Layla by Colleen Hoover

Layla by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite authors. I was not sure about this one, but I knew I would still read it as soon as possible. I definitely recommend going into this one knowing as little as possible.
This one took me a little longer to get into and to buy into the story. It is very hard to put my thoughts into a review without spoilers. All I can really say is that everything with Willow and Layla is very surface level until the reveals. I did not really love this as I did not really connect or fall in love with the characters like I normally would with one of CH stories (but it makes much more sense later why it was this way).

I still found myself lost in the story though and I did not want to put it down. I wanted to know where everything would go and what direction it would take. There are twists along the way. I do wish it would have taken a little different turn as I did predict what was going to happen for the most part.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this one.


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Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I have been seeing this one everywhere lately, especially with the upcoming Netflix release. I did hear that this has some problematic scenes, but I still wanted to give it a try.

I am not sure if I missed Daphne’s age, but she is very young and immature. She goes from not what happens between married couples to forcing a situation between her and Simon. I would have liked to see more development around Daphne.

I really liked the fake dating turned into marriage. Daphne and Simon do have a relationship with communication issues and some lies going into their marriage. This is a historical romance through, so I was expecting them to move pretty fast from courting to marriage.

Simon is dealing with his past trauma with his father. He does not want children, but does lie and say he is not able to have children instead. His issues pend from the relationship and lack of acceptance from his own father when he was a child. I think it is important to understand that going into this one. It does not justify what happens between Daphne and Simon though.

I enjoyed this much more than I was expecting. I love that this can be read as a standalone if you do not want to continue on with the series. However; I see which brother book two follows and I am excited for his story. I plan to continue on eventually.


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Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

Jennifer Hillier has quickly made my favorite thriller authors list. I was not sure what to expect from this, but I have seen so many people love this one. After reading, this is probably my favorite from her so far.
This one immediately grabbed my attention from part one. I was expecting part two to slow down, but it did not. Each part added something new to the story to keep my interest. There were plenty of jaw dropping and did not see that coming moments. Yes, there were also some very expected twists as well. However; I loved this one from start to finish.


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The Escape by Lisa Harris

The Escape by Lisa Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I am a huge fan of Lisa Harris and was very excited for The Escape. I was a little hesitant with the little information I knew though as I did not know if the storyline would be for me. However; Lisa Harris delivered.
This one had a little bit of everything in it. There was plenty to keep your interest including a mystery. There was also a slow burn romance which I personally loved.

The author did a great job with this one and I cannot wait to see where the series will go! I need book two.


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The Journeys of a Different Necromancer The Locked Door Series Book One James J Crofoot

A Mother's Goodbye by Kate Hewitt

A Mother's Goodbye by Kate Hewitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

Talk about a surprise read. This is one of those page turning, hit you in the gut reads. It is a story about love, loss, and life. I really enjoyed both Heather and Grace’s stories and how they intertwined.

I really connected with Grace due to her relationship with her father. I lost my father when I was twenty years old. We did some of the same things Grace talks about like fishing and playing Pinochle.

I did find Heather a little annoying and overbearing at times, but it also really fit with the narrative with everything going on.

I had no clue this was going to take the turn it did. My heart dropped for Grace and Isaac. I do not want to really say much around what happened as I do not want to give spoilers. All I can say is grab some tissues. You will find your heart breaking several times throughout the story.

The ending was a little rushed. I would have liked more between Grace and Issac at the end. Overall, I really liked this and flew through it. This was my first Kate Hewitt and I cannot to read more.

Triggers for loss, illness, and adoption.


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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This audiobook was phenomenal. There is a full cast of narrators. Phone calls took place as real phone calls. It just really brought this story to life. If you love podcasts, you will love this on audio.
I flew through this one and did not want to put it down. It was so good. I loved following along with the clues and interviews to come to my own conclusions around what happened.

This is told in three parts. Part one was so good and engaging. I would have given part one five stars. It was where most of the interviews occurred which I really liked. Part two did slow down a little. I do think this would have even better if it was maybe around fifty some pages less. There was a lot of repeating information around the suspects that did get a little repetitive.

I did not love the ending and why everything happened the way it did. However; overall, I did enjoy this one more than I was expecting and highly recommend it on audio.


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Spiritwalker Some Like It Haunted Tanith Davenport

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love a good fake dating romance and was excited for this one. I really loved the beginning when Sara and Luis meet. It did move a little slower than I prefer, but there were a few things that were thrown in to keep my interest. This was cute, but I was just waiting for that moment to put this above the rest. Overall, a cute read.

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Burn You Twice by Mary Burton

Burn You Twice by Mary Burton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I am a little torn on this one. I was expecting a little more, but I still enjoyed it overall.

This started off so good, but almost immediately slowed down. There were certain chapters that had me on the edge of my seat, and others that were so slow and brought nothing to the story. I found myself losing interest with these slower moving sections. I needed more to happen and more draw dropping moments.

Overall, this one was ok.


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The Curse of the Mountain Tyler Cram

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I was really in the mood for a great romance and I love fake dating, so this was definitely what I needed right now. This was just one of those love stories where I found myself smiling the whole time I was reading. However; I did want a little more.

I like to have a little more around the romance than just the romance. We get a little of that here and there, but not enough to set this apart from other stories. It was a little slow in some places and a little too predictable. It is also very insta-lovey. I do love the fake dating aspect, but they were obsessed with each other too quickly.

Overall, a fun and quick romance.



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A Heart of Salt and Silver Elexis Bell

A Warrior’s Kiss by Celia Breslin

Soul Seeker by Kaylin McFarren

 

ORIGINS by Celia Breslin

Double Alchemy by Susan Mac Nicol

Fighting for Home by Kim Richards - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

Fighting for Home

Descendants of the Amazoi

Book One

Kim Richards

Genre: fantasy/historical fantasy

Publisher: Kim Gilchrist

Date of Publication: July 2020

Print ISBN: 978-1-952564-00-0

Digital ISBN: 978-1-952564-02-4

Number of pages: 241

Word Count: 87,616

Cover Artist: Dawné Dominique DusktilDawn  Designs

Book Description:

In 300 B.C.—the Greco-Roman Age—tribes of warrior women thrived near the Black Sea. The area is now modern-day Turkey. The Greeks called them Amazoi (meaning Mankiller).

Inspired by their story, Fighting for Home sings the tale of one tribe as they battle to save their way of life. Healing magic is real! Ilenea and Saphira, the wolf sisters, battle close to home with others of their generation. A healer priestess named Essla travels to a temple of Artemis at Anthela with her male slave, bringing a call to arms for the pending war. She meets and falls in love with a Roman General.

Whatever the outcome, this war changes everyone.

Amazon      Kobo       BN       Smashwords

Excerpt:

Thup. Thup. The second archer cried out as two of Xanthi’s arrows buried themselves into his thigh and hip. He let his own arrow fly. Leaves rustled where his arrows disappeared among the tree branches. He fumbled with an arrow, trying to notch it quickly when he heard the rustle again.

The archer looked up as Xanthi leaped from the bushes with her spear in hand. There was no time for him to raise his bow before the bronze point burrowed its way through his leather cuirass, seeking the tender flesh beneath.

At his wretched cry, the shield man to the left took a wild swing with his sword. He caught Xanthi just below the left collarbone. It sliced through her leather jerkin, taking breast flesh with it.

Crying out from the pain, she fell to her knees as blood poured from the gash. One hand pressed against the wound as her other fumbled for her knife.

Xanthi’s man turned his attention from her. He should’ve advanced. Celete used it to her advantage and swung her axe up the inside of his shield. It’s blade cleaved his stomach wide open. His guts spilled out over her hand—hot and sticky. He toppled sideways, landing in the dirt before Xanthi. With a roar befitting any lioness, she clawed at his face for what he did to her.

About the Author:

Kim Richards lives in Northern California with her husband and pets. She loves the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Her hobbies include reading, writing, sewing, LARPing, and listening to music.

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00APPEHK4

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kim_richards

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimRichardsAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimrichards5576/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/kim_richards

Website:  www.kim-richards.com

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Grown-Up Pose by Sonya Lalli

Grown-Up Pose by Sonya Lalli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I have seen many mixed reviews around this one, but I am really glad I gave it a chance. I really enjoyed it.

This was also a really quick read and I read it in one sitting which is always nice. I thought the pacing was great as it kept my attention throughout. There were some more humorous moments and also serious moments.

I do wish this would have explored mental health a little deeper, as I feel it almost skipped over everything that happened with Imogen. It does set up nicely for a second book around her character though which I would love to see.

Yes, our main character, Anu, could be very unlikable at times. However; I also found her relatable at the same time. She was very young when she got with her husband and had their first child. She really never found herself or who she wanted to be. She is on a journey to do just that within this story.

Overall, I really liked this though.


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The Genesis of Seven The Empyrean Trilogy Book One Sara M Schaller

The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I was excited to get the audiobook for this one as I am a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout and her Luxen series. The Brightest Night is the third book in the spin-off series, Origin. This cannot be read as a standalone, as it picks up right from where the previous books leave off.

The narrator was great. I really loved the contrast between characters. She is very easy to understand as well which is a must for me when looking at narrators.

The Brightest Night does involve so much more around our favorite characters from the previous series. It is crazy to see how much characters like Katy and Daemon have grown. I loved having more of them in this story.

Where I loved the previous two books in the series, sadly, this was probably my least favorite. It was just too slow paced. There was not much going on for most of the story. It was really character driven with little action. I needed more to keep my interest. It actually took me much longer than normal to finish this one. I knew I was going to push through though since I committed to this series.

Evie is really discovering who she is and how to work her powers. She is also developing her relationship with Luc. There were a few extras thrown in, but again, I just wanted more.

The second half definitely picked up and the twist at the end leaves you excited for the final book in the series. It had me looking to see if there was a release date announced for the final book.

Overall, I still enjoyed this one (just not as much as I was expecting). I will continue with the series and will continue to read everything from JLA.


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The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright


This one is not for me, but sounded really interesting. I still wanted to give it a try and was really excited, but it did not capture my attention like I wanted too. This is just a personal preference. I know others will love it.

I even tried the audiobook on this one, but again, it just was not for me. I could not connect with the story.

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Only Truth by Julie Cameron

Only Truth by Julie Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I was excited to get the audiobook for this one. The narrator has a very raspy voice that did bring a great feel to the story. I do wish there were some more variations when voicing some of the males as it was hard to follow when they were all together. Otherwise, the narration is great on this one. Her voice really made you feel during the emotional parts of the story.

Triggers for mental health, animal abuse/killing, rape, and more.

I really like how this will make you question Who is it? I started making predictions after chapter two, but there is really never anything to really pin point the twist towards the end.

This also changes between the POV of Isabell and our psychopath. I really loved what this change brought to the story. Our killer was very sick and creepy. It pulled together the slower parts of the story and really kept this one moving.

I do feel the ending was a little rushed. I would have liked a little more climax around everything happening. We get more of the backstory once the reveal, but I would have liked a little more around the current day.

This is a very dark story and I really enjoyed it. I am excited to see what the author brings to us next.


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Happily Ever After Twisted Versions of Your Favorite Fairy Tales Elizabeth Black

Trick or Treat at Caynham Castle Jeanne Adams, Morgan Brice, Caren Crane, Nancy Northcott

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The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb

The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I was excited to get the audiobook for this one. The narrator has a very raspy voice that did bring a great feel to the story. I do wish there were some more variations when voicing some of the males as it was hard to follow when they were all together. Otherwise, the narration is great on this one. Her voice really made you feel during the emotional parts of the story.

I am a little confused on this one though. I was expecting a gothic thriller, but this was more a story around love and grief.

When this initially started, I was instantly intrigued. You start to get to know the characters.
This does have triggers for a loss of a loved one, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. I was really drawn into the emotional side of this story as you learn more about them and their pasts. However; I was not expecting most of the story to follow long this path.

The mystery was pretty slow. There are only a few things thrown in here and there around anything spooky or mysterious happening. At first, these scenes really kept my interest and my want to read. After half of the book though, I did find the story dragging a little. I needed more to happen and started to lose interest.

Sadly, I kept wanting to DNF this one but pushed through hoping it would pick up. I think I would have enjoyed this one much more if I was not expecting a spooky read.


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Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I read my first book by Wendy Walker last year and was super excited for this one. The audiobook for this one was really good and I highly recommend it. The narrator did a great job and I was able to follow along with a little over 2.0 speed.
Now, that is how you do an intro! I was hooked on this one from Day 1. I was already shocked and asking What? right from the start. The added past of Molly and her family brought that extra dynamic to the story.

This goes back and forth between Molly and her daughter, Nic, points of view. I am normally not a huge fan of dual POV, but this one really worked. I was interested in seeing both sides of the story.

I was expecting for a certain someone to be a part of what happened, and they were not. My mouth dropped with this twist. I have no clue how I did not piece all of that together, but I was very happy that I did not. I also did not see the added twist towards the end.

I did think some of the middle was a little repetitive and I was waiting for something more to happen. However; it all came together in the end and why certain things were happening the way they were.

Overall, I really liked this one though and Wendy Walker is quickly making my must read list.



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Who Let the Demon Out? By Naomi Bellina

Dreams of Thunder Dreams Book Two Christian Cura

Full Moon in Leo by Brooklyn Ray

Queen’s Ascension Blood Prophecy 3 by Barb Jones

After the Flood by Kassandra Montag

After the Flood by Kassandra Montag
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5

I was sent this book from the publisher/publicity team. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

Science Fiction tends to be a genre that I rarely reach for, but this one sounded really good. The cover also really grabbed my attention.

I really loved the beginning of this one. I was immediately hooked around the story with Row and it was really what kept me reading throughout. I really enjoyed the parts that involved Row and the mystery around what happened to her.

I do feel this went on a little too much at times. I needed a little more movement in the middle. However; the author did a great job of throwing enough in at the right moments to pull me back in. Every time I would get to a point of wanting to give up on this one, something would happen to pull me back in.

I was happy that the story with Row picked up at the end too.

Overall, this was better than I was expecting.


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Awaken by B.L. Callaghan

Hidden Gypsy Magic by Tena Stetler

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