Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery is an excellent new chapter in this exciting series. I love how the characters grow in this new adventure and I love the shocking twists and surprise guests that appear in this story. This is a great story for those who love an exciting read or for those reluctant readers who need something truly page-turning.

Winterborne Home is in chaos. Despite seeing the long-awaited return of Gabriel Winterbourne as head of house, nothing is as it should be. Gabriel is depressed and has no idea how to be in charge of a houseful of kids, Smithers is on vacation, a mean lady from child protective services keeps showing up, Sadie's Sadie-matics are still going haywire, and Izzy... well, no one knows where Izzy is. What April does know is that Izzy is still very, very angry with Gabriel for lying and hiding from her for all those years. April desperately wants to keep her home and her new family together, but she also wants to see Gabriel return as the Sentential. What she doesn't expect to happen? A second Sentential to break into the Winterbourne house, and for Gabriel to--once again--disappear. Now it's up to April, Sadie, Tim, Violet, and Colin to figure out where Gabriel went, who the second Sentential is, what the fake Sentential wanted, and save their family.

The second installment in Ally Carter's thrilling and daring Winterborne series sees the return of favorite characters in an all new adventure, full with more twists and turns, and seeking answers to mysteries left behind by the first book. Particularly, how, exactly, did April's long-lost mother get ahold of the key she abandoned along with April? What other secrets does the Winterborne house hold? What other forces are at play and want to see the downfall of Gabriel? But it also heavily focuses on the aftermath of book one, and the adjustment period that follows. Rather, the dysfunction that follows as they all try and sort out complicated feelings and memories, everyone unsure of what the future holds. They're not going to transform into the perfect family overnight, but they are a family nonetheless and that's what matters most.

Very anxious to see what adventures lie in the next book for April and her friends!

One year ago, I called Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor “awesome MG.” And its follow-up, Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery, is just as good. Both books are cinematic and feel as if everything plays out on the big screen before you.

This time around, you are immediately immersed in the Winterborne world, and April and her friends, once again, take center stage. April is a well-developed and exciting protagonist who doesn’t quite seem to know her own limits. Her friends are less rounded but provide a strong balance. Gabriel comes across as a grownup child — one who is frustratingly irresponsible at times.

Like its predecessor, this novel is adventure from beginning to end. This fast-moving book is full of twists and turns, and a few surprises.

If you haven’t read the first book, it’s a must. You won’t understand Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery without it. To that end, I suggest reading both books in quick succession. These fast-moving books are a good option for readers of all interests.

Ally Carter has to be my favorite author of all time and this book didn't disappoint ! We learned more about April's past and the Winterborne family. It was heartfelt and entertaining.

I love the dynamic between all of the characters. They've definitely become a family and their love really shines through the page. Every character is well fleshed out and you can't help but wish the best for them.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ally Carter has done it again in this fast paced and hilarious sequel to Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor. April, Gabriel, and the rest of the Winterborne crew are back and trying to figure out a new routine after the events of the last book left them wondering who is actually the grownup in this situation - spoiler: it's not Gabriel. Our favorite team of orphans is trying not to get decapitated by the latest SadieMatic when Child Protective Services comes knocking and has far more questions than the kids have answers to at the moment. But this is just the beginning, there's a new Sentinel in town and the lives of the kids and their reclusive billionaire is about to get a whole lot more interesting.

This was the perfect sequel to an already amazing Middle Grade debut. From the jaw dropping plot twists that you never see coming (and as an adult, I definitely should have seen them coming) to the quick witted one-liners that left me with a stitch in my side, Ally has woven yet another tale of friendship that is stronger than blood. The first book introduced us to our little band of misfits, but this one breathed new life into their group dynamics and how everyone has a role, even if it's just about who does what for breakfast. I need any adult to take one look at this book and they themselves will begin to reevaluate how much we underestimate the next generation. We may not want them fighting sword wielding and gun slinging vigilantes and mad men, but this shows them how they can be the heroes of their own stories just as easily as we can be for them.

I have adored Ally's writing since I was a preteen myself and this book was so well written I devoured it in almost one sitting (two to be exact). The plot was easy to digest without reading like a Hallmark movie. The dialogue was so nicely developed in a way that made you believe a 12 year old British boy ends his sentences to a 30-something year old woman in "love" like it's the most natural thing in the world. The characters had the humor and wit of kids who had to grow up too fast but deep down just wanted to be kids. Gabriel was sulky and brooding as only Gabriel can be but showed his love in more ways than just words. And the villains that helped carry the plot twists were magnificent in that I was never sure who to trust and when, just the way any mystery should be written.

As with all of Ally's other books, this will be a story I will come back to again and again when I need a refreshing take on the boarding school murder mystery. This book surprised me and made me fall in love with the characters all over again and I cannot wait to see where Ally takes this series next.

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery picks up several months after the ending of the first book, Winterborne Home for Vengence and Valor. April, Colin, Sadie, Tim, and Violet are all settling into life at Winterborne House with Gabriel as their guardian--since Izzy disappeared at the end of book one. Within the first several chapters though, their life at the Winterborne House is threatened by the visit of a Child Protective Services agent, who seems very dissatisfied with Gabriel's care. And the stakes get raised even higher when someone, a second sword-wielding, fake Sentinel (Gabriel is the real Sentinel), breaks into the Winterborne House and Gabriel meets his match. The day after the break-in, Gabriel disappears. And the social worker keeps coming back, wanting to talk to Gabriel.

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery is a super fun MG read. Like its predecessor, it feels a little bit like all of Carter's other books rolled together into one. We've got heists, spies, secrets in the past affecting the present, and some plain old-fashioned survival. All together, it makes a great story.

I loved getting to get to know the characters more in the second book. I especially liked how Carter made the characters' personalities and backstories create conflict as they tried to decide how to deal with the situation of Gabriel disappearing.

Also, I loved how Carter pulled a small detail mentioned on the first page of Vengence and Valor and used it in Mayhem and Mystery. It speaks to her expertise as an author.

The plot develops well throughout the novel. There are some parts that seem less important and slow, but as plot twists are revealed, they become much more important. There is a lot of information revealed and set-up laid for future books in the series.

Overall, Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery is a great second book in the series, laying the groundwork for the books to come. I can't wait to see what Carter continues to do with this series.

Winterborne Home for Mystery and Mayhem is amazing! I loved Vengeance and Valor and loved M&M even more! Like her past series, Carter gets better which each book. When we see April in Book Two things are going great as luck would have it, but April has never been lucky for very long. When one person disappears and others start appearing, secrets begin to build on top of each other and the kids will have to work together to decide what is true and what is not. As they try to unravel the truth from the lies, they are thrown deep into a mystery that began before they were born. Now they have to solve the mystery while fighting to hold on to the only thing that matters each other.
Just like the first book, we have many amazing quotes and the more I read the series the more I think about the CW show Arrow. If you like Arrow and Scooby-Doo this is definitely a series, you will enjoy. Carter has such a knack for distinctive and interesting characters. You never have to wonder who is speaking you automatically know. She takes these well-defined characters for a twisty ride and it was an absolute joy to join them on it. Everything gets amplified in book two and we see a lot more action. It is such a fun novel to read and entertainment aside there is so much to learn from it as well. You will be thinking about this book for days after reading it and quoting it for much longer. Ally Carter proves once again why she is deserving of being everyone’s favorite author.

*I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.*

Free book from Netgalley for review ~ 3.5 rounded up. This series is still predictable but fun and cute. I like April’s found family, who rise to the occasion as stuff is revealed about certain secrets. There’s plenty of adventure and daring escapades with a hint of superhero fluff.

I will say I’m a bit annoyed with Izzy for disappearing on the kids—they don’t deserve that no matter what Gabriel did to her.

This is a very fast read and I imagine many middle grade readers will love it.

TW: CPS (child protection services), kids being taken away from guardians, abusive parents, PTSD

I WAS SO THRILLED TO GET THIS ON NETGALLEY! I absolutely adored the first book in this series and have been anxiously awaiting this one. It did not disappoint. This is a book about secrets, found family, and just general fun with a hint of mystery. I've seen some other reviewers denounce its status as 'Middle Grade' but this is an incredibly well-written book. The writing is clear but not condescending and the characters all have unique voices.

I zoomed through this book needing to know what happened but also knowing the sequel will likely not be out until next year.

The story surrounds April and her fellow foster kids and their guardian Gabriel (who is doing his best to take care of them but is both on his own and suffering from serious PTSD). It is a mix of adventure and mystery and is incredibly enchanting. It was such a pleasure to be with these characters again and seeing Sadie invent, Colin con, and April just generally get into trouble. There is no infighting between the kids: they all love each-other and respect that each of them have different skills and interests.

Gabriel wrestling with parenting alone is something that I imagine is quite topical for parents right now and shows that parents can mess up when under pressure and that the title 'parent' is based on actions and not bloodlines.

Truly a remarkable read.

Although this is the second book in the series (I haven't read the first one, but I will after this), I got into the story right from the start. The characters were so intriguing (even the villains) and the twists and turns of the story so much fun to follow along.

I loved the found family storyline and how the individual children all worked together and used their individual skills and strengths to reach their common goal. There was never a dull moment in the story. The superhero/spy story slant of the novel made it all the more appealing.

Okay y'all this book is 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏.
Ally Carter has been my favorite author since I was about 10 years old and I read the first Gallagher girl book. I'm almost 25 now and even her MG books are some of the best I've read recently.

April has been living at the Winterborne house for months now and its the closest she's ever come to a family. But with Smithers and Izzy gone, Gabriel Winterborne has taken over caring for April and the gang and its not going "well." Throughout the book, April learns more about her own biological family but realizes she has found people who love her in her friends and Gabriel and its *chef's kiss* cute. Love the found family vibes so much.

There is so much action and mayhem and mystery in this book so it definitely never gets boring. Its honestly pretty complicated and intense and I wouldn't be surprised if the actual audience for this book might get a little confused. Its still so good though! I was thinking how almost all of Ally's book contain a plot twist involving secret families or family secrets, and even with knowing that, I still didn't quite see all of the twists in this book coming, which is why I love her so much!

All in all, read this book. Whether you are a fifth grader or a teenager or adult, I highly recommend. Its just good writing and good plot twists and good fun. Thank you to Netgalley and HMH for the ARC!

I have been a fan of Ally Carter’s books since I first picked up the Gallagher Girls series as a kid. No matter how much my reading preferences evolve, I always enjoy returning to her writing style and world-building for a quick comfort read. Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery is no exception! I enjoyed the concept of the first book and while it withheld too much from the reader, the ensemble of Winterborne children built a hilarious and promising rapport. The sequel looks to capitalize on everything that worked in the first book and puts a much stronger emphasis on how April’s family’s legacy ties into everything.

Everything is just that much better this time around. The plot twists Carter has been keeping close to the chest don’t disappoint and play perfectly into the higher stakes of this sequel. There’s just enough heart-pounding suspense to make me want more without feeling disappointed I didn’t get more. The addition of The Institute (a Gallagher Girls tie-in perhaps) already has me invested in a third book.

Now to my favourite part of this book, the characters. I fell in love with April and the rest of the Winterborne gang in the debut novel. But this sequel finds a way to capture the chaotic energy of their interactions and weaponize that humour at every turn. The tongue-in-cheek sarcasm and roasting of Gabriel’s parental skills will make you laugh until you cry. Their found family dynamic is sweet and beautifully contrasted by an inability to take any near-death experience seriously. The entertaining back and forth banter makes it much easier to suspend belief in the slightly vague world-building and willingness to constantly leave these kids unsupervised.

I especially enjoy Colin’s wit and how he is constantly remarking on his screwed-up childhood coming from a family of thieves (again, I hope this is a Heist Society connection). That said, I think each character is just fleshed out enough for readers to find enjoyment in and I hope we see this ensemble continue to grow together in the coming novels. There’s so much to love about the Winterborne children.

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery has a better grasp on the story it is trying to tell and delivers a genuinely thrilling tale of vigilantes, haunted islands, and revenge. The plot is sure and precise, the characters strong and diverse, and the dead billionaire — well his inability to bake a cake might just be the best part of all. The sequel will keep readers of all ages guessing and laughing until the very last chapter. Carter continues to find ways to appeal to her long-time fans with thieves and spies while introducing junior readers to a story that has refreshingly witty protagonists, problematic parents, and mysteries with genuine substance.

Frankly, I couldn’t have asked for a better continuation of this story.

There is just A LOT going on in this book. If it has been awhile since you read book 1 of the series, you might want to go back and refresh your memory, as there is not a lot of recapping at the beginning. Book 2 continues the story of the children now living in the Winterborne house. Unknown relationships are revealed and danger ensues. It might be a little intense for sensitive younger readers. Loose ends are not wrapped up, setting the children and their guardian up for further adventures. A good library read for sure.

I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

<i> I received an eARC from the publisher on NetGalley! </i>

This book was the perfect blend of silliness and heart-stopping plot.

I'd been in a reading slump for the month of February, but when I got the approval email from NetGalley, I dropped all of my troubles (as well as the book I was about to start) and picked up Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery. I'd already had this book on hold at my library after discovering last spring that I loved Ally Carter's middle grade fiction too.

One of my issues with the previous book was that the cast didn't seem to be as well-rounded as it could have been. This book solves that problem by focusing more on April throughout the book. April is our hero, the target of the villain, and a staunch supporter of all of her friends. By relegating Sadie and Tim to more secondary roles, I found the balance was pretty perfect. April's friends are still great, and absolutely necessary for April to succeed, but it's April who has the biggest problem.

I also absolutely loved Sadie's inventions <spoiler> and that they worked! </spoiler> There's no part of me that doesn't get overjoyed at seeing girls tinkering with things. I wish there had been more Sadies in the books I read as a child.

I loved the nuance which Carter handled all aspects of the story. Some of the goals from the first book were achieved in this book, but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows after that. People are flawed and not everyone is capable of being what other people need of them. The realism and the hard conversations about the roles characters were assigned vs the roles they felt comfortable succeeding in was really well done. I can't talk too much about this without getting spoilery, but it's obvious that Carter never forgets that there are real kids in April's situation reading these books.

<i> "It's not personal, Vi. It's just... Gabriel's not an inside pet. That's all. When you think about it, it's cool he stuck around as long as he did. </i>

I also loved the sentence <i> "she dressed like she worked 10 hour days and had no idea where her job would take her" </i> . There's just so much compassion in that one line, especially when dealing with a storyline <spoiler> Child Protection Services </spoiler> that can be traumatic and scary for so many children.

There is also the introduction of what (I am assuming) will be the main villain for this series. I love how Carter has taken the Winterbourne children and all of their happiness and all of their sorrows and added (while going through someone's fake documentation):

<i> There's even a library card! I mean that's a level of detail that just..." He made the universal sign for mind blown. </i>

The integration of the villain does not take away from the family which was established in the first book. It also doesn't seem forced, I can understand how exactly the villain cares about April and why it's so important that April stays out of their clutches. I'm super excited for the sequel!

<i> All quotes are from the uncorrected proof </i>

Winterborne is a fast-paced continuation of the series Ally Carter is writing. As April must explain to her friends the foster system, she’s also having to try and find her missing guardian. She openly laments the amount of stress, and trauma this is. I really appreciated the realism of that and the lack of sugar coating. Children do go through these things (maybe not the murder) and pay for them mentally. I enjoyed each of the characters in the book. However, I felt the boys could have had a little more fleshing out. Despite that, I still adored them all and their relationships with one another.
The plot itself was interesting. There was never a dull moment, and the pacing was consistent. I wasn’t aware this was the second book initially but was able to grasp the plot quickly. I think this is important in middle grades, as often, kids are just picking them up at random. While it still felt like a bridge to the next book in the series, it translated well.

Ally Carter has been my go-to author when recommending books to tween precocious readers and her newest book highlights her appeal to these readers. Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery takes readers on a fast-paced, fun adventure where the kids are in charge. The story has a few plot twists that will please readers while not making the story feel bogged down. My only issue with the book was the identity of the new Sentinel and the revelation about April's family which felt too convenient however by that point I was enjoying the book enough that it didn't lessen my reaction to the book. I will keep reading this series but I'm not sure how many more stories can be plausibly mined from this world.

Ally Carter returns with her sequel Batman meets Orphans middle grade series. Now that the kids, including April, know about Gabriel Winterborne, and the plot of his uncle, they’ll quickly realize there may be others out there that want to bring them harm. This is another story of mischief, found family, big homes and secrets, and ultimately I gave it 3.4 stars because it was good, but tried to complicate the story a bit too much in too many ways.
In book 1, which you can read my review of here, long-time “orphan” April ends up at Winterborne home, ends up discovering Gabriel Winterborne the lost Winterborne, and finds out his family’s legacy of being the Sentinel. Oh, and she and her cohort of orphans survive the mastermind that is Gabriel’s uncle and his murderous plans.
In book 2, Izzy is gone, the orphans are trying to stay together with CPS knocking on the door, and Gabriel is being his usual grumpy self. April is trying to figure out what’s going on, who the fake Sentinel is, and who is breaking into Winteborne Home. Then, a robber shows up that creates a LOT of drama.
I liked this book, but I felt like it got kind of lost. The parentage question, Izzy still missing and never solved, more living Winterbornes, etc. It gets kind of messy, and if I was a middle grade reader, I’d be like “cool…but what the heck is happening?”
Though the lil cliffhanger question at the end was GREAT.
I’m glad to know there will be more books in this series, but I just wasn’t blown away by this sequel. The first book is definitely the strongest so far!

This sequel to Ally Carter's cliff-hanging Winterborne Home for Valor and Vengeance does not disappoint, with plenty of twists, surprises, and major plot reveals. The world and the backstory build seamlessly on the last book. While this story reads somewhat darker than its predecessor, Carter expertly develops the emotional complexities of her heroine April as she struggles to understand the adults in her life and her relationship to them. The other children in the Winterborne home don't get quite as much attention in the sequel, but they still provide the book with lots of heart (and comic relief). The story doesn't end on as devastating a cliffhanger as Book 1, but it still leaves plenty of unanswered questions and will have readers anxiously awaiting the finale. 8 to 12. Five stars.

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery is a quality follow-up for the Winterborne series. Carter deepens the mystery with new levels of chaos, mystery, villians and maybe even...Batwoman (with questionable intentions). April's history is unraveled in unexpected ways as her and her friends fight to keep from being separated and stay in the home that they've all come to love.

April's story continues in the second installment of Ms. Carter's the Winterborne Home series. I really enjoyed the first book and was excited to read more but there were times where it just felt like the sophomore curse. I still enjoyed the characters and the twists in the story but it also felt like more of a set up for future book(s) than a real plot. Middle grade readers will still enjoy this series and I will be on the lookout for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review. All thoughts, misspelling, and grammar errors are all on own.