Letters from Angels by Dominic Schunker

Letters from Angels by [Schunker, Dominic]

3 Stars

Publisher: Offworld Publishing

Date of publication: July 7th, 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Where you can find Letters from Angels: Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

There’s something very wrong with the world. A strange mist settles everywhere. It seems to be causing more than the usual horrors humans like to inflict on themselves, like an organising of those horrors into a plan to end them.

A Preacher with a past challenging his faith and a renowned Ufologist learn something evil is controlling it. They’re being shown signs to discover who it is but what is it?

Is it an alien hybrid, installed for a long-overdue alien takeover and terraforming of Planet Earth?

Or is it the Biblical antichrist, fulfilling its apocryphal destiny?

If they can figure out what it is, maybe they can learn how to defeat it.

Thing is, it’s not easy. The signs of abduction and demonic possession are the same. Descriptions of aliens and biblical demons are the same.

There’s nothing obvious presenting itself but there’s something about the number 37 that seems to have an answer. There is hope.

Meanwhile, the rest of humanity appears to be falling right into its trap.

One way or another, the end of the world is indeed nigh and humans are not required.

Eventually, the only solution is the most unlikely solution.

But it’s all they’ve got.

First Line:

It really was a stupidly hot 11am in the little wooden church of St. John the Baptist, in the scrubs outside Booker.
Letters from Angels by Dominic Schunker

My Review:

When I started reading Letters from Angels, I was expecting a cut and dry book about four people thwarting the end of the world. I was looking forward to reading it. The blurb sparked my interest. But, having read the book, I can say that it wasn’t something that I would have read on my own.

The plot for Letters from Angels was interesting. A preacher and a Ufologist are brought together by a time-traveling couple to help them defeat the Antichrist. The only problem is that they need to find out how to defeat him and save the world.

The main characters were wonderfully written, and I enjoyed reading about their escapes. But I couldn’t connect with them. I didn’t feel that connection with any of the main characters. Which saddened me because I thought that they were well written and had interesting backstories.

The plotline was also well written. It did take some time to get going, but once it got up to speed, it didn’t stop. There were a few lags in the plotline, but the plot got back on track. I also liked how the foursome went about defeating the Antichrist.

The end of Letters from Angels was confusing. I ended up rereading the last few chapters because I wasn’t sure what was going on or what happened.

I would give Letters From Angels an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Letters From Angels. I am on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Bethlehem by Karen Kelly

3 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of Publication: July 9th, 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Where you can find Bethlehem: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Synopsis:

With the writing chops of Ian McEwan and the story-craft of Lisa Wingate, Karen Kelly weaves a shattering debut about two intertwined families and the secrets that they buried during the gilded, glory days of Bethlehem, PA.

A young woman arrives at the grand ancestral home of her husband’s family, hoping to fortify her cracking marriage. But what she finds is not what she expected: tragedy haunts the hallways, whispering of heartache and a past she never knew existed.

Inspired by the true titans of the steel-boom era, Bethlehem is a story of temptation and regret, a story of secrets and the cost of keeping them, a story of forgiveness. It is the story of two complex women—thrown together in the name of family—who, in coming to understand each other, come finally to understand themselves.

My review:

Joanna Collier has reluctantly moved to her husband’s childhood home in Bethlehem, PA. What Joanna doesn’t know is that there are secrets that have laid dormant. Secrets that could tear her family apart.

I almost didn’t accept the invite to review for Bethlehem. The blurb didn’t sell the book. I also decided to read some of the reviews on Goodreads before making my decision. What made my decision for me was the cover. I thought it was beautiful.

I thought that Bethlehem was well written. The author did a great job of bringing the characters to life. The writing was descriptive and drew me right in. I love it when a story does that.

My issue with the book fell with the characters. While they were well written, I couldn’t connect with them. I must connect with at least one character in the book.

I did like the plotlines. I thought that they were well written and flushed out. I was able to immerse myself in the plotline. I also liked the dual plotlines.

There were dropped storylines and characters that seemed to disappear. The storyline that I am referring to was the one with Daniel and Joanna. I did think that it was going in a specific direction. Then it was dropped, and Daniel was never heard from again. Drove me nuts. I needed to know what happened to Daniel!!

I didn’t like Joanna. She didn’t try to cultivate a relationship with Savannah or Hedy. She kept to herself. She pursued a relationship with Daniel instead of focusing on fixing the one with her husband. She flipped out when Gigi gave the kids their Christmas presents. Her attitude was horrible. She did start to change about halfway through the book, but I couldn’t change my view of her.

I did figure out what was going on with Susannah about halfway through the book. I did think that it was sucky what she did to Wyatt. But, at the same time, she did remain true to herself.

The end of Bethlehem didn’t sit well with me. It seemed rushed. Joanna’s change of heart was not believable. I did like how the author brought together the main storylines. That wasn’t rushed.

I would give Bethlehem an Adult rating. There is sex (mentions of it, nothing graphic). There is not language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Bethlehem. I am also on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends. I would read other books by the author.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Bethlehem.

All opinions stated in this review of Bethlehem are mine.

Have you read Bethlehem?

What are your thoughts on it?

Would you be able to uproot your life for your SO?

Let me know!!

The Stories You Tell (Roxane Weary: Book 3) by Kristen Lepionka

The Stories You Tell: A Mystery (Roxane Weary Book 3) by [Lepionka, Kristen]

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: July 9th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Roxane Weary

The Last Place You Look—Book 1

What You Want To See—Book 2

The Stories You Tell—Book 3

Where you find The Stories You Tell: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

The Stories You Tell is Shamus Award-winning and Anthony and Macavity Award-nominated author Kristen Lepionka’s heart-pounding third novel that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats with her signature twists and mile-high stakes.

A late-night phone call is never good news, especially when you’re Roxane Weary. This one is from her brother Andrew whose evening was interrupted by a visit from Addison, a hip young DJ he knows from the hotel bar where he works. She was drunk, bloody, and hysterical, but she wouldn’t say what was wrong. After using his phone, she left as quickly as she appeared, and Andrew is worried. That’s when he calls Roxane.

But another late-night call occurs as well: Addison’s father calls the police after getting a panicked voicemail from his daughter. The only thing he could understand is the address she gave in the message—Andrew’s. Before long, the police are asking Andrew all about why there’s blood in his apartment and what he did to Addison. Meanwhile, another cop is found dead on the opposite side of town, leading to a swirl of questions surrounding a dance club whose staff—which includes Addison—has suddenly gone AWOL.

My Review:

If you have been following this blog long enough, y’all know how much I hate reading books out of order if they are in a series. So when I realized that The Stories You Tell was the 3rd book in the Roxane Weary series, I did a facepalm. I prepared myself for being lost while reading this book. Well, I lucked out. The Stories You Tell can be read as a standalone book.

I enjoyed The Stories You Tell storyline. I thought that the storyline was well written. There was a little lag in the middle of the book. That happened right around when Andrew got arrested. But the book got back on track shortly afterward.

I liked Roxane. She committed to finding Addison after Andrew called her that night. She was also committed to finding out the truth when Andrew got arrested. I was iffy about her relationship with Catherine. I don’t know what went down in the first two books, but there was a disconnect between them the beginning. I was also confused about what was going on with Tom. The end of the book didn’t help with my confusion.

The mystery angle of the book was well written. The author did a fantastic job keeping where Addison was and what happened that night at the club under wraps. There were several other storylines (the dead ex-cop, the missing club staff, and the dating app) that were spun off from the main plotline. The author also did a fantastic job of combining all the secondary plotlines into the first one. When she started doing it, it didn’t make sense. But, after the scene with Brock, it began to make sense.

The end of The Stories You Tell was intense. It went lightning fast from the moment Roxane started putting things together. For a brief minute, I did think Jordy was in on what Elise was doing. But my mind was changed shortly after that.

I would give The Stories You Tell an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Stories You Tell I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Shadowverse by John-Clement Gallo

The Shadowverse: A YA Sci-Fi Superhero Adventure by [Gallo, John-Clement, Gallo, Francesca]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: November 20th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy, Christian

Where you can find The Shadowverse: Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Regarded as “captivating” and “one-of-a-kind,” The Shadowverse is a Science-Fiction Superhero thriller with hints of the Young Adult genre. It is a story of destiny—that no matter who you are, where you are, or what your past is like, you can always achieve greatness.

Johnny Sparks longs for a greater purpose. After an encounter with a mysterious stranger, he and his friends are imbued with incredible powers—at last giving his life meaning.

But this dream soon disintegrates once one of the friends is taken by an alien warlord named Titan. In a rescue effort, the remaining group is sent across the galaxy in search of the only possible aid—an ancient, immortal warrior missing for centuries.

To succeed, the team must join forces to reclaim their friend and stop a sinister scheme devised against humanity by Titan and his empire. The conflict for the soul of the universe is set in motion, but even if the group prevails, they risk losing what it means to be human.

First Line:

There was only darkness.
The Shadowverse by John-Clement Gallo

My Review

While I like science fiction, I have been moving away reading it. They all seemed to follow the same plotline, and I was getting bored reading them. So, when the author of The Shadowverse approached me to review his book, I almost didn’t accept it. But there was something about the blurb that made me think twice. I am glad that I did because this was a fantastic read!!

The Shadowverse was an interesting combination of science fiction, fantasy, and Christian literature. I have read this combination before, and it fell flat. But not The Shadowverse. The author was able to meld all three genres’ together wonderfully. I loved it.

I did like the plotline of The Shadowverse, but there were times where I found that it got choppy. Like when the author went into Rose/Adira’s background. Her backstory didn’t meld well into the main story. There were other, smaller instances, but Rose’s stood out the most in the book. Other than that, I did like the plotline. It was fast paced and well written.

The characters in The Shadowverse was some of the more unique ones that I have read in a book. What I liked the most about these characters was that the author was able to make me feel pity and sympathy for the main bad guys (Titan and Solis). Of course, that sympathy waned throughout the book. But still.

The main plotline was interesting. I enjoyed seeing the kids learning about their powers. They did everything that I expected kids that age to do if they found out that they had powers. I enjoyed seeing the different planets that the kids visited as they tracked down Titan. I also enjoyed seeing their interactions with Sonovan. And the training. I know that I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with that!!

The last battle, between The Shadowforce and Titan, was epic. The aftermath of the fight was heartbreaking. My heart was in my throat when during those scenes. The aftermath of the fight was heartbreaking. I cried right along with Johnny and Sam. I also needed to know who Z was. The clue given at the end of the book makes me wonder if the answer was right under my nose!!!

I would give The Shadowverse an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread The Shadowverse. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Raze (Riven: Book 3) by Roan Parrish

Raze (Riven Series Book 3) by [Parrish, Roan]

3.5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: July 2nd, 2019

Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance

Series: Riven

Riven—Book 1 (review here)

Rend—Book 2 (review here)

Raze—Book 3

Where you can find Raze: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Sometimes the walls we build to save ourselves have to come tumbling down.

For the last ten years, Huey has built his life around his sobriety. If that means he doesn’t give a damn about finding love or companionship for himself, well, it’s probably better that way. After all, the last thing he wants is to hurt anyone else. Until Felix Rainey walks into his bar, fresh-faced, unbearably sweet—and, for some reason Huey can’t fathom, interested in him.

As the eldest of five kids, Felix Rainey spent his childhood cooking dinner, checking homework, and working after-school jobs. Now in his twenties, he’s still scrambling to make ends meet and wondering what the hell he’s doing with his life. When he meets Huey, he’s intimidated . . . and enamored. Huey’s strong and confident, he owns his own business—hell, he’s friends with rock stars. What could he ever see in Felix?

As Huey and Felix get closer, the spark catches and soon they can’t get enough of each other. But Huey’s worked hard to avoid intimacy, and Felix threatens his carefully constructed defenses. Huey realizes he needs to change if he wants to truly put his past behind him—and build a future with Felix.

Roan Parrish’s pitch-perfect Riven novels can be read together or separately:
RIVEN * REND * RAZE

My Review:

"In the corner of my bar, a cheerfully drunk man sang loudly and out of tune."

I was excited to see that there was another book in the Riven series. I had enjoyed the previous two books and was hoping that I would like Raze. For the most part, I did like it. But the parts that I didn’t like did affect my rating.

Raze’s plotline was enjoyable to read. It was well written, and the author didn’t let anything lag. She also didn’t drop storylines. The plotline was also a fast moving one. Put it this way; I was able to sit down and read Raze within 2 hours.

I liked Felix, but man, he annoyed me. He was too whiny and too clingy. He didn’t know how to talk to people. He was immature. But, when he wasn’t being any of those traits that I mentioned, he was a good guy. He was a good son and a great sibling. He cared about Huey. But those good traits were buried beneath the stuff that I didn’t like. I wish they were showcased more.

I didn’t know what to make of Huey. Getting his backstory was like pulling teeth. It was leaked a little at a time. It drove me nuts. I didn’t like that I couldn’t pinpoint what his feelings were for Felix. Again, drove me nuts. I liked seeing a different Huey appear by the end of the book. He was grounded and happy. Loved it!!

Like I stated in the paragraph above, I couldn’t get a handle on Huey’s feelings for Felix. Because of that, the romance between them seemed forced.

The sex scenes were hot. What Felix and Huey lacked in the romance department, they made up for with sex. Those scenes were so hot that I was expecting my screen to implode. The only scene that didn’t do it for me was the ass eating scene towards the end of the book. I am open-minded about everything but I just couldn’t with this. As I was reading that scene, I kept thinking, “What if he didn’t wipe good.” Which then led my thoughts too well, you know where I am going with that.

The end of Raze was heartwarming. I was left wondering if there was going to be a book 4 or if this is that last book in the series. There were some characters (Grin, Morgan, Jhoi stand out the most in my mind) that I would love to see get their happily ever after.

I would give Raze an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Raze. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

We Went to the Woods by Caite Dolan-Leach

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We Went to the Woods: A Novel by [Dolan-Leach, Caite]

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group -Random House, Random House

Date of publication: July 2nd, 2019

Genre: General Fiction

Where you can find We Went to the Woods: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

They went off the grid. Their secrets didn’t. For readers of The Secret History and The Immortalists comes a novel about the allure–and dangers–of disconnecting.

Certain that society is on the verge of economic and environmental collapse, five disillusioned twenty-somethings make a bold decision: They gather in upstate New York to transform an abandoned farm, once the site of a turn-of-the-century socialist commune, into an idyllic self-sustaining compound called the Homestead.

Louisa spearheads the project, as her wealthy family owns the plot of land. Beau is the second to commit; as mysterious and sexy as he is charismatic, he torments Louisa with his nightly disappearances and his other relationships. Chloe, a dreamy musician, is naturally able to attract anyone to her–which inevitably results in conflict. Jack, the most sensible and cerebral of the group, is the only one with any practical farm experience. Mack, the last to join, believes it’s her calling to write their story–but she is not the most objective narrator, and inevitably complicates their increasingly tangled narrative. Initially exhilarated by restoring the rustic dwellings, planting a garden, and learning the secrets of fermentation, the group is soon divided by slights, intense romantic and sexual relationships, jealousies, and suspicions. And as winter settles in, their experiment begins to feel not only misguided, but deeply isolating and dangerous.

Caite Dolan-Leach spins a poignant and deeply human tale with sharp insights into our modern anxieties, our collective failures, and the timeless desire to withdraw from the world.

My Review:

I'm the wrong one to tell our story

My interest was caught by We Went to the Woods when I read the blurb. I thought to myself, “This sounds like it will be a good read.” In a way, it was. The author was able to showcase how hard it was to form the type of compound that Louisa wanted. She was able to highlight how hard it was to start and the failures that the Homestead went through in the first year. But, at the same time, I had to force myself to finish reading We Went to the Woods. I got bored reading it.

The plotline was well written and very descriptive. I wasn’t a fan of how it turned out. Mack had no clue what Louisa, Beau, and Jack were doing. I know that she was kept in the dark, but she should have had a clue when she stumbled upon the weapons cache at the Collective. Instead, she turned into an ostrich. Heck, even Chloe know more than she did.

I wasn’t a fan of Mack. The book was told from her perspective (1st person). Her insecurities and her jealousy colored it. It got to the point where I would roll my eyes whenever she made mention of lanterns going between the cabins.

The author dragged out what happened to Mack. What she did was disgusting, no doubt. The backlash was disgusting too. I wish that it had been revealed sooner in the book. The bits and pieces that were leaked drove me nuts.

I do wish that the author focused more on the workings of the Homestead. I was fascinated at how they were able to make a thriving farm from nothing.

I was fascinated by the community they found. I thought that communes were a thing of the past. To find out that there are still communes out there fascinated me.

I wasn’t a fan of the polyamorous relationships that were featured in the book. I know people in polyamorous relationships, and they are nothing like what was featured in the book. What was featured was the worst side of those types of relationships.

The end of the We Went to the Woods was confusing. I wanted to know what happened to certain characters. I also wanted to know was Mack considering doing what I think she was doing? It was so vague that I didn’t know what was going on.

I would give We Went to the Woods an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread We Went to the Woods I am on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Bridge of Little Jeremy by Indrajit Garai

The Bridge of Little Jeremy by [GARAI, Indrajit]

4 Stars

Publisher: Self Published

Date of publication: March 18th, 2019

Genre: General Fiction, Young Adult

Where you can find The Bridge of Little Jeremy: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Jeremy’s mother is about to go to prison for their debt to the State. He is trying everything within his means to save her, but his options are running out fast.

Then Jeremy discovers a treasure under Paris.

This discovery may save his mother, but it doesn’t come for free. And he has to ride over several obstacles for his plan to work.

Meanwhile, something else is limiting his time…

First Line:

The noise in the attic wakes me again.
The Bridge of Little Jeremy by Indrajit Garai

My Review:

The Bridge of Little Jeremy is one of those books that stick with you long after you’ve read it. After I finished it, I found myself thinking hard about what happened. This book struck me. As the mother of an 11 and 13-year-old, I could imagine my son or daughter having the adventures that Jeremy did.

The characters in The Bridge of Little Jeremy were wonderfully written; they were multi-layered. Each time a layer was exposed, there was another one underneath. Even towards the end of the book, when everything was wrapping up, the characters were still surprising me.

I enjoyed that The Bridge of Little Jeremy touched upon many issues that affect people present day. I liked seeing that good and the bad that came out of it. Some of the issues that were touched upon were single parenthood, health care, inheritance tax, the pros and cons of using social media, and unearthing family secrets. All those made this book a fantastic read.

Jeremy was an interesting character to read. He tried to help his mother with the inheritance tax. His heart condition limited how much he could help and get around. So, when he found that painting, he thought that it could help. It had been damaged by water and Jeremy thought he could restore it. His main focus from the middle of the book on was helping his mother. It became an obsession with him.

The end of The Bridge of Little Jeremy took me by surprise. I was not expecting what happened to happen. There was some foreshadowing but still, did not expect it. The very last chapter gave me chills.

I would give The Bridge of Little Jeremy an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Bridge of Little Jeremy. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Dark Matter (The Four: Book 3) by Margaret Watson

Dark Matter (The Four Book 3) by [Watson, Margaret]

4 Stars

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of publication: June 26th, 2019

Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Series: The Four

The Third Eye—Book 1 (review here)

An Indigo Wind—Book 2 (review here)

Dark Matter—Book 3

Red Dawn Rising—Book 4 (expected publication date: July 9th, 2019)

Where you can find Dark Matter: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Flynn Parker, social worker and justice warrior, has lived her life on the edge of shadows, hiding who she is. What she is. She builds a family in those shadows, fostering kids like her. Then Mason Lynch enters her life.

Mase, former SEAL, undercover DIA agent and lone wolf, needs healing. Flynn is a healer. When she places her hands on him, everything changes for both of them.

Their mission is to take down an enemy who is amassing terrible powers. To defeat him, they must choose — abandon habits that have kept them safe, or step into the light and risk a future together.

First Line

Flynn stumbled on the sidewalk, dizzy and disoriented.
Dark Matter by Margaret Watson

My Review:

I couldn’t wait to read Dark Matter. I had enjoyed reading the previous two books, and it was a given that I would like this one, which I did.

Dark Matter’s plot is the same as the previous two books. Mase and Flynn continue Gianna and Cal’s search for Rickart. At the same time, they battle feelings for each other. Rickart becomes obsessed with Flynn and forgets his search for Jack’s blood. He tracks Flynn to Chicago. What happens in Chicago will either make or break Flynn and Mase’s relationship.

Flynn was my favorite character in this entire series. She was a complex character with many layers to her. I also loved how protective she was of her kids. She sheltered them from what was going on. I didn’t see the twist that involved Lacey. I am wondering how that is going to come into play at the end of the book.

I liked Mase, but he did annoy me at times during the book. He ran hot and cold with Flynn. As soon as he started getting close to her or having feelings for her, he pushed her away. I thought he was badass. He was going to do whatever it takes to bring Rickart down.

A bad guy has never affected me the way that Rickart did. He was insane. I wondered if the serum he was taking made him that way or if he already was insane. Anyways, he went from being a bloodthirsty punk to a hellish stalker. I couldn’t believe that he saw through Flynn’s glamour and saw her real self. That freaked me out. I also couldn’t believe that he tried to break into her house after it was warded. It showed what he was willing to do anything to get to her. What he did with Lacey proved my point. Of course, he did get his at the end of the book. But still, he creeped me out!!

The sexual chemistry and attraction between Flynn and Mase were out of this world. The author had two whole books to build it up, and she didn’t fail. Things were so hot between them that I was waiting for something to happen. When they did end up having sex, it was amazing. Then the author did something that very few authors have done. She built that tension back up. Loved it!!

The end of Dark Matter was amazing. The book went amazingly fast after Flynn was told about her adoption and twin sister. I loved how the author brought Rickart’s quest for Jack’s blood to an end. I also liked how she left it open for book four. I know Brody will be the male main character. But who will be the female main? I also want to know, who exactly is Brody, and what is his connection to Niamh? I also can’t wait to see what Niamh is going to do in the next book!!

I would give Dark Matter an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Dark Matter. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Rogue Most Wanted (The Cavensham Heiresses: Book 5) by Janna MacGregor

Rogue Most Wanted (The Cavensham Heiresses Book 5) by [MacGregor, Janna]

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: June 25th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: The Cavensham Heiresses

The Bad Luck Bride—Book 1

The Bride Who Got Lucky—Book 2

The Luck of the Bride—Book 3 (review here)

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke—Book 4 (review here)

Rogue Most Wanted—Book 5

Wild, Wild Rake—Book 6 (expected date of publication: February 25th, 2020)

Where you can find Rogue Most Wanted: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

There’s one creed all Cavensham men subscribe to: they fall in love completely and decidedly. But what happens when the woman you fall in love with swears she’ll only marry you as a last resort? Rogue Most Wanted is the next book in the sparkling, romantic Cavensham Heiress series by Janna MacGregor.

SHE NEEDS TO MARRY SOMEONE

Lady Theodora Worth needs to marry fast in order to keep her estate. It’s been her heart and home for years, and she’ll not lose it to anyone. There’s just one problem—as a woman who was raised in isolation by her grandfather, she’s completely incapable of pouring a cup of tea, never mind wooing a man. She’ll need a little matchmaking help from her sprightly next-door neighbor in order to find a convenient husband…

IT’S JUST NOT GOING TO BE HIM

Lord William Cavensham’s heart was broken years ago, and since that day he vowed to never love again. But his spirited Great Aunt Stella is determined he’ll marry or not inherit a single penny from her. And she’s got just the woman in mind—her beautiful and completely hapless next-door neighbor, Thea…

Thea and Will agree there’s no sense in marrying each other. Will wholeheartedly believes he’s incapable of love, and Thea refuses to marry the first man she’s practically met. But Will may be the rogue Thea wants the most after all…

First Line:

“In one hour, I’m going to be a changed man.”
Rogue Most Wanted by Janna McGregor

As soon as I read the prologue for Rogue Most Wanted, I knew that I was going to be an emotional mess reading the book. My heart shattered for Will. The moment his heart broke, I burst into tears. I wanted to reach through my Kindle and hug him. I also wanted to smack Avalon for hurting him so bad.

The book continued pulling on my heartstrings when Thea was introduced. Her grandfather raised her in a small village that was far removed from London. She was never introduced to London’s ton. Instead of taking deportment/dancing lessons, she was learning how to run and manage her grandfather’s estates. While she was doing that, she was also hiding her grandfather’s condition from everyone, including his heir. Her grief was palpable. There were points in the book where I wanted to hug her too.

I also got angry while reading Rogue Most Wanted. I got upset every time I saw a quote from The Midnight Cryer. That “paper” took Thea’s grief and made a mockery of it. The insinuations and the nicknames were awful. I felt for Thea whenever she read that paper. Because who knows that they were going to print.

Thea and Will had an almost instant connection. I found it funny that Thea was the one to tell Will that she wasn’t going to marry him. Mainly because he was at her house to say the same thing. I loved seeing their friendship grow. It made the romantic connection stronger.

Speaking of their romance, I loved it. Will was instantly struck by Thea and vice versa. The world melted away when they were together. There was a point in the book where I wanted to bash my head against a wall because they wanted to be “just friends.”It drove me nuts.

The storyline about Thea and her quest to find the charter to prove that she was the rightful heir of her title was sad. And again, made me angry. She loved her people. She took care of them. Her grandfather’s heir wanted to move these people to another village and mine. I did think that it was forward thinking of the author to have Thea make a statement before the Council pleading her case. I also found it forward thinking that Thea didn’t want to marry or get engaged so that it would look good for her. She tried to win on her terms.

I was an emotional mess at the end of the book. Thea had to make a choice. No matter what she did, someone was going to get hurt. Will had to come to term with what happened to him in the past. They both needed a miracle so they could be together.

I would give Rogue Most Wanted an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Rogue Most Wanted. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer: Book 1) by Maxym M. Martineau

Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer Book 1) by [Martineau, Maxym M.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of publication: June 25th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Series: The Beast Charmer

Kingdom of Exiles—book 1

Where you can find Kingdom of Exiles: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin’s Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author Maxym M. Martineau.

Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep trouble. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and now there’s a price on her head. With the realm’s most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can’t refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.

If only it were that simple. Unbeknownst to Leena, the undying ones are bound by magic to complete their contracts, and Noc cannot risk his brotherhood of assassins…not even to save the woman he can no longer live without.

My Review:

Leena was exiled from her Charmer home. Leena needed to make ends meet and to do so; she started selling off her animals on the black market. That is an offense punishable by death. So she wasn’t surprised when an assassin showed up. After beating the assassin, Leena forces him to take her to the guildhouse. It is there, Leena makes a deal with the guild master of the Cruor, Noc. 4 magical beasts in exchange for her life. What Leena doesn’t know is that there is no way for a Cruor assassin to back out of a contract. While Noc says yes, he knows that in the end, he will have to kill Leena and collect the bounty. But, it soon becomes hard for Noc to consider killing Leena. Enough doubt has been raised about the contract and if it is justified. Will Noc be able to do the unthinkable and break the contract? Or will everything end with Leena being killed?

What drew me to Kingdom of Exiles was the blurb. As soon as I caught sight of the words Fantastic Beasts and Assassin’s Creed. I knew that I needed to read this book. I am a huge Harry Potter and Assassin’s Creed fan, and I was interested in seeing how the author was going to combine those them together. I wasn’t let down. I do want to add in that I also caught glimpses of Pokemon in this novel too. Not in how the beasts were caught but in the battle scenes.

There are three major and several secondary plotlines in Kingdom of Exiles. The first plotline focuses on Leena, her beasts and the reason why she was exiled from the Charmers. The second plot line focuses on Noc, the Cruors, and Leena’s contract. The third plotline focuses on Leena, Noc, and their relationship.

I liked all the main storylines. They were all well written. When the author did chose to bring them together, she was able to do it without interrupting any of the storylines. There were also no dropped storylines.

The secondary storylines were well written. I did think that there was a dropped storyline towards the end of the book. It made me a little aggravated because I wanted to know what happened to a particular character. But, it was brought back up at the end of the book. Which makes me wonder if that is going to be the main storyline for the next book.

Like the plotlines, I thought that the main characters were well written. Now, I will say that both characters a little off put me at the beginning of the book. They both came off as cold people. But as the book went on and I got to know both characters, my opinion of them changed. Their character development featured in my change of opinion.

Like I mentioned above, I didn’t like Leena when I started reading Kingdom of Exiles. She came across as aloof and uncaring. The scene with the buyer of the Gyss is an excellent example. But, then something remarkable happened. That first impression got turned around. My disinterest and disdain for her got turned around into me being invested and admiring her. I can count on one hand how many times that has happened.

Leena was also one of the strongest female characters that I have read to date. She went through a lot in the book, and she didn’t let it beat her down. She learned from those experiences. I loved it!!

Again, as I mentioned above, I didn’t like Noc when I started reading the book. He was cold and aloof. Take any of his scenes at the beginning of the book. Then, as the book went on, the explanations began. By the middle of the book, I understood why Noc had those walls up. He was afraid of his curse. He couldn’t show emotion or his curse would start up. But, like Leena, my first impression got turned around. By the end of the book, I loved him.

Speaking of Noc’s curse, I would have loved to know why the high priestess cursed him. Also, I would have loved to have known who he was before he was resurrected. There were hints but nothing confirmed. Drove me nuts because I have a few ideas of who he was, but nothing confirmed it.

The secondary characters were as well written as the main characters. I loved it. I felt that I got to know Kost, Ozias, and Calem as well as Noc and Leena. I can’t wait to see what book two holds for the secondary characters. I am hoping that the book focuses on either Calem or Oz. They were my two favorites in the book.

The bad guys in the book had my attention from the get-go. Wynn gave me chills. He believed what he was doing was the right, and that was frightening to me. What he subjected Leena to when he held her captive was heartbreaking. Ravenwas an enigma. I had questions that weren’t answered in this book. The most important issue was why? Why did she set those events in motion? I was frustrated by the lack of answers, but I have a feeling that they will be answered in the next book.

Kingdom of Exiles was a great fit in the fantasy genre. Leena’s Charmer abilities alone could have fueled a book. As well as Noc’s curse and his powers. I did find it creepy that he could make daggers out of the shadows.

Kingdom of Exiles was also a great fit in the romance genre. Noc and Leena’s instant attraction had my pulse racing. The back and forth dance that they did was hot. By the time they had sex, it was earth-shattering. I had to put my Kindle down and fan myself; it was that hot. My only complaint about the sex scenes was the use of crease of Leena’s vagina. Once, yes. But every single time, no. It got to the point where I started laughing when Noc was fingerbanging/eating her out, and crease was used.

There was also the point of the Kost/Noc/Leena semi-love triangle. I use semi because Noc didn’t reciprocate Kost’s feelings. But it was set up that way. I loved that the author had an LGBT representation in the book. I do wish that Kost’s sexual preference was made more clear towards the beginning. Because up until that scene with Leena, he came across as kind of a douche canoe. I also loved how Noc handled finding out about Kost’s feelings for him. It was done in such a classy way that I couldn’t help but say to myself “This is how it should be done in real life!!!” I am also eager to see Kost find love. There was a hint of something at the end of the book. Something that I can’t wait to see if the author explores or not.

The end of Kingdom of Exiles was excellent. I also had so many questions about what was going to happen and no answers. The epilogue held the most questions for me. Because of what happened to Noc at the end. What will that mean for him and Leena? I can’t wait to find out.

I would give Kingdom of Exiles an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Kingdom of Exiles. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Kingdom of Exiles.

Book Disclaimer

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read Kingdom of Exiles?

What are your thoughts?

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