Month: August 2021

Review | The Haunted by Danielle Vega

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Hendricks Becker-O’Malley is new in town, and she’s bringing baggage with her. With a dark and wild past, Hendricks doesn’t think the small town her parents moved her to has much to offer her in terms of excitement. She plans on laying low, but when she’s suddenly welcomed into the popular crowd at school, things don’t go as expected.

Hendricks learns from her new friends that the fixer-upper her parents are so excited about is notorious in town. Local legend says it’s haunted. Hendricks doesn’t believe it. Until she’s forced to. Blood-curdling screams erupt from the basement, her little brother wakes up covered in scratches, and something, or someone pushes her dad down the stairs. With help from the mysterious boy next door, Hendricks makes it her mission to take down the ghosts . . . if they don’t take her first.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I was prepared for this book to have great atmosphere and a thrilling story, but it was only about halfway there for me. I would have liked the story of the supernatural elements to be expanded upon some more and honestly the event that drove Hendricks and her family to this town is only revealed in bits and pieces with a lot of drawing out…and then resolved quite abruptly. By that point it kind of felt like it wasn’t really a plot component, but just a device to account for her behavior and the reason they moved. For a quick spooky read that at some points will have you questioning if it is supernatural or something else it was good, but there were just some elements that didn’t really mesh with me.

Happy reading!

Review | Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries

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In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair. Those that are strong enough are conscripted by the Witch Guard, who enforce the law in peacetime and protect the land during war. However, those with hair judged too long are pronounced enemies of the kingdom, and annihilated. This is called a witch burning.

Witchy is a comic about the young witch Nyneve, who is haunted by the death of her father and the threat the Witch Guard poses to her own life. When conscription rolls around, Nyneve has a choice to make; join the institution complicit in her father’s death, or stand up for her ideals?

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, but saw it available in Comixology unlimited so decided to pick it up. I did enjoy the art style and the fantastical world. While I felt a good amount of back story and world building was included, I think the info page about the world itself should have been in the beginning rather at the end, as it would have better set it up. For the most part you understand the motives of characters, but there were definitely a few things that were left ambiguous, or weren’t really explained. There are definitely a lot of questions to be answered, but I’m not sure if more is going to be told or if this is meant to be a stand alone. The way a number of things were left up in the air makes me hope there will be further volumes. I would be interested in continuing the story.

Happy reading!

Blitz | Seeking Snow Falls by Jenn D. Young

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Seeking Snow Falls
Jenn D. Young
(Snow Falls Pride, #1)
Publication date: August 27th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Reverse Harem, Romance

It was supposed to be a fun getaway with my best friend, until I ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere Montana.

There I was, freezing to death, when three men came to my rescue and thawed the icicles around my heart.

There’s one little problem: they aren’t human.

When my own haunted past comes calling, they stand by my side and protect me.

But can I overcome my own demons and accept I have mates? Or will my own fears cripple me?

Seeking Snow Falls is a fated mates reverse harem shifter romance with multiple POV’s, adult situations, and MM. It also features references to depression, self-harm, and overcoming abuse. It will be a part of a series of standalone books, each ending with a HEA and a different FMC in each book.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Adam bent his head and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “When we tell you these things, we mean them. We’ll explain more, but in our pride, mates mean everything. We don’t abandon them. We cherish them for all time. No matter what.”

His words seeped through and warmed me from deep within. “Thank you, Adam.”

Cameron shifted closer and placed a large hand on my back. “We will always be here for you, kotyonok.”

“I see that Adam took advantage of my absence.” Connor smirked as he strode through the room in a pair of gray sweatpants that hung loose on his hips and tight white shirt. Fuck, I think I preferred him in the blanket. That was less distracting.

This…

This outfit put everything on display and out there. Including the outline of his solid cock. And holy shit, he wasn’t kidding when he said his feet were proportioned with his cock. My mouth parted as my eyes honed in on the obvious bulge in his pants. I’d seen it in all it’s glory before, but encased in gray sweatpants? Yeah, I was a goner.

Damn these men and their perfect bodies.

They were probably going to be the death of me.

Have it be known that I, Laney Ashford, would die of sheer sexual frustration. Because I still couldn’t believe that these men wanted anything to do with me. Nope. Absolutely not.

“Like what you see, kitten?”

My brow furrowed together at Connor’s teasing words. “If you’re going to call me kitten, why don’t you say it in Russian, like Cameron?”

One perfect eyebrow rose as Connor stalked toward me. His tongue darted out to moisten his lips and I hung on every move that his lythe body made.

With a hand planted on either side of Adam and I on the couch, Connor leaned down and ran the tip of his nose along the soft skin of my cheek. “I’ll let Cam have that name. I’ll come up with something better. Besides, I tend to call Adam kitten. For now, little Laney works just fine.”


Author Bio:

Jenn D. Young is a native of Washington, currently living in Arizona. She has always dreamed of writing about the characters that have been floating around in her head. Ever since the age of 14, she has been obsessed with romance novels and reading them as fast as she can get her hands on them. Her first love is Paranormal Romance, but she enjoys stories from all across the genre. You can typically find her listening to music or an audiobook, reading, or hanging out with her dogs Hermes and Loki.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Amazon / Bookbub / Newsletter


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Review | Watering the Soul by Courtney Peppernell

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Poetry and prose to encourage us to grow. Watering the Soul is a timeless reminder that everyone needs time, love, and forgiveness.

In the deepest, most enchanting part of the forest, a creature hands you a seed. Within the seed is your soul, ready to be grown again.

From internationally bestselling author Courtney Peppernell comes her new book of poetry and prose, Watering the Soul. In true Peppernell style, the book is divided into sections, this time following a step-by-step recipe, to heal your soul. Filled with themes that focus on forgiveness, gratitude, togetherness, and equality, Peppernell takes you on a journey to find a precious yet profound understanding; that a seed is not grown with haste and nor is becoming whole, that in each and every step, we find the meaning of watering the soul.

This is the story of your soul and how it can be grown again.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Having read something of Courtney’s before I was excited to pick up another of her collections. This one especially spoke to me, especially in the times we are in right now. Also, I absolutely loved the little artwork within the collection, which added to the overall theme of the collection. I really liked the way this was formatted and the subjects discussed – it’s definitely a collection about self care and healing, which is important for everyone. All in all I really enjoyed the collection and will read more from Courtney in the future.

Happy reading!

Cover Reveal | The Wedding Wager by Eva Devon

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The Wedding Wager
Eva Devon
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: September 27th 2021
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance

The Wedding Wager is the first of a fun new sexy historical romance series from USA Today bestselling author Eva Devon.

When a gambler wagers his grown daughter as the winner’s wife, a duke who has sworn off marriage is so disturbed by the bet that he ensures the woman’s safety by making certain he wins her.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play


Author Bio:

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Eva Devon, was raised on literary fiction, but quite accidentally and thankfully, she was introduced to romance one Christmas by Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory novella, The Present. A romance addict was born. She devoured every single Lindsey novel within a few months and moved on to contemporary and paranormal with gusto. Now, she loves to write her own roguish dukes, alpha males and the heroines who tame them.

Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Review | The Curie Society by Heather Einhorn, Janet Harvey, Adam Staffaroni, Joan Hilty and Sonia Liao

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A covert team of young women–members of the Curie society, an elite organization dedicated to women in STEM–undertake high-stakes missions to save the world.

An action-adventure original graphic novel, The Curie Society follows a team of young women recruited by an elite secret society–originally founded by Marie Curie–with the mission of supporting the most brilliant female scientists in the world. The heroines of the Curie Society use their smarts, gumption, and cutting-edge technology to protect the world from rogue scientists with nefarious plans. Readers can follow recruits Simone, Taj, and Maya as they decipher secret codes, clone extinct animals, develop autonomous robots, and go on high-stakes missions.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Anything promoting females in more STEM roles makes me happy, so this one was an intriguing concept to me – then you add in a secret society and I’m sold. I really enjoyed this story and the way the three girls interacted and learned to work together. Building a team is never easy and that was definitely represented, but seeing how they were able to combine their strengths and work together, as well as the adventure they were on, was really nice. I also really enjoyed all the materials in the back such as a glossary and prominent figures.

Happy reading!

September TBR & Reading Plans

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Hey everyone! I feel like each month goes faster and faster. I don’t know if it is because of the times we are in or just another aspect of getting older – but here we are selecting cards for next month! Rich and I went through and changed a few of the prompts, we gave the board a little sprucing up you could say.

Here are what the cards decreed:

  • 8 of Hearts – Random Letter Author
  • Queen – Calypso Pick
  • 7 of Diamonds – Rich Pick
  • 8 of Diamonds – Non-Fiction
  • Jack – Under 300 Pages
  • 9 of Clubs – Love in Color

I’m going to keep this brief but some of the picks were pretty hilarious, especially the random letter for the author name. My first three picks were duds (I, Z and X) but we finally got G, which led to Not That Bad by Roxane Gay.

Then Calypso pick came up and thankfully Calypso was feeling like cooperating. I gave her three options, but what she settled on was Haunted New Orleans.

And then we got Rich Pick! Apparently the cards were having fun with me. Rich ended up picking Written in Red by Anne Bishop which wasn’t a huge surprise since he bought it for me.

The next couple I selected pretty easily with my non-fiction being Nevermore by Troy Taylor and the under 300 pages book being Horribly Mutilated by the same author.

Finally anthologies came up and for this one I selected one I got from Book of the Month recently – Love In Color.

Here’s hoping I can get them all of them plus churn through more of past picks. We shall see!

Happy reading!

Blitz | Cursed Beauty by Stacey O’Neale

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Cursed Beauty
Stacey O’Neale
Publication date: August 30th 2021
Genres: Fairy Tales, Retelling, Young Adult

From USA Today bestselling author Stacey O’Neale comes a standalone, gender-reversed YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty!

The day has come for sixteen-year-old Aurora to receive her witch mark. She should be thrilled. But unlike the rest of her coven, a centuries-old family curse has already decided her fate; the cost of her new power is her life.

After the ceremony, her grandmother offers her hope: Aurora can save herself and prevent her coven from dying by awakening a sleeping prince with the power to break her curse. Unfortunately, she must travel through the forbidden Shadowlands to reach him.

The enchanted forest is filled with magical creatures—friends and foes—including the mysterious son of a powerful wolf pack leader. Can she find the prince in time, and if she succeeds, will he choose to help despite having been placed under a sleeping spell?

Perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin, House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert.

Goodreads / Amazon


Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling YA Fantasy Author, Stacey O’Neale, lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she’s not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, podcasting, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.

Her career in publishing started as a senior publicist for Entangled Publishing. Stacey writes young adult fantasy and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Blog Tour | Such a Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass

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From the author of Someone’s Listening comes another thriller that will leave you breathless, about a housewife implicated in a murder investigation, perfect for fans of The Last House Guest and Someone We Know.

Melanie Hale has the perfect life. Her husband, Collin, is a loving and supportive partner and she loves their small-town home just outside of New Orleans. She doesn’t mind (too much) that she’s given up her career dreams to care for her two beautiful children. It’s all worth it.

So why, when she joins a writers’ group for fledgling novelists, does she embark on a steamy affair with Luke, a local bestselling author who gives a talk during the group? Why does she go back to Luke again and again, when she knows it’s wrong?

And then Luke is found dead, and Mel knows she was the last person to see him alive. Now, she not only has to keep the affair a secret, but somehow avoid being implicated in Luke’s death. But who would want to kill him? And if Mel finds the truth, will she be next? What follows is a sinister cat-and-mouse game that will leave readers guessing until the very last page.

Buy Links | BookShop.org | Harlequin  | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Books-A-Million | Powell’s

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I didn’t know exactly what to expect going into this book but after reading the synopsis I was intrigued and wanted to pick it up. While slow burn isn’t always my favorite thing, the level of suspense and twists and turns made it an exciting slow burn. I really enjoyed the amount of character development we got as the story unfolded as well as all the psychological aspects to it. Melanie is a really relatable character that is definitely someone who can resonate with readers. If there is one thing that will immediately draw me in it is a story that goes includes psychological elements. The ending I felt was perfect and this is definitely a suspense filled story that I would recommend for anyone who likes thrillers. While this is my first read by this author, I will definitely be checking out her other works in the future.

Seraphina Nova Glass is a professor and playwright-in-residence at the University of Texas, Arlington, where she teaches film studies and playwriting. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Smith College, and she’s also a screenwriter and award-winning playwright. Seraphina has traveled the world using theatre and film as a teaching tool, living in South Africa, Guam and Kenya as a volunteer teacher, AIDS relief worker, and documentary filmmaker.

Social Links | Author Website | Twitter: @SeraphinaNova |
Facebook: Seraphina Nova Glass: Author | Goodreads

Happy reading!

Review | Historic Haunts of Savannah by Michael Harris & Linda Sickler

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As one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, has a long list of stories of the supernatural, such as the story of the first two people hanged in colonial Savannah for the murder of their abusive master. Or James Stark, a tempestuous planter, and Dr. Philip Minis, who settled their dispute with a duel and still hang around the old building at Moon River Brewing Co. Or the terrifying “boy-giant,” Rene Rhondolia, who preys on young girls and
animals. Join authors Michael Harris and Linda Sickler as they navigate the chilling world of those who refuse to leave their Savannah homes.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Savannah is one of those places I haven’t yet visited, but definitely wanted to – so I was excited to pick this title up. I did enjoy the way the authors imagined how the stories leading to the ghost stories went and that they got versions of the legends from people in Savannah – but felt there may have been a little too much fiction. The researching of different aspects of each story and examining how possible it was that they transpired the way the stories are told was really interesting. I also really liked the talk about how life was at the time each of these stories happened, but because so much of it was this examination of history – there was very little description of what people are actually experiencing in these locations, which is something I always appreciate. Since there was so little about that it felt more like an examination of history rather than ghost stories – that being said it was still a pretty quick read and I did enjoy it.

Happy reading!