Review: Sins of A King (SINS Series Book 1) by Emma Slate

Sins of a King by Emma Slate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Uncomfortable Reading For A Brit

I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could. 

It’s well written but I have reasons for my lower score and the reasons are given below as.........


*********SPOILERS*********





















Be warned that this about a woman who falls in love with a man who runs a criminal organisation in the US in order to funnel guns to the Scottish equivalent of the IRA. Now someone doesn’t have a problem with really dark romance will probably laugh at my discomfort around this subject matter but I don’t like my MMC to be really really awful. I like them to have some redeeming qualities before the MFC falls for them. I thought this was the case with this character because he seems kind for a ‘bad boy’. He runs a brothel and casino but his brothel workers are dubbed courtesans and have a choice about their clients who are very carefully vetted and monitored. Both these things are illegal but it isn’t like he’s selling drugs to kids or taking part in human trafficking.

However, as you get pulled into the story you become aware that essentially the MMC is a terrorist. In the US the IRA might be considered a group of freedom fighters, who have fought for peace. However in the UK if you are over a certain age the initials IRA conjures up a chill. The IRA were at war with the rest of the UK and they had no qualms about killing men, woman and children indiscriminately. Anyone who travelled through London in the 1980s and early 1990s (as I did as a teenager) will remember the low-level fear of not making it to your destination. No bins in train stations, signs about unidentified packages, does this sound familiar? It’s because in the UK we dealt with terror threats before the USA even knew what one was and it came from the IRA.

To have an author choose to make their MMC the member of an organisation like that for a country that has been part of the UK since 1707, nearly 70 years before the Declaration of Independence was written may seem like a good idea because of course, Scotland would never try to seek independence from Great Britain using violent means, but for a Brit who lived under the threat of the IRA, this does not make for a comfortable read. I don’t find terrorists heroic, no matter how much of a freedom fighter they are meant to be.

However, if you can distance yourself from that it’s a pretty well-written book. The characters are engaging, provided you ignore the fact they are terrorists. The characters are interesting and you can enjoy watching the way a fairly normal woman becomes the head of a crime syndicate as she tries to reconcile the actions she must take in order to stay alive and free.

It’s not incredibly violent, or it doesn’t dwell with glee on the violent incidents that occur. It’s still pretty dark in places though, even if it doesn’t start off that way. It’s a cleverly constructed descent into a murky world.

You may have guessed though that I won’t be reading the rest of this series. 

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Review: Peasants and Kings by Emma Slate

Peasants and Kings by Emma Slate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Dark And Dangerous Man

I don’t know what it is about this book that appealed so much to me. It’s not my current usual fair, but it does remind me of the kind of books I read a few years ago, so maybe it’s nostalgia!

Sterling’s mother has just died and left her with a letter telling her the kinds of secrets that sound unbelievable if it weren’t for the fact her mother took her own life to protect them. Estranged from her mother for years, Sterling obeys her mother’s wishes and disappears from her life, until she makes a mistake and needs to find a new way to hide and quickly.

Along her new path to secrecy, she meets Hadrian, a dark and compelling man, who wants to wrest all of Sterling’s secrets from her and keep them for himself. The only problem is that Sterling isn’t ready to give her secrets up to a man who has many of his own that he wants to keep hidden.

I liked Sterling and Hadrian, despite their many character flaws, because I liked them for each other. Their flaws meshed. However, some of their choices seemed to jar me out of my engagement with the book, which spoilt my enjoyment somewhat. I felt that some of the decisions made were shoehorned into the plot in order to make it work, but they weren’t necessarily things that meshed with the character’s personalities. There were also a few things that were kind of glossed over in order to move the plot along, which is fine, but they were things that were important to my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, the plot was fast-paced and interesting. There was plenty of heat and some violence, but not at the same time. As this was the first book I’ve read by this author, I may explore some others written by her, as this one was quite fun.

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Review: Edge of Tomorrow (Arrow's Edge MC Series Book 3) by Freya Barker

Edge of Tomorrow by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Making a Truly Blended Family

Lisa is raising two children that are not her own. They are her grandchildren. Her daughter abandoned her kids when the youngest was just a baby and died a couple of years later, leaving them completely reliant on her. She got a job working for a rich family and ended up in a horrific situation, as a black woman trapped and enslaved by white supremacists. The MC helped Lisa and the kids get free and have helped Lisa by giving her a job and a home on the compound.

Brick is a member of the MC that helped free Lisa and her grandchildren. When they first met he was immediately drawn to her but has spent the last two years waiting for a sign that she might be ready for a relationship, especially with a white man, after her experiences. He has cared for and supported her and the kids ever since they arrived. He has only just started making his move and realising Lisa might be willing when the earth drops out from under his feet.

Lisa and Brick are thrown together by circumstances when a baby needs their care. Their relationship is stepped up quickly by the needs of that baby but as they have spent the last 2 years getting to know each other, it goes a lot more smoothly than it might have.

So we end up with a truly blended family of a man and woman raising three kids that are not their own and it’s a lovely family, only it’s not that easy. Life becomes very dangerous and the MC steps into the fray to protect what’s theirs.

I loved this story, I particularly loved Brick and Lisa together. Lisa is a proud and determined woman who bends for no one, including herself. Her kids come first before anything else. Brick is a grizzled biker who lost his family when he went into prison and has been alone ever since. He is a bit brusque, stubborn and above all, kind. He adores Lisa and is determined to protect her, even from herself.

I love how this author creates families. They are filled with unique personalities and the characters of the kids also shine. The children are not cookie-cutter cute and precocious. Some are sweet, others are withdrawn and their personalities are dependent on many things. I love that the author pays as much attention to those details as she does the adult personalities.

The other thing I love about this author is that she writes hot bedroom scenes that are believable. These people are both well past their twenties and their knees are starting to go and that doesn’t stop them having sex, it just determines their positions! They don’t throw each other around the bedroom, but that does not reduce their passion for each other.

Once again this author writes an enjoyable and engaging book, that makes you fall for the characters just a little bit.

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Review: Covering Ollie (On Call Series Book 2) by Freya Barker

Covering Ollie by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hiding From The Mob

Ollie is 40 and for 18 years she’s been hiding from her deceased boyfriend’s family. She lost her lower leg to a car bomb and found out that the reason was that her boyfriend was a very bad man and part of a criminal organisation. When she lost her limb she found out she was pregnant and immediately took steps to run away to protect her child from becoming embroiled in that world.

Joe is 45 and has been a widower for the last year and a half. He has two sons, aged 8 and 12 and he recently moved to Durango to take over as Chief of Police as living in Denver as a homicide detective wasn’t a good way to raise two young motherless boys. Joe moved in across the road from Ollie a few months earlier and got to know her daughter Trinny well as she babysat for the boys most days, after school.

When Joe and Ollie finally meet there is a definite attraction there as they become involved in each other’s lives because of circumstances. There is pushing and pulling between them as they try and work out whether they are willing to risk being hurt in order to have something fulfilling.

I loved the way the children were involved in the relationship and they were front and centre for both Joe and Ollie. Their relationship was important, but nothing was as important as their children’s happiness and safety.

I liked the way they took their time getting to the physical part of their relationship. They were incredibly attracted to each other but waited until the right time and knowing how they felt about each other before jumping into bed. I think this is the difference between characters in their twenties and those in their forties. Fewer hormones running rampant and having different priorities.

The mystery aspect of the story was well done. No one behaved idiotically trying to get themselves killed by being stupid. Precautions were taken and stuck to. I love it when adults behave like adults! The mystery wasn’t the main focus of the story, but simply a vehicle for the romance, but it was still done well and there were a couple of surprises along the way, which is always good.

I will definitely be downloading the next story, as I like the way this author writes about people, in an engaging way with an eye to reality.

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Review: Don't Play with a Player: A Sweet Office Romance (Laws Of Love Series Book 2) by Agnes Canestri

Law #2: Don't Play with a Player: A Sweet Office Romance by Agnes Canestri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet Romance

First I need to warn people who normally read my reviews that this is a little different to what I normally read and is actually a clean romance. I know it’s a bit shocking for you that I would read something without heat, but it’s a really sweet romance and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me a little of Mariana Zapata’s writing in style, just without the bedroom scene at the end.

This is a very slow-build romance with two people who seem so different but actually have quite a lot in common. Laia is a sweet, clever and pretty Hispanic woman, who has just finished her master's program and is desperate for a job. She’s creative and romantic but constantly underestimates herself and other people’s opinions of her.

Devon owns a very successful marketing company and is known as a bit of a playboy around town. He doesn’t believe in love and soul mates and would rather have a meaningless fling than a proper relationship. What he does need though is a PA.

Laia’s best friend puts her name forward for an intern position at Devon’s company. Devon ends up hiring Laia as his PA because he believes she is serious about her job and her terrible taste in clothes leaves her hidden away and not particularly attractive to him, so she isn’t too distracting.

These two people are very different but at the same time, they discover the things that they have in common are more than they thought. Laia discovers that she enjoys working with Devon and he enjoys having someone incredibly efficient and talented working as his PA, even if after her best friend’s makeover she actually now looks very attractive indeed.

There is a psychological element to this romance with the two of them starting to understand their behaviour and mindset. It’s a very gradual unveiling of secrets and histories, that reveals the motivations for their actions. The plot is quite predictable, but it’s still an enjoyable ride.

My one complaint is the use of the verbal tic of ending sentences with the word “......, no?”. I can understand it being the tic of one of the people in the story, but it was used by so many of them that it became very annoying. I don’t know if it’s because of the region the author comes from, or her heritage, but it just isn’t something I’m used to and it felt forced, even though it may not have been. It made the conversation more stylised and less natural. Other than that and the plot predictability, which sometimes is enjoyable in its own way, the book was a nice, sweet and fun romance.

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Review: Signed (Bear Mail Series Book 1) by Layla Nash

Signed by Layla Nash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Uncomplicated Shifter Romance

This was a sweet uncomplicated shifter romance. It was quite cleverly structured in a way that made the plot work well.

Hannah’s best friend Jen is optimistic, happy and up for adventures. She decides that she and Hannah must sign up for a Mail Order Bride dating app that matches people from different cities. Hannah is drunk when she agrees and doesn’t think about it again until Jen wants to go and meet a guy she met on the app and drags Hannah with her to North Dakota from their home in New York.

When they get there it’s a bit of a set up between Hannah and the guy’s brother, Wade. Wade is kind of grumpy, hard-working and very responsible. He runs the ranch he shares with his siblings, due to his parent’s retirement, and is also the Alpha Bear shifter around town. None of which makes it easy to meet his mate.

Though this was a paranormal romance, I liked that most of the issues between Hannah and Wade weren’t really about that. They were about the realities of long-distance relationships and what happens when you have to give up everything to be with someone you love. There were still a few paranormal hiccups to keep things interesting, but it was mainly the mundane which caused the friction.

When I downloaded this book I’d forgotten that I’d actually read a few of Layla Nash’s books before a few years ago and that I’d enjoyed them. This book was a good reminder that her books are a fun and easy read when I can’t cope with anything more challenging. A good first book for the year!

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Review: Dr. Almost: A Pandemic Love Story (Tobin Tribe Series Book 7) by Caitlyn Coakley

Dr. Almost: A Pandemic Love Story by Caitlyn Coakley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Romance During A Pandemic

I’ve been avoiding all the ‘pandemic’ romances that have been cropping up this year. Mainly because when I read romance I’m looking to escape reality and the pandemic is as real as real can be. However, I really like the Tobin Tribe books and didn’t really register that this was a pandemic love story until after I started reading. I’m glad I didn’t avoid it because though it dealt with the harsh realities of the pandemic it was also a sweet romance.

Rowan Serena Cassidy-Tobin is a celebutant. She’s incredibly wealthy, beautiful, sexy and sells millions of magazines with her escapades. She’s also incredibly intelligent, loving and desperately lonely. At the same time as travelling around as a celebrity selling appearances and posing for the paparazzi during the holiday break, she’s also been attending medical school, qualifying early with top marks. Due to the pandemic, she is roped into working in a hospital before fully qualifying to help treat COVID-19 patients.

Dr Jason Akerman is highly intelligent, not particularly attractive, comes from a wealthy family that’s rapidly going broke due to mismanaging finances and focusing on charity and medical work. He had to give up private practice and moved to work in a hospital and is given a job of working with the latest intake of almost qualified doctors.

Rowan (as she now likes to be called) and Jason are not an obvious couple and I liked that for once the hero wasn’t sexy and charismatic, he was awkward and homely. I also liked how the author did not shy away from the realities of working with COVID-19 patients and the horror and grind of it all. She captures the paranoia of a year filled with masks, hand sanitiser and chapped sore hands so well but in a way that doesn’t dwell on it too hard.

The romance between these characters is sweeter for never really seeing each other’s faces for a long time, as they fall for each other. It’s almost made me think more positively about choosing other novels set in the present climate.

One other thing I liked about this novel was how the author managed to turn around my opinion of Serena and explain how she became Rowan in a way that made sense and was sympathetic.

I was worried that this book would be the end of the Tobin Tribe books, but it seems there will be at least one more. I don’t know what I’ll do after that! I am very surprised that this series doesn't have more reviews and ratings for it because I think it's very engaging and enjoyable. I really hope more people read this author because I want her to keep writing.

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Review: Hoax Husband by Candice Wright

Hoax Husband by Candice Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well Worn Trope Done Well

The get drunk in vegas and wake up married to a stranger is a pretty common theme in modern romance literature. It’s been done many different ways but this novel was done well. It’s not surprising to me because Candice Wright is a really good writer and I’ve enjoyed all the rest of her books. This is not her strongest book, but it’s no means weak.

This book is part of the Cocky Hero Club world. I was wracking my brain for the first few chapters knowing that the characters rung a bell. It wasn’t until I did a search for the MFC’s boss that I worked out that the MMC was the boss’s best friend from Stuck-Up Suit. Once I got that settled I could relax enough to enjoy the rest of the book.

The MMC, Asher Sloan, is pretty unlikeable. In fact he’s down right skeezy and it took him longer to win me over than it did the MFC, Linda. His attitude towards women was less than pleasant and his treatment of Linda after their night together in Vegas is pretty horrible.

Linda, on the other hand, is sweet, kind, friendly and warm. She’s strong willed and creative. At the start of the book she is forcing herself into a straight laced role that ill fits her personality and when that role breaks is when she meets Asher.

When they meet again Asher’s motives are not great and I really dislike that Linda falls for his manipulations, even if the lines he uses are sort of true. Linda’s sweet naïveté is kind of endearing, kind of ‘you need a good shake girlfriend’ and it’s a very fine line to walk for the author, who just about pulls it off. The only reason it works is that Linda kind of knows she’s being naïve and Asher knows he is being an ass.

It also veers off in the last 20% in an unexpected direction, which makes up for the predictable nature of the initial plot line, though I would have appreciated that section took up a little bit more of the storyline.

All that being said, I enjoyed the book as it was well written and I know that I will automatically pick up this author’s next book, as I did this one.

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Review: Dead Space by Leigh Kelsey

Dead Space by Leigh Kelsey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clever Twist

I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This stand alone novel was quite entertaining, but didn’t have a lot of depth. It refers to itself in the blurb as a dark sci-fi with horror elements, which I suppose is accurate, but it isn’t very good at conveying true horror. If you take away the horror elements it leaves a story that isn't particularly dark. It is however, a sci-fi alien romance.

Julia is human and has an alien mate, Kiv. They are stranded on board a ship that has been dispatched to aid a planet that is in distress, only to find themselves in a similar situation. Members of the crew have gone missing and the ship is dead in space.

Julia and Kiv, her friend Sinna and their annoying colleague Ruhar seem to be doomed to never get back home, but teaming up together has it’s benefits.

Personally I didn’t think it was very scary, the characters didn’t have much depth, though the connection between the characters both emotionally and sexually was believable. The connections seemed to be the only important thing about each character. They all seemed to exist only for the book’s timeline. There were only a couple of references to the time before the book was set but they were never followed up on. This made the characters feel one dimensional.

The actual prose was articulate and smooth, but it felt a little like a novella that had been padded a little bit to make it a book. However, like I said, it was enjoyable and the twist at the end was quite interesting. I might try another book by this author to see if I enjoyed it more, but it won’t be straight away because I have plenty of books in my TBR pile.

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Review: Ford's Rise: Party time with Ford Brothers, Alpha-Bits and Alexia (Badass Security Council Series Book 11) by L Ann Marie

Ford's Rise: Party time with Ford Brothers, Alpha-Bits and Alexia (Badass Security Council) by L. Ann Marie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Web’s Story

For those of us who have been on the long journey through the BSC books, you will probably feel like I do about Web. He’s a wonderfully empathetic character. He’s kind, sweet and enormously intelligent. He’s also sacrificed everything willingly for his young charges, the Alpha-Bits. I love that he finally gets his ‘One’ in this book.

Web is not exactly a straight forward understandable guy. He’s highly intelligent but grew up in a orphanage and therefore didn’t really learn how to make family connections because he was outside of the normal parameters of the other inhabitants of his group home. He has always stated that when he took on the care of the Alpha-Bits he learnt about family from them and he has always put them before his own happiness, though much of his happiness has been derived from their happiness. It’s no surprise that his ‘One’ is slightly atypical.

We first met Alexia in her role at EROPs, with the FBI. She is neurodiverse and diagnosed as having Asperger’s Syndrome, or high functioning Autism (which are basically the same thing). She has lived a life of isolation and hasn’t really had any support from her family, in fact she didn’t believe she had any. Becoming involved with BSC was the first time she felt really part of a family, though she had friends that she worked with in the past. It’s only once she joins BSC that she starts to form true connections.

As is often the case with these books, Alexia and Web getting together is pretty straight forward. The romance part of these books often takes a back seat to personal growth. The relationship is part of that growth and this is why it’s important. Learning to be part of a community and family is just as important as forming a romantic bond.

In this book we see Web really grasp hold of his family of blood and choice and accept that his role is important to many people. We also see more of the Alpha-Bits come into their own, especially Alder who really steps up into his role as Little Pres.

I enjoyed the slower pace of this book, as it was much less high octane than usual, but I did find it difficult to process some of the speech patterns that the author often uses for the Alpha-Bits and also, in this case, for Alexia. The choppy way of speaking with incorrect grammar is definitely a stylistic choice, but it is sometimes hard to process, especially when the majority is written in this way. However, I do love the Alpha-Bits so waded through it and still found pleasure in the book. I just wish that the author could accept that highly intelligent Alpha-Bits would learn how to speak more fluidly several years into being found and become more active socially.

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Review: War Song (The Rift Chronicles Book 2) by BR Kingsolver

War Song by B.R. Kingsolver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy At It’s Best

This series just gets better and better. I loved the first book and this one follows on seamlessly. Danica is expected, by her grandmother, to leave the police force and come back into the family fold, but Dani isn’t too keen on that idea. She likes her independence too much, not to mention the idea of sitting in a cubicle every day rather than shooting villains doesn’t fill her with joy.

It’s time to a make a few compromises and see how things can develop. Of course if one of the Ten Families decides to ally with demons in order to skew power to their favour, Dani might have more to worry about than the cubicle.

This book is fast paced and filled with action and adventure. I love that though Dani doesn’t want to go back to the family she still loves her Grandmother and doesn’t want to rebel for the sake of rebelling. She wants her family safe, sound and strong, but she doesn’t want to sacrifice her happiness to do so. One of the reasons her grandmother wants her back is because she is an incredibly creative magitek. This trait shows in her police work. Her mind is quick and logical, even if she takes a few liberties with procedure in order to get things done.

One of the things I like about this series is that it isn’t obvious. What I mean is that Dani doesn’t fall in love with her new partner, nor does she hate him. Her own love life isn’t the main driving force of her motivations. Her primary concerns are always keeping people safe. Her work comes first so though there is romance in this book it isn’t front and centre to the story line, more an adjunct.

I also like how she is a team player in this book. She knows she needs help and gets it from people she trusts. She knows her power isn’t the most useful in offensive action so she gathers other people who compliment her skill set. Her creative thinking comes in handy when working with a team.

Danica definitely matures during the course of this series and this book shows a few key moments along that journey, and they didn’t have to be heart-breaking to move her forward. So often in books the main character has to ‘learn a hard lesson’ in order to have emotional growth. This isn’t really what happens in life, it does, just not all the time. Sometimes we grow in maturity through watching other people, or learning from an accumulation of small things. The passage of time teaches an awful lot, you don’t always need pain to grow. This book seems to acknowledge this fact.

Once again this is an enjoyable and engaging story with an over abundance of captivating characters and huge amounts of plot. The world building is fascinating and I loved learning more about how the power structure of this world works. This was another book by this author that got devoured in one chunk. I simply couldn’t stop! I can’t wait for the next book.

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Review: Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles Book 3) by TA White

Threshold of Annihilation by T.A. White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gripping Sci Fi

This series just gets better and better. Once I started reading, it was so difficult to stop. I just wanted to read one more sentence, one more paragraph, one more page. I had to force myself to step away to eat and sleep.

In this book, many of Kira’s secrets are exposed. We learn so much about her and her past and it’s fascinating. The information provided in this book wouldn’t have made sense without the slow world building of the first two books. This clearly demonstrates the ability of the author to carefully construct a story in the best possible way.

The cliffhanger at the end of the second book is only the first of the many secrets that are revealed at a fast rate. We learn about Kira’s honorary niece and their relationship to each other, which is entertaining because they have very similar personalities.

When Kira gets separated, through no real fault of her own, from Graydon and the rest of the Tuann, she has to find a way of keeping her niece safe and get back to the Tuann without risking either of them. In order to do that she decides they must go to the Quorum, the inter species games being held in Haldeel space and the only way in, is as a competitor. Kira dusts off an old identity and in they go.

One of the things I love about this series is that Kira has lived quite a long time. She may be considered almost a child by Tuann standards but by human ones she has lived a very long and full life. During that time she has travelled around the universe meeting different people, learning new skills, making allies and enemies. All this history is gently woven into the plot and her character, as the author unveils another hidden morsel of Kira’s past.

This author is incredibly skilled at plot construction. She has a deft hand in weaving hidden gems to earlier books that are revealed to be important later on. This way of weaving facts throughout the series is done exactly the same way with hidden facets of characters’ personalities. We meet characters and they gradually reveal themselves to the reader, keeping us guessing as to their motives and character traits.

The world building continues to astound me, with more information about the society of the Tuann revealed and discovering all about the Haldeel, of whom we knew little before this book. So much thought has gone into how the societies are structured, and how that structure shapes the personalities of their race and how they interact with those outside their race.

Basically I just love the way this author’s mind works. I find it fascinating and could read the books over and over again. I know I probably will!

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Review: Swing Shift (Swing Shift Series Book 1) by William D Arand

Swing Shift by William D. Arand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really Interesting Urban Fantasy/Harem Romance

I came across this book and thought it looked interesting and I was right. This was quite a different book to the one I was expecting. The main male character is named Gus. Gus is a Boogieman, a creature that feeds off the fear of others and is able to do magic with that area of the psyche.

Gus was in the military and got into a really bad situation in the Middle East, which only he and two other people came out of. Mark, his boss, is the only other one who survived in the long term. As well as being his boss, Mark is his best friend and one of the only people he truly trusts, as his race has been hunted virtually to extinction.

Gus’s job is working as a detective for the Paranormal Investigative Department. He works to help keep humans unaware of the paranormal world, which he does by solving crimes. The telepathy he inherited from his father helps in his work.

Gus has been mainly going through the motions of life since he got back to the US until he comes across a Contractor on a job. The Contractor, Melody is a genius, beautiful, determined and a little unhinged. Meeting Melody has the effect of completely overhauling his life.

This book is written from Gus’s point of view, however, the women in his life are very strong, almost dominant. This is harem novel, ie one man and several women, however Melody is the real centre of the harem, as she is the main force in it's construction.

This book has great world building and the characters are fascinating. The plot was interesting, though it seemed to take a while to get going, initially. The romance aspect of the book is very sweet. There is little steam and the harem doesn’t actually have sex in this book. It’s more about the emotional connection than the physical one.

I really enjoyed the book and hope to read more by this author.

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Review: Reaching Answers (Artemis University Series Book 8) by Erin R Flynn

Reaching Answers by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fairy Mayhem

This books starts slowly and then ramps up the pace to the author’s usual top speed by the end. The slow start is to do with Tamsin’s love life and the mess that it is. I sometimes get whiplash with how things can turn so bad one minute and be so perfect the next chapter. Her character overacts sometimes and forgives too much at other times, which would drive me insane in real life, but it is probably in line with someone under the amount of pressure this character is under, not to mention her trauma from childhood.

The other thing that Tamsin flips around on is her confidence levels. One minute she is insanely confident to the point of knowing no fear in very dangerous situations, and the next minute she is incredibly insecure and thinks no one could possibly love her or even like her very much. These swings can be attributed to the same reason she has swings in her romantic life.

In this book Tamsin and her cohorts start ramping up the pressure on the Councils as they get more and more out of hand and extreme in the way they chase after Tamsin and blame her for stirring up trouble.

We also get to know more fairies, and find out more about their history and society. It’s interesting to see Tamsin start to interact with her own species and to see how her friends interact with them too, after hearing from them about the fairies they once knew.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens when the fairies are outed at last because it seems Tamsin is actually looking forward to it at long last. There also seems to be more to the work she needs to do than taking out a few corrupt individuals at the top. This book seemed to set up much more work for the fairies to do once they fully come back. Something tells me that the author really likes writing about Tamsin because she doesn’t seem to be anywhere close to wrapping up this series.

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Review: Rason & Eliza (Rojo, TX Series Book 1) by Cee Bowerman

Rason & Eliza by Cee Bowerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More Rojo Fun

I love Cee Bowerman’s books. She writes funny, gentle stories about interesting people who lead mostly ordinary lives, except once in a while it’s strange enough to write a book about it. Most of the characters from all the series set around this town interact with each other, so you may find familiar faces popping up from Texas Knights or Texas Kings.

Eliza is actually the brother of Hank (from Texas Knights) and Mesha. She was lucky enough to be adopted as a heroine addicted baby, rather than being ‘raised’ by her drug addicted prostitute mother and abandoned by her married judge father. She had an unbelievably happy childhood, raised by loving parents who owned a bookstore, which she now owns. The siblings only found each other very recently and it’s nice to see them interact in this book as they begin to get to know each other.

Rason is half Vietnamese and half Texan. He’s built like he Dad and has his pretty green eyes, but is sweet like his mother. He also had a very happy childhood, with two siblings. He was in the army for 6 years and now works for Daughtry (another connection) as a mechanic.

When Rason and Eliza finally get the courage to go out, after eying each other up over the bookshelves since their teens, they are both nearing 30. Rason is also trying to get rid of a clingy woman whom he barely dated.

Whilst Rason and Eliza click very fast the clingy woman turns into a very dangerously unhinged one, which puts untold amounts of pressure on the fledgling relationship.

I loved all the details about Vietnamese culture in this book. It was affectionate and respectful and very educational. The way it was explained to us is partially to do with Eliza and her upbringing. She always wants to know about things and researches them assiduously. I also love that Eliza comes across to the outside world as prim and proper but inside she’s a little bit wild.

As always, the writing is funny, the characters interesting and the plot entertaining. I always enjoy these books and I can’t see that changing any time soon, based on the record so far. Definitely great escapist fiction.

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Review: Game Over (Gamer Girls Series Book 7) by Auryn Hadley and Kitty Cox

Game Over by Auryn Hadley and Kitty Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Rollercoaster Ride

Wow, this was an emotional and adrenaline fuelled ride from the start. I loved this series so hard that I was kind of worried about how it would all end. I shouldn’t have been because I’ve never been disappointed by the last book written by these authors. They know how to pace and plot like masters of the craft.

There are a few hairy moments in this book that could trigger someone. Please read the warnings at the start of the book if you experience emotional difficulties surrounding a subject matter that could be covered in this book. I found some scenes difficult even though they didn’t have any kind of resonances of difficult issues in my past. These authors write incredibly well about difficult subjects. They face the hard things with unflinching honesty and emotional truth and that can sometimes be overwhelming if it’s about something that’s difficult for you.

There are so many twists and turns in this book that has your head spinning. You won’t guess who the ultimate bad guy is until his reveal, which is a rarity in a series this long. Usually there are enough hints dropped, obviously enough, that you can begin to guess. This isn’t the case in this book, until the reveal and then you go ‘oh yeah, now I get it!’.

This book is all about team work. Everyone works together and plays to their strengths to prop up each other’s weaknesses. It’s a definite theme, without being rammed down your throat. This is very obviously a feminist series and I love that the men in the gamer girls group are feminists too, even if some of them need an education in the language to use and require some enlightenment as to how to be the best kind of support to women. This book is a really good recipe for how to teach men about what women go through. I will probably be stealing some of the language the gamer girls use to explain things to the men in their circle, to explain things to the men I know. It’s an excellent primer!

As well as the great plot twists and the high action sections there is also the wonderful emotional conclusions as everyone gets their HEA, even if they don’t come in the shape others think they should do. I love how each person gets the HEA they want and it doesn’t matter what is traditional or expected, it just fits with them.

I am so delighted that there is going to be a spin off series about Knock and his polycule. I know it’s going to be good because the characters are fantastic and these authors are superb at plot and emotional development. It cannot fail to resonate with the fans of this series, of which I am definitely one.

By the way, I know I’m a total Auryn fan girl. I admit it. I also have a reason for being that way. I don’t think she’s capable of releasing a bad book. She might be capable of writing one, perhaps, but she would never release it. Basically I’d be saying all the same things about this book/series if it was another author. I try not to be prejudiced either for or against a book by it’s author, so please believe me when I say, this is brilliant, read the whole series now and then read it again in a few months time because you’ll love it even more after you’ve read it once.

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Review: Deadly Vows (Lizzie Grace Series Book 6) by Keri Arthur

Deadly Vows by Keri Arthur
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lizzie’s Husband Returns

I’ve been hoarding this book like a dragon hoards it’s gold. I didn’t want to read it too soon because I knew it would make me crave the next book. I was right, it has made me crave the next book. Hopefully because I waited so long to read this one, the wait won’t be so bad.

In this book Lizzie faces a lot of difficult emotional and magical events. Not only has the Reservation attracted the attention of an evil entity that kills without remorse, but Lizzie has to face the return of the husband who was forced on her when she was 16. Not only has the husband tracked her down, but her neglectful and dismissive parents are now interested in her and her affinity to wild magic.

On top of rehashing all the old trauma, created by her parent’s belittlement and being drugged and spelled to marry a man she didn’t want, she has to reach a decision regarding Aidan. She has to decide whether to jump head first into a full time relationship, whilst knowing that it may only be temporary because she is not a wolf.

As always, this book is filled with mystery, magic and bonds of friendship and love. Lizzie and Belle have created a wonderful circle of friends and formed their own version of family in their home on the Reservation.

Lizzie goes through a lot in this book. She grows as a person and as a witch as she is placed under the greatest of pressures. This author understands that the damage received when a child can often be the hardest to face as an adult. Lizzie’s responses to the situations she finds herself in are believable to anyone who had a less than perfect childhood.

I loved this book and know it’s one I will read again because there is so much crammed between the covers. There are bound to be details I missed as I got swept in the story. Sometimes books like these are even better the second and third time around because you can savour the book as a whole rather than get distracted by the main plot line.

I’ve loved this author for years, as she was one of the first urban fantasy writers I discovered, and she just keeps getting better and better. I think she’ll always be a one-click author for me.

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Review: Ori - The Lost Verndari by Oriana Star

Ori - The Lost Verndari by Oriana Star
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting World Building

This book has interesting world building, even if it feels a little fuzzy around the edges, like it’s not quite fully formed. It’s in a world where humans aren’t living well and there are other species living in the world (it’s not clear why humans are poor and downtrodden or what the other supernatural creatures are). The Verndari are a race of magic users. At the age of 18 a female Verndari ‘awakens’ and her magic calls to her four mates. These mates provide stability for her magic and enhances the mates magic too.

We start the book with a female Verndari baby being hidden in the human foster care system to keep her safe from her father, by her mother. That girl is Ori and her experience of foster care is torturous (literally). She is in the midst of being thrown out of her foster home on her 18th birthday when she awakens and her magic pulses bring her into the Verndari fold, where things are still very precarious for her.

There are some interesting aspects to the plot, but, like the world building, it feels a little fuzzy around the edges. It feels like the author hasn’t really lived deeply in the story for long enough before finishing the book. However, it was definitely interesting enough to keep me reading until the end.

I liked Ori, I thought she was an interesting character. Living with physical and mental torment for most of her life and then being thrust into a magical world she doesn’t understand, is not easy. She is instantly given mates that she wasn’t expecting and told to learn magic quickly or she may die/be killed. She is strong and holds up to everything, probably a little too well to be believable. Everything happens too fast for her to cope as well as she does. It makes me feel less connection with her because she doesn’t feel quite real.

The other characters are also interesting and I wish we’d learn more about them. We were just given hints of who they are and what they are capable of. The insta-love aspect of the mate bond always drives me a bit nuts because magic can only over-ride so much human hesitation, surely? If you put my hesitation, on that front, aside, then the relationship between Ori and her mates is really sweet and supportive. Though I have to say the sex scenes were a bit formulaic for my liking.

All that being said, and I know it seems that there was a lot to criticise, I did really like the book. I just feel that it could have done with a really good editor. It needed someone to be ruthless and push the writer to cut back on what felt unnecessary and push forward what needed more fleshing out. It also needed a good proof reader because the use of ‘wondering’ instead of ‘wandering’ and ‘unemphatic’ instead of ‘unempathatic’ are just two of the examples that I remember off the top of my head. This had the potential to be a much better book and I hope that with practice and possibly really good beta readers the author finds her potential, because I can see the glimmers of a really good writer here.

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Review: Tank (Lords of Carnage Series Book 10) by Daphne Loveling

Tank by Daphne Loveling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tank’s A Daddy

Tank is pretty self contained. His brothers in the MC are the only family he has, or needs. He doesn’t date, but he does have a LOT of one night stands. He’s big and gorgeous and doesn’t need to work for female attention. He got his name because he was a fighter who just wouldn’t stop going until he’d ploughed down his opponent. He’s pretty happy with his life, but then he finds a little girl on his doorstep with a note telling him he’s hers and little Wren comes into his life, silent and wary.

Tank has no idea what he’s doing with a four year old and doesn’t want to tell the Lords about Wren for some reason. He ends up meeting Cady, a waitress, who offers to babysit.

Cady is sweet and is also self contained. She’s come from a pretty awful life and enjoying living somewhere peaceful, even if waitressing is exhausting. Cady takes to Wren instantly and the feeling is mutual.

It’s not all smooth sailing between Cady and Tank and it’s pretty interesting reading about how their attraction to each other combats their opinions about the other’s personality.

Whilst this is going on there are difficulties with the club and possible investigations as well as club rivalries. However, the star of this book is Wren and how she impacts both Tank and Cady. Her sweet personality shines through and she jumps off the page.

The plot is interesting, the characters complex and believable and I really enjoyed spending time with them. It’s a good solid MC book, as are the others in the series. Definitely worth a read.

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Review: Home (Finding My Home Series Book 1) by Nikita Parmenter

Home by Nikita Parmenter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Angsty New Adult Contemporary Reverse Harem

This book has a lot of familiar elements to it, if you have read other books in this genre. It has young people in their senior year of high school being reunited after many years apart. The MFC, Everleigh, had an awful life when she was separated from ‘her guys’ at age 8, after the death of her mother. Now age 17, her father is dead and she has been sent back to live with her mother’s friends, who happen to be the parents of one of the 6 boys she was so close to as a little girl.

There is also the standard 'mean girl bullying because she’s jealous' thing going on, which always annoys me. Surely by now, even mean girls should be looking for status from their own meanness rather than appropriating status from whichever idiot makes the mistake of hooking up with her. For once I’d like the mean girl to have a different reason to decide to be the MFC’s enemy than because she’s attracted the attention of a guy the mean girl likes.

I also don’t like that Ever is always monologuing in her head about all the people she’s protected and how tough and dangerous she is, but every time she gets into a physical altercation she needs rescuing.

However, once you step away from the familiar patterns in this book you start to notice that there are things that are handled really nicely. You notice that Ever has a very tight grip on her emotions. She is strong and self contained and always on the defensive. (Another reason it’s so strange she is constantly being taken off guard when she’s hyper-vigilant) She also accepts help when it’s offered, which is nice to see in this kind of book. However, she also acknowledges she has problems and forces herself to talk about her issues.

I like the slow build of the romance in this book. The attraction and emotions are there right from the start but the relationships build gradually, in a believable way.

So all in all I really enjoyed the book, with it’s twisty plot and interesting characters, despite some initial predictability. I’ll probably read the next one, because I really want to know how they get out of this cliffhanger! 

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Review: The Healer (The Order of Intergalactic Peace Series Book 1) by Kelly Lucille

The Healer by Kelly Lucille
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Interesting Sci-Fi Fantasy

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This book was recommended on one of my Facebook groups and when I read the blurb was sufficiently intrigued to read it straight away. I have to say that the book lived up to the blurb, which isn’t often the case.

This book is set far in the future where the Order of Intergalactic Peace rule with an iron fist. When they discovered that there were humans who manifested powers they immediately conscripted them into their armies and indoctrinated them into complete loyalty to their masters. They control everything from where they live to who they have children with. Opposing them is The Rebellion (obviously!).

Earth has become a backwater planet, destroyed over the years, and only attractive because they produce the highest number of people with powers. On Earth is a healer of extraordinary power that has managed to stay hidden with help of her powerful hunter father. Until it comes time to repay a debt that pulls her directly into the conflict between the two opposing forces in the galaxy.

I really enjoyed this book. It had really intriguing world building and I liked the development of the powers that were described. I really liked the MFC, Serenity the healer. Her character was compassionate but at the same time focused, calm and composed. She was mentally strong and able to control her fear.

On the other hand the men she came into contact with, both of The Rebellion and the OIP are not that sympathetic. They are strong and ruthless and coldly determined to use every tool at their availability to achieve their goals. Neither side has Serenity’s best interests in mind.

There are some very obvious parts to the set up of this book, with the two opposing forces, both willing to do anything for power. Also the idea of genetically mutated humans developing powers is not uncommon in fiction. What I did like is the focus on the main character, who is a healer. She is someone almost incapable of doing physical harm to another being, but she is powerful. Most novels focus on someone who is capable of doing great damage as being strong. Serenity’s name is very appropriate as she stands like granite as adversity washes off against her.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series, because I believe it could go anywhere!

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Review: For the Win (Gamer Girls Series Book 6) by Auryn Hadley and Kitty Cox

For the Win by Auryn Hadley and Kitty Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book

The header says it all. I did. I loved it. From the first page to the last I loved it, every paragraph and every conversation between the characters and every description of gaming action. It was awesome. What was even more awesome was the way the authors had very obviously seriously researched what is like to transition from male to female. They had spoken to people who knew what it would be like for Rhaven to come out, from the physical to the emotional. It was handled sympathetically with honesty and humour. I can’t profess to know what it’s like to transition but I do have friends who have questioned their gender identity and have been open and honest enough to discuss it with me and this book rings true to me.

I love Rhaven. Her character has always been interesting, sort of 'in' with the main characters but always on the periphery. In this book we dive completely into Rhaven’s life and it is a fantastic journey. It starts in a complete contrast to how she is seen in the other books, a darkly glamorous women who kicks butt in FPS games. We meet her working at the GasNGo in her uniform with her deadname 'Ethan' on her tag.

We meet her Dad and her brother who are loving and kind, but don’t really understand her and know her only as Ethan. We see small town America in all it’s glory, where everyone knows your name and your business and think they have the right to comment on your life choices.

We also see Braden decide to visit Rhaven, who has a massive crush on, because he’s only a couple of hours drive away for business reasons. His presence triggers a lot of things for Rhaven, both good and bad.

This book was enthralling as I got sucked into Rhaven’s world and saw the whole ‘main table’ group work together both in game, and out, to protect the vulnerable and stand up for equality.

I believe that the authors originally planned that this book would be the last in the series but Rhaven got away from them and lead them to have to write another book to finish it all off. I can only say that I so glad that they let Rhaven have her way because this was an excellent book, with drama, emotion, laughter, love and steaming hot sex. This entire series is a fantastic journey and I can’t wait for the next book, which I’m sure I’ll read on release day, like I did this one. But I also know I’ll be sad when it’s over because this journey has been epic!

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Review: Demons, Danger, and Demigods (Gods and Demons Series Book 4) by Kaye Draper

Demons, Danger, and Demigods by Kaye Draper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It All Comes Down To Belief

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the final book in this series and it has a lot of ground to cover. We start with Troya being trapped in the god realm by her father. She’s separated from the people she loves and she’s scared and alone, unable to trust in her ability to control her power, that she’s only just remembered that she has. She never truly understood her own power and now the gods are all demanding she use it, for their benefit.

In order to escape back to Earth she needs a lot of help and she also needs to understand and believe in her own power in order to keep humanity and the supernaturals free of the influence of the gods.

This book is as much a book about self belief and self acceptance as it is about romance and defeating the enemy. It is only through the power of belief in one's own abilities can we trust that others accept us and can believe in us too. It’s not done in an overblown way, but the messages are still really clear. The book is also about the romance, and the really, really hot sex!

I’m sad to see the end of this series, which started so long ago with Gesa and her menagerie (Gesa's Menagerie: Volume 1). I will miss them all, but can at least finish the series with a smile on my face for their future happiness.

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Review: Hectic (Arcane Mage Series Book 2) by TS Snow

Hectic by T.S. Snow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

More Magical Mayhem

I’m going to start this review by saying I didn’t want to throw my kindle across the room at the end of the book, unlike last time. The ending has more of a kerbhanger than a cliffhanger. There is definitely a lot more story to come but the ending comes at a natural break in the plot (thankfully).

As you may have gathered by the sheer existence of a second book in the series, the main character Char is not, in fact dead. Dum Dum DUUUUUHH! She is however, very, very injured. When Char wakes up she comes face to face with her ex Theo, who desperately wants to get back together with her, which is why he was there when her apartment blew up.

The AMIA wants Char to stay in hiding and to pretend to be dead so that they can flush out the mole that allowed the rebellion to escape from their round up and got Char almost killed. Char ends up in a safe house with Blaze and Blair, a fellow agent.

This book is the same as the first in the way the plot keeps you turning pages quickly. There’s so much going on, I didn’t want to stop for lunch. The male characters start to show themselves a lot more clearly in this book, though this is still a slow building RH. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of heat, just not between multiple men yet.

The world building is getting a lot more interesting, with more of the social structure being explained, though there are still very large gaps in the information given to the reader. I think there are some pretty good reasons why it's still missing and they are all plot related. I get the feeling that the author has fleshed out the society, magic system and plot in her head and is only revealing what we really need to know for everything to be unveiled in the best way possible.

As you might have guessed I really love this series. The characters are great and the story is anything but straight forward and I can’t wait to read the next book. When’s it due out again?????

ETA: Erratic is out on 11th March 2021 That's so far away (sobs)

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Review: Burning for Autumn (On Call Series Book 1) by Freya Barker

Burning for Autumn by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Arson

Freya Barker writes interesting romances about people who have already lead interesting lives. In other words, the protagonists have a few years already under their belts and have quite established personalities. This means that with age comes people less likely to bend and change to fit in with a prospective romantic partner. Personally I like this kind of novel, because it means that there are often more spikes to sand down between the parties involved, which only makes it more interesting.

This is the first in a series, but I get the feeling that there may be other series that are interconnected, based on how the various characters are introduced. However, I don’t feel like there were any major holes in my understanding for not having read them before starting this book.

Autumn is a medical researcher in a burns unit on a 12 month contract in her new home of Durango. She’s 42, strong willed, independent and fears she is stuck in a rut, which is what instigated her move from Texas. On a rare moment of bravery, after a rubbish day at work, she decides to go to the local first responders pub and bumps into Keith.

Keith is currently working as the interim Chief of Police for Durango and hates it. He wants to be working as a detective, not dodging phone calls from the mayor. He’s 44, happy being single, has great friends and loves his job. He is also strong willed and plain spoken, which often doesn’t earn him any friends. When he and Autumn bump into each other, sparks fly in a way that leaves them both intrigued.

As well as being a really great romance, this book also has a good solid mystery to solve. The mystery side of things is a mite predictable, however there were aspects of the case which were well thought out and a bit different from what I could have guessed. It was is in no way boring.

I enjoyed the book enough to know I’ll be downloading the next in the series because I already know I want to read about the brand new Chief of Police, because he seems really fascinating.

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Review: Iron Master (Shifters Unbound Series Book 12) by Jennifer Ashley

Iron Master by Jennifer Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Shifters and Fae Collide

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This book deals with the relationship between Peigi, a bear shifter, and Stuart, a Dokk Alfar who was exiled from faerie over 50 years ago. Peigi had a rough start in this series and was rescued from a bad situation with an abusive mate and cult-like community. When she was rescued she decided to look after 6 orphaned cubs who came from the same community she’d been part of.

When Peigi was given a home 3 years ago she was taken under the wing of several strong alphas. She was taught how to stand up for herself, how to fight and how to protect those she loves. She learnt all this whilst finding her way back to happiness through the love and care of the cubs she was raising.

Stuart passes as human on Earth. He works for a private detective/security agency. He’s also moved in with Peigi and the cubs. It was a gradual thing and they are living platonically though both have feelings for the other. Neither has been brave enough to act on those feelings, until now.

It all starts when Stuart is pulled into faerie by a fellow Dokk Alfar, Cian, who needs Stuart’s Iron Master skills, something he’s not used in 50 years, just as he and Piegi had decided to stop dancing around each other.

This book is spent mainly dealing with the fae as well as Peigi and Stuart’s ongoing relationship. There’s plenty of action and plot twists galore, there is wild shifter passion and wondrous fae magics and the sweet gentle love of a parent for a cub.

This is a great book in this series and I can’t wait to see what the author does next. I love that there is now a huge range of communities for the author to draw on to find the characters to write about next. You don’t get a chance to get bored with the same characters each time, because each book seems to change location, even as the plot of shifters versus the fae and fighting for freedom from the humans continue throughout the series.

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Review: Make Me Yours (Bellamy Creek Series Book 2) by Melanie Harlow

Make Me Yours by Melanie Harlow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heartbreakingly Sweet

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

Cole is a single father to 9 year old Mariah. Mariah’s mother was Cole’s high school sweetheart and she died in childbirth. Since then Cole has been alone. He’s strong, self-contained and a police officer. He moved in with his mother when his wife died and has stayed ever since.

Next door to Cole lives Cheyenne. Cheyenne moved back in with her mother a couple of years earlier to try and save some money. Cheyenne has loved Cole since she first understood what longing for a boy was. Her brother is Cole’s best friend and has been since they were in nappies.

Over the last few months Cheyenne and Cole have been getting closer and closer and things are on a tipping point for them. Only, Cole is scared of how Mariah is going to take him becoming involved with anyone and it has him holding back.

This book tells of the journey Cheyenne, Cole and Mariah take in order to reach their HEA. It’s a story of taking walks in the snow, girls’ night’s in and sneaky kisses and phone sex. It’s a story of learning to let go of the past and have faith that this time it will last and you’ll get the HEA, and if you don’t, then at least you’ve have had happiness for now.

There are some really poignant moments in this book, interspersed with hot and steamy and really sweet. It’s a lovely slowly unfolding story with very real emotions being worked out. I loved the characters with Cheyenne being loving and sweet, she’s a kindergarten teacher, Cole being strong and silent, typical police officer, and Mariah being funny and supportive. The surrounding characters are all very believable. In fact the you can imagine the whole book happening to someone you know. I like it when you can relate to the subject matter as well as the characters and this book is definitely relatable.

A really enjoyable read. 

 

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Review: A Family for the Alien Warrior (Treasured By The Alien Series Book 4) by Honey Phillips and Bex McLynn

A Family for the Alien Warrior by Honey Phillips and Bex McLynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet and Steamy

There’s just something so warm and comforting about this series. The Cire warriors are so loyal and gentle, whilst being ferocious in their defence of their loved ones.

This is the fourth in the series and is very loosely connected to the first three, but there is only one character from those books and he is a tangential character at most. However, the theme remains the same; a woman is kidnapped from earth by the evil slavers and rescued by a Cire warrior.

On this occasion the Cire warrior had a bit more of a mixed bag to rescue. Mganak is a salvager. He lives alone on his space ship, except for his pet/companion Sagat. Sagat is a kind of dog/cat/alien creature and is intelligent and loyal. Mganak picks up an escape pod and is surprised to find it filled with women and children.

Wanda is a librarian from earth. She is also 4 months pregnant from a sperm donor. She was picked up on Earth 3 weeks prior and held on a ship with Alicia, a widow, siblings Darla and Davey, who had no parents, and another pregnant woman, who is further along and a Vedeckian (the race of slavers). Unsurprisingly Mganak is attracted to Wanda and vice versa.

This is another story of two people coming together from different cultures and finding their previous content existence could use some improvement. I really liked the family dynamic in this book. Mganak’s relationship with Darla and Davey, who is neuro-atypical, is so sweet and loving and really added to the warm and fuzzy nature of the book.

Obviously there is a pattern to these stories that all end in a HEA, but I like that there are definite differences in the dynamics between the characters, and with this book the dynamics are definitely altered by the family nature of the rescued individuals.

I really hope that this series continues because the books are a perfect bite sized pick me up, when we are all in need of one!

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Review: Heart Of The Hounded (Eden Academy Series Book 0) by Grace McGinty

Heart Of The Hounded by Grace McGinty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Enthralling Story

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

After recently reading the story of the set up of Eden Academy from the side of the people funding it, hearing about the Eden organisation made for fascinating reading.

Layla is used to be thought of as the ‘crazy’ in the small town she grew up. She played up to her reputation after she was attacked by wolves and ‘saved’ by a monster. After the death of her mother a naked bleeding man turns up at her cabin door and he seems to know her. This starts Layla’s journey into the unknown world of the super and preternatural.

The naked man is Micah and he eventually leads her to Eden to keep her safe from the men who hurt him on the night they met. When meeting the rest of the organisation she learns more about Micah, his friends and herself.

There’s so much more I could say but I really don’t want to ruin this story because it’s just so interesting reading as it all unfolds. The characters are all wonderful and unique and there are some really genuinely funny bits. There are also some tender and sweet parts. There is passion and anger and friendship and loyalty. It covers all the emotions!

A lot of the world building has been done in previous books, but there is still some construction of supernatural and preternatural abilities/beings, which keeps things interesting. This whole book makes me excited for the Eden Academy series because the characters are definitely going to be in appearing. Some of the younger characters are bound to be in the Academy!

All in all, a book I dove into and didn’t reappear from, until the last page had been turned. A really great story with fabulous writing and enthralling characters. What more could you want?

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Review: Midnight Wolf (Shifters Unbound Series Book 11) by Jennifer Ashley

Midnight Wolf by Jennifer Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On The Run From Shifter Bureau

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

In New Orleans a wolf shifter, Angus, works as a bouncer. He used to be second in command until his crazy brother, Gavan, decided to start a revolution and got himself killed along, along with Angus’ mate, who’d run off with him. Luckily Angus had managed to get his son, Ciaran, back to safety before it all went wrong. He still got tarred with the brush that his brother so gleefully plunged into the can, which is why he lost his position.

Tamsin is a shifter who has never been collared. She’s always managed to evade detection from the Shifter Bureau, leading an exhausting life, but a free one. She managed to get sucked in by Angus’ brother, but ran away before they were caught by the Bureau, after she found out what he was up to. Now everyone wants to get their hands on her, because she knew about Gavan’s plans. In order to get their hands on her, a ruthless agent with the Shifter Bureau decides to use Angus, a gifted tracker, to capture Tamsin. He kidnaps Ciaran to manipulate Angus.

I really liked this couple. Angus is stoic, determined and kind. Tamsin is joyful, mischievous and loving. Ciaran is Angus’ world and his love is clearly demonstrated early on in the book. Ciaran is funny, exuberant and sweet.

The plot in this book was fairly complex and interesting. It involved the help of several others to make the plot work and I had no idea how they were going to do it. I was kept guessing right to the end on what they were going to do. This made it really enjoyable to read and get sucked into. The world building was fairly sparse because this is the 11th book in the series and most of the heavy lifting has already been done, but the character work was, always, deftly handled and believable.

It’s been a long time since I dove into this series, but this book reminded me of why I loved it enough to get to book 11. I think I might download book 12 now, whilst I still remember how good it is!

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Review: Lost and the Hunted, Book Two by Grace McGinty

Lost and the Hunted, Book Two by Grace McGinty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Setting Up The Next Series

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the second part of prequel. The first part is available in the anthology Wicked Souls. This book will make little sense without reading the first part of the story.

We left the last part of the story with Celeste kidnapped and Lincoln shot. So a pretty big cliffhanger. You’ll be pleased to know that there is no cliffhanger at the end of this book.

As this is a novella there isn’t a lot of space to discuss plot without giving away spoilers, which I don’t want to do. I’ll just say that the plot moves pretty rapidly with some changes in direction to keep you interested. It was also nice to see the connection with Dark River Days.

This story sets up the next book up nicely with Eden Academy (the next series) being explained in this book, but on it’s own it is a great book (well it feels like the second part of the book). I love the characters and how they all change and grow through the book. The relationships are complex for a short book, and yet they aren’t rushed. I hope that we see much more of these characters in the Eden Academy series, and knowing this author, there will be at least some cameos, if not full on participation in the storyline.

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