Tag: adult

Of Fear and Faith (Death and Destiny: Book 1) by N.D. Jones

Publisher: Kuumba Publishing

Date of publication: December 7th,2019

Series: Death and Destiny

Of Fear and Faith—Book 1

Of Beasts and Bonds—Book 2

Of Deception and Divinity—Book 3

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Witches, Mythology, Adult, Magic, Shapeshifters

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Indigo | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a world where nothing is ever as it seems, the seeds of love take root on the precipice of chaos, danger, and a great destiny.

In the shadow of an ancient prophecy, two individuals will be drawn together to meet a dangerous calling–or die trying. For legends tell of a powerful Fire Witch and a legendary shapeshifter who will one day rid the world of the wrath of the Water Witch of Legend, and restore the world to peace and balance.

However, for Sanura Williams and FBI Special Agent Assefa Berber, their destinies will not be so easily won, as fear and faith will ultimately determine their fates. In the heat of battle and the chill of prophecy, Sanura and Assefa will weather the dual storms of lust and love. Are they prepared for the intoxicating swirl of danger and attraction? Can they overcome their fears of such a powerful prophecy? In the face of their foes, these legendary warriors must embrace their roles as heroes, side-by-side, and defend humanity against the coming doom.

3 Things I Liked About Of Fear and Faith

The characters.
I genuinely loved all of them, but Assefa and Sanura were my favorites. I really appreciated that the author didn’t reveal everything about Assefa right away. The little hints sprinkled throughout kept me guessing—and when the truth finally came out? It was HUGE.

The paranormal monsters.
For some reason, this completely thrilled me (yes, I know—no life). Instead of the usual rogue vampires or animal shifters, we get sirens, Raven Mockers, and Adze. It felt fresh, unexpected, and honestly exciting.

The sex scenes.
Hot. Hot. Hot. The chemistry between Sanura and Assefa was off the charts, and it translated into some seriously epic scenes that added to the story instead of distracting from it.

3 Things I Didn’t Like About Of Fear and Faith

Sanura’s ex.
He was a total creep and deeply unpleasant. I won’t say much more—you really need to read the book to fully appreciate how awful he is.

Mike.
I found him incredibly unlikable at the beginning of the story, to the point where it was hard for me to warm up to him at all.

Sanura’s reaction to Assefa’s big secret.
Without giving anything away, her reaction felt a little over the top to me. I understood why she reacted the way she did, but it still grated.

I would recommend Of Fear and Faith to readers 21 and over. It contains graphic sex scenes, strong language, and violence, and is best suited for adults who enjoy paranormal romance with heat and high stakes.

In The Clearing (Tracy Crosswhite: Book 3) by Robert Dugoni

In the Clearing (Tracy Crosswhite Book 3) by [Dugoni, Robert]

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: May 17th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Suspense, Contemporary, Detective, Adult

Series: Tracy Crosswhite Series

The Academy—Book 0.25

Third Watch—Book 0.5

My Sister’s Grave—Book 1

Her Final Breath—Book 2

In the Clearing—Book 3

The Trapped Girl—Book 4

Close to Home—Book 5

A Steep Price—Book 6

A Cold Trail—Book 7

In Her Tracks—Book 8

The Last Line—Book 8.5

What She Found—Book 9

Purchase Links: Amazon |Audible

Goodreads synopsis:

Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime.

So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate, and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years earlier, Tracy agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny’s detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town’s memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community’s fabric. Can Tracy uphold the promise she’s made to the dead girl’s family and deliver the truth of what happened to their daughter? Or will she become the next victim?

Want a book you can devour in one sitting? Then read In the Clearing. I was completely glued to this one and couldn’t put it down.

The main storyline and the subplot were both fantastic. The author does a great job of alternating between the cold case and the one Tracy is currently working on, seamlessly moving between past and present—and even between different perspectives. That’s something I usually struggle with in books like this, but here it absolutely worked. The way both cases come together in the end is chilling. I actually got goosebumps.

I did figure out who killed Kimi about halfway through the book—but not because it was obvious in a bad way. There were plenty of red herrings and apparent dead ends, so when everything was revealed, I was still shocked. And there’s a major twist I did not see coming.

What surprised me most is that even though this is part of a series, it works perfectly as a standalone. I usually avoid reading books out of order because characters and plots tend to bleed together. Not here. What happens in previous books stays in previous books.