review coming soon on THE LIBRARIAN TALKS http://thelibrariantalks.wordpress.com

Teen love story with a twist of supernatural. Slight twist at the end and overall the book plods along, but teens into supernatural romance are likely to enjoy this book.

A wonderful new series by C.C. Hunter, One Foot In The Grave keeps the theme of being able see ghosts found in the Shadow Falls series. Riley can see dead people (lol). Being able to see ghosts definitely doesn't make life easy for her as she tries to balance checking if her father is an alcoholic, friends, school and trying to remain happy and sane. After seeing a handsome young man/ghost, she has to add keeping herself from falling in love with a dead man onto that list. As she tries to bring justice to a young woman's ghost, the young man and her grow closer, even if they could not be any farther apart.
I love a lot of C.C. Hunter's writings, and I enjoyed One Foot Under as well. It was a really good weekend read. It was nothing too meaty, but it was a fun binge read and was very entertaining. Although this was not my all-time favourite novel by her, I found it was still very much worth the read. Riley is a spunky and determined main character. She was well rounded but vague enough I feel like many young women could empathize and feel engaged with her. I found the romance to not be overly overwhelming, but it was quite sweet. There were many similar elements in this to the Shadow Falls series, and fans of one will probably like the other. I personally loved One Foot Under as a binge read and give it the rating of FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!

A great read for those who like a bit of a paranormal slant to their stories. Looking forward to seeing how the characters are developed and where the story leads.

One Foot in the Grave, by author C.C. Hunter, is the first installment in The Mortician's Daughter trilogy. 17-year old Riley Smith is the new girl in Catwalk, Texas. She's also a senior at her High School where everyone believes she is a freak because of what her father does for a living. But, if they really understood Riley and what she can do, they would probably run away screaming. No seriously. You see, Riley can see and talk to the departed. She has also been helping the departed with certain requests before they move on for the past year or so.

It seems that most of the ghosts she encounters have had a connection with her father Brent Smith, the towns mortician. 
In fact, as the story begins, we find Riley helping a ghost named Bessie assist her family. Riley is in a pickle, however. Her father is acting strange, and by the time she understands what is really happening, she's up to her ears with a murder mystery. Abby Howard's story is a sad and terrifying one. She finds Riley through another ghost who Riley had just recently helped.

Abby wants Riley to find her ring and give it to her sister. Abby won't take no for an answer, which leads to Riley to getting help from a second ghost named Hayden. Riley can also feel the emotions of ghosts like Abby which make her feel what really happened to Abby. Hayden is unlike any other ghost that Riley has encountered. There is something very curious about him that just doesn't add up. She also falls for said ghost who helps Riley investigate what happened to Abby. I will say that I was almost right in my guess as to who Hayden is and what really happened to him.

I will say that there is a great deal of drama in this story. Especially when it comes to Riley having to confront her adult father and explain that drinking as much as she believes he is drinking is not good for him. In fact, he's already lost several jobs because of his drinking issue. Thus why they moved to Catwalk in the first place. I think this particular aspect of the story is one that all young readers should pay attention to. It is okay to confront your parents if you believe they are drinking too heavily. It is absolutely okay to show concern for their well being. 

I loved the mystery that held my attention right to the end. I do have to say that there is a hint of a love triangle for which I docked this story a rating. I loved Kelsey. I am a fan of characters who aren't afraid of expressing who they are, and backing it up with their actions. While the friendship between Riley and Kelsey gets off to a slow start, by the end, you can tell that these two young women were meant to be friends. Kelsey is unlike any other friend that Riley has met. She's also as curious about Riley which will make things interesting in the next book.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. Why? As I mentioned above, I really liked Riley. I think she's the genuine article who has her head on straight even with all her family issues of losing her mother and her father's alcoholism. She doesn't give herself enough credit, but she is willing to step out of her zone to take auto-tech class. Is she the perfect character who can do no wrong? Nope, and that's why I like her so much. I love that she finds friendship with Kelsey. I love that she stood up for Kelsey when the bullies try to make her feel 2 feet tall. My only twist is that there are two guys involved in what is apparently a triangle. I can't hate either boy. Not Jacob. Not Hayden. I can however, loathe Riley's father for what he's doing to himself which will one day affect Riley.

I am eager to read the next installment since the author left us with a bit of a mind blowing cliffhanger ending.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.


I was beyond ecstatic to learn that C.C. Hunter had a new Paranormal YA series coming out! One Foot in the Grave is the start of The Mortician’s Daughter trilogy. This time, our heroine already knows of her connection to the paranormal, she can see and talk to ghosts! I love me a good ghost read! Possibly because The Mediator series was one of the very first Paranormal YA series I read eons ago and I loved the possibility of a romance between a living human and ghost! It has it problems, but you still can’t help but rooting for there to be a way!

Not only does this story have the possibility of a cross-dimensional romance, but there’s also a murder mystery of sorts afoot! But I’m getting ahead of myself! The story begins with Riley trying to settle into her new surroundings at the second move she and her dad made in the past two years. She’s beginning to suspect her father is a closet alcoholic but hasn’t been able to prove it yet, but since he lost his last two jobs and she’s seen other signs that could be the result of drinking too much. Then it happens, a ghost comes to Riley begging for help! She wants Riley to find her ring to give to her family. But then a funny thing happens, yet another ghost appears, only this time, he looks different than the usual sort of ghosts she sees, but he’s still clearly not of the living. Hayden is just different.

I was actually rather surprised by how quickly things started to develop between Hayden and Riley. Sure I expected romance between them, the cover description gives us that much of an idea. But man, I felt like it just happened so quickly. Add in that there also happens to be another guy, Jacob, at Riley’s school who has a crush on her and you have the makings of one awkward love triangle! Lol! What will eventually come to be final though has yet to be seen at this point, though I am pretty sure I will be heartbroken either way!

It’s not long though before the first ghost reveals that she didn’t die by accident, she was murdered and she wants Riley’s help to get her killer put behind bars. Though it doesn’t exactly come out that way. It was while Riley was trying to find the ring that she ended up running into the murderer. And now he has set his sights on Riley.

There was definitely an air of danger to this story once it’s revealed who the killer is. It was positively frightening because he was one seriously bad dude. And when a serial rapist sets his sights on you, well, it naturally makes for intense and scary reading!

Then there’s also the fact that Riley is trying to prove her dad is drinking and confront him about it. There’s a good deal of drama in this story as well in that scope of things. Add in the conflicting feelings over two boys, one dead, one alive and you pretty much have one rockin story in your hands!

The ending to One Foot in the Grave gives you a sense of conclusion to the murder mystery and yet still packs a punch with one whopper of a cliffhanger! Granted, I did sort of see this one coming once some things were laid out for us to know. I made a guess and it turns out I was right!! And man, I don’t envy Riley for the troubles she will be having in the books to come!

One Foot in the Grave is the perfect paranormal read! There’s ghosts, there’s mystery, there’s romance, there’s surprises around every turn and there is still more to come! This is going to be one delightful series! I can already tell!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

The Mortician’s Daughter by C.C. Hunter was a great read. A great plot and sweet romance. Along with other characters that round out the story.

I loved the plot. Riley is someone who can talk to and see spirits of people who have unfinished business. As a Mortician’s daughter this gives the spirits easy access to her as they often follow her father home. She might not like her dad’s job (My FIL has the same job ha, so my husband lived over a funeral home) but it gives her an opportunity to help people. I think as much as she thinks it’s embarrassing, she also sees the good of it.

I like that a parent figure is very present and not only are we seeing Riley’s struggles with teenage life. We also get to see how she deals with being the daughter of a single dad. They have their ups and downs and disagreements but they also have a very strong bond. They are for the most part, a team. So when Riley has some concerns about her dad it’s hard for her to cope. She doesn’t have another parent to talk it over with or even to help her understand. I liked how this aspect of her life is shown.

I don’t want to compare this series to Shadow Falls but some of the things I love about the Shadow Falls series continue on. I love that C.C. Hunter always has strong female friendships in her stories. The Mortician’s Daughter is no exception. Riley is starting at a new school and of course feeling lonely but she soon finds companionship in the friends she makes. One of them being Kelsey. They just click and understand each other easily.

So I had my suspicions about Hayden from the get go and I wasn’t surprised that they turned out to be correct. I really like him though and the way he reacts with Riley. He understands a part of her that would not be easy for other people. Maybe with time they would but he doesn’t need evidence and there is no room for doubt with him. They fill a hole for each other.

So of course another boy and of course he’s a good guy so I have no idea to root for! It’s not situation where she is leading anyone on. It’s not that kind of love triangle. It fits well with the story and the way the plot is going and it was like ahh this is so hard!

I really enjoyed the story and that it had a mix of mystery and romance. While still dealing with teenage and family issues.

I want to give a huge thank you to NetGalley and EverAfter Romance for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate this opportunity.

Publication Date: 10/31/2017(Today!)

Synopsis: Riley Smith is not your average 17 year old high school senior. She has what some may call a gift and others may call a curse. Riley sees dead people. Since Riley's father is the town's mortician the dead seem to follow him home to Riley, where Riley helps them with whatever they need to cross over. Dealing with a new town, new school, her dad's alcoholism, missing her dead mom and two new troubled spirits that entered her life, Riley feels like she's losing it.



The two new dead people in her life are different than the others that she has encountered. Hayden is a beautiful guy and is the same age as Riley. He also has abilities that other ghosts don't have such as; Riley can kind of feel Hayden's touch and he's not listed in the obituaries. Abby is a very tormented soul. Some days Abby is dressed up nice because of Riley's dad, others she looks beat up and suffering. Riley also has the ability to feel the spirit's emotions and she realizes Abby's death was more tragic than a mere accident!



Hayden vows to help Riley find out what happened to Abby. The only problem is the increasing feelings that bubble up between the two. Riley knows she shouldn't fall in love with a ghost but Hayden's soul is so beautiful and kind.



While facing all her obstacles, Riley meets strong willed classmate Kelsey. The two girls share grief and other issues and become instant best friends. The two girls battle high school drama, boys and hard emotions.



Will Riley be able to help Hayden and Abby cross over? Will Riley be able to discover what really happened to Abby? Will Riley be able to let Hayden go and set him free and vice versa? Will Kelsey and Riley be able to cope with life and deep rooted issues? Read this YA Paranormal book to find out!



Review: OMG! I loved this book! One Foot in the Grave made me smile, laugh, made the hairs on my neck stick up, and warmed my heart. I loved the characters in this book! Riley was a down to earth girl and knew she has flaws but loves others intensely. Riley is such a compassionate person. Kelsey was strong willed and loving. Hayden was another fantastic character and made me wish he was alive as well! He was so open minded, compassionate and just wanted the best for Riley even if that meant setting Riley free!💖 The reason I am not giving this book 5 stars is because the ending. The ending left me with a cliffhanger and I admit, I can be impatient! At times, the story felt like there was a tad too much going on but overall still was a smooth and well rounded story. This title was perfect for the holiday! I highly recommend this title and can't wait until the next one is released!!!

The Mortician’s Daughter: One Foot in the Grave by CC Hunter- Riley lost her mother when she was four years old. She lives with her father who is a mortician. She’s been attending her new school for less than two weeks and knows only a few people. They have moved twice lately due to her father losing his jobs. Riley is worrying about whether or not he’s an alcoholic or depressed. Riley gets visits from ghosts of the people her father has helped prepare for burial. The visitors need Riley’s help and until she helps them they keep visiting. I have a soft spot for Ford Mustangs and it’s cool that Riley has a Mustang and deals with the car’s maintenance and mechanical issues with her dad. The more I read, the more I realized how complicated Riley’s life is. I don’t want to give anything away, but the story just kept getting better and better. The dynamic characters are interesting and the suspense grows in intensity and I was on the edge of my seat as the story ended! I want the sequel now!!! 5 stars for pure supernatural entertainment!

Summary:
Seventeen-year old Riley isn’t enjoying her senior year. She is once again the new kid at her small Texan high school, her father is the town’s new mortician, and she has been abandoned by her boyfriend and her best friend. Oh, and Riley can see ghosts. During her first week in school Riley finds herself drawn into a possible murder mystery, being terrorized by the school’s head mean girl, and maybe developing a crush a too cute boy who just happens to be dead. Stuck between the living and the undead Riley must find a way to catch a murder and protect her heart.

Review:
There are two types of books out there in the world: the books that are written to win awards and books that are written to be entertaining. C.C. Hunter is a master at writing books that will entertain you and “The Mortician’s Daughter: One Foot in the Grave” is definitely entertaining. Our heroine is seventeen year old Riley who is funny and scrappy and torn between the world of the living and the dead. She is trying to make friends, deal with family issues, and stop herself from falling love with the wrong. She is real and she is believable as is her sarcastic new friend Kelsey and her possible love interest Jacob. Which is the real reason to read Hunter’s books…her characters. The characters who actually speak and act like real teens and not some kind of iddealized teen specimens even as they go through extraordinarily supernatural trials they still feel real plus, they are really entertaining as they defeat evil and try to win over their crushes. “The Mortician’s Daughter: One Foot in the Grave” is a funny, quick read that will appeal to fans of romance and ghost stories who are also looking for a good dose of family drama.

Riley has always been an outlier as a daughter of a mortician . It’s not easy to avoid the stares and the whispered voices in the halls. Those voices are not those she’s concerned with, rather they are the voices from the grave. They are unsettled and in need of her special talents to rest peacefully. But being a teenage girl in a new town and navigating both the spiritual world and the living world is a tall order and each comes with its own dangers...



I love this book but was very torn on what to give it ratings wise. Struggled between a 4 and a 5 star review but I am a little stringent holding out for perfection. I cannot wait to read more in this series and see what becomes of it. C.C. Hunter has quite a talent for relatable characters and a gripping storyline.

This was a great book! It was fun to read and I did not want to put it down. The main character, Riley, is a tough girl who learns to deal with what life throws at her in a new town all while dealing with the supernatural. I would totally recommend this book if you love ghosts, supernatural, and tough chicks!

This YA title is a romance, mystery, thriller and paranormal novel all rolled into one. It features a spunky female main character who does not let anyone walk over her who sees dead people.

Creepy, Weird, Perfect! Loved it! Can't wait to see how it does!

I love getting in on the ground floor of a new series. This book was soo awesome. I read it in one night and could not put it down. This book has YA romance, paranormal and a mystery all rolled up in one.
Riley and Hayden were amazing characters. Riley is a grim reaper and helps ghosts go into the light. As I had just read an adult book with a grim reaper in it, I was able to look at both of these books and really could not decide which one was better. Riley's character was pretty spunky and I love that she didn't let people walk all over her. Hayden was a dream guy and I can't wait to see what comes of this romance. There was a pretty neat twist at the end that I saw coming about midway through the book but I bet a lot of people will be surprised by it. This was a fun read and I can't wait to read the next books coming out.

Good start to this series! My only complaint was that the story was a little slow moving, and the characters felt older than they were. The book was well written, and I'm curious what will happen next!