Review: Shedding Skin (The Ice Court Series Book 2) by K Margaret and Dagmar Avery

Shedding Skin by K. Margaret and Dagmar Avery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finding Her Way

This is the second book in this series. This series is part of a much larger story arc and needs to be read to understand the context of this series.

Still engaged to a man she doesn’t love, Eira is desperate to find her way back to helping the Ice Court return properly to Faerie. She loves her father but he is very set in his ways and he is adamant that she should marry Tanner, even if he doesn’t want Tanner taking too much control over his daughter whilst doing it.

Eira has a list a mile long to accomplish, she has to establish her sithen, build her guard and wake a god. On top of that, she has to continue to sit on committees, practice law and find a way to break free of Tanner. During the course of this book, Eira makes a really good start on her to-do list, with her father being a surprising ally.

I really enjoyed this book and a lot happens. Eira’s to-do list gets whittled down really well and it’s enjoyable watching her do it. There are lots of hot and steamy scenes. One of the things I really like about this series is that it is really sex-positive. There is no shame or embarrassment when talking about sex. It’s an important part of their lives and the princesses have no problem discussing it.

Eira goes from being incredibly self-contained and isolated to being more open and accepting of her new role in Faerie. She becomes friends with the other princesses of her court and even becomes more open with the princesses of the Nightmare Court. I will say that there are an awful lot of other princesses. At a get together for all the courts it’s nigh on impossible to remember what guard belongs with which princess. I’ve learnt to just let it all wash over me if I haven’t had a re-read recently. They really need a tree of Courts and Guards at the back of each book!

This is a really enjoyable book as Eira is intelligent, interesting and sweet. I like her character and I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens to her next.

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Review: Chasing Truth (Outlasting Series Book 2) by LK Magill

Chasing Truth by L.K. Magill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Intelligent and emotional

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

This is the second book in a continuing series and should only be read after the first book or it won't make any sense.

I am beginning to hate this author with the burning passion of a 1000 fiery suns! Another horrendous cliffhanger!!! I feel like my heart has been squeezed and I can’t take another breath until I download the next book. ARGGHH!!!! I need to sleep!!!! To be honest this author is lucky I’m taking the time to write this review because I want to know what happened next and this is delaying me! I’m just glad the book is already out.

This book is a lot more emotional than the first with some heartbreaking miscommunications, tortuous returning memories and broken women. At the same time the cerebral quality of the first book remains. There are so many layers to this book it’s hard to describe it. This is not the simple dystopian RH series I thought it was going to be when I started. In fact it’s barely a ménage in this book, more of a triangle.

One of the reasons why this is not a typical RH/ménage book is that the reason for starting a polyandrous relationship was purely political. It was to create stability in the compound and in the end it became something else.

As you read the book you see the characters tear themselves apart because emotional relationships must take second place to survival. There is always something that is incredibly important because they are existing on a knife’s edge. There are so many missed moments of connection and explanation because something else must come first. This is a very clever plot device because it is utterly believable. It’s not tenuous or obvious it’s simply understandable and very sad.

The plot is continuing to be slowly revealed and at the same time the tension is ramping up even further as we understand more of what has been going on. We get to gain understanding as Hannah regains more snippets of memories.

This is a very intelligently written series and I still hate the author. I’m going to go and pay for the privilege of hating them some more now. There better not be another cliffhanger or I’m staying awake all night!

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Review: The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride (The Watson Brother's Series Book 2) by Ann B Harrison

The Sheriff's Mail-Order Bride by Ann B. Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marriage of Convenience Romance

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

This is a pretty sugary romance. Gina is a single mother who is down to her last few dollars. She takes a chance on the man she has been talking to on the phone when she answered his ad for a wife. She drives for 18 hours from San Francisco to Marietta, Montana to hopefully marry the deputy sheriff, Rory.

Rory’s wife died 3 years ago, whilst pregnant with their first child. He was desperately in love with his wife but is lonely and is happy to settle for companionship, which is why he posted the ad, rather than trying to navigate the local dating scene.

When Gina arrives four days early with her toddler in tow, Rory is angry that she never mentioned the baby and she is angry that Rory never mentioned the state of the house that was supposed to be their family home.

There are a few hiccups in the relationship, but everything ends up being great, with very few complications and everyone is happy. If you need a pick me up after drowning in the muck of the world, this is probably a great book to read.

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Series Review: The Draga Court Series by Emma Dean

Sometimes when life isn't going the way you want it to, and life at the moment is very unpredictable, it's comforting to read books you've enjoyed before because you know you aren't going to be disappointed. When I re-read books I don't post about them on the blog unless I've not reviewed them before. However, after re-reading The Draga Court Series by Emma Dean I decided to try something a bit different. When I re-read a series I'll do a summary post with links to the individual book reviews I've written. On a purely selfish note, it makes it easier for me to post recommendations for the complete series to the various Facebook groups I belong to.

Book 1: Princess of Draga by Emma Dean

4 out of 5 Stars

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Book 2: Crown of Draga by Emma Dean

5 out of 5 Stars

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Book 3: Jasmine of Draga by Emma Dean

5 out of 5 Stars

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Book 4: Heir of Draga by Emma Dean

5 out of 5 Stars

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Book 5: Queen of Draga by Emma Dean

5 out of 5 Stars

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Book 6: Fate of Draga by Emma Dean

5 out of 5 Stars

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I hope you like the new format, and if you think of anything I should include on the summary page, please let me know.

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Review: Entered in the Alien Bride Lottery (Khanavai Warrior Bride Games Series Book 1) by Margo Bond Collins

Entered in the Alien Bride Lottery by Margo Bond Collins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Easy Reading

This is a book that really poses no challenge to the reader. It’s very straight forward and doesn’t offer any surprises. Sometimes that is what you want from a book.

60 years ago Earth was targeted by an aggressive alien race, and we were offered protection by the enemies of their attackers in exchange for offering Earth women as brides for the aliens who had lost women from their own populations. To ascertain whether mates are compatible there is a lottery and the women are transported to a site off-world where they take part in the ‘Bride Games’, which over the years have become prime time entertainment.

Natalie has just turned 21 and is celebrating that fact with drinks when her name is called out on the lottery and is instantly transported to the site of the games. Natalie has one more year of her degree in biochemistry and is angry that the day after she becomes eligible she is drawn.

Cav is a well-respected warrior who wants to join Special Operations and his commanding officer arranges for him to go to the Bride Games because it looks good to be a mated male in Special Operations.

Obviously, these two are meant to be together and all the drama that ensues. We know who the bad guys are, we know who the good guys are and that there is a HEA. There really aren’t many plot twists but it’s still entertaining.

If you want something to divert you without too much angst, this is a good story for you.

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Review: Bloody Union (Made Series Book 1) by Brooke Summers

Bloody Union by Brooke Summers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Arranged Marriage Can Be Fun

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

The heads of the Irish and Italian Mafia in New York decide to end their war by marrying off the Irish Head’s daughter and the eldest son of the Italian Head. The daughter, Makenna, is 14 when the arrangement is made and the wedding is held when she is 19. It’s five years since Dante has seen his fiancée and when he last saw her she was a quiet and obedient girl. Now she’s a woman, strong and beautiful and he hasn’t a clue who she really is.

When their wedding turns into a blood bath, it’s Makenna who protects and saves his brother, taking charge without blinking. Stunned by the woman he’s married to, Dante is determined to find out who she really is.

There’s a reason I don’t normally read mafia books. It’s because women are usually treated like objects, and this starts out exactly the same way. The reason I wanted to actually read this one is the blurb implied that Makenna was a different kind of mafia princess, and she is definitely that. The other reason I don’t normally like this kind of book is that the mob persona doesn’t really do it for me, it’s the same reason I don’t like some of the 1%er MC books. I prefer my characters to put their loved ones first, not profit at all costs, those costs being outsiders and their lives. So whilst this book has Makenna being treated differently from most women, the whole thing about outsiders being disregarded is definitely there.

I had a couple of problems with this book, the first being Makenna’s age. She acts like and is treated like she’s 10 years older than she actually is. Even if she was male she wouldn’t have been given the responsibilities she was at that age.

The second thing I have an issue with is the whole insta-lust/love thing that happened as soon as they laid eyes on each other as adults. That whole WHAM “wow she is my soul mate I am transformed into the perfect man for this goddess I’ve been waiting all my life for” thing drives me nuts.

If you can disregard these two items it’s not a bad book. It’s entertaining and the characters are interesting. It’s pretty violent, but in a casual way that doesn’t come across as particularly dark because it’s not dwelled upon.

Despite myself, I sort of liked this book, but probably not enough to read the next in the series. I just can’t seem to get over that mafia hurdle.

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