Faith Gardner

When newcomer Olivia West befriends her classmate, sixteen-year-old Eliza Hunter, they quickly become inseparable, and Olivia becomes a frequent guest in Eliza’s home. Olivia’s family situation is in stark contrast to the close-knit, well-to-do Hunters – Eliza’s parents Angela, a psychiatrist, and Carson a true crime writer, and her older brother seventeen-year-old Ezra – and enjoys spending time in their home. However, Eliza begins to distance herself after Olivia reveals her darker side, leaving Eliza feeling unsettled and suspicious of her intentions. But Olivia is quick to become romantically involved with Ezra, with whom she is pleasantly surprised to find she has much in common and is easy to manipulate. After a shocking series of events, Olivia finds herself living in Eliza’s home, but there is much more to this seemingly perfect family than meets the eye – secrets they would do anything to protect. Similarly, the Hunters have no idea of how far Olivia could go to get her own way and they are about to find out!

They are the Hunters by Faith Gardner is a riveting read! Well-paced, twisty and entertaining, with a cast of interesting ( that’s putting it mildly!) characters, this is the kind of story you would want to finish in one sitting!! The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Olivia and the members of the Hunter family. As we get to know more about their deepest and darkest secrets, it becomes increasingly difficult to like these characters or sympathize with them for their predicament, but you won’t be able to look away. I’m a fan of the author’s Jolvix series and this is my first time reading one of her standalone novels and it surely won’t be my last. Sharply written and smartly plotted, what a wild ride! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the bonus chapter (available once you sign up for the author’s newsletter).

Many thanks to the author and the publisher for the digital review copy via Book Sirens. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.… (mais)

Update (03/09/2023): Bonus Epilogue Chapter for What January Remembers titled "The Most Beautiful Time of the Year" is available now!

An intriguing addition to the story! Many thanks to author Faith Gardner! Check out the author's newsletter (sign up on her website www.faithgardner.com) for details on all Bonus Epilogues out now!


Review for What January Remebers:

4.5⭐

It’s Christmas and we’re back in the world of luxury solar-powered cars, flying feather dusters (I could really use one!) and lifelike companion bots designed and manufactured by Jolvix.

It’s been two years since all of the Jagger siblings came home to Santa Barbara for Christmas. The last time they were together with their widowed father Jeremy and his new companion bot January ended in an act of violence toward January committed by Jesse, the third sibling. The siblings’ mother committed suicide years ago and Jeremy’s acquisition of January came as a surprise for all the siblings. But while Josiah, Julianna and Jada keep their opinions to themselves, Jesse in a fit of rage, attacks January causing severe damage.

Fast forward two years and the family is together again with January (who has been repaired completely with a wiped memory, or so we are made to believe). It’s going to be an interesting (to put it mildly!) Christmas at the Jagger family home, “The Pink Castle”. January’s equation with each of the Jagger siblings is different but there is a subtle but noticeable adverse reaction in her when Jesse is around. What does January remember?

Before their Christmas get-together each of the siblings received a cryptic message in the mail stating “YOUR MOTHER WAS MURDERED” – a fact that they initially hide from one another. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of the siblings and January with flashbacks to the siblings’ childhood from where we get to know more about their complicated relationships with their mother and January’s observations about the members of the family and her interactions with the different members.

Was there more to their mother’s death than what they know? If so was it one of the family members who was responsible? Who sent that cryptic message? Was it January?

With elements of domestic suspense, family drama and sci-fi, What January Remembers is a worthy addition to Faith Gardner’s fabulous The Jolvix Episodes series – the third one in the same year! Keep them coming, please! It’s hard to top Amen Maxine but What January Remembers comes really close! I loved that the author gives distinct voices to all the characters in this story (including January and her fellow bot friend Six/June owned by their neighbor). The dysfunctional family dynamics, the mystery behind their mother’s death and the suspense around what January truly knows/remembers and how, make for an atmospheric, gripping read that reels you in and keeps you absorbed till the very last page!

I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher via BookSirens. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. What January Remembers is due to be released on November 1, 2022.

Please note each of the books in this series can be read as a standalone novel. My reviews for the other books in the series:

Book#1: Amen Maxine
Book#2: Violet is Nowhere … (mais)

Update (03/09/2023): Bonus Epilogue Chapter for Violet is Nowhere titled "The Dark Ballroom" is available now!

Chilling and atmospheric! Many thanks to the author, Faith Gardner! Check out the author's newsletter (sign up on her website www.faithgardner.com) for details on all the Bonus Epilogues out now!



Review for Violet is Nowhere:

“What wouldn’t you do for life? What wouldn’t you do for love? What wouldn’t you do for freedom?”

As the story begins we meet Violet Wilde, an up-and-coming rock star, who wakes up in a strange cabin, dazed and confused, with no immediate recollection of how she got there. The cabin is well-maintained, with a well-stocked refrigerator (strangely enough, it’s packed with her favorite food items), a box with clothes and other necessities, and a burner phone that is programmed to dial a single number with a note with specific instructions. Locked inside this strange cabin, with bars on its windows she realizes that she is in a secluded area and there is no way for her to escape. As per her captor's instructions, she has to figure out her connection to the person whose number is programmed into the phone within one week to secure her freedom.

“Maybe you do deserve your lives.”

After ignoring multiple missed calls from an unknown number, construction worker Bud Atwood listens to a frantic voice message left on his phone from the same number and ultimately picks up the phone on the next call. As the narrative progresses, we follow Bud and Violet as they work together to find the answers that hold the key to their survival.

The story is shared in alternating chapters from the PoVs of Violet and Bud in the first-person narrative format. Both these characters are interesting in how different they are from one another - their personalities, backgrounds and lifestyles couldn't be more different. I enjoyed how their relationship evolved through the course of the story. I have to appreciate the author’s writing in depicting Violet’s mental state while in captivity – how she goes from angry and scared to melancholic, subdued and introspective – the author captures Violet’s thoughts and reactions brilliantly. The story starts with a bang and though it does lose momentum in the middle, from the 70% mark onwards this book was hard to put down! That ending was phenomenal!

Though this isn't as fast-paced or intricately plotted as the author’s previous novel, Amen,Maxine, Faith Gardner’s Violet is Nowhere is definitely a worthy addition to the author's The Jolvix Episodes series. I’m not a huge fan of the sci-fi genre, but Faith Gardner strikes a perfect balance between riveting mystery/suspense and creatively conceptualized futuristic elements to create a sharp, well-written and engaging read. I look forward to more from this talented author in the future!

Many thanks to the author, Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own!

Violet is Nowhere is scheduled to be released on September 22, 2022.… (mais)

Update (March 23, 2023):

Bonus Epilogue titled The New Direction is available now. Check the author's website/newsletter. Loved it!

Publication Day! (March 23,2023)

4.5⭐ rounded up!

Eve Alexopoulos is a journalist who has made a name for herself through her column “What’s Your Problem, Bro?” which is dedicated to exposing trolls – not their names per se but details about their true identities and their lives based on information gleaned through some digital sleuthing on her part. Eve does not mince her words and she unabashedly goes after these people in an attempt to humiliate them and shut them down. Her column is successful, has proved profitable for the magazine where she works and garnered a book deal for her but needless to say has earned her a fair share of haters – trolls who just don’t troll her online but leave threats for her both at home and her workplace. Citing a potentially distressing work environment on account of the repeated threats and declining viewership, Eve’s boss decides to kill her column and reassign her to another segment. Dealing with flaming dogshit left at her door in the morning, a bomb hoax at work and now, a difficult conversation with her boss and her column being axed – it hasn’t been a good day for Eve. But she does have something to look forward to! Today is the day she finally gets to pick up her brand new solar-powered, custom-made Sunray – an extravagant purchase made with the advance she received for her forthcoming book. Her very own, self-driven car with all the bells and whistles, fully programmed for all her needs by…..drumroll please…Jolvix! What could possibly go wrong? Well…get ready for a wild ride…. this time, I mean it literally!

The fifth book in the inimitable Faith Gardner’s Jolvix Episodes series, Eve in Overdrive is UNPUTDOWNABLE! I don’t want to give away much more, but I will say that this intense edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller novella packs quite a punch. Eve’s fear is palpable as she fears for her life and her futile attempts to manipulate the situation in her favor dials the tension up a notch. I was actually holding my breath through some of the scenes. Some exceptional writing there! Once again, Faith Gardner gives us a fast-paced, gripping read in a futuristic setting that highlights how technology originally made to make our lives easier can be used as weapons against us. I can’t wait to read more from this immensely talented author in the future.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own!… (mais)