I love to read. My favorite genres are women's fiction, romance, psychological thrillers, fantasy, young adult, steampunk, dystopian, LGBTQIA, and paranormal.
When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the manor is cursed. The endless creaking of the house at night and the eerie stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too—questions that Silla can’t ignore: Why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer? Who is the beautiful boy who’s appeared from the woods? And who is the tall man with no eyes who Nori plays with in the basement at night… a man no one else can see?
I stayed up until 1 am to finish reading this book. I had to finish this book because it had such a grip on me. It scared me to death and fascinated me at the same time. It was good when I can’t sleep after finishing a book because it creeped me out.
This book is written in such a different fashion it is hard to explain. In one chapter, you are reading in 1st person, and then you could be reading in 3rd person. I don’t like it when the book jumps around like that, but it worked in this case. There were also excerpts from Silla’s diary that were creepy. I got the chills from reading it.
This book also fucks with your mind. I won’t go into it, but, baby, things are not what they seem in this book!!!
Like I said above, this book is a mind fuck. The huge twist at the end threw me for a loop. I didn’t even see it coming. Not a hint, nothing.
I would recommend And the Trees Crept In to anyone over 21. It is a clean book with no violence and mild language.
If you enjoyed And the Trees Crept In, you will enjoy these books:
Bestselling author Ashlyn Macnamara, hailed by Jennifer McQuiston as “a born storyteller,” introduces the strapping, audacious outlaws of the Bastard Brotherhood in this enchanting tale of forbidden love between supposedly sworn enemies.
Though she is intended for the king, Calista Thorne picks up a crossbow to defend her ancestral home, Blackbriar Keep, from a gang of landless knights. She even manages to sink a poison-tipped arrow into their commander, who survives long enough to conquer the Keep and claim Calista for his own. Now, with her father’s life at stake, Calista must nurse the brigand back to health, and the strangest thing happens: She finds herself fascinated by his tautly muscled body, and enthralled by his hotly whispered demands.
Ever since his father’s death, the fearsome warrior they call Torch has been consumed by his quest for revenge. Taking Blackbriar Keep is the first step in that plan, and—by the three gods—it won’t be the last. But after taking one look into Calista’s smoldering gray eyes, Torch discovers a passion nobler than retribution. He will fulfill his destiny and take her from the usurper king, even in his weakened state. For with Calista’s love, no man has ever felt more powerful.
I was excited about this book when I saw the synopsis. “Oh wow, Jolie, it’s a Middle Age romance, and itisgoing toROCK,” I thought.
Talk about setting myself up for a huge disappointment.
Destined for a King did have a great start. The book starts when Blackbriar Keep is overtaken by Torch and his knights. Calista, Lord Thorne’s daughter, and only child, manages to shoot Torch in his leg with an arrow and wounds him. After announcing to the keep (and her parents) that he will marry her, Torch passes out. Turns out that the arrow was tipped with kingsbane and poisoned him. Torch’s second in command orders Calista to heal Torch. He threatens her with this: If Torch doesn’t live, neither will she or her parents. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Calista is promised to the King, MagnusVandal. Also, Torch claims that he is the long-lost heir to the throne, Josse Vandal.
Got that. Good. Because after all that is revealed, the book gets confusing.
I was not fond of Calista at all. She was headstrong and prone to doing things that got her and others in trouble. Like sneaking out of the keep to see her old tutor, Brother Tanctrid. She asked him about what happened with the King and Torch. I still don’t understand how she did it, with the keep being as defended as it was.
Then there is Calista’s mother. She drove me nuts. Always reminding her that she was “destined for a king” but never saying why. What got me was when she told Calista, “remember why I named you,” and then NEVER WENT INTO THE REASON!!!! WTH. Why did she name Calista her name? WHY? Inquiring minds want to know over here.
Calista gets attacked by Brother Tanctrid after she wakes him from his trance. I thought he would end up being a vampire with all the talk about blood. It isn’t blood that he wants. Calista is affected by his attack, but not in the way you would think.
There is Instalove too. Calista goes from hating Torch to being in love with him within 4 days. Excuse me while I gag. I hate Instalove. At least give it a week or so to develop. The sex scenes were great and delicious.
The ending was good, too, leaving the book open for other books in the series.
I would recommend Destined for a King to anyone over 21. There is sex and mild violence.
Colorado teen Theodora (Theo) will do anything to find her missing mom, including travel into the hidden and mysterious Victorian subculture of Aether. She takes a ride with airship pirates to a floating island full of strange automatons and even stranger people. After a century-old feud reignites, she uncovers the alarming truth about her family’s past. Finding her mother is more important than ever.
Ahhhhh…..steampunk!!!! Ahhhhh……Celtic mythology. Ahhhh…..a mix of both!!!
As you can see, I was pumped about reading a steampunk/Celtic mythology novel. Super duper pumped about reading this book, and it didn’t let me down.
Theodora (or Theo as she liked to be called) was the perfect heroine, and I loved her. She was the perfect combination of sass, sarcasm, angst, and innocence all rolled into one. I liked that she didn’t even blink when strange things started to happen to her. That whole cross-country flight/train ride/airship ride/floating island would have freaked me out. But not her, and I admired that.
The steampunk part of the book didn’t happen until halfway through. I was in nerd heaven after that. Automans, half machine/half human people, odd way of talking, a freaking AIRSHIP!!!
The romance aspect was cute too. Theo was hilarious in fighting her feelings for Victor, and when she gave in, well, I laughed. It was cute.
The Danu storyline was also great, along with the Order storyline. Lazarus was a creep, and he got what he deserved.
The ending was a surprise to me. It was not a cliffhanger, but it left the book open for another.
I would recommend Into Aether to anyone over 13. There is no sex, minimal violence, and mild language.
If you enjoyed reading Into Aether, you will enjoy reading these books:
The Peacekeepers believe that there is only Good and Evil in the Galaxy, But for David Carpenter, morality is not about absolutes. His true path lies somewhere in the shadows.
The planet of Prospect was once a bastion of hope and prosperity for humanity. It’s wealth and promise drew the powers of Earth to it like moths to a flame. Centuries later, after endless exploitation and war, Prospect has devolved into a run down and neglected corner of the galaxy. A corner of the galaxy that veteran smuggler David Carpenter is very familiar with. But after accepting a contract from the notorious Windham Corporation, he finds himself in over his head. Trapped between warring criminal and government factions in some of the most unforgiving environments known to man, he discovers a terrifying truth that could change the future of humanity forever. Now David must navigate a labyrinth of lies, deceit, and villainy if he hopes to save his own life, let alone the dystopian world he calls home.Immerse yourself in the Epic where the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.
It has been a while since I have read a good science fiction book. Dusk to Dust is one of those books, and I enjoyed reading it.
David Carpenter is a smuggler who has taken on a huge assignment with his partner. They are heading to a planet called Prospect to meet with the Windham Corporation about a job.
I loved David’s (or Carp’s) character. He was loyal, and he would do anything to make sure that he got the job done. His relationship with Alana was complex, but the author did the right thing by not making them have a relationship. Later, his military training and moral compass were showcased when he teamed up with Letsego and the Peacekeepers.
I was less thrilled with Lesego’s character. He was strong-armed into following Carp and Alana by his captain. He made the job personal after a team member was killed and another was blinded. But he did redeem himself when he helped Carp on the raider’s space station and then again at Windham’s dig site.
The amount of violence in the book put me off in the beginning. Once I started reading and got into the story, I saw how violence was essential to the plot.
The ending/epilogue was perfect. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming, and I was blown away by it. Not giving anything away, but it was perfect!!!!
I would recommend Dusk to Dust to anyone over 21. There is sex, graphic violence, and language. There is also a torture scene (fingernails get pulled off)
The Peacekeepers believe that there is only Good and Evil in the Galaxy,
But for David Carpenter, morality is not about absolutes. His true path lies somewhere in the shadows.
The planet of Prospect was once a bastion of hope and prosperity for humanity. It’s wealth and promise drew the powers of Earth to it like moths to a flame. Centuries later, after endless exploitation and war, Prospect has devolved into a run down and neglected corner of the galaxy. A corner of the galaxy that veteran smuggler David Carpenter is very familiar with. But after accepting a contract from the notorious Windham Corporation, he finds himself in over his head. Trapped between warring criminal and government factions in some of the most unforgiving environments known to man, he discovers a terrifying truth that could change the future of humanity forever. Now David must navigate a labyrinth of lies, deceit, and villainy if he hopes to save his own life, let alone the dystopian world he calls home.
Immerse yourself in the Epic where the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.
My review:
It has been a while since I have read a good science fiction book. Beneath Crimson Sky is one of those books and I enjoyed reading it.
David Carpenter is a smuggler who has taken on a huge assignment with his partner. They are heading to a planet called Prospect to meet up with the Windham Corporation about a job.
I loved David’s (or Carp) character. He was loyal and he would do anything to make sure that he got the job done. His relationship with Alana was complex but the author did do the right thing by not making them have a relationship. Later on, when he teamed up with Letsego and the Peacekeepers, his military training and moral compass are showcased.
I was less thrilled with Lesego’s character. He was strong-armed into following Carp and Alana by his captain. He made the job personal after a member of his team was killed and another one was blinded. But he did redeem himself when he helped Carp on the raider’s space station and then again at Windham’s dig site.
The amount of violence in the book put me off in the beginning. Once I started reading and got into the story, I saw how the violence was essential to the plot.
The ending/epilogue was perfect. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming and I was blown away by it. Not giving anything away but it was perfect!!!!
How many stars will I give Dusk to Dust? 4
Why? Like I said when I started this review, I enjoyed the book. There was a ton of action and the ending was perfect!!!
Will I reread? Yes
Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes
Age range? Adult
Why? While no sex (clean in that sense), there is graphic violence and language. Also a scene of torture (pulling off of fingernails….shudder).
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
What if you had a husband who hadn’t been as loving as you’d like?
What if he’d been too busy to satisfy the hunger burning inside of you?
What if a handsome stranger walked into your workplace and offered to fulfill your most secret desires?
What if you had a Sexy Secret that you didn’t want revealed to anybody?
Diner Delight is a short story about a married woman and her sexual adventures that will keep you at the edge of your seat and leave you begging for more.
When the author asked me to review her book, I went back and forth on it. While I like to read erotica, I am hesitant to review them. I decided to take a chance and review Diner Delight, and I loved it!!!
The wife gets turned on by the gym rats who come into the diner nightly. So she goes into the bathroom to get off. She reminisces about her past exploits with men and women while she masturbates. I should add that her husband owns the diner, and she is a waitress.
One night, a gym rat who smells like soap (which means he showered people!!) finds her getting off in the bathroom, and shenanigans ensue. Not going to go into it too much, but it was scorching. Of course, I am left wondering, why does every guy in erotica need to have a supermax dick?? It is my question of the day, I guess.
The ending was super sweet, and it was a cliffhanger. Grrrrrr.
I would recommend Diner’s Delight to anyone over 21. There is explicit sex and language.
If you enjoyed Diner’s Delight, you will enjoy these books:
Young, lovely Norwegian Agnes Gerner is waging a dangerous and secret fight. Outwardly, she is a devoted Nazi sympathizer engaged to a prominent businessman. In fact, she is part of an underground resistance doing everything to win the war against the Germans. The only hope she has of being reunited with the man she truly loves—who serves under the code name “Pilgrim”—is if the Nazis are defeated. Of course, there’s no guarantee that she’ll be alive when that happens…
Many years later, three sets of remains are found in a popular Oslo forest—two adults and a child. Despite his boss’s call to not spend extra time on the old case, Detective Tommy Bergmann cannot help but dig deeper, especially as he uncovers connections to a more recent murder. As he unravels the secrets of the past, it becomes clear that everything is permissible in war—and that only those who reject love can come out victorious.
My review:
I wouldn’t say I liked this book when I first started reading it. I had a lot of problems keeping my attention focused on it. Once I got past the first few chapters, I started to like the book.
I didn’t expect that I would like Tommy Bergmann by the end of the book. In the beginning, I detested him. He admitted that he beat his girlfriend over their 12-year relationship. He did have an awesome work ethic, and his remorse for his past behavior came across the pages. Even though he is a fictional character, I wanted to slip him a card to a psychologist. When he had a chance with another woman, he called it off because of his issues with his ex-girlfriend.
Agnes annoyed the ever-living out of me. I can’t put a finger on it, but I read her chapters with a bad taste in my mouth. I did find it fascinating how female spies were regarded during World War 2. Agnes proved them wrong. Her scenes with The Pilgrim also didn’t ring true to me. I figured out that he wanted a piece of ass and a place to crash, and she fell in love with him.
I liked the dual storylines. The author kept them apart and devoted entire chapters to Tommy and Agnes. I got confused was the beginning of the book when Kaj and the detective were killed. I got confused in the 2003 chapters when Tommy came to the crime scene. And then when he was called the woods when they found the bones.
The author did a great job keeping the killers under wraps until the end. He took me on a multi-country jaunt to find out how those two cases were connected. I did figure out the 1942 storyline about halfway through the book. But the 2003 storyline (and how they connected) did take me by surprise, and I was a little shocked by the ending.
I would recommend The Last Pilgrim to anyone over 21. There is sex and lots of violence.
If you liked The Last Pilgrim, you will enjoy these books:
Before the Scorpius Syndrome tore through North America and nearly wiped out the population, Vivienne Wellington was the FBI’s best profiler. The bacteria got her anyway. But she survived. She recovered. And when she woke up from a drug-nightmare of captivity, her trust in her fellow man had gone from shaky at best to nonexistent. Her mysterious rescuer wants to convince her he’s the exception. But no matter how tempting he is, with his angel’s eyes and devil’s tongue, Vinnie knows she shouldn’t trust him.
If the FBI were still around they would rate Raze Shadow as one of the bad guys. His military training can’t wipe out his association with the Mercenaries, the most feared gang in a thousand miles. His loyalties are compromised. He won’t even tell Vinnie his real name. But there’s no FBI in the new America of fear and firepower, only instinct and risk. And the way his arms wrap around her tells its own story. Whatever else Raze is concealing, he can’t hide his desire . . .
Oh. My. God.
I LOVED this book. Forget that it is the 2nd book in a series. Forget it. This book is that awesome.
Raze, oh, where do I start with him? He is so bad that he’s good and oozed sex appeal. What appealed to me about him was that he was 100% devoted to his family and those he considers family. Even when he got sick with the Scorpius Syndrome, he was still a badass.
Vinnie (or Vivienne) Kennedy was a mess when she was introduced. She is dealing with the aftermath of her kidnapping by the President. She was also infected with Scorpius Syndrome, and her brain was all wonky. She is seeing hallucinations of her dead schizophrenic stepmother, and she believes that she can read minds (or can she??). She doesn’t have a filter. I laughed out loud when she told Jax, Lynn, and Trace that Raze had a huge erection because she wouldn’t have sex with him.
President Atherton and Vice President Lake were creepy. I got chills when I read their scenes. I can’t wait to see them get what they are due.
The main storyline was great, but I called what would happen with it. Not that it took away from the story in any way. I liked the 2nd storyline, and the way the author wrapped that up was great. The 3rd storyline annoyed me for some reason. The Reverend was sneaky. I don’t understand why Jax didn’t shoot him the first time Vinnie told himhe was up to something. But then again, I can see why he didn’t.
The ending was great and left open for Trace and Sami’s story. Which I can’t wait to read. I have to read the first book, and I will be all set.
I would recommend Shadow Falling to anyone over 21. There is sex, language, and violence.
If you enjoyed Shadow Falling, you will enjoy these books:
First, Vanessa Kelly brought readers The Renegade Royals. Now, in a delightfully witty new series, she introduces The Improper Princesses—three young women descended from royalty, each bound for her own thrilling adventure . . .
Despite being the illegitimate daughter of a prince, Gillian Dryden is happily ignorant of all social graces. After growing up wild in Italy, Gillian has been ordered home to England to find a suitable husband. And Charles Valentine Penley, the excessively proper, distractingly handsome Duke of Leverton, has agreed to help transform her from a willful tomboy to a blushing debutante.
Powerful and sophisticated, Charles can make or break reputations with a well-placed word. But his new protégée, with her habit of hunting bandits and punching earls, is a walking scandal. The ton is aghast . . . but Charles is thoroughly intrigued. Tasked with taking the hoyden in hand, he longs to take her in his arms instead. Can such an outrageous attraction possibly lead to a fairytale ending?
I have mentioned in other reviews that I am a huge fan of historical romance. I love to be able to immerse myself and pretend, for a little while, that I am in Regency England. Something about that period fascinates me to no end. When I got My Fair Princess to review, I was excited about reading it.
The book lived up to the internal hype in my mind. The author was spot on with the sayings and the tons attitudes. The rigid rules society lived by and how they dressed were spot on. It is amazing what was considered awful, and life-ending back in that society is normal in these times.
Miss Gillian Dryden is a prime example of what I stated above. She is the illegitimate daughter of the Prince of England. Her mother had made a bad decision, slept with the Prince of England, got pregnant, and decided to keep the baby. It didn’t matter that she married an Italian count; the stain of what she did followed Gillian.
I liked Gillian’s character. She was spunky, outspoken and she was unpolished. Even though her mother was a Contessa and her stepfather a Count, she wasn’t brought into Italian society because of her birth. So she didn’t have the social graces that most girls of that period did, and I loved it. It was very refreshing to read her scenes because she spoke plainly.
But there was a downside to her character that I didn’t like. She was stubborn and didn’t listen to reason (or Duke Leverton). She took risks that put people and herself in danger. But it did make for an interesting read.
The Duke of Leverton (or Charles Valentine Penley). Oh, where do I begin with him? He has an iron facade, and nothing got to him except Gillian. Seeing his facade starting to crack and then for him not to be “Perfect Penley” was great.
I wish I could say that the rest of the story was as great as those characters. There was some promise when Gillian met Letitia and her husband, but that petered out. She gets a couple of bad nicknames (Doxy Duchess was one), and they all decide to vacation in the summer. I would have loved to see that triangle work its way out. Even the subplot of the smugglers was eh. I figured out who was helping them about halfway through the book.
The ending was cute, and I loved the epilogue.
I would recommend My Fair Princess to anyone over 21. There is sex and mild violence.
If you enjoyed My Fair Princess, you will enjoy these books:
Mages, held captive since magic first manifested in the world, seek to break their chains. Sentinels, warriors with an unnatural immunity to magic, are oathbound to keep the magic-users prisoner – at any cost.
Kali, an atheist mage fleeing her painful past, travels to a powerful healer in Whitewater City, hoping to mend more than her broken heart. One of her sentinel escorts is Stonewall, a man left with only his faith after the death of his brother. But when monstrous bandits destroy Kali’s other escorts, the two unwitting companions must join forces to survive demonic creatures, bloodthirsty nomads, and a dangerous magic never seen before.
Meanwhile in Whitewater City, the sentinel commander struggles to keep control as the mages plan a daring escape.
Opposing worldviews collide in Catalyst Moon: Incursion, the first book a fantasy-romance series where magic is new and a mage rebellion is on the horizon.
The Catalyst Moon Saga: Book One – Incursion Book Two – Breach Book Three – Storm Book Four – Surrender (Coming 2020!)
This book was interesting for me to read. This society feared mages and kept them sequestered from other people. I was fascinated by it.
The story was great. A mage is getting transferred from an old bastillion to a new one, and her envoy gets attacked. Desperate to protect herself and the sentinels, she does magic through her bonds. She ends up transporting them far away from the scene of the battle.
It would have been boring if the author had continued writing the story from Kalinda’s perspective. Adding Gideon/Eris’s story would have completed the story. But when I got into Milo/Flint’s issues, it became confusing and dragged the story down.
I liked Kali and Stonewall’s characters. I liked that the author did a slow burn for the romance instead of Instalove. I didn’t feel them as a couple at all. Because the romance was later on in the book, and she was taken away from him before they could bump uglies. I’m not too sure if they did have sex. The scene where they were in the inn and making out didn’t say if they did or not. I went with no, but I could be wrong. It was vaguely written.
The book ended as I thought it would. There was no huge twist, and I saw what happened from a mile away. With the way the book ended, there was no doubt that there is a 2nd book coming.
I would recommend Incursion to anyone over 16. There is violence and non-graphic sex.
If you enjoyed Incursion, you will enjoy these books:
![And the Trees Crept In by [Kurtagich, Dawn]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51lfwbPFH2L.jpg)
![Destined for a King: The Bastard Brotherhood by [Macnamara, Ashlyn]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vxYLXxl8L.jpg)
![Into Aether: A Teen Steampunk Novel (The Trinity Key Trilogy of the Aether Series Book 1) by [Fry, L.M.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51STuxtUm9L.jpg)
![Beneath Crimson Sky: (Dusk to Dust) by [Felder, Adrian]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51eYdF40rhL.jpg)
![Diner Delight (Sexy Secrets Book 1) by [Fire, April]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51bchCMdEOL.jpg)
![The Last Pilgrim (Tommy Bergmann Book 1) by [Sveen, Gard]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vUHrhiJZL.jpg)
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