The 27 Club

4 Welcome to the CLUB StarsI’m a major Kim Karr fan. I’ve read all of her books in the Connection series so when I found out she wrote a standalone, complete outside of the Connection series, well I was all over that.I’m also starting to love suspenseful novels. There’s something about being kept on my toes and trying to figure out what’s going on that just makes me devour books like mad.Zoey’s family is cursed. A lot of people in her family have died at the age of 27. She lives her life very cautiously and questions everything she does. Zoey’s brother dies at the age of 27 and it has made Zoey kind of reevaluate her life. Especially now, as she just turned 27.I get Zoey and I get her fears. A lot of people in her family have died and it would make me freak out too. We don’t get a lot of detail on how Zoey deals with this, but we do get a lot of internal dialogue on her feelings about her brother’s death.She visits where her brother lives and tries to get some closure. Except when she shows up at his house, it’s not really her brother’s house, but his friend, Nate.I love Nate. I found him carefree, loyal and the kind of guy you want to be with and friends with. I also liked that Nate and Zoey’s brother were really good friends and we got a tiny bit of back story with that. Nate offers his place for Zoey to stay so she sorts through her brother’s things.I thought the dynamic between Zoey and Nate, a little insta-lust for me, just at first. I wanted a little more tension. Zoey is pretty upset with her brother’s death and Nate is really drawn towards Zoey, so of course clothes start flying off.What I enjoy most about the book is the whole mystery element to it. It’s not heavy in the suspense, but there’s a touch that keeps me interested. Zoey’s brother isn’t who he seems and she tries to piece together how his life was like (away from her).I wanted more of this. I wanted more of Zoey going from clue to clue and figuring out what the sketches meant and what really happened when he died.The beginning is a bit slow at first and the relationship between Zoey and Nate is sweet, but turns saucy real quickly. I am not sure if it’s justified, but it wouldn’t be a Kim Karr book if there wasn’t steamy elements. I did enjoy that it wasn’t overly erotic.Overall, it’s different from the connections series, but still has some of the elements I enjoy from a Kim Karr book.An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

Sigh...I wanted to love this book so bad but unfortunately I found it teetering between a 3 1/2 and a 4 star read for me. I gave the book a 4 because the epilogue was probably my most favorite part and gave the book that extra kick at the end by switching the POV.When I came across this blurb late last year, I was so excited. I thought it sounded unique, kind of mysterious and something that would hopefully blow my mind. Sadly I found myself bored through some not all but some of the reading as it became rather predictable at certain parts and I felt like the book lost sight of the true themes in novel at times, the themes that had me hooked in the beginning.Zoey Flowers' family is plagued with generations of tragic young deaths, her grandfather, mother and most recently her brother Zach all passing at the ripe age of 27. Upon Zach's death Zoey takes a trip to Miami his former home, to collect what little she has left of her beloved sibling. But during her trip it becomes more than that, it becomes a journey into fear, loneliness, self-discovery and happiness. These were the themes I felt were amazing and could have been executed so much better throughout the book.Zoey meets several characters that all have in some way crossed paths with her brother and come out better for it. During the book they briefly share their love and experiences with Zoey and piece by piece Zoey begins to see how her brother lived his life. Not in fear of what might be his impending fate but with the hope that his next day would not be his last. The most important of these characters being his best friend Nate which triggers something in Zoey that she has never felt before and it's in that pivotal moment that Zoey starts to reexamine how she herself has been living her life.It all sounds good right? And in theory it was but if it was written better it could have been better than good. My issues with the storyline came in the voice of Zoey. Her maturity level for a 27 year old was dismal, her constant repetitive thoughts became predictable and the somewhat ridiculously out of place phone calls with her therapist were irritating. I felt like they were an unimaginative way of Zoey expressing her feelings. Nate was a slightly better character but he seemed to go from one extreme to the next way too quickly, from pushing Zoey away then in the next second he was all over her. There were also moments when I felt like the erotic scenes between Zoey and Nate became the central focus of the book taking away from what was the more important themes in the novel.I enjoyed the ending as it was nice to hear Nate's pov, I found it a little more realistic and his emotions came across more clearly. In the end the story is one that should be heard, it is a lesson in joy and living life to the fullest, I just wished it had been executed better.

Great story, very different from the usual ro ace stories. Great chemistry between Nate and Zoey, their journey is sexy, hot and emotional. This is a great read!

I thought this book was fabulous well written loved every thing about it....it a must read....

Haven't read any of the books yet but when I do, I will rate them. Thanks.