When I read the blurb for When Sparks Fly, I knew that I needed to read it, one reason is that I love reading contemporary romances, and the other reason is that I have heard nothing but good things about Helena Hunting. I am glad that I read this book. It was what I needed to read.
I like the friends-to-lovers trope but feel that it is overused in romance novels. So I did go into reading the book thinking that When Sparks Fly would be typical in that regard. It isn’t. Declan and Avery’s slide into romance was one of the more natural romances that I have read in a while.
The plotline for When Sparks Fly was medium-paced. There was no lag in the book, and it was very well written.
I liked Avery. She had me laughing with her observations on life and Declan. I liked that she wasn’t portrayed as a shrinking violet. She wasn’t afraid to call Declan out on his stuff (like his extracurriculars). She did have her flaws, and they were on display in the book. But they were nothing compared to Declan’s.
Let’s talk about Declan. He was a freaking mess for 90% of the book. His childhood was less than ideal, and in turn, it turned him into a commitment-phobe adult who ran from his problems. But that didn’t excuse how he treated Avery during the last half of the book, though. He was a real douche canoe. But I did like him. The author didn’t make him perfect and chose to highlight his mental health issues.
The romance angle of When Sparks Fly was sweet. I loved seeing both realize that they were in love with the other person. It was a considerable whammy for Declan since he was using Avery’s relationship with his ex-best friend as a reason why he shouldn’t get with her. I loved seeing him realize that Avery was his person.
The sex scenes were hot in When Sparks Fly. I did giggle when Declan caught Avery masturbating. And I wasn’t surprised with how it ended up. I was a little “eh” when Avery told her sisters about it, though. I wouldn’t say I like kissing and telling (or, in this case: getting help with masturbating and telling).
I did like how mental health was portrayed in When Sparks Fly. Declan had some serious issues from his childhood that needed to be resolved before moving forward with any relationship. While I didn’t see his breakdown coming, I wasn’t surprised by it. But, I liked how his friends (and Avery) supported him. Having him going to therapy was a huge plus. I also like that his issues didn’t magically go away at the end of the book. Getting help was huge but Avery supporting him (and participating in the therapy) was even more significant.
The end of When Sparks Fly was sweet. And at the very end, it was perfect!! I did a lot of “Awww, so sweet” to myself as I was reading.
I would recommend When Sparks Fly to anyone over the age of 21. There is graphic sex, language, and mild violence.
At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse has a lot to learn when it comes to the real world. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she has spent the last several years living on her own, but unable to move beyond her past—especially the disappearance of her twin brother Andy when they were sixteen.
With her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house she has avoided for years. But as the rest of the Lighthouse family arrives for the memorial, a gruesome discovery is made: buried in the reserved plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax.
Each member of the family handles the revelation in unusual ways. Her brother Charlie pours his energy into creating a family memorial museum, highlighting their research into the lives of famous murder victims; her sister Tate forges ahead with her popular dioramas portraying crime scenes; and their mother affects a cheerfully domestic façade, becoming unrecognizable as the woman who performed murder reenactments for her children. As Dahlia grapples with her own grief and horror, she realizes that her eccentric family, and the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin.
First Line:
My parents named me Dahlia, after the Black Dahlia – that actress whose body was cleaved in half, left in grass as sharp as scalpels, a permanent smiled sliced into her face – and when I first learned her story at for years old, I assumed a knife would one day carve me up.
The Family Plot by Megan Collins
Review:
The Family Plot centers around an eccentric family, the Lighthouses. The parents named the children after famous victims of killings (Charles Lindbergh (Charlie), Sharon Tate (Tate), Andrew Borden (Andy), and The Black Dahlia (Dahlia)). They were kept isolated from the island community and were homeschooled on a….different….curriculum. It all consisted of true crimes, their victims, and their murderers. It was an unconventional upbringing.
The book starts with the death of Dahlia’s father, which brings her, Charlie, and Tate home. Andy has been missing for ten years. Dahlia, Andy’s twin, is hoping that he will show up. But that hope is dashed when the groundskeeper finds a body buried in what will be her father’s grave. That body ends up being Andy, and finding his body opens up Pandora’s box for the entire family.
Dahlia is determined to find out what happened to Andy. But her investigating uncovers a more profound and more disturbing mystery. That mystery is connected to a serial killer operating on the island. The more Dahlia digs, the more evidence she uncovers that Andy’s death is somehow connected to that serial killer. But how and why? What is revealed at the end of the book will shock even the most hardened person.
As I mentioned above, the main characters in The Family Plot are the Lighthouses. Charlie, Tate, Dahlia, and Andy with their mother, father (in spirit), ex-police chief, current police chief, Dahlia’s best friend, Andy’s girlfriend, and the groundskeeper being major secondary characters. Each one of these characters was written beautifully and had their voice that was heard.
Now, saying that I do want to touch on how messed up the Lighthouse family was. Each person had their issues. I will say that I thought Dahlia was the most “normal” person in the family. Tate had social problems. Charlie was an alcoholic (among other things), Andy had anger and cruelty issues (told through mini-flashbacks), and the mother, well, I am not going to say what they were because her problems are critical to the plotline. As the book goes on, the dysfunction in this family doesn’t lessen. Instead, it gets worse. I have never read a book where this happened, and I loved it.
As much as I loved the characters, I didn’t exactly like the lack of depth. The book is told in 1st person, through Dahlia’s eyes, but I felt that I didn’t get to know her. Same with Charlie, Andy, and Tate. This is the one time that I think that multiple POVs would have helped.
The plotline for The Family Plot was fast-moving and well written. But it did lag in the middle. While the lag wasn’t enough to derail the plotline, it was enough to bog it down. Plus, I felt that there was too much extra at that point in the book. Honestly, I didn’t care about the stalkerish ex-police chief or his son, the current police chief. I also didn’t care for Ruby’s smothering grandfather. I get why the author did but still. It was a distraction. I wanted to know more about Dahlia’s upbringing. I would have loved to read a snippet of a murder report.
The mystery angle of the book was on point. The author threw out so many red herrings that I second-guessed myself over who the serial killer was. I also couldn’t figure out who killed Andy and why.
I do want to touch on the true-crime angle. I thought it was well written and inventive for the author to have it used as part of a homeschooling curriculum. I am a true crime fanatic, and I recognized several of the names used in the book (aside from who the kids were named after). But, there were also names that I didn’t recognize, and I had to google.
I was shocked at the events that led to Andy being killed than who killed him. I can safely say that I didn’t see it coming. I had to put my Kindle down to process the revelation and then keep on reading. My only complaint is that the confession and the aftermath seemed a little rushed.
The end of the book didn’t sit right with me. Like I mentioned above, there was a huge reveal, and then it just tapered off. I was expecting another twist or something like that to happen. That drove me nuts!!! I would have loved to see something bigger happen than what did.
I loved reading The Family Plot. It was an engaging mystery/thriller that kept me guessing who did it until the end.
I would recommend The Family Plot to anyone over the age of 21. There are numerous mentions of true crime stories. There are reenactments of how people died, often gruesome. There are descriptions of a serial killer and how the victims were killed. There are scenes of extreme grief.
Rome could feel his stomach jumping around as the plane touched down at La Guardia airport in New York City.
windy city ruins by brett salter
Windy City Ruins is the 3rd book in The Talisman Series. While the author gives a quick rundown of the previous books at the beginning of this one, I would strongly recommend reading the previous books first.
Windy City Ruins takes place immediately after the events of Riders of Fire and Ice. Rome, Julian, and Mr. Jones are in New York City to meet with Mr. Jones’s mysterious friend, Beacon. Beacon has some intel, but they are not easy to find. Beacon tasks the boys (and Mrs. Case and Mr. Jones) with a riddle and a time to meet them. Their journey takes them to the closed-off torch of The Statue of Liberty and a big surprise. But, Beacon’s identity is the least of their problems. Something dangerous is stalking them, and it will take everyone (Beacon, Camela, Krysta, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Case, and the boys) to face the danger. Will they be able to beat that threat, and what will it cost them??
I was very excited to read Windy City Ruins. Why? Well, I have become invested in the series. I need to know what will happen to Rome, Julian, and their allies/friends. Plus, I find the worldbuilding and lore fascinating in this book. The author mixes different mythologies seamlessly.
Rome and Julian are still learning about their bonding. But, since they didn’t perform the Synergy correctly, they can’t use their bond to their advantage. I found that fascinating. Seeing Camela and Krysta’s bond (as well as the mark that it left on Krysta) made me wonder how the boys would be if/when they bond correctly.
As in the other books, dragons and talismans figure hugely in the plot. Wind dragons and earth dragons are discovered. I will admit that I wasn’t sure about the wind dragons. But as the book went on, they proved just how loyal and brave they were. The earth dragon scared me. Nothing could shake that thing. It was a freaking tank!
I liked that the author gave the Darkfiends more exposure in the book. I play ESO, and while I was reading this book, I was in Blackwood. One boss fight was a minotaur with firepower (it wasmore of a shaman, but still). That is how I imagined the minotaur from the main battle scene. I called my SO over to show/tell him about the minotaur that came out of the portal and how it looked like the one in my game. He could have cared less….lol.
I was a little irritated with Julian’s father. Especially when certain things came out at the end of the book (with the fight between the boys and Jericho/Clay). I was very frustrated with him. He caused too much harm that has reverberated throughout the book, and I feel that it will continue into the next one.
I was shocked at the events at the end of the book. Mainly by what happened with Nocturne and the boys. I was not expecting what happened to happen. But in a way, I was also happy that it did. It meant that the boys could do things right and hopefully take down the Tyrant King.
I would recommend Windy City Ruins to anyone over the age of 13. It is a clean book (no sex,no kissing). There is mild violence and very mild language.
The humid Atlanta air settled around Mari like a sticky sweatshirt as she walked briskly down the sidewalk past the science building heading towards the baseball field.
spies never quit by m. taylor christensen
It has been a long time since I have read a YA cozy mystery. I have gotten caught up in other genres, and these books got pushed to the back burner. That all came to a stop last month when I decided that I would read Spies Never Quit. I am glad that I did because I enjoyed this book a ton!
Spies Never Quit has a face-paced plotline. The book starts with a bang and doesn’t slow down. There was a tiny bit of lag in the plotline in the middle of the book (when Mari was undercover). It didn’t affect the plotline, and the author was able to keep the plotline zipping along.
I thought Mari was a powerful main character. She adapted quickly to everything that the bad guys threw her way. She was also willing to do whatever it took to free her mother from the bad guys. What I liked the most was that the author humanized her. She wasn’t an instant spy, far from it. She was an average college girl who got sucked into that life by her mother’s kidnapping.
What I liked the most about this book was the girl power vibe. I liked that the girls (Mari and the Banana Girls) didn’t need a man to figure out how to rescue her mother. It made the book so much more fun to read.
Spies Never Quit is a clean read. While there is no sex or sexual situations in the book, there are some very mild kissing scenes—nothing graphic and, honestly, sweet.
I wish the author had spent more time on Mari’s mother’s technology (the swarming nanobots). I was very interested in that but could only glean bits and pieces of what she did from conversations between the bad guys and from what Mari/the Banana Girls knew.
I liked that there were strong parallels to Charlies’ Angels, James Bond, and Batman. What I would give to have the cars that those girls did!!!
The end of Spies Never Quit was action-packed. I loved how the storylines were resolved. I am hoping that there will be a book two because I would love to read it!!
I would recommend Spies Never Quit to anyone over the age of 16. There is mild violence, mild language, and some very mild kissing.
Berlin had never been so quiet. Cars and trucks lay in useless pieces. Even bicycles were scarce.
the living and the lost by ellen feldman
I have read a lot of books about WWII and the Holocaust. Reading on that particular time in history is an obsession of mine. But, I have read very few books that take place after WWII ends. And I have read zero books that take place in Germany during that time. So, when I read the blurb for The Living and the Lost, I knew that I had to read it.
The Living and the Lost had a medium-paced storyline. There were times where the storyline dragged but overall, the pacing fit the book. There was also a tiny bit of lag in the middle of the book, but that was quickly resolved.
I found it very hard to connect to Millie in the first half of the book. She was so angry and so full of self-hatred that it transferred over to me. I did pity her, and I understood that anyone running from that sort of traumatic situation would have issues. I connected to her after she started dating Major Sutton and started working through her problems. I wish that the connection had come sooner.
I was fascinated with David and how he joined the intelligence community. His portions of the book were gritty, realistic, and in line with what I have read about that type of training. I do wish that the author had written more about what David did because it interested me.
There is a lot of anger in The Living and the Lost. A lot of anger and did overwhelm me during specific chapters. There is also a lot of sadness. There were scenes where I cried (like when Elkewas forced to go back with her mother). So, be warned, you will need a lot of tissues.
There is a bit of romance in The Living and the Lost. I wasn’t sure how Millie and Harry’s romance would fit into the book, but the author did a great job weaving it into Millie’s story.
The end of The Living and the Lost was a little anticlimactic. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what was written….lol.
I would recommend The Living and the Lost to anyone over the age of 16. There is sex (nothinggraphic), mild language, and violence.
Jensen Kittredge was kicked back in his favorite booth in the most disreputable bar in town, enjoying the usual spoils of a fine Saturday night.
All Night Long with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews
All Night Long with a Cowboy is the 2nd book in the Kittredge Ranch series. I am not a big fan of picking up books mid-series, but this series is set in the same world as the Cold River Ranch series. Since I had read that series and was familiar with some of the characters, I had no issues reading this book. But, I suggest that you read book one to get a complete background on the Kittredge family.
The main plotline in All Night Long with a Cowboy is the romance between Harriet and Jensen. It is your typical opposites attract trope. What made this book great to read is that there were layers to both Harriet and Jensen. And those layers were peeled back and explored during the book.
There is a secondary plotline involving Aidan Hall. I was a little put off by two things about that plotline. One being that Aidan was screaming out for help and everyone played ostrich. Everyone except Harriet and she had to bulldoze Jensen into helping him. The other was that there was this expectation that Aidan would end up like his father, uncles, and grandfather. That made me almost blow a gasket when Jensen first told Harriet that. And I got even madder when Jensen said it to Aidan!!! But everything did turn out for the best. Still, that was the maddest I have been for a secondary character in a long time.
I like Harriet. I liked that she marched to the beat of her own drummer. She was a self-proclaimed cat lady (she had five cats). But I felt that she was a little two-dimensional at times. Her character didn’t feel as fleshed out to me as it should have. But then again, The author wrote Jensen to be larger than life, and he did take over scenes with her.
I liked Jensen too. I did feel that his backstory (about what happened when he was a teenager and the damage his childhood did to him) was dragged out. But I did appreciate it when he told Harriet about Daniel. That was his first step towards healing. I also got why he never changed people’s minds about him. All they saw was the fire jumper who was up for a good time, the man whore who never stayed two nights in a row. Instead, who Jensen was deep down was not even close to that image.
The romance angle of the book was well written. Jensen and Harriet had some serious chemistry going on. It was apparent from the beginning that they were going to have fireworks. And oh boy, did they!!
The end of All Night Long with a Cowboy was interesting. I liked the peek into the future that the author gave with Jensen and Harriet. I also couldn’t tell who book three is going to be about.
I would recommend that anyone over the age of 21 read All Night Long with a Cowboy. There is graphic sex, mild language, and some mild violence.
Only queens with hearts can bleed. And those who flirt with evil are the most heartless of them all.
Fairest by Sophia Zaccaria
I have a soft spot for villains’. I always wonder what their backstories are and what caused them to become the bad guy. So, when I read the blurb for Fairest, I knew that I needed to read it. It is not very often where the origins of the Evil Queen from Snow White are explored!! I am glad that I did because this book had me glued to the pages.
Fairest tells the story of Alina (aka Natasha) and her rise/eventual metamorphosis to the Evil Queen. It was a sad but fascinating tale. Starting with the death of her best friend and the discovery of her magic and ending with her mirror, it was a fantastic read.
Fairest is set in Russia and the fictional country of Velaris. It wasn’t stated where in Russia Alina was from, but I figured it was probably closer to St. Petersburg. There is a lot of Russian language in this book. But the author did include a Russian Dictionary at the end of the book, which helped me a ton (I also used my translate button on my Kindle).
Alina was an interesting character to read. Everything she did during the first half of the book was to protect herself and her heart. But once her younger brother died, that is when everything (including herself) changed.
The main storyline, Alina and her powers, was very well written. I hated to see how Alina realized she had powers and what caused them to manifest. I liked seeing her master her powers and by the end of the book, what she did with people who cheesed her off was very interesting.
There was a romance angle to the book. I disagreed with Alina and Cole becoming romantically entangled. They were too dysfunctional together. I wish that the author had stuck with Alina/Mikhail’s romance. They were good together. Mikhail was good for Alina.
There were exciting references to Snow White sprinkled throughout the book. There was a reference regarding Cole and Snow White, which made me go, “Hmmmm.” There was an interesting reference to The Brothers Grimm, which also made me go, “Hmmmm.” I can’t wait to see if the author will bring up either of these references in the second book!!
There were things I didn’t like about Fairest. I wouldn’t say I liked that there were multiple POVs. If the author had stuck to Alina and Cole’s POV, I would have been fine. But there were POVs from characters that disappeared from the book. Also, I wouldn’t say I liked how it switched from 3rd person to 1st person and then back.
I did not expect what happened at the end of the book. There was a huge plot twist that involved Alina and her mother. Talk about shocking. I am hoping that the next book explores what was revealed.
Hospital orderly Owen Cloud falls in love, and to him,it seems someone has turned up the volume on the Buzz of Being. Everything is as it always was, only more. Three women he meets help him advance through three phases of love–passion, friendship, and finally generosity of heart.
“Sip Lake is what the locals call it. It’s great fishing, and I’ve got a boat, so why not move up here?”
Sip Lake by Joe Basara
When I first read the blurb for Sip Lake, I was interested. As you can see (lookup), the blurb is small, but it packs a punch. I was very interested in Owen and seeing how his journey with love was going to pan out. By the time I finished the book, I was “meh” about it.
Before I start the critical part of the review, I want to mention a couple of things. Sip Lake was originally titled Cypress Lake. I couldn’t find any mention of Sip Lake on Goodreads. It wasn’t until I googled the author’s name plus Sip Lake did I find out that there was a title change. While it didn’t affect my review, it was frustrating to find out after the fact. The other thing was the formatting on my Kindle was messed up. Again, no effect on my review, but it caused me to read the book very slowly because it was one continuous paragraph. So, what should have taken me a day or two took me a week to read.
Sip Lake was a medium-paced book with a well-written and interesting plotline. There were no twists in the plotline. It was a straightforward book that made me feel old (I was born in 1977).
Owen was an interesting character who had a rich inner life. But I did have an issue telling when his imagination took over. There were certain sections that I had to reread to figure out if it was imagination or not.
The romance angle of the book was interesting. Owen had an interest in several women and had two actively pursue him. I did think that he gave off stalkerish vibes at one point in the book (when he was trying to ask one of his co-workers on a date and kept calling her house).
The end of Sip Lake was typical. It did seem a bit rushed, and everything that happened did seem to come out of left field. I wondered why Owen decided on that person mainly because he was very adamant about his feelings towards her halfway through the book.
I would recommend Sip Lake to anyone over the age of 16. This was a clean book. There was no sex (some kissing), no violence, and some very mild language.
Jayci Lee, the author of A Sweet Mess, returns with The Dating Dare—her next witty, chemistry-filled romantic comedy.
Tara Park doesn’t do serious relationships. Neither does she hop into bed with virtual strangers. Especially when that particular stranger is her best friend’s new brother-in-law. It isn’t an easy decision, though. Seth Kim is temptation personified. His unreasonably handsome looks and charming personality makes him easy on the eyes and good for her ego.
When a friendly game of Truth or Dare leads to an uncomplicated four-date arrangement with Seth, Tara can’t say she minds. But their dates, while sweet and sexy, have a tendency to hit roadblocks. Thankfully, their non-dates and chance meetings get frequent and heated.
Seth is leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings-attached fling seemed like a nice little distraction for both… But soon Seth realizes that Tara Park doesn’t come in a “nice & little” package–she’s funny and bold, sweet and sexy, and everything he ever wanted and never expected to find. Neither of them are ready for something serious and both have past relationship baggage they’ve been ignoring, but with a shot at forever on the line will they follow their hearts and take a chance on happily-ever-after?
First Line:
The wedding was picture-perfect.
The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee
I was initially very excited to read The Dating Dare. I had read nothing but great reviews about it. So, when it came time for me to read it, I dove right in. I finished the book with a strong dislike for Tara, pity for Seth, and an overall sense of “meh”
The Dating Dare is the 2nd book in the A Sweet Mess series. I would strongly suggest reading A Sweet Mess (book1) before you read The Dating Dare. I had a hard time following different relationships (not romantic, friends), and I believe it would have helped if I had read A Sweet Mess first.
The plot for The Dating Dare was exciting and had a solid start. I like romances that have unconventional beginnings, and Tara and Seth’s most certainly did. But, towards the middle of the book, I started to lose interest which is sad because I enjoyed how it started.
As I mentioned above, I was not too fond of Tara. While I felt terrible for her (her backstory is sad), it gave her no excuse to treat Seth the way she did. She manipulated him on so many levels. After a while, just reading her interactions with him gave me a bad taste in my mouth. She did redeem herself a tiny bit by the end of the book (her whole confession was sweet), but I still didn’t like her.
I felt bad for Seth. He had a bad relationship and kept away from women, relationship-wise, for a long time (I am sure he did the nasty with rando people). So, he fell hard for Tara. Everything he did for her was sweet. She didn’t go to her prom; he recreated it. He played dragon with random kids in a park to be near her. I was halfway in love with him myself. So, I was frustrated when he kept accepting her apologies and dismissing her bad behavior. I wanted to shake him and say, “Drop her!!” But, of course, since this is a fictional book, you know how the story ends.
The romance angle of the book was sweet during the first half of the book. I sighed with every romantic thing that Seth did for Tara. But, by the end of the book, the romance had soured on me. Tara’s lousy behavior and Seth’s passiveness just killed that vibe for me.
The sex scenes were OK. Tara and Seth had sizzling chemistry that led to some hot kissing scenes. But once they had sex, the chemistry disappeared. It was mainly due to my dislike of Tara, but I couldn’t get into the sex scenes.
The end of The Dating Dare was predictable. I had guessed what Tara was going to do, and I knew what Seth’s response would be. If I had liked Tara more, I would have found joy at their HEA. But I didn’t. All I could feel was “meh.” I will read more of Jayci Lee’s books, though. I refuse to let one book color my opinion of an author.
I would recommend The Dating Dare for anyone over the age of 21. There are sexual situations (includingnongraphic sex) and mild language.
Their back! Julian and Rome are taking their show on the road. This time it is to lovely old England in search of Camelot. While there the Knight and Dragon will be trying to solve the mystery of the Talismans, the mystery of their shadowy stalker and the mystery of sibling rivalry. Prepare to meet some new faces and, of course, some new Darkbrands as the two further their adventures across the pond.
Rome hadn’t even set foot on the plane and Julian was already making plenty of complaining comments
Riders of Fire and Ice by Brett Salter
I was pretty psyched to read Riders of Fire and Ice. I had enjoyed The Search for Synergy a lot and couldn’t wait to see what would occur with Rome and Julian in this book. Plus, the author introduced Julian’s younger sister, and I couldn’t wait to see how she was. I wasn’t disappointed at all by anything in this book!!
Riders of Fire and Ice is the second book in The Talisman series. Readers cannot read this book as a standalone. You need to read The Search forSynergy to understand everything that is going on. But, if you are a rebel and decide not to do it, the author did include a short recap of book one at the beginning of this book. But still, read book 1. It is worth it!!
Riders of Fire and Ice was a fast-paced book with a well-written storyline. There was zero lag, which I was surprised by and delighted in.
Rome is one of my favorite characters. He delights in hackeysack and is starting to get interested in girls (the whole I love you line to his crush hadme in tears laughing). But, he is also brave and was willing to put his life on the line when he and Julian fought the Minotaur. And his view on Julian’s younger sister, Camela, was spot on.
Julian was my other favorite character in this book. He was focused on looking for portals and battling the Darkfiends that came out of them. He was also brave and delighted in each piece of armor that was revealed to him. I loved his relationship with Camela, though. I have two teenagers, close in age, and they fight similarly to how Camela and Julian did. Talk about true to life.
Again, the fight scenes were terrific. That whole battle with the Minotaur was incredible. I loved how allies were revealed, and I loved who they were. I wasn’t surprised at how came to Julian and Rome’s defense. Some hints were leading up to it that I caught onto. There was a lesser battle with Mr. Jones that was also fantastic. Mainly because it wasn’t about brawn. Instead, Mr. Jones got to show off his abilities.
The end of Riders of Fire and Ice was interesting. I am curious how things will be in book 3 with everything the author revealed about the talismans.
I would recommend Riders of Fire and Ice for anyone over the age of 10 (in the Tween range). There is mild violence.
![Sip Lake by [Joe Basara]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51zQ3WIM9OS.jpg)
Escape Into Reading 