I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

This book revolves around the story of Lily, who is incredibly unfaithful to her fiance even during the week before they are supposed to be married. It is a bold story about drinking, sexual escapades and is generally very immature. I could not get into this book, it seemed to go nowhere, and could not relate at all to the main character. It was funny at times and mildly entertaining, but just over the top. I found the first part of the book to be rather slow and it seemed to repeat itself. Lily's main concern in life is whether or not she really wants to marry Will, who is practically non-existent. As a reader, I didn't care about her or this book. Bloggingforbooks.com kindly provided me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

A neighborhood mystery only begins to describe Fractured by Catherine McKenzie. With a compelling cast of characters, and plenty of secrets, McKenzie creates an eerie vibe in a suburb of Cincinnati. Julie the main character is escaping her past by moving to Ohio with her husband Daniel, and their two young children who happen to be twins. Julie recently made it big with The Book, what she calls her successful novel. This has given her tons of money, albeit not much peace of mind. Someone from her past has relentlessly been harassing her, and still could be, even after Julie's move to a new place. A controlling neighborhood watch neighbor and a passing unfaithful moment for Julie with her neighbor John, both add to the feeling that something is off. John's wife Hanna becomes suspicious and genuinely seems to dislike Julie, Hanna knows something is awry. Julie is super paranoid and installs cameras around her house to record all activity that may threaten her. With all of this going on, McKenzie creates a good level of tension throughout the book. The only caveat I have is that Julie's husband Daniel, could have been more finely drawn, he seemed too good, if that's possible. There was absolutely no negatives between he and Julie, and I found that somewhat unrealistic. Otherwise a solid book and an easy read. Netgalley.com graciously provided me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Still Mine by Amy Stuart

I loved this book. Clare the lead character has plenty of demons and she confronts them all when she embarks on a journey to find a missing woman in the foothills of coal country. The mysterious Malcom sends her on this job/mission purely by happenstance, or is it? Mostly, Clare is running from an abusive husband. She is an ex-drug user and truly down on her luck, sleeping in her car and running on fumes. All of the characters in this story were richly developed and many were just pure evil. You don't know who to trust. The story was fully developed, and while not an altogether new premise, the ending is tense and lingering, which left kind of an icky but good feeling. I look forward to reading more from this author. Netgalley.com kindly provided me a free copy of this book for an honest review.

Vengeance is Sacred

Peter Healy's book, Vengeance is Sacred, is a compelling book with a sympathetic lead character Paolo, an Italian immigrant who comes to America in the early 1900's. Paolo is blessed or you could say burdened with a mystical power, Deva, which has seemingly been passed down from generation to generation,most recently from Paolo's grandfather to Paolo. The beginning chapters are highly descriptive of this transformation, with a Mandela disappearing from the grandfather's arm to Paolo. It is magical. Then the journey begins for Paolo. With simple yet detailed writing, Healy takes the reader on an epic, historical adventure, with love, violence and much more. Paolo meets the strong Maria, who captures his heart. Readers who love historical fiction will not be disappointed with this captivating book by Peter Healy, which manages to be both inspiring and realistic.