Book Review: Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe

Eve Brightman is tough. In and out of foster homes from a young age, she knows how to survive on next to nothing. When a glamorous pair of siblings approach her with a mysterious proposal involving a lot of money, she is torn. Her instinct warns her off- but then her boss tries to assault her and she loses her job. Suddenly $100,000 cash, even for a shady deal shrouded in secrecy, seems like a pretty appealing option.

Eve bears a startling resemblance to siblings Bain and Bridgette's cousin Aurora, who disappeared three years before. Now, with Aurora set to inherit a fortune on her eighteenth birthday, the pair want to get their hands on the money without having to wait the usual four years before a missing person is declared dead. And so begins a Pygmallion-style grooming process, where tough street urchin Eve is forced to learn which fork to use when, and to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the illustrious Silverton dynasty's entire family tree and history.

Once she has been introduced and accepted back into the family, the real test starts. When will she slip up? What are the twins really up to and why does she feel as though there is something she isn't being told? And what is the terrifying whispering that happens outside her room late at night?

I read Michele Jaffe's last book Rosebush and really enjoyed it so I was very excited to read her latest book, Ghost Flower.
Eve Brightman is desperate and can't say no when Bain and Bridgette off her $100,000 to impersonate their cousin who disappeared on the night that her best friend Elizabeth was found dead. The twins have it all planned out so Eve thinks that nothing can go wrong but she really has no idea what she is getting herself into. Eve looks exactly like Aurora and the Silverton family accept her return but Eve is soon in much deeper than she expected to be. Everyone seems to have their own secrets about Aurora and nobody will reveal what really happened on the night of her disappearance. Aurora and Elizabeth apparently left a party together so how did one girl end up dead and the other missing?
Eve is totally freaked out when she hears strange whisperings outside of her bedroom door at night and receives phone calls from Elizabeth; how can she be contacting her when she is dead and what is she trying to warn her about?
Michele Jaffe has written another superb mystery. I was completely drawn into the story and we see everything through Eve's eyes so we experience the twists and turns as she does. Jaffe creates suspense from the very beginning, will Eve get caught out, why is everyone hiding something, who killed Elizabeth and what will their reaction be to Aurora's return?
I highly recommend Michele Jaffe's books, just be prepared that you won't be able to put them down.

Dot Scribbles Rating 4/5

Many thanks to Atom for sending me a copy of this book to review, Ghost Flower is out now.

Book Review: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

It's not every day that a gorgeous guy carrying a sword kneels right at your feet. Especially not in the car park of an ice cream parlour in front of all your friends. They may be impressed, but Eloise Hart is mortified. And that's before he vows to protect her from a faery king! But Eloise soon comes to realise that Lord Strathan, King of Faery, is a very real danger. Abducted and trapped in his underground Rath, she is used as a lure for Strathan's wife, her aunt Antonia- the only person with the power to end his tyrannical rule.
With the help of  best friends Jo an Devin, Eloise must find a way to rescue her aunt and save both Faery and the mortal world from unimaginable chaos. But at what cost?

I know that book reviews should mainly be about the content but I can't not talk about the cover to Stolen Away as I love it. I think that Alyxandra Harvey always has quite eye catching covers but I think this is by far her best.
I have read all of this author's books and enjoyed each one, especially Haunting Violet which was her first venture into historical fiction. Stolen Away is dealing with the world of fairies and I have to admit that they are not my favourite subject matter in paranormal fiction. I can handle vampires and werewolves but I always seem to find fairies a step too far. However, I still enjoyed this book and I think that is largely due to the author. Alyxandra Harvey writes young adult fiction really well and Stolen Away is no different. I think that she is very good at exploring relationships and my favourite element of the book was the dynamic between Eloise, Jo and Devin. Their friendship is consistently tried and tested. As usual, Alyxandra Harvey also offers a little bit of romance, Lucas and Eldric are the love interests in Stolen Away and that was the other part that I enjoyed.
If you have read and enjoyed Alyxandra Harvey's books in the past then don't miss out on this one as the writing is as good as ever. For someone, who unlike me, enjoys the whole fictional fairy world then I imagine they would love this book as it has a little bit of everything. Alyxandra Harvey has shown once again that she is not afraid to tackle new subject areas, it will be exciting to see what she does next.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 3.5/5

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book to review, Stolen Away was published on 5th January 2012.

Book Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum + Give away!!

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister Georgia and I were orphans. We put our loves into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent. Mysterious, sexy and unnervingly charming. Vincent appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk everyday. He also has enemies...immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

Can I risk putting my heart as well as my life and my family's in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Firstly let me say that the cover for this book is beautiful, it really captures the romantic nature of the story, especially with the Paris backdrop.
Die For Me is the first in the Revenants series by Amy Plum and what a brilliant beginning- this is one of the best paranormal, young adult books that I have read in a long time.
A revenant is an immortal being; in certain circumstances, people who die in the place of others come back to life 3 days later. They then continually save others even if that means dying again, they will always return to life unless someone burns their body, that is the only way they can truly die. Vincent is a revenant and he has fallen for Kate, who is only just getting over the death of her parents so the idea of being with someone who is going to have multiple deaths absolutely terrifies her.
Vincent is not alone, he lives with his 'uncle' Jean Baptiste and more of his kindred, as they call themselves, Charlotte, Charles, Ambrose and Gaspard. They work together to save the lives of others across the city of Paris.
The revenants have a major enemy in the Numa, they are the complete opposite, they have gained their immortality by taking the lives of others. Once immortal they continue to try and murder people, which is what the revenants have to work to prevent.
Kate has no contact with the Numa until the end of the book. A rescue attempt goes wrong and Charles cannot handle what happened and so he turns to the Numa to end it all for him. Lucien is head of the Paris Numa and is happy to take advantage of Charles' misfortune, especially as it means that he can gain revenge on Vincent who is his sworn enemy. However, Lucien didn't imagine that Vincent would ever fall in love with a human and so Kate finds herself in mortal danger and Lucien knows that Vincent will do anything to protect her.
Amy Plum has created such a beautiful story, I loved the romantic idea of the revenants, they are like angels on earth. Vincent is a very attractive character and I can see why Kate falls for him. Kate is a very likable character too but she is very vulnerable so it is understandable that she questions this new relationship. Kate needs somebody like Vincent but she has to decide if she will be able to cope with the fact that she will lose him again and again.
I'm so excited that this is just the first in the series as I just want to know more and more. Vincent and Kate's story will have great appeal for the YA market and I believe it will easily cross the gap to slightly older readers.
If you like your books with a paranormal edge then give this one a go, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Many thanks to Atom for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out on May 26th!

I actually have a copy of Die For Me to give away to any UK followers. If you would like a chance to read this book then please leave a comment below this post, the comment must include your email address so that I can contact the winner. This give away is open until midnight on Tuesday May 24th, good luck!!

Book Review: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

Never acknowledge the dead.

Never stray from hallowed ground.

Never get too close to the tainted.

Never, ever tempt fate.

My father's rules.

I've never broken them until now.

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe. It started with the discovery of a young woman's brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I've been hired to restore. The clues to the killer- and to his other victims- lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warm him would be to invite them into my life. I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

Wow! I am very excited about this book, even more so because it is the first in a series. The Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens follows Amelia Gray who is a graveyard restorer. More importantly, Amelia can see ghosts, as can her father who has given her a list of rules to follow so that she is not in any danger from these spirits who are stuck between two worlds.
Amelia has been following these rules but when the body of a young woman is discovered in the cemetery she is working on, Amelia's dedication to her father's advice is severely tested. Detective John Devlin is the main culprit, he is leading the investigation and enlists Amelia as a consultant due to her expertise. The problem is that John Devlin is haunted, he has the spirits of a woman and young child with him. Amelia knows that she should keep away from anybody that is haunted but she just can't help herself where Devlin is concerned. As more bodies are found, Amelia becomes more and more involved and the ghosts seem to be getting closer to her everyday. She begins to realise that by ignoring the rules she may have opened a door that she will be unable to close.
I believe that this book is aimed at young adult readers but I think it is similar to Twilight in that it will easily cross over and appeal to the adult market.
Amanda Steven's writing is great, she certainly knows how to send chills up the reader's spine. The Restorer has a little bit of everything, you have a murder mystery, the paranormal element and then of course the romance between Amelia and Devlin. The incredible tension between those two was my favourite part of the book. The author keeps on building it up and I was willing for something to happen but I was torn as I knew that Amelia knows that she should steer clear of the haunted detective.
I really am so excited about this series and cannot wait to read the next one that is out in November. Amanda Stevens tied up all of the loose ends for this particular mystery but she also left many questions unanswered. I know that I will read the other books in the series in order to get some answers and I'm sure another great story.

Book Review:Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

The only thing that Avery Hood can recall about the night her parents dies is that she saw silver- deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed her parents, she can't and there's nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together.
Then Avery meets the new boy at school. Ben is mysterious and beautiful, and Avery feels a connection with him like nothing she's ever experienced. Ben is also a werewolf, but Avery trusts him- at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash an inhuman silver. And she learns that she's not the only one who can't remember the night her parents died...

This book had me hooked from the very first sentence:

I was covered in blood when the police found me.

Avery Hood was there when her parents were mutilated and murdered but she cannot remember what happened; she does not know who carried out the terrible act.
Avery tries to get on with her life; she is living with her grandmother as her house is still a crime scene. When she returns to school she copes with the stares and whispers but it is the arrival of Ben, the new boy that changes everything. Avery is instantly attracted to him and Ben feels the same way. She discovers that the local legends are true and that werewolves live in the forest where her house was. She knows this because Ben is a werewolf. Avery is very accepting of this but she cannot fail to forget the flash of silver that she saw on the night of her parent's murder, the same silver that she glimpses in Ben's eyes. He does not remember the night either, could he unknowingly be the one who has torn her whole world apart?
Ivy Devlin has written a beautiful love story which will be enjoyed by many a young adult reader. Low Red Moon is also a very convincing murder mystery with these paranormal elements thrown in to the mix.
As I said, the author grabbed me with the first line and simply didn't let go. I felt as though I was aware of something lurking in the woods just waiting to pounce on Avery as it had her parents. The book has a great twist at the end which I had not seen coming at all.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of Low Red Moon to review, it was published on February 7th.