**Review will be posted on my blog on Aug. 31, 2020, closer to publication date.**

3.5 STARS...

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

These Vengeful Hearts is a mean girls story. There is a secret group at Heller High called The Red Court and they rule the school in a way. If you want something to happen, you can get in touch with The Red Court and they can help you with your goal. But in turn, they can come to collect a favor from you when it’s needed.

Ember Williams has revenge on her mind, but when she’s finally a part of the infamous court, can she carry out her plans?

What I Liked:
*Love the cover of this book and the concept of the story. Ember Williams is going to take down the red court because they hurt someone she loves. But once she is in, she admits she likes being part of a group that is in control of people’s lives. I liked seeing Ember walk her tight rope balancing revenge, lies, romance and eventually truth.

*Ember has a cool best friend, Gideon, and I love their relationship. He tells her things straight out and tries to keep her level-headed about her revenge scheme.

*The romance, though it starts off because of a Red Court mission…is something I did enjoy because Ember comes clean, but Chase does too. Anyway I’m glad even through it, things work out. The romance isn’t the main story which is nice too, it just shows how lies can hurt.

*I liked the twist in the story, it made things even worse for Ember but…it made her realize, truth was the right thing in the end.

Things That Made Me Go Hmmm:
*As much as I love the concept of the book, I didn’t feel like the story was sinister enough at times. The first half was losing steam and thank goodness it picked up in the second half but The Red Court just seemed to be breaking couples up and rigging homecoming election. So, it didn’t seem like a big deal at first but that was my biggest issue with the book.

*Maybe it was all too predictable and it had so much potential to be more…I was expecting more.

*Triggers: bullying

Final Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed the story okay enough, mostly in the second half when Ember has to decide her course of action but I do believe this story had so much potential and fell a bit short. Main lesson from the story: if you live honestly then you have nothing to hide! It’s a good lesson. The teaser of a Black Court in the end left me intrigued! I’m not sure if there is a sequel…but if there is, I may read it to see where the story goes.

I enjoyed this one, I really loved the cover and story idea a lot and I thought that the beginning was so strong that I could barely put the book down. While after awhile it started to feel like maybe too much was happening in the book I found that I really enjoyed a lot of the plot-lines that were running through the book and was mostly able to overlook the ones that felt maybe a little extra.

I love me a good secret society book, I love the mystery and the cattiness of them and trying to reach the inner sanctum is always a thrill. So this book was right up my alley, throw in a clever, intelligent, witty protagonist and I am 100% here for it. I thought that the beginning was so strong and immediately invested me in everything that was happening. I really found myself rooting for Ember and her whole crusade, I even really loved the way the Red Court ran things, it was all super organized and felt very Gossip Girl (the TV show which I loved). I hated what the Red Court did but felt that they did a good job doing them.

I really enjoyed the characters in the book, especially Ember, mainly because they all felt very wonderfully high school. Katherine Laurin did a great job creating all the stereotypical high school students and throwing in a little something extra in order to make them likable or unlikeable. Ember was so wonderful in every aspect even her flaws were so well done and I loved that she found herself enjoying the dark side of herself that she discovered. We all have a side we try to keep hidden so it was nice to see Ember embracing it.

I found that the last bit of the book started to fall a little flat for me. I mostly just felt that so much of the book (perhaps too much of it) was in the set up of everything, the build up took up most of the book that by the time we got to the story arc it was so close to the end that everything was rushed and felt unbelievable. And I felt a little cheated by how quickly everything wrapped up and how neatly it all did. By the time the ending came along I was kind of like "meh." Which was a big disappointment because I liked the book for the most part and was really hoping that the strong beginning and middle would have followed by a strong ending. I think that the ending would have been stronger for me personally if there had been more of a fight for it, it was all just so rushed that you knew everything was going to be wrapped up because it had to be. If the build up for the story had been shorter or the story arcs had happened in the middle so that there was more of that tension and uncertainty I think things would have felt better for me.

All in all I am giving this book 3 stars. I think that it had a lot of potential and was a strong starter and had some great characters but ultimately the whole ending just felt too rushed for me. It just wasn't something that I felt worked but I think that the book idea, cover, story and characters were all really well done and look forward to seeing what else Katherine Laurin brings us.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was an excellent YA contemporary novel. The author did a superb job of crafting a believable and we'll written story about a group of girls that are change makers within their school. I loved The main character ember and how she was so motivated by revenge she almost lost herself to the take down of the Red Court. I loved Embers relationship with Gideon as well as her sweet romance with Chase which could have had a lot more for tingling moments. I was very very glad to see that in the epilogue the author has opened the door to a second novel and the Black Court. I can't wait to read that one! Over all a wonderful novel that keeps you reading and guessing how Ember will get out of the Red Court.

I liked this one! I guessed the ended pretty early on however. I did still enjoy the story for the most part. I really liked Chase and Embers relationship and thought they were adorable. Overall 4 stars!

I saw “for fans of Karen M. McManus” and I just HAD to request this and boy was I surprised by how much I truly enjoyed it!

This book boasts an original plot, a captivating protagonist, sharp clever dialogue, immersive descriptions, and a brilliant cast of character. An undeniably strong start for this author.

Thank you to the publisher for sending a review copy.
I thought the story here was interesting and it moved along nicely. I do think, however, the author relied too much on dialogue to hit plot points. I figured out much of the story halfway in, and that made it a tad predictable. But I liked Ember and Gideon, and found the moral implications of her actions to be engaging. I have to commend the author for writing a full disabled character in the book (April) without resorting to pity or inspiration. She was a complex character, neither saintly or evil. That is a rare thing in fiction, and especially in YA. I could tell the author understood disability, whether they are disabled themselves or did research. I would be interested in a sequel, and based on the ending, I hope we get one.

This concept was incredible, execution was rocky. I found it hard to follow and a lot of things happened without explanation so I think that took away from my ability to really enjoy the story because I was confused.

There are probably a few people out there who would love to read a "Mean Girls" and "Nancy Drew" crossover, this book is for them. Silly but readable, this is a book for popcorn and nostalgia but not much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

After Ember's sister is hurt during a prank gone wrong organized by The Red Court, Ember takes it on herself to infiltrate the group and get revenge. Along the way, she begins to question who she is, and what lines she isn't willing to cross. On her search for answers, will she like what she finds?

I enjoyed this book. I thought Ember was well written, as were the other characters. I've seen a lot of people comparing it to Mean Girls, but I didn't feel that way. The whole "mean girls" stereotype aside, the girls in this book weren't just mean, they were cold, calculating, and diabolical. Mean is far too pretty a word for what these girls do as they destroy relationships and collect favors to hurt others. It goes beyond students as well, to teachers and kids that have graduated.

What i enjoyed was Ember's struggle between right and wrong, and learning the truth from the lies. It's well balanced and at times almost voyeuristic in how the reader sees into Ember's thoughts and feelings. The reader can really see her struggle and growth as she begins to see that what she had always believed may not be the whole story.

As many other reviewers have noted, this story reads very Mean Girls, typical high school drama type of a book. I don't disagree with that, but I also don't think that that makes this book less enjoyable. I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding the Red Court and the way that this book examined the protagonist's struggles with the ripple effects of the Red Court's actions. The character motivation for revenge and the ensuing character arc felt engaging to read about. The structure of this society (while a bit predictable) was fun to read and learn more about. I enjoyed the friendships that Ember developed over the course of the book. I enjoyed that there were consequences for the actions of characters in this book. Overall, this was a really fun and enjoyable YA mystery in a high school setting.

These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin isn’t quite what I was expecting. I was looking forward to secret societies meeting in the dark of night, plotting to exploit the secrets of all whilst finally getting their own comeuppance. Instead, I got a bit bored. It’s not that it’s a bad book, per se, it was just a bit predictable and again, a bit boring. I felt that initially the story had a fantastic premise but it just fell flat in its execution. I was entertained for the most part but if there was a second book, I probably wouldn’t read it. What I did like was that it was a quick read, there wasn’t a lot of fluff/filler, and I liked the main character, Ember, she was relatable and well-developed.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

When I read the description for this book, I was incredibly excited to read it. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the book and I ended up DNFing at 50%. I'm a huge fan of dark books, thrillers, secret societies... Everything about this book called out to me. However, from the very first page I had difficulty with the writing style. To me, a lot of this book read as a diary entry trying too hard.

Basically this book is about a secret society of girls who accept favor IOUs to complete a jobs or requests that the students ask of them. Anything from rigging prom queen to breaking up couples to changing grades. The MC believes they are responsible for her older sister's life-altering injury and has decided to infiltrate the secret society and take it down from within.

I thought this book had incredible potential and I was intrigued enough that I want to know what happened and how it ended, but I was not enjoying reading it, so I'll look for spoilers online. Like I said previously, I was not a fan of the writing itself. I also thought the characters fell flat, and I was just bored.

The cover is gorgeous and the story is promising. Unfortunately I was disappointed by the book itself and stopped reading at 50%.

I enjoyed the ideas of this book, a secret society of women. So, the main character Ember is taken down by the Red Court so she decides to beat them at thier own game. Driven by revenge she spends years enraged and full of hatred.
Now, this book was really good. Kind of reminded me of the Mean Girls movie in a way. This was a fast read and the book ended really well. Thus is a strong novel, I definitely will be recommending it to friends and my bookclub!!

This story was middle of the road for me, it has some great bones and I can see it becoming something grand; but as it is, it feels too simple and lacking. Let me explain.

The main character wants revenge on fellow classmates who are part of a high school secret society called the Red Court; as a few years ago they permanently injured her sister. Okay, the story has everything you would typically expect in this Mean Girls meets a less violent Heather's, with a mix of every other high school story out there. A strong female lead, her quirky minority sidekick, a secret society, a nasty girl leader, a soft but clueless teacher, pranks that go too far, easy dialogue and a predictable ending.

Now these stories keep being retold because they work, this one just didn't have any surprise twists or turn or gasping moments too keep me interested. There were plenty of times where the author could have taken it deeper or given a reason at all (some very thin explanations and motives here). If this was to be a success in my mind it needed more depth, intrigue, more bold choices and full bodied characters that had backbones and grit.

I did enjoy the character development. I thought each character was unique and different, easy to understand and not cookie cutter. I liked the way they spoke to each other, the dialogue was accurate for the age group and didn't try too hard. The story did feel like a high school tale, I found it to be as accurate to the time/place as can be expected in fiction. This is a face paced story with few lulls so it is an easy read.

While the story ends complete, it also end in a way where I can easily see a book two and kind of know where the author would take that story. If your looking for a fast read where you don't have to pay too much attention this is a good book. It's entertaining enough. I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review.

The Red Court has ruled Heller High for as long as anyone can remember. They are the girls behind the scenes who accept requests of all kinds from the student body: grade boosts, election rigging, take downs--and Ember Williams is going to beat them at their own game. Ever since her sister, April, was in an accident that left her paraplegic, all thanks to a Red Court take down, Ember has spent years of her life enveloped in the need for revenge. But the further she gets into the court, the more she starts to unravel as her need for vengeance consumes her and she starts to drown in her own hatred. The outcome of her plan may be unsure, but one thing is certain: card decks will be shuffled and heads are gonna roll.

This book was deliciously evil and cunning to the end-I loved it! Not only was it a fast read, but there was a perfect blend of action and romance and I thought the plot was extremely well thought through since this was a book where several things were occurring all at the same time. Ember's realization about the cycle of use and the harming of the innocent struck a chord with me and I was reminded of the first time I realized that too, which brought out much more emotion in me than I was expecting from These Vengeful Hearts. Extremely well done.

The only discrepancy I noticed was there were some grammatical errors within the text, but that could be because of the version I was given to download.

Honestly, I didn’t think this book was for me but I decided to give it a shot. I am SO glad that I did! Within the first chapter I was hooked and couldn’t stop!

I was really into this book. I surprisingly liked all of the characters, which is rare for this kind of story. It ended in such a way that I think there may be a sequel. If so, I look forward to reading it. 3.5 stars rounded up.

#TheseVengefulHearts #NetGalley
I enjoyed this book. I think that secret society aspect is a little "much", but it's a book that will have you turning the pages. Sometimes it's okay just to read for fun!.

These Vengeful Hearts is a high school drama centered around a secret group called the Red Court. Because of an accident (or was it...) that happened to her sister two years ago, Ember Williams has been planning on a way to get into the group to bring it down. She does everything right: 4.0 student, Runner, Debate captain. When she finds a Queen of Hearts card in her locker and is sent on missions, Ember discovers that she has a talent for scheming and controlling others. However, people she cares about start getting hurt, and she needs to make decisions on which side she is really on and how her mission might change. The story is a fun, suspenseful read that will keep you wondering who is pulling the strings. This book is about knowing who you are, staying true to yourself, friendship, relationships, and family. The last sentence hints there might be a sequel in the works. It will be fun to see how Ember and her friends handle the challenge.

There was a lot of potential here, but for me it fell flat. There's so much buildup, but it all gets brought down by weak character development and an uninteresting execution. It does a lot of things right, such as getting tension and creating really interesting plot events. Again, the character and her motivations are weak, and I felt that she needed to be developed a bit more for me to be fully on board. I don't hate this at all, but I honestly expected more.