Kim

The Yellow Lantern
by Angie Dicken
Part of True Colors – Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
Rating: 4/5

Imagine waking up in 1824 in Massachusetts and being told that you were already pronounced dead. Imagine being told that your body was taken by grave robbers for the purpose of medical research. Imagine that in order to keep your life and your family’s lives safe, you are forced to spy for said grave robbers in order to get more cadavers. How would you handle that? How would you deal with the situation? Josephine Clayton is in such a position. Her whole world is turned upside down as she leaves home to work at a cotton mill. Her mission is simple – report on any fatal accidents that occur at the cotton mill and pose as a mourner at the funeral so the doctor can get his replacement corpse. When Josephine enters the world of cotton, she finds her talents for healing a welcome relief to the accident prone mill and finds friendship with the other mill girls. The factory manager, Braham Terrance, sees her worth and they form a friendship. However, what happens when a family member close to Braham becomes ill and Josephine has a choice to make on whether she can fulfill her duty?

Just reading the premise of this book was so interesting that I had to read it. I haven’t read many true crime novels but as a medical student, I found the grave robbing for medical purposes very interesting. I’ve read a few books about the cotton mill girls and was interested to see what the author chose to focus on. The author is able to transport the reader into the world of cotton mills and grave robbing in a very understandable way. The characters are interesting and seem authentic. They’ve seen many hardships but still try to make their way in the world.

Highly recommend this delightful read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Adaptive
by Becky Moynihan
Book 2 of the Elite Trials Series
Rating: 4/5

Becky Moynihan is back with her second installment in the Elite Trials series which blew me away with its action-packed scenes and heartfelt story. I was so excited to be able to read the next book because I couldn’t wait to read what happens to our heroine next!

Freedom was all that our main character, Lune, ever wanted. However, instead of true freedom, she is sent on a mission with Ryker to find Bren and make sure he fulfills his mission. Lune’s adoptive father also has a mission for Ryker who will stop at nothing to fulfill his end. Lune must face the untamed challenges of being outside the Tatum City walls. She has trained all her life for the Elite Trials but nothing has prepared her for what she finds outside those walls. The secrets uncovered and the loyalties tested will require Lune to be as adaptable as possible.

I can’t get enough of this series! The characters are so authentic and the reader has no choice but to root for them. The reader is not sure a happy ending can occur at times which is thrilling and frustrating at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel but I believe the first book was better due to the romance. This book has less of the romance but more action so it’s still a book I would recommend. The reader is transported beyond the wall and it is not something you’ll want to miss.

I highly recommend this book but you definitely should read the first book, Reactive, before picking this one up. It is NOT a standalone novel. This book is definitely for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.

My thanks to the author for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Reactive
by Becky Moynihan
Book 1 of The Elite Trials Series
Rating: 4.5/5

When a book comparison says Hunger Games or Divergent, a reader can’t help but pick up the book and pray that it lives up to the hype. Well, I’m happy to say that this book, Reactive, does NOT disappoint.

From the very start, the reader is dropped into a world where its main character, Lune Tatum, only wants her freedom and is willing to do whatever it takes to earn it. Although she is the adopted daughter of the Supreme Elite, the ruler of the walled city, she must fight in all three Elite Trials to earn her freedom. When someone from her past enters all three trials, she must confront her past and choose whom she can trust.

Having never read anything by Becky Moynihan before, I was nervously hoping that this book would be everything that was promised. I was pleasantly surprised that this book was everything I thought I wanted and MORE! After reading a lot of shorter novels/novellas, I got to enjoy almost 400 pages of exciting, action-packed, dystopian fantasy with a lovely romance. The characters have the time and pages to develop and grow and learn. I enjoyed the world-building and the story was well-written. I highly recommend this book and series!

My thanks to the author for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.