***eBook was available for free in a WriterSpace newsletter***

It failed to catch my attention. I didn't care about the characters, the heroine left me cold, the hero was barely there, and the whole venture about a psychiatric hospital to study those truly sick psychopaths didn't really spark anything remotely similar to interest.

The only saving grace was the villain and even he got the shortest end of the stick since the whole buildup didn't amount to anything more than a splutter.

I certainly won't read the rest of the series.

This is the a prequel and does not truly end. This story allows us to get to know Miranda. She is set on learning why serial killers do what they do. She has survived a terrible event but has not forgotten it. She does not let men get near to her in a personal way until she visits Alaska where the new facility she has asked for is being built. Here, she meet Sergeant Amarok, and heat begins to rise. Her past catches up to her, but Miranda is not detered. I look forward to reading the next book. I recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hanover House

by Brenda Novak
Prequel novella (#0.5) of The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles

My TBR List -- June Winner!
See Other My TBR List Reviews @ Because Reading

Hanover House is bite-sized--it's a novella after all.  But in some ways, it felt a little bit too bite-sized, if you know what I mean.  Actually, even I don't really know what I mean.  I guess what I'm trying to say is, while the novella was enjoyable, at the same time, the open-ended-ness of it felt a little too open-ended.  I get that it's a prequel, meant to jump start a whole new series with a bit of a bang, but there are ways of NOT making a prequel feel like it's still missing something.

Nonetheless, Hanover House encompasses the suspense and thrill of a typical Brenda Novak novel.  But I have to say, the writing style and pacing felt slightly different from what I remember of Brenda Novak.  I'm tempted to use the word awkward, but at the same time, the events of this novella flew by quite quickly, maybe too quickly for me to be able to really point out what about it didn't really work for me.  The progression just didn't feel as smooth or hooking as what I usually associate with Brenda Novak.

All things considered, Hanover House serves it's purpose as the starting point for Evelyn Talbot's journey into studying the evil of killers as well as trying to evade the monster who's been haunting her life for the past twenty years.  It's got a nice thrill of excitement, but not nearly to the point I'd been expecting.  And unfortunately, you don't really get to see enough of the characters (not even our resident evil killer, Jasper) to really get to know them--and thus, I've yet to really form an opinion of anyone in the book.  Not Evelyn and not Amarok, and especially not any of the side characters who have an air of potential significance, probably in books to come.

And I'm not entirely certain I understand what that ominous letter at the very end symbolized, but I have a feeling it was supposed to be significant somehow.

All in all, Hanover House was entertaining and enjoyable, even if not what I'd been expecting based on the summary and all the positive reviews.

Maybe I'm just too picky?


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2016 Reading Challenges:
• Goodreads Reading Challenge
• BookLikes Reading Challenge
• Reading Assignment Challenge
• Bookish Resolutions Challenge | My TBR List meme
• Mount TBR Challenge

The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner
Icebound by Dean Koontz
Hanover House by Brenda Novak

To be totally honest, with the landslide voting for this month, I probably could have gone ahead and scheduled this post for Saturday, and have it automatically post while I was out of town.  But for some reason, between packing and being a general lazy ass, I just ended up NOT doing that.

No matter.  Better late than never, but I DO apologize for the delayed posting.

Again, thank you to everyone for voting!

• 6/25/2016:  Review of the winning book, Hanover House by Brenda Novack
• 7/2/2016:  July's My TBR List Voting

I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.

I have to say the synopsis really called to me on this one. There is mentioning of kidnapping, psychopaths, serial killers say what? You know it is going to make a good story it just has to.

In this chronicle we are introduced to Evelyn Talbot who has become a psychiatrist and is studying the behavior of psychopaths and why they do what they do in a way. She has fought to have the Hanover House placed somewhere away from people because you do know that serial killers are not meant to be near the public. Hence the reason Alaska comes into play this is where she fights her feelings for state trooper Amarok, she tries to get Hanover House on its feet, along with dealing with herself in danger.

You see Evelyn Talbot has become who she is today because of her ex-boyfriend Jasper. He did something so horrific to Evelyn that it has changed her completely she always checks every nook and cranny in her home, she doesn't trust easy, and she can not have a normal relationship with a guy. We see how she interacts with Amarok and you can see her struggle with herself. Evelyn seems like a strong character despite her past, she is one I can see not letting the inmates get to her. 

Now I totally understand this is a prequel so to speak and we are just learning of this institution that she is building up. So the reason I gave it a four rating is I was expecting to learn and dive into the minds of what Evelyn will be researching. I did like the romance that was starting to blossom between the two characters and I really enjoyed how Evelyn had to face her past even though it may not be the last of it. I just wanted more of the serial killers and how she was going to be doing her thing with them. 

 I will wait patiently for Whiteout which is coming out next year!!!