Review: Another Word for Magic (Family Law Series Book 6) by Mackey Chandler

Another Word for Magic by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alliance of Science

This is the sixth book in a continuing series. Without the preceding books, this one wouldn’t be understandable. There is also a connected series of books that shares the universe, history and characters, but you don’t need to read those books to understand the narrative of this series, however, it's best to start with the April Series. A full list of both series and the reading order is given in this post.

The three habitats that used to be in the Solar System are now scattered around the galaxy. They have been dispersed so one is at Derf, one is at Mars and the last is at Fargone. Instead of three habitats that governed themselves together, they are going to be following separate paths. This book mainly follows the inhabitants of Home which was relocated to Derf. In addition to the new embassy staff sent by Central, April and Jeff have become valuable visitors to Derf. Jeff is principally there to supervise the technical work on the jump drive that Lee’s scientists are working on. However, Jeff and April soon become valuable sounding boards and advisers for Lee and her plans for the future.

Jeff manages to talk Heather into offering a complete technical alliance for all gravitational discoveries. Not only is Lee and her team offering something more than equal to the information that Jeff is providing, but she’s also got something extra to add on top, in the balance of technical information.

After Heather destroys USNA’s ability to venture into space any time in the near future the Commission decides to prevent Lee and Gordon from receiving any more payouts for their Claims. Now in breach of contract Lee and Gordon know they have to go and reclaim their discovery.

This book is a story about the meeting of minds, both scientific and political. Lee has to work out what she wants to happen and frame it so that she achieves success. The help that Central keeps giving her is invaluable. Talking through the mistakes they’ve made helps her decide to make her own different errors.

We also get to know the Central characters even better, along with different Derf. Strangelove is becoming one of my favourite characters because of his honesty and humour and Alonso is crankiness personified. These wonderful characters make me smile as I read about their interactions.

It saddens me that there are no more books in this series out yet. It means I have a reason to go back and start with the April series so all the gaps are filled in.

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Review: Highball Rush (Bootleg Springs Series Book 6) by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score

Highball Rush by Claire Kingsley & Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What An Ending!

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

This is the 6th and final book of an ongoing series. Without the previous books, you won’t understand this one. Each book features one couple but there is an overarching storyline over the whole series.

This book is about Gibson, the last Bodine standing! All his siblings have found love but he believes that he’s not suited for relationships as he’s grumpy, antisocial and has a mean temper. He forgets that he is also loyal, determined and a talented musician. With all the recent revelations regarding Callie Kendall’s disappearance, he’s still got to turn up to gigs that were booked a while ago. One of those gigs gets recorded when he performs one of his original songs and the video goes viral, which only adds to the pressure he’s under.

This book lived up to its potential. It was great finally getting to know the real Gibson and find out why he’s always kept himself so withdrawn from everyone outside his family. So much happens in this book as we finally find out what happened to Callie Kendall 13 years ago and who knew what. When things finally come to light the people of Bootleg Springs prove their mettle and work to keep everyone safe while justice is served.

This book is filled with romance, passion and mystery. Gibson may finally find his girl but he’s also got to figure out a way to unveil all the secrets and keep everyone safe whilst he does so.

I’m sad to say goodbye to Bootleg Springs, the people are fantastic, the customs are hilarious and the town chicken, Mona Lisa McNugget, deserves her own series. Maybe one day they’ll write a series about the next generation of Bodines!

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Review: Who Can Own the Stars? (April Series Book 12) by Mackey Chandler

Who Can Own the Stars? by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Diplomacy

This is the 12th book of a continuing series, which means you need to have read the preceding books to understand this one. The narrative ends at a natural break, but the story definitely continues in future books. There is a connected series, Family Law, which is set in the future with some of the same characters. The reading order across these two series is given in this post.

With the space race to the stars going on, the USNA seems to have decided to pump money into their endeavour, despite not having control over their own country. Whilst Central and Home don’t have a problem with them going to the stars, they do have a problem with them taking serious weaponry with them. It’s up to The Three to stop the Earthies from starting an interstellar war before it even starts, by keeping the weapons inside L1.

This book, as with previous ones in the series, follows multiple storylines. As well as the issue with interstellar ships with weapons, there is also the issue with making money to keep everything moving forward with their own interstellar endeavours, the group of people in Northern California (Vic, Eileen and Alice) and dealing with Martians. It’s a complex juggling act, that I sometimes wish was formatted differently. Jumping between storylines with little demarcation can be confusing at times and the first paragraph may need re-reading once you realise you are dealing with a different group of people. However, despite this challenge, it does make for an entertaining read.

It’s interesting watching April, Jeff and Heather develop in different directions. They’ve always had different interests but their personalities and strengths are diverging and becoming more entrenched. This doesn’t mean they are growing apart, but they have to work to make time together with Heather being on the Moon and Jeff and April being on Home.

I’ve now come to the end of the published books in this series and find myself wanting to read Family Law again now I’ve read this series because I know it would be a different experience reading about the characters from this series set 100 years in the future. The two series have been published alongside each other, alternating in schedule, so I’m not sure which one will come next. It will be fun to see.

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Review: Gin Fling (Bootleg Springs Series Book 5) By Lucy Score and Claire Kingsley

Gin Fling by Lucy Score & Claire Kingsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Plot Thickens

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

This is the fifth book in a continuing series and the previous books need to be read in order to understand this one. Each book deals with one couple and there is an overarching plot that links the books together.

Jonah Bodine is the illegitimate son of Jonah Bodine Sr. When his father died he became aware of his half-siblings and decided to come to Bootleg Springs to get to know them. He’s been here 12 months and still hasn’t decided if he’s staying or not, because until the disappearance of Callie Kendall is solved and the family is no longer under a cloud of suspicion he feels he can’t make an informed choice because he can’t abandon his siblings when everything is so fraught.

Jonah has a successful business as a personal trainer and has become an important part of the town’s life with the classes and training he provides. He’s just moved out of June’s house now she’s got together with George because he doesn’t want to intrude on their new relationship. Scarlett has set him up in one of her tiny rental properties, unaware that she has decided to do a little matchmaking.

Shelby is George’s little sister. She came to Bootleg Springs after she heard about how their small community ran a group of journalists out of town. She’s studying for her PhD and she wants to understand what makes the community work so well when other places don’t. When Scarlett discovered her misunderstanding of why Shelby was in town (she thought she was a journalist) she decides to matchmake and sets her up in the same house as Jonah. They don’t get off to the best of starts but carrying out Bootleg Justice together forms a bond and they begin to consider having a summer fling because neither of them knows where they are going to end up in a few months.

There’s a lot more to Shelby than first appears and she is a really interesting character who has gone through a lot. I really like how her study into why Bootleg Springs works as a tight-knit community brings her deeper into the heart of the town. She makes friends and finds supporters who help encourage others to aid with her research. She is intelligent, single-minded and independent beyond belief, she also has a huge heart and just wants to help people.

I liked how Jonah was brought more into the family and the community through his friendship with Shelby, who helps him see that he isn’t the outsider he has always considered himself.

A lot is uncovered about Callie in this book and some very interesting facts come out. Shelby even chases down some leads, which of course places her and others in danger. This book sets up things for the finale in the last book in the series. I can’t wait to find out how it all ends. I’m not even going to peek at the blurb for the final book because I want to be truly surprised at how it all shakes out.

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Review: All in Good Time (April Series Book 11) by Mackey Chandler

All in Good Time by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Earth Just Won’t Learn!

This is the 11th book in a continuing series, if you haven’t read the preceding books you won’t understand this one. The narrative ends at a natural break but the story definitely continues in the next book. There is a series, Family Law, that is set in the future and shares some of the same characters. The timeline winds between the two series and the reading order can be found in this post.

With April, Jeff and Heather working to make their plans work, they know in order to get out into the stars on a more permanent basis they need resources. Resources that they need to keep dealing with Earth for. Sadly Earth seems to be filled with people incapable of learning a single lesson in relation to Home and Central. Despite being beaten badly by April, just recently, USNA decides to take advantage of an emergency landing in Florida of a plane that carries Irwin who is a friend and colleague of hers and take him prisoner on trumped-up charges. So what’s a girl with orbital weapons to do?

This book continues to explore the idiocy of Earthies. Though Central and Home do continue to have friends on Earth, they appear to be in the minority. I felt that this book wasn’t the most exciting in the series and it covered a lot of the same ground that previous books, namely that people from Earth just don’t learn and that April is prepared to bomb them back to medieval times if necessary.

I did enjoy the continuation of following Eileen and Vic on Earth, in Northern California. Their story is a result of April’s previous bombardment and is a dystopian tale of hardship and the bonds of a made family. Those characters are interesting because they are very very practical people who find themselves happy because of practical decisions. Vic is much older than Eileen by decades but their emotional and mental connection is very real as they look at things in the same way, as Eileen is intelligent and mature beyond her years. I imagine living through what feels like an apocalypse is very good at making you grow up fast.

Whilst I know that everything comes in time, I’m not sure that some of this book wasn’t filler until enough time has passed until something more useful occurs. I hope the next book’s narrative takes a leap forward into something new.

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Review: Bourbon Bliss (Bootleg Springs Series Book 4) by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score

Bourbon Bliss by Claire Kingsley & Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Genius and The Football Player

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

This is the fourth book in a continuing series and you need to read the previous books in order to understand the overarching plotlines, even if each book covers one couple’s story. The previous books will also give a deeper insight into the characters, who all know each other or are related, their shared history and the history of the very quirky town in which they live. The couple gets their HEA by the end of the book, but the overarching plot continues in future books.

June Tucker is a genius. She works as an actuarial consultant and finds numbers so much easier to understand than people and their emotions. Her father is the town sheriff and her sister is a sheriff’s deputy. June is seen as ‘odd’ in a town of quite strange people. Though it doesn’t explicitly state it, there are very strong hints that June is neurodivergent. She comes across as cold and analytical and though the latter part of that statement is true, the former part is not. June feels things deeply but doesn’t know how to process those feelings or understand other people’s feelings. She asks questions when she doesn’t understand and that emphasises her ‘odd’-ness.

In a town filled with unusual characters, she is more widely accepted than she would be elsewhere, especially as her sister loves her and Cass and Scarlett, Cass’ best friend, have always included June in their social activities to the extent if she was invited, they wouldn’t go. Their loyalty has led to a widespread acceptance of June and her unusual ways amongst the townspeople. June is incredibly grateful for her acceptance and has invested heavily in Bootleg Springs, using her logical and analytical mind and high earnings to bring small businesses to the town, and help them grow.

One of June’s obsessions is sports statistics, especially football stats and has run a fantasy football league for years, alway winning because of her in depth understanding of statistics. One of her favourite players has always been George Thompson, a wide receiver. When he hurts his knee and is forced to retire she doesn’t win the league for the first time. When he walks into Bootleg Springs she is stunned and very very attracted to him, which takes her by surprise. What surprises her, even more, is that he seems to feel the same way about her.

George has had a very successful career until his knee injury and has earned enough to retire comfortably, so when his sister visits an unusual town called Bootleg Springs and tells him about it and the healing reputation of their hot springs he decides to go and visit her there and try out the benefits of the springs. When he meets June is he knocked for six by the unusual and intriguing woman and he can’t decide if he finds her intelligence or her bluntness more fascinating. As a successful and popular football player most of his life he has been targeted by the kind of women who like to have expensive things and are willing to do anything, including pretend to have feelings they don’t, to get them. He has never truly trusted a girlfriend but knows that June won’t lie about her feelings right from their initial meeting.

If you’ve read my reviews before you will know that I enjoy reading about neurodivergent people, especially those in romance novels because I know and love several people who think in this way. I really enjoyed that George accepted June exactly as she was straight away. He never believed that she should change who she was or how she saw things unless it made her unhappy. He was able to help her understand herself and her experience of life in a way no one else ever had because he accepted her and cared about her. The scene where he explained why dancing is one of his favourite activities and got her to appreciate it too is a particularly good example of why I loved his character.

George is by no means perfect and messes up a couple of times, but the people of Bootleg Springs like him enough to help him out when he’s a bit lost. He is accepted by the town really quickly because they know he appreciates the way things are in Bootleg Springs. He is embraced by the Bodine and Tucker families very quickly because of June.

As well as the romance the overarching plot regarding the missing girl from 12 years ago has a few major twists in this book. By the end of the book, you are scratching your head much more than at the start of it. It’s this aspect of the series that keeps me reading each book because I really want to know what happens next.

I really do enjoy this series and each book I read emphasises why.

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Review: Friends in the Stars (Family Law Series Book 5) by Mackey Chandler

Friends in the Stars by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ratcheting Up The Tension

This is the fifth book in a continuing series. You need to read the preceding books to understand this one and the story continues in the next book, despite the natural break in the narrative at the end of the book. This series is also connected to the Alice Series in terms of shared timeline, history and characters. The reading order of the two series can be found in this post.

Lee is now based on Derfhome. She has a suite in the best hotel in town and finds herself enjoying the service and view. She is trying to get on with creating their rival organisation to the Claims Commission. She’s also developing the jump drive inspired by The Three. Now she’s witnessed that it exists she is determined to get it for herself and her allies.

This book focuses a lot on Derf. There are humans now living in the capital city and they are linked to outside powers. Derf has become very important to lots of people because Earth, in particular USNA, does not want Derf to have any more power.

The tension on Earth is increasing and The Three realise that things are going to come to a head soon. The agreement of Central and Home with Earth, to ask permission for armed ships to transit L1, was always a cease fire rather than a peace treaty. Seeing the way the wind is blowing means Queen Heather has to make some hard choices about her people and about how to handle Earth to prevent their brand of crazy infecting the universe.

This book has a lot more about The Three and I have a feeling that the Alice Series really should have been read in parallel to this series. I can understand that plot, but believe that there are a lot of subtleties I’m missing. However, as there is only one more book in this series, I’m going to read it then go back to the beginning in the Alice Series and try to ignore the spoilers.

Despite feeling like I’m missing something I really enjoyed this book. Lee is coming into her own as a figurehead for something bigger than just her and Gordon. She has stepped into a position of authority and she is trying to embrace it. We saw a lot less of Gordon in this book, which saddened me because he’s an amazing character. I feel if there is going to be a war we may see a lot more of him in a future book. Seeing less of Gordon though meant that Lee took on more responsibility without oversight on more occasions.

We also got to know The Three and some of their people much better in this book. They are stuck right next door to Earth and as they are the front line in dealing with the Earthies. We see more and more that they have a very similar attitude to life and morality as Lee and her allies. I can’t wait to see what they achieve together in the next book.

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Review: Moonshine Kiss (Bootleg Springs Series Book 3) by Lucy Score and Claire Kingsley

Moonshine Kiss by Lucy Score & Claire Kingsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Work Gets In The Way

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

This is the third book in a continuing series. Each book deals with one couple within the same family/circle of friends, but there is an overarching plot told over the course of the series. There is no cliffhanger relating to the romantic aspect of the book, but the overarching plot is unresolved at the end of the book.

Cassidy Ann Tucker has loved Bowie Bodine since she was in kindergarten. Bowie is the older brother of her best friend Scarlett and they have always been a part of each others’ lives. When Cas was 19-years-old she thought she saw in Bowie the same feelings she had for him and she got her hopes up. Then he dashed those hopes when he told her to her face that he thought of her as a little sister. Ever since she has been looking for someone to love and be loved by in the same way her parents love each other.

Bowie has wanted Cass since she was 16-years-old and it was only the thought of being a creepy older guy that stopped him acting on those feelings. Just as he starts to cave and consider telling her how he feels, he decides that he isn’t good enough for her and tells her that he doesn’t think of her that way. By breaking Cass’ heart, he breaks his own. In the 8 years since the day he destroyed the idea of them as a couple, he’s never found anyone that can live up to Cass.

Cass is a deputy sheriff and her father is the sheriff of Bootleg Springs, a rather different undertaking to most small towns, as it has some very unusual town ordinances on the books, some of which were covered in the previous two books. As Cass is part of the investigation into the disappearance of a young girl 12 years earlier that got re-opened after her cardigan was found in Bowie’s deceased father’s house, they have to tread carefully around each other, because Cass doesn’t want to risk the job she’s wanted since she was a teenager not even for Scarlett and Bowie.

This book delves a great deal further into the disappearance, which is unsurprising given Cass’ job. There are police procedural elements to the book as well as the romance and family drama aspects. I really enjoyed the mystery part of this book as it really ramped up after the previous two books.

I also really enjoyed the conflict between Cass wanting to do her job well and wanting to support the people she cares about. It feels like she is forced to do a great deal of growing up mentally and emotionally through the course of this book. She has to deal with deep emotional conflicts that shake the foundations of who she is and who she wants to be.

Bowie is the vice principal at the local high school and he’s really made something of himself considering his very humble and unpleasant beginnings. However, he has to learn what is the most important thing to him, his desire to be a good guy and do the right thing or his love for Cass.

This book gives a much clearer picture of what life in Bootleg Springs is like. We also get a lot more information about the kind of life the Bodines had growing up as information about the case is uncovered and the relationship between the Bodines and the Tuckers is explored.

There are a lot of layers to this book and I enjoyed reading about each of them as they were peeled back. Reaching the end of this book has made me hungry for the next one as the investigation part of the storyline has been ramped up and as I’ve got to know the characters involved much more.

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Review: A Hop, Skip and a Jump (The Family Law Saga Book 4) by Mackey Chandler

A Hop, Skip and a Jump by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

New Friends

This is the fourth book in a continuing series. The book finishes at a natural break but the story definitely continues. This series also crosses over with another series by this author and has shared history and characters, and the reading order is listed on this post.

Now Lee has been given the gene modifications that most of those who live on Central and Home have, she has to change the way she looks at her life. She will live for hundreds of years and is stronger and faster than she ever could have dreamed of. Her life’s work is something that would take other people generations to accomplish and she will be there to see the results of her endeavours. Knowing you have that much time on your hands changes the way you look at things.

Coming back to Derfhome after their big journey means a different set of challenges to be faced. It seems that the Earthies are a bit reluctant to administer and protect their claims the way they did before because these claims are so far away. This means their teams aren’t getting money from their work any time soon. It also puts pressure on Lee and Gordon to find an alternative way to protect what they have found from claim jumpers.

As so many of their expeditionary forces were from Fargone, they decide to see if they can recruit them to their cause and find themselves spending more time there than anticipated.

Lee has more money than she can ever spend, she had found some fantastic friends and she knows with all the extra time she now has that she must DO something to fix all the problems she can see. Working with both old and new allies she tries to work her way through her difficulties in a way that everyone can live with.

I really enjoyed this book because we once again spend time with the Central characters. I really must read the April series to find out more about them because they are intriguing.

As Lee is getting older she is becoming more independent from Gordon. Gordon is becoming busier as he is recognised as very important to Derfhome in general and the Red Tree Clan specifically. He is a feared adversary on other worlds because of the way he fought in the war and that gives him a position he never expected to have. On top of that, he is wealthy beyond his wildest dreams and though he doesn’t seem to have Lee’s need to ‘fix’ everything, he is more than willing and able to help guide her in her endeavours. He is her mentor as well as her father.

The Mothers also recognise that Lee is growing more able and is given her own tasks by them, something every Derf expects from their Clan Mothers. Behaving like an adult gets you treated like one and Lee has proved herself in numerous ways to the Mothers already. As a member of the Clan, she knows she can’t say no and knuckles down to getting on with her job. This means lots of other things get shunted down the line, but she sets things in motion that have unforeseen consequences.

I love how the plot is really starting to tighten up in this book. Things are coming together and we can see the consequences of previous actions not only on the part of Lee but the other characters and political entities in the story. We also get to know a little more about the culture of the various races in the story, the Humans, Badgers and Derf in particular.

This is a great series and I can’t wait to read the next book, especially as Lee gets older she seems to really be starting to come into her own.

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Review: Sidecar Crush (Bootleg Spring Series Book 2) by Claire Kingsley & Lucy Score

Sidecar Crush by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Fame Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be

This is the second book in a continuing series. On the whole, each book can be read separately, however, there is an overarching storyline which only makes sense if the books are read in order. The overarching storyline is fairly well explained in this book if you really don’t want to read the first book, but it will make more sense if you read the books in order.

I read the first book in this series quite some time ago and I’d forgotten that I’d already bought the second book straight after reading the first one, Whiskey Chaser. I was reminded of the book after reading Lucy Score’s Benevolence Series and decided to dig it out.

Jameson Bodine comes from a family that’s had its share of rough times. Jameson was always accused by his father of being weak because of his gentle, shy and artistic nature. Jameson did not feel valued or loved by his father, but he sought refuge in his art made from found scrap metal materials. He’s making a living with his art but is on the verge of becoming sought after if only he can finish the biggest commission of his career.

Leah Mae Larkin grew up in Bootleg Springs until age 12 when her parents divorced and she was dragged to Florida by her mother. For the next four years, she came back for the Summer, which she adored, especially because she got to spend it with her best friend Jameson. When Leah Mae’s career in modelling took off, she stopped coming back to Bootleg Springs and she lost touch with Jameson. Now she’s back for a visit to see her Dad who has been sick and to introduce him to her fiancé. The fiancé doesn’t seem much impressed with Bootleg Springs and Bootleg Springs doesn’t rate him much either.

This story is about a woman who has wanted fame more than anything her whole life and worked so hard to get it that when it arrives and she finds out it isn’t what she expected doesn’t know quite what to do. It’s also a story of finding your own path and determining your own worth rather than letting other people do it for you.

I wasn’t sure how this book would unfold but I was impressed with how everything was handled. There is no cheating in this book and I wasn’t sure how Leah Mae was going to get her HEA with her waste of space fiancé involved. It was handled well and in a believable and relatable manner.

I like how the Bodine family are around each other. They are very loyal, but still have problems between themselves, they just won’t tolerate outsiders hurting their siblings. Their formative years shaped their identities in unique ways but also formed a tight bond that though weakened occasionally is never broken. They can go from fighting hard with each other and then in an instant take each other’s backs against someone else. It’s a very common sibling dynamic and it’s utilised deftly in this book.

Now I’ve been reminded of this series of books, I’m going to carry on reading them, because I love the craziness of a town which has a 4th July obstacle course race that ends up in a puddle of mud followed by a dip in the lake and a town chicken that is a bit of a mascot. There are so many other lovely comedic touches to this town that you can’t help but smile as you read the book. It makes the relationship growing pains all the more bittersweet in contrast. I can’t wait to see who’s story comes next.

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Review: Secrets in the Stars (The Family Law Series Book 3) by Mackey Chandler

Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Learning To Communicate

This is the third book in a continuing series. You need to have read the previous books to understand this one. The book ends with a natural break, but the story definitely continues. This book also has connections to an associated series that I now want to read because of the crossover of history and characters. The two series intersect and the reading order is listed on this post.

At the end of a long trip into the unknown, it’s now time to be heading back home, especially because they have new allies that need to spend money on weapons to keep themselves safe. The journey home is going to be a bit different to the one on the way there because they want to make sure they find as many resources as possible over the entire trip.

On the way back the members of the expedition are determined to solve the mystery of trying to communicate with the caterpillars. It seems that the desire to communicate is reciprocated.

It’s fascinating to read about the different species trying to work out how the other might think or express their concepts to each other. I particularly enjoyed seeing how the different races worked together to figure things out.

This journey also offers Lee more opportunities to learn about the universe and herself. She matures a lot in this book. I particularly enjoyed the part of the book that crossed over with a different series by the same author. It definitely made me want to read that series as well because the characters are intriguing as is the story that this book’s plot hinted at that’s contained in the other series.

This series continues to impress me in its attention to details surrounding different planets and societies. The universe building is impressive. This can slow down the plot in places, but I’m enjoying the journey so much I can’t grumble too much about that. I can’t wait to get my teeth into the next book. It definitely looks like the adventure’s only really getting started!

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Review: Been There, Done That (April Series Book 10) by Mackey Chandler

Been There, Done That by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Problems With The Martians and The French

This is the 10th book in a continuing series and the preceding books really need to be read in order to understand this story. The narrative ends at a natural break, but the story definitely continues in future books. There is another series, Family Law, that is set in the future and shares some characters in common. A list of the current reading order is available on this post.

Now they have been to another star April, Jeff and Heather have decided to keep their endeavours secret. They know if they let the world know about their scientific advances it will just lead to being attacked by Earth. They plan to slowly advance their technology as they search the galaxy for planets and other bodies of interest, for inhabitation, raw materials or profit. Their technology makes them even less dependent on Earth for resources, especially with how Central is mining the surface of the Moon and growing edibles in the tunnels they have created, kilometres below the surface.

The problem is that the Martians are hiding something to the point of killing people on their base to keep their secret. On the other hand, the French are determined to find out what that secret is. The French seem to be keeping secrets of their own and whilst The Three want to know what’s going on to keep themselves safe, they don’t really care what anyone else thinks of them anymore. Earthies are going to blame them for everything anyway!

I felt like this book moved the story forward in leaps and bounds. Going to the stars is a massive part of any narrative and the way The Three handle it is sensible and matter of fact. For such young people, they are getting a turbocharged political education. I like how they admit they don’t have decades of experience of dealing with foreign powers but they refuse to be told how to do it in any way other than the way they want to do it. They refuse to bend to ‘Earth Think’.

As well as the political giants, we follow the life of a young woman in the area that crumbled in the USNA after April bombed a military base in California. Eileen is young, bright and determined. She won’t bow to the expectations of others and is determined to get into space one day, in particular to Home or Central. This all gives us an insight into the realities of life in the USNA after the political systems start to crumble.

We also follow the activities of people on Home and their personal problems instead of the political enormities that April and Jeff are having to face there. Some of those problems brush up against people April is invested in and she is learning to be more understanding and compassionate as a result. April has always been the voice of compassion and at the same time, she exhibits a fierce protectiveness to those she claims, hence the bombing of California. Understanding people more doesn’t make her any less likely to act in their defence or against them, it just makes her understand their actions more.

Jeff is also learning to be more socially aware through his relationship with Heather and April, particularly April with whom he spends more time, as they both live on Home. He may be very cerebral and focuses his attention on his ideas rather than people, but he is aware of this shortfall and does try to be aware of others.

Now they’ve reached the stars I can’t wait to see what happens next!

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Review: Protecting What's Mine (Benevolence Series Book 3) by Lucy Score

Protecting What's Mine by Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Linc Meets His Match

This is the third book in a series of connected standalone books. You don’t need to read the first two books, but doing so will give you a better understanding of the characters, their history and the world in which they live.

Linc is well-loved despite his dating activities. His ex-girlfriends nearly all universally speak his praises. He never makes promises he doesn’t intend to keep, is gorgeous, charming, thoughtful and a very fun date. As a result, he’s never taken seriously romantically by any of the inhabitants of Benevolence despite being very well-liked and his position of Fire Chief being very well respected. His nephews and nieces adore him, and he’s great with other people’s kids. Despite covering up his fear of being hurt by his flirty banter, he sees his friends and family leading the life he wants to, but doesn’t know how to get.

Mack, aka Doc Dreamy, first appeared in Aldo’s book, Finally Mine. She was the medic who saved him in Afghanistan on the evac helicopter flight, five years earlier. They stayed in touch and when she decided that she was on the verge of burnout and got out of the National Guard she took a 6-month contract in Benevolence at his suggestion. Mack is mainly in town to work 4 days a week at the local practice, doing family medicine, but one day a week she’ll carry on working on helicopter medical rescues. On her first flight she meets Linc, who others label ‘Chief Sexy Pants’ and they recognise a kindred spirit in each other. However, Mack is determined to stop her casual attitude to relationships and shies away from getting involved with Linc. Linc, however, finds that he wants more from Mack than he’s wanted for a very long time.

Mack and Linc are a very likeable pair. Both are heroic in nature, wanting to help others and are willing to risk themselves to do so. Both are wary about getting too deeply into a romantic relationship, though Linc is capable of connecting with people easily on a friendship level. Mack is less able to trust others and connect with them socially due to her past. Mack is determined to get better at the social connections a small town GP needs in order to do their job properly and works hard at improving herself, and at the same finds herself accidentally learning how to connect with people away from work.

The town of Benevolence is very appealing. Everyone knows each other’s business but are kind and generous in their support. Its filled with interesting characters who all know each other and their history. Mack is as seduced by the town’s inhabitants as she is by Linc.

This book is filled with clever observances about the nature of people and the damage that they can sustain that can continue inflicting pain long after the initial injury is supposed to be healed over. The author peels back layer after layer of the main characters’ histories and personalities as their story progresses. With each layer you become more involved with the characters and invested in their happiness.

I’m going to miss this little town, but I’m definitely going to read some more books by this author.

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Review: A Sudden Departure (April Series Book 9) by Mackey Chandler

A Sudden Departure by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Star Travel May Be Possible

This is the 9th book in a continuing series and you need to read the previous books in order to understand this one. The book ends at a natural break in the narrative but the story continues in future books. There is also a series that is set in the future of these characters, Family Law. The reading order of these two series are outlined in this post.

Earth is a mess and the spacers are just doing their best to ignore the planet, except for the trading they can do away from their biggest detractors. After April destroyed California, the book follows one family and their endeavours, as they try to survive the lack of government, infrastructure and safety. It’s almost back to frontier living in the west.

When James Weir comes to Home in order to build something at Dave’s workshop, Jeff’s curiosity is piqued. After reading an old academic paper James wrote, Jeff’s own intellect is stimulated and ideas fly out of his brain thick and fast. It could be possible for mankind to reach the stars if all the science works out. But what would happen if humanity reached the stars, would they behave any better than on Earth?

One of the things I like about this series is that it is set at the beginning of humanity’s journey into space. Man has reached the Moon and Mars but hasn’t left the solar system. A lot of Sci-Fi is set in a much more distant future when all the hard work of starting inter-stellar travel has already been sorted out, along with the ethical implications of arriving on a different planet. This series deals with the probable reality of humanity making a mess of the planet and greed takes them into space. It’s an interesting time to look at and raises all sorts of ideas.

I like the way the author takes lots of different strands and weaves them together. All the characters are taking different journeys and at times they bump into each other for short times that produce interesting ideas and movement in the story. This book has quite a lot of interesting ideas and great leaps forward in the story.

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Review: Edge Of Reality (Arrow's Edge MC Series Book 5) by Freya Barker

Edge Of Reality by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mature MC Romance

This is the fifth book in a series of connected standalone novels. Each book can be read independently of the others, but reading the preceding stories gives background and insights into the characters and the world in which they live. Both main characters make appearances in previous books in this series.

Mel is the family lawyer for Arrow’s Edge MC. She deals with the fostering and any other issues around the boys and young men that the MC provide a home, support and education for. She is 48 years old and raised her 27 year old daughter pretty much single-handed after her husband left very early on in the marriage. She’s close to Lindsey, her daughter, who works as her assistant and lives in the downstairs apartment in her house. They behave more like friends than mother and daughter.

Mel is kind of quirky, in that she wears her chucks to court, doesn’t dye her grey hair and rarely wears make up. She’s abrasive, argumentative, loyal and kind. She always does the best for her clients and her best is pretty good. She and Paco have been attracted to each other for quite a while but he put his foot it in a few times too many.

Paco has been with the club since he was 14-years-old, when he was found scavenging on the streets for food. He was one of the first young men to be taken in by the club. He’s good with tech gear and does the security systems for the club, and most of the computer work. He also spends time with the kids and does some of the home school teaching. He’s finally moved out of the club in the last year into a house he built near some other club members. He’s finally grown out of the club ‘lifestyle’ of getting drunk, partying and sleeping around. He’s 50-years-old and definitely feels it. He’s had his eye on Mel for a while and is prepared to wait for her until she finally forgives him for his terminal foot-in-mouth syndrome. When Mel and Lindsey get into trouble he sweeps into action to protect them both with help from the club.

This is a really good book. I love that it deals with mature people who know themselves and what they want. It deals with things like having night sweats and mammograms at the same time as working out sharing the chores and also having hot sex. I like that these two have been dancing around each other for a while when the book starts as it makes sense when they jump into full gear straight away.

The suspense part of the plot is definitely twisty and interesting and keeps you guessing until very close to the end. The little 6-year-old boy who comes as part of that suspense plot is very sweet and Mel and Paco’s response to his need is lovely. They do not hesitate to support him and provide him a stable and safe place when he needs it.

I love how Freya Barker writes about mature people and their love lives. She makes romance very real and down to earth but never diminishes the emotions involved or devalues the relationships involved. The characters she creates feel as real as can be, and they almost walk off the page into your local bar where you can join them for a beer or two. I always connect with her characters and feel real sense of homecoming when I read her books, despite never being a part of an MC, or living in the USA. It just feels like the worlds she creates, are somewhere you’d love to live.

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Review: It's Always Something (April Series Book 8) by Mackey Chandler

It's Always Something by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Why Can’t They All Just Get Along?

This is the eighth book in a continuing series and the previous books need to be read in order to understand this one. The narrative ends at a natural break but the story continues in future books. There is a linked series, Family Law, that is set in the future and has some characters in common. A post that outlines the reading order of the two series is available here.

After the ‘flu, Earth seems to be determined to keep itself in the dirt. Both China and USNA have massive internal problems and the people in power don’t seem to care how badly their decisions are affecting their own citizens. There are hundreds of thousands of migrants in USNA all heading south because of lack of power in the north and they can’t face a winter without fuel. There is so much infighting it’s a miracle anything gets done.

Despite these ‘superpowers’ cutting off Home and the Moon, there are other countries in the world who still wish to do business with them. There are things that can only be made in zero-g that those countries still want access to. These smaller countries may be open to negotiation, especially when they have things of value to trade.

This book shows more about life on Earth and how difficult it can be. Kurt used to be a beam dog on Home and returned back to Earth to be with his family. Through his eyes, we are shown what it’s like on the ground for ordinary people. It’s an interesting change of tack and I really enjoyed it. I also like Kurt as a character and we follow him loosely throughout the book. He eventually moves to Central on the Moon and again we get to see what life is like there through his eyes.

There is much trading and politicking done in this book to make Home and the Moon much safer and stable in terms of being able to access all they need from Earth. It’s vital work but needed less and less. If only they had more room on Home to give everyone a proper bed when they arrive. Looks like another job for Jeff and his Ladies.

As always this book was interesting and entertaining. It continues to be fun for this author to show different political systems set in the future from the outside and in doing so pointing at current systems and their potential pitfalls. I really enjoy reading about these characters and the strange environment in which they live, it’s alien and at the same time comforting.

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Review: Glimmer of Death (The Other Realm Series Book 3) by Heather G Harris

Glimmer of Death by Heather G. Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gripping Urban Fantasy

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

This is the third book in a continuing series. You need to have read the previous books to understand this book as there is an overarching storyline. There is a separate storyline that is exclusive to this book that is resolved but the overarching storyline has a cliffhanger.

Jess’s best friend is dying. She made the mistake of getting involved unknowingly with an incubus and he sucked her life energies dry. Desperate to find a cure for her friend she turns to everyone she has met in the Other Realm begging for help but finding no way of saving her friend.

She’s had to put Emory on the back burner somewhat but he’s still pursuing her and when he needs her help as a Truth Seeker she jumps into action alongside him. Creatures are getting sick and no one knows why. During the course of her investigations, she finds out more and more about the world into which she has fallen and Emory’s place in it. People she has met in the previous books make appearances and often offer help when needed.

Both strands of the plot are pretty gripping. Jess desperately wants to find out why her parents are dead and who killed them. She’s been searching for years and that’s why it can be pushed back a little to make way for her work on behalf of Emory. The mystery of the sickness is intriguing and has lots of layers to it.

The characters become more interesting the more we get to know them, in particular, Emory is fascinating and we learn quite a lot more about him and his history in this book. I find myself becoming more and more intrigued with Gato as he seems to have a lot of secrets that he’s incapable of sharing, but that are hinted at by the people who greet him.

The world-building in this series is fantastic. It’s unusual and imaginative which is always fun. I’m not so partial to the time-travelling, but then I never really enjoy that as the ramifications make my head hurt. At least it’s not an overwhelming part of the plot.

I really can’t wait for the next part of this story because I know it’s going to be as good as the first three books in the series. I hope it’s not a long wait!

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Review: Protect Me Not ((Un)Professionally Yours Series Book ) by Natasha Anders

Protect Me Not by Natasha Anders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Client/Bodyguard Romance

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

This is the second book in a series of standalone novels. The plot can be understood without reading the first book in the series, but there are definitely areas in the story where there are gaps if you haven’t read that book. There is no cliffhanger. I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Vicki is a florist in Kensington, London. She has her own business and works very hard to make it on her own. Her older brother Miles (from the first book in the series) is very wealthy and exceedingly protective of his younger siblings. He bought Vicki and their brother Hugh a penthouse apartment in a building partly owned by a security company, because he wants them to be safe. When Vicki was robbed, before the start of this book, Miles insisted that she receive a personal bodyguard. For the last year she has been watched, mainly by Tyler and despite his efforts at remaining distant and professional she is intrigued by him. 

Tyler was in the US Marines and when he got out on a medical discharge he came to London to work for a security firm that was owned by someone he worked with on operations overseas. He has no family left, and no friends. He keeps himself isolated from making any connections with anyone because the loss of anyone else would devastate him. He believes loneliness is better than experiencing the pain of losing someone he loves. For the last year he has watched Vicki and despite himself he has grown fascinated by her friendliness, warmth and kindness.

When Vicki gets drunk one evening with her friends, Tyler is forced to carry her home and look after her when she is sick. She makes some comments whilst drunk that make him begin to see her as more than a client and things start to change between them.

This book has a lot of things going for it. It’s filled with passion, longing and hope. It’s also filled with loneliness, emptiness and pain. However, it takes a really long time to get started. It feels like the book could have been written at 2/3rd the number of pages and it wouldn’t have lost anything from the plot or the character development as some points are hammered home a little bit.

Tyler is a sad character that wraps himself in his loss, living in the past and who is scared to face the future. Vicki is one of the few rays of light in his life and he doesn’t trust his own feelings. They are very different characters and the author conveys that thoroughly. I think a large number of people reading this book will find something familiar about it. A lot of people have had relationships with someone who is closed off and determined not to get into anything serious to protect themselves. I feel that there is a little bit of wish fulfilment in this book, where the right woman can change a closed off man because he falls in love with her. Often this is not the case, because being closed off means you can’t connect enough to fall in love. I like that with this book at least the author had other factors helping Tyler want to reconnect with the world, though they were thin on the ground, and it wasn’t just down to ‘the love of a good woman’.

This was an entertaining story, if a little predictable and long-winded, and I enjoyed it. I think if I’d read the first book I might have got more out of it, so if you are tempted by this book, you might want to consider starting there before diving into this one, but it isn’t necessary. I get the feeling that there will be more books in this series because a lot support characters were given extra attention as a lead in. I think they could be interesting to read.

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Hiatus

I’m sad to say that due to ill health I’ve not got a review post for your today and probably won’t have until next week. Over the last 16 months I’ve been suffering from Long Covid and it’s left me struggling to keep up with my review editing. Previously I’ve been able to keep scheduling posts well in advance, and I’ve finally caught up to the end! I’m having a bad flare up this week but I hope that by next week I’ll start to feel well enough to write something reasonably coherent and then normal service can resume.  In the meantime there is quite a collection of reviews on this blog that you can scroll back through for inspiration.  If you have any suggestions for authors you really enjoy or books/series you highly recommend, I’m always grateful to receive those. Feel free to email me at chrissysbookshelf@gmail.com.

Hopefully I’ll speak to again soon!

Review: They Said it would be Easy (April Series Book 7) by Mackey Chandler

They Said it would be Easy by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Earthies Are Nuts

This is the seventh book in a continuing series, and you need to read the preceding books to understand this one. The narrative comes to a natural break at the end, but the story definitely continues in future books. There is also another series that is set in the future, Family Law, that shares some of the characters. The reading order across these two series is given in this post.

Life is getting a bit more comfortable on Home, time has allowed them to work with Heather on Central to get some fresh foods grown in their hydroponics corridors. Poor Heather is still stuck out at Central governing her people and is even forced to rule over Court once a week. She never gets a break.

Though Home is slightly more comfortable there are still a lot of shortages and coffee is practically worth its weight in gold. Beef is very very scarce, but some things like fish are coming up from Papa-San’s old yacht, which is being used to smuggle things up and down from Earth because of Jeff’s lander being able to land and launch from the water.

There’s a lot about economics in this book because Jeff and April are focused on getting their bank properly viable. They sit and watch USNA fall apart at the seams and try to work out what is going to happen next. April gets angry at the damage the North Americans inflict on each other, but Jeff has a calmer head. They are a good influence on each other. April teaches Jeff compassion and emotional intelligence and Jeff helps April think logically through problems that make her emotionally react. They continue to grow wiser together.

There are finite resources on Home, however, Earth is so awful everyone wants to move there. Overcrowding isn’t much fun for anyone and the Home inhabitants have to think creatively.

Once more I was swept along with an enjoyable and entertaining book, with just the right amount of intellect-prodding to keep me thinking too. I’m so sad I’m getting closer to the end of things!

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Review: And What Goes Around (April Series Book 6) by Mackey Chandler

And What Goes Around by Mackey Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Earth’s Mess

This is the sixth book in a continuing series. You need to read the preceding books for this one to make sense. It ends at a natural break in the narrative but the story goes on in future books. There is another series set in the future of this one, Family Law, that shares some characters. The current reading order for both series is given in this post.

Out at L2 Home is feeling a little better about their distance from Earth. Their supplying costs have increased, but not as much as might be expected from the extra distance, because most costs are associated with just lifting from Earth. Things seem to be progressing and Heather’s work on Central is going slowly but steadily. April has land there along with a tunnel and small space dug out, but she really only uses it for storage and never really visits. Heather comes back to Home infrequently and April misses her. But April is learning to take the long view, as knowing she could live for hundreds of years takes the pressure off to get things done immediately.

Jeff is up to his eyeballs in work, as always, but still tries to make time for April. April has a little more time and is using it to study economics, like Jeff asked, to support their work with their bank. They both are starting to see patterns on Earth that they don’t like. Things are going to be rocky for a while down there and they don’t know how badly it’s going to affect Home.

This book feels less about the emotional side of April’s life and more about the political and economical side, especially how Earth is impacting her and her loved ones. This makes the book feel a little more cerebral than emotional and it moves the plot along quickly.

Barak plays a bigger part in this book than he has previously and he seems to be coming into his own since making his move on April. He’s becoming more assertive and learning who he is and what he wants, even if he is out by Jupiter whilst he’s doing it.

TRIGGER WARNING: There were some eerie predictions of what a pandemic would look like and if you find it difficult to read about the impact of those predictions on the world then you might not enjoy this book.

Despite the weird echoes of pandemic life I still enjoyed this book. Probably because the main characters aren’t stuck in the middle of it, unlike ourselves. Though plot-based, there is still enough about the characters I’ve grown to like to ensure I feel connected to them still, especially April, Jeff and Heather. These three characters are very extraordinary young people, but you can still believe in their existence because they continue to learn and grow in each book.

I’m off to read the next one. I’ll be sad when I run out of these books because I’m enjoying them a lot.

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