Best Friends Never by Isabelle Drake

Be careful who you keep secrets with, especially in picture-perfect Cherry Grove, a place where average isn’t good enough, and nothing is what it seems.

Lexi Welks wants two things—respect and a college acceptance letter that’ll get her out of too-good-to-be-true Cherry Grove. The problem is that the nasty, life-ruining secret she shares with Monica Sanders is about to go public. If their ugly truth comes out, her plans for college—not happening. And that’s only the beginning of her end.

Monica is the kind of student teachers adore—well-behaved, hard-working and always following the rules. She’s the kind of friend other girls follow—well-dressed, popular and always knowing the right thing to do. If only they knew the truth about her. The truth Lexi found out the hard way, after spending the past summer letting Monica talk her into doing things she knew could come back to ruin her.

Now it’s the first week of school and one of the seniors is missing. Lexi knows a thing or two about the circumstances of his disappearance, but she’s not talking. Neither is Monica. But wicked truths have a way of crawling to the surface and tearing through the most careful plans.

Book 1
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Finch  Books

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆
Isabelle Drake is not a new-to-me author, having read some of her racier titles many years ago, so I was surprised to find this young adult novel. The transition was done well.

The beginning flowed steadily, the middle dragged, and the ending was chaotically rushed, leaving me feeling off-kilter.

Best Friends Never is between two friends who were up to no good during the summer. With it now being fall, our narrator – Lexi – and her ex-friend Monica are butting heads. But from page one until the end, the reader never truly learns why.

I enjoyed Lexi for the most part, able to empathize with her and connect. A girl who lost her father at a young age, now has a step-father who comes and goes, hurting her mother time and time again as he pops in and out of their lives. When he comes back, Dale acts as if he is Lexi's real dad, only more overbearing and it feels like a betrayal to her because her mother won't stand up for her. Lexi's mom is the classic doormat.

Not wishing to ruin the plot with an overview or by giving details of what I did and didn't like, as this is a mystery/suspense young adult novel – a classmate is missing at the start of the novel, and then other bad things begin to happen throughout the book, with Lexi a central point.

To be blunt about why I could only give 3 stars, when I believe the intended audience would probably overlook inconsistencies and holes, by book's end, after reading several hundred pages, the reader is not rewarded with what happened, why it happened, or who did it. Not only are there no real answers, I have absolutely no idea what happened in the first place. For the sake of drawing it into another novel, this did the opposite of whet my appetite for the next. It totally turned me off not to get at least what happened. I didn't need to know who did it or even why, but the WHAT would have been nice to know. Yes, Lexi assumes by book's end the who, but even then she doesn't know. The reader should get some sort of a payoff for taking hours of their time to get some answers. I wasn't asking for all of them to be revealed, but something should have been expected.

I'm on the fence on whether or not I will read the next in this series. Recommended to young adults, as I believe most adults will have a similar reaction to the content of the book.

Young adult age-range: 14+ due to darker content.

Isabelle Drake got her start writing confession stories for pulp magazines like True Confessions and True Love. Since publishing those first few stories she has written in many genres, but tends to write about everyday people in extraordinary situations.

When away from her keyboard, she likes watching classic horror films, especially Hammer films such as the Karnstein Trilogy, and reading (of course). An avid traveler, she'll go just about anywhere—at least once—to meet people and get story ideas.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Best Friends Never (Cherry Grove #1) by Isabelle Drake to read and review.

The Society by Jodie Andrefski

Welcome to Trinity Academy’s best-kept secret.

The Society.

You’ve been handpicked by the elite of the elite to become a member. But first you’ll have to prove your worth by making it through Hell Week.

Do you have what it takes?

It’s time to find out.

Samantha Evans knows she’d never get an invite to rush the Society—not after her dad went to jail for insider trading. But after years of relentless bullying at the hands of the Society’s queen bee, Jessica, she’s ready to take down Jessica and the Society one peg at a time from the inside out.

All it’ll take is a bit of computer hacking, a few fake invitations, some eager rushees…and Sam will get her revenge.

Let the games begin.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
As an adult reading The Society, I'd give it 4 solid stars. Thinking back to my reading tastes as a young adult, The Society would have hit all of my favorite notes: thrilling pacing, mild romantic triangle to keep me turning the pages, and friendship troubles. I believe most young adults would give the novel 5 stars.

I was hooked on page one with the introduction 3 years in the past as a 13-year-old girl deals with her father's trial, the loss of her best friend turned enemy, and the abandonment of her mother. This gave me the feels, and had me flipping the pages into the present time.

This was a very moral novel beneath the surface, showing both why good people do good and bad acts, and why bad people do both good and bad acts, and how there is a very thin line separating the two. Even justified in your actions, the results may be more than you bargained for, more for everyone involved.

Frustrating was the core feeling I had for Sam/Samantha while reading The Society. After not only losing her best friend, she has to suffer at the hands of the person who should have had her back after her life incinerated. Jessica not only bullied Sam, she turned the entire school away from her. In reality, this is realistic. Fed up, Sam seeks not vengeance but revenge, and there is a difference.

I won't give out details, as I feel that would do a disservice to readers. But there were a few points in the book that I would have liked addressed. The moral of the story was incredible, taking responsibility for your actions without using projection. (So & so did it too, but they didn't get in trouble so I shouldn't either. Yes, you should. But actions should be taken so the rest take responsibility as well.) BUT after three years of bullying, I would have liked to see some justice for Sam, some closure dealing with her father/Jessica/Trinity. Everyone failed Sam, including the school, Jeremy, and the aunt, with no one stepping in to STOP the bullying that was so prevalent. In fact, her bully was made out to be the victim. I understand taking responsibility for your actions, and not allowing someone to lower you to act as they do. Sam went from ignored victim to criminal, where all the victimizers were labeled and shown as innocent victims, all of whom had a major hand in changing who Sam was at her core.

Everyone knew it was happening, saw it was happening, but just told Sam to deal with it and wait to get to college. I would have liked to see some outrage in Sam toward those who were meant to protect her. The only life ever ruined on the pages of The Society was Sam, from start to finish, with only Sam ever taking responsibility for her actions. Even the BFF/love interest was cowardly by never telling Sam how he felt, leaving it to Sam to figure it out, while he flirted with others. To be fair, there was Ransom, but there would have never been a Ransom if Jeremy would have spoken up. Such as taking her to a party, where both were excited to be with one another again, only to leave her the entire night after going to get her a drink (he never did bring her that drink), completely forgetting about Sam. It was written Sam was Jeremy's focus, yet he lost focus too often for me to buy the epilogue.

Kudos to the author for showing Sam's empowerment even when at the lowest of the lows. I just wish someone in the cast of characters would have shown similar growth/responsibility/redemption/courage/protection/non-judgmental attitude/Self-reflection.

There is having Sam take responsibility for her actions, accepting how she contributed to her role, forgiving to not forget but move on, but empowering it is not to allow yourself to be a victim by not sticking up for yourself. In this, I mean, like how Sam spoke to her father. The author had to opportunity for Sam to do the same to her aunt, her mother, Jeremy, Jessica, her classmates, and the entire school administration. SOMEONE. By the end of the book, I just felt Sam was setup to be an apologist, with everyone just running right over her because her feelings weren't of value.

Tell someone when you're being bullied should have been another added moral in the story. If that person doesn't take action, they are as much at fault as Sam was for turning bully to protect herself.

I know where the author was headed, and I appreciate it, especially to show young adult the perils of bullying, but I feel it also gave the wrong message. The bullies won, don't protect yourself, and only you are to blame.

*I thoroughly enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of every chapter, and I hope it encourages young readers to give other works at try.

Recommended Young Adult Age-range: 12+ includes kissing & bullying.

Jodie Andrefski has been passionate about reading ever since she was a little girl, when she used to climb trees to escape with a favorite book. She lives and writes in a small town in Pennsylvania with her teenage daughter, and has an older son who is out and about on his own. Though still an avid reader, she now prefers a comfy chair over the crook of a tree. An unapologetic coffee fiend, she’s even happier if her java comes with pie.

Andrefski often draws on her background in education and mental health counseling to bring real world experience to her writing. She is a firm believer in the magic of a first kiss, and insists that you should never, ever give up on your dreams. #AlwaysKeepFighting

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Society by Jodie Andrefski to read and review.

True Born by L.E. Sterling

Welcome to Dominion City.

After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated...and their genetics damaged beyond repair.

The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…

And then there's Lucy Fox and her identical twin sister, Margot. After endless tests, no one wants to reveal what they are.

When Margot disappears, a desperate Lucy has no choice but to put her faith in the True Borns, led by the charismatic Nolan Storm and the beautiful but deadly Jared Price. As Lucy and the True Borns set out to rescue her sister, they stumble upon a vast conspiracy stretching from Dominion’s street preachers to shady Russian tycoons. But why target the Fox sisters?

As they say in Dominion, it’s in the blood.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 page-turning stars.

I'm not going to give a play-by-play of the story, ruining it with spoilers. So below is basically an overview of the beginning setup and my overall enjoyment.

True Born – a pair of twins born conjoined in the upper most society of an apocalyptic world ravaged by plague. Lucy and Margot, with Lucy as the narrator of the tale, are the only children of one of the most influential political members of Dominion society. As such, they have rules in which they must abide to keep up appearance.

At the age of 18, you learn your fate. Lasters (those destined to be inflicted by the plague), Splicers (those who can afford to go to the clinic to stave off the illness), and True Born (genetically evolved, incapable of being inflicted by the plague).

True Born begins just prior to the twins' 18th birthday, as they are tested and await their fates. An uprising begins, in an effort to overthrow those in higher government by the destined to die. Lucy's father employs the True Born to take care of his daughters while he's away...and the story takes off from there.

The writing style is fluid, flowing quickly with an adventurous, addictive fantasy storyline. Lucy is a stable heroine, never a damsel in distress, who is a good role model. Strong and fierce, with a deep protective instinct, Lucy's drive to protect her sister is admirable. While Margot displays more teenage girl tendencies, she does have a backbone of steel. I truly appreciated how the twins were written, opposites but both with their faults.

The True Born were intriguing, well-developed, and added a suspenseful thread to the story. The world-building is vast, yet it leaves things left unexplained to keep you hooked for the next book in the series.

There is an underlying romantic thread – it lies quietly beneath the surface, not overpowering the main storyline but adding depth and the need to keep turning the pages.

True Born gave me the feels, and I devoured the book in a few short hours. When I was finished, realizing I would have to wait for the next installment, I wished I had slowed down and savored it. But, with its pacing, I doubt I could have stopped myself, even if I had tried.

Recommended for fans of Young Adult Dystopian Fiction/Urban Fantasy/Fantasy/Science Fiction.

Young Adult age-range: 14+ due to violent content.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
I took a chance on True Born. I love reading young adult novels, but I usually stick to contemporary books. True Born is fantasy/sci-fi, but the synopsis was interesting enough that I thought I'd give it a go. It took me a few chapters to get my head around the whole true born, splicer, and lasters thing and the dynamic of the world in which Lucy lives but once I did I was drawn right in.

When the children of Dominion turn 18 a reveal party is held where it is announced whether the child is true born, a splicer or a laster. As the day of Lucy's reveal approaches, Lucy starts to realise something is different about her and her twin sister, Margot, and the story launches from there. We get action and mystery and spots of graphic violence. True Born may not be suitable for sensitive younger teens because of the violence, but I'm sure my 13-year-old would love it.

The romance comes when Lucy's father hires a group of true born to protect her and her sister. Lucy is drawn to Jared, and I loved the hot and cold dynamic between them. It shows that you can have sizzling chemistry without the need for sex.

True Born is a great read which showed me that choosing to read a book outside of my usual genre can be well worth it. I can't wait for the next instalment.

L.E. Sterling had an early obsession with sci-fi, fantasy and romance to which she remained faithful even through an M.A. in Creative Writing and a PhD in English Literature – where she completed a thesis on magical representation. She is the author of two previous novels, the cult hit Y/A novel The Originals (under pen name L.E. Vollick), dubbed “the Catcher in the Rye of a new generation” by one reviewer, and the urban fantasy Pluto’s Gate. Originally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van with her father, a hippie musician, her brothers and an occasional stray mutt – inspiring her writing career. She currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of True Born (True Born Trilogy #1) by L.E. Sterling to read and review.

Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Bad Things Always Come In Threes…

As a thief, I'm good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls.

Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families--and kill every last Sinclair. What they don't know is that I'm on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I've got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side…

Book 3
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
First, I won't give a plot play-by-play, because there is too much to cover and I don't wish to spoil the experience by giving a book report. This is a spoiler-free review, sticking to characterization and writing style.

I've never hid the fact that I was an Estep fangirl after finding her years ago. The Elemental Assassins series is unique and Gin is...Gin. (Now I want to do a reread) With that series, I developed a taste for Jennifer Estep's writing style. The women are strong characters, not thinking themselves strong in their own heads while putting themselves in sticky situations they can't get out of, expecting help from their love interest. The girls get the job done themselves. They take the lead. So, needless to say, when I began the journey of the Black Blade series, I fell in love with Lila because she was flawed with perfectly crafted human traits. Over the past three books, I've watched the characters grow, the story evolve, and Victor get more villainous.

The final installment of the Black Blade series has arrived. Knowing this at the start of the book made the journey bittersweet as I said goodbye to the characters.

There's an addictive quality to the story, thrilling and exciting – adventurous but a little bit brutal with unexpected humor to soften the blow. It was a nonstop action thrill ride to close out the series. After the previous books, Lila and Devon are together, so the romance is underlying to the main story, which I appreciated the fact that it didn't overshadow what had been built.

Yes, some of the obvious outcomes were predictable, but this is a young adult book designed for young adults, and I'm an adult who enjoyed in nonetheless. And yes, that is my fangirl bias showing in the form of common sense. To make it so ‘I’ couldn't reason out the conclusions, would mean children wouldn't be able to read it...just saying. Nevertheless, the flow was so rapid, it's not like the reader had any filler to wade through while contemplating the plot.

I recommend this series to young adults and the young at heart who enjoy the fantasy genres, who need a thread of romance but want a developed story more.

Will I read more by this author? I look forward to whatever Estep brings us next.

Young adult rating: 14+ due to violence set in a fantasy world.

Also Available in the Black Blade Series

Book 1
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Book 2
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For reviews & more info, check out our Dark Heart post.

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Her Elemental Assassin series follows the life and times of Gin “the Spider” Blanco, a barbecue restaurant owner who also happens to be an assassin with magical control over the elements of Ice and Stone.

The Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. She studies at Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors.

Her Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.

Estep’s new Black Blade series is about 17-year-old thief Lila Merriweather, who has a Talent for sight, along with the ability to take magic others used against her to boost her own powers. She tries not to get involved with the Families who control much of the town, but ends up in the middle of a potential turf war.

Connect with Jennifer

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bright Blaze of Magic (Black Blade #3) by Jennifer Estep to read and review.

Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance by Shellee Roberts

It’s all fun and games until you fall in love...

After Mariely Hinojosa and Cabot Wheeler both break up with their significant others at the same party, Mariely sees a way to get even with both of their exes. Everyone knows that the best way to get over a breakup is a hookup—a fake hookup, that is. Three weeks, all fun, no strings, and definitely no heartbreak at the end.

But somewhere between the sweet hand-holding and melt-your-mind kisses, their fake relationship starts to feel less like an act and more like the real thing...but Mariely’s a free-spirited girl from the other side of the tracks, and Cabot’s the hot trust-fund guy from the Hills.

They’d never work for real...

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a kickass heroine, a boy so hot he’ll make you shiver, and a falling-in-love story fit for the big screen. You’ll want to settle in and have the popcorn ready.

Book 3
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 Angsty, banterific, slow-burn stars

I found the Creative HeArts series with book #2 for review, and have been hooked ever since. Shellee Roberts is a new-to-me author. Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance was the perfect addition to the Creative HeArts series.

Mariely and Cabot narrate this story, both broken-hearted and in the need of feeling power over something. I won't explain the details, as that is why you read a book and I don't wish to spoil it for anyone, but it's a classic fauxmance turned real romance with the classic type of villains and support systems from friends. While a fun trope, it didn't come off as cliché. (Adults, you have to remember this is young adult, written for young adults)

Opposites attract, traversing social classes.

Mariely is a scholarship student who loves thrift shops to showcase her rockabilly style. Since she's an actress, she's into classic movies and uses some of the greatest actresses and actors as cuss words. Her family works hard, but is close to being destitute. Even though she comes off as over-the-top, she's extremely serious and determined.

Cabot is the child of two divorced parents, both living in huge mansions, where going to the country club is an actual pastime. He's seen as the rich boy without any substance, but beneath the cover is a depth of personality.

Together, they have more in common than what's on the surface, and Mariely and Cabot discover this amongst their plan. During dates, they are awestruck at times, warming the reader. Their banter is electric. And not a single moment of it feels forced.

The book was a heartstring tugger, completely giving me the feels. I teared up a few times, laughed ten-times more, and smiled through the pages. Fast-paced, cute and heartwarming, I was rapidly turning the pages. Often times, I find myself looking down at the percentage read – this time I was so into the story, reading it in one-sitting, I never once looked, only finding out when I hit the last page.

The characters, the school, and the characters' talents are a continuing theme from book to book, giving a highlight of the past narrators and what young adult angsty-ness they are up to, whetting our appetite for more.

I recommend this novel for those who are young, and those who are young at heart.

As a grown woman, I find young adult novels as a palate cleanser to reset how desensitized I've become while reading. But there is something about the innocent buildup in this series that I haven't stumbled upon before. There is no instant love/lust, real friendships are forged, and you can 'feel' your heart beat along with the narrators’ as they experience their first taste of true, first love. It's a feeling that if it could be bottled, we'd all be billionaires, and it's why we read to recapture the sensation.

Recommended Young Adult Age Range: 13+

Also Available in the Creative HeArts Series

Book 2
Buy Links

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For reviews & more info, check out our How Willa Got Her Groove Back post.

There are three things (besides her family) that Shellee loves more than Netflix: Dr. Pepper, OTPs, and book boyfriends (I’m looking at you, Gilbert Blythe).

Shellee has been told that her life goal as a writer should be to win prestigious awards that will grant her literary immortality, but as an OG shipper (Tad and Dixie—my first hardcore ship) all she really wants is to create two characters that people love so much they give them a cool mashup name.

Shellee spends her days living the dream with her family in Austin, Texas—and by living the dream she means waking up at the crack of dawn to go to work, chauffeur, walk dogs, do dishes, and fold laundry. At night she gets down to real business, basking in the warm, blue glow of her computer screen and bringing the stories in her head to life on the page...or watching shipper fan videos on YouTube till 2am. Tomorrow she’s definitely going to kick that procrastination problem to the curb.

Connect with Shellee

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance (Creative HeArts #3) by Shellee Roberts to read and review.