Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

Nell is an outcast in her small village, teased for the birthmarks that cover her entire body. When Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders comes to town, her father sells her to the ringmaster as a "leopard girl". At first she is angry and terrified at her new life, but soon learns that the Circus is her destiny. She's gone from a poor outcast flower farmer to the star of the show and people admire and cheer for her, the Queen of the Moon and Stars. The only threat to her growing fame is her growing feelings for Toby, the gentle and shy brother to Jasper the ringmaster.
There's just something magical about this book... the beautiful writing style, the cast of diverse and wonderful characters, the Victorian Circus setting. I just loved it so much!
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden

Christopher Golden uses Siberian folklore and the true history of the Road of Bones to create a hauntingly strange and terrifying thriller. 

From the blurb: 

Kolyma Highway, otherwise known as the Road of Bones, is a 1200 mile stretch of Siberian road where winter temperatures can drop as low as sixty degrees below zero. Under Stalin, at least eighty Soviet gulags were built along the route to supply the USSR with a readily available workforce, and over time hundreds of thousands of prisoners died in the midst of their labors. Their bodies were buried where they fell, plowed under the permafrost, underneath the road.

Teig, a struggling documentary filmmaker, thinks he's finally found a winning idea. Along with his friend and cameraman Prentiss, they travel to Siberia and pick up a local guide to take them to Akhust, "the coldest place on earth". But when they arrive, the town is abandoned, except for a nine year old girl and a pack of predatory wolves. On a road where it's 150 miles between gas stations and a breakdown is almost always fatal, the team is in a fight for survival against the elements and the otherworldly beasts hunting them. 

I found this book truly fascinating from the striking cover that lured me in, the true history of the road, the haunting atmosphere, and the terrifying folklore. This book had me in the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

Three seemingly random stories, one in 2000 and two in the present twenty years later, weave together and come to a shocking conclusion in this irresistible thriller. This book was so good I couldn't put it down!

-Twenty years ago, a grisly murder occurs on an Iowa farm. Josie, 12 years old, is injured and the only survivor left behind, while her brother and best friend are missing.

-A woman and her young daughter are being kept in captivity in a basement, held by an abusive man for years. 

-A woman struggling with her divorce and custody of her teenage son .retreats to an isolated farmhouse to finish her true crime novel. During a terrible snowstorm one night she rescues a young boy frozen in a snowbank. He refuses to speak to her, and the only clue of where he came from is a wrecked truck on the side of the road. With no way to leave and get help and the phone lines down during the storm, she reluctantly keeps the terrified boy overnight.

This was the perfect book to read while the wind and snow were howling around my own home, while I'm cuddled up in my favorite chair with my blankie and a cup of coffee. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good thriller. 

I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily. 

The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton

Set sail aboard a cruise ship to the Caribbean with Charlotte and Sam, where they work as crew and swindle the rich out of cash and jewelry, until they're ultimately found out. Sam sets her up for the blame,  leaving an expensive piece of jewelry in her luggage to be searched,  before he leaves the ship without her.   Now,  years later,  she's started her own business and is trying to live honestly earning her own money. But someone has started threatening her and Sam that they know the truth,  and ominous texts from her ex warning her of danger have her on edge... even more when they stop. She takes a job on an exclusive cruise ship only to realize that the threats are continuing on board.  Which passenger knows her secrets? Will she make it through the cruise alive?

I found the main character Charlotte greedy and shallow,  but as a con artist, I'm not really expected to like her to enjoy a good thriller story.  The cruise ship full of wealthy passengers was the perfect setting for this swindling couple,  their stories of love and tragedy perfect to open people's wallets. I enjoyed this adventurous whodunit while the temperature outside my own home is near zero and I'm cuddled up with my blankie and a hot drink wishing I was basking in the sun on a cruise myself!

I received an advance reader copy of this book.  The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily. 

The Italian Island by Daniela Sacerdoti

After her father's death, Annie travels to the Sicilian island of Galatea to find out the mystery of her family's past. Her grandmother died in a concentration camp after giving birth to her father and he always wanted to find the truth but then he got stuck. Now all Annie has to go on is a strange note and a bracelet with ties to the island's fascinating history. The island seems to have a magic of its own as, shortly after she arrives, she begins having visions of a young woman who she soon realizes is her grandmother. 

I love how the story is told in dual timelines through Annie's visions. The island setting is described so wonderfully that I could picture the volcanic cliffs with the creepy yet beautiful villa set into the hillside. Feel the salt spray as Annie and Salvo explored the caves and treacherous paths. Smell the wonderful Italian cooking, and spend time with the welcoming small town villagers. This is my first book by Daniela Sacerdoti, but I plan on adding her other books to my list!

I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily