by Tiffany Schmidt
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: May 19th 2015
Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.
Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.
And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.
All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.
You control the disease don’t let the disease control you, definitely fits in this situation. Penelope is plagued with a chronic disease that causes her to bruise and bleed easily. She is in a constant to struggle to stay well enough and be able to claim her life. Since she is so protected due to her health, she is kind of in a little bubble but she really wants the opportunity to break out. I liked Penny and that she is trying to find her way. She doesn’t always make the best decisions but she is still learning. She let herself be her family’s fragile doll for so long that it’s hard for not only her to realize she is not, but for everyone else too. They are used to treating her that way and now that she desperately wants to have more in life instead of wandering around the estate. I think she has to break her own personal perception of herself as well.
The romance was eh for me. I actually would have been fine if the book had minal on that part. There are so many other cool and interesting things going on, I didn’t need the long strolls through central park. It might also because I was more partial to the first love interest than I was the the second.
I loved Penny’s little f, which would be her actual immediate family not the mob Family. You quickly fall into bonding with her mother, father and Carter. Simply because even though they are running this illegal operation they are still have good hearts. They also all truly care for Penny.
This is a great plot. I loved that it revolved around the inner working of the crime families and their dealings with black market organ trade. I also really liked how even though the families activities illegal, they are not necessarily bad. We see Penny who is considered fragile and well protected trying to break out of that shell. When things go haywire, she gets her chance to prove how she can stand on her own two feet. The story has plenty to keep you interesting and keep the plot moving with the exception of when the second love interest is introduced. The book kind lags a little at that point. I believe it’s to kind of establish their relationship but the flow of it is off in some way. It’s just a bump in the road because then things really pick up again to carry you to the end.
I did enjoy the book and will check out the second book. I did really like the plot even if I wasn’t super into the romance. I also liked the writing so I’m curious to see where things go.
American Oxygen and Gangsta's Paradise reminded me more of mob songs. Break Free and The Truth are Penny songs.
SEND ME A SIGN is her first novel. BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE will follow in Winter, 2014. The ONCE UPON A CRIME FAMILY series begins with HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH in 2015. You can find out more about her and her books at: TiffanySchmidt.com, TiffanySchmidtWrites.Tumblr.com or by following her on Twitter @TiffanySchmidt.
