Stiger’s Tigers by Marc Alan Edelheit
Reviewed: Decemebr 30th, 2022
Release March 23rd, 2015
Genre: Sword & Sorcery
A tarnished legacy. A dangerous mission. The beginning of an epic destiny…
Nobleman and born soldier Ben Stiger never backs down from a fight. Even as the son of an infamous imperial general, an outcast from society, he refuses to crumble under the unforgiving shadow of his once-powerful family’s disgrace. When he’s reassigned from his crack company to the struggling southern army, he’s eager to help turn the tide against a growing, deadly rebellion.
Supported by his faithful lieutenant, Eli, one of the last remaining elven rangers, and a holy Paladin on a quest for the High Father, Stiger fights to gain control of his new company, resentful and mediocre soldiers… who he must train and then lead on a desperate mission to reach an outpost cut off by the enemy. But as he force-marches his men through hostile territory, the veteran commander faces more than he ever expected, rebels, bandits, a magic relic from an age long gone, and an ancient evil freshly risen that has the potential to destroy the empire he loves and serves.
Can one outcast hero make a difference and save his empire from annihilation?
Stiger’s Tigers is the engrossing first book in the Chronicles of an Imperial Officer epic fantasy series. If you like brave champions, sword and sorcery, breathtaking twists and turns, and authentic battle scenes, then you’ll love Marc Alan Edelheit’s Roman-inspired adventure series. Read My Thoughts …
The Winter Spirit by Indra Vaughn
Reviewed: December 19th, 2022
Released: November 16th, 2015
Genre: MM Romance
Nathaniel O’Donnelly likes his life quiet, his guests happy, and his ghosts well-behaved.
Although a boyfriend wouldn’t go amiss. Someone to share his beautiful B&B with, even if it is in the middle of nowhere and he’s long past the wrong side of thirty. Problem is, Nathaniel’s living with a ghost who thinks he’s cupid, and whose arrows fly a little too straight.
Gabriel Wickfield had the unfortunate luck of dying before his time, and now he’s stuck trying to make romance happen to earn his right to move along. Not that he’s bored in the meantime—Nathaniel is just too easy to tease. And also a little bit scrumptious…
With the curse reaching its expiration date, Gabriel needs to make a final match this Christmas. Without it, nothing but darkness awaits.
Love can conquer all, but can it beat death?
The Half-Torn Page by David Palin
Reviewed: December 12th, 2022
Released: November 26th, 2019
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Ilsa Wlich, a striking, mysterious woman of indeterminate age and steeped in lore, ancient and new, arrives one fateful evening in beautiful, but remote and insular Reimersberg at the end of the Adventurer’s Road.
The town, deep in the mountains and wolf-inhabited forests in the Valley of the Witches, is seldom reached by outsiders and not particularly welcoming to them. Proud of their traditions, the people frown upon change and those who bring it.
Ilsa saves the life of a sick boy, Karl, but is suspicious of the cause of his sickness; a fact she keeps from the townsfolk for fear of causing panic. She earns the boy’s undying love, but also the enmity of some Town Elders, in particular the incompetent doctor and the mayor, Meister. Both feel as threatened by Ilsa as she feels wary of them.
Weary in mind and body from years of travelling, and still charmed by the town, Ilsa asks to settle in Reimersberg. Her presence there awakens a long-hidden darkness. She finds herself, together with Karl, treading paths far more mysterious, bloody and perilous than anything the Adventurer’s Road could conjure if they are to survive. Read my Thoughts…
Sins of the Father by Saffron Amatti
Reviewed: December 9th, 2022
Released: May 2nd, 2020
Genre: Fantasy Cozy Mystery
Tommy Kilbourne is a rogue, a scoundrel, a cad, completely untrustworthy, and has been trying to steal Lucas Rathbone’s girlfriend for years.
Unfortunately, he’s also the only person who might know where she’s gone.
Out of options and against his better judgement, Lucas enlists the help of this black sheep – and falls straight into a trap set for someone else. Because Tommy has been scheming and will stop at nothing to avenge his blighted his life.
Now, Lucas must use all his wits to not only save the life of the woman he loves, but also that of a man who doesn’t deserve mercy.
The sins of the father cast long shadows across the life of his son…
But penance could prove fatal.
And time is running out. Read my Thoughts…
Dead Serious Case #2 by Vawn Cassidy
Reviewed: November 29th, 2022
Released: October 31st, 2022
Genre: MM Magical Realism
In the business of unfinished business…
It’s been over six months since a freak accident left pathologist Tristan Everett able to see ghosts, something he has yet to confess to his boyfriend. Instead, he now has a new calling, one he’s not entirely happy about… help the dead resolve their unfinished business so they can pass into the light, sounds simple right?
Wrong…
When the spirit of a sweet old lady suffering from Alzheimers follows him home he has no idea how to help her. When he finds out she’s been murdered by arsenic poisoning, a curiously outdated murder weapon, he once again finds himself tangled up in a murder investigation.
For Inspector Danny Hayes of New Scotland Yard, life couldn’t be better. After moving to London and meeting Tristan he’s ready to move their relationship to the next level, but something weird is going on with Tristan, he’s acting very strangely and with a killer on the loose he’s not taking any chances. He’s determined to discover whatever it is Tristan’s hiding from him.
Surrounded by a bunch of potentially murderous old ladies and aided by his sidekick, deceased drag queen and spirit guide in training, Dusty, Tristan must unravel the mystery of Mrs Delores Abernathy’s unfinished business and find the courage to share his deepest secret with the man he loves. Read My Thoughts…
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Reviewed: 23rd November, 2022
Released: March 2nd, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.
Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive. Read My Thoughts…
Off Track by Neil Bullock
Reviewed November 20th, 2022
Released: June 15th, 2021
Genre: Science Fiction
Devastated and exhausted, Eden Lucas is the sole survivor of an unfathomable global catastrophe. As she grapples with the question of whether to go on alone, a train arrives.
It’s not a normal train, that much is clear. For one thing, it’s floating three feet off the ground in a supermarket parking lot. For another, there doesn’t seem to be any place for the driver to go.
Yet it seems to hint at possibilities. Maybe she’s not the only one who was spared. Maybe someone on the train will have answers.
And while she may yet discover what caused the death of her world, nothing can prepare her for just how little she understands about the universe. Read my thoughts…
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
Reviewed: November 6th, 2022
Released: October 5th, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, tasked with cleansing the bodies of the dead so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a hunger for the living.
When her convent is attacked, Artemisia defends it by awakening a revenant. Wielding this ancient spirit’s extraordinary power almost consumes her – but only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a revenant, has any chance of saving Loraille.
As Artemisia unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy may require her to betray everything she’s been taught to believe – if the revenant doesn’t betray her first. Read my thoughts…
Shifter Battles by Molly Webb
Reviewed: November 1st, 2022
Released: June 8th, 2022
Genre: Urban Fantasy
I turned my back on my family. But I’ll kill to protect those I love…
Someone is hunting the shifters of Hollowmore and I’m the only one that can stop the killing. My name is Thea: monster hunter, daughter of the most powerful Arcanshifter and, since leaving my clan, the ultimate outsider.
My only ally, Marcus, is even more of an outsider than me. If anyone learns he’s a dragon shifter, the tattered remains of his clan will be wiped out. The last thing he wants is to risk exposure by helping me. The last thing I want is trouble with dragons – or the distraction of his smoldering eyes.
But a young dragon shifter is one of the latest victims, so Marcus is involved whether he likes it or not. I guess we’re working together. This should be… interesting.
From the secret councils of the shifter clans to the slums of Goblin Town, I’ll turn over every rock in Hollowmore if I have to. Someone is killing my people.
And when I find them, I’m going to make them pay…Read my thoughts...
Which Way the Casts Jumps by Ava Silvers
Reviewed: October 22nd, 2022
Released: October 4th, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
When an undead witch discovers that all is not well in her new world, she has to put aside the loss of her magical powers and discover who has cursed the vampires and what it means.
Added to that, a hot warlock shows up on her doorstep like some stray cat, and has decided he might like to stay to drink the cream.
If you are a fan of Ava Silvers’ Witches of Shadow Hollow then you are in for a treat. This is the story of Hazel’s sister Willow, and having met Willow first (not having read Ava’s other books yet, though I aim to put that right shortly,) I am sure they are just as good. Read my thoughts…
All Hallows Airship by Liz Delton
Reviewed: October 15th, 2022 (ARC)
Releases: October 25th, 2022
Genre: Steampunk Fantasy (Novella)
A catastrophic blast. A haunting memory. And she only has one chance to prove her family’s innocence.
All Caz Coppersdown has ever wanted is to be a journalist for the Soldark Times. But the chances of her parents letting her pursue a breaking story are slim. Secluded after a childhood illness, Caz finally gets to leave Soldark for a trip to the country to her great aunt’s estate, but she quickly finds out there isn’t anything newsworthy there—unless you count her aunt’s upcoming All Hallows Eve soiree.
Until the local airshow clashes with her aunt’s party plans—causing more than just pumpkins to be destroyed. When Caz meets one of the airship pilots and discovers something about her family’s past, Caz might have just found her big story.
But she’ll need to dig for the facts quickly, because the constables are looking for a culprit, and old ghosts are making themselves known on this All Hallows Eve. Read my thoughts…
Emissary by A.L. Morrow
Reviewed: October 11th, 2022
Released: October 4th, 2022 (Realm of Darkness anthology)
Genre: MM Fantasy Romance
Death comes for us all, even those we love.
The line between angel and demon is razor thin. Kai knows this firsthand. As an Emissary of death, darkness follows him like a shadow, leaving him touch-starved and lonely.
Tormented by the error in judgment that killed his only love, he accepts an assignment to redeem himself: hunting down the demons destroying the mortal realm. But fate takes a turn, and Kai finds himself drawn to one of his targets instead.
Demonic martial arts expert Byron Black has struggled to survive his entire life. He has fought for every breath he’s taken and each bite
he’s eaten, yet in the instant when his demise finally seems inevitable, death incarnate steps forward and spares him. Kai is as beautiful as he is terrifying, and although Byron suspects the angel’s interest in him is more than it appears, he can’t stay away.
Together, the pair search for answers regarding who wants Byron dead—and why—but uncovering the truth might destroy them both in the process. Can Kai defeat his inner demons to save the one that has crawled into his bed? Read More…
The Mage’s Curse by Bethany Adams
Reviewed: October 6th, 2022
Released: October 4th, 2022 (Realm of Darkness anthology)
Genre: Fantasy Romance
After a simple dinner with a god went very, very wrong, fae mage Chalmys was cursed to remain locked in his tiny realm. Until, that is, he could find someone to tell his story. All of his story.
There are only two problems: Revealing the truth of his birth will put his mother at grave risk, and he has to send his story through dreams.
Chalmys thought the second would be the easiest to overcome, but after centuries of tangled tales gone wrong, he has nearly given up hope.
Until the night he connects with Holly. Now he has to convince her to risk everything to set him free. If only a certain god doesn’t interfere … Read my Thoughts…
The Shadow of Death by Becky James & Wren Murphy
Reviewed: September 29th, 2022
Released: October 4th, 2022 (Realm of Darkness anthology)
Genre: Fantasy Romance
A king with a broken crown. Shay rules from the murky corners of the Topaz Court, a realm not many willingly travel to. It promises only one thing —Death. Duty eats away at the dark king, and as he escorts departed souls to the Otherworld, something—or someone—threatens to taint his kingdom and destroy the magic that sustains it.
A selkie searching for answers. Seven years ago, Neri’s sister disappeared on dry land over the sands. Neri has prepared every day since to follow after her and find what delays her sister’s return to the waves.
Death hounds after the selkie. Shay shouldn’t stand in its way; to upset the balance is to risk everything. Not even when her spirit stirs something inside him, something he thought long lost…
As the threat to magic grows, the selkies might be the key. Together, Shay and Neri traverse the realms to save their homes, their families, and themselves. Can they succeed under the shadow of death? Read my thoughts…
Fae Lis Bride by Jessica M. Butler
Reviewed: September 23rd, 2022
Releases: October 4th, 2022
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
To save her sister, a desperate human woman is willing to kidnap the handsome Lord of Wind and Spring. Daphne must bring a powerful elemental fae lord to the mountain before the full moon or her little sister dies.
Kanek, a fine-dressing but reclusive elemental fae, knows something has to change, but he doesn’t know what to do or how. A human woman showing up in his sanctuary and attempting (unsuccessfully) to render him unconscious and abduct him is not part of his plans. But her utter gall and desperation are enough to convince him that maybe cooperation is better than ignoring her.
It’s not the quest he expected. He’s not the man she thought. She might be harder to live without than she is to live with. And right from the start, he can’t stop thinking about her. But it is just because she’s annoying? Right? Read my thoughts…
The Skin by J.E Hannaford
Reviewed: September 7th, 2022
Released: October 18th, 2021
Genre: Futuristic Fantasy
‘You cannot fix this world alone, Selkie.’
‘I know. But, when we die, all that is left are shadows of our lives preserved in the memories of those who remain. I plan on leaving an exceptionally long shadow, filled with ripples of moonlight for those I helped, and darker than the worst of nightmares for those who wronged us.’
How far would you go to save your skin?
I’m a selkie, trapped above the waves until I can recover my skin. Humans used to call us seal-wives many years ago – before they broke the planet. I thought that less humans, after the warming, would mean less danger. My kind believed our world was finally recovering.
We were wrong.
Up here, the magic is fading and Old Ones like me are being traded as trophies for rich and powerful humans to display in collections. Without the Old Ones, the magic fades, without magic, the planet dies. Humankind has gone too far and someone has to put a stop to it. I just wasn’t expecting it to be me. Read my thoughts…
Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill
Reviewed: September 6th, 2022
Released: March 17th, 2022
Genre: Epic/Medieval Fantasy
Born in fire. Tempered in blood.
Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North.
In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving – a test of courage and skill that not all survive.
But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries.
There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold. He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will. Read my thoughts…
In Solitude’s Shadow by David Green
Reviewed: September 5th, 2022
Released: June 1st, 2021
Genre: Dark Fantasy
The tides of fate are shifting.
The Banished have returned, and they have set their eyes on the walls of Solitude.
Zanna Alpenwood, a powerful mage, and two hundred aged and forgotten Sparkers are all that stand between the Banished and the nation of Haltveldt. With time running out and the world at stake, Zanna is forced to reach out to her estranged daughter, Calene, and set her on an impossible quest.
Calene quickly learns that enemies make unlikely allies as she teams up with both friend and foe on her journey to save her mother and Haltveldt. Forging their way over land and sea, uncovering dark plots and secret societies, Calene is forced to decide between her masters and her own conscience.
Will they arrive in time to save the fortress of Solitude from destruction? Only one thing is certain; Ruin is assured if Solitude falls. Read my thoughts…
Raine of Fire by Susan Stradiotto
Reviewed: September 4th, 2022
Released: August 22nd, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Sparks fly when an exiled Fae prince and a straight-laced detective team up to solve a murder.
Banished by his mother from Faerie, Raine Abarta wants nothing more than to entertain people on the streets of Wickney, Wisconsin. But when the daughter of a prominent senator stumbles upon his show, he’s drawn into her world and her mother’s murder.
When Raine takes his act down to the police department with intentions of helping solve the puzzle–or, uh, the “case”–he meets the ultra-serious Detective Kennedi Craine. To his dismay, she views him as nothing more than a charlatan, but when has that ever stopped him?
Kennedi’s latest case is open and shut, more of a paperwork and media hassle than a case. Senator La Point, after all, was holding the smoking gun over his wife’s lifeless body. So, when a random guy off the street walks in telling her she’s wrong, she sends him on his merry way. At least she thinks she does. As he keeps popping up, she begins to wonder if he’s on to something. And when he broaches a situation from her past, she just can’t leave him alone.
Raine helps her solve another small case, and she starts to wonder if there might be something more to both mysteries before her. Read my thoughts…
Shattered Kingdom by Angelina J Steffort
Reviewed: 20th August 2022
Released: June 30th, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Sworn to a goddess. One with her blade. A heart yet unbroken.
It would have been only one more year of training. One year in the dust and wind of the Calma Desert. But Gandrett Brayton’s fate storms in disguised as a beautiful stranger with a damning secret.
As he forces her into the service of the lord who tore her from her mother’s arms ten years ago to commit her to the Order of Vala, Gandrett is left with a choice: run, or work for the man she despises and earn the chance to see her family again.
Trained with all the weapons she can wield with her hands, Gandrett must learn that at the courts of the shattered kingdom of Sives, her sword won’t help her– especially when it is her own heart on the line. Read my thoughts…
A Prince’s Errand by Dan Zangari and Robert Zangari
Reviewed: August 19th, 2022
Released: December 3rd, 2019
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Long ago, men harnessed the Channels of Power, creating tevisrals-devices capable of manifesting magic. But men weren’t the only ones to accomplish such feats. Dragons crafted the most sophisticated tevisrals. These shaped the world, defining civilization of man and elf alike.
Prince Kaescis Midivar also searches for these Keepers. The assassination of his uncle, the emperor of Mindolarn, killed his hopes of peace with his empire’s enemies. His empire’s survival hinges upon unearthing the Keepers’ secrets.
An aging warrior, Cornar Dol’shir, longs to be home with his wife. But his retirement must wait, as his band of adventurers is recruited to help find the Keepers’ hidden temple on the Isle of Klindala.
Haunted by his tragic past, Iltar, the Son of Adrin, does not join in the search for the Keepers. Instead, he seeks to unravel the mysteries held within a volume of prophecy foretelling the advent of the Unspoken One and the return of the Crimson Eye. His search takes him to the Empire of Mindolarn, where all is not as it seems.
An ancient war was won by a simple amulet. It brought peace, but in the wrong hands it could spell a doom the likes of which no world has ever seen.
May the Crimson Eye remain hidden for all time… Read my thoughts…
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
Reviewed: August 16th, 2022
Released: August 23rd, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.
Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.
After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.
If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most–Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares–each other?
Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library. Read my Thoughts..
Shiver by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott
Reviewed: August 14th, 2022
Released: October 17th, 2015
Genre: MM Romance
Lucas Vallois does not want a bodyguard.
The self-made millionaire is building a glittering empire and has everything he wants within his tight grasp.
His world is starting to crumble after a trio of goons jump him late one night after leaving a club. Caving to the demands of his friends, Lucas accepts the help of bodyguard, Andrei Hadeon, as he hunts for the source of this new threat.
But Lucas can’t deny the shiver of longing that strikes every time he’s around his sexy Romanian bodyguard.
Lucas is sure he has no room in his life for others beyond his three close friends, but he wants to change the world for the man who could be his greatest love. His everything. Read my thoughts…
The Elf Tangent by Lindsay Buroker
Reviewed: July 23rd, 2022
Released: March 15th, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
As a princess in the impoverished kingdom of Delantria, it’s Aldari’s job to look pretty, speak little, and marry a prince.
Studying mathematics and writing papers on economic theory in an effort to fix her people’s financial woes? Her father has forbidden it. With war on the horizon, they must focus on the immediate threat.
Reluctantly, Aldari agrees to marry a prince in a neighboring kingdom to secure an alliance her people desperately need. All is going to plan until the handsome elven mercenary captain hired to guard her marriage caravan turns into her kidnapper. His people are in trouble, and he believes she has the knowledge to help.
But with an invasion force approaching Delantria, Aldari’s own people need her. She must do everything in her power to escape the elves and make it to her wedding in time.
Never mind that her kidnapper is witty, clever, and offers her a challenge that intrigues her mind even as his easy smile intrigues her heart…
Aldari can’t let herself develop feelings for him. To fall in love and walk away from her wedding would mean the end of her kingdom and everyone she cares about. Read More…
The Guardian of the Palace by Steven J Morris
Reviewed: July 21st, 2022
Released: December 20th, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Audiobook narrated by Jillian Yetter
Everyone knows magic isn’t real.
Alien invaders? Ha!
But something destroyed an entire skyscraper in a never-before-seen implosion. Can one skeptical security guard stand between monsters and magic that threaten the world?
Disillusioned with her military career, Red Hernandez crawled back to civilian life as a second tier security lead for an engineering marvel meant to cram more people into the tiny island of Manhattan. She expected her biggest struggles to be integrating back into a society where social media and closet space reigned supreme. But when mysterious forces destroy a building similar to the one she’s chartered to protect, in an implosive blast never before seen, all notions of a cushy retirement job go up in smoke.
With lives on the line, but big money pushing to continue construction, Red finds the steely determination that she’d lost in the desert of her past. Monsters lurk in the shadows, forcing her to re-evaluate everything she believed to be true… and all that she imagined.
Can one woman save the world, or will disbelief be her undoing? Read my thoughts…
Touch by Angela Cairns
Book one of the Ellie Rose series
Reviewed: July 17th, 2022
Released: June 4th, 2019
Genre: Women’s Romance
She can heal her patients. But when tragedy strikes, can she mend her own broken heart? England, 1986. Physiotherapist Ellie Rose is devastated by the tragic loss of her soulmate. Unable to endure the stifling sympathy of friends, she quits London for the quiet countryside of Essex where she knows no one. And after suffering too long at an awful job, she establishes a holistic health clinic and wonders if she’ll ever reclaim her happiness.
Much to her surprise, Ellie finds solace in healing her clients. But she still can’t release the pain lingering in her soul. Until a charming new neighbor with his own grief opens the door to loving again. Can Ellie, at last, find the strength to let go of the past and live life once more with passion?
Touch is the first book in the uplifting Ellie Rose women’s fiction series. If you like inspiring stories of self-discovery, wounded heroes, and second-chance love, then you’ll adore Angela Cairns’ beautiful tale. Read My Thoughts…
Og-Grim-Dog by Jamie Edmunson
Reviewed: July 16th, 2022
Released: May 21st, 2020
Genre: Gaming Fantasy/Humour
Two heads are better than one.
Three can be a real pain in the arse.
We are Og-Grim-Dog!
We have been loved and reviled! We have been the Hero of the Hour, the Darkest Villain, and everything in between! We have saved this world and travelled to worlds beyond it!
You think you can distil the life of Og-Grim-Dog into some words on a page?
When a stranger visits their inn, the regulars are in for a surprise. Did their Landlord really come here from Gal’azu—the dangerous, edgier province to the east? Could it be that his stories, so fanciful and fantastical, were episodes from his previous life?
When their Landlord is persuaded to have his life story recorded for posterity, the surprises come thick and fast. Just like his regulars, you too can learn how a three-headed ogre came to be a hero. Unlike them, you don’t stand to be killed if it all goes wrong…Read my thoughts…
Dragon Mage by ML Spencer
Reviewed: July 15th, 2022
Released: December 20th, 2020
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Aram Raythe has the power to challenge the gods. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Aram thinks he’s nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world. As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to make friends and be accepted by those around him, which is something he’s never known. But Aram is more. Much, much more.
Unknown to him, Aram bears within him a gift so old and rare that many people would kill him for it, and there are others who would twist him to use for their own sinister purposes. These magics are so potent that Aram earns a place at an academy for warrior mages training to earn for themselves the greatest place of honor among the armies of men: dragon riders.
Aram will have to fight for respect by becoming not just a dragon rider, but a Champion, the caliber of mage that hasn’t existed in the world for hundreds of years. And the land needs a Champion. Because when a dark god out of ancient myth arises to threaten the world of magic, it is Aram the world will turn to in its hour of need. Read My Thoughts…
Claiming Marcus by Jocelynn Drake
Reviewed: 23rd June 2022
Released: October 31st, 2019
Genre: Paranormal MM Romance
Ethan wants revenge.
Vampires slaughtered his family.
When a job opening comes up for suspected vampire Marcus Varik, Ethan is sure fate is finally smiling on him.
Except his new boss is nothing like he expected.
Shy, awkward, incredibly protective, and so perfectly sexy.
Ethan was definitely wrong about Marcus and the Variks, but is it too late to stop the deadly events he has set into motion? Will he lose the love shining in Marcus’s eyes? Read more….
Midlife Magic School by Nicole Wells
Reviewed: June 21st, 2022
Released: June 20th, 2022
Genre: Paranormal Midlife fantasy
Going to magic school at fifty is the least of Chloe’s worries.
A magical inheritance. A dog with an attitude. A sexy headmaster. And people trying to kill her.
When Chloe receives a bolt of magic out of the blue on her fiftieth birthday, she’s cast into an exciting but tumultuous world filled with Shifters, Elementals, Witches, and one very hot headmaster Witch. In order to return the inheritance to its rightful owner, and satisfy her curiosity at the same time, she must go to the Universal Magush Academy and learn all about the magical community while keeping one big secret—she’s human. Or is she?
Threats to her life and those she holds dear lurk in every corner. As if that wasn’t enough, students and teachers alike hate her on sight. As she digs deep to discover who she is, she finds herself in the middle of two battles: one for the fate of humanity and one for the peace of the magic realm. Soon these twisting fates have Chloe questioning everything she thought she knew.
But maybe, with the help of a sexy sidekick and a handful of misfit friends, she’ll teach this magic world a thing or two. And she might just turn both worlds on their heads while she’s at it… Read more…
Silent Melody by Alice Ivinya
Reviewed: June 21st, 2022
Released: June 11th, 2021
Genre: Fairytale Retelling
When the Pied Piper came, only three children remained. One was deaf and one was blind.
Being deaf meant life was hard for Adelaide in thirteenth century Germany. However, it also saved her from the Pied Piper’s music. When the children were stolen, she was left behind. Now she and her blind friend risk everything to free the children trapped in an eternal dance. But to rescue them she must face the Heartless Queen, who will do anything to keep them, and survive her twisted games. Adelaide finds she has no choice but to trust the man she should hate and hope he is not playing games of his own.
If she fails, the children will be lost forever. Read More…
Inked by Rachel Rener
Reviewed: June 10th, 2022
Released: March 15th, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
When Zayn, your smoking hot boss, tells you never to touch the cache of deluxe tattoo ink locked away in his office, you listen to him… until the day you run out of your own ink, your squirming client is on the verge of peeing his pants, and your boss is nowhere to be found. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
I fully expected Zayn to yell at me when he returned to the shop. What I didn’t expect was the fresh cobra tattoo on my client’s butt magically springing to life. Or the interdimensional filing cabinet hiding in the back of Zayn’s office. And, oh, did I mention that my gorgeous, magic-ink-hoarding boss is actually an incubus?
Now – through (mostly) no fault of my own – we have to venture into a strange and distant land where a never-ending list of lethal flora, fauna, and fae await us. When you add in my Jewish mother’s string of poorly-timed, hysterical phone calls, there is one thing I’m grateful for: there’s no cell service in the fae realm. Read my thoughts…
Obsidian Son by Shayne Silvers
Reviewed: June 2nd, 2022
Released: October 8th, 2012
Genre: Urban Fantasy
To do list: Cow-tip the Minotaur. Cure a reptile dysfunction.
My name is Nate Temple, and I’m secretly a wizard. I ride a foul-mouthed unicorn, I drink with Achilles, and I’m pals with the Four Horsemen. I’ve even cow-tipped the Minotaur. I understand the theory of following the rules…I’m just not very good at the application. Because rules were meant to be broken.
Especially when I find out a monster just murdered my parents. Now all I can hear is the sweet, soothing song of vengeance in my ears, playing on repeat.
But when shifter dragons come to town, I’m forced to step away from hunting down the scumbag murderer. Because I know the cure for a reptile dysfunction, and the dragons aren’t going to like it. This fight soon opens up Pandora’s Box, and suddenly every flavor of supernatural thug is after me. The only way out of it—to save my city—is to murder my best friend.
I didn’t want, ask for, or start any of this. But I will finish it. It’s time I show St. Louis that magic is very, very real. And that an angry wizard is truly something to see—at least once in your life. You know, right before he puts you and everyone you’ve ever met in the grave…Read My Thoughts…
The Binding Day Truce by Allegra Pescatore & JP Burnison
Reviewed: June 1st, 2022
Released: January 13th, 2021
Genre: Epic Fantasy Short story
The end of centuries of war is looming.
Ilyas of Vine, War Leader of the armies of the Mad Queen Maevian Oriset, is sent off once again to hunt the deadliest foe he has ever faced: Willow of Herb. Tired of the fighting, but with too much on the line, Ilyas knows that this will be their last fight. This time, failure is not an option. This time, he will kill that damn monster, or die trying.
Willow of Herb has fought against Vine all of his life. Ever since the day the Mad Queen’s forces killed his parents, he has revelled in the bloodshed of war. As the only one with a hope of matching Maevian’s power, it is up to him to find a way to put an end to her reign of terror. Only one thing stands in his way: Ilyas.
In a war where neither side is truly good or evil, and shades of grey run rampant, who will be triumphant when these two forces meet again for the final time? Read my thoughts.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Reviewed: June 1st, 2022
Released: February 7th, 2019
Genre: Contemporary YA LGBTQ+ Graphic novel
Charlie and Nick are at the same school, but they’ve never met … until one day when they’re made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance.
But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realised.
By Alice Oseman, winner of the YA Book Prize, Heartstopper is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie’s lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us. Read my thoughts…
Accidental Fae by Jessica Wayne
Reviewed: May 29th, 2022
Released: April 5th, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
A life on the verge of death isn’t living.
When the doctors mention hospice, I know it’s time to take my life—or death—into my own hands. Stumbling through a portal into the fae realm wasn’t part of the plan.
But then I see him–the man who claimed my dreams with glimpses of his piercing golden gaze and sculpted body slick with sweat as he fought bloody battles. Seeing him once gave me strength; now, he gives me hope.
The creatures here claim he’s a rebel. A murderer. A traitor to their crown–a crown they say I’m tied to in irrevocable ways. I say he might be my only path to salvation.
I refuse to waste another life waiting for answers to secrets no one dares speak. It’s time for me to break free of my prison and claim the life that was always meant to be mine. My warrior has been broken by circumstance, though, and if I can’t give him a reason to fight, it could mean the end for both of us. Read more…
Thicker Than Water by Laura Quinn
Reviewed: May 27th, 2022
Released: May 27th, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction
Cape May, New Jersey, 1916: Siblings Danny and Shannon Culligan are trapped under the thumb of their alcoholic father. Danny’s been in love with his childhood sweetheart, Jennie Martin- a wealthy cottager from Philadelphia- for as long as he can remember while her cousin, Hugh, is smitten with his sister.
As the foursome struggles to surmount the class differences between them, the nation is plunged into World War One, changing all of their lives forever. Danny is drafted into the Army and Hugh enlists in the Navy- defending the home front as a lieutenant at Cape May Section Base Number 9. While Jennie works tirelessly on the Liberty Loans campaign in Philadelphia, Shannon finds herself ensnared in a rum ring operation as the temperance movement ebbs closer to its goal of Prohibition.
A sweeping saga of betrayal, lies, and loss on all sides, Thicker Than Water, challenges readers in its exploration of the age-old question about where one’s loyalties lie. Read more…
When We Were Sea and Stars by Elen Chase
Reviewed: May 18th, 2022
Released: August 7th, 2020
Genre: MM Contemporary Romance
Under the summer sun, in a small seaside town in South Italy, nineteen-year-old James meets the man of his dreams. Roberto is gorgeous, fun, sweet… and very taken. James has no delusions about their friendship; he knows love couldn’t possibly happen to him.
Roberto is full of doubts about his relationship. He knows something is missing in his life and he’s not expecting to find that something in James, his new American neighbor.
But if something were to happen, only the sea, the sand and the stars can know. Read more…
Steal the Wind by Jocelynn Drake
Reviewed: May 13th, 2022
Released: October 29th, 2021
Genre: MM Fantasy
Everything Caelan knows about his world is a lie.
A war is brewing. As the crown prince of Erya, it’s only natural that Caelan is sent on a secret diplomatic mission to support one of the kingdom’s allies. With his advisor, his bodyguard, and his best friend as traveling companions, what could go wrong?
Everything. Everything goes wrong.
Now they are on the run, dodging assassins, setting secret meetings, and even making deals with a sleeping god.
So this is probably a really bad time to cave to feelings he’s been fighting for his best friend. But Drayce has owned his heart for more years than he can count, and if he’s going to die, shouldn’t he have just one kiss?
The fate of the world is on the line, and only Caelan holds the power to save them all. Read my thoughts…
To Wield A Plague by Derrick Smythe
Reviewed: May 10th, 2022
Released: May 9th, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
There will be no victory here for anyone but those who thirst for blood. Forced to choose between his mother’s life and his own exile, Dwapek embarks upon a journey wrought with trials no ordinary Renzik could hope to survive. Relics of legend, plagues of old, and monsters of unthinkable dread all collide in this epic fantasy adventure as a weapon capable of destroying an entire people is set to be unleashed. Companion novel to Passage of Dawn series. Read my thoughts…
Shields in Shadow by Andy Peloquin
Reviewed: May 6th, 2022
Released: September 16th, 2019
Genre: Military Fantasy
Burdened with legend. Hardened by battle scars. Hellbent on bloody revenge.
As the son of a famous general, Aravon is proud to captain his own company against his people’s enemy. But the experienced veteran’s march toward glory dissolves into pain as ruthless barbarians massacre every last one of his soldiers. Burning for vengeance, he leaps at the chance to spearhead a specially-trained company and pay back his tragic defeat with blood.
Desperate to not repeat his tragic past, Aravon trains his new warriors relentlessly. But the captain fears that all the tactical drills in the world may not matter when they’re forced to defend a helpless village against overwhelming odds. As his quick raids sow chaos amongst the enemy, the bloodthirsty savages threaten to make Aravon’s nightmarish history repeat itself…
Can the captain take command of his fighting spirit before the kingdom falls to barbarous invaders?
Shields in Shadow is the first book in the action-packed Silent Champions military fantasy series. If you like square-jawed heroes, well-oiled military action, and epic world-building, then you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s gripping novel. Read my thoughts ..
Immortal Games by Lauretta Hignett
Reviewed: May 2nd, 2022
Released: April 27th, 2022
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Immortality sucks.
Just ask Imogen Gray: Over two-hundred thousand years old and teetering on the edge of total insanity. Strong as a shifter, faster than a vampire, Imogen’s walked the earth forever, always alone, never growing, never changing.
Imogen’s on a mission to find the next reincarnation of her father, the only person in the world who knows how to complete the transition to human, and get rid of the curse of immortality.
But when her delinquent teenage ward accidentally summons a powerful Fae Prince through the portal, suddenly, finding her dad has to take a backseat. There’s a homicidal maniac on the loose, one who has his eyes on the Vampire King. Her Vampire King. Worse than the burning jealousy is the fact that the Fae Prince seems to know exactly what she is.
Immortal Games is Book Two in the fast, fierce and fast-paced Urban Fantasy series. A slow-burn romance, it includes a diverse cast of characters, shifters, witches, fae, cryptids and more. Read My Thoughts…
A Bond of Thread by Allegra Pescatore and J.P.Burnison
Reviewed: April 27th, 2022
Released: June 21st, 2021
Genre: HIgh Fantasy
Enter the Nine Lands of the Mountain Fell.
Skye has only ever known pain and solitude since waking up with neither memories or magic. Hunted for being a Ruler in a time when they are scarce, she has survived in the wilds near the Rim, always on the run from the rest of her kind. Only starvation could draw her close to a village, but when a chance encounter and a bit of bad luck launch her into the arms of a man whose soul is bonded to hers, hiding who she is may no longer be possible.
Ilyas is a hunted man. Wanted for killing the last High Queen of Vine, he is plagued by his past of wholesale slaughter. He never wanted another Queen, and certainly not a half-feral, distrustful girl who gave up on the Fae a long time ago. Unfortunately, Soulbonds are not so easily walked away from, no matter how hard they both may want to, especially when trapped together in a cave with a pack of Feral Fae right outside.
With long-held enmities breaking out between the besieged villagers and all their lives on the line, Ilyas and Skye must learn to work together and trust each other if they want to survive. Read My Thoughts…
Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray
Reviewed: April 23rd, 2022
Released March 3rd, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
Magic doesn’t exist in the broken city of Lkossa anymore, especially for girls like sixteen-year-old Koffi. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, she cares for its fearsome mythical creatures to pay off her family’s debts. But when they are threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi unleashes a power she doesn’t fully understand.
As the son of a decorated hero, Ekon destined to become an elite warrior. Until a fire at the Night Zoo upends his future and, on the brink of his final rite of passage, Ekon is cast out – his reputation left in tatters.
For Koffi and Ekon, the outlook is bleak – unless they can capture the Shetani, the vicious monster that plagues their city. As Koffi and Ekon enter the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild magic and danger, the tentative alliance between them is tested to the extreme.
The hunt begins – but are they the hunters or the hunted? Read my review
Sword and Shadow by Michelle Sagara
Reviewed: April 19th, 2022
Released: February 22nd, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
In the city of Elantra, the law is upheld by a few groups, and the most feared are the Wolves—the Emperor’s executioners. The newest member of this elite force is Severn Handred.
Granted a leave of absence to pursue information about his unknown past, Severn joins a mission to an enclave well outside the boundaries of the Empire. And he will be in danger the entire time. Still, the instincts that led him to the Wolves and the sense of duty that keeps him there can’t be discarded as easily as the tabard he wears.
While he’s in the heart of the West March, enmeshed in a tangled web of mysteries that have been held for centuries, Severn’s belief in justice is going to be tested. It’s one mortal man and his single ally against a community of immortals who will kill to keep their secrets. But they don’t know who they’re up against. Read my thoughts…
Rule of the Night by M.H Woodscourt
Reviewed: April 16th, 2022
Released: January 20th, 2022
Genre: Science Fantasy
Blood called to the stars.
Darkness will answer.
After facing the Wildwood’s wrath, Lekore must set his sights on protecting his people from a threat descending from the depths of space. The key to safeguarding the cities of Erokel lies in an ancient shield system—if it can be repaired in time.
And the faraway threat isn’t Lekore’s only trouble. Closer dangers draw near to claim him and his abilities for their own. Somehow, he must wrestle with his newfound right to the throne, while he fends off a Tawloomez invasion, a slave revolt, and the worshippers of the Night—with only four days until first contact.
Meanwhile, the evil beyond his world has other plans… Read My Thoughts…
Dragon Storm by Sloane McClain
Reviewed: April 14th, 2022
Released: April 9th, 2022
Genre: Paranormal Romance Fantasy
Taylor Lyon knows how to take care of herself. Her family made sure. But when she pulls an injured man from the night surf, she finds herself defenseless against his charms. Plus, the energy she picks up from him matches that of the sword her aunt hid while dying of cancer. A sword the women in her family have protected for centuries. Taylor has no intention of giving it to the wrong person. Is it possible this waterlogged stray is the rightful owner?
Iain Pendragon can’t believe fate dropped him in the hands of a Sword Maiden who should know the whereabouts of one of the four remaining missing swords. Swords his family require to imprison an ancient evil for eternity. Claiming the sword means claiming his destiny and it leaves no room for love.
But Taylor can only tell if the sword she guards is Iain’s by touching it once more. That means recovering it from its hiding place. If Taylor can even find it. Taylor worries that spending more time with Iain will make her fall more in love with him. Iain is concerned that he’ll be forced to choose between the woman he’s coming to love and the fate of the world. Read my thoughts…
Angel’s Abdication by Katherine D. Graham
Reviewed: April 11th, 2022
Released: April 9th, 2022
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Angel Princesses are not supposed to be forced into marriages with Devils.
Especially not the Crown Princess… to The Devil Himself.
When Angel Crown Princess Seracuse discovers her hand has been pledged to Lucef, the Devil himself, she falls from The Heavens to avoid a life at his mercy.
Abdicating the Angel throne is not an easy feat, though–not with the forces of both The Heavens and The Underworld on her trail.
Stumbling into The Human World, the wounded fallen Angel is rescued from Harpies by a charming, enigmatic Demon who takes her in and nurses her back to health.
The spark between them is undeniable, and the bond she finds herself forging with her rescuer is the strongest one she’s had with another person in centuries. But that bond brings out a darkness from deep within her–a darkness the future Queen of the Heavens cannot tolerate.
If only the man fanning the flames in her heart wasn’t the Demon King, Draco. Or The Devil’s brother. Read my thoughts…
Immortal by Lauretta Hignett
Reviewed: April 10th, 2022
Released: March 31st, 2022
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Immortality sucks.
Just ask Imogen Gray – over two-hundred thousand years old and teetering on the edge of total insanity.
All throughout history, she’s been hunted by an ancient creature who finds her and rips her to pieces every time she dares to access her deepest powers. But Imogen always regenerates. Slowly. Painfully.
She’s on a mission to find answers. She’s almost found them.
Unfortunately for her, there’s a delinquent psychic kid, a dangerously hot Vampire King, and a power-crazed blood witch hell-bent on bringing about the apocalypse standing in her way. Read My thoughts…
Graphite and Turbulence by Jami Fairleigh
Reviewed: April 5th, 2022
Released: March 1st, 2022
Genre: Urban Fantasy
He will need courage, resilience, and a bit of magic… to survive fatherhood.
Artist Matthew Sugiyama finally has a location to start his search for his birth family, but no one prepared him for the turbulence of a scowling, unhappy child. Not only is the depot is far away, his fledgling parenting skills are not cutting it… and everyone has plenty of advice to offer on fatherhood.
But before Matthew can find his bearings, Akiko disappears. In a blink, Matthew’s priorities change. Time is running out and when old friends and enemies arrive in the depot, the situation leaves Matthew scrambling. He needs a plan—and he needs help—but who can he trust?
A profoundly moving father daughter story of the search for love and connection, Graphite and Turbulence celebrates the magic that transforms friendly strangers into family. Read my thoughts …
Dark Empathy by Katy Morgan
Reviewed: April 3rd, 2022
Released: October 26th, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
For an empath, “How do you feel?” is never just a question.
Not when it can kill you.
These are the rules:
1. Rare and powerful empaths never escape the compound.
(Bastian Lucas escaped a year ago, and just because he’s been dragged back doesn’t mean he won’t escape again.)
2. Compound officers don’t ask questions.
(Captain Henry Mortimer has always followed orders, but Bastian’s arrival—and the disappearance of one of Henry’s team—have him wondering things he probably shouldn’t be wondering.)
When Major Valentine orders Bastian and Henry to investigate a series of murders committed by an asset with powers similar to Bastian’s, it brings to light more than just a cover up. Things like why an empath who shouldn’t exist is killing senators, what’s really behind the compound’s sinister asset program, and whether Bastian and Henry will live to see the end of this case.
Because they’re in danger of breaking rule number three as well:
3. Don’t fall in love. Read My thoughts…
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
Reviewed: March 28th, 2022
Released: March 17th, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
There are some maps you can lose yourself in…
Nell Young has lived her life in and around maps. Her father, Dr. David Young, was one of the most respected cartographers in the world. But this morning he was found dead – or murdered? – in his office at the New York Public Library.
Nell hadn’t spoken to her father in years, ever since he fired her after an argument over a seemingly worthless highway roadside map. A map which was mass-produced – and every copy of which is now being found and destroyed. But why?
To answer that question, Nell will embark on a dangerous journey into the heart of a conspiracy beyond belief, the secrets behind her family, and the true power that lies in maps . . .Read my thoughts…
Renegade Angel by KC Freeman
Reviewed: March 27th, 2022 (ARC)
Released: October 4th, 2022
Genre: Paranormal fantasy
Exclusively available in the Realm of Darkness Anthology.
A warrior for good. A soldier for Heaven. A heart of gold. A body of sin.
Jasper Moreau has served as a guardian angel for centuries. He battles the demons and monsters in the dark so humanity can pretend they don’t exist. But being a guardian angel isn’t all divine love and light. Sometimes the human side of his nature needs to feed his own lustful appetites.
Savannah only wants to ride horses and be part of a family-her rodeo family. The rodeo was the one place she was finally able to escape her dark past and hide from supernatural abilities. She seems destined to remain the comical rodeo clown, but Fate has a mind of its own. And Fate means to stir up trouble. Read my thoughts …
The Wrong Apocalypse by Philip J Dennis
Reviewed: March 23rd, 2022
Released: February 19th, 2021
Genre: Satirical horror
One moment we are spending time with friends, family, lovers. Then, before we knew it, the whole world went to hell and we find ourselves hiding indoors, scared for our lives over what is happening outside. It’s the Apocalypse. Not the apocalypse you’d have expected, no. We dare not go near the window for fear of being seen. We dare not go outside for fear of what will happen to us. Mindless, bumbling, soulless husks with vacant eyes wander the streets. No, not politicians. Zombies!
As if that isn’t enough, we find ourselves hiding in the least likely place you’d expect to find yourself during a Zombie Apocalypse. Hush Now. A sex shop in the city centre. We have limited supplies. Instant noodles, tins of beans, packet of rice. But we have all the novelty candy underwear we can eat. We are not alone. There are others out there. Survivors like us. We have a plan. We were to meet up with friends in their restaurant. And that plan still stands. Somehow we will get out of this place. We will survive this! Read my thoughts…
Raven Song by Jennifer Brasington-Crowley
Reviewed: March 13th, 2022
Released: October 12th, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
This is the story of a harried zoologist, a haunted rock star and the belt that ties them together. “Take my belt.” Stanzie Butler could not miss her flight. The most important trip of her career was on the line, and this rude, loud, unkempt hooligan was not going to ruin it with his dress code violation.
Raven Xerces, the notorious rock star with a tortured past, troubled present and uncertain future, seemed to be doing all he could to sabotage Stanzie’s flight. And like a bad penny, he just kept turning up. When Stanzie’s layover leads her to Raven once again, he tries to make amends, and Stanzie discovers that this obnoxious tabloid star isn’t at all what she expected. Read My thoughts…
Ghost of Lies by Alice Winters
Reviewed: March 7th, 2022
Released: February 11th, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Narrator: Greg Boudreaux
Ghost of Lies is full of action, mystery, humor, and romance.
Hiro – Though I was born with the ability to see the dead, I struggled with it until my brother was killed and his ghost was left behind. Now, I’m determined to figure out who is responsible for his death…the problem is that Detective Maddox Booker, the one working the case, is a grumpy and stubborn man who wants nothing to do with me and definitely doesn’t believe in ghosts.
Maddox – When another man dies, I know we have a serial killer on our hands – the same murderer who has remained elusive for a year and a half. To add to my frustration, I keep running into Hiro at crime scenes, only to hear him claim that he can talk to ghosts. The words of the dead could lead us to the serial killer and even tell us who is next, but ghosts? There’s no such thing as ghosts. Read more …
Origin by AJ Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake
Reviewed: March 1st, 2022
Released:
Genre: MM Fantasy Romance
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Cameron wants to make one thing clear: He didn’t come into the festival to find a dragon mate.
Germany is supposed to be an escape. With a new mechanical engineering degree, a new job looming, and a whole life planned out that isn’t his, Germany seems like the best place for Cameron find himself. So how does he end up discovering his lost magic heritage, running from bad guys with a secret agenda, and being adopted by the not-so-extinct Fire Dragon clan?
He blames tall, dark, and sexy Alric, king of the Fire Dragons: his fated mate. Because of course he is, and mates are meant to take the blame, right? It may take a hot second, but as Cameron learns more about the scarred Alric and the life he’s landed in, he realizes that perhaps this is where he’s meant to be – magic, mates, kidnapping, and all.
Turns out Germany isn’t an escape…it’s his awakening. Read my thoughts…
Through the Door by T.L Brown
Reviewed: February 28th, 2022
Released: May 31st, 2021
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
In this second book of the Door to Door Paranormal Mystery Series: relationships tested, friendships built, secrets revealed, and sacrifices made…
Salesman Emily Swift is back – and so is Templeton! After learning about her supernatural abilities and finding the Crimson Stone, thirty-year-old Emily Swift returns home to Kincaid to rebuild a normal life with her boyfriend. As she struggles to get a handle on her “door traveling” energy, a strange warning squawks from her car radio: a rogue, terrorist group called the Fringe is still watching her.
Before she can figure out if the message is from a friend or foe, Emily’s quirky mother, Lydia, goes missing – and resurfaces in the Empire! As Lydia travels from city to city in this peculiar world, a wake of chaos is created. Add the murder of a hated art critic and a kidnapping into the mix, and things go from bad to worse. The Fringe believes Emily knows where the magical Crimson Stone is hidden, and they’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on it.
Friends Tara and Rabbit join Emily as they race against the Fringe to catch up with Emily’s wandering mother. Will Emily’s nemesis, the mysterious Templeton, join her in rescuing Lydia? What will it cost her? Is the price too high? Read my thoughts …
Knight’s Rebirth by Sara Ashwood
Reviewed: February 25th, 2022
Released: December 10th, 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Narrator: Marcus Rothenberg
“My name is Buckhunter Dornley, and I am dead.”
This isn’t your average fairy tale, and Sir Buckhunter Dornley isn’t your average knight. He’ll tell you that himself. Winning tournaments, fighting cyclopes, and slaying dragons? All in a day’s work for the mightiest knight in the empire, but that knight is about to meet his match in Mercy, the charming and outrageous princess of Merris. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and Buck falls hard. What he doesn’t know is Mercy lives under an ancient, terrible curse. When he finds out, Buck swears he’ll do anything to break it.
There’s just one little problem. He’s dead.
For there to be any chance of happily ever after, the knight determined to rescue the princess may need the princess to rescue him too.
A fairy tale fantasy perfect for those who love traditional fairy tales with a twist. Read my Thoughts …
A Very Raven Christmas by Jennifer Brasington-Crowley
Reviewed: 18th February, 2022
Released: 18th December, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
See what happens when rock legend Raven Xerces spends the holidays with his in-laws in this fun holiday short story. A fun companion to Raven Song and BirdSong, A Very Raven Christmas imagines a future Raven Xerces as he plays husband, father and son-in-law. This fish-out-of-water story is a laugh out loud delight, full of family drama, sweet romance and plenty of havoc you’ve come to expect from lovable, angsty, awkward, antihero Raven Xerces. Read my thoughts…
Suddenly Beck by Vawn Cassidy
Reviewed: February 12th, 2022
Released: July 23rd, 202
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance
A surprisingly sweet, sinfully sexy, and deliciously hilarious romp along the Cornish coast.
Nathan Elliott has run away from home at the age of twenty-six. His teenage rebellion may have come ten years late, but better late than never. Leaving behind a world of wealth and privilege, and a strict patriarchal family that would never except a gay son, he’s ready to embrace life and make up for lost time, but nothing’s ever that simple. A coin toss, a delayed train, and a wrong bus later, and Nat finds himself in a small bay in Cornwall being hauled out of the ocean by a gorgeous stranger and wondering how the hell his life got so off track.
Beck Ainsley lives life by a very simple ethos, don’t get attached, don’t get involved and don’t fall in love. He’s been there, done that and got the t-shirt that reads I’m a gullibleidiot. Now, he keeps his life simple; all he needs is his dog, his art, his rambling sea cottage overlooking the bay and a few choice waves to surf. He’s not looking for love or commitment, but when he ends up plucking a posh boy from London with incredible blue eyes from the ocean, Cupid doesn’t just shoot him with an arrow, he decides to club him senseless with the bow too.
ne simple agreement. A summer fling, a chance to act on the insane attraction between them with no strings attached, and at the end of the summer they walk away.
There’s just one problem, fate is a fickle and capricious creature, and she has no intention of letting them walk away unscathed. They’re about to discover that sometimes the heart wants, what the heart wants… Read more….
Aloha, Seattle by Morgan Gauthier
Reviewed: February 4th, 2022
Released: November 1st, 2021
Genre: Romantic Comedy
There are three things you should know about Cate Ortega. One, she’s a jet-setting flight attendant who never takes vacations. Two, she’s competitive enough to lose friends over a game of Monopoly. And three, she’s recently been dumped by her pilot ex-boyfriend for the blonde, new hire.
So, when a man calls out her name in the coffee shop and she absent-mindedly responds, Cate quickly realizes her private and routine life is about to be turned upside down. Theo asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend before his brother walks in and against all logic and reason, she agrees.
But when meeting Theo’s brother turns into her attending his brother’s wedding weekend in Hawaii, Cate and Theo make a deal. She’ll pretend to be his girlfriend for the wedding and meet his entire family, if he goes to her company’s New Year’s Eve party as her date, showing her ex-boyfriend that she’s moved on.
Once the year ends, so will their relationship. But when they’re forced to spend more time together than originally agreed upon, Cate starts to wonder if she’ll be able to walk away, or if what started off as fake could be turning into something real. Read more …
The Beggar Queen by Kelly Evans
Reviewed: February 2nd, 2022
Released: August 8th, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Kidnapped in 7th century England and sold as a slave to a powerful mayor in France, Bathilde needs to adapt to survive. When the mayor’s beloved wife passes away, he looks to Bathilde for comfort. Fleeing his attentions, she is forced to live on the streets until she catches the king’s eye and everything changes.
Now a queen, Bathilde must provide the king with heirs and continue the charitable and social work that has become her life, all the while fighting her detractors. By the end of her days, Bathilde had changed the face of medieval France forever.
How did a slave navigate the treacherous Merovingian courts and rise to rule an empire? And why have so few people heard of her? Read my thoughts …
Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross
Reviewed: January 26th, 2022
Released: November 2nd, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
The realm of Azenor has spent years plagued by a curse. Every new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians—who serve as territory wardens—stand between people and their worst dreams.
Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians arrive to challenge her, she is unknowingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets—as well as romance—begins to rise.
To fight the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn, Clementine must unite with her rival. But will their efforts be enough to save Azenor from the nightmares that lurk around every corner? Read my thoughts …
A Dead Ship in the Deep Black by Rene Astle
Reviewed: January 24th, 2022
Released:
Genre: Science Fiction
Rule number 1: Whatever you do, don’t open the box.
Well, that’s rule number two actually. Rule number one is don’t take salvage jobs from people who’ve tried to sell you to an Antillian bug salesman.Neara “Tink” Bell is used to a life of odd jobs and even odder crewmates, working as the engineer and all-around fixer on the cargo ship Lyra. But when the ship picks up two new crew members and a salvage job on a third-rate space station, things go sideways in a cosmic way.
Alek Wa is on the run. And he’s pretty sure he can hide amongst the motley crew of Lyra. But that’s not the only reason he’s on-board. He has a mission. If only his minders had told him what it was.
Can Tink keep the Lyra running despite unexplained accidents? Can Alek outrun the people hunting him? Can Rebeka prevent their pursuers from blowing them up? Most importantly, can they keep their curiosity in check and not look in the box? Read My Thoughts …
Hunter by Nicole Conway
Reviewed: January 16th, 2022
Released: November 24th, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
One boy must earn the trust of a blind dragon and hunt down an elusive sorceress before she can rekindle the war that nearly destroyed their world.
As the Kingdom of Maldobar emerges victorious from the brutal invasion of the Tibran Empire, much of the land is left in utter ruin. With his home destroyed and family gone, 16-year-old Thatcher Renley has no one left to turn to. And when he’s mistaken for a Tibran soldier and banished to a wartime prison camp, Thatcher knows his only hope for freedom lies in appealing to Queen Jenna directly.
But getting out of the prison camp might be the least of his worries— especially after he stumbles across a feral dragon locked in an iron cell.
As far as dragons go, Fornax is a lost cause. The battle that killed his rider also left him blind and too aggressive for any knight to control. But Thatcher can’t deny feeling drawn to the beast. Does he have what it takes to calm Fornax and join the proud ranks of Maldobar’s dragonriders? Only time will tell. And with a bloodthirsty Tibran witch threatening to rekindle the chaos of war, everyone’s time may be running out. Read More…
Dead Serious by Vawn Cassidy
Reviewed: January 8th, 2022
Released: October 31st, 2021
Genre: Contemporary MM Fantasy
In the business of unfinished business…
Tristan Everett had always preferred the company of the dead because they were quiet and didn’t talk back. As a slightly awkward introvert working as a pathologist at the Hackney Public Mortuary suited him just fine. That is, until a freak accident with a rogue ice cube and suddenly he can see ghosts. No longer content to just lie on the table and let him figure out how they died, they’re now peering over his shoulder critiquing his work and confessing their most lascivious sins before skipping off merrily into the afterlife.
Just when he thought his life couldn’t get any weirder, London’s most infamous drag queen, Miz Dusty Le Frey, is wheeled in with a toe tag and she’s not prepared to go quietly into the light. Not only is she furious at the prospect of spending eternity in last season’s gold lamé, she’s determined that he help her solve her murder.
All he ever wanted was a simple life but suddenly he’s juggling work, a deliciously sexy detective, a stubborn ghost and a relentless murderer … and things have just gotten dead serious … Read my thoughts…
In Darkness and Daylight by Dana Ardis
Reviewed: January 4th, 2022
Released: June 29th, 2021
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
When Kate’s dearest childhood friend returns to warn her of danger, she’s not happy to see him. After all, Cor isn’t really a monster-slaying master swordsman from another world. He’s a hallucination. Kate pent years in a mental ward for believing otherwise.
Cor did his best to honor Kate’s wishes when she sent him away five years ago. Her own family abandoned her because they couldn’t see him the way she could and that just made her tempting, easy prey for Hunters from his world. Cor couldn’t leave her to die, not if he had the power to protect her, but he can’t protect her forever.
If Kate returns to his world and learns how to defend herself, he’ll walk out of her life forever, just like she wants. Cor’s world is wilder than Kate remembers and Cor is keeping secrets, but the more time they spend together, the more she sees in him the boy she used to love. It’s getting harder to imagine saying goodbye.
If Cor is real, so are the monsters. Kate lost everything the last time she believed him. Can she risk both of their lives to follow her heart? Read my thoughts…
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Reviewed: Jan 3rd, 2022
Released: Dec 29th, 2020
Genre: Contempory Gay Romance
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place―and realizing that family is yours. Read My thoughts…
Prince of the Fallen by M.H Woodscourt
Reviewed: January 1st, 2022
Released: October 21st, 2021
Genre: Epic/Science Fantasy
Raised by ghosts. Trained by gods. How far will he go to save those who betrayed him?
Abandoned in the wilderness, Lekore lives with ghosts and fallen gods, until his efforts to rescue a traveling princess and her entourage bring him into a civilization unlike anything he’s ever known.
Caught in a net of silk and secrets, Lekore finds himself ensnared by court intrigue, midnight assassins, and a deviant faction of the Church of the Sun Gods—all thirsting for his blood.
He just wants to find the man who deserted him, until a storm rises out of the north, furious enough to destroy the city and outlying lands. Now Lekore must find the source of its wrath, deep in the wilds of the deadly Lands Beyond, if he can flee a city that won’t let him escape. Read my thoughts…
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Helen Garraway 