Mind of the Phoenix by Jamie McLachlan

*ARC received for an honest review, thank you

Moira is a powerful empath, a psychic graced with the abilities to read emotions and memories. Her skill is as much a curse as a gift, for in the harshly stratified city of Braxton, empaths are slaves. Clever and beautiful, Moira has learned to trust no one but herself. Determined to escape life as a concubine, she kills her master, and is imprisoned for the crime. This could be the end for Moira, but the government has a need for her skills. A mysterious serial killer known as the Phoenix has been planting suggestions in his victims minds that drive them to murder and suicide. To gain her freedom, Moira partners with Keenan Edwards, a handsome young detective, to stop the killer. Hunting the Phoenix will bring Moira on a more dangerous road than she imagined, forcing her to confront dark minds, twisted moralities, and her growing feelings for the detective. 

I don't know where to start it was such an amazing ride! I typically don't read many mystery novels because I usually guess the ending before I manage to get halfway, but 'Mind of the Phoenix' kept me gripped right until the very end. Set in a world where those with special empathic abilities are kept as slaves in the early 19th century, readers are taken on a ride filled with mystery and forbidden romance. My favourite aspect of this story was the main character Moira, a strong yet damaged girl way too snarky for that period of time, but it absolutely worked. While this story has some dark and disturbing themes throughout, the budding romance between the two main characters brought some much needed lightness to the story, while not being cliched enough to make me roll my eyes. The dialogue flows tremendously well and it never feels as though the author just forced these two people together, making for a beautiful romance that had me wanting this story to not end omg how long do I have to wait now noooooo! 

Rating: 5/5