Capturing the Devil

Title: Capturing the Devil
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Genre: YA Mystery
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Date Read: April 29, 2020
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper (#4)

Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal.

Have you ever read a book or a series and fell so utterly in love with it that at the end of it, it feels as if there is a piece of you that is missing? That is how I feel now that I have finished this series. I had been eyeing Stalking Jack the Ripper ever since its release, but it wasn't until a signing where I got to meet Kerri that I finally took a chance on it. I'm glad I took a chance on it, as it soon became one of my favorite series. I put off reading Capturing the Devil for quite a while because I didn't want this series to be over. After a semester-long break from reading, I decided that it was time to finally read it. 

Love is immortal. Death can neither touch nor steal it. 

Capturing the Devil begins soon, if not immediately, after the events of Escaping from Houdini. We once again find Audrey Rose Wadsworth, along with her intelligent uncle and the insufferably charming Thomas Cresswell, is tasked with investigating yet another murder. This one, however, takes place in America. This murder soon takes them halfway across the country to Chicago, the site of this year's World's Fair. Soon, what is supposed to be a joyous event turns dark with the reports of murders in the beloved White City. Audrey Rose and Thomas come with the intention of helping solve the murders, but it soon appears that they may be in over their heads.

Overall, this series has truly become one of my favorites and will always hold a dear place in my heart. This is a well-loved historical murder mystery series, which, I believe, the YA genre needs more of. I am deeply saddened to have to say a final goodbye to these characters, but I loved how this series ended.

Beyond life, beyond death, my love for thee is eternal.

Escaping from Houdini

Title: Escaping from Houdini
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Genre: YA Mystery
Release Date: September 18, 2019
Date Read: March 31, 2019
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper (#3)

Most stories are too good to be true. That's what makes them enchanting.

I can't get enough of this series! I picked the first one up on a whim at a signing after I had elected not to get it several times. I am so glad I decided to read it! It has quickly become one of my favorites.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell, fresh off of their last case, quickly find themselves in the midst of another. They are invited aboard a cruise with a traveling carnival. Soon the magic of the carnival fades as the victim of a murder is found aboard the ship. The story that unfolds is an engrossing mystery that will have you questioning who should be trusted.

If you wish to go, I'll never make you stay. I might not do and say the proper thing all the time, but I do know that I love you enough to set you free.

One Of Us Is Next

Title: One Of Us Is Next

Author: Karen McManus

Genre: YA Mystery

Release Date: January 7, 2020

Date Read: 4/27/2020

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Series: One Of Us Is Lying (#2)

I don't understand why the world insists on stuffing kids into boxes we never asked for, and then gets mad when we won't stay there.

It's not very often that I find a book so captivating that I devour it in a day, but this one I did. I fell in love with Karen McManus' debut novel One Of Us Is Lying in the spring of 2018. I was thrilled to learn that she was writing a sequel to it. I was excited to be back in this world with these characters.

In One Of Us Is Next, we see the return of the Bayview Four along with a few new faces. This one follows roughly eighteen months after the events of One Of Us Is Lying, so it is best to read that one first before reading One Of Us Is Next.

After Simon's death, many gossip apps have popped up in Bayview High. They never last long before they fade out or are put to a stop. Soon, someone decides to start a school-wide game of Truth or Dare. At first, students believe that it won't last long like the other apps, but it soon becomes apparent that this one is here to stay. This game quickly becomes messy, as many people's darkest secrets are revealed.

Phoebe is the first target. Her truth is dark, and it soon leads to even more secrets being revealed throughout the student body. Soon she, Maeve, and Knox take it upon themselves to reveal the secret identity of the person behind this twisted game of Truth or Dare. Will they get to the bottom of this before the game gets out of hand?

One Of Us Is Next has plenty of crazy twists and turns that will keep you guessing who did it until the very end. I usually don't like multiple points of view, but I was hooked on this one. I couldn't wait to see what happens next!

Who do you want to be? The guy who goes along or the guy who stands up? This is the time to decide.

The Woman Behind the Letters

Title: The Woman Behind the Letters
Author: Laura Lee McKellips
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Dates Read: 3/8/2020-3/10/2020
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You have to stay positive until there isn't a reason to.

**Cursed Soldier spoilers ahead**

Kathryn Alexander thought she had everything. The man she loved had just proposed to her, and wedding preparations were underway. Then that fateful day in 1861 happened, a date that would change Kathryn's world forever. She learned that war was breaking out between the states, and, to her horror, Benjamin, the man she loves with all of her heart, has decided to go fight. He asks her to marry him before he leaves, but she turns him down. She is adamant about waiting so that, if something were to happen to him, she would not become a widow.

She can't help but worry over Benjamin. His letters reassure her that he is ok, but each letter takes months to reach her. She listens with bated breath as the lists of dead and wounded are read, praying that Benjamin's name is never read. Miraculously, her prayers are answered. One day, however, she receives a letter that will change her. After the Battle of Gettysburg, she can sense a change in Benjamin's tone.

Thankfully, Thaddeus Morgan, the local banker, is there to offer her support during this trying time. He offers Kathryn a position at his bank to keep her occupied during the war and to help her feel like she is supporting the cause.

Soon, Kathryn's world comes crashing down, and she isn't sure if she will survive it, or even if she will stay brokenhearted fever. She is faced with tough decisions as the Civil War concludes, ones that will either change her life for better or worse.

I thoroughly enjoyed McKellips's Cursed Soldier, and I was excited to dive back into the world and see Kathryn's point of view. This book is not so much a sequel as it is a prequel or parallel to Cursed Soldier. I loved being able to read Kathryn's point of view and learn more about what was happening during this time in their lives.

One voice can make a difference, but it can also be lost in a sea of voices.

Diamond Dirt

Title: Diamond Dirt
Author: Laura Lee McKellips
Genre: Sports; Romance
Release Date: April 9, 2020
Dates Read: 3/1/2020-3/8/2020
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's her senior year, and Shelby Cannon is one of, if not THE best softball pitchers in the nation. She, along with her best friend and catcher Kieron and their team, have their sights set on Oklahoma City. They've fallen short the last three years, but they will stop at nothing less to play on the red dirt of ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Nothing on the field may be able to stop them, but something off the field may.

Shelby is an excellent student, in areas that she likes. British History, however, is not one of these areas. She just can't seem to keep the royals straight. Enter Winston Booth, the senior who is incredibly smart and who just happens to be majoring in British History. To his dismay, he is asked to be Shelby's tutor. He is her only hope if she wants to stay on the team and fulfill her dreams of playing in Oklahoma City. 

He begins to question if she really cares enough to put in the effort it will take to save her grade. Winston question her passion, but Shelby isn't one to not rise to a challenge. She tells him to come see her passion, and it gives him a whole new idea of how to tutor her. Will it be enough to save her grade? Can Shelby somehow juggle her studies and her game without crumbling under the pressure?

This is the third of Laura Lee's books that I have read, the first being Slay the Demon, and the second being Cursed Soldier. I really enjoyed the first two, and this certainly lived up to my expectations. I was able to read an advance copy of it. It is set to be published on April 9, 2020. I definitely recommend picking up a copy!

Cursed Soldier

Title: Cursed Soldier
Author: Laura Lee McKellips
Genre: Romance
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Dates Read: 11/3/18-11/5/18
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you ever thought if you would have been married you might not have been cursed?

This was one of my most anticipated reads of this year. I have been in a terrible slump for the past two months, but I devoured this book in three short days. This was something that I had never read before, and I absolutely loved it.

Benjamin fought at the battle of Gettysburg. He has a comfortable life planned for him, assuming he survives this war. His world is soon rocked beyond what he could even imagine. One fateful decision leads to a curse that, even after 150 years, he still has not figured out how to break. 

Alexandria is the youngest tour guide at Gettysburg. Despite her young age, her knowledge far surpasses that of her more experienced colleagues. She discovers what would be any history buff's dream, three storage buildings full of artifacts from the battle. The problem, she has only three short months to get it all sorted out, just in time for the 150th anniversary.

Her help comes in the form of Ben. This job helps him search for answers about his curse, but can he get past all the memories that resurface from finding things from his past? Soon, he finds himself drawn to Alex and her love and fire for history, but knows that a relationship of any kind would be unimaginable. He must decide if she is worth the risk, or if he will keep his secret quiet and not get close to her.

This is my second novel by Laura Lee, and I highly enjoyed it. I was unable to guess the ending, which is always a plus for me. This will be loved by and history buff who wants more than your typical history book.

Red Queen

Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Dates Read: 6/1/16; 6/12/18-6/13/18
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series: Red Queen #1

The truth is what I make it. I could set this world on fire and call it rain.

This, along with the Hunger Games series, was one of my first true YA books. I fell in love with this series quickly. It was such a fresh idea when I read it, plus I had just delved into YA.

Mare Barrow is a 16-year-old girl with a knack for pickpocketing. She and her family live in the Stilts, the slums of Norta. Her sister, Gisa, is a skilled seamstress. Her best friend Kilorn is apprenticed under a local fisherman. All three of her brothers are in the army.

Mare and her family are reds. They are commoners. Mare's world is divided by blood. Reds are the commoners while Silvers are the rich and royal. Some silvers even have special powers. Mare discovers that she too has one of these abilities, against all odds. She is whisked away to the capital to live with the royal family. She is betrothed to Maven, the second-born prince.

Before she leaves, however, she joins the Scarlet Guard. The Scarlet Guard is a rebellion group bent on bringing down the silvers and providing equality for all. Mare is playing a dangerous game and could cost her more than she bargained for.