Gateway Reviews

THE LAST VAMPIRE When Lorena Navarro gets the chance to attend boarding school in an old woodland manor, she jumps at it. It might not be her aesthetic, but she needs to get away from her mommy-vlogger mother. And she'll have her best friend Salma at her side, like always. This once-condemned Victorian manor in New Hampshire has been refurbished to its original glory... mostly. There are still a few wings off-limits to students as construction and rehab take place. Which is exactly what interests Salma and the new friends they've fallen in with. Lorena is done breaking rules and pushing boundaries, but she's not exactly prepared to say no when her friends decide to stay up late exploring. Mostly they find dust. And some cool old passages that don't exactly feel safe. But one of these passages leads into a basement library that feels ancient. And in this library is a box. Well, more like a... coffin. And there's something ...

THE UNINVITED Moving to Paris from rainy Portland, Oregon is a dream come true for 17-year-old Tosh. The city is everything she could want: great public transit, amazing food, incredible sights and public art. And it's far, far away from the trouble she's leaving behind. When she makes friends with a charming expat boy in her building, Tosh finds herself thrown into a side of Paris tourists never see. Dark catacomb tunnels, hole-in-the-wall bakeries, and a cutthroat street art scene unfold before her. In this environment, Tosh feels more alive (and more at home) than ever before. But there's a predator stalking the streets of Paris, one the news rags are calling a "vampire." And as these attacks grow closer and closer to Tosh's new stomping ground, she has to reckon with what kinds of monsters would seek out young women just like her. THOUGHTS ...

TRAIL RIDES & STARRY EYES Wilder Nash has his eyes set on the stars, and he's just scored the role of a lifetime as the teen hearthrob lead in a new prime-time Western mini-series. The only problem? He kinda, sorta told the network that he knows how to ride a horse. Like, born-in-a-saddle knows how to ride a horse. And that's very far from the truth. In a desperate attempt to hold onto this starring role, Wilder's agent sends him to the remote Silver Stallion Ranch where he'll have a summer-long crash course on all things cowboy. But ranch life is far from his cushy Hollywood existence. It's not all mountains and sunset trail rides. It's hard work. Especially with Cassidy as his trainer. Cassidy might not know anything about starring in a Hollywood production, but she's actually grown up in the saddle. And there's a lot of work to do to get Wilder ready for the role he's taking on. A lot of work that ...

New month, new books for our TBRs! The publishing world might be winding down for the season, but that doesn't mean there aren't some great books hitting the shelves for the holidays! There are still more books than I've got time to review, and here are just a few that I'll be adding to my TBR (and maybe to my Christmas list, too).  The Obsession Natasha Preston From the Publisher: Connie never asked to be famous—but thanks to her mother’s relentless vlogging, she and her sister Isla have spent their lives under a virtual microscope. Every smile, every moment curated for clicks. Every stranger online thinking they know them. Then local girls—girls who look just like Connie—start dying. One by one. As the bodies pile up and the spotlight turns sinister, Connie is forced to confront the terrifying truth: someone isn’t just watching. They’re planning. Secrets, Spells,...

WHERE THERE'S ROOM FOR US When her brother unexpectedly inherits an English estate, infamous poetess Ivy leaves her New York life behind to help him settle in (and find a wife, which he needs by year-end in order to keep the estate). Prim and proper high society life in England proves quite different from the more relaxed traditions of the New World, however... especially when a certain Prime Minister wrote a think piece condemning your latest sapphic poetry collection. But Ivy's determined to make a life for herself here, even if that means taking on the help of a neighboring socialite: Freya Tallon. Freya's whole life has been mapped out for her. As one of only two of her father's daughters who favors men, of course she's going to marry a wealthy lord and produce an heir. That's what her father needs from her. And there's a lord or two interested already. That's what charm and wit will get you. The only time she...

MY ROOMMATE FROM HELL Owen heard about the whole "portal to another dimension" thing. Of course he did. Everybody did. And he new about the interdimensional exchange program, too. He just didn't think he'd be turning up to his first semester of college to find out his new roommate is the prince of Hell. Owen is a serious student, and Prince Zarmenus is... decidedly not. But there's a lot hinging on the first-ever Earth/Hell exchange program going well. Including a personal incentive for Owen. If he can make this work with Zarmenus for the semester, there might be a shiny internship (and the key to his future career) within his reach. But living with Zarmenus is hard. Really hard. And not just when it comes to wild parties, unexpected overnight guests, and messy roommate problems. Brimstone, ghoul hauntings, and random assassins out for all demonkind kind of hard. It's threatening Owen's semester, his future, and...