Spilled Milk – By: K.L. Randis – Review.

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Brooke Nolan is a battered child who makes an anonymous phone call to social services about the escalating brutality in her home.When they jeopardize her safety, condemning her to keep her father’s secret, it’s a glass of spilled milk at the dinner table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she’s been hiding. In her pursuit for safety and justice Brooke battles a broken system that pushes to keep her father in the home, and she risks losing the support of family, coming to the realization that some people simply do not want to be saved.Spilled Milk is a novel of shocking narrative, triumph and resiliency.

From the Author

Writing  Spilled Milk was very emotional, and as a self-published and first-time author, I know now that the first edition of Spilled Milk (2013) was not in its “best form”, but I also couldn’t bear to have a professional editor or proofreader make changes to it. It was all still too raw and personal for me.  

Since several colleges and high schools have incorporated the novel into their lesson plans and I’ve received tons of feedback from my voracious fans- I knew I needed to come out with a more polished and professional edition that was appropriate for the education system, my fans, and in general. The second edition of  Spilled Milk (2015) has been proofread by two amazing professionals in the industry and I am proud of the outcome. The story is exactly the same, so anyone with a first edition is not missing out on anything. I hope that the second edition will allow people to continue to enjoy  Spilled Milk in the way it was intended. Thank you all so much for your support in my journey as a writer and survivor.

About the Author

K.L. Randis, author of bestselling novel Spilled Milk and the Pillbillies series, started journaling at the age of six and had short stories and poetry published by the time she was thirteen. She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and has since written numerous local publications that brought awareness to domestic violence and child abuse. K.L. Randis engages audiences on a local and national level to raise awareness about child abuse, serving as a frequent commentator to media outlets and traveling to be the keynote speaker at various events. She has developed various high school presentations, was named Community Woman of Distinction, and was invited to the Pentagon several times to speak to the department of defense about child abuse. Spilled Milk is her first novel, which grabbed the #1 bestseller spot in the genre of Child Abuse on Amazon only 24 hours after its debut, where it has remained since 2013. She resides in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her family. Contact the Author: spilledmilkrandis@yahoo.com

Source: Amazon

This book was very heavy, frustrating, and heartbreaking. I didn’t know what I was expecting going into this story. I knew it was based on a true story, and that it had domestic and sexual abuse.

The woman who wrote this book has to be the most frustrating, strong, and stubborn woman in the world. The way she endured all that she did in hopes to save her siblings from the same torture is heroic. The way that she worked so hard to change her life is inspiring.

It’s so hard to read books like this and know that it is happening all over the world. That children don’t feel like they have a safe place, or they think that the abuse they endure is normal human behavior.

As someone who endured sexual molestation as a child, this book does an amazing job at explaining how children think during those times. At first it isn’t known that its wrong, then eventually you realize that somethings not right, you feel uncomfortable, and it snowballs. You won’t talk until your ready, and the shame and embarrassment is horrible.

This entire book is why we need to make sure we are educating our children on what’s right and what’s wrong at a young age. Why it is so important to have an open dialogue with your kids about inappropriate behavior, and to make sure they know they are safe to talk to you.

5 Stars, very well written.

—Pixie

Red, White, and Royal Blue – By: Cassie McQuiston – Review

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The Book

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius―his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. 

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn’t always diplomatic.

The Author

Casey McQuiston is the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue, as well as a pie enthusiast. She writes books about smart people with bad manners falling in love. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, she now lives in New York City with her poodle mix and personal assistant, Pepper.

Source: Amazon

Reading other reviews on this book I can see most loved it, but those who didn’t – really disliked it! So I was a little nervous going in. Fortunately enough for me, I either don’t know much about the topics in this book, or the book was so well done any small discrepancies in it just didn’t matter.

I LOVED this book! I couldn’t put it down. I seriously read this in one night because I was so hooked. I enjoyed all the characters so much. The diversity, the inclusion of all the LGBTQ+ people, their personalities, their humor I seriously loved it all. I think Alex and Henry are the most adorable couple ever, the journey they took to be together is hard and stressful, but will their love be enough to fight through it?

I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud while reading this, or I would physically punch the air because I was so excited. Yea I got that into it haha! My family probably thought I was insane.

It’s also so much fun being “in” the White House and just seeing that even the president is just human, she likes to eat pizza, and curses like a sailor and I loved it. The friendships and relationships In this book will put a smile on my face every time I think about them, I’m honestly thinking about picking it up for a reread immediately!

—Pixie

The Ravens – By: Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige – Review.

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At first glance, the sisters of ultra-exclusive Kappa Rho Nu—the Ravens—seem like typical sorority girls. Ambitious, beautiful, and smart, they’re the most powerful girls on Westerly College’s Savannah, Georgia, campus. 

But the Ravens aren’t just regular sorority girls. They’re witches.

Scarlett Winter has always known she’s a witch—and she’s determined to be the sorority’s president, just like her mother and sister before her. But if a painful secret from her past ever comes to light, she could lose absolutely everything . . . 

Vivi Devereaux has no idea she’s a witch and she’s never lived in one place long enough to make a friend. So when she gets a coveted bid to pledge the Ravens, she vows to do whatever it takes to be part of the magical sisterhood. The only thing standing in her way is Scarlett, who doesn’t think Vivi is Ravens material. 

But when a dark power rises on campus, the girls will have to put their rivalry aside to save their fellow sisters. Someone has discovered the Ravens’ secret. And that someone will do anything to see these witches burn . . .

I loved the plot of this book. The sorority of witches, the friendships, the magic, all had me hooked. The mystery within the book kept me reading, and the ending twist was pretty good also. I can’t say I seen it coming but it wasn’t a complete surprise either.

The main problem I had reading this is the characters all come off a bit young. I know they are only in College, but it all just felt very high school to me. I can’t for sure say what turned me off, but it just came off as too much. Of the duel prospectives I definitely enjoyed the older Raven then the Freshman.

It was definitely worth the read! Well written, fun, and interesting. Just go in knowing you’ll probably be rolling your eyes often haha.

Thank You NetGalley and the Publishers for an arc of this book for an honest review.

3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

— Pixie

The Wife Upstairs – By: Rachel Hawkins – Review.

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The Book:

A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins’s The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for. 

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?

With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won’t stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature’s most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?

The Author:

RACHEL HAWKINS is the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books for young readers, and her work has been translated in over a dozen countries. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama. The Wife Upstairs is her first adult novel.

SOURCE: Amazon

First off, I want to start by saying, I have never read Jane Eyre – By Charlotte Brontë. I know this is a retelling, but I went in completely blind.

There is not one character in this book that is supposed to be liked, in my opinion. They are all flawed to the point of frustration. Yes I think this was on purpose, and MAN did it work!! I couldn’t stop thinking of the mess these people kept getting themselves into. They are all varying degrees of screwed up, and for some reason it just hooks you!

The writing flowed and kept you wanting more right from the start! There was a couple editing errors, but mine wasn’t a final edition so those may have been fixed before release.

The mystery of the story keeps you guessing until the end. No, it wasn’t completely unpredictable, but it was fantastically well done!

**Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an Arc of this wonderful novel for an honest review**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

—Pixie

Fable – By: Adrienne Young – Review

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The Book:

Filled with all of the action, emotion, and lyrical writing that brought readers to Sky in the Deep, New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young returns with Fable, the first book in this new captivating duology.

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive.

The Author:

Adrienne Young is a foodie with a deep love of history and travel and a shameless addiction to coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her on her yoga mat, sipping wine over long dinners or disappearing into her favorite art museums. She lives with her documentary filmmaker husband and their four little wildlings in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Sky in the Deep duology and the Fable duology.

Source: Amazon

I couldn’t put this book down! It’s atmospheric, heart pounding adventure, and love all rolled into it’s beautiful pages. Fable is one of my all time favorite characters in literary history and I can’t wait to see where Namesake takes her.

I want to crew for the grittiest of merchants, and dredge reefs for its treasures. This book just makes the merchant life and it’s adventures so intriguing and fun. You also see how dangerous it can be. The trading in this book is also extremely interesting. To learn how all of it worked was one of the best things in this novel.

I also loved all the relationships, and the way of life. Never show what is important to you, least it be used against you. West and his crew of misfits are all great and care for each other in a way that merchants shouldn’t. I just love how they are different people on and off the ship. Saint is also badass, I can feel his pain from the written word and it’s perfect.

—Pixie

The House of Twelve – By: Sean Davies – Review.

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Twelve strangers wake up in a strange house with no memory of how they got there, and barely any recollection of who they are. They quickly learn that there is no way out, scarcely enough food and water to go around, and eerie music plays constantly in the background of every room. There is nothing to explain their mysterious incarceration except for a few scattered clues, a strange clock with twenty-four numbers and one single hour hand, and a leather-bound sheet of rules that makes their situation all the more fatal.

The House Rules:

Rule one: No escape. You can’t leave, plain and simple. Try to escape and you won’t like what you find on the other side.

Rule two: Make what you have last. Whatever food and water you currently find in the house is all that you will be provided with during your stay. No more will be given to you under any circumstance.

Rule three: When the music stops, someone must die. The music you can all hear in the background will cease between the hour of twenty-three and twenty-four; when this happens someone must die. Failure to comply with this rule will result in everyone’s death.

Rule four: Only one, and only when the music stops! One death, and only one death, must occur in the allotted time between the hour of twenty-three and twenty-four. Again, failure to comply with this rule will result in everyone’s death.

We hope you have a pleasant stay, and don’t forget: Redemption is the key to escape

Enjoyed this! It was pretty obvious what was going on early on, but it was still a good thrill. I will definitely be checking out the next in the series.

Had some unlikeable characters throughout, but that was how it was meant to be. They leave you guessing and speculating almost the entire time on – “Are any of these characters redeemable?”, I won’t spoil if they are or not, but the answer might surprise you.

Definitely a fun quick read, and worth every minute.

*I received a Copy of this book from VRO and the Author for an unbiased review.*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

—Pixie

Cemetery Boys – By: Aiden Thomas – Review

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The Book:

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas’s paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys.

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

The Author:

Aiden Thomas, author of Cemetery Boys, received their MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Born in Oakland, California, Aiden often haunted Mountain View Cemetery like a second home during their misspent youth. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden is notorious among their friends for always being surprised by twist endings to books/movies and organizing their bookshelves by color. When not writing, Aiden enjoys exploring the outdoors with their dog, Ronan. Their cat, Figaro, prefers to support their indoor hobbies, like reading and drinking too much coffee.

Source: Amazon

This book was amazing. It has a nice build up to the final climax. I was entertained throughout. The characters in this book are all lovable and relatable, even the dead.

The feels you get while reading this book is like nothing I have ever experienced before. I have laughed and cried during novels sure, but this ending had me pacing the floor, and all but screaming at the pages. It was wonderful lol.

I also really enjoyed learning all about the way October 31st is celebrated in a different culture. This year the kids and I made some Spirit Bread from scratch, and had a party with the Spirits of our passed on relatives. It was really fun and the kids enjoyed it.

The fact that the MC lives in a cemetery is just the perfect setting for this book. Also, it really is great to see first hand the troubles trans people face daily, especially our young ones. Sometimes little things that we wouldn’t think matter are huge. Always love one another, no matter what, people are people and love is love.

Frankenstein – By: Mary Shelley – Review

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Few creatures of horror have seized readers’ imaginations and held them for so long as the anguished monster of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The story of Victor Frankenstein’s terrible creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled generations of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense. Considering the novel’s enduring success, it is remarkable that it began merely as a whim of Lord Byron’s. 
“We will each write a story,” Byron announced to his next-door neighbors, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley. The friends were summering on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland in 1816, Shelley still unknown as a poet and Byron writing the third canto of Childe Harold. When continued rains kept them confined indoors, all agreed to Byron’s proposal. 
The illustrious poets failed to complete their ghost stories, but Mary Shelley rose supremely to the challenge. With Frankenstein, she succeeded admirably in the task she set for herself: to create a story that, in her own words, “would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror — one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart.”

From the Back Cover

At this challenge, Mary Shelley began work on the ‘ghost story’ that was to evolve into the most celebrated horror novel in literary history. Frankenstein was published the next year and become the rage of London. In the generations since, the story of Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created has been read by millions all over the world. It has inspired hundreds of imitations, but it has never been equaled for its masterful manipulation of the elements of horror and suspense.

About the Author

Daughter of political philosopher William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley edited the works of her husband, Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and is best known as the author of Frankenstein.

I thought I knew the entire Frankenstein story. The loss, the monster, the death, but no. Reading this showed me I was missing about half of it. This book is so heart wrenching In every way. You feel bad for just about every single person you meet!

I thought I would alway hate Victor Frankenstein, and always be on the side of the Monster, and although my stance hasn’t changed much, I do have a lot more understanding for the man who created the monster, and the monster itself. I couldn’t stop listening to this book and I finished it over night.

The characters were all lovely people in their own right. Of course they had some flaws, mainly the MC himself but you can’t help but feel a deep connection to all of them. The biggest connection is to that of the monster, the one who just wanted to be loved. The ending was so sad, but completely perfect.

I would highly suggest picking this up, it’s a quick read and usually free on most platforms. Even if you think you know the story I promise you, the feels in this book are so worth the read.

Dracula – By: Bram Stoker – Review

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The Book:

During a business visit to Count Dracula’s castle in Transylvania, a young English solicitor finds himself at the center of a series of horrifying incidents. Jonathan Harker is attacked by three phantom women, observes the Count’s transformation from human to bat form, and discovers puncture wounds on his own neck that seem to have been made by teeth. Harker returns home upon his escape from Dracula’s grim fortress, but a friend’s strange malady — involving sleepwalking, inexplicable blood loss, and mysterious throat wounds — initiates a frantic vampire hunt. The popularity of Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror romance is as deathless as any vampire. Its supernatural appeal has spawned a host of film and stage adaptations, and more than a century after its initial publication, it continues to hold readers spellbound.

The Author:

Abraham “Bram” Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912)

An Irish author, best known today for his 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula. Stoker visited the English coastal town of Whitby in 1890, and that visit was said to be part of the inspiration for Dracula.

I finally sat down and read this book this season and was blown away! I enjoyed how the story is told in letters, diaries, and news papers. I also took this book to be from Dracula’s perspective, boy was I wrong. We have so many different people who suffer for different reasons because of the count and I loved how it all flowed!

It is so strange to think that this is where the vampire had its start. While reading this novel I tried to keep that in mind. Vampires are so main stream these days that they almost don’t even come off as scary, they are romanticized more then anything. So to come at this novel with the sense that this is a completely different world they live in, that these people have never heard of the word vampire, makes it so much better to read. The creepy factor was way up there, especially when they describe the count climbing up walls. **Shudders**

I love all the characters in this book, from the ladies, to the doctors, to even the crazy patient we hear of so often. And of course I absolutely loved seeing the start of Van Helsing. I think everyone should read this book at least once, it was a joy. I for one will be reading it every October!

—Pixie

My Best Friends Exorcism – By: Grady Hendrix – Review

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The Book:

The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act…different. She’s moody. She’s irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she’s nearby. Abby’s investigation leads her to some startling discoveries—and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

The Author:

Grady Hendrix is a novelist and screenwriter based in New York City. He is the author of Horrorstör, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, Paperbacks from Hell, and We Sold Our Souls, all of which received critical praise from outlets including NPR, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, the A.V. Club, Paste, Buzzfeed, and more. He has contributed to Playboy, The Village Voice, and Variety.

Where to start with this one! First off the 80s feel of this book is absolutely everything. I was born in the 80s so I didn’t technically live through them, but I am a huge 80s fan. From movies to music to attitude, I love everything 80s.

I knew almost nothing of this author or this book going in, I prefer it that way. But I was completely surprised about where this story went. My mind was working towards all the logical reasons behind Gretchens behavior, what could have happened to her during that swim to make her act out. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she would need an actual exorcism as the title proclaims. I thought flash backs, ptsd, drugs. The reason behind it all shockingly enough surprised me haha.

I really enjoyed the MC of this novel. She knew what she had to do and she never gave up on her friend. The group of friends was annoyingly accurate as to how it is with girl groups growing up. I also really liked the MC family, her mom especially, and the way her dad never argued with what she said.

Anyway, fabulous book! Definitely worth the read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars

—Pixie