and it most certainly won't be my last. Now I really enjoyed the concept of this book, I really did. The reason why I wanted to read this book so badly was because I love anything that has something to do with serial killers and I've always loved these certain books where the killer is closer than you think or rather you fall in love with the killer and so on. It just has this exciting element about it like the TV show Dexter does. And, on the plus side, what made me enjoy SERIAL HOTTIE even more than I thought I would was that it also had this Nancy Drew vibe to it with a slight hint of your classic horror movie of predictability and boy did I love it!

SERIAL HOTTIE is a fluffy but a really intense read for the most part, and what did it for me was the characters alone - even when they frustrated me so many times you lost count and I often was yelling at them saying, "Why did you just do that?!". But for our main character, Ellie, she's a total tomboy compared to her sister, Angela, who is the complete opposite. Ellie is someone who plays hockey, hates wearing girly clothes (which I can totally understand), and let's just say she's not the kind of girl who attracts your average guy because she is mostly 'just friends' with them instead. Honestly . . . Ellie was the easiest person to connect with in the book because for most of my childhood I was your typical tomboy and wanting to do things boys were doing at a younger age, so I loved that part about her. Even her sister, Angela, was a real hoot to have in a book such as this one and boy thank god for her humor - not to mention her brains - when it came to the new boy in town, Seth, whom is the kind of boy you're going to either love or love to hate, or just plainly hate, hate, hate.

Apart from the girls, Seth was the only captivating boy character in the book and never have I been so conflicted with a male character before. It's a first for me. Seth is someone you want to love and trust, but then once he goes all weird on Ellie's character, especially when a killer is supposedly on the loose and he starts to get way too involved, you just didn't want to trust him anymore. But here's the thing about his character: He has serial killer tendencies - oh my god, I'm not kidding here. Ellie suspects he is the local serial killer and it's no wonder why her thoughts had always led back to him. After all, Seth is really creepy. Really, really creepy. He was just always there, he was saying things killers would say to their victims prior to the killings (it's called stalking your prey), then he was all possessive-like and controlling over Ellie, and oh yeah, Seth does have a thing for knives (who doesn't?) and a bad temper which explodes at the worst possible times too. Call him whatever you like, but I might not have loved him nor swoon for him, but I did kind of like him. I shouldn't but I did and the fun part . . . ? Honestly I have no idea why I like him so much because really . . . this boy right here has no business dating girls because he's not of the stable kind. Still . . . I liked him. So if you can't love a male character for confusing you on so many levels and make you love to hate him, then I don't know what else you could possibly want from a young adult book!

Overall, SERIAL HOTTIE was such a fun, quick read and if you love a book with crossovers between Nancy Drew, Dexter, Veronica Mars, and a little bit of the horror/thriller film elements, then I would highly recommend this book to you! It's fun . . . a little creepy perhaps but fun.

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd

Pages: 496pgs

The Story

Young, beautiful and deadly. Trained as an assassin by the god of Death, Ismae is sent to the court of Brittany, where she finds herself under prepared - not only for the games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death's vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

The Review

GRAVE MERCY was a total win for me right from the very beginning. With such a kick-ass and promising premise, all it really needed was a great and a badassery, variety kind of protagonist and the author, in this case, delivered in every way imaginable, even to my own surprise. I've been waiting for a book like this one for quite some time now in the YA genre and it definitely came at the right time too because I loved it to pieces from the heroine all the way down to its dark, itty gritty side of the 15th century!

The story's main heroine, Ismae, was one of my favourite characters by far this year. With very little effort on the author's part, I was instantly drawn to this deadly, stubborn, strong-willed young woman and I loved every single thing about her. Ismae may have had an awful upbringing and you hated her family for treating her the way they did, but as Ismae is shipped off to a covenant and introduced to the world of assassins, and soon figuring out what kills her makes her stronger to become the person she was always meant to be . . . she became everything that I love in my heroines: A a fiery passion to survive. The thing that separates her from every other heroine I know of today is that she never questions her loyalties and never allows anyone to make her feel weak - not even for a second - she was just being Ismae and let me tell you this Ismae will kick your ass any day if you get in her way!

As far as romances go in YA historical books, this romance was beyond AWESOME and one of the best romances I've read yet this year! I wholeheartedly adored Isame's love interest, Duval, not because he was mysterious and handsome from head to toe (okay, maybe it was part of it), but rather I loved his relationship with Ismae because it was an uneasy alliance between them and it was all about their mission rather than it being about love, love, love. At least at first, which is why I loved these two main characters so, so much. They just clicked together, you know? On a whole other level. Passion and all. With his desire to protect his charge, with his half-sister being the Duchess and with him having this unseemly desire to protect Ismae when his heart is always telling him otherwise, I'm sure many readers will fall for this guy and melt your insides. He sure had that affect on me.

But when you overlook the characters, what I truly loved the most was the historical aspect of the book and the detail it offered to me. Whether you're a fan of history or not, I thought Robin LaFevers painted the perfect picture of the 15th century of Brittany - the whole feel I got from the book gave me chills as if I was right there with the characters. The writing, the attention to details, the clothing people wore and even the mannerisms, and the way people spoke to each other, just felt so real to me in this past setting and it was so easy for me to visualize what people were like back then so . . . I just loved it! But of course, it certainly helps me already being a fan of this certain period so kudos to the author for writing such a book for me to enjoy!

Overall, with a book containing a strong-willed heroine, secret societies, an in-depth storyline and a well developed young romance, along with some classic action and magic and all sorts of political drama that sets things on very high stakes, GRAVE MERCY will definitely appeal to historical readers and even readers of the likes of A Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone and Graceling! Trust me here: You DON'T want to miss out on this book!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Q&A with Elementals author Brigid Kemmerer

I am so excited to have Brigid Kemmerer joining us today! Like with so many other fans around the world, I too had absolutely LOVED the author's debut novel, Storm, and now her much anticipated sequel, SPARK, being released earlier this month, the Merrick brothers - and in particular the smexy-hottie Gabriel who is now our main hero in this second installment of the Elemental series - are once again bringing sexy back and not to mention much more trouble along with them as well!

So please feel free to check out my interview with the author herself below. I'm sure you will love her answers as much as I do!

Q: You might get this question a lot, but what inspired you to write about the Merrick brothers with very different paranormal powers? How did you manage to come up with such a cool idea?

The first novel I wrote in high school was about four vampire brothers, named Michael, Nicholas, Gabriel, and Christopher. It was a silly story, but I still have most of it on paper. In my twenties, when I really began to take writing seriously, I wrote a few books but was unable to find a literary agent or a publisher. I couldn't get those four brothers out of my head – but I didn't want to do vampires again. I started tossing around ideas that would work with the number four. Four horsemen of the apocalypse. Four leaf clovers. Four, four, four. The four elements of earth, air, fire, and water seemed to work best—and I had a lot of ideas how I could make it fun. Who wouldn't want to be able to control the elements?

Q: In your debut novel, Storm, and in your newly released sequel, Spark, I see that one of your most prominent themes is bullying. Each of your characters - Becca, Quinn, Layne, Simon and even the Merrick brothers themselves - have experienced it in many forms. What made you explore this major theme? Have you put your own high school experiences into the novel or perhaps someone else's?

It’s funny – I didn't really set out to write a novel about bullying. But when I was young, I changed schools every year, so I was constantly the new kid. I was chubby and brainy and bookish, and that doesn't exactly lend itself to being instantly popular. School is all about learning interpersonal dynamics—basically, how to relate to each other. While not everyone is bullied, everyone can relate to the struggle for figuring out who you are and where you fit on the social ladder. Once I started exploring that theme, it kind of took over. 

Q: In Spark, I really enjoyed getting to know Gabriel and Layne and watching these two grow in their relationship. What was your thought process on how this new romance would develop? How did you go about constructing these equally matched and headstrong characters?

Gabriel and Layne were so much fun to write! I knew Gabriel needed a strong girl to match his personality, and I needed to make her complex, because Gabriel himself is so complex. I just kept throwing challenges at them until I thought they might break, because then they’d have the opportunity to save each other.

Q: Do you by any chance plan to write more than 3 books in the Elementals world? Or are you planning to write something outside the paranormal genre?

I definitely would like to have the opportunity to write more Elemental books! I’m working on a proposal for more right now. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Q: If you have any, what music inspirations did you have for you novel/s or in particular your characters, Gabriel and Layne?

There’s a playlist in the back of Spark, but one song that always gets me thinking about the series is Something Beautiful by NeedToBreathe. It’s the perfect theme song for the Elemental Series. 

Q: If you were one of your leading ladies, which Merrick brother would you choose and why?

Oh, wow! They’re all so much fun. When I was in high school, I probably would have gone for Gabriel, but now, I’d definitely be a Michael girl.

Q: Lastly, what can your readers expect from your third installment, Spirit? Any more hottie scenes we should be excited for?

Well, Spirit hasn't gone through my editor yet, so this answer may change. Spirit is by far the most action packed book I've written yet, and it’s full of sexy-times  too. Hunter meets Kate, another Guide, and let’s just say that she’s definitely a challenge for him to keep up with.

A big thanks to Brigid for answering my questions and to the amazing publicist, Lara from Allen & Unwin, for including me on this super fun blog tour!

Don't forget to check out more posts from amazing bloggers

on the rest of the Australian Spark Blog Tour Schedule!

24th September - Eleusinian Mysteries

1st October - Speculating on SpecFic

8th October - Novels on the Run

15th October - The Rest is Still Unwritten

29th October - Badass Bookie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brigid's Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Brigid Kemmerer finds the time to write somewhere between caring for her family and working at her day job, but sometimes she ends up mothering her coworkers and managing her family. Storm: The Elemental Series is her first novel.

One Moment by Kristina McBride

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Pages: 272pgs

The Story

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie's life. Now it's the one she'd do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can't she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below - dead?

As Maggie's memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where diid he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for accepting my request in reading this book early!

This is the first book I've read of Kristina McBride's and it certainly won't be the last that I'll read of hers because her second book, ONE MOMENT, was such a fantastic YA contemporary read, one that deals with unexpected loss, terrible grief, a lot of trust issues, and a whole lot of complications involving friends and family along the journey.

Maggie Reynolds has been dating her boyfriend for almost two years straight and she's deeply in love with him. He's the perfect boyfriend after all. Then everything changes in a split second when she and Joey are on the edge of a cliff and they're about to plunge down into the dark waters below. But just when they're about to jump, Maggie soon forgets everything and with this 'everything' she is told later on that her boyfriend is dead. Below the cliff. Dead in the dark waters. How can she NOT remember his death? As she soon comes to terms with her boyfriend's death, Maggie will need to uncover what exactly happened on that unfortunate night and find out why her friends are acting so strange and why everyone - including herself - seems to think that Joey had left behind a whole lot of secrets . . . secrets that could change Maggie and the world she knows forever.

The thing I loved most about ONE MOMENT was how it was written - switching back and forth between the past and present. It not only gave me a clearer picture about what was going on and helped me out by putting together the tiny little pieces of clues that were scattered throughout the book, but it also gave me a chance to get to know Maggie's boyfriend, Joey, whom dies very early on in the book, so I'm glad to have a chance to get to know him as he's the center part of this book and of Maggie's grief that we read about. I also loved how flowing the words were of the storyline and I felt nothing was ever rushed, even for a much shorter contemporary book. It was great and completely engrossing from page one!

As for the characters, every single one of them had their own part to play. While I didn't necessarily like Maggie's girl friends (Shannon in particular), but out of all of the characters I wholeheartedly loved and adored Maggie, the main protagonist, and her friend Adam the most. Their relationship was kind of a sacred thing and despite seeing - well guessing - something was going on between them . . . I still just loved their interactions with one another. They were so genuine and so sweet. While everyone else is grieving over the loss of Joey, Maggie's now ex-boyfriend, there's just these intense feelings flying about between Mags and Adam, and as others may not see it, they felt like they were the only two people whom understood one another so that was a nice element to add to the storyline of grief and loss. But as for Adam . . . boy I loved that guy and I so wanted more from him! He was . . . so cute.

Overall, Kristina McBride's ONE MOMENT was a little heart-breaker of a book and it offered up all sorts of things I love in my young adult contemporary books, and by the time I reached the end of the book, I had this little smile plastered onto my face. A real happy one. So I can't wait to read more from this author, which I'm sure will be even more great things!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars