The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: April 5th, 2022

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them?

First Line:

I cry at weddings. Nothing original there, I know – except, perhaps, the reason.
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

I enjoy reading thrillers, and since I had read books by this particular author before, I was pretty eager to read this book. When I read the blurb for The Younger Wife, I knew that I wanted to read it. But then I read the book, and while I liked it, I was very disappointed by the last half of the book.

The Younger Wife has a straightforward plotline with three characters: Heather, Tully, and Rachel. Heather is marrying Stephen, a well-known heart surgeon who is recently divorced from Pam, suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s. But something isn’t quite right with Heather’s relationship with Stephen, and the closer to the wedding date, the more apprehensive she becomes. When Rachel discovers a note, along with almost a hundred thousand dollars, stuffed into a hot water bottle, she realizes that the father she knew is a stranger. He could be responsible for her mother’s sudden decline.

Meanwhile, Tully is dealing with her demons. Everything will come crashing together at the wedding. And when it does, will the question be answered? Or will everything stay the same?

The author did an excellent job of amping up the psychological thriller angle of the book. The way she wrote Heather and Stephen’s scenes (all while Heather was tipsy) made me wonder if Heather was clumsy or if Stephen was behind everything. It wasn’t until Heather got seriously hurt and then announced her pregnancy and what happened after that, that I started believing Heather.

Speaking of Heather, I did start not liking or trusting her. It was how she met Stephen and how fast she fell for him. Of course, she was hiding something, and I was irritated that the author kept dragging it out. I did figure it out about halfway through the book, but I was still surprised when she told Stephen. And I did do an eye-roll with his response. But, by the end of the book, my opinion of her changed, and I liked her.

I liked Rachel, and I pitied her when the author revealed her past trauma. But I did kind of eye-roll with how fast Heather figured it out with the revealed clues. I wasn’t even thinking that when Heather asked Rachel. I also felt terrible that she couldn’t ask Stephen questions about several key things. I also felt horrible that her trauma had such a terrific hold on her, manifesting in an eating disorder.

I was not too fond of Tully. I feel bad saying this because she was such a hot mess for the entire book. But she was awful. If she had even been likable, I might have had a smidgen more sympathy for her. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised when she hit rock bottom towards the end of the book. I wish the author had done it sooner because Tully, after her arrest, was more likable and more relatable. She was still a hot mess, but she was getting help, and by the end of the book, she seemed so much more relaxed.

The wedding storyline and the aftermath were well written. The author kept me guessing what happened until almost the end of the book. I was completely surprised at who killed Stephen and what drove that person to do it. I did not expect that person to do anything.

As I mentioned above, I loved the book until the last half. Then I felt that the author did a 180 and tried to play mind games with the readers. I was not impressed with what she did and how she played everything off. I read those chapters, plus the letter written, with a wide-open mouth. I couldn’t believe what I was reading compared to the evidence given in the first half of the book.

I do want to warn you that several scenes might trigger someone. There are scenes of rape (not graphic), domestic abuse, miscarriage, eating disorders, kleptomania, nursing home abuse, alcoholism, and child abuse. If you think that any of these might trigger you, I strongly suggest not reading The Younger Wife.

I would recommend The Younger Wife to anyone over 21. There are several triggers, which are detailed in the paragraph above. There is also mild violence, language, and very mild sexual scenes.

The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Ray

Date of publication: February 1st, 2022

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Suspense

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | B&N | iTunes | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A mysterious plague that causes random bouts of violence is sweeping the nation. Now three generations of women must navigate their chilling new reality in this moving exploration of identity, cycles of abuse, and hope.

Chelsea Martin appears to be the perfect housewife: married to her high school sweetheart, the mother of two daughters, keeper of an immaculate home.

But Chelsea’s husband has turned their home into a prison; he has been abusing her for years, cutting off her independence, autonomy, and support. She has nowhere to turn, not even to her narcissistic mother, Patricia, who is more concerned with maintaining the appearance of an ideal family than she is with her daughter’s actual well-being. And Chelsea is worried that her daughters will be trapped just as she is–until a mysterious illness sweeps the nation.

Known as The Violence, this illness causes the infected to experience sudden, explosive bouts of animalistic rage and attack anyone in their path. But for Chelsea, the chaos and confusion the virus causes is an opportunity–and inspires a plan to liberate herself from her abuser.

First Line:

The first recorded incidence of the Violence occurred as Ruth Belmont of Land O’Lakes, Florida, was putting a tub of mayonnaise in her cart at a warehouse store on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025.
the violence by delilah s dawson

When I read the blurb for The Violence, I was instantly intrigued. But, I was also a little hesitant to read it. I was intrigued by the last few books that I did not like. So, keeping that in mind, I dove into The Violence. To say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. I loved this book!!

The Violence is a dystopia set in 2025 Florida. In this world, we have learned to live with COVID and adapted our lives around it. Life has gotten back to normal when news reports start talking about people randomly attacking and killing people. These random attacks soon become commonplace, and a new pandemic is announced. As with the COVID pandemic, its seriousness is downplayed until it is out of control.

The Violence centers around three people and follows them from the pandemic’s start to the end. Chelsea is a stay-at-home mother trapped in an abusive marriage. She dreams of getting out and saving her girls but can’t because her husband would destroy her. So, when The Violence starts, Chelsea uses that to her advantage. Ella is Chelsea’s seventeen-year-old daughter who has witnessed her mother’s abuse for years. She is caught up in an abusive relationship herself but breaks it off when her abuser is caught on camera (and in a public place) beating on her. Patricia is Chelsea’s narcissist mother. She is more concerned with maintaining appearances than helping her daughter and granddaughters escape their abuser. The Violence brings them together unexpectedly, but it also tears them apart. With Chelsea on the run, Ella looking for her, it is up to Patricia to keep Brooklyn safe. But who will keep Patricia safe? And will Chelsea ever get free from her ex? Will Ella find her mother before her father does? What happens when everything comes to a head?

The Violence had a lightening fast storyline. I had zero issues keeping up with how fast the storyline went. Surprisingly, there is no lag. This story didn’t stop. Put it this way, I read it in one night; that’s how fast it went.

Before I get deeper into the review, I want to give everyone a trigger warning heads-up. This book is graphically violent (hence the title). The author doesn’t hold any punches when infected people storm (when they blackout and kill people). She also doesn’t hold back during the abuse scenes. At the beginning of the book, there is a forward explaining why she wrote those scenes the way she did. But still didn’t prepare me for how graphic those scenes were. There is also scenes of verbal abuse (Patricia remembering calling toddler Chelsea stupid stuck out to me), sexual abuse (Chelsea getting raped by David), emotional abuse (Hayden telling Ella he was going to kill himself if she didn’t respond to his text), and animal abuse (David kicking the family dog every time he saw him and that awful scene when Chelsea blacked out). Those examples are only scratching the surface of this book. So read with caution if any of these triggers you.

I loved and pitied Chelsea. I hate to say it, but the way her mother treated her growing up paved the way for her to be in an abusive relationship with David. My heart broke for her during those first few scenes when David choked her. The author made me feel the horror and desperation she went through. I did think she was genius for her plan to get David taken away, and Ella’s 911 call only cemented it. But it was a short-lived plan, and she was getting threatened by David’s friends (one a lawyer and one a cop). When she ended up getting The Violence, she did what any mother would do, she shut herself away, and when she got word that her ex was coming home, she ran to her mother. But, it was what happened after she left the girls at her mother’s. I was equally shouting “Yas girl” and cringing at what she was doing. The name Florida Woman will forever be associated with her.

My heart broke for Ella. She was such a broken child, and I wanted to spirit her away from her family. She had no safe space for her to decompress. Instead, she went from school (where her friends and abusive boyfriend were) to home, where she had to worry about her father potentially killing her mother. She also was tasked with keeping her 5-year-old sister safe and away from her father at night. That meant locking herself and Brooklyn in her room at night. But, that all changed when her father was arrested, and her mother got The Violence. Ella became Brooklyn’s parent. I didn’t blame her for getting angry when Chelsea decided (after finding out that David was getting out of jail) to move them to Patricia’s. I also didn’t blame her for leaving to find Chelsea because Patricia was awful. It showed how much she had grown. But, it was when she stumbled upon the RV and got hooked up with the scientists that she started to blossom. She became that strong, independent girl that she should have been from the start.

I was not too fond of Patricia. OMG, I wanted to go into the book and strangle her at points. She was one of the more awful people that I have ever read. The way she ignored Chelsea’s bruises and how she talked to Chelsea was horrible. Everything was about appearances to her. But, as her backstory was revealed, I did start to feel sorry for her. Her abusive childhood and rape (which resulted in Chelsea) shaped her. She modeled the only behavior that she knew, verbal and emotional abuse. When she took in Ella and Brooklyn, I could see cracks in her facade. And when she was left to care for Brooklyn, those cracks became bigger and bigger. Her character growth and transformation was one of the more surprising ones I read. I loved how she ended up.

Brooklyn was adorable. I was so surprised that she wasn’t more traumatized. I mean, she witnessed her father almost killing her mother. She was uprooted from her house and lived with her grandmother, who was distant and cold. Then, Ella, her protector, leaves. Instead of acting out, having tantrums, or regressing, she remained normal. The only sign the author gave that she had been traumatized was the nightmares she had while sleeping in Patricia’s closet. My heart (and Patricia’s) broke when I realized who she was talking about and what. But other than that, there was nothing.

The secondary characters did round out the book. They all added an extra depth that the book needed.

The horror angle was well written. As I mentioned above, there was a lot of gore and violence associated with this book. The author got in-depth with the gore. I did think certain scenes could have been toned down, but then they wouldn’t have had the punch that they did.

The mystery angle was also very well written. I couldn’t figure out what would happen next in the book. After a certain point, I couldn’t figure out if everyone would come together and when.

The end of The Violence was, well, violent. I will not say much about it except that David got what was coming to him. I also liked the epilogue, showing where everyone was. It gave me hope for all the characters.

I would recommend The Violence for anyone over 21. There is graphic violence, language, and graphic accounts of sexual assault.

Pirate’s Curse: Division 1 (The Berkano Vampire Collection) by Leigh Anderson and Rebecca Hamilton

Pirate’s Curse: Division 1
by Leigh Anderson & Rebecca Hamilton
(The Berkano Vampire Collection)
Publication date: October 22nd 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Goodreads

Book Synopsis:

Once upon a time, a vampire and a witch fell in love, and that love fractured the world. Now divided into sixteen isolated Divisions, the world is an unstable and dangerous place.

In the Division of NOLA, Catheryn Beauregard fears her burgeoning magical powers. Hiding as just another slave in the home of the Hoodoo Queen, Catheryn hopes her simplistic powers will simply go unnoticed. And her plan seems to be working…until the Hoodoo House is attacked by a ruthless band of vampire pirates.

Captain Rainier Dulocke and his crew need humans to feed on. In an act of desperation, they beset the Hoodoo House and take ten slaves to sustain them. Rainier takes a girl named Catheryn for himself, but her blood is giving him terrible side effects. Still, he refuses to give her up. Even when the Hoodoo Queen demands her return.

The NOLA Division is in danger. The waters are rising. Food is running out. And the Hoodoo Queen is about to destroy everything that’s left if the pirates don’t meet her request. Now Catheryn must choose who will die: the humans who sold her, the witches who bought her, or the vampires who stole her. If she fails to decide, everyone could die.

PIRATE’S CURSE is a standalone contribution to The Berkano Vampire collection. Stories can be read in any order. To learn more, visit FallenSorcery.com

Excerpt:

Rainier nodded. “Things tend to only happen when you are threatened,” he said. “Like the doors when you were chased or the beam when you were cornered.”

“Yes,” she said. “I noticed that as well. Which is why I think the powers are only latent. I cannot control them, but they take on a life of their own to protect me.”

“Yet they allowed you to be captured by me,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “Perhaps your powers knew I was not a threat to you.”

“Or they just weren’t quite strong enough yet to fight you off, but it’s only a matter of time,” she said with a teasing smirk.

“Well, we will have to see what other surprises you have in store for me, Catheryn Beauregard,” he said.

He smiled as they rowed back to the ship. He wanted to believe what she had told him. He didn’t have a reason not to believe her, except that she hadn’t been completely honest with him before. More like lying by omission. But she didn’t trust him before. Why should she? At least now they seemed to have turned a corner.

But the truth of what she was still gnawed at him. It should be safe for him to feed off a lesser witch. They were usually close enough to human that there should be no side effects from feeding off one. Yet every time he fed from Catheryn, he had those strange visions. And he wasn’t feeling energized the way he should afterward.

There was still something about Catheryn that didn’t make sense.

Giveaway:

Giveaway ends October 31st.

The grand prize is:

$25 Amazon gift card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251233349/

Purchase Links:

Amazon

New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance for Harlequin, Baste Lübbe, and Evershade. A book addict, registered bone marrow donor, and indian food enthusiast, she often takes to fictional worlds to see what perilous situations her characters will find themselves in next.

Represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA, Rebecca has been published internationally, in three languages: English, German, and Hungarian.

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LEIGH ANDERSON loves all things Gothic and paranormal. Her master’s thesis was on vampire imagery in Gothic novels and she met her husband while assuming the role of a vampire online. She currently teaches writing at several universities and has a rather impressive collection of tiny hats. She lives in a small town in the mountains with her husband, human child, and two fur-children. She is currently working on too many writing projects, and yet not enough.

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Delicious Disasters by Isabella Louise Anderson

This is my stop during the blog tour for Delicious Disasters by Isabella Louise Anderson. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 7 till 20 October. See the tour schedule here: http://www.lolasblogtours.net/blog-tour-delicious-disasters-by-isabella-louise-anderson

Delicious Disasters

By Isabella Louise Anderson

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Romantic Comedy

Age category: Adult

Release Date: 7 August, 2019

Goodreads

Book Synopsis:

When Tessa Markham’s bookstore gets bought out, she is forced to face an uncertain future. After her best friend challenges her to start baking, she accepts—even if the last time she baked wasn’t what she would call a delicious success.

After a small kitchen fire, Tessa’s life begins to change. She finds encouragement from a sexy fireman, agrees to a questionable ruse to help another business owner with a complicated situation, and needs to be there for her best friend now more than ever.

Can a delicious disaster lead to a new future and a successful baking career?

Excerpt:

Having changed clothes, feeling refreshed and more than ready to tackle icing the cakes she and C.C. had made, her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but she answered anyway. “Hello?”

“Is this Tessa?” a woman asked.

Noting that the woman’s voice sounded slightly familiar, Tessa replied, “Yes, who is this?”

“This is Lorie Rain, C.C.’s boss,” she began, pausing so Tessa could reply.

“Oh yes, I remember you.” The almost icing thief!

“Wonderful!” Then with a click of her tongue, she continued, “I hope you don’t mind, but I got your number from C.C. I’m calling to place an order from you for four dozen cupcakes—they’re for my daughter’s cheerleading team. I need each dozen to be a different color—red, yellow, green, and purple—those are my daughter’s favorite colors.” Letting out a giggle, she added, “I would have my housekeeper do it, but she can’t be bothered with such mindful tasks, you know what I mean?”

Is this woman for real? “I’d be happy to help you,” Tessa said to Lorie as she quickly grabbed a pen and notepad to take notes. “When do you need the cupcakes by?”

“I need them to be delivered tomorrow at The Eternity Gymnasium at noon, and not a minute later.”

What the hell! Tessa looked around her kitchen, thankful that she’d—just by chance—bought cupcake tins earlier that day, but with less than twenty-four hours’ notice, it seemed like an extreme task to begin so late in the day. “First of all, Lorie, thank you for contacting me. On second thought, and I hate to say this, but I’m unable to help you on this matter after all. With little time, I wouldn’t feel comfortable selling them.” That was somewhat a lie, because cupcakes were easy, but pretty colorful cupcake decoration was time-consuming.

“C.C. promised you could help me,” Lorie whined. “If you’re a real baker, then why can’t you do this?” There was a long pause on the other end of the phone before Tessa heard a whimpering sound. Her voice was high-pitched, which led Tessa to know that she was playing the guilt-trip card. “I’ll pay extra,” Lorie exclaimed quickly in what seemed to be a begging tone.

Tessa closed her eyes, gnawed on her bottom lip, and tilted her head back, hating herself for what she was about to say. So giving in and realizing that her night would involve a lot of work and no play, in her singsong voice, which she and C.C. often referred as her play- nice tone, Tessa said, “I will make it happen.”

Giveaway:

Grand prize is

$50 Amazon gift card

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1000e4f1327/

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Books2Read

Isabella Louise Anderson grew up with a book in her hand, and to this day, nothing has changed. Aside from writing, she focuses her time on featuring other authors and their books on her blog, Chick Lit Goddess, along with sharing book reviews. Isabella Louise is also a member of the Romance Writers of America.

She lives in Dallas with her husband and their two cats, enjoys spicy Indian and Mexican food, margaritas, and red, white, and rosé wines. She loves spending time with family and friends and cheering on the Texas Rangers.

Isabella Louise Anderson is currently working on her next release.

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Tour Schedule
7 October
Read with Me – Review
Euthalia – Review, Excerpt and Interview

8 October
Comfy Chair Books – Excerpt

9 October
Binding Addiction – Promo Only

10 October
Lisa Book Life – Excerpt

11 October
Hearts & Scribbles – Excerpt
the bookworm lodge – Promo Only

12 October
TMBA Corbett Tries to Write – Excerpt and top ten list

13 October
Underneath the Covers – Excerpt

14 October
Sandra’s Book Club – Review
Paulette’s Papers – Promo Only

15 October
The Genre Minx Book Reviews – Review

16 October
Book Lover in Florida – Review and excerpt

17 October
My Reading Journeys – Review and excerpt

18 October
We All Make Mistakes in Books – Review

19 October
She Writes About It – Review
20 October
All the Ups and Downs – Excerpt
Review after tour
Comfy Chair Books

First Line:

Tessa Markham’s time as a small bookshop owner was over.
Delicious Disaster by Isabella Louise Anderson

My Review:

When I read the blurb for Delicious Disasters, my interest was piqued. This book sounded like something that I needed to read. See, I had been getting a little burnt out from reading. I needed a book that I didn’t have to focus on or had a super intricate plotlines/characters. Delicious Disasters was that book for me. I am glad that I read it!! It was a much-needed change of pace for me.

The plotline for Delicious Disasters was medium paced. I didn’t find myself being rushed along while reading. I also didn’t find myself mentally urging the plotline to go faster. It was perfect!! There were a few lags in the plotline, but the author was able to get the book back on track.

I liked Tessa. I could relate to the hijinks she got herself in. Like forgetting about the cake in the oven and having the fire department come out. Been there, done that. How about dating two guys at once? Been there, done that a bunch of times (don’t worry, way before I got together with BK). Taking on more than she can handle, yeah, living that life right now. I did question some of her decisions too. Like pretending to be Jake’s fiance. I understood why she did it but still. It didn’t make sense to me. The other huge one is when she took another one of Lori’s orders. Sorry, but that would have been a hard no from me.

I did think that Tessa was a bit selfish during Delicious Disasters. It was clear that C.C. was going through something, and Tessa was all about her issues. I didn’t blame C.C. for blowing up at Tessa. Not one little bit. I thought that it should have happened sooner in the book.

Tessa’s relationship with Brye was cute. I agreed with what Brye said in the middle of the book. It was wrong of Tessa to do what she did, and I didn’t blame Brye for what he did. Now, Tessa’s relationship with Jake was a whole other story. I didn’t like Jake from the minute he was introduced in the book. Something about him rubbed me the wrong way. And man, was I vilified!!! All I have to say is that he got his in the end.

The end of the book was cute, but it was a little predictable. I had guessed at everything that happened. I did like how Tessa handled the whole Jake situation, though. Talk about karma!!

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

I would reread Delicious Disasters. I would recommend it to family and friends.

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

The Silver Thread (Annika Brisby: Book 2) by Emigh Cannaday

Publisher: Black Feather Publishing

Date of publication: November 3rd, 2012

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fairies, Fae, Paranormal, Elves, Adult, Magic, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Fiction

Series: Annika Brisby

The Flame and The Arrow – Book 1 (review here)

The Silver Thread – Book 2

The Scarlet Tanager – Book 3 (review here)

The Darkest of Dreams—Book 4 (review here)

Song of the Samodiva—Book 5 (review here)

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible

Goodreads Synopsis:

“You know, my parents didn’t give me much advice about relationships, but my mother told me that we should never go to bed upset with one another.” Talvi reached am arm out to invite Annika to curl up against his chest.

“Aww, that’s a sweet thing to say,” she said as she cozied up in the crook of his arm. “What did your dad tell you?”

“He said to make sure the sofa was comfortable, just in case.”

Talvi Marinossian has slain maenads and fought off vampire attacks, but nothing has prepared him for getting involved with one of these forbidden ‘Modern Girls’. When he finally tracks down Annika it’s obvious that she’s changed since her recent adventure in his homeland. It’s also clear that she’s not ready to embrace the next chapter in her life. He tries to persuade her to open up to him, but she finds it difficult since he won’t even explain how he earns a living, why he has a secret cell phone, or the reason he keeps another woman’s handkerchief in his pocket.

Instead of relying on Talvi to help her adjust, Annika delves into her music and her job, and it isn’t long before the new lovers find themselves completely out of sync with one another. Just when they start to find their rhythm, Talvi is called away on business and whisks Annika off to Paris for what is supposed to be a working vacation. But one bad decision leads to another, and the chaos that ensues may cost someone their life.

I can’t even begin to tell you guys how excited I was when Emigh approached me to review The Silver Thread. I was fangirl excited. I squeed like a young girl at a One Direction concert when I saw the email from her. I had reviewed The Flame and The Arrow and enjoyed reading them, so I had high expectations for this book.

I wasn’t disappointed.

The story begins with Talvi and Chivanni at Talvi’s family’s house. They are discussing trying to find Annika after she is pulled through the portal. Talvi is also mourning the loss of his sister, Yuri, well, what he considers a loss. Yuri was turned into a vampire by Konstantin.

After about 3 months of searching, Talvi finds Annika in Portland. She was living with her brother Charlie and his best friend, James. She had been depressed. The only thing she was doing was playing with her band, drinking, and going to bed. That’s it. When Talvi shows up, it’s like a switch has been thrown. She was thrown out of her depression.

This is where the book turned good. Instead of having an adventure, the author chose to examine Talvi and Annika’s relationship. Sure, they were married, but they were strangers. When they started living together, they found out that they were different. I hated that Annika came off as jealous for a few chapters.

Talvi was not good at communicating outside the bedroom. He never talked to Annika unless it was to be a smartass. I didn’t blame Annika when she starts questioning her relationship with Talvi.

I wished that Annika could figure out who she wanted. It drove me nuts when she was seesawing back and forth between Talvi and Finn. Her time with Finn in Paris was, interesting. I am glad the author went the way she did with the storyline.

The sex was as good in the first book. Just as toe-curling and just as hot!!!

I will say that I was a little disappointed that Yuri only made one appearance. Also that she seemed to change from the first book. I got very sad about that.

The ending was great, and I didn’t see the twist coming. It came out of the left field and left it wide open for a 3rd book.

I would recommend The Silver Threat to anyone over 21. There is graphic sex, violence, and language. There are also scenes of drug use.

If you enjoyed reading The Silver Thread, you will enjoy these books:

Destined for a King (The Bastard Brotherhood: Book 1) by Ashlynn Macnamara

Destined for a King: The Bastard Brotherhood by [Macnamara, Ashlyn]

Publisher: Loveswept

Date of publication: September 6th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Fantasy Romance, Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal Romance, High Fantasy, Medieval

Series: The Bastard Brotherhood

Destined For a King—Book 1

Claimed by the Commander—Book 2

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Indigo | Kobo | Apple Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

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 it is going to ROCK,” 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, Magnus Vandal. 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.

My Fair Princess (The Improper Princesses: Book 1) by Vanessa Kelly

Publisher: Zebra

Date of Publication: August 30th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, Fiction, Regency, Adult, British Literature, Humor

Series: The Improper Princesses

My Fair Princess – Book 1

Three Renegades and a Baby—Book 1.5

Three Weeks with a Princess—Book 2

The Highlander’s Princess Bride—Book 3

Goodreads Synopsis:

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:

Old Dark (The Last Dragon Lord: Book 1) by Michael La Ronn

Old Dark (The Last Dragon Lord Book 1) by [La Ronn, Michael]

Publisher:

Date of publication:

Genre: Fantasy, Dragons, Adult

Series: The Last Dragon Lord

Old Dark — Book 1

Old Evil—Book 2

Old Wicked—Book 3

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | Kobo | Google Play

Goodreads Synopsis:

Dragon Lord. Despot. Psychopath.

Old Dark is a viperous dragon lord who rules the world with an iron fist. For two hundred years he and his dragons have terrorized humans and elves, forcing them to pay tribute or die.

There’s a deadly conspiracy brewing. And if he doesn’t contain it, it will destroy him and everything he’s built.

But Dark was born to fight. There’s a reason the ancients called him Dark the Wicked…

Old Dark is the first book in the dark fantasy series The Last Dragon Lord. Readers who like the Age of Fire series and Smaug from the Lord of the Rings will enjoy this series.

This book was good.

Told from the viewpoint of Old Dark, it embraced how society perceives dragons and runs with it. Greedy, vicious leaders who won’t hesitate to destroy a village to make a point. Loved it!! Not too often that you read a book that 100% supports the bad guy.

What I loved is that the author refused to kill Old Dark. Instead, he had him cursed in an attack. That curse went wrong, and he fell asleep for 1,000 years. While he was asleep, humans, elves, and dragons coexisted peacefully. Dragons were no longer feared, and they worked with humans. Elves can use magic, and magic defines their whole society. Humans and elves can marry and have children. There was a downside. Magic was being drained from wells faster than it could replenish itself.

This is where Miri Charmwell and Lucan Grimoire were introduced. Miri is a professor in the Department of Magical Sciences. Lucan is running for governor. They get thrown together when he discovers a dragon tomb in the middle of the Ancestral Bogs. He needs her to help him discover whose tomb it was.

At first, I didn’t care for Lucan or Miri’s characters. Miri grew on me. Lucan comes across as a jerk, and the author did nothing to dissuade from that impression.

I loved the latter part of the book. Not going to give anything away, but it was great. The ending was perfect. I can’t wait to read the next book!!

I would recommend Old Dark to anyone over 16. There are some sexual situations and violence

If you enjoyed reading Old Dark, you will enjoy reading these books:

Burn Down the Night (Everything I Left Unsaid: Book 3) by Molly O’Keefe

Burn Down the Night (Everything I Left Unsaid Book 3) by [O'Keefe, M.]

Publisher: Loveswept

Publication Date: August 9, 2016

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Erotica, Romantic Suspense, Erotic Romance, Suspense, Adult, Dark, Mystery, Crime

Series: Everything I Left Unsaid

Everything I Left Unsaid—Book 1

The Truth About Him—Book 2

Burn Down the Night—Book 3

Wait for It—Book 4 (review here)

Goodreads Synopsis:

A battle for control turns explosive as a beautiful con woman takes a bad-boy biker hostage in this edgy, seductive novel set in the world of Everything I Left Unsaid and The Truth About Him.

The only thing that matters to me is rescuing my sister from the drug-cooking cult that once enslaved us both. I’ve run cons my whole life, and I’ll use my body to get whatever I need. Max Daniels is the last connection I have to that world, the one person reckless enough to get involved. Besides, now that his brothers have turned on him, he needs me too.

The deal was supposed to be simple: a place to hide in exchange for rescuing my sister. Now he’s my prisoner. Totally at my mercy. But I’m the one captivated. Enthralled. Doing everything he asks of me until I’m not sure who’s in control.

We both crave the heat. The more it hurts, the better. But what if Max wants a different life now, to leave the game . . . to love me? I thought I knew better than to get burned. Now I’m in too deep to pull away. And the crazy thing is . . . I don’t want to.

This book was a first for me. I had never read an MC book before, so I didn’t know what to expect. I am happy to say that this book turned me on to MC books. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in this series. I also liked that while this was the 3rd book in the series, you could read it as a stand-alone book. If you have been following my reviews, you know how much I hate reading 2-3 books into a series.

The sexual element of this book was over the top, but in a good way. The sexual tension was through the roof. Joan is bisexual, and she doesn’t hide it from Max. That leads to an exciting encounter when they are in Florida. When Max and Joan finally bump uglies, holy crap. Talk about igniting the pages!!!

The plot of this book was great too. Joan’s sister is involved with a drug-cooking cult, and Joan is looking to get her out. She figures that she could get the leader alone by doing something illegal. Then somehow, get to where he moved the camp too. But everything doesn’t go to plan, and she ends up with Max after he is shot and beaten by his MC brothers. After that, it takes off.

I loved the ending. It fits in perfectly with the book.

I would recommend Burn Down the Night to anyone over 21. There are erotic sex scenes, graphic violence, and language.

If you enjoyed reading Burn Down the Night, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: July 26th, 2016

Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Adult, Historical, Historical Fiction, Horror, Adult Fiction

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984:
the year a heatwave scorched the small town of Breathed, Ohio.
The year he became friends with the devil.

When local prosecutor Autopsy Bliss publishes an invitation to the devil to come to the country town of Breathed, Ohio, nobody quite expected that he would turn up. They especially didn’t expect him to turn up a tattered and bruised thirteen-year-old boy.

Fielding, the son of Autopsy, finds the boy outside the courthouse and brings him home, and he is welcomed into the Bliss family. The Blisses believe the boy, who calls himself Sal, is a runaway from a nearby farm town. Then, as a series of strange incidents implicate Sal — and riled by the feverish heatwave baking the town from the inside out — there are some around town who start to believe that maybe Sal is exactly who he claims to be.

But whether he’s a traumatised child or the devil incarnate, Sal is certainly one strange fruit: he talks in riddles, his uncanny knowledge and understanding reaches far outside the realm of a normal child — and ultimately his eerily affecting stories of Heaven, Hell, and earth will mesmerise and enflame the entire town.

Devastatingly beautiful, The Summer That Melted Everything is a captivating story about community, redemption, and the dark places where evil really lies.

I don’t even know what to write here (which is a first) because the book was THAT good. It was written so that you couldn’t help but get sucked into it, and then you can’t put it down. As I said, it is THAT good.

I was introduced to the Bliss family in the book’s first chapter. Autopsy, Stella, Grand, Fielding, and Aunt Fedelia. Autopsy is the local prosecutor for the town of Breathed. Autopsy decided, one day, to write a letter to the devil inviting him to Breathed and posted it in the newspaper. Guess what? A young boy claiming to be the devil showed up right before a major heat wave.

This is where the story became interesting. The author kept you guessing if Sal (Satan and Lucifer’s name combined) was the devil. He had insight into the different relationships that were going on in the town that no 13-year-old should know. I never figured out if he was the devil or not.

Strange events started happening every time Sal went into town. The heat kept rising; a woman had a tragic accident, a mob was incited, and stuff along those lines. He isn’t allowed out of the yard/house to keep him safe.

The story is told in flashbacks from a 70-something-year-old Fielding. Who suffers survivor’s guilt. I don’t like it when books are told in flashbacks. You lose something from it. In this case, it worked. I got to see the long-term damage caused by the events of that awful summer/fall, which is heartbreaking. The author did a perfect job of taking older Fielding’s memories and turning them into a story about younger Fielding.

There was a huge twist in the story that I saw coming. It involved Elohim, Fielding’s former mentor and Sal’s biggest enemy in town. I did a WTF when it was revealed.

I would recommend The Summer that Melted Everything to anyone over 21. There is strong language and violence.

If you enjoyed reading The Summer that Melted Everything, you will enjoy reading these books:

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