Shield the Heart by TK Richardson

Here's a little bit from the author, TK's website: 

Lilly’s gift of reading the heart seemed like a curse, but when she discovered her gift was linked to an old, Russian prophecy it changed everything. What she never questioned, though, was her own heart.

When the prophecy pulls Lilly back to Russia and demands to be fulfilled she is torn between love and loyalty. She must make the most difficult decision of her life and choose between the two. But Lilly’s decision is farther reaching than even she is willing to acknowledge. It stretches from East to West - from the past to the future.

Lilly discovers there’s more to the old prophecy than she realized and enemy forces are bent on stopping it from unfolding.

One thing is certain - there will be casualties. And sparing those closest to her may be impossible. While Seth attempts to shield Lilly from the truth, Nikolai reveals secrets that could change everything.

As Lilly falls into the arms of Russia she must decide: will love or loyalty reign? And can she live with the consequences? Two sides compete for Lilly’s heart and she must find the answers she needs before her enemies find her.

My Take

This is the second in the series.  I fell for the characters in the first book Return the Heart and have continued my love affair with them through the second book as well.  In this story Lilly and her friends spend almost all of the book in Russia.  Lilly discovers secrets about her heritage and the prophecy that sets so many questions in motion. 

More action, more romance and an ancient prophecy lie within the pages of Shield the Heart.  This book was wonderful and I can't wait to read the final book in the series.  I'm giving this little gem 4 1/2 heartfelt kisses!

The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman

Here's a blurb from the book's website: In eight days, Coke and Pepsi McDonald are going to turn thirteen.

Before then, they'll jump off a cliff, get trapped in the locked basement of their burning school, chased cross-country by murderous lunatics, left for dead in the pit of a sand dune, forced to decipher mysterious coded messages, thrown into a giant vat of SPAM, and visit the world's largest . . . ball of twine!

There's more, but if we told you here, we'd have to kill you.

Megapopular author Dan Gutman brings on the excitement with an action-packed new series that's nothing short of dynamite. Join Coke and Pep on their quest to uncover just what it means to be part of The Genius Files . . . if you dare!

My Take

I don't read tons of middle-grade books.  I should definitely read more of them, especially if they are as good as this one.  This book was packed with action and all sorts of secret agent antics.

Coke and Pepsi were great characters.  This book is seriously funny.  I found myself laughing quite often.  I enjoyed seeing what would happen next as the twins made their way across the country in the rented Winnebago with their clueless parents.  I'm planning on reading the next in the series to see what happens to these two.  I'm giving this one 5 secret super agent kisses!

Note: Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Librarything as part of their early book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."



Return the Heart by T.K. Richardson

Here's a brief summary from T.K. Richardson's site:  What if your gift was a curse?

To a casual passerby, Lilly Paige is anything but special. As a seventeen year old, she is faced with all the complications of a teenager, but deep down there is much more. Lilly has a gift, though sometimes it seems to be a curse.

Lilly can peer into the hearts of others - their deepest, darkest secrets are there for Lilly to see - but to what end? Raised by aloof parents, Lilly has been independent her whole life, but soon she will need to rely on her friends to evade an evil that has sold her gift to the highest bidder on the black market. Lilly and her four closest friends are immersed in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, that will not only reveal more about Lilly's gift, but also her link to an old Russian prophecy.

I loved this book!  And I'm not biased because T.K. is my friend.  The growing love story between Lilly and Seth was wonderful.  I liked the suspense surrounding the Russian prophecy that they were a part of.  It kept the pages turning quickly for me.  I reveled in them taking down some of the bad guys.

Lilly was realistic for a 17-year-old girl.  She had self-doubt as so many teenage girls do, as well as a refreshing innocence about her.  Seth was a well mannered, well intentioned, highly intelligent young man.  Claire and the twins, Kyle and Andrew round out the group.

I did feel Lilly's lack of parental involvement or concern was a little troubling, but I liked her Aunt and Uncle.  The lack of parents is nothing new in YA lit and I felt this was handled well by T.K.  I just personally find it disturbing and I felt for poor Lilly. Sheesh, I almost forgot, the cover rocks too!  I did throughly enjoy this book and would recommend for ages 13 and up.  Four big smacks!!

Incarceron Quite Enthralling

I recently read the YA novel, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. It’s about a teen-aged boy named Finn who’s locked away in Incarceron, a prison so vast, worlds are contained within it. The prison is designed to be a self-sustaining, evolving world, and we come to learn it is alive.



No one enters or leaves Incarceron. There is only legend of one who ever escaped. Finn however, is sure he is not a “cell-born” but from the outside. He has flashes of memories from the past and is called a Starseer due to his visions of the stars.


Finn gets a crystal key that he is certain is the key to outside and his freedom. He and several others embark on a journey across Incarceron to find their way out. Through the key, he meets Claudia who is the warden’s daughter and lives on the outside and may hold answers to Finn’s past. Will they find their way out, will Claudia reach them, will the prison let them go?


I enjoyed this book. For me, at times it was a little challenging to follow since it was written in third person omniscient and frequently mind-hopped throughout. However, once I was immersed in it, I was hooked into an amazing story. There was also a bit overuse of the word "guttering" in the beginning, it died out after awhile.  There was tons of actions, great description and heaps of twists and turns. The main character slot is shared between Claudia and Finn, equally strong, consuming characters. It is an interesting, imaginative concept. Vivid imagery and a true page turner. A recommended read from me.