Book Review: Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Good morning, everyone! I finished this one in the wee hours earlier today and hopped on to write this. It was definitely a book that throws you for a lot of loops but overall I actually liked it.

Synopsis:
Thomas moves to a new town with his mother but before long he's suspected of her murder. The town turns against him but he's sure he didn't do it. He loves his mother.
The only person who thinks he's innocent is Charlotte, who also happens to be in a family full of cops who suspect him of his mother's murder.
20 year prior to this, Charlotte's ballet friend had been murdered but the murder remained unsolved.
They both have questions begging to be answered but the truth is worse than they could imagine.

Review:
For the better part of this book it read like a mystery. Then a surprise is thrown in and suddenly it becomes a paranormal mystery. It honestly threw me off for some reason and I put the book down for a total of two days to recover from that whiplash.
Kemmerer helped me recover easily though because as soon as I picked it up I finished it within the hour.
I really liked the dynamic between Charlotte and Thomas. There's always something about a bad boy and an innocent girl that draws people in. Forbidden relationships are my forte apparently. Oh, the teenage angst!

The only downside to this novel is the fact that it ended abruptly with no plans for a sequel. I had more than a few questions that needed to be answered that weren't and I'm quite upset about it! I need more. 

Book Review: The Antidote by Shelley Sackier

Synopsis: 

Fee is harboring a horrible secret. She has certain abilities that have been outlawed for years.

After an illness swept through Fee's homeland, Fireli, was quarantined for 10 years. They finally get to meet with their neighboring kingdom but things don't go as planned.

Fee, her best friend Xavi, and her betrothed Rye are thrown into a battle that started years ago with Fee's parents. In order to save Xavi, Fee must come to terms with who she really is and unleash what she's been hiding all these years.

Thoughts:
This was a quick read for me. The chapters are the perfect length the font is the perfect size to me. I love books like this because I feel like I get through them quicker. The plot of the story definitely helped with that as well.

Quickly we see Fee and Xavi are best friends. I loved their dynamic and the fact that it wasn't a romantic one added to it. Although some may agree Xavi is more suited for Fee than Rye is, I think you'll come around as you finish up the book. I did want to throttle him a few times but you can't blame the poor soul. He was horribly mislead and went on what information he was given at the time. The romance isn't all up in your face nor does it feel like it's forced which is always a plus for me.

I do feel as if this book could have been more fleshed out. I would have liked to see more of some of the characters because they were important to the development of the story but I didn't see as much of them as I wasn't to. I also believe the world-building could have been written better as it had a lot of potential but what we were given is sufficient enough.

Friendship and love and bravery are core concepts in this novel. I loved it!

Book Review: The Missing Years by Lexie Elliott

Synopsis:
An eerie, old Scottish manor in the middle of nowhere that’s now hers.

Ailsa Calder has inherited half of a house. The other half belongs to a man who disappeared without a trace twenty-seven years ago—her father.
Leaving London behind to settle the inheritance from her mother’s estate, Ailsa returns to her childhood home, nestled amongst the craggy peaks of the Scottish Highlands, joined by the half-sister who’s almost a stranger to her.
Ailsa can’t escape the claustrophobic feeling that the house itself is watching her—as if her past hungers to consume her. She also can’t ignore how the neighbourhood animals refuse to set one foot within the gates of the garden.
When the first nighttime intruder shows up, Ailsa fears that the manor’s careless rugged beauty could cost her everything.

Thoughts: 

If you're anything like me, you've been getting tired of the same old suspense books that authors seem to be doling out like no other. I requested a review copy of this book solely based on the fact that it centers around a massive house in the Scottish countryside. I didn't expect much from it, but I was pleasantly surprised. This novel has its way of delivering a slow and steady creeping feeling. It makes you question whether the bump you heard in the night really was just a bump. 

In addition to the creepy house, Ailsa has to deal with the fact that when she was a young girl her father disappeared. It left her with questions that she has no idea will ever be answered. On top of that, she feels like the house is against her as well as having the feeling that everyone has something to hide in her old hometown. 

The scenery is beautifully Gothic. The characters are a somber cast which aids the novel along wonderfully and sets the mood well. Add in the Scottish dialogue and you've got a book that transplants you right in the middle of Scotland.

Everything ties up well in the end but during your read Elliott only gives away half of what you need. Guaranteed to make you ask questions, guaranteed to make you turn the pages the find the answers to those questions. 

I was thoroughly surprised at the end and I didn't guess anything at all. I'm usually good at figuring out what's going on in these types of books but I honestly had no clue whatsoever. Anything you think you know is called into question as soon as you think it. 
Are you and Ailsa both going crazy, or are things really as they seem?

Definitely a book I'm recommending. Read it! 

You can pre-order it on Amazon here.