Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

***I received an eARC copy of this book from Edelweiss via Little, Brown & Company in exchange for an honest review

Ketchup Clouds

Releases November 12, 2013

Goodreads Description:

Dear Mr. S. Harris, 

Ignore the blob of red in the top left corner. It's jam, not blood, though I don't think I need to tell you the difference. It wasn't your wife's jam the police found on your shoe. . . . 

Zoe has an unconventional pen pal-Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other. 

Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe's letters, but at least somebody will know her story-somebody who knows what it's like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.

Rising literary star Annabel Pitcher pens a captivating second novel, rich with her distinctive balance between humor and heart. Annabel explores the themes of first love, guilt, and grief, introducing a character with a witty voice and true emotional resonance. 

My Thoughts:

When I first saw the synopsis I knew I HAD to read this book. It was such an intriguing story line where a teenage girl confesses murdering someone to a man on death row. I was leery of the book being written in the form of letters mainly but it actually turned out really well. I would highly recommend this book for any reader that loves YA and looking for a quick, gripping read. 

See my full review:

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=40119

My Rating:

♥♥♥♥

Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris

***I received an ARC copy of this book from Fresh Fiction via Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1)

Goodreads Description:

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas. 

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no. 

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

My Thoughts:

This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. My emotions were so entwined with everything that Colby and Jason went through. My stomach was literally in knots in some moments because I was so nervous about the outcome of the situation. I can NOT recommend this book enough. Actually I recommend ANY of Rachel Harris' books. GO READ THEM ALL NOW!!!!

See my full review:

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=39843

My Rating:

♥♥♥♥♥

The Social Code by Sadie Hayes

***I received an ARC copy of this book from Fresh Fiction via St Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review

The Social Code (The Start-Up #1)

Goodreads Description:

In a world where anyone can rise to the top, the only rule is... watch your back.

Eighteen-year-old twins Adam and Amelia Dory learned the hard way to rely only on each other, growing up in a small town where they understood the meaning of coming from nothing. But everything changes when both are offered scholarships to Stanford University – and catapulted into the dazzling world of Silicon Valley, where anyone with a good enough idea can skyrocket to fame and fortune in the blink of an eye…

Amelia is almost as pretty as she is smart – almost. A shy girl and genius, she is happiest alone in the computer lab, but her brother has other plans for her talents: A new company that will be the next Silicon Valley hit, and will thrust Amelia into the spotlight whether she likes it or not. Where Amelia’s the brains, Adam’s the ambition – he sees the privileged lifestyle of the Silicon Valley kids and wants a piece of what they have. He especially wants a piece of Lisa Bristol, the stunning daughter of one of the Valley’s biggest tycoons.

As Adam and Amelia begin to hatch their new company, they find themselves going from nothing to the verge of everything seemingly overnight. But no amount of prestige can prepare them for the envy, backstabbing and cool calculation of their new powerful peers.

Welcome to Silicon Valley, where fortune, success – and betrayal – are only a breath away...

My Thoughts:

I went back in forth in some parts of this book about whether I loved it or not, but in all it ended up winning me over. The story was interesting enough and the ending definitely left me wanting more. I think the main thing that threw me off was the point of view and all the alternating characters. However I would still recommend this book because the story was interesting enough that it made the slight issues not matter much in the end. 

See my full review:

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=39842

My Rating:
♥♥♥♥

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason

***I received an ARC copy of this book from Fresh Fiction via Chronicle Books in exchange for an honest review 

The Clockwork Scarab (Stoker and Holmes #1)

Goodreads Description:

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.

Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims.

My Thoughts:

I completely adored this book. It had such a Sherlock Holmes feel it was unreal. Gleason did an excellent job in this mystery mixed with Egyptian mythology, steampunk, and time travel. I can't wait for installment #2 releasing next Fall. I really urge everyone to give this fun, quick read a try. It will not disappoint. ;) 

See my full review:

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=39694

My Rating:

❤❤❤❤❤