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Blood Flesh Bone #1
June's Blood
Ghostly footsteps, haunted mirrors, stolen treasures…
Welcome to Rosebud Academy.
Up until a few weeks ago, eighteen-year-old Lissa Anderson drank, smoked, and partied hard.
She was trying to forget a tragedy.
But now that she’s seen the error of her ways, she’s determined to be the straightest arrow at Rosebud, an elite summer academy for classical musicians.
A spooky old dormitory, overprivileged students, and hours at the piano make the program into everything Lissa expected. What she didn’t expect is her quickly-budding romance with a cellist, the series of thefts related to scary stories, or the ghost determined to get Lissa’s attention. Could Lissa’s rebellious past help her unlock the future?
Welcome to Rosebud Academy.
Up until a few weeks ago, eighteen-year-old Lissa Anderson drank, smoked, and partied hard.
She was trying to forget a tragedy.
But now that she’s seen the error of her ways, she’s determined to be the straightest arrow at Rosebud, an elite summer academy for classical musicians.
A spooky old dormitory, overprivileged students, and hours at the piano make the program into everything Lissa expected. What she didn’t expect is her quickly-budding romance with a cellist, the series of thefts related to scary stories, or the ghost determined to get Lissa’s attention. Could Lissa’s rebellious past help her unlock the future?
243 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2017
236 people are currently reading
584 people want to read
About the author
Juliet Vane
17 books83 followersJuliet grew up in northern California, where she spent her free time staring at spooky lakes and making up stories about the old buildings surrounding them. Years later, she still lives in California and she still makes up spooky stories…about lakes and the old buildings surrounding them. Like April in April’s Ghosts, she’s terrified of spiders and she’s obsessed with Hamilton. Like Lissa in June's Blood, she plays the piano...but not very well.
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Blurb:
Ghostly footsteps, haunted mirrors, stolen treasures…welcome to the Rosebud Academy.
Up until a few weeks ago, eighteen-year-old Lissa Anderson drank, smoke, and partied hard as she tried to forget the sorrow of her best friend’s death. But now that she’s seen the error of her ways, she’s determined to be the straightest arrow at Rosebud, an elite summer program for classical musicians.
A spooky old dormitory, overprivileged students, and hours at the piano make the program into everything Lissa expected. What she didn’t expect is her quickly-budding romance with a cellist, the series of thefts related to scary stories, or the ghost determined to get Lissa’s attention. If she’s willing to face her own skeletons, Lissa’s rebellious past might help her unlock the future.
Blurb:
Ghostly footsteps, haunted mirrors, stolen treasures…welcome to the Rosebud Academy.
Up until a few weeks ago, eighteen-year-old Lissa Anderson drank, smoke, and partied hard as she tried to forget the sorrow of her best friend’s death. But now that she’s seen the error of her ways, she’s determined to be the straightest arrow at Rosebud, an elite summer program for classical musicians.
A spooky old dormitory, overprivileged students, and hours at the piano make the program into everything Lissa expected. What she didn’t expect is her quickly-budding romance with a cellist, the series of thefts related to scary stories, or the ghost determined to get Lissa’s attention. If she’s willing to face her own skeletons, Lissa’s rebellious past might help her unlock the future.
October 8, 2019
An enjoyable little mystery with a hint of romance.
October 25, 2021
I love Juliet Vane’s fantasy stories. I love the intricate, detailed, immersive worlds that she creates. I love that her stories are full of myths and legends, building the history of her wonderful worlds and fueling the imagination. Here the scary stories serve to create an eerie atmosphere. But beyond the atmosphere, the footsteps, the creepy mirror that only made maybe 3 appearances, and the couple of items that went missing, that was the extent to the eerie bits in the book. The large majority of the book is spent on her teenage dramas, dating, jealousy of other girls, various people flirting with her, her insecurities of not being worthy of being there (which I don’t really get since that was her on the audition tape and she has been playing piano all her life), and all the hours spent on the piano, practicing, classes, and the lengthy discussions on musicians and playing and styles of playing, etc. Considering I’ve never played the piano, nor have I studied it, all the piano stuff just bored me. Might as well have been speaking Greek (though I really wanted to unravel the mystery of Penny Valentino the piano teacher who seemed like she was totally going bonkers. Never did though. I’m shocked no one recorded any of her classes and played it for the head mistress. I totally would have). And I was bored with the petty relationship dramas. Nothing felt any deeper than teenage dating. So, in all, this book didn’t sell me on continuing with the series.
April 15, 2018
Awesome book
April 22, 2018
Haunting good read...
Juliet does a fantastic job pulling you into the mystery of Rosebud academy. Looking forward to continuing Lissa's experiences in July...
Juliet does a fantastic job pulling you into the mystery of Rosebud academy. Looking forward to continuing Lissa's experiences in July...
April 19, 2018
STORY-LINE:
Lissa Anderson, a party girl, has a chance to redeem herself. Receiving a scholarship to the Rose Bud Academy, she is determined to change and succeed. But the academy is not all it seems. Privileged students, ghosts, thefts, a missing student, and developing feelings of attraction, will make her summer challenging, scary, and exciting. My mystery romance book reviews of June's Blood follows.
CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:
Author Juliet Vane created a storyline perfect for young and mature adults alike who enjoy a clean mystery romance. This tale is suitable for anyone who loves a good scary well-plotted mystery. With multiple plot lines, which include an academy with a dubious background, mysterious happenings, ghosts, and thefts, I was entertained from start to finish. Slowly revealing the tragedy in Lissa's past kept me quickly turning the pages on my E-reader; many young adults will relate to Lissa, her past, and the guilt she carries.
I found Vane's characters realistic, believable, and well-developed. The storyline progresses at a steady, smooth pace and the scenes transitioned well. With multiple suspects, I did not guess correctly the who, what, or why behind the mysteries. Juliet Vane held the answers to my questions close to her chest, leaving a cliffhanger which is intriguing.
MY OPINION:
I found June's Blood entertaining and plan to read the prequel as well the later books in this series. I could relate to the characters, loved the mystery, as well as, the clean romance and angst. Vane skillfully portrayed the confusing emotions for maturing young adults.
Guessing first one when another as the culprit, in the finale I found I was totally wrong. Do not read the ending first, as it will spoil the storyline for you. I would not hesitate to buy this tale for myself or anyone who enjoys a skillfully crafted mystery. The scary scenes are not of nightmare quality. Instead, they are perfect for the tone of the storyline which is suitable for young adults and up.
JUNE'S BLOOD RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4
ALSO, PLEASE NOTE:
Additionally, I purchased this edition, and I chose to review the book with honest romance book reviews voluntarily. Lastly, reviews of any novel are dependent on the author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews online and under my name, are my opinions.
April 21, 2019
Warning! There will probably be some slight spoilers in this review. You HAVE been warned!
I couldn’t decide for most of the book if I liked it or found it annoying. I ended up thinking it was mediocre and at the very least passable. There were parts of the book that were pretty decent, but for the most part I found it boring. This was supposed to be a book about a ghost. I found that most of the book was about ghost stories or legends of Rose Bud Academy.
The story follows main character Lissa as she goes to Rose Bud Academy. She is going to Rose Bud Academy because she pretty much got caught partying too hard. She partied hard to forget the fact that her best friend, Chloe, had died. Lissa meets some of the other students, makes som friends, but tries to keep everyone an arms’ reach away because she is only there to learn how to play the piano better and pretty much redeem herself. The fact that she KEEPS bringing up the fact that she’s only there for the piano just irks me. The first couple times were normal, but Lissa is CONSTANTLY bringing it up to the point where it seems she’s trying to shove it down someone’s throat. And then after all the times she tells herself that she’s only there for the piano, then she decides to get a boyfriend anyway.
The “romance”, if I can even call it that, is laughable. It’s all insta-lust and no emotion at all. Frankly, it’s a hot-boy lusting relationship. Lissa and Tyler hardly know each other, and the relationship has no development at all. It’s like they meet, the think each other is hot, and now they’re dating. Ta-da! It just felt too forced.
I found the ghost stories and the legends in the book weren’t even a little creepy. In all honesty, some of them were down right hysterical. The legend about the vials of blood being taken from the old headmaster was not just unrealistic, but laughable. I’m not entirely sure how that was supposed to be terrifying, scary, or even creepy. In all honesty, I found it to be rather weird. The ghosts in the book were also not creepy. There was no real build up to the ghosts. It was a couple noises, and then WHAM! Ghost sighting in the mirror.
Through most of the book I felt like what was going on wasn’t real. Like it wasn’t something that would normally happen in real life. For example, the thefts. They were downplayed so horribly by the school staff, and it didn’t seem like that was what would happen in an actual school setting. Seriously, considering that one of the thefts was a violin worth $10k. A theft like that would have been reported to the police and there would have been a huge investigation. I could sort of understand the fact that the necklace was kind of pushed to the side, but the fact that hardly anything was done with the violin was ridiculous. And also, if the school had serious doubt about whether a student had stolen it or not, the would have looked in every student’s room. The whole theft part of the story felt fake.
Another part that felt unrealistic was when Karl disappeared. There would have been a massive man-hunt for a missing person. The fact that school just continued like nothing happened wasn’t just unrealistic, but plain stupid. I found this part of the story almost insulting, like the fact that Karl was missing, and there had been a suicide note found, and there was very little done. That is NOT how that would have been handled in real life. Considering the fact that Karl’s parents were there, it wasn’t like someone wasn’t concerned about him missing.
I found that a lot of the “big” events in the book were downplayed so the author could use the “drama” created by the downplay. The thefts, the missing student, if something similar would have happened at a real boarding school, there would have been massive police involvement. The fact that there was little to any police involvement was just ridiculous.
The characters were rather plain and not very interesting. They were very stereotypical and frankly, I could find more characterization in a cardboard cut out. Lissa was annoying and the normal kid who lost a friend and then started acting out and drinking to “make the pain go away”. It could be the fact that it has been way overdone that made me so annoyed, but Lissa just drove me nuts. She wasn’t logical, and it didn’t seem like she had a whole lot of emotion. I felt absolutely no connection to her. Granted, she is the type of person I really don’t like in real life, so that didn’t help her any.
None of the other characters were interesting either. Hell, I can’t even remember most of the characters. I only remembered Lissa from reading other reviews, and Karl because he went missing. I also couldn’t remember Karl’s name until I read a review. So yeah… No real memorable characters.
The more I write this review, the less I find good with the book and the more I find wrong with it. I think giving it two stars was way too much, but whatever… Don’t feel like changing the number of stars given right now. I feel awkward because there were so many good reviews for the book, and maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but whatever. There were just too many things that annoyed me about the book that I just couldn’t stand.
In all, I found a lot of things lacking in the book. Little development, not really any atmosphere, and pretty much no scare. It started out as a quick read, and I really had to force myself to finish it. When I have to force myself to finish a book, it’s not going to end well.
I couldn’t decide for most of the book if I liked it or found it annoying. I ended up thinking it was mediocre and at the very least passable. There were parts of the book that were pretty decent, but for the most part I found it boring. This was supposed to be a book about a ghost. I found that most of the book was about ghost stories or legends of Rose Bud Academy.
The story follows main character Lissa as she goes to Rose Bud Academy. She is going to Rose Bud Academy because she pretty much got caught partying too hard. She partied hard to forget the fact that her best friend, Chloe, had died. Lissa meets some of the other students, makes som friends, but tries to keep everyone an arms’ reach away because she is only there to learn how to play the piano better and pretty much redeem herself. The fact that she KEEPS bringing up the fact that she’s only there for the piano just irks me. The first couple times were normal, but Lissa is CONSTANTLY bringing it up to the point where it seems she’s trying to shove it down someone’s throat. And then after all the times she tells herself that she’s only there for the piano, then she decides to get a boyfriend anyway.
The “romance”, if I can even call it that, is laughable. It’s all insta-lust and no emotion at all. Frankly, it’s a hot-boy lusting relationship. Lissa and Tyler hardly know each other, and the relationship has no development at all. It’s like they meet, the think each other is hot, and now they’re dating. Ta-da! It just felt too forced.
I found the ghost stories and the legends in the book weren’t even a little creepy. In all honesty, some of them were down right hysterical. The legend about the vials of blood being taken from the old headmaster was not just unrealistic, but laughable. I’m not entirely sure how that was supposed to be terrifying, scary, or even creepy. In all honesty, I found it to be rather weird. The ghosts in the book were also not creepy. There was no real build up to the ghosts. It was a couple noises, and then WHAM! Ghost sighting in the mirror.
Through most of the book I felt like what was going on wasn’t real. Like it wasn’t something that would normally happen in real life. For example, the thefts. They were downplayed so horribly by the school staff, and it didn’t seem like that was what would happen in an actual school setting. Seriously, considering that one of the thefts was a violin worth $10k. A theft like that would have been reported to the police and there would have been a huge investigation. I could sort of understand the fact that the necklace was kind of pushed to the side, but the fact that hardly anything was done with the violin was ridiculous. And also, if the school had serious doubt about whether a student had stolen it or not, the would have looked in every student’s room. The whole theft part of the story felt fake.
Another part that felt unrealistic was when Karl disappeared. There would have been a massive man-hunt for a missing person. The fact that school just continued like nothing happened wasn’t just unrealistic, but plain stupid. I found this part of the story almost insulting, like the fact that Karl was missing, and there had been a suicide note found, and there was very little done. That is NOT how that would have been handled in real life. Considering the fact that Karl’s parents were there, it wasn’t like someone wasn’t concerned about him missing.
I found that a lot of the “big” events in the book were downplayed so the author could use the “drama” created by the downplay. The thefts, the missing student, if something similar would have happened at a real boarding school, there would have been massive police involvement. The fact that there was little to any police involvement was just ridiculous.
The characters were rather plain and not very interesting. They were very stereotypical and frankly, I could find more characterization in a cardboard cut out. Lissa was annoying and the normal kid who lost a friend and then started acting out and drinking to “make the pain go away”. It could be the fact that it has been way overdone that made me so annoyed, but Lissa just drove me nuts. She wasn’t logical, and it didn’t seem like she had a whole lot of emotion. I felt absolutely no connection to her. Granted, she is the type of person I really don’t like in real life, so that didn’t help her any.
None of the other characters were interesting either. Hell, I can’t even remember most of the characters. I only remembered Lissa from reading other reviews, and Karl because he went missing. I also couldn’t remember Karl’s name until I read a review. So yeah… No real memorable characters.
The more I write this review, the less I find good with the book and the more I find wrong with it. I think giving it two stars was way too much, but whatever… Don’t feel like changing the number of stars given right now. I feel awkward because there were so many good reviews for the book, and maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but whatever. There were just too many things that annoyed me about the book that I just couldn’t stand.
In all, I found a lot of things lacking in the book. Little development, not really any atmosphere, and pretty much no scare. It started out as a quick read, and I really had to force myself to finish it. When I have to force myself to finish a book, it’s not going to end well.
November 12, 2017
Lissa’s been in a bit of trouble. So, to get out of it, she has to attend the Rosebud Summer Music Festival, at Rosebud Academy in Switchback, Colorado.
Lissa arrives late at night when she meets Natalie, who takes her to her room in the south wing. Natalie Frost, the owner, lives in Switchback, works at the Academy during the day, going home at night. She takes Lissa to her room in the south wing, where all the students sleep. “In the north wing,” Natalie tells her, “are other students, meet a few new friends.” They promptly tell her about the ghost of the mean headmaster. She tries not to believe it. But in the morning, she wakes up to find that Kirsten’s had her beautiful necklace stolen and replaced with a vial of blood, a mark of the ghost of the headmaster. A couple of days later, Tyler wakes up to find his pocket watch missing, and, finding a vial of blood in its place. Lissa wanders the halls, coming to the mirror at the end of the hall. Looking at herself in the mirror, ”Ghosts are NOT real!” she tells herself. Her face having been replaced with another female image in the mirror, ”Ghosts ARE real.”
Another night, while alone, Lissa’s walking to her room, and hears someone talking to her. She has no choice but to look at that mirror again. It IS the mirror! It’s talking to HER!
When Lissa’s in the downstairs room, about to begin playing the piano, she playfully knocks on it, ”Anybody in there?” She hears a knock, and opens it up to find a diary. When she shares it with her new friends, no one’s interested. Hmmph. Taking it to her room, she reads it and learns about Carla Matthews, dating back to 1956, and her best friend, Barbara. Leaving the diary in her room as she goes about her day, it, too, turns up missing. But no vial of blood in it’s place. The next day, a faculty member finds her violin has been taken. What’s happening?? Soon, everyone’s blaming Karl. Except Lissa.
The next morning, when Lissa wakes, her beloved crystal elephant is gone, replaced with a vial of blood. After everyone’s convinced that Karl’s the one that’s been taking things, he’s disappeared. Natalie has the police look through his computer, they find a letter, saying he was apologizing for taking his life.
So Lissa decides to play Dick Tracey. She asks her mom to send her grandfathers old antique metronome, hoping to have the thief try to steal it. When the time comes that Rosebud Academy has what��s in place of their June recital, will Lissa find out who the thief is??
In this book by Juliet Vane, she’s done a very good job of developing character profiles, describing where they are and giving life to them in their Academic ways. I very much enjoyed this book.
I received a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Lissa arrives late at night when she meets Natalie, who takes her to her room in the south wing. Natalie Frost, the owner, lives in Switchback, works at the Academy during the day, going home at night. She takes Lissa to her room in the south wing, where all the students sleep. “In the north wing,” Natalie tells her, “are other students, meet a few new friends.” They promptly tell her about the ghost of the mean headmaster. She tries not to believe it. But in the morning, she wakes up to find that Kirsten’s had her beautiful necklace stolen and replaced with a vial of blood, a mark of the ghost of the headmaster. A couple of days later, Tyler wakes up to find his pocket watch missing, and, finding a vial of blood in its place. Lissa wanders the halls, coming to the mirror at the end of the hall. Looking at herself in the mirror, ”Ghosts are NOT real!” she tells herself. Her face having been replaced with another female image in the mirror, ”Ghosts ARE real.”
Another night, while alone, Lissa’s walking to her room, and hears someone talking to her. She has no choice but to look at that mirror again. It IS the mirror! It’s talking to HER!
When Lissa’s in the downstairs room, about to begin playing the piano, she playfully knocks on it, ”Anybody in there?” She hears a knock, and opens it up to find a diary. When she shares it with her new friends, no one’s interested. Hmmph. Taking it to her room, she reads it and learns about Carla Matthews, dating back to 1956, and her best friend, Barbara. Leaving the diary in her room as she goes about her day, it, too, turns up missing. But no vial of blood in it’s place. The next day, a faculty member finds her violin has been taken. What’s happening?? Soon, everyone’s blaming Karl. Except Lissa.
The next morning, when Lissa wakes, her beloved crystal elephant is gone, replaced with a vial of blood. After everyone’s convinced that Karl’s the one that’s been taking things, he’s disappeared. Natalie has the police look through his computer, they find a letter, saying he was apologizing for taking his life.
So Lissa decides to play Dick Tracey. She asks her mom to send her grandfathers old antique metronome, hoping to have the thief try to steal it. When the time comes that Rosebud Academy has what��s in place of their June recital, will Lissa find out who the thief is??
In this book by Juliet Vane, she’s done a very good job of developing character profiles, describing where they are and giving life to them in their Academic ways. I very much enjoyed this book.
I received a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 14, 2018
“I received a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review.”
This was the very first time reading a book written by Juliet Vane. First I would say that this book left with a cliffhanger. I should of realized this so I wouldn’t of been waiting for more.
This book was about a young woman named “Lissa”. She is a talented pianist who after making poor decisions after her best friend passes away. She goes to a very exclusive acacdemy for talented musicians. This academy is very old and it comes with a long history and “ghost stories” .
Lissa meets new friends who like her are very talented.
The liked that the characters in the book were all different with their own back “stories”.
This book started off very well. I was very interested in Lissa and her best friend Chloe.
Juliet Vane’s description of each character in the story was great. I was really enjoying the book but somewhere in the middle of the book I started to wonder when will it get exciting. It wasn’t boring but I felt it dragged a little bit. Once I got excited again the book was finished.
Like I stated at the beginning this book is #1 of a series. I had so many questions at the end I was a little disappointed but it was my fault since I didn’t know there was another book after this.
I am looking forward to reading the next books of this series. I NEED to know what’s going on and I NEED my questions answered.
Thank you Juliet for sharing this book with me.
This was the very first time reading a book written by Juliet Vane. First I would say that this book left with a cliffhanger. I should of realized this so I wouldn’t of been waiting for more.
This book was about a young woman named “Lissa”. She is a talented pianist who after making poor decisions after her best friend passes away. She goes to a very exclusive acacdemy for talented musicians. This academy is very old and it comes with a long history and “ghost stories” .
Lissa meets new friends who like her are very talented.
The liked that the characters in the book were all different with their own back “stories”.
This book started off very well. I was very interested in Lissa and her best friend Chloe.
Juliet Vane’s description of each character in the story was great. I was really enjoying the book but somewhere in the middle of the book I started to wonder when will it get exciting. It wasn’t boring but I felt it dragged a little bit. Once I got excited again the book was finished.
Like I stated at the beginning this book is #1 of a series. I had so many questions at the end I was a little disappointed but it was my fault since I didn’t know there was another book after this.
I am looking forward to reading the next books of this series. I NEED to know what’s going on and I NEED my questions answered.
Thank you Juliet for sharing this book with me.
December 20, 2017
A good YA story with elements of paranormal, full of music, talent, and drama.
Lissa got a scholarship to study at the Rosebud academy during the summer, practicing and polishing her musical skills. Despite her talent, she feels off, like a cheater that does not belong. As it is typical among teenage students, she also lives her fair share of relationship drama, making and losing friends on a daily basis. But her head is wrapped around the mystery going on at the academy - the missing personal items, replaced by vials of blood, straight like from the old haunted stories from the past..
After spending an exhausting day at work, this piece was the fresh air in my mind. Not focusing on anything more serious than guessing the potential culprit, I enjoyed the fast and relatively simple read, recalling my own times at high school and college, and the mess called interpersonal relationships from that time. Although, the lightly spooky tone of this tale gave the book the edge it needed. I would definitely love to see more of the characters, going more in-depth and knowing them better. There are also several open topics left, and my curiosity is piqued for the next development.
I read a complimentary copy of this book and voluntarily provide my honest review.
Lissa got a scholarship to study at the Rosebud academy during the summer, practicing and polishing her musical skills. Despite her talent, she feels off, like a cheater that does not belong. As it is typical among teenage students, she also lives her fair share of relationship drama, making and losing friends on a daily basis. But her head is wrapped around the mystery going on at the academy - the missing personal items, replaced by vials of blood, straight like from the old haunted stories from the past..
After spending an exhausting day at work, this piece was the fresh air in my mind. Not focusing on anything more serious than guessing the potential culprit, I enjoyed the fast and relatively simple read, recalling my own times at high school and college, and the mess called interpersonal relationships from that time. Although, the lightly spooky tone of this tale gave the book the edge it needed. I would definitely love to see more of the characters, going more in-depth and knowing them better. There are also several open topics left, and my curiosity is piqued for the next development.
I read a complimentary copy of this book and voluntarily provide my honest review.
September 21, 2017
I read the ARC version of this story and it was excellent. A haunted music conservatory summer class in Switchback, Colorado's former Rosebud Girls Academy. Lissa is the star of the novel, she is the one who hears the creepy footsteps and sees an image of a girl in the mirror. There is someone stealing prized possessions from locked rooms and leaving vials of blood. One of the old ghost stories was the girls that attended the school each took a vial of blood from the sexually inappropriate headmaster(killing him). The truth is the school was hit with a deadly outbreak of the flu and most of the students didn't survive. I also recommend you read April's Ghosts, which is a stand alone prequel and has all the local characters, namely the woman who runs the music program and three local teens. They helped get the building ready for live in summer students and April was the girl who saw the ghosts in the mirror while it was in a basement, and the ghost in the mirror saved their lives as soon as it was hung up in the hallway. I cannot wait to read the next volume, the cliffhanger has me biting my nails.
September 21, 2017
What a fun little mystery this was. A little haunted school and a good mystery make a fun book. All you Nancy Drew/Goosebumps fans should be thrilled that there is a series made for you.
Lissa is a lost young lady. She and her best friend Chloe had always dreamed of being famous pianist. When Chloe died of cancer, Lissa kind of lost it for awhile. Too much partying and too much trouble, her parents along with Chloe's parents help pay for Lissa to attend Rosebud's Music Summer Program. Her first night at Rosebud she's alarmed to hear that the place is haunted. Footsteps, strange noises and voices can be heard in the lower south hall at night.
Students are missing things that mean something to them and they are replaced with a vial of blood (a part of one of their ghost stories). Lissa has to turn spy to catch the thief.
I highly recommend for YA or anyone that likes mysteries. No bad language or naughty parts (Just kissing).
Lissa is a lost young lady. She and her best friend Chloe had always dreamed of being famous pianist. When Chloe died of cancer, Lissa kind of lost it for awhile. Too much partying and too much trouble, her parents along with Chloe's parents help pay for Lissa to attend Rosebud's Music Summer Program. Her first night at Rosebud she's alarmed to hear that the place is haunted. Footsteps, strange noises and voices can be heard in the lower south hall at night.
Students are missing things that mean something to them and they are replaced with a vial of blood (a part of one of their ghost stories). Lissa has to turn spy to catch the thief.
I highly recommend for YA or anyone that likes mysteries. No bad language or naughty parts (Just kissing).
November 2, 2017
Lissa has received a scholarship to the exclusive summer music academy of Rosebud. Previously a girls school and with rumors of being haunted, the students soon become caught up in their own mystery. Items are being taken and vials of blood are being left in their place. When Karl, the only student that doesn't appear to believe the ghost stories and who unafraid to roam the south corridor, is accused of the pranks and thefts, he becomes withdrawn and eventually cannot be found. Lissa, his last accuser, takes his disappearance personally and vows to find the real thief with the hopes that Karl will either return or be found. The author has created some solid characters that you will soon care about. Knowing nothing about music, she also makes you feel some of the passion that these students and instructors have along with some of the sacrifices a true artist must make. I received this book from the author for an honest review - and I honestly loved it
June 22, 2019
18-year-old Lissa Anderson is attending an elite music programme at Rosebud Academy during summer break. When personal items start going missing, one of the students is suspected, but is there more to the story? And what about the mysterious footsteps and the haunted mirror?
First of all, I love the covers on this series, but I felt disappointed when I read the first book. The blurb seemed to promise a spooky story but it was mainly about horny young adults. It seemed Lissa was saying "I'm here to work not party or hook up" every ten minutes - but she didn't seem to do much work to me. It was all about how hot the other students (Tyler), teachers (Harrison), and locals (Logan) were, and of course, they all had the hots for Lissa (eyeroll).
Most other reviewers seem to love it, but it didn't appeal to me mainly because I was expecting some real chills, and I won't be reading the rest of the series.
First of all, I love the covers on this series, but I felt disappointed when I read the first book. The blurb seemed to promise a spooky story but it was mainly about horny young adults. It seemed Lissa was saying "I'm here to work not party or hook up" every ten minutes - but she didn't seem to do much work to me. It was all about how hot the other students (Tyler), teachers (Harrison), and locals (Logan) were, and of course, they all had the hots for Lissa (eyeroll).
Most other reviewers seem to love it, but it didn't appeal to me mainly because I was expecting some real chills, and I won't be reading the rest of the series.
April 15, 2023
Loved the Gothic vibes
A music school in the woods, a lake with a radioactive island at the far end, and a nice little who-dun-it that wraps up at the end. There's more to the mystery and the haunted school that will propel the story as the series continues so I'm looking forward to reading books 2 and 3.
It's probably the EtL fan in me that was hoping Lissa and Harrison would hook up at least a little bit. I was surprised at her reaction when he admitted his feelings since she had those thoughts as well and was sort of sending mixed signals throughout the month they'd been together.
This was the first book I "read" using TalkBack since I was crocheting, but it wasn't an overall unpleasant experience. I did need to repeat a few pages since my mind wanders off into what-ifs.
A music school in the woods, a lake with a radioactive island at the far end, and a nice little who-dun-it that wraps up at the end. There's more to the mystery and the haunted school that will propel the story as the series continues so I'm looking forward to reading books 2 and 3.
It's probably the EtL fan in me that was hoping Lissa and Harrison would hook up at least a little bit. I was surprised at her reaction when he admitted his feelings since she had those thoughts as well and was sort of sending mixed signals throughout the month they'd been together.
This was the first book I "read" using TalkBack since I was crocheting, but it wasn't an overall unpleasant experience. I did need to repeat a few pages since my mind wanders off into what-ifs.
December 6, 2017
I received this book free of charge, and am voluntarily reviewing it.
I enjoyed the premise and setting of June's Blood, but don't feel that I got to know any of the characters well enough to feel one way or the other about them. The main character, Lissa, comes across as flaky and whiny, but, as this is the first in a trilogy, I'm assuming she's going to show some growth in later installments. The climax came across as contrived, and the villain's motive was weak, at best. I will read the sequel, because I'm hoping for the characters to be more fleshed out and some loose ends to be tied up.
I enjoyed the premise and setting of June's Blood, but don't feel that I got to know any of the characters well enough to feel one way or the other about them. The main character, Lissa, comes across as flaky and whiny, but, as this is the first in a trilogy, I'm assuming she's going to show some growth in later installments. The climax came across as contrived, and the villain's motive was weak, at best. I will read the sequel, because I'm hoping for the characters to be more fleshed out and some loose ends to be tied up.
February 1, 2018
A good mystery, from beginning to end. An 18-year-old pianist goes to a prestigious music camp on a scholarship. She makes friends, and intends to make the most of this wonderful opportunity.
History of a entire student body dying of influenza, stories of ghosts in the House, and creaks on the floor make for a spooky setting for a series of strange happenings. When a fellow student goes missing, however, a more sinister atmosphere develops. I am eager to read the rest of the series.
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
History of a entire student body dying of influenza, stories of ghosts in the House, and creaks on the floor make for a spooky setting for a series of strange happenings. When a fellow student goes missing, however, a more sinister atmosphere develops. I am eager to read the rest of the series.
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2017
A easy read, enjoyed the characters, good plot, a good flow. A cosy mystery, no blood and guts. The setting a summer school for serious students of music. The main character, Lissa, is a scholarship student and fits in with the rich kids, and the teachers. I received this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. This book could appeal to the young adults or like myself, an older lady (67).
April 12, 2021
Cliche filled teen read
I kept reading with the hopes it would get better, yet it never did. I gave it two stars for the classical/ piano story line but that's it. However the teenage relationship drama, the not quite developed characters, and plot lines made for a very disjointed and unsatisfactory read. If it weren't a free offering I would be asking for my money back. I do NOT recommend . 👎
I kept reading with the hopes it would get better, yet it never did. I gave it two stars for the classical/ piano story line but that's it. However the teenage relationship drama, the not quite developed characters, and plot lines made for a very disjointed and unsatisfactory read. If it weren't a free offering I would be asking for my money back. I do NOT recommend . 👎
January 20, 2018
June's blood the blood bone trilogy 1
A good read for people who are in to the series recommend highly can't wait for the next one of the series a really enjoyable read but quick shaping up to be a enjoyable series must read the next one of the series a little slow to start but picks up towards the end
A good read for people who are in to the series recommend highly can't wait for the next one of the series a really enjoyable read but quick shaping up to be a enjoyable series must read the next one of the series a little slow to start but picks up towards the end
February 1, 2018
Reminiscent of Nancy drew, this book brings a mystery and a bit of the supernatural to life. A spooky read that will draw you in and leave you anxious for more. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of scary stories or mysteries.
I received a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review
I received a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review
March 1, 2018
Wonderful Spooky Tale
I was so caught up in this book, I was shocked when it ended. I will definitely be continuing this series. It's wonderfully written. The characters really come to life, especially the MC,Lissa. She is a strong, astute heroine. The mystery is intriguing, and keeps you hanging on til the last page. This did have a major cliffhanger.
I was so caught up in this book, I was shocked when it ended. I will definitely be continuing this series. It's wonderfully written. The characters really come to life, especially the MC,Lissa. She is a strong, astute heroine. The mystery is intriguing, and keeps you hanging on til the last page. This did have a major cliffhanger.
February 9, 2023
Rosebud Academy is not boring.
Reading this is like eavesdropping on a person's life. There are personal challenges, friendships made, scarey stories heard, items stolen, accusations made, and a bit of romance tossed into Lissa's life. Not bad for just the first few weeks of summer music academy. What else can happen?
Reading this is like eavesdropping on a person's life. There are personal challenges, friendships made, scarey stories heard, items stolen, accusations made, and a bit of romance tossed into Lissa's life. Not bad for just the first few weeks of summer music academy. What else can happen?
December 25, 2017
Exciting, mysterious, suspenseful, spooky, heartache and so much more. This is a short read. But one that keeps you reading. I can't wait to read the next one. I recommend it. I was given a review copy and voluntarily review it.
February 5, 2018
June’s Blood is a fun, fast-paced mystery with a bit of a paranormal twist. The setting in an old Victorian building adds to the spooky tone of this fast and simple read. I would have liked to see the characters developed a little more. Still, it is a good, suspenseful, spooky YA mystery.
June 20, 2020
Musical mayhem
I know nothing about music except what i like. A school of adult students who have come together to learn more. Throw in a possible romance, old rivalries, a thief and a ghost. What more could you want!
I know nothing about music except what i like. A school of adult students who have come together to learn more. Throw in a possible romance, old rivalries, a thief and a ghost. What more could you want!
September 16, 2020
Troubled music student gets into swanky summertime music school and has to deal with ghosts, theft, love and drama. Too much emphasis on the boy girl relationship and not enough character building as a whole. The story was good if not predictable.
November 8, 2020
That was a good book! sorry it ended so soon. The heroine seemed a little older than a graduating high school student, but I liked it because I'm a musician and all the conversation made sense to me. It certainly had a surprise ending, but it made sense.
April 7, 2021
A very nice ghostly mystery
I liked the characters very much. The descriptions were vivid and well written. I could here the music and the story as it played out had me guessing and quaking in my seat.
I liked the characters very much. The descriptions were vivid and well written. I could here the music and the story as it played out had me guessing and quaking in my seat.
October 3, 2017
Creepier than I usually read but I really enjoyed it. I especially liked the musical setting and the creepy old school. And I just know there's more to learn about Karl and Valentino and Tyler.
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