The Elite

 

The Elite is the second book in The Selection series. 

Things are heating up with 29 girls having been sent home and America still cannot decide which boy she wants. Determined to buy herself as much time as possible America goes all out doing her best to disrupt the order in the castle. Wanting Maxon to step out of his comfort zone she quickly comes up with a devastating plan to ruin her chances at staying in the selection. 

At times I thought I saw America growing as a person but then she seemed to shrink back into herself like she was doubting what she was doing which was frustrating. The other characters stay pretty much shadows since they are not fleshed out much. I wish you got to know more about the girls and not just one or two. I get 35 was a lot to write about but 6 is a much more manageable number. Despite that I do still want to read The One.

The Selection

 

I had put off reading The Selection for years because people told me it was not good. Really I should not have listened to any of them the story is exactly what I expected it to be a love triangle with shallow characters. 

America is not interested in entering the lottery to try to compete against other girls and have the prince choose her to be his bride. Instead her heart lies back at home with a boy who is a caste below her. Unable to forget her previous love American is torn when she realizes how normal the prince is. 

Not much to say about the plot line since it is pretty basic but it kept me reading. My only issue was with so many girls you really only got to know America, most of the other girls were mentioned in passing. I am hoping that will change since less girls remain in the competition for The Elite. 

Kill for Love

 

Kill for Love is the fifth and final book in the Emily Swanson series and like the previous ones I bought it since all three libraries I have a card to did not have it. It is my least favorite of the series which is a shame since I enjoyed the series a good deal.

Emily is visiting a college friend when she learns the younger sister of her friend is a suspect in a murder. Soon you learn that the girl was present at the murder but like usual more to the story. For some reason all the previous things Emily has learned and the people she has made friends with are pretty much forgotten. A whole new cast is introduced for some reason and Emily just fumbles around forgetting she has solid friends who have helped her out in the past with cases.

I did not like the ending at all, it was rushed and did not feel complete. Just like the story stopped then jumped into the future which made no sense. Full closure on the story was not provided and that was frustrating then it was set up for what may be a spin off series. I do not really know, at this point I do not care to look farther into the series to try to figure things out. 

A Walk Along the Beach

 

This review will contain spoilers. A Walk Along the Beach is nothing like any other Debbie Macomber book I have read before. When I was about half way through I had to check the author to make sure it was the correct author. Since my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in November this was not a good book for me to read. 

Willa took on responsibility too young when her mother passed, instead of being a big sister to Harper she turned into her mother when her brother ran off to the service and her dad turned to the bottle. Looking back Harper realizes how lucky she is that her sister beat leukemia and is now healthy, her brother is happily engaged, and Willa's coffee shop is doing a great business. All that changes though when Harper's leukemia comes back in the form of a rare tumor in her lung. 

I am used to Mrs. Macomber writing happy books with dashes of humor. Not serious and not sad books. It totally blew me over when Harper died from cancer and I sitting crying in the oncologist's waiting room while reading the story. Not sure if this is a fluke book or if Mrs. Macomber has turned to more serious stories. All in all I think I need a break from Mrs. Macomber. 

Watch You Sleep

 

Watch You Sleep is the fourth book in the Emily Swanson series. 

Emily has finally decided on a career, PI, only it is not the glamorous venture she imagined. Having followed people for months to prove they are committing fraud Emily is ready for something more dangerous. 

Taking on another fraud case Emily fails to see how this will be more exciting then previous ones but she is wrong. A family that sold a house is being sued because they are mentioned in threatening letters that are being written to the family that bought the house. Unsure who to believe Emily has to wade through lies, misadventure, and deceit as she attempts to find out what is really happening with The Watcher. 

I really like the idea of a crime writer basing their story on an unsolved modern day crime. It was interesting to see another take on the story. Plus it had me intrigued enough to see if any updates had occurred on the real life story. The writing was once again paced well with enough suspense to keep me reading. The characters continue to grow, have flaws, and real life issues. While no shock it was disappointing to see Jerome take a back seat on this case. I like the banter between Jerome and Emily and hope to see more of him in Kill for Love. Once again the three libraries I have cards to lacked the last book in the series so I bought it on my tablet.

Trail of Poison

 

Trail of Poison is the third book in the Emily Swanson series and I actually bought it. I never buy mysteries but the three libraries I have cards to did not have the book and I invested in the story. 

Emily is running out of money and needs a job to be able to pay her bills. Finances get more dire when Jerome informs her he will be moving out. Happy for her friend but sad to be loosing his company Emily is suddenly contacted by a woman whose husband supposedly committed suicide. Determined to help the widow find out what really happened Emily is thrust into a wild world of lies, murder, and the unknown.

Trail of Poison was my least favorite of the series so far. The ending did not feel full filling and while Emily did react like a normal human I still felt like the case was left open. With that said it is possible the case will continue on with the rest of the series. I was also blind sided by Jerome's nationality being revealed, I have no issue with him being black but I don't recall that being said in any other books. I have had a fever for days so I could have just forgotten that part. Despite not enjoying the story ending as much I purchase the fourth book, Watch You Sleep, since none of the libraries have it either. 

Cruel Mind/Mind for Murder

 

The book was originally released under the title Cruel Mind but later changed to Mind for Murder. It is the second book in the Emily Swanson series.

Having survived a horrific ordeal and traumatized Emily takes her therapist advice and seeks a retreat. Deciding on a detox retreat she convinces her friend Jerome to join her. Jerome is horrified to learn it is an electronic detox retreat and is forced to hand over his cell phone and car keys. Emily convinces him that it will be fine and both reluctantly hand in their electronics. 

The first evening goes well with Emily finally relaxing some but Jerome is moody and sulks in his room. However the next day the retreat is no longer peaceful as a guest is found hanging from a tree. With everyone freaked out Emily is trying to remain calm as her PTS kicks in.

I really like the growth Emily is going through, she shows trauma and issues from the first book but continues to fight to work through them. Jerome while he acts as her side kick I feel like he is just one dimensional and a side thought. Once again I only figure out part of the mystery and am eager to try more of the series.