Category: book review

Rise of the Dragon (The Legend Series: Book 5) by Kylie Stewart

Rise of the Dragon: Book #5 (The Legend Series) by [Stewart, Kylie]

4 Stars

Publisher: KCS Publishing

Date of publication: June 6th 2019

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Series: The Legend Series

Set in Stone—Book 1 (review here)

The Duke’s Curse—Book 2 (review here)

Resurrection—Book 3 (review here)

Return to Avalon—Book 4

Rise of the Dragon—Book 5

Where you can find Rise of the Dragon: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Alexandria is now The Duchess of Avalon, Arthur’s wife and rightful queen. Love declared, promised kept, and title won. Her victory, however fleeting, will cost her dearly.

Avalon now faces the full force of what Mordred has planned for him and his knights. But what he doesn’t know is that one among them has a secret.

Will the person in hiding prove to be friend, enemy, or something else entirely?

And what happens when a ghost from the past resurfaces not as a friend, but as mortal enemy?

Rise of the Dragon is book five of The Legend Series based off of the Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

First Line:

Cold wind sent violent shivers down my spine as I climbed the craggy rocks.

Rise of the Dragon by Kylie C. Stewart

My Review:

I was disappointed when I saw that I had missed a book in this series. The Legend series needs to be read in order. Stress needs. Even missing one book will confuse someone. And in this case, I was left wondering what the heck happened in book 4.

Even though I missed a book in the series; it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of reading Rise of the Dragon. This book was fantastic to read.

The plotline for Rise of the Dragon was fast-moving. There were times where I had to reread parts of chapters because I felt I missed something. There was also a little lag towards the end of the book. But it was nothing that took away from the story.

I loved Alexandria in this book. She was the perfect Queen for Arthur. She also didn’t put up with anything from anyone. I loved how when Arthur went missing; she took over. And her connection with Guinevere was terrific. It wasn’t what I was expecting!!

I also loved Arthur in this book. He went to battle with Mordred knowing that he could be held captive or killed. He was a husband and a father above everything else, and it showed. Even when Mordred captured Arthur and was torturing him, Arthur still tried to reach him.

I did feel bad for Mordred, which is weird because I spent much of this series not liking him. But, there was a massive twist in his story that I didn’t see coming. Looking back, it made sense. It also made me a little mad. Even thinking about it gets me angry.

There was a twist in the story that I didn’t see coming. I thought it was great because it tied another famous work to this story. I can’t wait to read the next book and see where the author is going to take it.

The end of Rise of the Dragon was exciting. There was the twist that I mentioned. There was also another twist that took me by surprise. I can’t wait to see what will happen with that.

I would give Rise of the Dragon 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 Rise of the Dragon. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

As Long As We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Chaney

As Long as We Both Shall Live: A Novel by [Chaney, JoAnn]

4 Stars

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Date of publication: January 19th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find As Long As We Both Shall Live: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

What happens when you’re really, truly done making your marriage work? You can’t be married to someone without sometimes wanting to bash them over the head…

As Long As We Both Shall Live is JoAnn Chaney’s wicked, masterful examination of a marriage gone very wrong, a marriage with lots of secrets…

“My wife! I think she’s dead!” Matt frantically tells park rangers that he and his wife, Marie, were hiking when she fell off a cliff into the raging river below. They start a search, but they aren’t hopeful: no one could have survived that fall. It was a tragic accident.

But Matt’s first wife also died in suspicious circumstances. And when the police pull a body out of the river, they have a lot more questions for Matt.

Detectives Loren and Spengler want to know if Matt is a grieving, twice-unlucky husband or a cold-blooded murderer. They dig into the couple’s lives to see what they can unearth. And they find that love’s got teeth, it’s got claws, and once it hitches you to a person, it’s tough to rip yourself free.

So what happens when you’re done making it work?

First Line:

If you try to kill your wife without a plan, you will fail.

As Long as We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Chaney

My Review:

I have been reading a lot of psychological thrillers/mysteries and I have been getting burnt out on them. So I went into reading As Long as We Both Shall Live not wanting to read it. I am glad that I made myself read this book. It was fantastic.

There are four plotlines in As Long as We Both Shall Live. Yes, 4. When I realized that, I did an internal groan. Anything over two plotlines and I get confused. In As Long as We Both Shall Live, the author was able to keep the plotlines separate. She was also to merge the plotlines when needed. There was a little lag in the middle of the book when two of the plotlines joined. Other than that, this book zipped right along.

I loved how snarky this book was. There were points where I was dying laughing with the views on marriage. I am not married but have been in a relationship for 15 years, and I get it. That’s what made parts of this book funny to me.

Detective Loren is one of my new favorite fictional characters. I will admit, I wasn’t too sure about him when he was introduced. He was abrasive and rude to everyone. But slowly (and yes, slowly) a different side of him was shown. By the end of the book, I loved him.

The mystery angle of the book was good. The author did a great job of keeping me in the dark about what exactly happened the day Marie disappeared. She slowly let out clues about what happened. There are also so many red herrings. That is what made it enjoyable to read!!

I loved how the author brought everything together at the end of the book. The twists were what made the ending for me. I had guessed about one of them early in the book. But the other one, oh no. That took me 100% by surprise.

I would give As Long as We Both Shall Live 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 As Long as We Both Shall Live. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

B & E Ever After (Fairy Tale Quartet: Book 3) by Linda Kage

B & E Ever After 
by Linda Kage 
(Fairy Tale Quartet, #3) 
Publication date: September 16th 2019
Genres: Adult, Fairy Tales, Retelling, Romance

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Book Synopsis:

A contemporary Hansel and Gretel Romance.

Gretel, er, I mean, Gabriella Salazar finds temptation and desperation to be too great and breaks into a wicked witch’s—uh, that is—a pretentious, rich woman’s condo, only to discover she’s not the only one with a B & E fetish. The twist is that the mysterious, handsome Hansel to her Gretel who has also stolen into the same apartment is anything but brotherly, and the two strangers find themselves lip-locked before the evening is over. Now Gabby and her new, aggravating accomplice must get crafty and work together to free themselves and everyone they hold dear from a mad woman’s clutches.

But breaking and entering never ends with a happily ever after…right?

Excerpt:

“Give me the tissues.”

I looked up in alarm. Oh shit, was he going to prevent me from taking anything? Why hadn’t I considered that possibility?

Probably because he’d just covered for me to his mother, and he had his own unknown ulterior motive for breaking into her house.

God, I was so stupid for blindly trusting him.

But then he opened his jacket, flashing me the insides. “I can probably hide them here.”

My mouth fell open. “You…” I shook my head. “Wait, you’re going to help me?”

He met my gaze, dead serious, no longer arrogant or sarcastic. “Why not? You worked your ass off for these.” Then he lifted one eyebrow until it arched in that snarky little bent I was becoming all-too familiar with. “Isn’t that how you put it?”

Oh, wow.

For the first time since meeting him, his acerbic manner didn’t grate on my last nerve. I just blinked at him, beginning to see a vague glimpse of the man beneath. And I realized it was all a front. He expertly hid his true self behind taunting barbs and haughty expressions. There was more to him than the asshole he tried to convince people he was.

How incredibly unusual.

He motioned toward my stolen goodies with one finger. “The tissues would be in that rectangular-shaped cardboard box right there,” he explained unnecessarily, having way too much fun talking down to me.

Damn, he was really good at playing the sarcastic jerk. Except this time, I saw the compassion behind his supercilious ruse.

“Uh…” Shaking my head to clear it because I was still discombobulated by this turn of events, I grabbed the tissues without hissing at him for his rude crack and I handed them over, murmuring, “Sorry. Here.”

He frowned at me in confusion, then tipped his head to the side as his eyes narrowed distrustfully. But even as he took the tissues, he added, “The soup too. You can probably conceal the soda in your front hoodie pouch, if it’s the only thing in there.”

He had a point. Nodding, I removed the can from my hoodie’s pocket. “Okay. Thank you.”

The thank you actually made him rear his face back in shock. This time, he refused to take the can from me, just eyed it as if I was offering him poison instead. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he hissed.

“What do you mean?” Lowering my voice, I gaped at him. “Nothing’s wrong with me.”

I thrust the chicken noodle soup at him again. Why didn’t he just take the damn can before his mother showed up in the closet too, wondering why the hell we were taking so long?

He glanced toward the opening of the closet as well before turning back to me and whispering harshly, “You’re acting weird.”

“Oh my God.” My eyebrows shot sky high. “You’ve known me five fucking minutes. How do you know what my weird is? And besides, this is frankly a weird, super unreal situation. How else am I supposed to act?”

My irritated answer, along with the scowl I sent him, seemed to settle him again. His shoulders relaxed and his features lost their alert confusion.

“Well, your compliance was at odds with the first four minutes and forty-five seconds of our association,” he explained.

Wow, he didn’t respond well to politeness at all, did he?

But compliance? Did he seriously just call me compliant? Way to make me sound like a submissive little lap poodle.

Maybe his pomposity wasn’t entirely an act after all. He was probably a genuine asshole with just a small side serving of kind.

Narrowing my eyes, I bit out from between gritted teeth, “You were helping me. I was being grateful. But don’t worry; I’m over it now.”

“Good,” he bit out. “We don’t have time for that bullshit, anyway.”

Giveaway:

Giveaway ends September 26th.

The grand prize is:

  • $25 Amazon gift card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251233272/

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Kobo

Scribd

Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.

Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.

Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.

Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor…or Hulk (can’t decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny.

Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.

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The Lost and the Scarred (Kingston City Limits: Book 1) by T. Marie Alexander

The Lost and the Scarred (Kingston City Limits Book 1) by [Alexander, T. Marie]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of Publication: September 16th, 2019

Series: Kingston City Limits

Genre: Romance, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, New Adult

The Lost and the Scarred—Book 1

Where you can find The Lost and the Scarred: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

ROX
When I was six, Wran Belmont found me buried in snow and gave me a place to live.

He became my best friend.

When I was fifteen, I gave him all of me—only for him to abandon me.

Now, he’s back and expecting the lost, scarred girl he’s left behind. I’m not that girl anymore. And while I may still have secrets, it will not be as easy for him to retrieve them this time around.

WRAN
When I was eleven, my father lost his job and became a pathetic excuse for a father. A few months later I found Roxanna Raine buried in snow, barely hanging on to life.

Her father was the reason mine was an alcoholic, and I thought about letting her freeze to death.

One look in her eyes and she became my kryptonite. I swore I would get my revenge, though, even if it was on the fair-skinned beauty.

When I was nineteen, I left Rox without an explanation—broken-hearted and even more lost.

Now, I’m back and I’ll do anything to make up for the stolen time.

First Line:

“I’m taking her!”

The Lost and the Scarred by T. Marie Alexander

My Review:

I was excited about reading The Lost and the Scarred. I have become a massive fan of dark romances. The blurb promised that this was going to be a juicy one. And it was. I couldn’t read this book fast enough.

The plotline that highlighted Wran and Rox’s dysfunctional relationship was dark. Oh so dark and I loved it.

The plotline with Rox and Harley was interesting. It took me a while to realize what happened. I understood why Rox insisted on keeping her visits to Harley a secret. Wran would have blown a gasket.

The plotline with Rox and her father was heartbreaking. The author was cautious not to reveal too much about her years with him. I did guess at what happened to Rox after her mother’s death. There have been very few times where I wished that I could morph into a book and bring all holy hell to a character. This was one of them.

The romance between Rox and Wran didn’t seem real to me. Mainly because of how Wran acted. He was an immature, jealous idiot with an anger management problem and he took it out on Rox. So, yeah, the romance didn’t spark for me.

Josh drove me nuts. He had the power to keep Wran away from Rox. He was the freaking sheriff!! Instead, he talked and talked but didn’t do anything about it. He let Wran have his man tantrums all over the place. He even got assaulted by Wran at the police station. Which made me go “WTF.”

Cade was another person who drove me nuts in the book. He held back who he was to Rox. He went out of his way to piss Wran off. But, he did come through in the end.

The end of The Lost and the Scarred ticked me off. I didn’t agree with what Lynn did at all. Also, it was a cliffhanger. And if you have been reading my blog long enough, then you know how I feel about cliffhangers. I do need to read book 2.

I would give The Lost and the Scarred 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 The Lost and the Scarred. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Fangs and Frenemies: A Blue Moon Cozy Mystery (Witches with Anxiety: Book 1) by Cherry Andrews

Book and Author Details:

Fangs and Frenemies: A Blue Moon Bay Cozy Mystery 
by Cherry Andrews 
(Witches with Anxiety, #1) 
Publication date: September 4th 2019
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal

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Book Synopsis:

A socially awkward bobcat shifter.

An ex-cheerleading vampire.

A sweet—but slightly neurotic—cupcake-baking witch.

They fight crime? 

When the case of a missing mean girl throws Hazel back into contact with two old classmates, it’s time for these supernatural frenemies to set aside past grudges and help clear each other’s names.

But in the cloudy, romantic beach town of Blue Moon Bay, Oregon, it seems nearly everyone’s guarding a secret. 

And they all involve magic of one kind of another. 

Will these three women, who normally can’t stand each other, crack the mystery of what really happened to Hazel’s old bully, Ashlee—or is their effort cursed to fail?

Giveaway:

Giveaway ends September 19th.

Grand prize is a $50 Amazon gift card.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251233258/

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Author Bio:

Cherry Andrews loves a good scone, a good book, and curling up with her cats by the fireplace. 

You can read FREE CHAPTERS on her website at www.cherryandrews.com

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads Page

29 Seconds by T.M. Logan

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of Publication: September 10th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find 29 Seconds: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear . . . 

When Sarah rescues a young girl in trouble, she expects nothing in return. But her act of bravery puts a powerful and dangerous man in her debt. He lives by his own brutal code, and all debts must be repaid – in the only way he knows how.

He offers Sarah a way to solve a desperate situation with her intolerable boss. A once-in-a-lifetime deal that will make all her problems disappear.

No consequences. No comeback. No chance of being found out.

All it takes is a 29 second phone call.

Because everyone has a name to give. Don’t they?

First Line:

The Rules were simple enough.

My Review:

29 Seconds is not a book that you can put down. I found that out the hard way. When I started reading 29 Seconds, I had every intention of reading a couple of chapters and then putting the book down. Yeah, it didn’t quite work out that way. I stayed up until 2 am reading this book. 29 Seconds is that good!!

Sarah is a professor who is being sexually harassed by her superior at the university she works at. Seeing what happens to those who stand up to him, Sarah endures his touches and inappropriate comments. After an unusually stressful day at work, Sarah witnesses and thwarts an attempted kidnapping of a young girl. Her father, a brutal and powerful man, offers her a burner cell phone and the promise to take care of anything for her. All she needs to do is to make the phone call and give a name. But can Sarah do it? Can she provide the name of the one person who is making her life a living hell? Can she live with herself?

The author did a fantastic job of setting up the main storyline. But I did have a hard time believing it. If the #MeToo movement hadn’t of happened, then I could see the situations that were presented in the book happen. But still, Sarah’s stress and distress over what was happening at work were palpable. I got upset for her.

Sarah wasn’t my favorite main character, but I also didn’t dislike her. There were times where she came across as whiny. But there were also times where she showed surprising strength. I liked how she took her life back after it seemed like she hit rock bottom.

I detested Alan. He was one of the vilest characters that I have read to date. He deserved everything that he got in this book. I felt like I needed a shower after every scene he was in.

The thriller angel of the book was well written. I was kept on the edge of my bed (I was in bed reading), wondering what was going to happen next.

The end of the book was excellent. There was a twist in the plot that I saw coming. But it still surprised me when it happened. I loved what happened to Alan. Talk about justice!!!

I do want to add that Sarah’s dad was the real MVP of the book. His advice was what convinced Sarah to do what she did.

I would give 29 Seconds an Adult rating. There is 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 29 Seconds.  I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

The Girl the Sea Gave Back (Sky in the Deep) by Adrienne Young

4 Stars

Date of publication: September 3rd, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Genre: Young Adult

Series: Sky in the Deep

Sky in the Deep—Book 1

The Girl the Sea Gave Back—Book 2

Where you can find The Girl the Sea Gave Back: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The new gut-wrenching epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

First Line:

“Give me the child.”

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

My Review:

I was excited to read The Girl the Sea Gave Back. Every review I read about this book painted it as a fantastic read. So, I went into this book with high expectations. I am happy to say that The Girl the Sea Gave Back lived up to those expectations. It was a fantastic read!!

The plotline for The Girl the Sea Gave Back was interesting. Tova was found in the wreckage of a funeral boat by a Svell holy man. Recognized as a Truthtongue by she is taken to the nearby Svell village. There, she is used to read runes for the leader of the Svell. Things change for her when two rival clans merge into one. Forced to read the runes, what Tova sees will change her life. People will die, and Tova will realize that she can have the one thing that she wants the most: a home.

The plotline for The Girl the Sea Gave Back was fast-paced and well written. I have a love/hate relationship with fast-paced books. I love them because the book zips along. I don’t like them because sometimes, there are plotlines that get overlooked. Which didn’t happen here.

I loved how the author had the tribes modeled after the Vikings. The tribes weren’t exactly like the Vikings, but there were enough similarities that I had pause at points and tell myself, “This is a fantasy book. Not real life.” The two essential things that stood out to me were the Tova reading the runes and the funeral boat in the prologue.

I liked Tova and man, did I feel bad for her at points in the book. What she went through was awful. The Svell hated her because she was a Kyrr Truthtongue, but they used her too. I couldn’t even imagine growing up under that type of hatred. She read the stones that told the Svell that they needed to battle Nadhir, which sets her on course to meet with Halvard. I also liked that Tova was conflicted about her rune reading. She wanted to please the leader, but at the same time, she didn’t want to cause death. I found her connection to Halvard to be interesting. I do wish that more had been explained about why she was connected to him. Something other than he was her destiny. Because I’ll tell you, it did confuse me.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is a bloody book. There are quite a few battles between the Svell and the Nadhir. I liked that the author didn’t hold anything back when it came to describing the battles. I am not at all affected by blood and violence in a book. But some people are.

There is no romance in The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I can’t tell you all the last time I read a young adult book that didn’t have a romance. I loved it!! There was a hint of it between Tova and Halvard but it didn’t get beyond a hint.

I do wish that Tova’s background had been released sooner. I would have understood certain parts of the book better. I didn’t put two and two together until the middle of the book. And even then, it took me a while to realize who Tova was.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is not a stand-alone book. I read it as one and was left wondering about several things mentioned in the book. Relationships and how the Nadhir were brought together were the main ones. Read Sky in the Deep before reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back.

The end of The Girl the Sea Gave Back was interesting. The way individual storylines were ended made me wonder if there will be another book in this world. I hope so because I enjoyed it. I hope that there will be more focus on the Kyrr if there is.

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

I am on the fence if I would reread The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Merlin’s Shakespeare (Merlin’s Shakespeare: Book 1) by Carol Anne Douglas

This is my stop during the blog tour for the Merlin’s Shakespeare series by Carol Anne Douglas. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 3 till 16 September. See the tour schedule here: http://www.lolasblogtours.net/blog-tour-merlins-shakespeare-by-carol-anne-douglas

Stars

Book and Author Details:

Merlin’s Shakespeare (Merlin’s Shakespeare #1)
By Carol Anne Douglas
Genre: Fantasy/ Time Travel

Age category: Young Adult

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Book Synopsis:

Beth loves Shakespeare’s plays, but does she want risk her life for them?

The immortal wizard Merlin transports high school actor Beth Owens to Shakespeare’s London and the worlds of Shakespeare’s characters in search of a missing play about King Arthur. Mercutio guides her and flirts with her, but Richard III threatens her sanity, her friends’ lives, and the integrity of Shakespeare’s plays.

Giveaway:

The prizes are:

One set of paperback copies of both Merlin’s Shakespeare and The Mercuito Problem (US only)

Two winners will each win a set of e-book copies of both Merlin’s Shakespeare and The Mercuito Problem (International).

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1000e4f1323/

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Author Bio:

Carol Anne Douglas has loved Shakespeare since she watched A Midsummer Night’s Dream when she was a child. She identifies with the character Nick Bottom because she wants to play every part, which only a writer can do. She is an avid reader of Arthurian and Shakespearean literature. Her previous fantasy novels, Lancelot: Her Story and Lancelot and Guinevere, feature Lancelot as a woman in disguise. When Douglas isn’t reading or writing,
she spends as much time as she can in the national parks, hiking and watching wildlife. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads

Amazon

Twitter

First Line:

Beth Owens put herself in the mood for playing Puck at Not Your Mama’s Ingenue Summer Theater Camp.

Merlin’s Shakespeare by Carol Anne Douglas

My Review:

When I was in high school, I was a huge Shakespeare nerd. I read and reread his plays. I watched everything and anything that even mentioned Shakespeare. My enjoyment of his work hasn’t faded as I have gotten older. I am also a massive fan of Canterlot. So when I read the blurb and saw that Merlin’s Shakespeare contained both, I knew that I had to read this book.

I felt divided about this book. I loved that the author was able to bring Shakespeare, Oberon, Titiana, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Mercutio, and other characters to life. Each character was how I pictured them to be, and it made that aspect of the book enjoyable to read. But there were parts that I didn’t like about the book. I felt that the non-Shakespearean characters lacked depth. I didn’t like how Merlin was portrayed. And the ending didn’t jive with me (even knowing that there was going to be a book two).

I did like Beth and felt for her. She was picked to do something that other people couldn’t. But I had questions about her. I wanted to know how she got her magic. Was it inherited? Did her unnamed father have it? I would have loved to see more focus on that. I also wanted to see more of her out of non-Shakespeare relationships. It bothered me that they were shoved to the back burner for almost the whole book.

I did not like Merlin. He rubbed me the wrong way the entire book. He appeared whenever he felt like it. He came across as surly and grumpy for the whole book. I didn’t like him.

I did like how the author entwined Shakespeare and the legend of Camelot together in the book. To have King Richard III be based on Mordred was fascinating. There were similarities there.

Speaking of King Richard III, I loved his character. Go figure, liking a villain. He was sneaky, charming, and ruthless. He was the perfect villain.

There were some wanna be romances in the book. Romeo trying to woo Lady Macbeth was hilarious. The attraction that Beth had for Mercutio was cute. But nothing took off, which made what happened at the end of the book interesting.

The end of Merlin’s Shakespeare was exciting. I can’t get into it because of spoilers, but a whole lot of craziness went down. Individual storylines were ended, and certain storylines were left open. I am interested to see where book 2 goes.

I would give Merlin’s Shakespeare a Young Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 13 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Merlin’s Shakespeare. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

The Truth About Cowboys (Texas Heat: Book 1) by Laura Renee Jones

The Truth About Cowboys (Texas Heat Book 1) by [Jones, Lisa Renee]

4 Stars

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, Entangled: Amara

Date of publication: August 27th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Texas Heat

The Truth About Cowboys—Book 1

Tangled Up In Christmas—Book 2 (expected publication date: October 29th, 2019)

Where you can find The Truth About Cowboys: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

I had my life figured out.

Engaged to a successful man.

About to make partner at my firm.

Bought a high-rise apartment in downtown Dallas.

And then, poof, it’s all gone. Now, like in some cheesy romantic comedy, my car has broken down in the pouring rain on my way to “find myself” in The Middle of Nowhere, Texas. Cue hot guy coming to my rescue and changing my tire. This is the part where we flirt and have a meet-cute, right? That’s how it works in romance novels, and I should know—after all, I’m coming to Texas to write my own cowboy romance. But nope. This sexy cowboy lights into me about not being prepared for the country roads and how inappropriate my high-heeled boots are.

Little did I know, Jason Jenks would tilt my world into a new dimension with his sinful smirk and his bad attitude. Every time I turn around, he’s there to reluctantly save the day. And every time, I think there may be something to that spark we ignite. But there’s a reason the majority of country songs are about broken hearts. The closer I get to this man, the closer I get to learning the truth about cowboys.

First Line:

Rain pours on my window, the wipers on my windshield working fervently to clear the glass and my view.

The Truth About Cowboys by Lisa Renee Jones

My Review:

I am going to admit this; I read this book because of the cover. I mean, look at it. The model is gorgeous. But the cover itself is striking. Black and white with the title in blue. Eye-catching!!

The Truth About Cowboys is the love story of Jessica and Jason. Jessica is trying to find herself after a painful breakup. Jason is trying to keep his family’s ranch from being repossessed. They meet on a rainy country road leading to Jason’s ranch, where they clash. They continue to fight when Jason finds out that his grandmother had rented out the cottage he uses as an office to Jessica. But, behind the unfriendliness and distrust, Jason and Jessica want each other. Can Jason get over his mistrust of Jessica? Can Jessica get over her ex?

I loved Jessica. From the beginning of the book, she let him know that she wasn’t going to be pushed around. I did think that she put up with more from him that I would have. I liked how she bonded with Martha. Those were some of the best scenes in the book!! To sum it up, Jessica was a strong woman who didn’t back down when a jerk decided she needed to be put in her place.

I didn’t like Jason until almost the end of the book. I did feel bad for him. The amount of pressure he was under would have broken a lesser man. But it didn’t excuse his behavior towards Jessica. There were times where I got mad. Like when he refused to fix her AC or when he went hot and cold with her. How about when he flipped out on her in the hospital? He did have some redeeming qualities, which were highlighted at the end of the book. He redeemed himself when he went after Jessica and apologized. That made me go from not liking him to liking him. He realized he was being an a**hole and made up for it.

If I don’t like a character, I can’t get into the sex scenes. Well, for this book, I did. Jessica and Jason had incredible sexual tension, which in turn lead to fantastic sex scenes. I couldn’t get enough of those!!

I loved Martha. She cracked me up. She wasn’t afraid to call Jason out for being a jerk. I loved when she did that. I thought it was hilarious that she rented the cottage so that Jason could meet someone.

The end of The Truth About Cowboys was a typical HEA ending. The epilogues were great. I can’t wait to read book 2!!

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

I would reread The Truth About Cowboys I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

Stolen Bloodlines (Steam and Shadow: Book 4) by L.G. Rollins

Stolen Bloodline (Steam and Shadow Book 4) by [Rollins, L. G.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Date of publication: August 20th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Steampunk, Paranormal

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 0.5

Buried in Blue—Book 1

Waltz of Crows—Book 2 (review here)

Clockwork Image—Book 3 (review here)

Stolen Bloodlines—Book 4

Where you can find Stolen Bloodlines: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The heritage she never knew was hers. The future he never believed could be. 

Jasper Wimple’s art is gaining popularity and life is falling into place for him at last. After meeting the Ambassador from China, a relationship that could propel him forward, Jasper’s street smarts tell him to steer clear of the man. But nothing could have prepared Jasper for a ghostly visit from one of the ambassador’s murdered victims, or taught him what to do when the ghost demands Jasper help protect his surviving wife and daughter.

Ju is done mourning a father she never knew for the entirety of Ghost Month, despite her mother’s insistence that they continue the tradition. Instead, Ju focuses on her upcoming audition—her one chance to enter London’s most prestigious dance school.

But then her mother’s life is threatened, and Ju sets everything else aside. Working together as new friends and unexpected allies, Jasper and Ju struggle to protect Ju’s mother and each other. With their own lives, the lives of those they care most about, and a budding romance all on the line, will they bring one of the most powerful men in England to justice before he silences them for good?

First Line:

Zhi Liling slipped in through the door and tip-toed up behind her husband, Ju-Long.

Stolen Bloodlines by L.G. Rollins

My Review:

The blurb for Stolen Bloodline caught my attention. Not only because it was Jasper’s story but because of Ju. Those two paragraphs made me want to read Stolen Bloodline. I wanted to see who the lucky lady was that caught (and held) Jasper’s attention. I also wanted to see if his story was as good as Tressa. I was pleased with both.

Stolen Bloodline has an exciting couple of plot lines. Jasper is an artist who is starting to become famous. The Chinese Ambassador, Leng, approaches Jasper at one of his showings. Leng wants Jasper to steal something for him. In turn, Leng will guarantee that Jasper’s career as an artist will explode. Jasper declines, and he is visited by Leng’s associated later on that night. Jasper must choose, does he do what Leng wants and become famous, or will he risk losing everything he loves.

I loved Ju. From the minute she was introduced in the book, I knew that she was going to be unique. I did raise an eyebrow when she had the talk with her mother about not doing Ghost Month. I did think it was a little disrespectful for her not to honor the ancestors like her mother. But, then I got to thinking. If I was the daughter of an immigrant, would I have acted the same way? Yes. I also liked how Ju concluded that honoring her ancestors wasn’t bad. It was refreshing to read.

I also liked how Ju tackled her race in Stolen Bloodline. She was aware that she was different. Ju knew that there wasn’t a lot of girls/women who looked like her auditioning at the school. She still went and did it. Again, it was refreshing to read.

I loved Jasper in Stolen Bloodlines. He took being approached by Ju-Long in ghost form very well. But then again, he had dealt with a vampire in the last book, so nothing phased him. I liked that he knew how he felt about Ju. I also liked that he was awkward when trying to explain how he felt about her. There was another thing that made me love him. Unfortunately, it is part of the end of the book, so I can’t say what it is.

The paranormal angle of the book was terrific. The author had the werewolves back in this book, which I loved. But, she also had ghosts. I hope that she expands on how they interact with people. Because it was interesting!!

The romance angle of the book was subtle. It did take some time to get moving. It did get frustrating at times, but at the same time, I loved watching the dance they did.

I want to add that while Stolen Bloodlines is the 4th book in the Steam and Shadow series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

The end of Stolen Bloodlines was action-packed. I was happy that things got resolved the way they did. Leng deserved everything that happened to him. I thought what Jaspar did to call attention to Leng was ingenious. I loved that Ju and Jasper got their HEA. I am wondering if there will be a book 5 and who will it be?

I would give Stolen Bloodline an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Stolen Bloodline. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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