This was delightfully creepy and wonderful. I'm not ordinarily one for romance, but this one I found myself getting into regardless. Overall, a very good book!!

After reading The Shadow Falls series and This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter, I will read basically anything she publishes. There is always a beautiful amount of heart and depth to her characters that pull me in and wrap me in their stories. One Foot in the Grave was no different than her other stories in this aspect. I adored getting to know Riley, Kelsey, and the rest of these characters. This story was different spin on the YA PNR genre and fun to escape into.
The only thing that I became a little frustrated with was the ending. It wasn't really a cliffhanger, everything did wrap up nicely with the majority of my questions being answered. I honestly just wanted more and I am happy that this series will continue and book 2 should be released soon and I will definitely be adding it to my Kindle library.
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Riley Smith has the ability to see ghosts, which sucks, seeing as her father works with the dead and they often follow him home. Add in dealing with a cute ghost who’d set up shop in her house, trying to help another ghost get justice, surviving school and the drama with a cute boy who’s interested in her (who is also among the living) and the bitchy cheerleader ex-girlfriend. What could go wrong?

I have to admit that I went into this book with quite some expectations. I’ve always loved medium stories from the time I first read Meg Cabot’s The Mediator series and fell in love with it. I thought this book would be fun and interesting but I was disappointed. The book wasn’t as fun or exciting or even creepy as I’d expected.

The writing was blunt and lacked a certain depth and flow, making the characters appear flat. I had a hard time staying engrossed in the story. I couldn’t connect to the main character, Riley. I wanted to like her but I found a lot of things annoying about her.

The mystery surrounding Hayden was kind of predictable and I guessed at the beginning itself the reason why he was “different”. Add in the hint of a love triangle, I’m sorry to say, that gave it all a tiring slant. It was just one YA cliché too many.

Even the romance felt off and just too fast without any deep connection between the characters. Riley got too comfortable with the ghost guy from the very moment she met him. I also wished we’d gotten a much better explanation of how Riley got her power.

The idea of the story was a good one but it just feels like an attempt to imitate The Mediator with some of the obvious similarities and none of the in-depth writing. The story was just a lot of teen angst rather than paranormal drama. I really wanted to like this book but it wasn’t for me. Maybe others would like it better. Do give it a try, who knows, you might like it. Every reader’s taste in books in different after all.

Riley Smith is the local mortician’s daughter and if that didn’t alienate her enough from her peers, she’s also hiding the fact that she can see the ghosts that follow her father home some nights. While trying to navigate the trials of high school, bullies, and boys, Riley also tries to help these spirits cross over, but will helping a local murdered teen end up getting her killed?

This was so fast paced and interesting that I found myself never wanting to put it down. I love how it weaves family dynamics into a mystery thriller and adds in a bit of paranormal romance. The only downside was the abrupt ending. I was so bummed when it just ended when I thought I still had another ten percent left in the book. I’m definitely on the lookout for the next in the series!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely be reading more. Riley is a great character that you will fall in love with. The plot revolving around Hayden will keep you flipping pages hoping Riley catches on. This one is a must read for fans of great young adult mysteries, no matter your age.

I was unsure about this book at the begining, but as i read on it is a story i have come to greatly enjoy. Some characters i loved- and some i loved to hate.

This book is a story of high school student Riley, whose father is the small towns mortician. Of course she is ridiculed from other students because of her fathers job. They just moved into a new town so a new start for Riley.

Riley not only has to acclimate to her new surroundings, but for the last 18 months, she has been seeing ghosts from her fathers mortuary, who need her to fix their problems. First up is Bessie, a grandmother who had life insurance her family doesn’t know about. Then, a young woman who was raped and murdered and she wants her ring back from her killer. Next, is a handsome young man, Hayden, who appears not as quite dead as the other ghosts. She becomes romantically involved with him. But, since he is dying he wants her to date guys from HS. Besides all of this, she also has to deal with her dad who she thinks has a drinking problem.

Riley has a hot car she and her dad rebuilt. A Mustang that catches the eye of all the jocks in school, and anger from their girlfriends. She becomes friends with Bessie’s granddaughter, Kelsey. But never confides what’s going on in her life with her.

Riley is able to fix her ghosts problems quite easily, post a letter to Bessie’s family. Getting the ring back puts her in danger, but that too is easily fixed. While her boy problems are a bit more difficult.

The book abruptly ends and the readers are left with the question of will she be too late to actually save Hayden or not.

Great YA book for kids 12-15 years old. No sex, no drugs or drinking..

Thank you NetGalley for this prepublication read from one of my favorite authors!

If you can guess it the main character is the daughter of a mortician and she sees dead people. Riley is amazing with how well she handles her special gift. Each ghost that comes to her is seeking some type of help to be able to move onto the other side. You will meet Abby who is desperate for Riley to help find her ring and give it to her family. With what Riley learns of and by Abby to what actually happened to her takes one strong cookie to help her move on. Riley comes off as a loner but it is not so much by her choice. Once people learn what her dad does for a living it tends to repel others from getting close. But then there is Kelsey who just seems to click with Riley. She is amazing and I love how these two banter back and forth. I love that we have two somewhat love interests for Riley. You have Jacob and Hayden. Both are very different and you will find out why once you read this. Seriously all YA readers/paranormal lovers you will fall in love with this series from the start. I couldn't put this down and I'm rooting for Hayden to pull through. I for one don't know how much I trust Jacob. Go read to find out why. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of this series. C.C Hunter has another amazing series in the works on her hands.

I liked this book a lot, good pace, plot and and character voice. This book reminded me of a cross between Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series and a couple of others but I still enjoyed it. It was predictable so I dropped a star, there were no major plot twists that I didn’t already guess.

“She’s right to be freaked because I am a freak. I see, talk to, and help dead people. I’m the mortician’s daughter.”

I received a free e-copy through NetGalley from the publishers at EverAfter Romance.

Riley is the mortician’s daughter, and she knows it’s only a matter of time before her new school knows it and the rumors start. But her real secret is much bigger. Sometimes, her father’s work follows him home in the form of spirits of the recently dead, and they need Riley’s help. Usually, they need a small task completed or someone to listen to them before they can move on. When the ghost of a murder victim arrives, followed closely by the most “alive” spirit she’s ever met of a boy her age, Riley’s life gets a lot more complicated.

There are some YA books that cross easily into adult territory. There are others that remind me that I haven’t been a part of this audience for nearly a decade, and this is one of them. It’s possible that I might have liked it better when I was teenager, since its paranormal world is interesting in concept. I probably would have been more interested in a love story with a teenage ghost as well, but as it is now, I thought it took up too much of the page time for a plot that isn’t adequately resolved.

The writing leaves a lot to be desired. Both the narrative and the dialogue are littered with ellipses, and people just sort of… trail off… in the middle of their sentences… for no reason that I can see. As a lover of beautiful sentences, I’m also not fond of narrative that’s nearly indistinguishable from the main character’s dialogue. Riley’s is full of questions, swearing, and slang that wore on me quickly. I already have one mindless train of thought going 24/7 in my head, and I don’t need another in my fiction. The chapter breaks are utterly odd, sometimes breaking in the middle of a conversation, again for no apparent reason.

Riley is a fairly typical YA heroine. She’s pretty but doesn’t know it (eesh), and the novel points out at least twice that she’s “not like other girls”, which is one of the most tiresome phrases in the English language. Her interest in cars might give her some dimension, except she doesn’t actually have an interest in cars; she has an interest in art, a detail that doesn’t feature until halfway into the novel and is mentioned maybe twice. She barely has a thought in her head that isn’t about counting carbs or going to hell. All that is to say that I don’t find her well-developed or compelling, and neither are the side characters.

My final complaint is how transparent the plot is. I caught on to Hayden’s situation almost immediately, as almost anyone familiar with paranormal popular culture will, but it takes Riley the entire novel to unravel it. For that matter, the book ends rather abruptly without pursuing or resolving that plot, even though the murder victim's is neatly wrapped up. I don’t care for ellipses in place of an ending either, and I doubt I’ll continue with the series.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Mortician's Daughter, by CC Hunter.

Riley Smith is just an average seventeen year old, with a mortician for a dad, oh, and she can see and talk to dead people. Starting a new school, and worrying about her widowed dad's drinking, Riley already has enough on her plate, but life gets extra complicated when a woman from beyond pleads with her to find an object lost to her when she was murdered. Riley puts her life in danger to find out what happened to her deceased friend, and finds love along the way.

Ok, here's the deal. I am not the right audience for this kind of book. I'm sure my teen self would have just loved it, but hello Twilight. It's silly, disjointed, and the love triangle between Riley, the alive dude, and the not alive dude was a bit much for me.

This book reminded me of a teenage "Ghost Whisperer", and I loved it! Riley can see and talk with ghosts, when they follow her dad home from work. Riley is the new girl who just moved to Catwalk, Texas, and she is a senior at the local high school. As per usual no one likes the Mortician's daughter....Bloop! In truth this would be a great movie or tv show and I hope it happens. Riley is spunky, clever, and a tad bit clueless which totally gets annoying..I can't wait to read the next book and fins out what happens next! This is my first C.C. Hunter book, and I can't wait to read more from her!

-- I received a free review copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review --

I raced through this novel within an evening where it was too hot to sleep. For that purpose it was amazing and wonderful and perfect. However it is a typical YA novel and sadly the biggest plot twist was completely predictable. It is a fun, quick paced read for when you want to shut off your mind, and definitely gripping. There is just not that much substance to it - especially the main character, Riley. She just avoids discussing anything with anyone, and has massive internal monologues about feeling guilty entering her dad's bedroom to prove her suspicions of alcoholism. She doesn't talk to people as much as talk next to people, which I find a bit disappointing in a novel.

This book was so good!!! I could NOT put it down! It was exciting and nerve wracking and sweet... everything you want in a good story. The dialogue was not cheesy, which sadly I have come to expect from stories like this. I really loved and cannot wait for the next installment!

This was a great read! It was well written and entertaining. I can’t wait to read the next one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Omg! Love this new book by C. C. Hunter. She did an excellent job of givimg us a new amazing bad ass heroine! Im intrigue with the characters, I want to know more about the lunch lady, Hayden and of course Jacob. I cannot wait to see if her father ever admits to be an alcoholic, or if Jami ever put the drugs in the locker. I cannot wait for the sequel.

I really appreciated this book that I nearly read straight through. The main theme was quite interesting and delicately used, as were parent-teenager relations. Riley's home's atmosphere is oppressive despite the love her and father share, thecp reader is easily immerged in the story. The narration is simple and efficient (just a little too stereotypical for my taste sometimes). The best kept secret of the story is immedialty obvious for the reader; but the fact that Riley's, a very clever girl, stays continuously clueless, if quite artificial, isn't really annoying, just weird. The bizarre unbelievable sudden development in the end is also implausible but add some suspense so it's also ok.

There are many nice personal touches in this story, helping forgetting these small flaws: a very good understanding of death, its practical realities  and loss, and a strong reflection on the consequences of missing a parent since nearly forever.

All the same I thought it was a shame that some points weren't likewise polished instead of being sorry YA clichés: the only boys worth knowing are the hot ones or cute ones (other boys just don't seem to exist at all), the horribly mean pretty cheerleader and her horribly mean sidekick who behave conveniently atrociously, the nice blind  boy who suddenly realise that his ex girlfriend is vicious, etc, the suddenly over-protecting father who doesn't want his daughter spending half an hour eating lunch in a park with a boy, and so on.

As the book isn't a first one, I'm afraid improvements in the area shouldn't be expected, a shame...

The first series that I have read by C.C was her Shadow Falls series and I loved it. I also read the first book in her Reborn series. I loved Della as a character, any way enough about these books on to One Foot in the Grave.
I thought this book was really well written like the previous books that I have read by this author. This book had me smiling and laughing. Riley is an amazing lead in this book. She is such a loving character she doesn’t take shit from anyone. I would love to be friends with her. With everything that is going on in her life she can handle it with such ease, when some people would be losing their minds.
Hayden is the perfect match for Riley even though he is a ghost. which I know is weird but the way that C.C wrote it, it was like he was real, he’s a charming bad boy an who doesn’t love that? Yet there was a teddy bear side to him as well. I related to him in some ways.
While reading this book there was some parts that gave me the chills. That’s why I love this book more. I wish there was more talk about her dad’s drinking but maybe that will come with the next book?
This book completely had me sucked in from the first chapter and I couldn’t put it down until I was finished. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next for Riley.

Official complaint addressed to CC Hunter author of Young Adult series: The Mortician Daughter.



The plaintiff: Sophie owner of the blog Beware Of The Reader



Nature of complaint: broken Kindle and excessive blood pressure. Possible weight gain in the near future (once the plaintiff stops binging on ice cream). Circumstances leading to said damages: reading The Mortician Daughter.



Aggravating circumstances: CC Hunter hasn’t released the sequel yet while ending the first installment on an unbearable cliffhanger.

Plaintiff recording:

“I was reading The Mortician Daughter when it happened.

I fell into CC’s world right from the start.

Riley is a touching lonely teenager as she moved often due to her father’s inability to keep a job these last years.

She reminded me of Kylie as she is seeing ghosts. Riley tries to help them and the plot revolves around helping Aby, recently deceased to find peace.

Of course with CC Hunter’s stories there is a mystery behind the death and Riley embarks on a thrilling even dangerous adventure.

Riley has recently moved to a new town and is the new girl in school. I felt bad for her as she is lonely and is seen as a freak by the other kids due to her dad’s job. Him being a mortician guarantee stupid questions from other kids and them being repulsed by her. There was this really vindictive girl Jami who made her mission to bully Riley as she felt threatened. You see Jacob, muscled, cute boy and Jami’s ex boyfriends seems fascinated by Riley. It had to be expected as Riley is kind, caring, smart, gorgeous and good with cars. A teenage wet dream right?

To complicate everything Riley is followed by another ghost Hayden. Really really really cute boy with dark hair and blue eye. Think maybe Luca’s clone.

So I was immersed in the story, following all her drama and complicated life *what with seeing ghosts and helping them without people knowing it because she would have seemed bat sh@t crazy*. I really rooted for Hayden even if my heart broke as I knew that a ghost could never really be a boyfriend. Riley knew this and yet…

Then everything accelerated by the end with a huge stressing and threatening event when CC Hunter dropped THAT bomb on us (something I had guessed) and LEFT US HANGING DRY!!!!!!!!

I could not believe that I would not know how it would turn out before a long time!

Before realizing what I was doing I hurled my Kindle against the wall and it exploded!

I felt dizzy and saw spots. My hubs had to call a doctor as my blood pressure was through the roof.

Hours after I still feel sooooo frustrated that I am eating my frustration away in ice cream.”



Plaintiff final request:

“I do not ask for the replacement of my kindle, nor to be paid for the doctor’s visit. See, I can be reasonable. But what I ask of CC Hunter is THAT DAMN SEQUEL NOW! Ooops! Too loud?

As my mom told me we catch more flies with honey than vinegar I will rephrase and ask “CC would you please hurry and write the sequel at lightning speed? Maybe use me as a beta reader? Because it’s inhuman to write such enthralling stories just to let us lost and frustrated. Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?”



I will even grant you 5 stars *I planned to anyway*



I hope to hear from you soon.



Sophie

*cue friends theme song* so that’s what they meant when they said your love life’s doa!

“One Foot in the Grave” tells the story of Riley, a young girl starting over in a new town and trying to navigate these changes with her widowed father who may or may not be an alcoholic, and who also happens to have the ability to see and talk to the dead. When a spirit comes forward with unfinished business and another joins the group who refuses to be helped Riley sets off to right the wrongs of the past all the while hoping not to end up on the other side herself.

Here’s the thing and it’s going to sound stupid so stick with me but my biggest critique for this novel is that it didn’t make me feel anything because it spent so much time telling me things instead of having them come about organically over the course of the book.

The characters are so flat or amped up just enough to be a perfect cutout or whatever their role is without any variation making them completely unique to this world. The mean girl is easily identified as the cheerleader with the hot boyfriend who ends her threats with “bitch”, the boyfriend never realizes he’s dating the early 2000s mean girl until she comes after the newbie, the main character needs to be brave and courageous so let’s call her a badass 14 times and say she looks good with a black eye early on in the story instead of actually making her do something worthy of the title, you catch my drift?

It’s all so dull and boring that I felt nothing over the course of the book, even the romance was off because it happens so fast and from the very beginning despite the bits of foreshadowing it’s got a few technicals no one ever acknowledges, it sits there lurking just off into the shadows of some conversations but there’s never a moment where the absurdity of the entire ordeal is ever addressed and I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to hang around for that ride.

I was really hoping for a fun, slightly dark story with echoes of a Ghost Whisperer premise but sadly this was nothing but a dead end.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review**