The River at Night by Erica Ferencik

Publication: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Source: Publisher

A high-stakes drama set against the harsh beauty of the Maine wilderness, charting the journey of four friends as they fight to survive the aftermath of a white water rafting accident, The River at Night is a nonstop and unforgettable thriller by a stunning new voice in fiction. Winifred Allen needs a vacation. Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings. What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare: A freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed. With intimately observed characters, visceral prose, and pacing as ruthless as the river itself, The River at Night is a dark exploration of creatures—both friend and foe—that you won’t soon forget.

Winifred (Wini), Sandra, Pia, and Rachel have been friends for eons. Their lives being so hectic, Pia plans a white water rafting trip for the four of them. Wini is hesitant to go, but she fears being left behind by her friends and ultimately decides to go. After all this could be the trip of a lifetime.

It was hard for me to connect or even care for these characters because I knew so little of them. I wished that there was more backstory for them. The story is told through Wini’s POV, so I got to know her a little bit more which was nice. It was kind of strange that one of the characters ended up sleeping with their young tour guide almost immediately and then seemed to fall for him just as fast. It was kind of weird and to me it didn’t add anything of great interest to the story. That action seems to set off a chain of cattiness and tenseness between these friends.

Whatever their differences, they learn fairly quickly that they need to work together in order to navigate the river successfully. The author does a nice job of painting a picture for the reader in regards to the atmosphere in the woods and dangers of river rafting. Especially when things take a turn for the worse and their fun girls trip turns out to be a nightmare and they have to fight for their own survival.

The River at Night was an interesting read, but not exactly what I had hoped it would be. It almost felt like I was watching a made for tv Lifetime movie instead of reading an edge of your seat adventure / thriller book.  Would I call this a suspenseful thriller? Hmmm no. All in all this story was an entertaining adventure read if not a little bit predictable at times. I love suspenseful and adventure stories,  but I think this book fell a little short for me.

RATING: 3 out of 5

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Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn Blog Tour!

Thank you for stopping by my leg of the Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn Blog Tour! I was so excited to read this book. I hope my review piques your interest and you like the book if you read it.  Click the banner above to follow the rest of the tour!

Publication: September 30, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Source: The Publisher on behalf of this tour.

New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn returns with a Jazz Age tale of grand adventure On the verge of a stilted life as an aristocrat's wife, Poppy Hammond does the only sensible thing—she flees the chapel in her wedding gown. Assisted by the handsome curate who calls himself Sebastian Cantrip, she spirits away to her estranged father's quiet country village, pursued by the family she left in uproar. But when the dust of her broken engagement settles and Sebastian disappears under mysterious circumstances, Poppy discovers there is more to her hero than it seems. With only her feisty lady's maid for company, Poppy secures employment and travels incognita—east across the seas, chasing a hunch and the whisper of clues. Danger abounds beneath the canopies of the silken city, and Poppy finds herself in the perilous sights of those who will stop at nothing to recover a fabled ancient treasure. Torn between allegiance to her kindly employer and a dashing, shadowy figure, Poppy will risk it all as she attempts to unravel a much larger plan—one that stretches to the very heart of the British government, and one that could endanger everything, and everyone, that she holds dear.

I say it almost every time, but I do not know what it is about the 1920’s that I find so appealing to read about. It just seems like a fun and interesting time period to live in. 

“I say, if you’re running away from your wedding, you’re going about it quite wrong.”

From the beginning, I could tell this was adventure I would enjoy being apart of.  A Night of a Thousand Stars takes place in 1920, where Poppy is trying to escape out of a window on her wedding day.  She is aided by Sebastian, who she believes at the time is the curate.  She feels bad for leaving the groom (Gerald) behind, but she knows that she shouldn’t marry him.  She isn’t even convinced that Gerald really loves her, more like he is just  trying to accomplish things that any upstanding English gentleman should. 

I loved Poppy. She is headstrong, smart, and brave.  She isn’t content to have a title and be one of those stuck up society ladies who spends the majority of their time gossiping with other women.  Instead she  is looking for an adventure to shake things up and make life a little more lively.  And an adventure is exactly what she gets when she goes all the way to Damascus to track down Sebastian. The clues planted throughout the story kept me guessing all the way to the end. 

I had a good amount of fun reading this book. It was a fairly quick read and I happily discovered that it was filled with not just romance and mystery, but humor and adventure as well. I seen other works by this author before, but this was the first one of hers that I have read so far. It did not disappoint. Even though I don’t believe this is a series, I am hoping that there will more adventure and fun times with Poppy and Sebastian in the future.

RATING: 4 ½ out of 5.

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About the Author

A sixth-generation native Texan, Deanna Raybourn grew up in San Antonio, where she met her college sweetheart. She married him on her graduation day and went on to teach high school English and history. During summer vacation at the age of twenty-three, she wrote her first novel. After three years as a teacher, Deanna left education to have a baby and pursue writing full-time.

Deanna Raybourn is the author of the bestselling and award-winning Lady Julia series, as well as, The Dead Travel Fast, A Spear of Summer Grass, and City of Jasmine.

For more information please visit Deanna Raybourn’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman

Publication: September 9, 2014

Publisher: Amulet Books / ABRAMS

Source: Publisher

Emmeline knows she’s not supposed to explore the woods outside her settlement. The enemy that wiped out half her people lurks there, attacking at night and keeping them isolated in an unfamiliar land with merciless winters. Living with the shame of her grandmother’s insubordination, Emmeline has learned to keep her head down and her quick tongue silent. When the settlement leader asks for her hand in marriage, it’s an opportunity for Emmeline to wash the family slate clean—even if she has eyes for another. But before she’s forced into an impossible decision, her dreams urge her into the woods, where she uncovers a path she can’t help but follow. The trail leads to a secret that someone in the village will kill to protect. Her grandmother followed the same path and paid the price. If Emmeline isn’t careful, she will be next.

This book sort of reminded me of the movie The Village. I remember liking the movie at first, then once I found out what was really going on towards the end, I didn’t like it so much. But as I kept reading, I was keeping my fingers crossed that this book wouldn’t exactly be like that movie because I was really getting into it.

Emmeline keeps dreaming about the woods. She feels like they are calling out to her so strongly at times and she isn’t sure why or what it means. So her curiosity gets the best of her and she risks punishment by venting farther into the woods to see what she can find.

Emmeline was brave, she just doesn’t realize it at first. She worries too much about her ‘Stain’ and her family's past. Emmeline's Grandma was punished (murdered) several years ago for breaking the communities rules. And because of that past transgression, Emmeline is referred to as being 'Stained.' I was so frustrated that these Council Leaders would make anyone especially young people carry the burden of a family members past sin. At times I wanted to shake Emmeline and everyone who gave her trouble and say ‘You are not you Grandma. Her ‘sin’ is not yours just because you share the same blood." It’s ridiculous. Anyways my little rant is over…

I really enjoyed Winterkill. Much more than I had originally anticipated. And I am happy to say, it wasn't exactly like The Village. Thankfully. When I would put it down to go run errands or other things, I found my mind wandering back to Emmeline, Tom, Brother Stockholm, and the other people in the village. I needed wanted to know what would happen next. I would definitely watch out for other books from this author in the future.

RATING: 4 ½ out of 5.

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Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Publication: August 27, 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Source: Bought

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached. It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend." From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil. Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart. Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

I was surprised that I liked Crown of Midnight better than Throne of Glass. But both of these books are just awesome.

Celaena’s friendships, relationships, and loyalties are put to the test and she is forced to decide whose side is she really on and who she will trust.

“And what is so wrong with wanting my freedom? Haven’t I suffered enough to deserve it? So what if the means are unpleasant?” “I won’t deny that you have suffered, Elentiya, but there are thousands more who have also suffered— and suffered more. And they do not sell themselves to the king to get what they, too, deserve. With each person you kill , I am finding fewer and fewer excuses for remaining your friend.”

As far as the love triangle goes? At first I wanted her to be with Dorian, then I  thought I wanted her to be with Chaol because they seemed better suited for each other. But now I don’t that he really deserves her. It seems like he is to loyal to the King and I wonder will he ever be able to fully trust her or will he always see her as an assassin. Now I am not sure who I want Celaena to end up with.

I didn’t think it was possible, but I ended up enjoying Crown of Midnight more than I did Throne of Glass. The author did a really nice job with the flow of the storyline and character development. Even though I knew one of the main developments in the story, there were still a couple of twists to the story that caught me by surprise. I’m hoping that Heir of Fire will be even better. It releases on September 3, 2014. I can’t wait!

RATING: 5 out of 5.

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The Outcasts by Kathleen Kent

Publication: September 24, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

A taut, thrilling adventure story about buried treasure, a manhunt, and a woman determined to make a new life for herself in the old west. It's the 19th century on the Gulf Coast, a time of opportunity and lawlessness. After escaping the Texas brothel where she'd been a virtual prisoner, Lucinda Carter heads for Middle Bayou to meet her lover, who has a plan to make them both rich, chasing rumors of a pirate's buried treasure. Meanwhile Nate Cannon, a young Texas policeman with a pure heart and a strong sense of justice, is on the hunt for a ruthless killer named McGill who has claimed the lives of men, women, and even children across the frontier. Who--if anyone--will survive when their paths finally cross? As Lucinda and Nate's stories converge, guns are drawn, debts are paid, and Kathleen Kent delivers an unforgettable portrait of a woman who will stop at nothing to make a new life for herself.

The main reason I was initially attracted to this book was the western setting. When I was younger, I would always sit and watch westerns on TV with my dad. The Outcasts sounded just like the type of western thriller that I would’ve watched on TV. So I wanted to try it.

Lucinda Carter is a prostitute who is not satisfied with how her life is and manages to escape from a brothel in the middle of the night. She leaves with money stolen from the woman who owns the place. Lucy is on her way to reunite with the man that she loves who is in search of buried treasure.

I did question some of her motives for doing some of the things that she did. I don’t believe she did everything for survival, I think there was more too it.

Nate Cannon is married and wants to provide a good home for his family. He joins up with Texas Rangers in search of a very bad man named McGill who is wanted for murder.

The story alternates between two points of view, that of Lucinda and Nate ; until they eventually come together.

The Outcasts has a lot going for it; Texas Rangers, prostitutes, action, romance, murder, betrayal, and drama. All of this takes place in Texas during the late 1800’s.

It took me a little bit of time to get into the story, but once I did the pace moved fairly well. And the story was quite enjoyable.

 

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf of the publisher in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion. Thank you.**

 

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