Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Contemporary Thriller/Romance

Subjects: survival, hostages, crime, winter, mystery, love, mystery

Setting: Wyoming

POV/Tense: 1^st person past tense: Britt

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 392 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover/Paperback

List Price: $18.99/$9.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster: BFYR

Summary/ product description: “Danger is hard to resist in this sexy thriller from Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Britt Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there…and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

“Rife with psychological twists exploring themes of revenge, misogyny, and familial duty” (Publishers Weekly), Black Ice is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous…”

My Review:  Black Ice was so much better than I expected. I’m not usually into books without and sci-fi or paranormal stuff, but I do love a good mystery. Black Ice has the survival situation of a dystopian novel and a dark romance that’s to die for. Britt was planning on spending spring-break hiking in the Teton mountains of Wyoming with her friend Korbie.

When the weather takes a deadly turn on their way to Korbie’s family cabin, they exit the vehicle to seek shelter. One of the guys who are in the shelter they come was Mason, a guy Britt saw earlier at 7 Eleven and a friend of his. Britt ends up in a hostage situation, having to lead the guys out of the mountains or face death. It’s scary for her and she had to leave Korbie behind. Britt plans on finding help and escaping her captors, but it’s harder than she thought. The weather isn’t cooperating and she doesn’t have much supplies. Bad stuff happens and dark secrets unfold.

Black Ice is a perfectly thrilling winter read. I recommend reading it during a blizzard. It’s heart-pounding and page-turning. It’s the kind of book that would make you nervous. I don’t think I’d ever get in a situation like Britt has. I do kind of feel like she made some stupid decisions at the beginning. People should not go into the mountain to hike in March. I watch Prospectors on the Weather Channel and they say the snow is usually around through May. I love the setting of Wyoming. Unearthly is the only Wyoming series I’ve read. This book doesn’t show case the touristy side though. It shows the treacherousness of the mountain climate.

I’m happy I read this and would definitely recommend it. The romance seems like Stockholm syndrome, but it is kind of hot. If you love books about survival or murder and crime or mystery, it’s a must read. It reminds me of some movies like The Gray. There are animal attacks and hunting and all kinds of crazy stuff. I love Becca Fitzpatrick’s book. I still need to finish her Hush, Hush series though.

Cover Art Review: I think I prefer the newer cover, but the old is okay.

Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Contemporary Thriller/Romance

Subjects: witness protection, crime, identity, secrets, addiction, summer, small towns

Setting: Thunder Basin, Nebraska

POV/Tense: 1^st person past tense: Estella Goodwin (Stella Gordan)

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 384 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $18.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster: BFYR

Summary/ product description: “A teen is forced to make a fresh start after witnessing a violent crime—but love and danger find her anyway in this novel from Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Stella Gordon is not her real name. Thunder Basin, Nebraska, is not her real home. This is not her real life.

After witnessing a lethal crime, Stella Gordon is sent to the middle of nowhere for her own safety before she testifies against the man she saw kill her mother’s drug dealer.

But Stella was about to start her senior year with the boyfriend she loves. How can she be pulled away from the only life she knows and expected to start a new one in Nebraska? Stella chafes at her protection and is rude to everyone she meets. She’s not planning on staying long, so why be friendly? Then she meets Chet Falconer and it becomes harder to keep her guard up, even as her guilt about having to lie to him grows.

As Stella starts to feel safer, the real threat to her life increases—because her enemies are actually closer than she thinks…

My Review:  It’s not to often I read a book without any fantasy, paranormal or sci-fi elements, but when I do my go-to genera is mystery thrillers. This one didn’t really have a lot of crazy scary thrills, but it did have a hot cowboy. And all I could think of was Tucker from Unearthly, my favorite contemporary cowboy. Chet would now be my second favorite. Most of the book Stella didn’t want Chet romantically, but cowboys are hard to resist.

Dangerous Lies is about Estella Goodwin, who’s given the fake name Stella Gordon and put in witness protection after witnessing her mother’s drug dealer murdering a guy in her home. She ends up in Thunder Basin, Nebraska, which is a small rural town. Carmina, a retired policewoman is taking care of her during her stay. She’s a very tough no-nonsense woman. Stella’s not happy about her situation, but then she mets Chet, the cowboy next store who care for his younger teenage brother ever since their parents we killed by a drunk driver. Chet’s helpful and kind, but Carmina doesn’t seem to like him. Stella befriends him. She also gets a summer job at a diner and make friend with her coworker Inny.

This book was loads of fun, surprisingly. I love the setting. It’s awesome. Summer in Nebraska with country stuff. Sounds like the perfect escape. I love it when fun stuff happen in books, like picnics, rodeos, summer-y things. This is the perfect summer book and makes me wish it was still summer. I love country western stuff to. I imagined accents from the characters, but I’m not sure people in western Nebraska sound like Texans. Probably not. I’ve only been to Nebraska once on my way to Colorado in 2003. It’s pretty much like South Dakota, but less touristy.

There’s a jerk named Trigger in this book. He seems to recognize Stella but can’t place her. He plays baseball and he might even get into the majors. I figured out why her recognized her early on. It was pretty obvious. Stella’s boyfriend Reed was also put into witness protection, but she doesn’t know where. He used to play baseball also. Stella used to play basketball in high school, and Chet say he did too. Stella joins a coed softball team. So, lots of sport stuff mentioned. I’m not athletic, so I don’t care. I used to play basketball for fun, but I wasn’t that great.

I recommend this book to fans of YA thrillers by Cat Patrick, Romily Bernard, Michelle Gagnon, and other, and series like Becoming Mara Dyer (which I have not read, but I understand that Mara Dyer was a fake name). Also, Black Ice, another Becca-thriller I need to read.

Cover Art Review: Simple. Definitely says thriller. I love the raindrop embossment texture. I love stroking this cover.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Paranormal/Horror

Subjects: supernatural, ghosts, spirits, death, afterlife, hauntings, asylums

Setting: An ex-Asylum in Pennsylvania

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense: Delia

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 329 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover 

List Price: $18.99

Publisher: Scholastic: Point

Summary/ product description: “In this asylum, your mind plays tricks on you all the time…

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females—an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls—truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

From master of suspense Katie Alender comes a riveting tale of twisted memories and betrayals, and the meaning of madness.”

My Review: I was surprised by this book. I’ve been having a hard time making time to read over the past few weeks and this is the first book that I’ve finished this fast in months. I’ve only read one other book by this author, Bad Girls Don’t Die. This is similar and different. That book was about possession, and this one is about the afterlife.

Delia and her family go to the home of her great-aunt Cordelia, which turns out to be an ex-asylum for trouble girls. This place is haunted. And very soon in the story something causes Delia to jump out a window and kill herself. Delia become a ghost, trapped on the property, forced to live out her afterlife in the last place she’d want to be.

I’ve read a few books in which the main character is a ghost. This one a kind of interesting take. There’s weird time jumps and freezes. Time becomes unpredictable for Delia and she ends up staring out a window for about two year, frozen. Four years after her death is when things get really interesting and she sees her sister as a teen. Delia’s sister Janie has been deeply affected by Delia’s death and want to contact Delia’s spirit.

Delia’s met the other ghost girls of Hysteria Hall. Florence, Eliza and Maria, and a few others. Eliza’s British and Florence is from the south. Maria’s very strange and wears a sheet like a ghost costume. There’s Theo, the dead boy on the ground who’s never entered the house and also become a love interest to Delia.

This book is very fun, creepy, light and fast. It’s a standalone. I definitely recommend it. I recommend this to those who enjoyed: Asylum by Madeleine Roux, Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker, Hereafter by Tara Hudson, Anna Dresses in Blood by Kendare Blake, Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, and Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke.

Cover Art Review: The cover is sparkly opalline paper. It’s creepy, ghostly. It fits the book.