Category: Book Reviews

I Am Margaret Moore by Hannah Capin #bookreview #YA #paranormalthriller

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews24 Comments

Hannah Capin’s I Am Margaret Moore is a paranormal thriller that tests the hold of sisterhood and truth.

I am a girl. I am a monster, too.

Each summer the girls of Deck Five come back to Marshall Naval School. They sail on jewel-blue waters; they march on green drill-fields; they earn sunburns and honors. They push until they break apart and heal again, stronger.

Each summer Margaret and Rose and Flor and Nisreen come back to the place where they are girls, safe away from the world: sisters bound by something more than blood.

But this summer everything has changed. Girls are missing and a boy is dead. It’s because of Margaret Moore, the boys say. It’s because of what happened that night in the storm.

Margaret’s friends vanish one by one, swallowed up into the lies she has told about what happened between her and a boy with the world at his feet. Can she unravel the secrets of this summer and last, or will she be pulled under by the place she once called home?

I struggled with this book. Some things I liked and some not so much. The strong friendships between Margaret, Rose, Flor, and Nisreen are a bright point. Although they’re only together during the summers at Marshall Naval School, they have much to bond over and will defend each other til the end. Everyone should have those kinds of friendships. Margaret is betrayed in the worst way and in a horrendous situation that made me want to reach into the pages and throttle some characters. You can’t help but feel for her.

My biggest struggle was with the writing style. While prose-like, it was confounding at times and the time jumps between summers only added to my confusion. One reviewer said she felt like she was following a stream of consciousness, and I can agree with that. At around the 60% mark, the clouds shift and it all makes sense. The twist is brilliant, nothing I suspected, and also makes the story easier to follow until the end – which I loved.

Reviews are all over the place with this novel, and I suppose it comes down to if you’re a fan of this writing style. It’s a relatively quick read, and if you can hang in there for the slow reveal and muddle your way through the time shifts, a shiny reward awaits.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The City of Dusk (The Dark Gods #1) by Tara Sim #bookreview #darkfantasy #LGBTQIA #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews24 Comments

Set in a gorgeous world of bone and shadow magic, of vengeful gods and defiant chosen ones, The City of Dusk is the first in a dark epic fantasy trilogy that follows the four heirs of four noble houses—each gifted with a divine power—as they form a tenuous alliance to keep their kingdom from descending into a realm-shattering war.

The Four Realms—Life, Death, Light, and Darkness—all converge on the city of dusk. For each realm there is a god, and for each god there is an heir.

But the gods have withdrawn their favor from the once vibrant and thriving city. And without it, all the realms are dying.

Unwilling to stand by and watch the destruction, the four heirs—Risha, a necromancer struggling to keep the peace; Angelica, an elementalist with her eyes set on the throne; Taesia, a shadow-wielding rogue with rebellion in her heart; and Nik, a soldier who struggles to see the light— will sacrifice everything to save the city.

But their defiance will cost them dearly.

After reading another novel by this author that hooked me from page one, I was thrilled to see this first book in her dark epic fantasy trilogy on NetGalley.

Four realms, each with a god, each with an heir possessing a divine power – and one king without an heir. The world-building is immersive, complex, and well-explained. The cultures, magic system, politics, dynamics between realms – I was never confused. What I missed was a map, which would have been very helpful, but I had an ARC, although it looks like a map will be included in the final copy.

The story is told from several different POVs, but primarily the four heirs who are all well-crafted and distinctive. Taesha is morally gray (my favorite kind of character) and rebellious, but cares deeply for people. Risha is analytical, family-oriented, and agrees to meet a potential husband for an arranged marriage. Nikolas is kind, still grieving the death of his brother, and constantly trying to prove his worth to his father. Angelica is ambitious and powerful, but lacks control. The relationships between these characters is complicated. Sometimes they’re friends or occasionally more, but they’ve been raised to compete against each other, their parents believing one of them will be chosen as a successor to the crown since the king is without an heir.

At over five hundred pages, this is a hefty read, but that’s something to be expected in the fantasy genre, especially the first in a series. There’s plenty of action with vivid fight scenes, but also lots of downtime, and I felt the pacing was a little inconsistent.

Make no mistake – this is a very dark fantasy, and scenes can be graphic and gory. Some characters want what’s best for their people. Others desire power. But that’s part of the reason it’s such a compelling read, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Ravenous Dead (Gravekeeper #2) by Darcy Coates #bookreview #horror #paranormal

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews20 Comments

He’ll never let go…

Keira, hired as Blighty Graveyard’s new groundskeeper, lives surrounded by the dead. They watch her through the fog. They wordlessly cry out. They’ve been desperately waiting for help moving on—and only Keira can hear them. But not every restless spirit wants to be saved.

Sometimes the dead hate the living too much to find peace.

As Keira struggles to uncover the tangled histories of some of the graveyard’s oldest denizens, danger seeps from the darkest edges of the forest. A vicious serial killer was interred among the trees decades before, his spirit twisted by his violent nature. He’s furious. Ravenous. And when Keira unwittingly answers his call, she may just seal her fate as his final intended victim.

I’ve read several Darcy Coates novels and always feel a thrill of excitement when I see one come up for review on NetGalley. Of course I snagged this one – what a cover!

As with all Coates books I’ve read, an eerie atmosphere cloaks the story, along with some goosebump-worthy moments that may make you leery of graveyards at night. Keira has the power to see and speak to ghosts. While trying to figure out who she is (because of amnesia), she takes a job as a groundskeeper at a cemetery. Part of her job description includes helping the lingering spirits to move on. Some of the ghosts she encounters are amusing (one man insists on being proudly naked), others are confused about what happened to them, and some have unfinished business. But one is extremely violent and a danger not only to Keira, but also to the spirits she’s trying to help. He was a serial killer when alive and isn’t finished claiming victims.

Along with new friends Mason and Zoe, the three of them set out to learn about the killer’s past so Keira can send him away from this plane for good. They’re assisted by someone smarter than the three of them put together – Daisy the cat (don’t all cats assume they’re smarter than humans?). She seems to understand what’s going on around her and helps Keira out of sticky situations more than once. She also knows ways to get in and out of the house without being seen. Made me wonder if she had some kind of supernatural power herself.

Nothing on NetGalley indicated this was the second book in a series. When I started reading it, I felt like I’d walked into a room in the middle of a conversation and missed some important information. Upon checking Goodreads, I learned this was book two. Backstory is mentioned, but I never felt like I really knew these characters very well. I prefer to read a series in order – that’s just me – but other reviewers have mentioned these can be standalones. It all depends on your preference.

Although it’s not my favorite book by this author, I still enjoyed the read, and it’s sure to give horror and paranormal fans thrills and chills.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What We Harvest by Ann Fraistat #bookreview #YA #suspense #darkfantasy #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews24 Comments

For fans of Wilder Girls comes a nightmarish debut guaranteed to keep you up through the night, about an idyllic small town poisoned by its past, and one girl who must fight the strange disease that’s slowly claiming everyone she loves.

Wren owes everything she has to her home, Hollow’s End, a centuries-old, picture perfect American town. Tourists travel miles to marvel at its miracle crops, including the shimmering, iridescent wheat of Wren’s family farm. Until five months ago.

That’s when the quicksilver mercury blight first surfaced, poisoning the farms of Hollow’s End one by one. It began by consuming the crops–thick, silver sludge bleeding from the earth. Next were the animals. Infected livestock and wild creatures alike staggered off into the woods by day—only to return at night, their eyes, fogged white, leering from the trees.

Then, the blight came for the neighbors.

Wren is among the last locals standing. And the blight has finally come for her, too. Now, the only one she can turn to is the last person she wants to call: her ex, Derek. They haven’t spoken in months, but Wren and Derek still have one thing in common—Hollow’s End means everything to them. Only there’s much they don’t know about their hometown and its renowned miracle crops. And they’re about to discover that miracles aren’t free.

Their ancestors have an awful lot to pay for, and Wren and Derek are the only ones left to settle old debts. 

I’ll start this review by saying this is an incredible debut, and I’ll follow this author anywhere she wants to take me in her next book.

Hollow’s End is a small town that draws hoards of tourists for its wildly successful, centuries-old farms. Without these farms, the town would die. And that’s exactly what happens when a quicksilver mercury blight poisons the crops, then the livestock, and moves on to the townsfolk. If you’re thinking zombies, you’re not exactly wrong. The animals and people crave flesh, but disappear into the forest at night – which is lucky for the noninfected folks. Wren and Derek are members of two of the four founding families and are frantically trying to save their loved ones, farms, and town. Time is of the essence since Wren is now infected and showing symptoms.

I loved the pacing of this story. There’s no slow unfolding of details – the reader is immediately thrown into the action and feels Wren’s desperation. I initially didn’t like her much. She makes some selfish demands of others and plenty of mistakes, but to her credit she owns it later on. The buildup oozes tension. She and Derek start to make headway in finding a solution only to be slapped down by one obstacle after another. Death is only inches away in several scenes. Stakes are tremendous, and they discover dark secrets abound in these founding families.

What We Harvest is a fantastic blend of horror, thriller, and dark fantasy with a little alchemy to give it some added flavor. I devoured (in a non-zombie-like way) this book in less than twenty-four hours. This is an author to watch, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson #bookreview #YA #LGBTQ

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews22 Comments

From critically acclaimed Shaun David Hutchinson comes a gritty and raw portrayal of the oftentimes traumatic experience of growing up.

Virgil Knox was attacked by a monster.

Of course, no one in Merritt believes him. Not even after he stumbled into the busy town center, bleeding, battered, and bruised, for everyone to see. He’d been drinking, they said. He was hanging out where he wasn’t supposed to, they said. It must’ve been a bear, or a badger, or a gator—definitely no monster.

Virgil doesn’t think it was any of those things. He’s positive it was a monster. But being the new kid in a town where everybody knows everybody is hard enough as it is without being the kid who’s afraid of monsters, so he tries to keep a low profile.

Except he knows the monster is still out there. And if he isn’t careful, Virgil’s afraid it’ll come back to finish him off, or worse—that he’ll become one himself.

Be forewarned – this is a visceral, gut-wrenching read, but you won’t be able to put it down. I finished this novel in less than a day.

Virgil’s parents are going through a tough divorce, and he’s ripped away from his boyfriend and best friend when his father relocates them across the country to his hometown. It’s a very backwards and unwelcoming small town. To make things worse, after Virgil’s attacked by a monster, no one believes him – including his own father and grandparents – even though he has over sixty stitches to show for it. Kids at school bully him and play pranks on him. No one listens or pays attention to his silent cries for help. He suffers from terrifying nightmares, sleeps in his closet, doesn’t eat, and flinches when touched. It’s implied what happened to him was his fault, and he should suck it up and box up his feelings. My heart broke for him.

Luckily, he has two supportive people in his life – his cousin Astrid and Tripp, a friend he makes at school. Both are standout characters, and Tripp’s humor brings some lighter moments to the story. At his previous school, Virgil was in the drama club and has a talent for acting. Becoming someone else on stage brings him joy, and his new drama teacher goes above and beyond to provide a safe space for him in class and on the stage. He also connects Virgil with an out-of-town therapist since the only local one is the homophobic pastor.

Howl is a powerful story that will stick with you long after reading. The author does an incredible job of writing about trauma and the stigma associated with it. It’s relatable on so many levels and will resonate with readers in different ways. Although a tough read at times, it’s absolutely worth it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Daughter by Kate McLaughlin #bookreview #YA #psychologicalthriller #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews27 Comments

Scarlet’s life is pretty average. Overly protective mom. Great friends. Cute boy she’s interested in. And a father she’s never known – until she does.

When the FBI show up at Scarlet’s door, she is shocked to learn her father is infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. And now, he’s dying and will only give the names and locations of his remaining victims to the one person, the daughter he hasn’t seen since she was a baby.

Scarlet’s mother has tried to protect her from Lake’s horrifying legacy, but there’s no way they can escape the media firestorm that erupts when they come out of hiding. Or the people who blame Scarlet for her father’s choices. When trying to do the right thing puts her life in danger, Scarlet is faced with a choice – go back into hiding or make the world see her as more than a monster’s daughter.

Kate McLaughlin’s Daughter is a novel about trying right deadly choices that were never yours to begin with.

This description reminded me a bit of the TV show Prodigal Son (still bitter about the whole cancellation thing). The serial killer’s son in that show was an adult, so I was interested to see how the scenario would play out with a teenage girl who didn’t know who her father was.

Scarlet’s family has only consisted of herself and her uber overprotective mother. No extended family and no father in the picture. Her friends and boyfriends are vetted by her mom, and Scarlet only goes on school trips if her mother is a chaperone. She assumes her mother has an extreme case of helicopter parenting, so imagine her shock when she learns (rather abruptly) that her father, Jeff, is an infamous serial killer. He’s dying in prison and will only release the other names of his victims and locations of their bodies to Scarlet. Talk about pressure and stressful situations.

Wanting to bring peace to the families of the victims and because she’s genuinely good person, Scarlet agrees to see him. The meetings between them are intense and dripping with tension – I was on the edge of my seat wondering if Jeff was playing her. You can’t help but think about the scenes with Anthony Hopkins and and Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs. The snippets of articles in between chapters that explain the inner workings of sociopaths’ minds and how they differ from most peoples’ are fascinating and enabled me to understand Jeff’s conversations and reactions to Scarlet.

Something I especially liked about this book is that it brings to light how our society focuses more on the serial killer instead of the victims. This story shows how the lives of Jeff’s family and the victims’ families are affected by his actions.

Daughter isn’t for the faint of heart. Although the murders take place off page, Jeff does go into disturbing detail occasionally about the killings during his conversations with Scarlet. Compelling, chilling, and certainly dark, I’d recommend this novel to fans of psychological thrillers and true crime stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Insurgent (The Colony #2) Is On #NetGalley! #YA #scifi #dystopian

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews34 Comments

If you’re on NetGalley, The Insurgent is now available for review! It’s scheduled for release May 19th, but the archive date is May 30th, so I’m hoping you have time to add it to your shelf. As an indie author, reviews are always deeply appreciated!

If a megalomaniac threatened your family, would you give up your freedom for them? Would you give up your soul?

Asher Solomon is faced with that choice. And makes the ultimate sacrifice.

Exactly as Director Silas Reeves expected him to.

Unable to live as the Colony’s premier assassin, Ash retreats to a corner of his mind, ceding control of his body to the alter-ego he was engineered to be—Subject A36. As he’s unleashed to battle the Insurgents, the only family he ever knew, the tide of war shifts in Silas’s favor.

Combined with his expansion into new territories, the director is poised to take over the world.

But the Insurgents don’t give up easily. Not on their cause, and not on their people. With the help of a few double agents deep in the Colony, they stand a fighting chance at ending Silas’s reign.

In order to shut down the program, they face almost insurmountable odds. And their most dangerous foe—their former champion turned killing machine, A36.

#BlogTour A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson #bookreview #YA #gothicmystery

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews26 Comments

Myra Whitlock has a gift. One many would kill for.

She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.

But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor’s dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.

Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.

Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.

With the description of a unique magical system, a gothic mystery, and such a gorgeous cover, I couldn’t pass up this novel.

An artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies. It’s something I haven’t come across before, and I liked that Myra didn’t completely understand everything about her power. The reader discovers new aspects along with her throughout the story. It’s a dangerous thing to be a Prodigy since many have gone missing, including Myra’s mother and then her father who went in search of her. Since their disappearances, Myra has struggled to provide food and shelter for herself and her younger sister, who suffers from a debilitating disease and desperately needs medical care. Money and jobs are scarce. When Myra is offered a significant amount of money to create a painting, it’s an offer she can’t refuse – especially since since it’s made by the governor’s wife, who also threatens to expose Myra if she can’t resurrect her dead son with the portrait. For Myra’s magic to work, she has to know exactly what happened to the subject of the painting and what they felt – and it soon becomes clear murder is involved. When the governor’s other son, August, offers his assistance, he and Myra undertake a dangerous journey to discover that truly happened.

I loved the gothic atmosphere of this story and the secrets and mystery surrounding August and his family. The descriptions made it easy to immerse myself in this world, and I felt as if I walked the ominous hallways and darkened streets along with Myra and August. The strong bond between Myra and sister Lucy is another strength of this novel, and the fear of losing her creates incredibly high stakes for Myra and pushes her to go beyond her limits.

I admit I smirked at some over-the-top romantic moments between Myra and August (that’s just me), and I grew exasperated with Myra a couple times when she discovered a clue and then backed off or forgot about it. None of that detracted from my enjoyment of this compelling novel, and I finished it in a couple days. It doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, but does leave the door open for a sequel, something I’d snatch up in a second. I’d recommend A Forgery of Roses to readers who enjoy immersive, atmospheric mysteries with strong gothic vibes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she’s not hiding from the heat, she’s corralling her four wild—but adorable—children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. She earned a bachelor’s in English with minors in editing and French, which essentially means she spent all of her university time reading and eating French pastries. She is the author of Sing Me Forgotten (2021) and A Forgery of Roses (2022).

Social Links:

Author website: https://www.jessicasolson.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessicaolson123 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaolson123/?hl=en 

Facebook: n/a

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19475731.Jessica_S_Olson 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Forgery-Roses-Jessica-S-Olson/dp/1335418660/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+forgery+of+roses&qid=1623101290&sr=8-1 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-forgery-of-roses-jessica-s-olson/1139262918?ean=9781335418661 

Books a Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Forgery-Roses/Jessica-S-Olson/9781335418661?id=8204964585173&_ga=2.90833818.1403488793.1623101537-16582771.1620496473 

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335418661 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/a-forgery-of-roses/9781335418661 

AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-forgery-of-roses/id1563211626 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/A_Forgery_of_Roses?id=qZIpEAAAQBAJ&hl=en_US&gl=US 

A FORGERY OF ROSES by Jessica S. Olson

On sale: March 29, 2022

ISBN: 9781335418661 

Inkyard Press

Teen & Young Adult; Fantasy; Romance

$19.99 / $24.99 CAN

384 Pages

Things Old and Forgotten by Mae Clair #bookreview #shortstories #paranormal #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews66 Comments

A man keeping King Arthur’s dream of Camelot alive.
A Robin Hood battling in a drastically different Sherwood.
A young man facing eternity in the desert.
A genteel southern lady besting a powerful order of genies.
A woman meeting her father decades after his death.

These are but a few of the intriguing tales waiting to be discovered in Things Old and Forgotten. Prepare to be transported to realms of folklore and legend, where magic and wonder linger around every corner, and fantastic possibilities are limited only by imagination.

What a wonderful, eclectic collection of short stories wrapped inside a beautiful cover!

I’ve read several other titles by Mae Clair, and I’ve always been a fan of her brand of paranormal blended with mystery and suspense. To have this many of her stories in one book was like a gift box of dark chocolate with an edible bow (peanut butter would be perfect) on top.

While I was captivated by all fifteen offerings, I had some favorites. As a Robin Hood fan, I especially enjoyed the unique spin on this tale. I’ll read anything involving King Arthur and Camelot, so there was no doubt it would be at the top of my list of favs. Kin-Slayer has a jarring twist I didn’t see coming. Father’s Day is heart-warming and of personal significance to the author. Miss Lily Makes a Wish left me laughing – never underestimate a genteel, southern lady.

Filled with action, ghosts, monsters, genies, and memorable characters, this collection offers tales guaranteed to provide hours of entertaining reading.

One For All by Lillie Lainoff #bookreview #YA #musketeers #mystery

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews22 Comments

An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion.

Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for a new kind of Musketeer: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a swordfight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

This debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love.

A gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers? Besides loving this idea, I’ve always enjoyed novels set during this time period.

Tania is raised hearing her father tell adventurous stories about his time as a Musketeer. He also teaches her fencing and techniques to accommodate for her undiagnosed bouts of dizziness. She dreams of being a Musketeer, while her mother is more concerned about marrying her off to someone who can care for Tania once her parents are gone. After her father is brutally murdered, it seems as if his final wish parallels her mother’s when Tania is sent to a finishing school. She’s soon thrilled to discover that what appears to be a finishing school on the surface is actually a training ground for a new type of Musketeer. She may achieve her dream yet.

Tania’s arc is just incredible. She goes from being the target of mean girl bullying by former friends in her village and borderline pity from her mother to a young woman with agency and ride or die sisters who will stand with her no matter what. I always love a good found family story. As a side note, I thought the author’s choices of character names, variations of Dumas’s characters’ names, was clever. Tania – D’Artagnan, Portia – Porthos, Thea – Athos, and Aria – Aramis.

The life of King Louis XIV is threatened, and it’s up to the Musketeers to figure out who’s behind it and when the assassination attempt will occur. The mystery is set against a backdrop of the King’s ostentatious court, lavish clothing, and excess of nearly every kind. With secretive plotting, riveting action scenes, a charming, attractive target, and an intriguing mystery, this story moves along at a brisk pace and didn’t feel like four hundred pages. It’s a stunning debut, and I’ll certainly keep an eye on this author.

The author’s note at the end of the book addresses POTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, the cause of Tania’s dizziness. It’s something I hadn’t heard of but many people live with, including the author. I loved how Tania didn’t let it define her or prevent her from achieving her dream of becoming a Musketeer. All For One is a delightful, exciting novel from beginning to end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.