Book Review: The Unspoken by Heather Graham

Title: The Unspoken (Krewe of Hunters)
Author: Heather Graham
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Release Date: July 31, 2012
ISBN: 0778313611





If you've read my previous reviews for some of the books in this series, you'll know that I've been rather disappointed overall by the KoH series. Most of them seemed to more fizzle than anything else, but I'm glad to say that this book is a marked improvement over the last few books in this series. It's not an overwhelmingly great "Graham's back" type of book, but it's enough to where I can definitely recommend it to Graham fans.

1898: Bound for Chicago, the freighter Jerry McGuen goes down in Lake Michigan, taking with it every man aboard. But what other fate could befall a vessel carrying the ill-gotten sarcophagus of an Egyptian sorcerer?

Now: A veteran diver and "ghost ship" expert is exploring the legendary wreck for a documentary. He dies inexplicably inside the freighter's main saloon. Then another diver is killed and panicked rumors rise like bubbles from the lake: ancient demons have awakened below!

The expedition's beleaguered financier calls paranormal investigator Katya Sokolov to Chicago to save the film—and perhaps some innocent lives. Along with media forensics guru Will Chan, Kat plumbs the depths of an evil that may date back to the time of the Pharaohs. But some secrets are best drowned in the seas of the past.…

I really believe that part of what makes the book work is that our pairing in this book are two members from the separate Krewe teams. They've had their characters slowly built up in the previous books and because of that, they're more developed than some of the other love interests and you can get more invested in their characters and their romance. The mystery isn't bad either. It's not going to stump Sherlock Holmes anytime soon, but it's enough to keep me reading and the whole "investigating a shipwreck" part was entertaining.

My biggest gripe would've been that Kat and Will's romance goes a little fast at times. One moment they're ready to tear each other's heads off and the next they're totally into each other and friendly enough to where they can leave the door open between their rooms. The interaction between them was so nice that I didn't overly mind, but I'd have liked to see a bit more of the thawing of the ice between them. Their animosity/irritation for one another was so strong at first (without being outright hate) that it just seemed a little to sudden. The whodunit could've been a little better done, but it made sense for the most part and was entertaining, so I can't really get too angry about that.

Overall though, this was a very fun read and one of the better entries in the KoH series so far. There's a very good dollop of adventure here, which will make this a fantastic beach read. I didn't have to struggle as much through this as I did with some of the earlier books in the series and towards the end I couldn't help but want to keep reading. It's still not Graham's best work, but it's one that fans will want to read.

3.5 out of 5 stars

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

Title: The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen #1)
Author: Amanda Stevens
Publisher: Mira
Release Date: 05/01/2011
ISBN: 077832981X







I've read some of Stevens' other works, so when I saw this book on NetGalley I have to admit that I was intrigued. If I were to describe the plot of some of her works to someone they'd say that her books are incredibly similar to other works out in the literary world. (Not a bad thing- all books are similar at one point or another.) Yet what makes Stevens' books so different is that she doesn't try to make them fit into the mold that so many other suspense or thriller books fill. They're wonderfully & beautifully different, which is what makes her books so much fun to read.

My name is Amelia Gray. I’m a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I’ve always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

It started with the discovery of a young woman’s brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I’ve been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims— lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I’ve vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

I have to admit that although this book started off a little on the slow side, once the excitement started I was pretty hooked. I loved Amelia's attention to detail & her curiosity over everything despite her father's rules. The intense draw between her & Devlin is pretty tangible, yet understated at the same time. Stevens takes her time with this pairing, which works well considering all of the elements & story details divulged throughout the story. (No spoilers!)

The only drawback is that at times the story seemed to be a little overly slow, so some readers might get a little frustrated at the slow buildup. Stick with it because the payoff at the end of this novel is pretty fulfilling, although I'll give you a warning. This is the first in a series so not all of the questions will be answered in this book.

Then again, after the creepy imagery at the end of the book, most readers won't really care. They'll be too busy shivering & demanding more.

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Book Review: Phantom Evil by Heather Graham

Title: Phantom Evil
Author: Heather Graham
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 03/29/2011
ISBN:0778329534







I'll admit that Graham's work has kind of suffered over the last few years, with some of her books not even holding a candle to how wonderful the earlier books were. (I don't know of many people who liked Dust to Dust, a title that has sat around on my bookstore shelves gathering well, dust.) She's released some stuff that's been pretty decent, but again- not stuff that's along the quality lines of her earlier releases. I almost passed this book up until I realized that it was an Adam Harrison book. Even though he's almost always a non-major character in the books, the ones that feature him are almost always great reads. This one generally followed that rule.

A secret government unit is formed under the oversight of Adam Harrison, famed paranormal investigator. The six members he’s gathered know a little of the otherworldly—each has honed a psychic talent of their own.

Jackson Crow, part English, part Cheyenne, heads the group. Haunted by his experience with an ancestral ghost who saved his life as a child, and the recent murders of two previous teammates, Jackson can’t tell if Adam’s demoted him or given him an extraordinary opportunity. Despite his link to the realm of spirits, he’s well aware that the living commit the most heinous crimes, with spiritualist charlatans existing merely to fool and seduce the unwary.

To counterbalance Jackson’s careful skepticism, Adam Harrison has paired him with Angela Hawkins, a young woman who learned the painful lesson of loss at an early age. A police officer utilizing her paranormal intuition in Virginia, she already has her hands full. But Adam’s call to New Orleans is strong.

The case: In a historic mansion in New Orleans’s French Quarter, a senator’s wife falls to her death from a balcony. Most think she jumped, distraught over the loss of her young son. Some say she was pushed. And yet others believe she was beckoned by the ghostly spirits that inhabit the house—once the site of a serial killer’s grisly work.

Whether supernatural or all too human, crimes of passion, greed and desire will cast the pair into danger of losing their lives...and their immortal souls.

I was sucked into this book incredibly quickly & I feel that most readers will be as well. I was also quite taken with both the official pairing in this book as well as the potential pairings for future books as well. (I doubt this book will be the last we've seen of this team.) The plot moves along very quickly & I was glad to see that the couple in this book doesn't play a huge amount of love games.

The only downfall to this book is that while the premise is wonderful & the interaction between our two leads has tons of chemistry, the "whodunnit" of the book just seemed a little well, farfetched & overly complicated. There's several different things going on at once & the ending just seemed a little rushed, as if Graham had intended for something more & just ran out of room. I couldn't help but feel like it was just a teensy bit anti-climactic.

Overall though, this was an incredibly fun read & it's very much a turn in the right direction for Graham. It's not a complete return to her earlier greatness but it's in the same vein- enough so that longtime fans will enjoy this book & new readers will find themselves wanting to read more of her work.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: In the Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane

Title: In the Arms of Stone Angels
Author: Jordan Dane
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 03/22/2010
ISBN: 0373210299







I finished this a few days ago but waited to post the review because I had to stop & kind of chew over what I was going to say about this book. The reason behind that is mostly due to the fact that I had quite a few criticisms with the book but still enjoyed it as a whole. If you don't want to listen to my criticisms (which I will warn you, are a little spoilerish) & just want to know if this is a good read, then I'll just say it right here: it's a good read & I do recommend it for the most part. Now on to the more full review.

Two years ago, Brenna did the unthinkable. She witnessed the aftermath of a murder and accused her only true friend--the first boy she ever loved--of being a killer.

Now sixteen, Brenna returns to Oklahoma only to discover that Isaac "White Bird" Henry isn't in juvie. The half-breed outcast is in a mental hospital, frozen in time, locked in his mind at the worst moment of his life. And when Brenna touches him, she's pulled into his hellish vision quest, seeing terrifying demons and illusions she doesn't understand.

Feeling isolated and alone, she's up against the whole town, targeted by bullying former classmates, a bigoted small town sheriff, and a tribe who refuses to help one of their own. But when Brenna realizes she's as trapped by the past as White Bird is, this time she won't turn her back on him. She's the only one who can free them both.

Even if she has to expose her secret--a "gift" she's kept hidden her whole life.

As far as the plot goes, this had a pretty intriguing hook. This does deal with spirits & ghosts, but rather than just be another "girl sees ghosts & does some sleuthing" type of book, Dane tried to bring in elements of Native American mysticism & work slightly out of the box while still stick to the tried & true trope. (Not that there's anything wrong with the trope- being common does not equal being bad.) This part works out fairly well & Brenna's a nice spunky enough heroine in that she refuses to give up despite a lot of obstacles in her path.

That's where some of my spoiler criticisms come in. A few of the obstacles were far too underdeveloped. After turning in her friend & moving to another state, Brenna supposedly takes up cutting. This is a very huge thing, yet in the book it's very suddenly brought up & very suddenly dropped. We're pretty much given no hint that Brenna does this earlier in the book & after burying her cutting blade, that's really where the mention of the cutting stops. It's not brought up again later, something that I really found hard to believe- especially since Brenna's been given such a hard time by so many people in the town. I would have been happy with a few sentences sprinkled here & there about how Brenna had the temptation to cut or maybe more harassment by the local mean teens about it, but that's not here. For that matter, the way the local bullies discover that Brenna cuts is a pretty traumatic event. I'm not going to list what happened during or immediately after the event, but needless to say it's something that would cause many to curl up into a tiny ball & Brenna bounces back from it a little too quickly & cleanly. I also couldn't help but wish that we'd gotten a little more description about how Brenna learned about her abilities & how she'd dealt with them during her time away- it'd have made her cutting have more of an impact & given us more of an insight into her character.

Elements like these were woefully underdeveloped while other parts such as the Native American elements & her interactions with White Bird are far more fleshed out. It just made for a somewhat uneven reading experience.

I don't want you to think that this was a bad read, though. Despite my criticisms I managed to speed through the book pretty quickly & found it an addictive & easy read. It's something that I'd definitely recommend for you to read, but I'd probably suggest checking it out from the library or borrowing a friend's copy to glance through first. It's no Soul Screamers but it's still well worth reading.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm? by Perry Romanowski

Title: Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm?
Author: Perry Romanowski
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 02/15/2011
ISBN: 0373892349







My friends will all vouch for me when I say that I'm not all that much of a fashionista or into makeup. That's why I usually am not interested in some of the must have tomes such as Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me. I do, however, have an interest in lip balm & that's what ultimately made me curious about this book. (Much like Napoleon Dynamite, my lips chap "real bad" & I'm always on the lookout for awesome lip balm.)

Why does my shampoo stop working?
Are my cosmetics poisoning me?
What does hypoallergenic mean?
Are organic products better?

Every day thousands of people turn to the scientists at the popular blog THEBEAUTYBRAINS.COM for answers to their most pressing beauty questions. In Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm? * you’ll learn how cosmetic products work, what advertising claims actually mean, and how to make smarter buying decisions.

YOU’LL DISCOVER THAT:
• Salon products are not necessarily better than products you can buy in the store.
• Some of the most expensive cosmetics are made by the same companies that make the less expensive brands, and often the same formulas are used in both.
• You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars to look and feel good.

YOU’LL ALSO FIND:
• 4 ways to tell if your cosmetic has expired
• 5 home beauty gadgets that really work
• 4 easy tips to longer, stronger nails
• and much, much more!
* You can! See chapter 6.

The book covers a wide variety of subjects (one of which is the titular lip balm question), which runs from hair care to makeup to pore strips. While I'll admit that some of the information such as the listing of ingredients occasionally went over my head (some of them I'd never heard of before & had no idea what they were), the questions & answers in the book were always interesting to read. Even better, there's always a 'Bottom Line' at the end of each question that gives a brief synopsis & say-so for the ones that aren't as savvy on all of the lingo unleashed in the answer.

Is this a must buy? Well... maybe not for everyone. People who are intrigued by what goes on in your personal care items will want it, as will those who are interested in going into the beauty industry. Those who are just getting into makeup & such will find it helpful. Everyone else might not be swayed by it, but I've no doubt that they'll find it interesting enough for at least one read. This was just a really easy book to read, so there's no fear of getting lost in professional jargon.

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Book Review: One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen

Title: One Hundred Candles (Past Midnight #2)

Author: Mara Purnhagen

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: 03/01/2011

ISBN: 037321023X

Ever wonder what it might be like to talk to ghosts? How about being part of a family business where the goal is to scientifically disprove the existence of said ghosts? If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like then this book is for you.

I’ve opened a door that cannot be closed.

It’s taken a long time for me to feel like a normal teenager. But now that I’m settled in a new school, where people know me as more than Charlotte Silver of the infamous Silver family paranormal investigators, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with a popular football star like Harris Abbott? After all, it’s not as if Noah is anything more than a friend...

But my new life takes a disturbing turn when Harris brings me to a party and we play a game called One Hundred Candles. It seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until spirits unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now my friends and family are in very real danger, and the door that I’ve opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences.

While I liked the first volume in this series, I have to admit that Purnhagen definitely kicked it up a notch in this book. Charlotte has a lot to deal with- her crush on Noah seems to be going nowhere & the supernatural event in the previous book is causing lots of problems between her parents. (Her mom is more sympathetic to the supernatural, her father still isn't.) Many books in this vein have the heroine hiding events like this from her family, so when you do get books like this it's interesting to read how it affects a family- especially one that bases their whole career around debunking stuff like this.

The pacing in this book is much better than in the previous book & now that the groundwork has been laid, we get to see much more character development & supernatural spookies. The only downfall is that some readers might be able to guess at what's going to happen about halfway through the book, but odds are that they'll be having so much fun that they really won't care about that.

Readers won't have to have read the previous book in the series to know what is going on in this book, but it'll help. The previous events are summarized briefly in this book, so they won't feel too left out in the dark. This really is forming into a promising series & while it isn't going to knock Soul Screamers out of its spot as my #1 favorite UF teen series, it's up there in my top 5.

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Book Review: My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Steal (SoulScreamers #4)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 01/01/2011
ISBN:0373210272







Before I start, let me just let you know that if you haven't been following along in the series then this is not a good place to start. There's a lot of back story that needs to be read & the first three books in this series are well worth reading. If you're curious about the series, yet can't get to a bookstore or library right away, you can still read the prequel to the series My Soul To Lose free from Vincent's website.

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can't just pretend nothing happened. But "complicated" doesn't even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn't just an ordinary girl. She's a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people's fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn't above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

Following up on the events of the previous book, Vincent strives to give her characters depth as Kaylee not only tries to get over the idea of someone wearing her skin like a glove, but also that Nash is truly sorry for what he did as a result of his addiction. Vincent might not show all of the negatives of getting over an addiction, but that's not the drive of this series.

Along for the ride is the new character of Sabine, a character that will have many readers either squealing with glee at her mean girl personality or huffing in frustration at the things she does to our heroine. No worries about disliking her to the point of disliking the book- there's enough likable details to Sabine to keep her from going too overboard. She definitely gives Sophie a run for her money in the "complete jerk to Kaylee" contest. I won't spoil things for anyone, but some of the nightmares she gives Kaylee are pretty horrible. While the introduction of a rival for Nash's affections is intriguing, there also seems to be a few potential love interests developing for Kaylee as well.

I was honestly intrigued by this book & I can't wait for the next volume to come out. There's a few interesting suggestions brought up in this book (mostly surrounding Kaylee & her love life) that I really would like to see explored more in the next book. As with the previous books, this series is just plain fun to read, whether you're 14 or 40.

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Book Review: Night of the Vampires by Heather Graham

Title: Night of the Vampires
Author: Heather Graham
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 11/23/2010
ISBN: 0373774869

As a soldier, Cole Granger fights to restore peace to a world divided by war and evil. His extraordinary talents are enlisted to prevent the president's horrific premonition from becoming reality. Nothing—and no one—will stop him from fulfilling his duty. Especially the mysterious young woman who claims to be his comrade's sister. Enemy or ally, he can't yet determine. But one thing he knows for certain is that he must keep her close. Very close.

Megan Fox's quest to uncover a family secret leads her to the center of vampire riots in West Virginia. To find the answers she needs—and clear herself of suspicion—she must join forces with Cole. They work undercover to bring justice, but they can't disguise the potent attraction and need that draw them together. Yet trust doesn't come easily for Cole…and when Megan unearths the grim, dark truth, can she trust him to believe her?

There’s just something about a heroine with the name “Megan Fox” that makes me take that character a little less seriously. I know it isn’t fair, but I can’t help but imagine the actress each time I read the book & wonder if Heather Graham had been watching trailers for Jonah Hex when she was inspired to write this book. Mercifully this book isn’t as horrible as Jonah Hex was. To Graham’s defense though, this is more of a re-imagining of history ala Pride, Prejudice, & Zombies, though. (But with vampires.)

Graham has managed to weave the supernatural & history together incredibly well, to the point where it is honestly believable. Readers will love the little history references as well as the interaction between Megan & Cole. Also interesting is the mini-rivalry between Megan & one of the other female characters in the book (not mentioning who due to spoiler issues later in the book)- unfortunately it is woefully underserved for the vast majority of the book.

Unfortunately this isn’t really amazing fare for Graham. She’s had better in the past & this is sort of mediocre for her. It’s good, but apart from the mixture of history & horror there isn’t much here that’s new for her. This just wasn’t Graham at her best.

Still, this is a worthwhile book & it was quite a bit of fun to read. True, it isn’t her best but I would still recommend it to fans of Graham or for those who like seeing things re-imagined.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: Manifest by Artist Arthur

Title: Manifest (Mystyx #1)
Author: Artist Arthur
Publisher: Kimani
Release Date: 09/01/2010
ISBN: 037383196X

When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.

But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener—and everything she'd ever want—except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door—Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?

If you're one of the people who are wondering where all of the black heroines are in the YA supernatural genre, then you'll be glad to know that Arthur gives you just that. You'll be even more glad to know that she has managed to write an interesting tale full of strange powers as well as ominous threats as well. Arthur has a very real talent for not only penning a good phrase, but also making us care about her characters' feelings. Krystal's anguish over her parents' divorce as well as being uprooted to a new area is one of the strongest themes of the book.

However where the story falls short is in character definition. While readers are sure to identify with her characters in at least some regard, many will long for a little more information & background on not only her main characters, but to her secondary characters as well. Since this is an ongoing series, hopefully this will change over time but some readers will still wish for a little more to start off with.

Overall this is a decent tale that is sure to entertain & while it doesn't stand out as much as series such as "SoulScreamers", it is one that I would recommend for any fan of YA UF.

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Book Review: The Sevenfold Spell by Tia Nevitt

Title: The Sevenfold Spell (Book 1 of the Accidental Enchantments series)
Author: Tia Nevitt
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: 09/27/2010
ISBN: 9781426890604








If you're a fan of fairy tales or even if you're not, you've more than likely heard the tale of Sleeping Beauty or seen one of the many different film versions of it. You know the princess, the good fairies, the evil fairy who conspires to commit murder by spinning wheel, as well as the prince who eventually breaks the spell & wins the girl. But what about the other people, the ones who are hurt by the destruction of the kingdom's spinning wheels?

Nevitt gives us her own interpretation of this well loved fairytale, choosing to focus on a plain young spinner-in-training rather than on the princess Aurora. Our heroine of the tale is Talia, a hopelessly plain girl with a face full of warts who has no prospective suitors... save for one boy. When the ban on spinning wheels ruins her already slim chances of getting his father's approval, Talia sees her young friend being sent away to a monastery & decides to give him the only thing she has left: her maidenhood. From that moment on the tale of Sleeping Beauty begins to take its toll on all of the kingdom's inhabitants, pushing Talia ever closer to that inevitable moment where both her future & the Princess Auroras are entwined.

Fans of fairy tales will be excited to read this new interpretation because it's always fun to see how people can re-imagine these tales. All will be drawn into Nevitt's energetic & intriguing storytelling abilities. Many readers will love that the focus falls on a heroine who isn't perfection itself & that doesn't decide to sit & pine away for one person. Talia's actions aren't always the best but she doesn't sit & mope or wait for someone to sweep her off her feet. Nevitt also tackles the story with a sense of humor that many (myself included) will appreciate & find themselves laughing out loud at.

The only real complaint some might find is that while the ending is a satisfying one, it felt a little out of joint with the tone the story had been having until that point in time. This might be due to the story's length- it's only about 70 pages long, so the tale does progress very quickly. It's still a fun story overall & well worth the purchase so you can read & re-read this incredibly addictive story. With Nevitt promising more stories in this series I can only hope that I'll enjoy them as much as I did this one.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: To Wish or Not to Wish by Mindy Klasky

Title: To Wish or Not to Wish (Book 3 in the 'As You Wish' trilogy)
Author: Mindy Klasky
Publisher: Mira
Release Date: 10/01/2010
ISBN: 0778328309
Buy it from Amazon.com!






Love Sophie Kinsella? Like Meg Cabot? Longing for your next Kyra Davis fix? Then you'll love Mindy Klasky. Mixing everything that is so much fun from each author (minus Davis' mystery themes) & adding a sizable dollop of magic, Klasky manages to create a book that 'chick-lit' readers are sure to love!

Aspiring actress Erin Hollister believes that bad things come in threes. First she goes to an audition where she's sent packing before she's even able to complete the first sentence. Then she loses the catering job that was supposed to support her until she made her big break. Her third is that after a pregnancy scare her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her. It isn't until a co-worker (at her second job) gives her an unexpected gift of the use of a beautiful loft & a tarnished lamp. Little does Erin know that this lamp has a gender bending genie with the potential to grant her four wishes. While her first two wishes were easy, Erin soon discovers that some of the best things in life don't come from wishing & that her wishing is on a deadline!

While this is the third & last book in the 'As You Wish' trilogy, readers will like that they'll be able to pick this last book up without worry of missing out on anything major. (Although like me, they'll probably end it wanting to find the other books in the series.) They'll also love watching Erin stumble through her wishes & indecision over what to wish for & whom she should be with. Although it'll be quite clear to readers what Erin should be wishing for & who she should end up with, half the fun is getting to that point. Readers wanting more serious fare should look elsewhere- this book is almost entirely a lighthearted read.

Readers will love this frothy & light read. It's perfect for that carry along book that you sneak-read inbetween work & other obligations. The only thing it isn't perfect for is reading before bedtime because you'll end up wanting to continue reading.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)