Every Dead Thing (Charlie Parker: Book 1) by John Connolly

Hailed internationally as a page-turner in a league with the fiction of Thomas Harris, this lyrical and terrifying bestseller is the stunning achievement of an “extravagantly gifted” (Kirkus Reviews) new novelist. John Connolly superbly taps into the tortured mind and gritty world of former NYPD detective Charlie “Bird” Parker, tormented by the brutal, unsolved murders of his wife and young daughter. Driven by visions of the dead, Parker tracks a serial killer from New York City to the American South, and finds his buried instincts — for love, survival, and, ultimately, for killing — awakening as he confronts a monster beyond imagining…

My review:

This book spooked the pants off me and I don’t normally get spooked by books. From the beginning, when Charlie’s wife and daughter were murdered by the end…..I got chills. Put it this way, I couldn’t read this book at night because of how creepy it was. The one time I did, all I dreamed about was human beings being cut open and flayed. So yeah, I read this book during the day.

I felt awful for Charlie. I mean, I can’t imagine coming home to my family murdered. I don’t even think I could cope. Actually, I know I couldn’t cope. So I was a little surprised when it looked like he had moved on. New job, new house. Then everything came to a head when he takes a job to find the missing girlfriend of the son of influential women and clues show up about his wife and daughter.

My favorite characters had to have been Angel and Louis. A thug and an assassin in a relationship, yes please!!! Louis I liked because of his fashion style and the fact that nothing seemed to phase him. Also, I think I would want him as a backup when things when south. Angel was very cute (but also very dangerous) and you could tell that he genuinely loved Louis.

The action in this book was insane. It went from zero to bloodshed within a chapter. Which is OK with me. Sometimes I need that!!!

I liked that the author really didn’t play up the paranormal part of the book until the end. And even then, it was understated. Creepy but understated. With everything else that was going on in the book, I liked that.

I will say that the author did have me going about who The Traveling Man was until the end of the book. I did have a suspicion as to who it was but with everything that was going on in the book, I kinda said “Nah”. Well, color me surprised when it ended up being who I originally thought it was.

The end of the book was very good. All of the storylines were tied up, for the most part, and I could see where the author left an opening for the next book. Which I am going to have to read because I got hooked on this series!!

How many stars will I give Every Dead Thing: 4

Why: A very intense mystery will keep me guessing and I refused to read at night. The violence and bloodshed might be a little much for some people but I didn’t care.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sexual situations, violence, and language

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Set in Stone (Legend: Book 1) by Kylie C. Stewart

Set in Stone (Legend, #1)

Title: Set in Stone

Author: Kylie C. Stewart

Publisher: TCK Publishing

Date of publication: April 23rd, 2016 (republished February 19th, 2017)

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Suspense

Number of pages: 284

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Legend

Set In Stone – Book 1

The Duke’s Curse – Book 2 (expected date of publication: March 20th)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

When Alexandria York fatefully met the Duke of Avalon in the woods she never imagined she’d be working for him. A rising star of the art scene in London, Alexandria agrees to commission a piece for the infamous noble. His intentions quickly become confusing as chemistry grows between the two.
As she dreams of the man she can’t have, the one she can lure her deeper into his lair. Will the man she once loved be her Knight in shining armor and slay the Dragon? Or will the Dragon consume her before it’s too late?

In this life, his heart was the stone and her love was the sword…

The Duke of Avalon has lived a long and lonely life. He has chased his love through the centuries and every time she has jilted him, but not this time. Tormented by inner demons, Avalon seeks to keep his secret safe while vowing to win Alexandria York. When his former charge, Lancer Rivers comes back into both their lives, he finds him more than one challenger for her hand. Can he protect Alexandria not only from the man after her very life but also himself?

Kylie C. Stewart joins the myth of King Arthur and his Knights of the ‘Round to modern-day. Join Avalon and Alexandria on an adventure full of magic, adventure, and romance. For once is in the past, and the future is now.

My review:

Set in Stone is a newer, darker take on King Arthur. Told from Arthur/Avalon’s point of view and Alexandria point of view, you are taken on a dark journey with a man who has nothing to lose and woman who has the ability to bring him to his knees and possibly destroy him if she chooses wrong.

When Kylie approached me to review Set In Stone, I did an internal “Squeee” of delight. I am a sucker for anything about Camelot/King Arthur/Knights of the Round Table. Seriously, if I see a book that even mentions it’s about that, I snatch it right up and devour it. Which was the same with this book. And I have to say, this was a great and different take on the King Arthur myth.

I wasn’t expecting Arthur/Avalon to be a dark as he was. He came across as a man who would do anything to keep his love this time around. Anything and that included making a move on her and claim her as his own. He was so passionate when he was alone, with M or with Alexandria in her dreams. But when he was with Alexandria in real life, he was so cold….so possessive. It actually confused me at times and made me wonder why? But then I remembered the triangle of Guinevere/Lancelot/Arthur and a light bulb went off over my head. He was jealous and afraid of getting hurt.

Alexandria kinda rubbed me the wrong way at first. She gave such mixed signals about Arthur/Avalon that even I was confused. I mean, she created a statue of him (Legend) after first meeting him but they proceeded to try and put him in the friend zone when he told her that he was starting to have feelings for her. She was also hung up on a guy that seemed to move on and it drove me nuts. I did feel for her when Arthur started getting all possessive. I mean, she had no clue.

Mordred and Morgan Le Fey were mentioned a bit in the book. I figure out what her agenda was other than to drive Arthur/Avalon nuts and Mordred was only mentioned a couple of times. I can’t wait to see how they come into play in the next book.

Merlin was mentioned in the book and I wish that there was more of him. He was so wise and had such great council for Arthur/Avalon. Again, I hope he is in Book 2 more.

The end of the book was great. No twists or anything but I did like how certain events came to pan out!!

How many stars will I give Set in Stone: 4

Why: Like I said above, I love the King Arthur myth and I enjoyed this story. The story was fast paced and I was totally engrossed in the story. I couldn’t read it fast enough.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language, some violence, and sex

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Book Review: The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch: Book 1) by Rin Chupeco

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch, #1)

Title: The Bone Witch

Author: Rin Chupeco

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Date of publication: March 7th, 2017

Number of pages: 400

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Part of a series: The Bone Witch

The Bone Witch – Book 1

Standalone: Yes

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha — one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind in this brilliant new fantasy series by Rin Chupeco!

My review:

I had a very hard time keeping my attention on this book. The beginning had no problem keeping my attention. I mean, not a lot of books deal with necromancy in an almost positive way. The only books that I can even begin to think that even comes close to that are the Anita Blake series (before the series took a walk down the smutty side). It was the middle to almost the end of the book that I couldn’t focus on.

Not that I didn’t like the book, I thought it was great. I just got really bored reading about Tea’s training (her dance lessons, her music lessons, her history/current events lessons, her dealings with the other asha’s). That took up a huge part of the book and to be very honest, I almost DNF’d the book. Stress almost.

Then things started to get interesting. Tea learned how to “blood” her familiar (her brother, Fox, who she raised from the dead at his funeral), battled a centuries-old demonic creature (did she or didn’t she defeat it???), got promoted to Asha (a witch that can control elemental powers) and oust a rebel from her House.

I also loved that there was a strong Asian theme running through the books. The asha’s are kinda sorta like geisha. The demons resemble demons from Asian Lore. The clothing (the hua) that the asha’s wear is also very reminiscent of the kimono’s that the geisha’s wore/wear.

There are two very distinct storylines running through the book. One with Tea at the age of 17, exiled and plotting revenge. The reasons she was exiled is unknown and it is left open to be continued in the next book. The other storyline, which I outlined above, is being told to the Bard as an explanation and warning as to why she is doing what she is doing (I know, really confusing but it works in the book). Both storylines are easily distinguished from the other. So no confusion there.

The ending of the book was kinda left up in the air….which makes sense if there is to be a second book. I am curious as to how the second book is going to be and will definitely be reading it once it is published.

How many stars will I give The Bone Witch? 3

Why: Great book that I felt went on for a little too long. Like I said above, I almost DNF’d it because I lost interest about halfway through and had to force myself to read it. But once I got over the boring part, the book turned really good.

Will I reread: Maybe. Can’t really say yes or no right now.

Will I recommend to family and friends? Again, maybe.

Age range: Teen

Why: Very clean. No sex, some violence (not a ton and not very descriptive). But the descriptions of some of the demons and of raising the dead might frighten younger readers.

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

Crossing in Time (Between Two Evils: Book 1) by D.L. Orton

Crossing in Time (Between Two Evils, #1)

Title: Crossing in Time

Author: D.L. Orton

Publisher: Rocky Mountain Press

Date of publication: May 1st, 2016

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Dystopia, Science Fiction

Number of pages: 558

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Between Two Evils

Crossing in Time – Book 1

Lost in Time – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

Race against the clock through a dystopian nightmare. Climb naked into an untested time machine (carrying only a seashell and a promise). Wake up twenty years younger on a tropical beach, buck naked and mortally wounded, with your heart in your throat.

This is a journey of love, loss, and redemption that will make your pulse gallop and your palms sweat, have you laughing out loud through your tears, and leave you flush with the sublime pleasure of falling in love.

My review:

Crossing in Time is a fast-paced dystopian/science fiction book that shows that love can cross time. The book alternates between Diego and Isabelle points of view and tells a love story that transcends time. It also tells the story of Harry, an unsuspecting college professor who is working on deciphering the mystery of a large metal ball that took out a hotel and its connection to an upcoming apocalyptic event. Fast-paced, Crossing in Time will keep you on the edge of your seat and wondering what is coming next while watching Diego and Isabelle’s love story unfold.

Isabelle was one of my favorite people in the book. She was so spunky and didn’t take anyone’s crap. From the beginning of the book, where she was buying the gun from the guy outside the burnt out Wal-Mart to dealing with her ex-husband (who I couldn’t stand) to her relationship with Diego…..she was strong. It was a hit with me because I love strong female characters. Even in situations which could be perceived weak, she was strong. A lot stronger than I could have been.

Diego, I liked too. You could see that he adored Isabelle. Everything he did in the book was for her……even in the later parts of the book. Even when he was separated from her, his thought was with her. Again, a big hit with me because this is a romance that will survive anything.

The romance between Diego and Isabelle took my breath away. The way it was written, the way it came across was beautiful!!!

The science fiction aspect of this book was interesting. The clues left in the globe really didn’t make sense to me at first. But the more I read and the more that was revealed, they made perfect sense. This is also where Harry’s part of the story came into play. He was working on deciphering the clues when they are deciphered, it is found out to be the plans for a time machine. What I liked about this was that the author didn’t make it work right the first, second or third time. Heck, they weren’t even sure if it was going to work when they sent Isabelle through and didn’t know it worked until they figured out that the shell could be tracked. I loved it!!!

The end of the book was bittersweet. I was happy because of certain events that happened but also sad because of the unknown (if you want to know what I am talking about, read the book). The way the book ended definitely lead into book 2 and I can’t wait to read that one and see where Harry, Diego and Isabelle stories end up.

How many stars will I give Crossing in Time: 4

Why: I really enjoyed reading the book. The characters were memorable and the plot line was great. It did lag a bit in the middle but definitely recovered from it. The science fiction part of the story was original and well written too.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language, violence

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

Something (Wisteria: Book 1) by Shelby Lamb

Something (Wisteria, #1)

Title: Something

Author: Shelby Lamb

Publisher: Grunge Bookz

Date of publication: January 9th, 2017

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Mental Health, Paranormal

Number of pages: 304

Series: Wisteria

Something – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

“I will find true love and everything will be okay. I will find true love and everything will be okay…” she chanted.

They say be careful what you read. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong. It can happen to anyone. This is just four teenagers’ story. Aubrey Golding hates her face, her body, and is devastated after Nathan Silva leaves her. Alone, suicidal, and desperate for love, she discovers a book called Something and unknowingly links others to a dark and terrifying curse that is beginning to consume her. Nathan is glad to be moving on with someone new and can hardly believe what is happening now. Wild child and amateur porn star, Bella Broadhurst, loves bullying that “emo whore” Aubrey with the other girls, but mostly she loves partying, hookups, and plain ol’ drama when terror arises. And Kendra Coke is just a new teen mother working on a delicate relationship when things start becoming utterly bizarre. Chilling sleep disturbances and figures hiding in the corners of their rooms are just warnings of what is to come. Be careful what you read, they say. Tread carefully.

My review:

A quick warning before I start my review…..there are triggers in this book and I will be mentioning them. So, do not read this review if it will affect you in any way!!

Now, onto the review.

This is a book that you can’t read without feeling sympathy/horror/anger (or a combination of all three) towards the main characters. Their lives are so messed up that it isn’t even funny. Actually, the only halfway normal one, if you call her that, is Kendra. Her only issue is that she is 15 and having twins. Other than that, she is probably the nicest person in the book and I felt awful when what happened to her happened.

I felt awful for Aubrey. She is bullied mercilessly, she has self-esteem/mental health issues, she is stalking her ex-boyfriend and she has self-esteem problems. She self-medicated through sex, drinking, drugs, and cutting. At one point in the book, she attempted suicide. When she did reach out for help, she was told she was imagining things and it was all in her head. Even her teachers at school were jerks. The poor kid could not catch a break. Her only solace was reading a book that she found in a used bookstore, a book called Something and hanging out with her best friend, Adelaide. But there are things that Aubrey doesn’t realize that Adelaide is hiding from her. She also doesn’t realize what Something is and what it could do.

All Aubrey wanted was for someone to love her for who she was and….someone listened. But that someone (or something???) was really not the person that she should be going for. Because they wanted to possess her….totally.

I really thought what Nathan and Adelaide did to Aubrey was awful….mainly because Adelaide was Aubrey’s best friend. Nathan really should have moved onto someone else and you know what, I didn’t blame Aubrey for reacting the way she reacted when she found out. I think I would have done the same thing.

The horror part of the book was truly that. I actually jumped in places (like when Audrey discovered the hidden door that led to a secret passage in Tyler’s house). The author did a great job with writing just enough to get your brain working and then she would change the scene. Gaaahh!!!!

I thought the author did a great job ending certain storylines (of course in the creepiest way possible) and merging the Audrey/Nick/Adelaide storyline.

The way the book ended totally hooked me into the next book. I need to know what happens!!!

How many stars will I give Something: 5

Why: This is a genuinely creepy fantasy/horror book with characters that I could relate too. I was sucked into the book from page one and literally could not put the book down. I would be hesitant to let anyone over the age of 16 read this book because of the triggers. Other than that, the book was great!!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Late Teen

Why: Language, sex. Also an attempted suicide scene, drug use, bullying

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Jerk Bait (The Sloane Spadowski Series: Book 1) by Emigh Cannaday

Jerk Bait (The Sloane Spadowski Series Book 1) by [Cannaday, Emigh]

Title: Jerk Bait

Author: Emigh Cannady

Publisher: Silver Popular Press

Date of publication: February 22nd, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 214

POV: 1st person

Series: The Sloane Spadowski Series

Jerk Bait – Book 1

Slip Sinker – Book 2 (expected publication date March 15th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

Sloane Spadowski has never kept a job (or a boyfriend) for more than a few months. The last thing this temp worker wants is a long-term commitment to either–until she hooks the ultimate trophy. Not only does her new office have a stunning view of Downtown Chicago, but her sexy new supervisor makes it clear from day one that he’s a boss with benefits. Andy is funny, smart, rich, and has Ken-doll good looks, making him the perfect catch. Just when Sloane is about to reel him in, she finds herself caught on a snag the size of Texas–his best friend Barbie.

* The Sloane Spadowski series is a whimsical, rowdy, dirty blend of Contemporary Romance and Romantic Comedy, with occasional adult language and adults behaving badly. This is the first installment of a complete series.

My review:

This book was just what I needed after reading two books that were not light reading and dealt with some pretty heavy issues. It was refreshing!! It was a salve for my brain and recharged it…..lol.

I really liked Sloane. I liked that she was kinda commitmentphobe about jobs and relationships. She changed men almost as much she changed her underwear (and maybe more). The only serious relationship she had been with Jack, her roommate, best friend, and ex-boyfriend.

Andy came across as a horndog from the minute he was introduced to Sloane in his office. Not that Sloane helped any with her deliberate leaving up the corset page and then having him look at it. Then he buys them for her with a condition that she wears them for him. But I do like that he held off from actually doing the deed with her, a few times. That he opted to get to know her better. Kinda brought down his perviness a little.

The whole Barbie storyline had me going until the end. When it was revealed who Barbie was, I almost died and I can’t wait until the next book to see where that is going to go. Put it this way, I think Jack would be a great hook up for Barbie….lol!!!!

I also think that I figured out the Andy Jr storyline and if it is what I think it is, well Sloane is going to be proven wrong….haha. The phone conversations alone tipped me off.

The make-out scenes with Andy were pretty hot and I can’t wait to see when they actually have sex. It is going to beyond hot.

Like I said, the end of the book was a cliffhanger with a huge surprise. I was kinda taken aback by the surprise and it did hook me into reading the next book.

How many stars will I give Jerk Bait: 4

Why: This book was a balm on my brain after reading a couple of books that dealt with some pretty heavy issues. The characters were quirky but likable and the romance was off the hook steamy. I cannot wait to read the next book.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sexual situations and some language

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

By Virtue Fall: A Song of the Shadowdance (Shadowdance Saga: Book 1)by Mark Wooden

By Virtue Fall: A Song of the Shadowdance

Title: By Virtue Fall

Author: Mark Wooden

Publisher: Writer Geek Press

Date of publication: March 8th, 2014 (original publication date was December 20th, 2013)

Genre: Fantasy

Number of pages: 236

POV: 3rd person

Series: Shadowdance Saga

By Virtue Fall – Book 1

For Her Sins – Book 2

A Reason to Live – Prequel

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Vampire and assassin Adriana Dupré have nothing left.

Manipulated into slaughtering nearly all of her bloodline, she wants only two things: finding her sister-turned-vampire and avenging the deaths of her family.

Sorcerer and Hollywood bad-boy Dwyer Strathan has information she needs. To get it, Adriana must retrieve two relics — the Vyntari shards.

To get the shards, Adriana must journey from the soulless glamor of modern-day Los Angeles to the seedy underworld of Berlin.

She will engage in battles against vengeful werewolves, a trio of warrior sorcerers who protect the Vyntari shards, and other supernatural creatures bent on keeping her at bay.

Each encounter draws Adriana deeper into the supernatural underworld’s struggle for control of the shards, a struggle long hidden from human eyes —

The Shadowdance.

Adriana must ultimately decide if her desire for revenge is worth giving Strathan the power to destroy the world.

My review:

By Virtue Fall is an action-packed fantasy that doesn’t lose steam. We follow Adriana as she goes up against the Daughters of Lilith, her former cohorts, in an effort to try to save her sister, Dominique from them. In her effort to do so, Adriana joins forces with Dwyer Stratham, the head of the Order of Haroth….a group of sorcerers that practice dark magic. She is to get him Vyntari shards….relics that are very powerful and very important. If she gets them, Dwyer will give her information about her sister. Stress if. Adriana has to go up against the guardians of the shards, the Knights of Vyntari and the werewolves that she almost caused the extinction of.

***************************************

This book was action packed from the first page when Makeda steals one of the Vyntari shards from a mystical temple that is shrouded on Mount Kanchenjunga and doesn’t let up until the end. One of the reasons why I really liked this book. Sometimes, and I have said this in other posts, a girl just needs nonstop action in her book. I liked that there were different fighting styles shown (Japanese was the main one). The nerd in me cheered when Michael Freeman had a quarterstaff and used it while blind. I also liked the epic fight scenes. Every single one with Adriana was epic.

Now, the blood and gore in this book might be a little too much but it is needed. This book isn’t heart, flowers and happy endings. It is a book about revenge and revenge can be a little bloody if you are a vampire on a mission. Take for instance the killing of the international pop star. Talk about an image that is burned into your brain. That had to have been the goriest deaths in a book that I have read in a while.

Adriana took a while to grow on me but she did. During the course of the book, you could see her going from this heartless assassin to a vampire who wanted to make amends with those she hurt (even if they hated her and wanted her dead). She was so full of rage and I liked how she turned that rage into a finely honed weapon.

What I really liked was the way Adriana was turned into a vampire. Talk about a different way of doing it and again, refreshing to read. I actually like his way better than the usual way that vampires are spawned. Less chance of rogue vampires running around and the vampire population is kept under strict control.

Another first for me was that the author hyperlinked main characters bios into the story. So, all I had to do was tap the name and it went right to the bio on the book’s website. I found that it was easier to do that (and not lose my place in my book) then to go looking for it. I have a Kindle Paperwhite and it can be a little difficult navigating at times. So to have that information at my fingertips was great!!!

The storylines were not resolved in this book and the book was ended in a way that it was left wide open for book 2.

How many stars will I give By Virtue Fall: 4

Why: An action-packed book that features some kick-ass vampires. I couldn’t stop reading it.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and language

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

An Unseen Attraction (Sins of the Cities: Book 1) by K.J. Charles

An Unseen Attraction (Sins of the Cities, #1)

Title: An Unseen Attraction

Author: K. J. Charles

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: February 21st 2017

Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA

Number of pages: Unknown

POV: 3rd person

Series: Sins of the Cities

An Unseen Attraction – Book 1

An Unnatural Vice – Book 2 (Expected publication date June 6th, 2017)

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes, first book in series

Where you can find this book: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

A slow-burning romance and a chilling mystery bind two singular men in the suspenseful first book of a new Victorian series from K. J. Charles.

Lodging-house keeper Clem Talleyfer prefers a quiet life. He’s happy with his hobbies, his work—and especially with his lodger Rowley Green, who becomes a friend over their long fireside evenings together. If only neat, precise, irresistible Mr. Green was interested in more than friendship. . . .

Rowley just wants to be left alone—at least until he meets Clem, with his odd, charming ways and his glorious eyes. Two quiet men, lodging in the same house, coming to an understanding . . . it could be perfect. Then the brutally murdered corpse of another lodger is dumped on their doorstep and their peaceful life is shattered.

Now Clem and Rowley find themselves caught up in a mystery, threatened on all sides by violent men, with a deadly London fog closing in on them. If they’re to see their way through, the pair must learn to share their secrets—and their hearts.

My review:

This book took a while for me to get into. I almost DNF’d it about 16% into the book because it just dragged and I was wondering when the romance was going to start. But, right after I made that decision, everything happened. The book went from being boring to being very interesting. I couldn’t read it fast enough!!

The storyline was pretty good. Clem is the bastard younger brother of an Earl. 8 years before, when the former Earl died, he made sure that his legitimate son and heir took care of Clem. And by that, the new Earl bought a lodging house and made Clem the proprietor of it. Clem liked his job and liked most of the people who lodged there. With the exception of Lugtrout, a pastor who has lived there indefinitely and is a drunk. Lugtrout is the otherwise black spot on Clem’s happy life.

If Lugtrout is a black spot on Clem’s life, then Rowley Green is a bright, bright yellow spot. Rowley is a taxidermist who owns the shop next to Clem’s boarding house. In the 8 months that he has lived at the lodging house, Clem and Rowley have become fast friends. They share a nightly tea and have really gotten to know each other. Clem, though, is very attracted to Rowley but is afraid to say or do anything.

This is Victorian England and male/male relationships are not only frowned on but can constitute in 10 years of jail time. So, Clem has to be very careful about who he approaches. Luckily, he found a club called the Jack and Knave that is for men of Clem’s inclination.

Luckily for him, Rowley is also very attracted to Clem and on what I guess you could call their first date, he told Clem that he was attracted to him and shortly afterward, they had their first kiss. It was during that first kiss that Lugtrout started screaming that he had been robbed. After calming him down, Clem sends word to his brother about Mr. Lugtrout’s behavior….only to be told, in not so many words, “Deal with it”.

It is when Mr. Lugtrout is found murdered outside of the lodging house and then Rowley is attacked and his shop burned, is when the book picked up the pace. From then on, it was Clem and Rowley trying to figure out why Lugtrout was killed, who attacked Rowley and who tried to burn down Rowley’s shop. All on top of keeping their relationship super secret.

The sex scenes weren’t anything remarkable and I actually kinda disconnected from them in most scenes. I don’t know why. Maybe because it had to be super secret and the doors had to be shut and locked before anything was done. The oppression of that time was awful.

While I say that the sex scenes weren’t remarkable, I did think that the romance between Clem and Rowley were. Both had overcome a lot in their life and both were willing to make their relationship work….no matter what. What I thought sucked is that they couldn’t let on that they were in love. The only safe place was the club.

Now what I thought was refreshing was the club that Clem belonged to. There was a trans woman who tended the bar and I have never, ever read a historical romance book that is LGBTQIA that had a trans woman featured. And I loved it. I hope that Phyllis (aka Phil) makes more of an appearance in the other books.

The whodunit storyline was pretty predictable but I do like that the author did throw in a couple of curveballs. The main one being at the end of the story which threw things up in the air on Clem’s end.

Speaking of the end of the book, the author did a great job wrapping up the storylines. But, like I said above, the curveball at the end threw me. And it left for a great opener for the next story.

How many stars will I give An Unseen Attraction: 3

Why: While I liked the story, I had an issue getting into it. The characters were really hard for me to connect to at first but once I did, I really enjoyed them. Besides the book getting off to a very slow start, there was also a lull in the middle of the book. The author was able to get back on track but the lull was for a couple of chapters (when Clem and Edmund met) and I was pretty certain that the book wouldn’t recover from it.

Will I reread: On the fence about rereading it.

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and some mild violence

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

Entangled( Ages of Invention: Book 1) by S. B. K. Burns

Entangled (Ages of Invention Book 1) by [Burns, S.B.K.]

Title: Entangled

Author: S. B. K. Burns

Publisher: Self-published

Date of publication: December 6th, 2016

Genre: Paranormal, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Romance, Steampunk, Women’s Fiction

POV: 3rd person

Number of pages: 277

Series: Ages of Invention

Entangled – Book 1

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes, the first book in series

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

She’s Hume’n, a member of the lower class, with one chance to change her life… In an alternate, twenty-first century Boston, Dawn Jamison is a hair’s breadth away from earning her doctorate—a degree that would allow her entrance into the upper class, to become the unemotional and self-disciplined Cartesian she is now only pretending to be. To reach her goal, all Dawn must do is overcome her forbidden attraction to the Olympic-class weightlifter Taylor Stephenson who’s just crashed her lectures on past life regression. She must also teach her group of misfit students how to travel back into their past lives—and, oh, of course, figure out how to save the great scientists of the early eighteenth century before they’re inextricably caught up in a time loop.

He’s Cartesian, a member of the upper class, and supposed to know better… Coerced by his politically powerful, wheelchair-bound brother into spying on Dawn’s past-life regression classes, Taylor knows better than to give in to his desire to claim Dawn as his own. But his past-life entity, eighteenth-century Colin, has no such inhibitions. When Taylor and Dawn meet up in Scotland in the 1700s, all the discipline he’s forced on his twenty-first-century self disintegrates in the past, leaving only his overwhelming lust for Dawn’s past-life double, Lily. Unable to escape their sexually obsessive past, Dawn and Taylor find themselves in a race against the clock at the epicenter of a world-altering time quake of their own making.

My review:

Entangled is a fast-paced science fiction/steampunk romance. Told in 3rd person, the reader gets to follow Dawn Jamison, a bright young woman, in the lower class caste called the Hume’n, who is on the verge of getting her doctorate degree. By getting that degree, Dawn will be allowed into the upper class, a caste called the Cartesian. Her mentor is a brilliant scientist, Richard Stephenson, who is suspicious of her caste and asks his brother, Taylor, to spy on her. Taylor, an Olympic athlete who is questioning if he really is a Cartesian, agrees….only find out that he is immensely attracted to Dawn.

But Taylor is hiding his own secret….from Dawn and his brother. See, Taylor is able to travel back in time through lucid dreaming and he always ends up in the body of Colin, a brilliant young mathematician in the 1700’s. What he doesn’t know is that Dawn is able to go back in time too and she is Lily, a young female alchemist (aka scientist) and that both he/Colin and Dawn/Lily are going to be caught up in a time vortex brought on by their time traveling….as well as other factors.

***********************************

I really enjoyed reading Entangled. It is the type of book that is slow going, and it was for the first two chapters, but once it gets going, it really captures your attention and imagination. I mean, this world is separated into two castes….the Humens and the Cartesians. The Humens are considered a lower caste, the poor, and they make their life decisions on what can be derived through their senses and emotions and not just their rational minds. Because of their beliefs, the Humens are not allowed to get advanced degrees in anything. Meanwhile, the Cartesians believe that rational thinking and stoic detachment is the only way to get ahead in life and for the most part, they are successful. They are the upper class, the higher caste.

Dawn was one of my favorite characters. She was dedicated to keeping her Cartesian disguise so she could get an advanced degree, something that Humens are not allowed to do. She is a devoted sister to her twin brother, Max and a devoted friend to Naomi, a brilliant young hacker. She also is an expert on past lives and has been chosen to teach a class about them to a bunch of students who are on the verge of failing out but what Naomi is convinced is a think tank of some sort.

Taylor, I was kinda “eh” on at first. I don’t know why I was “eh” on him but I was. It wasn’t until the scenes with his brother that I started liking him and then when he got involved with Dawn, that I really started liking him. I also like that he questioned if the caste he was born into was really for him. I mean, he was an Olympic athlete but he was questioning why he didn’t like looking at himself flexing in the mirror.

The time travel scenes were very interesting in the fact that they took over the body of the person they were supposed to be. Like Dawn was Lily, an alchemist (aka scientist) who really liked the guys and was a witch and Taylor was Colin, who was a brilliant mathematician and who had the hots for Lily. But as soon as they started interacting with other people, the timeline got screwed up…badly. To the point where certain events in history never happened and were replaced with other events….if that makes sense.

The sex scenes between Dawn and Taylor were very steamy. Of course, the first sex scene between them was a little awkward and that was only because they were in Lily and Colin’s body. The second time was the same thing except they were at Taylor’s house and they ended up breaking the sexual curse by having sex and achieving orgasm. Every time after that, though, was very hot and very steamy.

What I really liked, though, was that girl power prevailed throughout the entire book. When one of the secondary storylines went haywire (the Q computer and that’s all I am saying about it), it was Naomi and Rasana, a preteen form Dawn’s class that she was teaching, that made it right. I also like the different spin on the witch burnings and how they were “saved”. (read the book).

The storylines were all merged and ended by the end of the book. They were all pretty much ended on a good note. What I did like was that the author left the book open for book 2.

How many stars will I give Entangled: 4

Why: What I liked the most about this book was the time travel and the steampunk elements in it. The romance was pretty good too.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Explicit sex and some mild violence

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts: Book 1) by Vic James

Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts Book 1) by [James, Vic]

Title: Gilded Cage

Author: Vic James

Publisher: Random House Publishing – Ballantine

Date of publication: February 14th, 2017

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

POV: Alternate 3rd person

Number of pages: 368

Series: Dark Gifts

Gilded Cage – Book 1

Tarnished City – Book 2 (publication date not stated on Goodreads)

Bright Ruin – Book 3 (publication date not stated on Goodreads)

Standalone: Yes

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

My review:

Gilded Cage starts off with a young woman, Leah, running for her life across the ground of the estate she was a slave too…Kyneston. She is hoping to make it to the wall before Gavar and Jenner do. She has her baby, Liberty (aka Libby) with her and she is hoping that Libby would be able to open the gate so they could escape. It doesn’t happen. Libby doesn’t have the Skill to open the gate. Or as Silyen, the youngest and the most Skilled of the 3 brothers said, maybe she doesn’t want to leave her family. It doesn’t really matter anyway because before Leah could do anything else, Gavar shoots Leah. Miraculously, Libby isn’t hurt and Gavar takes her back to the house….leaving Jenner to mourn over Leah. Jenner does try to get Silyen to heal her but he won’t…saying that even he can’t bring back the dead. As they are talking, Leah dies.

A few months later, we are introduced to Abi, Luke, Daisy, and their mother and father. Luke is the equivalent of a junior in high school and Abi, a senior. Their little sister, Daisy, is 10 years old. Luke is studying for his final exams when he notices a strange man looking at his father’s restored Austin-Healey. The man unnerves Luke, for some reason, and is quickly on his way after seeing that Daisy is celebrating her 10th birthday.

Later that night, Luke overhears something horrific. His mother and father have decided to enact their slave days. See, in this dystopian society, all commoners are supposed to serve the Equals, those who have the Skill and rule over the country, for 10 years. What is Skill….well consider it magic of a sort. The Equals can do anything with it…including healing, mind reading and building houses or maintaining a gate that only opens for the Equals. They are sent to a slave town (called Millmoor) to serve out their 10 years. After the 10 years are over, the commoners can hold certain jobs (never went into in the book), own a house and travel abroad.

So it is understandable that Luke is upset. He is losing 10 years of his life and Daisy, who is 10, will not be able to receive any education during the 10 years. Luke would be missing out on college, girls and the start of his life. I would be upset too.

But Abi had come up with a solution. She applied, for the family, at a department within the Labor Allocation Bureau called Estate Services. That is where the Equals go for their house slaves. Her application got accepted and they are being sent to serve the Jardine family on the estate of Kyneston. Seeing that Luke is under the age of 18, he goes with his family. It is the perfect solution to something that is dreaded in the lives of the common people.

Except it didn’t go that way. The day that they are being picked up by the LAB person to be driven to Kyneston, things change. The driver only has 4 names written: Mum, Dad, Daisy, and Abi. Luke, unfortunately, gets sent to Millmoor. Which is unheard of because he is a minor. The officer, who was an idiot and I didn’t like him at all, and Luke’s Dad gets into a scuffle. Dad gets a beat down and the officer, Kessler, explains that they are all nonpeople and have no rights. They all separate and then the story goes into Luke at Millmoor, Gavar at Kyneston and various areas, Silyen at Kyneston and Abi at Kyneston.

I couldn’t put my finger on how I felt about Silyen. He had an agenda and he wasn’t afraid to use people to get desired results. But I also saw glimpses of a kind person and of someone who could be more than what he was raised to be. If that makes sense.

Gavar did redeem himself in the book. I did feel bad for him because his father had an ironclad grip on him. It came out that he was in love with Leah but his father made him shoot her. Which is awful. But his father’s control over him was slipping. Gavar reminded me of an abused dog who is just waiting for its master to not be paying attention before tearing his throat out. I also feel that his fiancé will be caught up in that once Gavar snaps. But he does have a soft side. He loves his daughter and he is very taken with Daisy, who is Libby’s nurse and I believe that he would move heaven and earth to protect both of them. It is going to be very interesting to see how Silyen and Gavar’s storylines end up in the other books.

Jenner was actually my favorite brother. He is Skillless but he is an asset to the estate and runs it. He is close to Silyen (well as close as Silyen lets him be) and he is getting very close to Abi. So close that Jenner’s mother, Lady Thalia, reminds him that he is an Equal (even if he doesn’t have powers) and that she is a slave and warns him off her.

Daisy had to have been my favorite person in the book. She was so upbeat and always saw the bright side of everything. She even liked Gavar, which kinda blew my mind. To be caring for a baby at her age was amazing (now granted Gavar did most of the caring for Libby when he was home and Daisy was just there as a babysitter) but still. She matured over the course of the book and I can’t wait to see where the author takes her character in book 2

I honestly didn’t know what to think of Abi. At times I liked her, at times I wanted to tell her to shut up and at other times I was in awe over her braveness. I am very interested to see what happens to her in book 2.

I felt awful for Luke. Being ripped from his family, put into an awful slave town and being worked to the bone, no wonder he became radicalized. His friendship with Renie, a girl his sister’s age, was very cute but at the same time dangerous. The events after was reunited with his family were beyond his control. I am very interested in what happens to him. Very interested.

Lord Whittman Jaradine, Gavar, Jenner and Silyen’s father, is a bad, bad, bad man. I literally got the chills when I was reading his scenes because his evilness just came off the pages. Again, a storyline that I would be very interested in seeing where it goes. I am also interested in seeing what happens between him and Gavar.

The end of the book ends as a cliffhanger, which made me want to yell. If you have read my reviews for any length of time, then you all know how I feel about cliffhangers. But, it did get me interested in book 2 (which I didn’t know there was going to be one until I pulled Gilded Cage up on Goodreads).

How many stars will I give Gilded Cage: 4

Why: A great dystopian book. This was a quick read with complex characters. I can’t wait to read book 2!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age Range: Teen

Why: No sex, no language. But there is violence…including a graphic scene of a head being blown off. Also, there is a disturbing side story about a man forced to live like a dog.

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

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