The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (Montague Siblings #3) by Mackenzi Lee

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Adrian Montague has a bright future. The sole heir to his father's estate, he is an up and coming political writer and engaged to an activist who challenges and inspires him. But most young Lords aren't battling the debilitating anxiety Adrian secretly lives with, or the growing fear that it might consume him and all he hopes to accomplish. In the wake of his mother's unexpected death, Adrian is also concerned people will find out that he has the mental illness she struggled with for years.

When a newly found keepsake of hers-a piece of a broken spyglass-comes into Adrian's possession, he's thrust into the past and finds himself face to face with an older brother he never knew he had. Henry "Monty" Montague has been living quietly in London for years, and his sudden appearance sends Adrian on a quest to unravel family secrets that only the spyglass can answer.

In pursuit of answers about the relic, the brothers chart a course to locate their sister Felicity. But as they travel between the pirate courts of Rabat, Portuguese islands, the canals of Amsterdam, and into unknown Artic waters, the Montague siblings are thrown into one final adventure as they face a ghostly legend that threatens their whole family.

Return to the enchanting world of the Montague siblings in the finale to the New York Times bestselling and Stonewall Honor-winning series, featuring a teenage Adrian Montague as he desperately seeks the now adult Monty and Felicity-the older siblings he never knew he had. 

Source: NetGalley; ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

There was no shortage of excitement when I found out I was approved for the arc of this book. The Henry "Monty" Montague and Felicity Montague are probably my favorite fictional siblings because their humor and dry wit speak to my soul. I'm so glad Lee takes us back to introduce us to the youngest Montague, Adrian whom the siblings left behind when they left to seek adventure and carve their own paths.

The instant we meet Adrian we learn he's unlike his older siblings. He suffers from anxiety and OCD and has a difficult time with things that most of us would assume are mundane. His spitfire of a fiance, Louisa not only loves Adrian to pieces but also knows how to help him through his challenging moments. He's an aspiring social justice warrior, writing articles anonymously to draw attention to the plight of workers, much to his father's chagrin. After his father gives him a box of his deceased mother's belongings, Adrian becomes curious about one item in particular - a broken spyglass. For some reason, he feels that this spyglass is the key to finding out why she was "sad" and why she died. His curiosity leads him to finding Monty. He didn't even know he had an older sibling, much less two. Explaining his thought process and suspicions about their mother to Monty, Monty agrees to accompany him to Portugal to learn more about the shipwreck that his mother had been involved in. Obviously, this means a detour to find Felicity is in order. Adrian, who's never ventured far and who isn't exactly made of X Games material is thrust into a whole new world of pirates, espionage and family secrets. 

I enjoyed this high flying adventure! Monty is always a blast and I was so happy to experience his special brand of Monty-ness again! He is all melodrama and jokes whereas Felicity is quietly effective and biting. Poor Adrian, his entire world thrown upside down and these two non-conforming people to lead him through it. Aside from the thrill and danger of their epic travels, Adrian's story is about his own self-discovery. His concerns that he might suffer from the same ailment that plagued his mother is constantly weighing on him. Monty and Felicity recognize that Adrian is different and do tend to tread lightly around him when the moment calls for it. I so appreciated that they never sought to tell him to get over it. They simply tried to gently lead him to clarity or ride through the wave with him. 

Lee says in her notes that NGSS centers heavily around mental health issues and that she pulled from her own her own experiences to tell Adrian's story, and that while they might resonate with some, they do not speak for all. She goes on to explain from a historical context how anxiety and depression were labelled, diagnosed and treated within the constraints of the medical knowledge of the time. As always, the historical details are what bring me to Lee's novels and this time the Montague siblings are embroiled in the myth of The Flying Dutchman - the legendary ghost ship. I had heard of The Flying Dutchman but was not familiar with much else about it. Adrian's desperation to find it spurs the adventure into dangerous waters and life-threatening situations, all so he can understand the mystery that is his mother and what changed her years ago. In understanding what happened to her, he hopes it will help explain why he is the way he is, and possibly avoid the same fate as her.

I love this series for its adventuresome fun, intrigue and let's face it, whenever Monty is involved, shenanigans. Never a dull moment is had when he's around, though with this family reunion, Monty does revisit his unhappy childhood and tries to come to peace with where he's at in his life. He's happy with his love, Percy but still feels unworthy thanks to many years of toxic treatment at his father's hand. So while the overall tone of The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks is that of breathtaking exploits, there is some gravitas to it, as well. I think Lee handles it very well and I'm sad that the series is now over, but I am oh so grateful for the ride along!

~ Bel

Content Warning/Trigger Warning:

- anxiety, OCD, (on page; Adrian throughout the story), depression (memory; the siblings' mother), suicide (inferred; the siblings' mother), physical abuse (memory; Monty's memory of what his father did to him)

Uncharted (Survival Instincts #2) by Adriana Anders

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Hotshot pilot Leo Eddowes is afraid of nothing and no one. So when she's asked to evacuate a man from the wilds of Alaska, she doesn't hesitate. But with enemies in close pursuit and the weather turning sour, what should have been a simple mission quickly shifts to disaster.

And there's only one way out.

When Elias Thorne disappeared, he was America's most wanted. Now he's spent more than a decade in one of the most remote places on earth, guarding a dangerous secret. Leo's arrival, quickly followed by a team of expert hunters, leaves him no choice but to join forces with her—and run. Neither is prepared for their reluctant partnership to flare into something as wild and untamed as the frozen world around them...but as desperately cold days melt into scorchingly hot nights, Leo and Elias must learn to dig deep, trust in each other, and forge a bond as strong as the forces of nature.

Stranded together in a frozen wilderness,

There's nowhere left to run...

*Source: ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

When you pick up Uncharted you need to sit down, buckle up and settle in because once the action starts it keeps going. There's barely enough time to take in an entire breath when the next thing happens and so on.

Uncharted continues the fight or flight tension of the first book. Once again people are after the deadly virus that was first discovered in Antarctica and there are many actors in this game. So many one's not sure who's on which side. Leo doesn't begin this adventure in the best way. The little Alaskan town she and her team have been hiding out in while searching for an elusive scientist is suddenly taken hostage by an armed group working for a nefarious organization. Not good when she's trying to get over a stomach bug. She manages to get out aided by a local who insists that she help her find her nephew and save him from the danger that's coming. Leo, who's a skilled pilot is still shot down and Elias, the guy she was sent by the local to look for, comes to her rescue. It's touch and go for a bit because she's badly injured, in and out of consciousness and that only slows down their escape. In her lucid moments she tries to figure out if Elias can be trusted and/or of he's the guy she and her team have been looking for. When the hunters get close, the chase is pretty much nonstop from there. And it only gets more harrowing in the rough Alaskan wilderness. 

This was a blast to read! I needed a change of pace and this was definitely it. It's suspenseful and thrilling, and when Leo and Elias decide they can trust each other, it only becomes more intense. A lot of their attraction and chemistry comes from the situation they find themselves in, but they also make sense. They compliment each other beautifully in terms of attitude and grit. Elias has been hiding out in the wilderness for so long that he needs for someone to be able to handle that, too. Leo has just as much grit as he does. The big surprise for me was how much I ended up liking a certain hunter - Ash. His role in everything is not exactly clear but boy, oh boy, does he have the stealthy bad boy vibe down. Combined with an English accent and he is freaking sexy to me. I must know more about this mysterious operative. 

Uncharted is ceaseless high-octane fun with tender and steamy interludes thrown in. There's also a a dog (Bo), and who doesn't love a human's best friend that's in on the adventure and looking out for them? I had an awesome time reading this and I'm excited for more to come!

~ Bel

Hell Breaks Loose (Devil's Rock #2) by Sophie Jordan

* * * 3/4



Hell hath no hunger like a man let out of a cage . . .

Shy and awkward, First Daughter Grace Reeves has always done what she’s told. Tired of taking orders, she escapes her security detail for a rare moment of peace. Except her worst nightmare comes to life when a ruthless gang of criminals abducts her. Her only choice is to place her trust in Reid Allister, an escaped convict whose piercing gaze awakens something deep inside her. Reid is nothing like her other captors.

He’s tougher, smarter…and one blistering look from him makes her hotter than any man ever has.

Reid spent years plotting escape and revenge . . .years without a woman in his bed. For this hardened felon, Grace Reeves isn’t just out of his league—she’s from another planet, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her. Escaping Devil’s Rock was tough, but resisting this woman could be the end of him. For a man with nothing to lose, protecting her . . . claiming her as his own, becomes more necessary than his next breath.


Source: advance e-galley provided by Avon for an honest review


Sophie Jordan writes fun romances. Her Devil's Rock series featuring alpha males who are all about protecting what's theirs is no different though she always manages to soften them up a bit. Sheer pleasure and escapism is all the reason you need to read this!

Reid planned his escape from prison so that he could seek revenge on the man responsible for putting him there in the first place. He's forced to reassess his plans when he unwittingly gets involved in the kidnapping of the First Daughter. Now instead of just taking care of his business he has to worry about her safety and that of his brother who is one of the kidnappers. Grace wishes that she hadn't outsmarted her security detail because now she's hiding away in god knows where with some morally-challenged folk, frightened for her life. She senses that her kidnappers seem to be afraid of Reid and so she tries to appeal to his good side. Reid wants no part of this but he's ultimately a decent man and can't leave Grace to these thugs. The two of them must lie low while he figures out how to save them both.

I've already mentioned that Reid is a decent man. His humble backstory is sad and explains how he landed behind bars. Grace has lived her entire life in the public eye on the campaign trail with her parents. Constantly under pressure to present herself as a dutiful daughter who's part of a picture-perfect family has become tedious and not to mention a bitter experience. Everything she does is always up for scrutiny and heaven forbid she have a plan for her own life. She also comes off as a bit naive to me only because she hasn't ever had the chance to live normally. Despite the privileges she's had throughout her life, she's not elitist - something I appreciated about her. And though she has been kidnapped, the situation has its silver lining in that she gets to see what she's made of. I liked the connection that she and Reid made however difficult and dangerous it was to get there. The only thing that gave me pause was the ending. Grace and Reid falling in love has its own set of complications. It felt too easy for me but then again, I am reading this for the happily ever after and I expect them to get there some way, somehow. I guess it's up to our imaginations to fill in those blanks.

Hell Breaks Loose is another action-filled romance with some angst that's overall a fun, quick read. A criminal who turns things around. A young woman who unleashes her inner badass. Yeah, you need to spend some time with Reid and Grace!

~ Bel

Avenged (Altered #2) by Marnee Blake

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Source: e-galley provided by publisher

Three terrifying months.

That’s how long Kitty Laughton has been at the mercy of the scientist who experimented on her town, killing over a dozen people and giving the rest of them unique powers. But Kitty doesn’t feel powerful, especially when she learns the crazy man plans to test his research on more unsuspecting people. She refuses to let anyone else die, but trapped with no one to help her she’s out of options…that is until sexy and exasperating Nick Degrassi arrives.

Special-ops soldier Nick blames himself for Kitty’s capture, and he’ll do whatever he can to free the quiet beauty, but close quarters and a shared secret bring an attraction that neither of them expected. With the organization that started it all making mercenaries for hire, Nick and Kitty must save themselves and stop a madman…before it’s too late. 


Ever since I finished Altered, I've had this series in the back of my mind wanting to see everyone's fate once they were all scattered by the end of the first book. Avenged picks up three months later with Kitty being held captive by the people who wrought the heinous atrocity upon her hometown. As one of the few survivors, they have a special interest in her and her abilities that resulted from the drug they unleashed upon the civilians. She believes that she's on her own as no one has come to her rescue yet. She's proven wrong when Nick finally shows up unexpectedly and not entirely prepared. They hatch an escape plan and it's pure adrenaline from there.

One of the things I liked about Avenged is that the once the action starts there's almost no respite from it. Kitty and Nick are the main players in this sequel and are constantly on the go once they escape the clutches of their captors. They're in a rush against time to reunite with the others (Blue, Seth and trusted military personnel) to prevent the mad scientist from selling his research and drug on the black market.

I wanted an action-packed read and that's what I got. Things are by no means settled once you get to the end of Avenged - yep, another cliffhanger! Everyone is left in a quandary and with the stakes at an ultra high level, I am on edge to see how this ragtag group of unlikely friends manage to save themselves and the unsuspecting innocent lives out there.

~ Bel

Alex Van Helsing: The Triumph of Death by Jason Henderson

****

 

 

 

From HarperTeen:

Within months of discovering he's next in a long line of vampire hunters, Alex Van Helsing has already defeated two powerful vampire leaders. Not bad for a fourteen-year-old.

But when a newly risen vampire queen threatens the fate of the world, Alex faces his deadliest challenge yet. Teaming up with a motorcycle-riding witch, Alex jets between Switzerland, the UK, and Spain in a frantic race to prevent the queen from unleashing a curse that will plunge the world into darkness.

With the clock ticking, Alex barely has time to breathe, let alone see his friends, and he's beginning to wonder if being a vampire hunter is worth all its sacrifices. In this thrilling finale to the action-packed series described as "James Bond meets Dracula," everything—Alex's future and, ultimately, that of the world—hangs in the balance.

This third installment of AVH has Alex and a mysterious new friend, Astrid, trying to stop the “Triumph of Death” a spell which would create darkness and allow vampires to essentially take over the world.  While Alex discovers his magic half, races to save the world, and defies his superiors in the Polidorium, he struggles with how to be a friend and yet protect his friends at the same time.  And is it even possible to have friends or a personal life when you are fighting to save the world?

If I had to come up with one complaint about The Triumph of Death, it would be that we did not get enough time with Paul, Minhi and Sid.  They are such great characters and were such a huge part of the first two books, I missed them while reading Triumph. 

As with the rest of the series, The Triumph of Death was fast-paced action-adventure and completely irresistible.  Alex is such a lovable character and the world created by Henderson is so much fun.  Probably the most mature 14 year old I can think of Alex's adventures are great for all ages.  I've recommended this series to people from age 6 to adults in their 50s and 60s.  Whenever I recommend the AVH series to someone, I tell them to think of modern day Hardy Boys with high tech gadgets and vampires. 

I know the book description says that this is the final installment in the series, but I really hope that isn’t so.  I would hate to say goodbye to Alex and friends!   I have been thinking all day that I cannot be the only person who thinks AVH would make a great movie or tv series...

~Shel