All the Breaking Waves by Kerry Lonsdale | Rating: ★★★★☆

As a note, a copy of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

This novel surprised me quite a lot--I hadn't expected to like it for whatever reason; it felt promising but there's this moving quality to it that blew my expectations right out of the water. I went in thinking that the story would be one thing but came out realizing it was another thing entirely. Which is a fantastic feeling and I couldn't even put this one down while I was down with a gnarly flu--it just felt so captivating and... indescribable.

From what I understand, All the Breaking Waves is a departure from Lonsdale's previous work and have no doubt it shows off her incredibly versatile writing chops. In fact, I daresay I will check out her other release in woman's fiction: it was that good. Her prose has this undeniable spark to it that left me feeling goosebumps at even the most simplest of statements and so much in this is unforgettable. You know those novels that are perfect for dreary, wintery, chilled nights--paired with hot cocoa and silence? All the Breaking Waves is one of those gems.

Dark Touch by Aimee L. Slater | Rating: ★★★☆☆

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Dark Touch is a success in many ways: tackling abuse realistic and holding on to the aftermath it has on the victim, expressing a heart and soul that goes so deeply you almost forget it’s fiction. Aimee L. Slater has a certain sense of honesty in her prose that leads us to a dark and poetic experience and it’s what will ultimately make this release stand out in its genre. Another unique quality to it, is our lead Tully’s ability to transfer what she’s feeling by a simple touch–it adds a supernatural element to it but ultimately it’s not explained enough that you kind of can’t help but wish it had been left out.

That being said, Tully in particular is a great lead. Her voice as a narrator is something that provides us with chills and honesty. She’s easy to relate to and she could very much so be anyone. Although her story–the loss of her mother and then struggles of her home-life with an abusive, alcoholic father–is indeed fictional, it’s an all too real glimpse into many’s life. I physically hurt when I read what she has been subject to go through in the years, and it’s impossible to not want the best for her.

Tully is very broken in a lot of ways due to her upbringing and her past, and seeing all the nods to it and the effects it’s had on her is brutally honest and will surely shatter readers. Especially in the pages leading up to the climax and her own self sabotage. The more we learn about Tully, the more we love and root for her to find some sense of peace and establish a new life for herself.

Daemon Seer by Mary Maddox | Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5)

I had no power. Not as long as he and the others nested inside my head. I needed a way of shielding my thoughts. Talion said daemons couldn't possess Rad and Psycho Cop because their nature prevented it. Both men were psychopaths who enjoyed hurting people. It was their nature. What if I smothered my conscience? Maybe the daemons wouldn't be able to hurt me anymore.

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Going into Daemon Seer, I had high hopes–the summary showed promise of mystery, danger and intrigue just as much as the lingering remains of tragedy from the past. I looked forward to meeting Luanda and Lisa; seeing just how much the past had changed them and what danger remains.

I can’t image the pain and trauma the two girls suffered as teenagers by the hands of a sadistic serial killer named Rad.

Daemon Seer will seem familiar in all its horror and fantasy; these characters have been around before in a story telling the tales of their time having been captive and their first experiences with the darkness that follows. I haven’t read the novel in question, so I cannot speak on that one.

Academy Girls by Nora Carroll | Rating: ★★★★★

“Words once memorized came back to me: the more things stay the same, the more they change. A line among many lines I was led to believe would be worthwhile to remember. But that was a long time ago, when I was a girl in a circle of girls. When all of us believed that words mattered as much as money, flesh, and blood.”

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Ah, yes. Academy Girls, in spite of its borderline cheesy name and a summary that doesn’t do itself justice, it has earned a slot on my top reads of 2015–and of all time. Prepare to get swept away. There’s something realistic and dark and sweet about it that just makes you feel something you can’t explain.

So get your tabs or highlighters ready before reading this one, you’ll find yourself making note of a lot. I’m confident that it will catch many readers eyes more than once.

But how can I describe Academy Girls? Beautiful, brilliantly crafted, surprising, long lasting and full of genuine human emotion. It’s likely that it will haunt me in the days that come and it will take me a while to shake this story.

The Devil in the Corner by Patricia Elliott | Rating: ★★★★☆

"If a person suffers dreadful dreams of their past, bad enough to make them terrified to lay their head on the pillow, bad enough to drive them mad, what does Mr Quilter prescribe?"

I have to say, upon seeing this story up on Netgalley and reading the plot summary, I was very intrigued. Based on the description alone, the novel promises to be a dark and mysterious, with its setting in a Gothic historical setting. Immediately, the promise of a good story was strong and I jumped at the possibility of reading it sooner rather than later.

Fortunately, in turn for an honest review, I had the privilege of reading this novel. It is just as dark and suspenseful as you’d hope for it to be, taking place in a beautiful countryside scene. There is plenty of mystery to it, and the guilt felt by one of our narrators (we have two: Maud and John) is truly something you begin to feel.

This story will leave you suspicious of many people and the ending is one that you won’t see coming. The Devil in the Corner has a surprising amount of heart in it, for a novel who’s tagline is “how can the devil be stopped when he lives inside you?” And with a quick pace, this novel is definitely something you may be interested in checking out in your spare time.