Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, steampunk meets romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

Dearly, Departed was the first steampunk I've ever read, and I loved it! I cannot wait to pick up another one.

Habel did an amazing job of blending Victorian England with new technology. I'm always skeptical about multiple point of view books but Habel did it so well. You never forgot whose head you were in because they were so unique and had a very clear voice of their own.

This whole story was unique and new to me. The zombies in this were something I've never heard of. Good zombies? Fighting for the army? I was hooked right away! And then there were the characters. Nora and Bram were amazing together. Usually I fall for the male interest, but I fell for them as a couple. They made each other better.

And while I did love them, the character who completely swept me off my feet was Pamela, Nora's best friend. Soon I was scrambling for the chapters from her point of view. Watching her grow into her own woman was my favorite part of the story.

Dearly, Departed comes out October 18 (the day before my 21st birthday. Woo!). Pick it up. Seriously!

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

From the acclaimed author of STILL MISSING comes a psychological thriller about one woman’s search into her past and the deadly truth she uncovers.

All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.

But some questions are better left unanswered.

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

What if murder is in your blood?

Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive…

Summary taken from Goodreads

Never Knowing was so beautifully written. At the end of all the chapters, there were phrases I reread four or five times because they were so insightful and mostly heartbreaking. Above all that was my favorite part of this book. Her writing drew me in so completely, I'd be reading for hours and it would feel like ten minutes.

Stevens' second book was another thriller that kept you guessing. Every time I thought I had it all figured it out, she turned me upside down and made me look like a fool. I was able to figure out a couple of things but had some very important details wrong.

The Campsite Killer was soooo creepy. Through his relationship with Sara, I went further into a murder's head then I ever wanted to. There was some parts I even felt sorry for him, but then he would remind me of just how horrible he was and I felt sick for feeling like that. That was something I got to experience right along with Sara.

But here is where we get to my complaint. Other than the brief moments I described above, I had a hard time connecting with the main character. Sometimes it was hard to feel sympathy for her when she kept saying one thing then doing another, especially when it put those around her in danger and disregarded any one's feelings but her own.

It's very possible I wouldn't have felt this way if it hadn't been for Stevens first book, Still Missing. That book made the bar for this one incredibly high. In her first book, you went through every horrible thing that happened right beside the main character. You hurt so badly you thought you'd break, you cried with her, then you got to experiencing the healing, the sliver of hope. In Never Knowing though, the worst things happened around Sara instead of to her. I connected more with her birth mom and Evan then her.

Don't get me wrong though. The good far outweighs the bad. If you haven't checked out Still Missing, oh my lord do it right now. And make sure to catch this one when it releases in July. I will definitely be on the lookout for even more books by the author. And you should too!