Review: The Darkness We Crave (Together We Fall Book 1) by Katie May

The Darkness We Crave by Katie May
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(Rating is more like 3.5 of 5 stars)

An interesting start to a new series

This series was recommended on a thread over on a reverse harem group on Facebook. I decided to take a chance because I like RH and I like dystopian books too.

This book gives a promising start to a new series with Addie, a 17 year old home-schooled young woman. She was raised by cruel and abusive parents to be a tool in their criminal empire. She was home-schooled to prevent her from forming any attachments other than to her parents, so she wouldn’t rebel. At age 17 she has graduated high school and college, so she is obviously bright. She is also a little *different*. She speaks a lot of her internal thoughts out loud as she has spent so much time alone. Her streams of consciousness are also quite random and flit about in all directions. It was endearing, if a little hard to keep track of at times.

Addie and her parents live at the resort they own and the staff ignore the abuse going on in front of them, until one day a new young waiter tries to intercede. She meets him again and he introduces her to his friends. They go to the same school and because their dorm rooms burnt down they are living at the resort during the rebuild. It’s at this point that the world turns upside down.

I like the premise of the characters and there are lots of hints that things are not what they seem as far as the guys are concerned. The school is not only a school but a college as well so the guys ages start at 17 and go up to 19. This seems unusual. She actually knows one of the guys, who she calls her nemesis. This interaction is really funny and as time goes on we learn more about their history.

It’s not surprising that Addie is a little unhinged given her history and the guys all seem to have disturbed pasts too, which probably explains why they are drawn together.

I like that the series is about just before the world goes to hell in a handbasket and then the process during the upheaval. It makes it a little different to the usual dystopia books. I suppose it makes it more of a disaster book as dystopia hasn't yet been achieved.

The dialogue can be a bit skippy as we read Addie’s internal dialogue but then someone answers her, which happens a lot. It made me feel like there were editing errors where speech marks hadn’t been used, even when there weren't, which annoyed me somewhat.

It’s an interesting start to the series and I will definitely read the next book.

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Review: Supernatural Academy: Year One by Jaymin Eve

Supernatural Academy: Year One by Jaymin Eve
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyable urban fantasy Academy book

There are a rash of Academy books floating around Amazon at the moment, in particular Kindle Unlimited. Some have been great and others mediocre enough to make me give up after a few chapters. This makes me conflicted every time I see a recommendation. I decided to take a chance on this book because I’ve read Jaymin Eve before and enjoyed her writing style. I was fairly sure it wouldn’t be a duff book.

One of the main things going for this particular book is that it revolved around NA rather than YA, a much more enjoyable genre for me. I like my characters to have grown up a little bit before they try to save the world. The MFC, Maddi has just turned 22 and is going through her birthday/New Year’s tradition of dyeing her hair a different colour. Whilst she is rinsing out her hair she is accosted by a woman who tells her that she is a supernatural and needs to go with her to an Academy so she doesn’t kill a lot of humans when she loses control.

Maddi is, unsurprisingly, sceptical. She has been alone since she was 17 when her drug addicted mother was killed. She was a witness and ran in fear for her life and has moved around every 12 months ever since, never getting too close to anyone because she knew she would be moving on. Finally the woman, Ilia, throws some magic cuffs on her and tells Maddi the only they way they are coming off is if she comes to the Academy.

When she arrives at the Academy she is captivated by the surroundings and eventually throws herself head first into learning about supernaturals. She never really has a major freak out about her change in circumstances and she even comments on it. It was one area I felt uncertain about, because though Maddi is a strong and independent character, learning you are supernatural has got to be a kick in the pants.

The other area I’m not sure of is that Maddi comes from an abusive and neglectful background and has been on her own for 5 years. The trauma and scarring that should be evident in anyone with her experiences is missing, despite her commenting on it. This felt like a lack to me and I’d be interested if it comes up in future books because what is the point of making her past traumatic if it has no relevance to the character or the plot? The only relevance I can see is that she has always been poor so she jumps at being giving a cash allowance, enough food and a warm comfortable place to stay. I suppose this has an impact on her easy acceptance of her change in circumstances but it seems to be a bit of a leap.

Once ensconced at the Academy Maddi learns a lot, makes friends and enemies (of course) and starts to find out about herself, because no one knows what she is.

There is plot a-plenty in this book and in particular I enjoyed the strong female characters and their support and friendship for each other. I also really enjoyed how Maddi and her love interest slowly got to know and trust each other as they dealt with all their problems.

There is lots lined up for the coming book/s and I look forward to reading them.

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Review: Written (The Librarian's Coven Book 1) by Kathryn Moon

Written by Kathryn Moon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Wonderful Reverse Harem Fantasy

This book has been recommended to me several times by Amazon and by groups on Facebook. I finally decided to read it after it popped up the third time and I’m so glad I did.

This author has created a magical world, based in a location bound to appeal to any reader, a library. The library is located at a magical university. The Main Female Character (MFC) is Joanna, a librarian from a small country town. She applied for a job at the university library and was stunned to be offered the job. She’d never left her home town and the university was overwhelming to her.

The head librarian, Gwen, was welcoming and supportive and was an interesting support character, who also introduced Joanna, as well as the reader, to her coven and other members of staff. We learn about the coven system, whereby magic users bond together in small groups to make a coven, which is like a marriage with multiple parties and is magical as well as emotional in nature.

Three professors at the university are in an incomplete coven and have been for many years. As each member meets Joanna they are drawn to her, but she believes she isn’t a witch. The three coven members are determined to woo Joanna and convince her that her small abilities for charms makes her enough of a magic user to qualify for the coven.

The writing in this work is very elegant and beautiful in it’s descriptions. I love the different ways that magic is created and worked and the descriptions of the use of magic is very beautiful. The way the author describes the library, the university grounds and the homes of the characters is articulate and makes me want to step inside that world to witness it's wonders. In fact I want to live in the library, it sounds wondrous!

The sex scenes are romantic and erotic and whilst they are plentiful, they don’t feel gratuitous but a necessary part of the story as the characters bond and their individual relationships are established.  The romance part of the story is beautiful and full of ups and down, but the plot, aside from the romance, is also strong. I found it very hard to stop reading in order to do things like eat! I will definitely be reading the next in the series, as I’m interested to see what happens to the coven next!

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Review: Sword of Honor (Queen of Skye and Shadow Book 1) by Thea Atkinson

Sword of Honor by Thea Atkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(Rating is More Like 3.5 of 5 stars)

A dystopian vision of the future as magic begins to return

Skye is a mercenary of sorts. She hires out to odd jobs in a world where barter is the currency. The world changed when one man decided that the Earth would be a better place without technology and set up a series of EMP devices to ensure that happened. When technology failed, magic started to return slowly at the margins of humanity. Without money and technology the world revolves around trading what you owned or a skill you had to get what you needed, sometimes bartering items you go in trade.

Skye doesn’t think of herself as a good person, but the people of New Denver think she is. She takes things in barter and makes sure they get to the people who need it the most, moving goods around subtly, without realising that her goodness is being witnessed by her community. She feels outside that community without realising that she may be at the heart of it.

The reason Skye doesn’t like herself is that she used to be a Ruby Skull. A member of Hunter’s judiciary. They travelled the country punishing the lawless without mercy. There was no room for compassion in the Ruby Skulls and Skye hated that. She ran away knowing that one day Hunter would track her down and make her pay for her desertion.

It seems that Hunter has come to punish her at last.

This is a story of sorrow, guilt and redemption. It is the story in the power of mercy over the ruthless application of the law and the power of kindness to heal a community.

The book is written fluidly and draws the reader in. Skye is an odd hero as internally she doesn’t feel like one and listening to her internal voice you might believe she isn’t a worthy hero either. But as her actions are uncovered you start to doubt her self image and see her more clearly. It’s a subtle process and cleverly executed. However, that dissonance between her internal voice and the view point of others meant that she kept herself isolated, which in turn made me, as a reader, feel disconnected from her as the protagonist. I think that might change in a second book as she begins to feel more connected to her community. We shall have to see, but I'm not sure if I will read it.

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Review: Twisted Flames by Aster North

Twisted Flames by Aster North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable Urban Fantasy

I’d seen this book promoted in a couple of the Facebook groups I’m a member of and after reading the blurb decided to give it a whirl. I’m so glad I did, it is a fantastic book.

The story is a little different from your normal Urban Fantasy. The Main Female Character (MFC), Everly, is ageless and has watched epochs pass with no idea who she is and where she came from. Most of her life has been spent alone and when she finally let herself trust 400 years ago, that trust was betrayed and she was captured and tortured. After finally winning her freedom she resolved never to allow anyone close to her again. It is only in the last few years that she has started to make a few friends again, putting down roots in her community.

Everly’s best friend is a witch and we don’t see much of her in the book, which is a shame in my opinion, just the affect she has had on Everly’s life. Cassie has helped Everly soften the walls around her heart and helped bring her into the world a little. Despite her mistrust of people Everly spends a lot of time helping others and she has a soft heart beneath her armour.

When Everly is trying to find out why lots of demons are disappearing in her town, she comes into contact with four supernatural guys who work for the Council; Dixin, Torin, Rendell and Kohanna. She loathes the Council as they were part of her betrayal and as supernaturals are long lived some of those that betrayed her may still be in power. She reluctantly lets the men join in her quest to find out what is happening with the demons but she is torn in two as she mistrusts them but longs for their company and friendship.

There are sexually charged instances in the book with multiple men but whilst there is potential for a reverse harem, it’s not quite there yet, given the lack of trust Everly has.

There is lots of twisty turny plot strands that I always enjoy. There is much to uncover about the people controlling the disappearing demons, then there are back stories of the four men, and Everly’s powers and history are a big unravelling ball of yarn.

There is so much to love about this book, Everly the damaged, lonely and powerful being with so much heart, the four men who are drawn to her, and the dangers they all face.

I really can’t wait for the second book in the series, because whilst there is a nice pause at the end of the book, there is soooooo much more left to discover!

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Review: Addie (Pack of Misfits Book 1)

Addie by Raven Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full of puns

I’d give this book a 3.5 stars.

This was a quick and funny read. I love the idea of a pack of strange shifters. I always thought it was weird when books only ever had predator shifters and having a pack filled with prey, odd and damaged shifters is a great idea, because of course they would band together for safety.

This book is about Addie who has been a member of Pack Aberrant for 10 years. She was 15 years old when she was kicked out of her old pack and her new pack alpha is like a father figure to her. We meet Addie as she is working as a bank teller and she manages to end up preventing a robbery. She’s bad ass and we don’t get to find out what she is for some time so I’m not going to spoil it for you.

She meets a couple of shifters on the same day as the robbery who have just moved the territory and who ask her out. She turns them down only to run into them later, along with their friend when she goes into heat unexpectedly. This is a convenient short cut to starting a relationship!

One of the reasons I gave this book 3.5 stars when it’s a pretty funny book is that there are lots of shortcuts taken, in particular the one where she meets the guys she becomes involved with just as she goes into heat. Then there is the coincidence of how the bad guys are uncovered etc.

It’s a book that doesn’t require much thought, it funny and it’s got some pretty spicy sex scenes. If that’s what you are in the mood for, and sometimes I am, it’s a good choice.

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Review: Curse of the Gargoyles

Curse of the Gargoyles by Rebecca Chastain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the series and it built nicely on the first. It would not work as a standalone book as there is too much unsaid. This book follows Mika as she works in her new career as a gargoyle healer. The gargoyles she rescued in the previous book have all started to find there own place in life as they grow older, except for Oliver the little dragon gargoyle who seems to want to keep working with Mika, refusing to find a new place to live with more balanced magical energies.

Mika is called for emergency help from the FPD team she worked with in the last book (you see why I said you need to read the previous book first to understand this one?). In the middle of park is a dormant gargoyle wrapped in a magical construct designed to extract his magic and make an artificial magical boost for an elemental without needing to work with the living creature. The construct is woven inside the gargoyle and Mika is needed to help extract him and heal him from the damage that has been done.

This book is a masterclass in the magical system built by this author. Honestly, a couple of times my brain hurt a little bit as I tried to work out what she was talking about. However, as far as I could tell it all *seemed* consistent but I wasn’t studying too deeply. Almost the entire book was taken up with magical damage being done by the construct and how to get it all contained and the damage repaired. It was definitely an interesting read and though it sounds dry it was quite a quick and interesting read.

There was also further exploration of the relationships between Mika and the members of the FPD she was working with and it will interesting to see if any deeper friendships form in future books. As the books in the series are so short, approximately 150 pages in this book, there is no time to get bored, but there is also little time for character development and interactions outside the plot. Still, I enjoyed it as much as the first one!

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Review: Crystal Dragon's Kiss: Royal Dragon Shifters of Morocco #2: A Red Letter Hotel Paranormal Romance

Crystal Dragon's Kiss: Royal Dragon Shifters of Morocco #2: A Red Letter Hotel Paranormal Romance by Ava Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

More stunning writing

This series continues in the same way it starts, as a wonderful and captivating story. Above all else this writer tells a tale of a people and a place. Magic is the glue that binds the story together but the different strands, the personalities, the plot and the prose stand alone without the magic. The magic simply enhances the book in the same way a gem is enhanced by it’s polish.

After coming back to the hotel after nearly killing her ex-boyfriend in her grief, lust and loneliness, Layla throws herself back into her work. She becomes closer to Dusk as they work together and their friendships thrives. She also becomes closer to her other colleagues. However, Adrian is nowhere to be found, which leaves Layla feeling abandoned once more. She is surprised when a party introducing her to several new groups of dragons is dropped on her with hours to spare. She is warned by Dusk that her dragon is searching for someone to mate with, as Adrian is not available, which goes against everything in her human upbringing, despite the nature of dragons and other beings in the Twilight Realm which feel little need for monogamy.

This need of her dragon’s to find someone to mate with triggers new drives and desires and new complications with her magic. It also triggers problems with Adrian when he returns.

This author writes about romance, relationships and eroticism with very little actual sex occurring. This series is the ultimate in slow burn Reverse Harems! Though I love heat in my romance books, the thing I love most about RH books is the way relationships are complicated and involve more than a two way bond, the love and affection is tightly woven between all members of the group. All members to the group interact in different ways, especially as new members of the group are added. As such I can enjoy a slow burn RH romance tremendously, when it’s done right and this series is very definitely done right.

There are so many different emotions swirling around this book, sometimes it’s hard to keep track and I imagine the characters feel the same, especially as new characters are added into the mix, not just as potential mates, but as allies, friends and clan. This is not just a book about love and relationships, there is also a massive part of it wrapped up in politics and that is unveiled the longer Layla lives at the hotel.

This is such a mesmerising series, I simply can’t stop reading it!

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Review: Royal Dragon Bind: Royal Dragon Shifters of Morocco #1: A Red Letter Hotel Paranormal Romance

Royal Dragon Bind: Royal Dragon Shifters of Morocco #1: A Red Letter Hotel Paranormal Romance by Ava Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Superb Paranormal Romance

It is rare for me to give a paranormal romance 5 stars because usually they are a little simple in what they are trying to achieve, essentially an HEA (Happy Ever After) with trials and tribulations, magic and romance along the way. This PNR (paranormal romance) has amazing world building in a similar vein to an urban fantasy, a genre which is usually plot driven rather than romance driven.

The MFC (Main Female Character) is Layla Price, a recent PhD graduate in International Relations. She recently lost her dream job at the UN in Paris and her life seems to be going nowhere. She still lives in a shared house with an ex-boyfriend because she can’t afford anywhere else and she works in a bar. Her parents died 2 years ago and her grandmother a year before that. She feels alone and isolated. It is into this life that a mysterious billionaire steps, introducing Layla to a different world of wealth and power.

Layla is scared of her brief meeting with this man and tries to forget him but gradually it feels like there is no further space in her head and heart for anything else. She decides to take his job offer as a concierge at the Red Letter Hotel, somewhere so exclusive there is no information available anywhere about it. Even through her fears, Layla has to take that leap, and she lands in another reality.

Ava Ward has created a wondrous world in the Twilight Realm, where creatures from other dimensions meet with the rich and powerful of earth at the Red Letter Hotel. There is beauty, sensuality and joy at the hotel and the way the author has painted it makes me wish it was a real place I could visit. Her world building is superb.

The author also has excellent descriptive powers. Her prose enables the reader to envisage the wonders that she imagines for us so clearly it’s like a movie playing in your mind. We feel Layla’s fear as she discovers her own powers and her joy at living in a marvelous place filled with wonders beyond her imaginings.

This really is a fantastic start to a new series and I can’t wait to read the next book, in the hopes of Layla getting closer to her HEA.

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Review: Fifth Essence

Fifth Essence by Jacquelyn Faye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So much happening!

OK this book is completely stuffed to the rafters with plot twists. My head is spinning with all the double crosses, lies and revelations. That’s pretty much all I’ll tell you about the plot, because any more than that and I’ll be spoiling things. Just know that so much happens and it’s all mind blowing!

The cliffhanger in this book is a doozy and I hate having to wait for the next book!

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Review: Fourth Rite

Fourth Rite by Jacquelyn Faye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Underhill Bound

This series gets more and more interesting as it goes on. In this book we see elves attacking Dot as they believe she caused the rift to hell that nearly destroyed their castle and killed their king. Just as their prince is about to fulfill his threat the Lady inhabits Candy and tells him that they all need to go back to Underhill to see his brother, the king.

We learn in this book that there is more to Dot than meets the eye. She is no normal witch, which is why the Lady is constantly popping by for a chat. Her powers seem to keep on growing. Dangling hints in front of the reader about Dot’s origins certainly keeps me reading, but we don’t have anything truly resolved in this book. Once again there is a cliffhanger, though it isn’t one that makes me want to pound my head against a wall with frustration.

There are some very hot scenes in this book, which include some MMF action, which isn’t surprising as Dot adds more men to her list of lovers. There are hints of more men to come too!

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Review: Third Charm

Third Charm by Jacquelyn Faye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Demons Ahoy!

In this third book of the series the New Moon coven is facing something very dangerous, there seems to be another batch of murders and the things doing the murdering are from another dimension.

The demon incursion causes more than just death and chaos, there are other ramifications for Dot and her coven. More and more humans are being exposed to the supernatural world. What will happen when it is no longer a secret?

Things are hotting up between Dot and her lovers, both in bed and during the frequent arguments she has with Bill. Bill seems to accept Dot’s other lovers provided they come from the coven. Anyone else and he is jealous. As well as adding to the coven in this book, Dot also seems to be adding to her lovers, or at least the number of people she enjoys having sex in front of!

One of the things I like the most about this series is the way the writer creates a real sense of family in the coven, especially through the care they all give each other. Though there are lovers amongst the coven the care extends beyond those groupings. They even have the banter and arguments that you get in a family to cute through the sweetness!

I really do like this author’s style of writing. It is fluid and articulate. The characters are convincing and believable and the relationships between them all, both main characters and supporting ones make a great read.

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Review: Resurrect: (Lycan Academy of Shapeshifting: Operation Shift, Book 1)

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(Currently only available in paperback)

Riley wants to be a rock star, she had a band and everything. They want to move to London and make a go of it. Riley’s Dad is a retired Member of Parliament and wants Riley to go to King’s College London and follow in his footsteps. As Riley’s brother died she feels extra pressure to do what he wants her to do. She goes to London and decides that maybe she will go and be in a band. That proves to me a mistake as she is murdered and wakes up in a shallow grave, transformed into a werewolf. Dragged off to the Lycan Academy of Shapeshifting she is forced to learn to control her new abilities.

I would probably give this book a 3.5 stars if it were possible and that is mainly because as a Brit there were some glaringly annoying mistakes in language in this book, for example using highway instead of motorway, dormitory instead of halls of residence, college instead of university and, the most important of all, Devonshire instead of Devon, which was even worse because the main character was supposed to live in Derbyshire and then referred to her band mates as leaving Devonshire so that really irritated me. There were also some other grammatical errors which annoyed me. All of this is a shame because the book itself isn’t bad. I read it all in one sitting and I tend to ditch books that annoy me halfway through because life is too short to read a book I’m not enjoying, when there are so many great books out there waiting to be read. So the fact that I read the book, and enjoyed it, despite the errors says something.

I found the world building quite interesting, and after reading the book I found out that there are previous series that were set in the same world, which explains how well constructed it was. There were lots of little details about other supernatural races that weren’t necessary to this book’s plot but were included because that backstory was already there from previous books.

I felt like I didn’t connect with any of the characters, in particular the main female lead Riley. Riley was manipulated from pillar to post throughout this book and it appears for most of her life. She seems to react to others rather than making decisions based on her own wants and needs. As a young woman about to go to uni it is maybe understandable, but it does make her less relatable.

The male characters seem to be mainly plot constructs and it is hard to find anything to relate to in their personalities. They seem to have no depth outside of how they relate to Riley and that is probably what make it harder to understand how easily Riley is manipulated. They feel flat and therefore shouldn’t have any power over her.

However, even with these weaknesses, the book is an interesting read with a well constructed plot. I read it quickly and enjoyed it despite my frustrations, mainly because the world building was strong and the plot well thought out.

I received an ARC from the author, but the words in this review are strictly my own.

Review: Second Blood

Second Blood by Jacquelyn Faye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So much to love about this book

This second book in a series is as good as the first, if not better because now we know the main characters a little more than we did in the first book.

The new First Moon Coven is getting established at vampires have come to ask for help. The vampires have been attacked by rogue witches who want to drain their blood for spells forbidden by the goddess. Dot jumps into helping them straight away, which causes problems in the coven. They all have to find a way to work together with a very different high priestess than they had before. Bill’s deceased wife was a very easy going and lacked the drive and determination that Dot has. It’s going to take a little getting used to.

This book sees the coven start to gain new allies, from back home in Asheville, so the human inhabitants of Cedar Falls. Dot is determined to protect her coven, the vampires and her new home town, no matter the cost.

This book really builds of the relationships between the coven members, not just between Dot and her two lovers, Bill and Jimmy, but also between Candace and Josie and how they relate to Dot. We also get to know a little about the other members of the coven. All the characters are well defined and developed and I know I’m going to enjoy seeing where everything goes in the future, especially with Jimmy’s kinky self letting fly! There are quite a lot of hot scenes in this book, but the plot is still very strong and along with the world building and character development drives the book along at a cracking rate.

A really enjoyable read, especially if you like a little heat with your urban fantasy!

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Review: Hot and Badgered

Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was hilarious. I think it was made more so by the narrator, as I listened to this book rather than read it. The narrator Traci Odom was brilliant, except for her accents. Her Scottish accent was more Irish by way of Russia, it was distracting, but thankfully there weren’t a LOT of Scottish characters and they didn’t talk THAT much. It was so bad it was funny, so there was that.

This book was a complete gamble, it was recommended in my Audible suggestions and I thought it sounded fun, which I was in need of yesterday. (Yes, I listened to it in less than a day, it was that funny). I’m really glad I decided to give into my impulse to buy it, because it was worth the credit I spent on it.

Shelly Laurenston is a very talented author, she balanced characters, plot and humour very deftly indeed. The MacKilligan sisters are a brilliant creation. They are three half siblings who have a complete disaster for a father and their mothers aren’t in their lives. They were being raised by Charlie, the eldest’s, mother because Max, the middle child’s, mother was in jail for armed robbery and Stevie, the youngest’s, mother abandoned her daughter for some unknown reason. When Charlie’s mother was killed the three girls walked hundreds of miles, by themselves, to their grandfather’s pack and made sure they could stay in the most manipulative and ruthless way possible, because there was no way they were being separated. The rest of their lives they stuck by each other through thick and thin, despite their epic arguments.

The arguments were mainly because they were honey badgers, well at least half honey badger. They are hybrids and as such have very freaky DNA. Charlie, for instance doesn’t shift, but she is incredibly strong and grows fangs and claws. She also holds the three sisters together through sheer determination, attitude and really heavy punches. She needs all three because Max is unburdened by morals of any kind and Stevie suffers from a severe panic disorder that needs constant medication and therapy. Stevie is also a genius. Basically Stevie and Max need lots of managing. Add into the mix their con artist of a father who doesn’t care for his daughters except to use them for his own safety or financial gain and there is a lot going on ALL the time.

Charlie is introduced to Berg, a grizzly bear shifter, when she arrives naked into a hotel room where he is protecting a famous pianist. When armed military types swing into the room Berg’s chivalry springs into action and he helps her fight off the guys holding the weapons. He knows she is a shifter being chased by full humans so he gives her a gun and an oversized t-shirt and thinks he’ll never see the gorgeous woman again. When they meet again he decides to help once more and finds them a house to rent on his street, which in inhabited by bear shifters. He and his other triplet siblings, Britta and Dag, offer help and protection to the MacKilligans and the street may never be the same again!

There are so many crazy antics in this book you will never get a chance to get bored. The sibling relationships are fascinating and the romance between Charlie and Berg is slow moving and believable. The romance is really the smallest part of the plot but it is sweet and worthwhile. The pace of the book is at a high level and you don’t get many slow parts to stop and thing about what’s going on, so you do have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. I think it’s worth it, if you are in need of a pick me up or a strong diversion.

As this author has written so many other books about shifters I’m sure that I’m missing lots of information about some of the supporting characters but it didn’t matter as they worked within the context of the plot. It does make me want to look at some of the older books though, as well as listen/read the rest of this series. It really was very good.

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Review: First Moon (Lovin’ The Coven: Book 1)

First Moon by Jacquelyn Faye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fun and Feisty Witch Shenanigans

I haven’t read anything by this author before but this series was recommended on one of my Facebook groups so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I have to say I was not disappointed. This book was exactly what I was in the mood for. It was funny and sexy with plenty of whodunnit to satisfy a hardened Miss Marple fan.

Dot is a 99 year old witch, who’s mother is the head of her coven. The coven is well established and the humans in the small town know about the witches in their midst. However, Dot’s mother is probably going to be around for centuries and she wants to get out from under her mother’s wing. She feels a magical ‘pull’ towards somewhere else so she and her best friend Josie pack up their bags and head off North to find out where their destiny lies.

They end up in the small town of Cedar Falls where the economy has tanked and all the youngsters are leaving town as soon as possible, heading for a larger city to settle down in. Dot and Josie like the place and start settling in quickly, just as someone is magically murdered. Much magical mayhem ensues. In addition there are some very handsome and ‘friendly’ men in the coven that seem to like Dot as much as she likes them. They also don’t seem to object to the competition.

I loved this book. It was filled with witty banter and easy going relationships. As this is the first in the series it was nice to see there was no diving head first into insta-love territory. There was attraction and dating. There was also lots of fooling around and I have to say it was probably more erotic than full on sex scenes would have been. There was genuine affection between most of the characters, even when things started out rocky, things were hashed out. It was all very adult, which isn’t surprising when the main character is 99 years old!

I really can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Free on Kindle Unlimited
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Review: Screw Me

Screw Me by Serena Akeroyd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Mafia Romance I actually enjoyed!

This second book in the Screwed Duet is a necessity for your sanity if you read the first book, because of the cliffhanger. In this second book we see Aoife being stuck inside a safe house (aka a hotel that’s owned by the mob) with her mother-in-law for weeks. Whilst this is going on there is all sorts of mob related activity that is necessary for the women and children to be let out and be safe again.

Whilst in the safe house Aoife barely sees Finn and it would be warranted if she was livid with him, but she is a forgiving and calm character. I really like that about this book. Aoife is not a complete walk over but she is not an angry or angsty person. If she were those things it would be warranted as she has had a rough few years and not the easiest of introductions in the mob life, but she isn’t. It’s actually Finn who is the most fragile emotionally and I like how that is handled really delicately by the author.

There is no doubt of this couple’s love of each other, it is simply the terrible circumstances they find themselves in that leads to their difficulties, which is something I really like in a book. Life can be hard but a good couple works together to get through the tough times rather than running in opposite directions which is what we quite often see in romance books. This means the plot is less predictable and more enjoyable, for me anyway!

I’m so pleased to see that the rest of the brothers get their own books in the future. I’m looking forward to those, so it seems I’ve been won over by the Mafia romance genre after all!

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Review: Screw You

Screw You by Serena Akeroyd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Irish Mobster Meets Irish Good Girl

I’m not usually one for dark romances. Personally I find there is enough darkness in the world without going looking for more in the name of entertainment, but that is only my personal preference. However, there has been a rash of bully romances around of late that I have enjoyed and that might have pushed my tolerance threshold somewhat, plus this book is by Serena Akeroyd and I really like her style of writing and her imaginative plot construction.

This book is about a good girl Aoife (and it’s good to see a pronunciation before the book even starts so you don’t get it wrong in your head) who is running a tea shop in an old building. A property developer wants her out of the building so they can tear it down and build a nice shiny sky scraper. As Aoife’s mother died a few months ago she is reluctant to sell the shop that houses her mother’s dream. However, when Finn comes calling with an envelope full of blackmail material and informs him that he is a member of the Irish Mob she knows that she is going to have to sell. On top of forcing her to sell Finn wants Aoife in his bed and takes her there without delay.

This is where I have my problem with dark romances. She is blackmailed into giving up her livelihood and into sleeping with someone within hours of meeting and instead of hating him because he’s good looking and charismatic and she knew his Mum she’s ok with it. It also makes me mad because I can accept it because of the way it’s written and my little feminist heart thinks I should hate it.

Serena writes such well thought out characters that I can skate over my misgivings and just let the story coast over me. The plot, as always, is quick moving and interesting and the writing style fluid and well edited. These are the reasons I read Serena’s work and enjoy them, even if the subject matter makes me slightly uncomfortable. I know I’m going to read the next book in the duet because that cliffhanger is going to drive me nuts otherwise!

Free in Kindle Unlimited
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Review: Magic of the Gargoyles

Magic of the Gargoyles by Rebecca Chastain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lovely story of an unlikely hero

This book was short and sweet. It was beautifully written and captured my heart. I fell in love with the gargoyles in all their crystalline weirdness and beauty.

The unlikely hero of the story is Mika a quarry worker who longs to work for herself as a quartz specialist. Her magic is medium level and as such is largely self taught but her specialism has given her strength in one area that few can compete with. It is also this magic that lures a baby gargoyle to her side begging for help because her magic felt so familiar. The baby gargoyle wanted her to help rescue her brother and the mid level elemental couldn’t say no.

This story is all about Mika’s inability to be selfish despite being scared for her life, despite risking her life’s savings and her career, she couldn’t say no to helping others. Mika is an unlikely and underpowered hero whose determination and compassion drive her to unforeseen heights.

I really can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

To buy from Amazon.co.uk
To buy from Amazon.com

What are we doing here?

I've had blogs before, but this is the first time I've decided to write about the books that fill my days. I've always been a passionate reader. At primary school at age 6 I'd finished every book in the primary school and was allowed to walk over to the junior school (just down the service road, so it wasn't off school property) and go to the junior school library and choose my own books to read for the week. It felt such a privilege to be trusted to go by myself and choose the books I wanted to read, without oversight. I felt so grown up. To this day I have relished the choosing of books and the devouring of them whole.

My previous blogs were about crafting, but a couple of years ago I lost my Dad to cancer and stepped away from the online crafting community. I continued to craft but I wasn't choosing projects that were particularly challenging or interesting, so I stopped podcasting and blogging. Essentially I was depressed and couldn't stretch my brain at all. When I started to come out of my fog around October 2018 and I was starting to think about possibly starting to challenge myself again, I got tennis elbow. It was too painful to craft and I knew it was going to be several months (at least) until I could craft again. My come back had gone back on hold again.

When I couldn't craft, I started to read again, the way I used to read before I started seriously crafting. I read from the moment I wake up in the morning until I turn the light off at night. Once I started reading like crazy I discovered the groups on Facebook for authors and readers of different genres of books. I had discovered a new online community, and because of the books I read, the community was filthier than the crafters (though not by much I'll grant you).  Getting to know indie-authors on Facebook has been an eye opener for me. It's really hard work to make it as an author if you are not supported by a publisher. Not only is it exceptionally hard work, but it's expensive too. To support some of those authors I started to write reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Then I worked out I could connect my reviews on Goodreads to a blog post and here we are!

I'm not sure how complicated this blog is going to get but at the very least you'll maybe find some more books to read that you find interesting.