The Six Train to Wisconsin (The Six Train to Wisconsin #1) by Kourtney Heintz
Publisher: Aurea Press
Goodreads Summary: Sometimes saving the person you love can cost you everything.

There is one person that ties Oliver Richter to this world: his wife Kai. For Kai, Oliver is the keeper of her secrets.

When her telepathy spirals out of control and inundates her mind with the thoughts and emotions of everyone within a half-mile radius, the life they built together in Manhattan is threatened.

To save her, Oliver brings her to the hometown he abandoned—Butternut, Wisconsin—where the secrets of his past remain buried. But the past has a way of refusing to stay dead. Can Kai save Oliver before his secrets claim their future?

An emotionally powerful debut, The Six Train to Wisconsin pushes the bounds of love as it explores devotion, forgiveness and acceptance.
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: Kai is a telepath. She is able to hear others' thoughts, and see emotions. When her state steadily worsens, she becomes suicidal and often unable to keep up her shield which protects her from the constant onslaught of emotions. Her husband Oliver takes it upon himself to move her out of the busy city of New York and back to his hometown of Butternut, Wisconsin. But the town is filled with demons from Oliver's past and people he left behind. Nothing will remain hidden...

I love the idea of this series. The conflict between Kai and Oliver proves nothing is perfect, and both of them grow, learn and dissolve their issues. Based off the real town of Butternut, Kourtney Heintz's Butternut is also a symbol, showing that secrets from the past will be unearthed.

I tried to write as much as I could before this segment, but now it's here. Yes, I fear this section will go on for the rest of the review, but I'll try and subdue the urge that wants that to happen. My favourite character of them all isn't Kai or Oliver, so guess again. Stumped? Caleb! I really wanted the opportunity to get to know him better, more description and revelations about his personality. I hope this happens in book two.

In terms of the storyline and mystery, I definitely give The Six Train to Wisconsin five stars. However what stopped me from loving some of this book are the characters. For me, I usually find it the easiest to connect with the character(s) telling the story; their voice shows their personality in an intimate way and in first person you are literally in their head. I like the characters of this book, but they need more description, especially about their looks. I didn't find out a lot about their personality either, only how they would react in extreme situations.

The Six Train to Wisconsin started as a short story, and I can see the similarities between that and this novel, which is the short story in expanded version. However I think it is too much like an expanded version of the short story and more content is needed.
Purchase Location: ~I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review~
Edition: Paperback
Recommended for: Fans of dark secrets.

Highway Thirteen to Manhattan (The Six Train to Wisconsin #2) by Kourtney Heintz
Goodreads Summary: His secrets almost killed her. Her secrets may destroy them both.

Kai is recovering from a near-death experience when she realizes something isn’t right. Her body is healing, but her mind no longer feels quite like her own. Her telepathic powers are changing, too. She can’t trust herself. The darkness growing inside of her pushes her to use her telepathy as a weapon.

Oliver clings to the hope that he can save their marriage, even though he was the one who put her life in jeopardy. As his wife slips further and further away from him, he becomes increasingly obsessed with bringing the man who ruined his life to justice.

The sequel to The Six Train to Wisconsin is a genre-defying tale of love and consequences. Once again, award-winning author Kourtney Heintz seamlessly weaves suspense and paranormal intrigue into a real-world setting, creating characters rich in emotional and psychological complexity.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review: Kai barely survives a near encounter with death. Her quest to uncover herself drives a bridge between her and Butternut. Jealousy really gets between her relationship with Oliver as she chooses her brother Caleb over him. However, things aren't always as they seem...

I really struggled with deciding between giving this book 3.5 stars and 4 stars. As much as I wanted to give it 4 stars, potentially more, I feel like I couldn't (more on that later). Some aspects of the book were the same as it's prequel, which I liked. However some changed completely so that it is almost 100% contrary to the previous book. I'm still not sure whether I liked these aspects even more or less.

Caleb is still by far my favourite character and I am elated that I got to find out a lot more about him in this volume. His intense loyalty and protectiveness toward his sister shows that he is a good person, and that he genuinely cares. Kai and Caleb share a sibling bond that many don't, and I really value that kind of relationship not just in books but in real life. I also warmed to Alex. One of the reasons I didn't like book one is because I ended up liking Alex a lot more than Oliver who is meant to be the main love interest. Oliver is a kindhearted, decent man at the start of The Six Train to Wisconsin, but even at the beginning of this book he's changed so much and I'm not sure if I find it realistic that he's gone from perfect to a nobody.

By now, anyone can tell that Kai and Oliver aren't going to last (if they did, I would probably be even more cynical about this). Before I was talking about deciding what to rate this book. I lowered my rating of this book because this Kai/Oliver situation of 'I don't know, I might love you but I might love a Fuchs' really annoyed me. It kept coming back throughout the book and I felt that it was unnecessary and pointless. Other parts of the book, such as the mystery definitely appeased me. At first it's hidden away, but even when it comes out into the light shadows surround it.

The storyline didn't advance as much as it should've or as much as the first book, the focus being on relationships of all kids. In Highway Thirteen to Manhattan Kourtney Heintz really tells the tale of falling in and out of love. After everything I've said, I really like the ending of this book and I'm still interested in this series. I definitely have expectations for the third book.
Purchase Location: ~I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Amazon
Recommended for: Fans of romance and magic set in a contemporary universe.