Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott

🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Her name is Domino Ray.

But the voice inside her head has a different name.

When the mysterious Ms. Karina finds Domino in an alleyway, she offers her a position at her girls’ home in secluded West Texas. With no alternatives and an agenda of her own, Domino accepts. It isn’t long before she is fighting her way up the ranks to gain the woman’s approval…and falling for Cain, the mysterious boy living in the basement.

But the home has horrible secrets. So do the girls living there. So does Cain.

Escaping is harder than Domino expects, though, because Ms. Karina doesn’t like to lose inventory. But then, she doesn’t know about the danger living inside Domino’s mind.

She doesn’t know about Wilson.

For me, this book didn't live up to my expectations. I loved the cover and the description of the book but it made me expect something other than what I received. Don't get me wrong...I enjoyed the book a but I wanted more. I feel like I was expecting a rated R version and what I got was PG for the most part with a smidgen of PG-13 thrown in. I wanted to see the darker side to Domino and it was mostly just hinted at throughout the book. The only time that we get to see Wilson is at the end of the book. I wanted the author to explore the inside of Domino's head instead of her saying shut up to herself and having drama with other girls at Ms. Karina's house. I know that the author said that she was trying to explore DID but I feel that it wasn't as much of a success as I would have liked for it to be. 

Torn (Dark Legacy Duet #2) by Natasha Knight

🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

BLURB

Taking her is my right.

Breaking her, my duty. 

I was always going to choose Helena. I knew it the instant I saw her. 

She’s different than the others. There’s a darkness about her. Something wild inside her. And it calls to the beast inside me.

But she isn’t what I expect. With every word and every touch, she pushes me, burrows deep under my skin, challenging the rules, upending history. 

And all the while, I see how my brother watches her. He wants her, and as the rules stand, she’ll become his in one year’s time. 

Except that I have no intention of giving her up. 

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42269632-torn

*Arc provided in exchange for an honest review*

I enjoyed Torn just as much as Taken! It starts off right where Taken left off with Helena being thrown into a situation that is out of her control. She is desperate but has no one to turn to. Then as the book progresses she is still unsure who to trust and if anyone truly cares about her at all. I loved all of the twists and turns of the book. The author allows us into Helena and Sebastian's heads more so in this one which makes for an even more interesting read. This is just me being nitpicky but I loved Greg in both books so I would have loved to have seen more of him. I especially wanted more interaction between him and Helena because I found those times in the books the most intriguing. I wanted to know more about him. 

PURCHASE LINKS
US: https://amzn.to/2D8GIon
UK: https://amzn.to/2JobPMZ
CA: https://amzn.to/2EN0DL2
AU: https://amzn.to/2yA9aey
B&N: http://bit.ly/2SlSNKX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2z34Jsk
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2O9c3Iy

ALSO AVAILABLE

Taken, Dark Legacy Duet #1
US: https://amzn.to/2SoWKi8
UK: https://amzn.to/2RivNLG
CA: https://amzn.to/2qczTte
AU: https://amzn.to/2OayDAw
B&N: http://bit.ly/2D5rGQ1
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2O83Lk6
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2OQysOX


AUTHOR BIO
USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, Natasha Knight specializes in dark, tortured heroes. Happily-Ever-Afters are almost always guaranteed, but she likes to put her characters through hell to get them there. She’s evil like that.


AUTHOR LINKS
Website: http://natasha-knight.com
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/29Cb7vD
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kg2fRX
Facebook: http://bit.ly/29q3s4b
Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/2xvnZO5
Newsletter: https://natasha-knight.com/subscribe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashaknight13

Asylum (Asylum #1) by Madeleine Roux

🌟🌟🌟🌓 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.

I feel like Madeleine Roux nailed the art of subtle creepiness in a horror book. I'm not going to lie here. I had to read this book with the lights on because this book was so descriptive that I felt like I was there in the asylum with Dan, Abby, and Jordan. i thought that it was cleverly done and there were times when I wasn't sure if I actually knew what was going on. I'm sure that that was the author's intention in order to put the reader in the mind of the characters  who are suffering through the creepiness that is the asylum. 

I think that the problem with the book for me was that there was too much focus on the teenage drama . I would have liked for the book to focus more so on the stories/pictures and old patients of the asylum. The mystery of what was happening was what pulled me into the story. I didn't care about the dating drama or one character being jealous that one of the others had friends besides them. 

Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1) by Kresley Cole

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌓 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.

She could save the world--or destroy it.
Sixteen year old Evangeline"Evie" Greene leads a charmed life--until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, killing everyone she loves, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future--and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.
With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally trust Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?
As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side...

In Poison Princess, New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces a dark and intriguing world, full of unspeakable danger and irresistible romance.

I loved so many things about this book! I thought that the use of tarot cards corresponding with human counterparts that have certain strengths and weaknesses was clever and very well done. I have never seen this done in a book before so it was a fresh and exciting concept for me to sink my teeth into. I thought that the author did a great job of having visions/drawings correspond with things so as to make the reader almost believe that characters were crazy. 
The world building had good bones to it but I would have liked for more information than just for the author to describe a few things about some of the results of the ancient prophesy. Other than some lack of detail, that was easy to come to terms with the only other issue that I had with the book was the main character. I found her stubborn and naive. I realize that she is trying to cope with a truckload of crap but I would like to think that she would have more common sense than she did. She grows as the book progresses to the point where she isn't as whiny or annoying. This leads me to believe that the sequel will be better due to continued character growth!

The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

I have absolutely no idea why this book is not rated higher. I loved this book from beginning to end! I thought that the prose was elegant and beautiful. I was entranced by the writing style of the author and the descriptions that she used to transport readers into a story of finding who you are by going through a trial by fire. 
I have found that I really enjoy reading books that have an mythical middle eastern type setting which is what The Star Touched Queen turned out to be. I loved the side stories that are told in the story and the symbolism that they usually have for the story as a whole. It just seems like a rich tapestry  
We follow Maya on her journey of discovery not only of who she is but of what path she wants to take in her life. I loved how she was sensitive was still seemed to have a spine of steel. She is treated unfairly for something that she has no control over until one day she is offered a way out. That is not where the story ends though....
This book reminded me of hints of other books that I have enjoyed. It combined them all into something fantastic. There was magic, strange creatures, mystery, and creepiness. I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to keep reading to uncover more of the story.