The Bellringer: Volume 1 (The Year of the Red Door: Book 1) by William Timothy Murray

The Bellringer: Volume 1 of The Year of the Red Door

Title: The Bellringer

Author: William Timothy Murray

Publisher: Penflight Books

Date of publication: June 6th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Year of the Red Door

The Bellringer – Book 1

The Nature of a Curse – Book 2

A Distant Light – Book 3

Eighteen Objects of Power – Short story companion book

The DreamWalker – Book 4

To Touch a Dream – Book 5

The Fall of the Faere and Other Stories – Short Stories

Where you can find The Bellringer: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

For centuries, the Great Bell was silent…

It remained undisturbed, nearly forgotten by history, hidden away in the ruins of an abandoned fortress. The enchantments within its iron slumbered, its secrets protected by silence. Until someone discovered how to ring the Bell, other secrets would remain safe.

One day, while running an errand, a young store clerk took a wrong turn, then another, until he found himself deep within the old fortress where the Great Bell waited.

It waited for him.

And when the hapless clerk rang the Great Bell and released its enchantments, his troubles began. For he had become the Bellringer. He claimed it was all an accident, that he did not mean to ring the Bell. Fate, it seemed, thought otherwise, and proof of the Bellringer’s destiny began to emerge just as the world spiraled into war. Revolt and treachery worked to break apart the Seven Realms. Armies were on the march. The faraway King, obsessed with his own power, seemed unwilling or unable to prevent the looming catastrophe.

Perhaps a new King was needed…if only someone could penetrate the secret of the King’s power and take the throne before it was too late. It was foretold that the person who discovered the True Name of the King would become the next King. But who was capable of such a thing?

The Bellringer.

===================================

About The Year of the Red Door:

244 Days Remain.
That is all.

Uncanny things are taking place in the world, mysterious powers are stirring, and there are signs of coming change. Like pieces on a gameboard, ancient forces are moving into position, gathering strength. Many sense the portents and see the signs, but few know their meaning. Fewer still understand what must be done. But who is there to do it?

In only 244 days, six intrepid travelers must cross thousands of miles, to the far edge of the world, to find a place that may not even exist. A legendary place called Griferis where a new king may be prepared, trained, and judged for worthiness. It is their bid to find that place, to discover the secret Name of the King, and to make one of their companions the new King. But hope is thin, and time runs out. Can the Name be found? Can the Usurper use it to take the throne? And will it make any difference? It already seems too late.

In the spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Dickens comes a new heroic tale, a story of ageless love and brave determination, of tragic loss and the hope of redemption. During this quest, mythic powers arise from the ancient past, fate collides with destiny, and the world edges swiftly to its final destruction or to its ultimate fulfillment. Only the Bellringer can tip the balance of fate, but the world is almost out of time…

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “The Bellringer: Volume 1 (The Year of the Red Door: Book 1) by William Timothy Murray”

Her: A Novel (Episode 1/3) by Shelby Lamb

Her : Episode 1 by [Lamb, Shelby]

Title: Her

Author: Shelby Lamb

Publisher: Grunge Books

Date of publication: September 1st, 2017

Genre: Psychological, Romance, Thriller

Number of pages: 57

POV: 1st person

Series: Episode

Her – Book 1

Where you can find Her: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Tinsley had always been a free spirit until one side of her face and body got badly disfigured in an accident that killed her best friend. She has always blamed herself for Becky’s death, as she had been the one behind the wheel. Now twenty-five, she’s down and out, most of her past friends are married or engaged, and she hardly leaves the house.

Then everything changes when she meets Jax.

Jax is sexy, tall, dark and handsome, and a dream all wrapped in one. He fills her with more hope than she’d ever imagined. But Tinsley is not used to feeling so close to someone and she’s going to need all of Becky’s help to be true to her heart.

Luckily, Becky is all around. She’s in the trees, the grass, the earth. Becky is the only outside love Tinsley’s ever known, and she’s saying it’s time to discover something new.

But can and should Tinsley really let go of her?

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Her: A Novel (Episode 1/3) by Shelby Lamb”

A Girl Named Calamity (Alyria: Book 1) by Danielle Lori

Title: A Girl Name Calamity

Author: Danielle Lori

Publisher:

Date of publication: July 13th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

Number of pages: 259

POV: 1st person

Series: Alyria

A Girl Named Calamity – Book 1

A Girl in Black and White – Book 2

Where you can find A Girl Named Calamity: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

*This is a New Adult Fantasy Romance*

I was a simple farm girl living in the magical land, Alyria, where men ruled and women only existed.

Call me sheltered. Call me naive. I was probably both. I never expected to be the key to Alyria’s destruction.

The journey I was on wasn’t only one to save me. But one where I had a lot of learning to do. With men. With magic. And with myself.

But I wasn’t alone. I had an escort. One I wasn’t so sure about. But one I couldn’t afford to lose and one I wasn’t so sure I could even leave.

I had many hopes. But the most important one was that my name wouldn’t become my fate.

WARNING: This novel contains blood, violence, profanity, and some sexual content.
It does end on a cliffhanger.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “A Girl Named Calamity (Alyria: Book 1) by Danielle Lori”

Royal Pain (His Royal Hotness: Book 1) by Tracy Wolff

Royal Pain (His Royal Hotness, #1)

Title: Royal Pain

Author: Tracy Wolff

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: September 19th, 2017

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Series: His Royal Hotness

Royal Pain – Book 1

Number of pages: 230

POV: Alternating 1st person

Where you can find Royal Pain: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

He’s a womanizer. He’s cocky. He’s not exactly a prince. Only he technically is. Meet your new royal obsession in this addictive novel from New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff.

Being rich opens a lot of doors. When you’re rich and royal, those doors lead to a new bedroom every night. I should know. The tabloids call me His Royal Hotness, Prince Kian of Wildemar. Women across the world see me as a naughty fairy tale, an image I’m happy to indulge. As the spare to the heir, I’m the prince with none of the power . . . and all of the perks.

Then my twin brother is kidnapped, and suddenly I’m the one who could be king. The crown chasers start circling—and yet it’s a luscious waitress who catches my eye. With a smart mouth and the curves to back it up, Savannah Breslin is as brazen as I’d expect an American commoner to be.

But Savvy’s not interested in playing Cinderella. As sexy as she is, she’s no stranger to heartbreak. Besides, a nice guy wouldn’t drag her into all the drama that comes along with royalty. Lucky I’m not a nice guy. And, as it turns out, I might not even be her first prince. 

Trigger Warning: Kidnapping, After effects of torture

Continue reading “Royal Pain (His Royal Hotness: Book 1) by Tracy Wolff”

The Inherited (The Inherited Series: Book 1) by Lily Burlington

The Inherited Series Book 1: The Inherited by [Burlington, Lily]

Title: The Inherited

Author: Lily Burlington

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: September 13th, 2017

Genre: Romance, young adult

Number of pages:

POV: 1st person

Series: The Inherited

The Inherited – Book 1

Where you can find The Inherited: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

One second Catherine believes that she is a normal girl, the next she finds herself betrothed to a Prince. Together they are thrust into a world of political intrigue, ancient oaths, & deadly mystery.

All Cat wants is to make it through her final exams and to get into a good university but that is put on hold when two men show up on her doorstep and tell her she is the last descendant of an ancient and forgotten royal bloodline. Not only that, but they offer her the chance of a lifetime trip to spend the summer living it up on castles and yachts off the coast of France. The only hitch is that she has to be a brooding prince’s arm candy.

A summer of parties and beaches changes faster than the tides when old secrets begin to be unearthed and blood binding decrees are called upon. Cat and her prince soon find themselves mixed up in political intrigue, deadly mystery, and history-changing decisions.

Can truth and love survive when the path to the throne and crown is riddled with deception and daggers?

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “The Inherited (The Inherited Series: Book 1) by Lily Burlington”

Sadie’s Highlander by Maeve Greyson

Sadie's Highlander: A Highland Protector Novel (Highland Protectors)

Title: Sadie’s Highlander

Author: Maeve Greyson

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of Publication: September 12th, 2017

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Number of pages: Unknown

Series: Highland Protector

Sadie’s Highlander – Book 1

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find Sadie’s Highlander: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The Highland Protector series brings to life four mouth-watering Celtic brothers in twenty-first-century North Carolina—where the lasses are anything but tamed.
 
Highland warrior Alec MacDara and his brothers traveled forward in time to protect the sacred Heartsone. Their cover? Owners and operators of a theme park called Highland Life and Legends. As the chairman, Alec has been fending off requests to film at the breathtaking property. It’s only because of the charming correspondence from an enterprising production assistant that he agrees to a meeting at all. That’s when Alec meets a woman whose lush curves make him forget, for the first time, all about tenth-century Scotland.
 
A lowly assistant for her sister’s motion picture company, wannabe screenwriter Sadie Williams is shocked when Alec agrees to let them film at the park upon one condition: that she report to him daily. Sadie’s sister always told her that their parents only adopted her because they felt sorry for the ugly little stray. But Alec looks at Sadie like she’s the most tempting creature in the world. And with his gleaming, musclebound body stripped down to nothing but a hip-hugging kilt and boots, Alec clearly knows a little something about temptation.

My review:

Let’s take a minute to drool over the cover of this book. It totally fits with the book. My mental image of Alec is definitely personified by the male model (the braid in his hair is a plus). The female model used for Sadie is dead on with my mental image of her. The cover shows the love Alec has for Sadie and vice versa. Kudos to whoever designed it because they obviously read the book and got a cover that matches the book. Not very often that it happens

Continue reading “Sadie’s Highlander by Maeve Greyson”

Blood Guard (Mission: Book 1) by Megan Erickson

Blood Guard (Mission #1)

Title: Blood Guard

Author: Megan Erickson

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: September 12th, 2017

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Number of pages: 230

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Mission

Blood Guard – Book 1

Blood Veil – Book 2 (expected publication: November 2017)

Where you can find Blood Guard: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Enter a world of immortal danger and desire—and discover an incredible fate borne of blood.

Tendra: One minute, I’m a bartender in gritty Mission City; the next, I’m whisked away by a vampire named Athan who tells me that I’m the lifeblood of his clan. It sounds unbelievable, but he’s got evidence I can’t deny. Turns out, Athan belongs to an underground society of vampires who feed only on humans with their consent. Their enemies have no such qualms, and they want me dead. The only thing standing in their way is strong, sexy Athan. And the closer we get, the more tempted I am to let Athan feed. . . .

Athan: How could I have known when I snatched this snarky, beautiful human off the streets that she would change my destiny? As a loyal soldier, I must deliver Tendra to our future king—my brother. Empowered with the blood of ten generations of the Gregorie breed, she is fated to rule as our queen. But there’s something between us that’s so intoxicating, so carnal, I can’t help wanting Tendra for myself . . . even if it’s treason.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Blood Guard (Mission: Book 1) by Megan Erickson”

Closer (Closer Trilogy: Book 1) by M.C. Vann

Closer (Closer Trilogy, #1)

Title: Closer

Author: M.C. Vann

Publisher: Self Published

Date of publication: July 17th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 393

POV: 1st person

Series: Closer

Closer – Book 1

Forever – Book 2 (expected publication date: Fall 2017)

Together – Book 3 (expected publication date: 2018)

Where you can find Closer: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

When Alexandria Summers (Ally) bumps into Henry Pearce during the Sunny Valley Tulip Festival, she never thought she’d see him again in her hometown, the Windy City. Despite several warnings telling her to stay away, Ally finds herself falling deeper for this strange man. But little did she know, their fated encounter is just the beginning of a larger scheme.

This beautiful man was flawed.

He was real … real in a sense that he was human after all.

Fragile. Pitiful. Lonely.

Henry was all of these things — elements that I never could imagine him having.

The more I got to know Henry, the more I realized how much of a mystery he was.

A dark, but beautiful mystery.

*** Trigger Warning: Intended for audiences 18 and older. Contains situations some readers might find objectionable. Ends on a cliffhanger. 
*** Book 1 of the Closer Trilogy, a Dark Romance

Trigger Warning: domestic violence

Continue reading “Closer (Closer Trilogy: Book 1) by M.C. Vann”

12 Days at Bleakly Manor (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas: Book 1) by Michelle Griep

12 Days at Bleakly Manor (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas #1)

Title: 12 Days At Bleakly Manor

Author: Michelle Griep

Publisher: Barbour Publishing Inc, Shiloh Run Press

Date of publication: September 1st, 2017

Genre: Christian, General Fiction, Mystery

Number of pages: 192

POV: 3rd person

Series: Once Upon A Dickens Christmas

12 Days At Bleakly Manor – Book 1

A Tale of Two Hearts – Book 2 (expected publication date: 2018)

Where you can find 12 Days At Bleakly Manor: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

When CLARA CHAPMAN receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet compelled to attend—for if she remains the duration of the twelve-day celebration, she is promised a sum of one thousand pounds. That’s enough money to bring her brother back from America and reinstate their stolen family fortune. But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests—her former fiancé, BENJAMIN LANE.

Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on whoever stole his honor. When he’s given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it—and is faced with the anger of the woman he stood up at the altar.

Brought together under mysterious circumstances for the Twelve Days of Christmas, Clara and Ben discover that what they’ve been striving for isn’t what ultimately matters. What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “12 Days at Bleakly Manor (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas: Book 1) by Michelle Griep”

A Jot of Blood (The Coventry Years: Book 1) by Katherine Bayless

A Jot of Blood (The Coventry Years, #1)

Title: A Jot of Blood

Author: Katherine Bayless

Publisher: Scry Media

Date of publication: August 11th, 2017

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Number of pages: 363

POV: 1st person

Series: The Coventry Years

A Jot of Blood – Book 1

Where you can find A Jot of Blood: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Adolescence is hard enough, but add magic to the mix and things have a way of getting complicated in a hurry. Even at Coventry Academy, one of the best schools in the world for the magically inclined, some ‘gifts’ mean nothing but trouble. What do you do when anything—your clothes, your food, the accidental brush of a fingertip—can instantly reveal the dark secrets of your closest friend … or, worse, a mortal enemy?

Coventry may have been Lire Devon’s haven since she was a little girl, but there are some who despise and even fear her rare clairvoyant power. Now, after years of simmering resentment, Lire’s nemesis, a sorceress with beauty, status, and well-connected friends, has thrown down the gauntlet. The challenge will push Lire’s resourcefulness to its limits and beyond—to a place where arcane dangers lurk and the price of power is knowledge too excruciating to bear.

Warning: The contents of this book include one surly werewolf, a snarky invisible prankster, and enough indelicate language to make a succubus blush.

Trigger Warning: Bullying

Continue reading “A Jot of Blood (The Coventry Years: Book 1) by Katherine Bayless”