The Boy Who Came Back a Wolf(Space Shifter Chronicles, #.5)
by Kara Lockharte
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed For Readers Favorite
All through school Xavier and Lauryn had been best friends, he had been their for her when her sister was almost kidnapped, and yet when he tried to kiss her and make it something more, she pushed him away. She was afraid he would hold her back from becoming what she wanted, someone with enough money and power to always take care of her family. So Xavier headed off for ten years in the military, which left him extremely muscled and a werewolf. Now he's back and he wants Lauryn. The Boy Who Came Back A Wolf, is a short little novella that sorta introduces Lauryn and Xavier into the Space Shifter Chronicles Series. Author Lockharte has written a sizzle novel encompassing the dreams and fantasies of most mid-twenties-ish women.
The Boy Who Came Back a Wolf is part of the Space Shifter Chronicles Series, and since I am not sure exactly were at this one is suppose to be read, so it may introduce Xavier and Lauryn or it may fill in some background about them. Either way, it is a very short, maybe five chapter book that although was fun to read on its own, was definitely meant to fill in some information between two regular novels. This novella mentions Lauryn's sister Skye and her father, a space pirate. There is also mention of Xavier's mothers. Author Lockharte has taken a very short novella and given readers a look into a series that teases readers and gets them wanting to read more and find out about the series.
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Wolfhaven
by Jay Shaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
In an isolated area of the country, far away from society in general live two groups, that long ago used to be one. Wolfhaven and Silver Ridge, over in Silver Ridge they detest their human side and avoid shifting into it, staying in wolf form at all times, living in caves and living a completely rigidly controlled life by a powerful alpha. In Wolfhaven, they embrace the human side as much as the wolf side, understanding that both sides are equally important. They have built a functioning society with a common house for meals and cabins for family sleeping, along with a structured hierarchy of rule. Wolfhaven focuses mostly on life in Wolfhaven, but not just general life it focuses on the Grandmother, who is the leader of the pack, and the two grandson's, the oldest that is expected to take over Trey, and the younger Connell. This is more than a simple romance, this is a love story against all odds, this is a family saga, this is life and death, this is democracy vs dictatorship. Author Jay Shaw has created a deep and multilayered story of relationships, give and take, ruling with heart and compassion and family life.
Wolfhaven is written in such a way that you feel that it is covering generations, when in reality it only covers maybe a year in reality, but so many things occur. Author Jay Shaw has created so many complex layers and stories within stories going on, that when you sit back and think about the scenarios he put forth, mates across pack boundaries, you can see society and marriages across racial and ethnical divides. Although this is listed as a paranormal romance, it is a family sage and a novel that if you take the time to read and think about what you have read, you can draw parallels and your own conclusions to society today. There is some violence, a dual for a mate, then an ambush along with some very sexist language from some parties, and consensual and nonconsensual sexual encounters, so I definitely recommend it for a more mature audience.
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Witch Cake Murders(Sweetland Witch, #1)
by Zoe Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ava has been raised hidden in the middle of New York, never attracting any attention, never doing anything fun or exciting and now she is turning twenty-one and the only thing different is the necklace her father gave her for her birthday. Then there are the two ladies that seem to know her name and look sorta like her. Oh the secrets her fathers has been hiding!
Guess what, Ava is a witch and she actually has family, two aunts, her mom's sisters and they run a witch bakery on an island where humans and witches live together in harmony. Even as her father forbids her to go, she is on her way to meet her aunts and take off, she has so much to learn and she will.
Trouble soon shows up on Sweetland and she is the first suspect, new girl in town, doesn't know anything about magic, easily taken advantage of and mislead, Ava is in for a battle, but with a couple good friends, her Aunts, and lastly her father, the truth will win out.
This is a cute, fun book that is a pleasure to read. It is defintly clean, no sex and alternative cursing, such as "oh my roses" which I loved!
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Mated To The Werewolf King
by Alena Des
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
All her life, Belle has been raised as the daughter of a powerful alpha werewolf and his equally powerful wife. Just as her eighteenth birthday is nearing her world is shattered when her parents finally reveal that they are not her biological parents but that she was found on the edge of the pack boundary as and infant and they have raised her and loved her no matter what, but the Demon Lord is after her. Enter the Werewolf King, who claims he will protect her, but they immediately get off on a bad note, he doesn't believe she is a werewolf and she thinks he is joking. He thinks she is a witch, and she doesn't even think such things exist, oh the sheltered world you lived in Belle. Mated to the Werewolf King is the story of discovering who Belle really is and why the Demon Lord wants her, why he thinks she is his mate, and why his twin brother thinks she is his mate, but why she feels like the Werewolf King is who she wants, after she gets past his over macho attitude. Author Alena Des has created a paranormal fantasy world of werewolfs, vampires, demons, fae, witches and more all living in the same world while a single girl has the power to upset the balance of everything without knowing it.
Mated to the Werewolf King is a complex and mutilayered family saga. We are finally able to learn the turn story of Belle's parentage, but even then there is some difficulties as in her parents were being chased and he took Belle to safety because he was injured and thinking her mother was dead, only she wasn't quite, he died from his injuries. This story is not just your typical girl meets boy, falls for boy but has to prove its real for boy to accept, this is a whole girl meets boy, boy runs from girl, girl runs from boy, boy saves girl, girl saves boy, together they save the world and finally they can be together. Author Alena Des has created a story that is complex yet feels almost natural, you can understand each point of view and why certain characters did what they did, but at the same time, there is some much going on that this is one of those books that you could probably read two or three times and catch things each time that you missed the first time around. There is some violence, its an all out battle for the world, and some sexual scenes, but pretty average for todays standards.
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When Worlds Collide
by Angela Christian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed For Readers Favorite
At 5'2 you might dismiss Lisa, but don't, she's a witch with friends that include some mighty big werewolves. She is in the process of setting up her clinic to serve the supernatural folk in her area, when all the sudden her friend Ang's bar burns done, and John asks her on a date, then she is whisked away by the Dark Fey and asked to fight for them in a war against a Demon to save the worlds. So much going on all at once and all Lisa wants is to get the clinic open and date John. When World's Collide (Family Ties) tells the story of Lisa and her friends working together to try to keep their world from being destroyed and in the process different small family ties are uncovered that no one knew before, most are good, one or two have a little bad with them, but they are used well. Author Angela Christian has created a cute world were all the different supernaturals live together in peace and harmony.
When World's Collide is a fast paced, cute story that makes you feel good. It involves witches, vampires, werewolves, fey and more. They all get along with each other and live around each other, which you normally don't see, but its a cute story. Author Angela Christian has managed to create a world were even through they are facing a war, it still feels light happy, Everyone is still happy and moving on with their lives. This is definitely an adult book because there are a couple of intimate scenes between Lisa and John that are very steamy! And I do mean steamy!
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Sker House
by C.M. Saunders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
This last project is pretty important to everyone involved, Dale, Lucy and Mr. Machen. Dale's been doing pretty well in his classes so this finally article could be what lands him a good job, that is why he picked Sker House, that and to spend some time away with Lucy, but she's acting a little funny. Lucy has been slacking lately and she knows and her teachers know it, so her work on this project had better be brilliant or she risks failing this class, shes already been told. Business isn't booming at Sker House, in fact Dale and Lucy are the only guests and Machen is worried, he's sank all his savings into buying and working on this place. Come to find, the place in just a bit haunted, well more than a bit and with the help of Dale and Lucy, Old Rolly and the cook and barmaid they may just have a chance of saving the hotel. Author C.M.Saunders has done a wonderful job of making you feel like you can see the Welsh countryside where Sker House is, the cliffs and the sea, and the old house and the despair and need to make things right.
As you are reading through Sker House you are pulled into a story that feels like this collect of people are here are for a purpose, that things wouldn't work with any other collection of people, it had to be this certain set, these people were the special ones to fix the errors of the past and save Sker House. Author C.M. Saunders has woven a tell of magic, greed, misdeeds and the payment for those deeds. The spirits left behind, to help and the more evil demons left behind to prevent anyone from interfering until this group. This is a great books for readers of all ages, there is no sex, no violence, and if there is language is was in Welsh and I didn't realize it., so we're good.
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Waynesville, Indiana: Mother's Day, Murder and Mayhem
by Ray and Debi Stanton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Author team of husband and wife, Ray and Debi Stanton, have taken great care in working with Daniel Burton, the lone survivor and witness to the Waynesville murders. They have also worked to cohobate as much of what he said as they were able. That all being said, please know up front that what Daniel Burton went through is a life changing ordeal and he was left without and support system to help him deal with what had happened. This is not a book to be read by anyone that might be triggered by his trauma. Waynesville, Indiana: Mother's Day, Murder & Mayhem is Daniels story of what happened that night in May. It is him memories, thoughts and reflections on the people who died and the effect that it had on him.
Waynesville, Indiana: Mother's Day, Murder & Mayhem is a non-fiction book as it is a true event that happened, in a very small little town, if you can even call it that just outside of Columbus. It is a true crime book in that it talks about the crime that was committed, but mostly this is Daniel's story. It was his mother and her long-time boyfriend that were murdered, he was the one to find them and call 911. He was left all alone, his father having died years earlier. Authors Ray and Debi Stanton explain how they worked with Daniel and give you a real insight into how this event has effected him and left him to this day. He was left completely alone, no support system, no help, nothing to deal with what had just happened to his family. It some ways Daniel was the fifth victim of that night. This is a good story, but it could easily trigger sensitive readers.
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First Friday: How Virginity Almost Killed Me
by Tory Hartmann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed For Readers Favorite
Agnes Anne has a plan, it's a five step plan, and it will take her over a year to accomplish it, but she is determined to break free of her nutty uber-Catholic Irish family. She is twenty-eight years old and still living at home with her parents, working for her father in the back office with no career aspirations and no boyfriend. Not to mention she has a tendency to stutter when she is nervous or put on the spot. First Friday follows Agnes Anne on her adventure to put her plan into action and the reactions her family has to some of the changes that she makes. Author Tory Hartmann has woven a complex story of family, faith and change together to create a believable yet humorous story of finding your own way in life, even at an age when the rest of your siblings are married and on their own.
First Friday really revolves around a large Irish immigrant family that is devoutly Catholic, in fact maybe a little too devoutly Catholic. As a reader, knowing nothing about being Catholic, some of the things I found hilarious and some I found to be truly scary in that they hammered Agnes' ability to have a normal relationship with a guy. Author Tory Hartmann has created an amazingly complex story with many layers in the family and a number of stories going on around Agnes. In parts I felt sorry for her in that her family seemed to dismiss her so easily and she felt she couldn't he honest with them about some of the things going on, and it other ways I found myself rooting for her to break free and become her own person. This was a very clean book, there was some language and brief mentions of intimate moments, but they were so much less than anything I've read lately. I think this would be a great book for young adults and teens as well as older readers.
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Just Temporary
by S.M. Pitra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Casey is just your typical single, older woman. She's 43, never been married, no kids but two kitties, rents a tiny little house just a few blocks from her mother, that has the perfect space to use as a studio for her fiber art, she paints on fabric. To keep her kitties in litter and food, Casey has held a number of temporary jobs, even for temp jobs, hers never last all that long. When Casey finds a new temp agency and lands a primo job on her initial meeting, she is in heaven. This job is in a great spot, free parking and her boss is a dead ringer for James Bond. Problem is that her primo job, may not be all it seems to be. It starts with a strange interview candidate for a temp job, but that really doesn't raise any red flags for Casey, when a second strange temp worker stops by the office, she's confused but she is sure there is a reasonable explanation. Nothing prepares her for what is to come. Just Temporary is a realistic story, in that it could easily happen, so much is real life inspired and its a fun general life story that has many layers. There are backstories to all the players in the story that you get to read at different points and those stories influence and change your opinions of those people. Author S.M. Pitra has written a complex and realistic story with so many levels that you are kept interested from beginning to end.
Just Temporary by author S.M. Pitra is contemporary novel of real life, women's life, friendships and family. There are many levels of the story at play in this novel. You have Casey and her relationship with her parents, then there is the relationship with her elderly neighbor. There is also the friendship that Casey develops with Mindy, the office assistant down the hall. There is also the working relationship that Casey has with both of her bosses, which are completely different. This is a very clean book, no sex or cursing, so I have no problem recommending to all readers, but with the main character being a mid forties woman, most younger readers are probably not going to be interested.
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Damned: A Magnus Blackwell Novel, Book 1
by Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed For Readers Favorite
Altmover Manor has sat empty and crumbling for over sixty years, but as an architect, it is a dream come turn for Will to be able to restore it to its former glory, and Lexie is willing go to along with her fiancé, until she walks into the house and realizes that something isn't right. Of course being the practical man he is Will doesn't believe in her feelings or ghosts, but as Lexie starts learning about the house, she learns of the tragedies that occurred there. Lexie also meets the ghost of the former owner, Magnus Blackwell, and from there things get complicated. Damned is the story of Lexie, learning to deal with her gift and helping the ghosts of the house, and Magnus finding redemption for his previous sins during his lifetime. It is a complex story with lots of twists and turns and just when you think its over you find its only half way through. Author Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor has created a multilayered story that is complex and compelling. As a reader you find yourself drawn in and wanting to know more and keep reading, until before you know it the book is finished and you are begging for another installment in the story.
Damned, A Magnus Blackwell Novel is the first book in a series. Given the titles one would assume that the series revolves around Magnus Blackwell and his exploits, but as he is dead already in book one I am note exactly sure what book two would be unless it goes back and revisits his life before his death. This is a complex story with two very dynamic characters taking the lead in Magnus and Lexie, Will plays a supporting role. The whole story speaks of life and death, atoning for your actions, and the actions you take having consequences. Author Alexandra Weis with Lucas Astor is an amazing team in that they have created a multilayered story that is complex and compelling, that feels like real life and that draws you in and makes you want to keep reading. There are some adult themes in the story because it does talk about the death of Magus and a few other people, and there is some talk of sex, so I recommend it for adults, but in reality it is probably nothing more than most high school students have already heard, but I would leave that up to parents to decide.
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Second Sight (Haunts for Sale, Book 2)
by Kat Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Sloane is a paranormal real estate agent, confirming that houses are haunted by gentle spirits for potential buyers, and business has been booming ever since Sloane solved the case of the missing women in a small town that turned out to be the work of a serial killer. Sloane will be the first to tell you she got in a little over her head on that one, but she is glad its over and she would prefer not to have anymore like that. When her best friend asks her to look into a house for an old friend, she agrees, but this ends up being way more than she bargained for. Second Sight is a well written, well developed story that will pull you in and have you reading until the last page. Author Kat Green, which is actually the collaboration of two authors, is twice as nice.
Second Sight is the second book in the Haunts for Sale series by the author team of Kat Green. This is part paranormal, ghost hunter book and part mystery and sleuth book. Either way you think of the series, you find yourself drawn into the book and wanting to find out what is going on. Enjoying the history you find and the past as well and the recent things going on to case the ghost activity. For the most part I would recommend it for adult readers but I would say that most older teens would be fine with the series as well, but that is up to the parents.
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First Contact (Haunts for Sale, Book 1)
by Kat Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite.
One day Sloane had it all, a job she loved, a great best friend and she was going to marry the man of her dreams, then, in the blink of an eye everything shattered. A car crash took her fiancé Michael from her and she didn't think she could go on. Now, as a paranormal real estate agent, she has been searching haunted houses for a year looking to make contact with Michael. She's in a small town in the middle of nowhere, the last place she would expect to find him, but find him she does, and not only him but a house full of ghosts. These ghosts are in pain, the last moments of their lives where horrific and they are forced to relive them over and over again in this house. Sloane is determined to set them free, only problem is she has no idea how to do that. First Contact is a well written and developed story of a young adult woman who has a sensitivity to the spirit world and can sense their presence. At the same time it is a mystery story of a serial killer who has escaped notice for years and Sloane's desire to bring him to justice. Author Kat Green has written a book that will keep you glued to the story until the last page.
First Contact is the first book in a new series by author Kat Green called Haunts for Sale. Sloane is a paranormal real estate agent, which means she is sensitive to the spirit world and can sense the presence of spirits in a house and whether they are kind or maleficent. Because you know there is a whole market for people wanting to buy haunted houses these days. Most of her work are with gentle spirits just hanging out where they have always been, but not this job. Sloane walks into something she has no clue about. This is a page turner, but there are some topics with the whole serial killer that might offend some readers, so I would recommend it only to adult readers, just to be on the safe side.
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From Beneath
by Stormy White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Things were shaping up to be a good summer, in spite of the unexpected suicide of her good friend, for Mae. She was going to spend it with her grandson Andy while his parents were away for research, and she was looking forward to this time. When Janie called to let her know that her friend had left her a small parcel of land in her will, Mae was surprised but willing to go with it. Visiting the land ended up being much more of an adventure than anyone could have ever predicted. Janie ended up taking the other lawyer in her practice Craig's niece with her, and before it was all over the four of them; Janie, Craig's niece, Mae and Andy would travel halfway around the world without even realizing it. From Beneath is a complex tale of another species in conflict with humans but without humans even realizing they exist. Author Stormy White has developed a multilayered tale that involves a number of stories intertwined within each other and each one only revealing half the story and not until all the parts are revealed together is the whole story able to be put together.
From Beneath is part science fiction in that is involves another species besides the human race, but at the same time it seems more fantasy or paranormal than true science fiction. It is well written and complex, in that there are a number of different storylines going on at the same time, and a number of different complex relationships and dialogues going on, and each one plays a part in the story, but until the very end when they are all put together you can't see exactly what is going on in the different storylines that affects the others. There is no sex or violence in the story, although there is some drugging and dependency going on in the story, but it is overall a very clean story that I would have no problem recommended to readers of any age. It is definitely one of those books that will make you think about life and your own impact on the world after reading.
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Evil Stalks the Night
by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorites
Sarah has a large family, seven kids in all, but live is only good or a short time before something evil appears in the woods near her home. Sarah has the ability to recognize but no one else does because she comes from a long line of women with a gift, or curse. She is able to receive visions which to her has been as much a curse as it has been a gift. The evil that moved into the woods seems to focus on Sarah's family, and she doesn't understand why, even the visions that she has showing her the past, she is unable to understand and connect to her family until the very end. She is sure that the evil wants her and that to get rid of it, she would have to sacrifice herself. Evil Stalks the Night is a complex tale of unleashing evil and it following a person through lives taking its revenge over and over again. Author Kathryn Meyer Griffith weaves a well developed and multilayered story that is complex and compelling.
While Evil Stalks the Night focus on the evil and Sarah, there is also her brother Jimmy, who she is very close to that plays a big part in the story. The more the story goes on, the more you realize that Jimmy has more and more to do with the evil. Even her younger brother Charlie, who had his own problems in life, turns out to be a help in death. The things you think about people aren't always what you think they are and they surprise you in the end. Author Kathryn Meyer Griffith has written a detailed, complex and well developed story. Although there is no sex in the book there are a number of deaths, and although they are not described in detail, they are inferred to be quite gory. Therefore I would probably recommend this to adult readers.
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Witches
by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Amanda is a white witch, meaning that she works night nature to help people, but there are others in the world that have trade their favors with evil and use dark magic for bad purposes. Always have been and always will be, power corrupts people. In the area there is a cult killing people and trying to gain power, and Amanda should be focusing on them, but grief over the death of her husband in a car accident has caught her unaware. Amanda is finally finding her feet and coming back to the land of the living and getting ready to move on, when the cult starts targeting her, leaving messages for her when they kill making the local people want to run her out of town. At the same time, the spirit of a witch put to death for practicing her craft is trying to get Amanda to help her find peace, and Amanda is sure there is something wrong with her request. Even though they haven't always been close, Amanda turns to her sister, who in turn ends up being her biggest help in figuring out the mysteries. Witches is a well thought out and complex story of righting past wrongs done to innocent people and making things right, while at the same time putting the evil-doers away. Author Kathryn Meyer Griffith has woven past and present together into a wonderful story that makes you believe in the good guy again, the power of love, family and good friends.
Witches tells the story of two completely different women whose lives end up being pulled together. Amanda, who is a white witch and is good, using nature to do no harm but to help everyone that she possibly can. Rachel, who is a black witch, and uses magic for her own purposes and for what it can get her no matter who it harms. Then there is the witch hunter of the seventeenth century, who took way too much pleasure in putting women to death for being witches. The differences in the two women are so completely opposite, but to many, all they see is the name witch, that is until they have need of Amanda's services. Luckily she is able to change a number of peoples minds about what a witch really is and what it means to be a witch. She is also able to change history and make sure that innocent people are not killed out of spite. Author Kathryn Meyer Griffith has written a wonderfully complex and powerful book.
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Woven (The Mystic Valley Series, Volume 1)
by L.C. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
As of last week, for all she knew, Dylan was your typical teenager with loving, normal parents about to finish her senior year of high school. This week, she is now all alone in the world, her parents killed in a tragic car accident. She is floundering, not sure how she is going to get through this but she has her best friend Carly and her mom's best friend Tessa to lean on. When she goes back to school she finds that the lady that has taken over at the school to replace her dad is actually nice and seems concerned about her, maybe she will be able to handle this, expect that her son Jensen seems to be taking an interest in her, which is strange because guys are never interested in Dylan. That is not the only change that is about to rock Dylan's world on the eve of her eighteenth birthday. Woven (The Mystic Valley Series) (Volume 1) is a young adult fiction paranormal story of shape shifters and coming of age, making choices, romance and life and family. Author LC Taylor has developed a well rounded story that focuses on the teens in this book, but has the options to focus on the adults more in other volumes.
Woven (The Mystic Valley Series) (Volume 1) is a series about an area of the country that is home to a group, or pack, actually two packs of wolf shape shifters, these shifters don't experience their first shift until they turn eighteen, a slightly different concept than most shifter novels. This first volume I would label young adult as it is focused on the teens, Dylan and Jensen, Kai and Carly and as they are all just eighteen this could also kinda fall into that coming of age category. It has aspects of family and friends, building a life from a group of people that mean something to you, blood or not. Taking care of your own. It is a really good book, but there is some consensual sexual relations between mated pairs in the book, so I would advise adult or older teen readers.
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King of Khoth (Dark Warriors Alliance, Book 9)
by Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Finally in the ninth book we get to learn more of Angus' story. Angus in the dragon shifter king from Khoth, were Kryan and Mack got transported to and had most of their story. Angus has been stuck on earth for a thousand years looking for his mate Kierra, after she was kidnapped by Cryil and the portal back to Khoth was sealed.
Angus finally finds Kierra, but she doesn't remember him, or anything in fact, all her memories have been taken and she has spent the last year on the run with Cryil, so she doesn't know what to think when Angus finds her, but she doesn't tell Cryil about seeing him. So Angus kidnaps her back and takes her to Khoth, which Cryil told her was still sealed, so the first of his lies becomes evident.
Back on Khoth, Angus sets about to try to return Kierra's memories and win her love again, and at the same time repair the damage that has been done to the planet in the time that Angus has been gone.
This is another in the series that is wonderful and can't be put in any other words. This series lives on its own, and once you start reading it and get into them, you just can't get out of the series. Love it!!!
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Quest Chasers: The Deadly Cavern
by Thomas Lockhaven
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Quest Chasers was a cute adventure story of two kids who follow and adventure and have to work through a number of puzzles or quests to get through the adventure.
This book reminded me of The Magic Treehouse book series in a number of ways and as I loved those books and read them with my kids when they were much younger, I think this would be a good, more modern book to do some of the same things as that series.
Although, the story starts with Drew - he is the one who found the mystery and told Evie and Tommy about it, yet he is left completely out of the adventure after the beginning. I am still unsure why the author chose to leave him out. I think the trio would have made a more believable group.
Overall though, I found it cute and adventuresome. Great for the young reader to keep their interest and engage the mind.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I received an ARC.
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Crimson Moon (The Dark Woods, Book One)
by Sherri A. Wingler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
She might be young and she might be on her own, but she wasn't unable to take care of herself; not that Grey knew that exactly but he could tell there was something different about her. She wasn't fully human that was for sure, and why he felt the need to take care of her and keep her with him, he couldn't really say, of course his wolf wanted her but she was way to young, not even eighteen yet. Harlow was used to not trusting anyone, but there was something about Grey that had her wanting to trust him and then, once she had him and his wolf in her mind, she was even more inclined to trust him, although things got even more confusing. Crimson Moon by author Sherri Wingler is not your typical shifter novel, in fact even though Grey is part wolf, there is never any shape shifting, its more like a split personality issue.
Crimson Moon is a complex and twisted story that involves Grey and his past in a way, but mostly Harlow and the secrets about her life and her birth. Even when she finds out the truth, things are not going to be happily ever after, there is always going to be trouble when a wolf is involved. Author Sherri Wingler takes a completely different approach to the wolf-man hybrid and instead of having him shift his shape into the wolf, it is just a personality takeover, nothing in the body, physically changes, but as Harlow learns more about Grey she can hear the difference in their voices, the way they walk and talk, the way they hold themselves. This is not something I have encountered in a novel before and it made for interesting reading, although there was a real love-hate relationship between Grey and his wolf that I questioned. Since this is labeled as Book One, I would hope that Grey's past and some of the demons that created that love-hate relationship might be explored at some point in the future because at this point, I am confused by it still. There is violence and some intimate moments, so I would definitely recommend this for adult readers.
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Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifacts, Book 2)
by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Lord of the Shadows is the second book in the Dark Artifices series.
To kinda set up the storylines, The Infernal Devices series is the beginning of the whole set of series, then in time, you move to The Mortal Instruments series, and finally the Dark Artifices series comes last, or at least at this point. So in reality, all the different series that Cassandra Clare has written all build off each other.
Lord of the Shadows takes up were Lady Midnight ended, and it does a wonderful job continuing the story. It was such a good story and we really got to know more about the people and moved everything forward!
This story was very much time and culturally appropriate. There is a movement in the Shadowhunter world against mixed alliances, and people marrying or dating and being in relationships with people that are not Shadowhunters, such as the Shadowhunter Alex and Wizard Magnus or other such relationships. There are people who are vocal against these mixed alliances and are talking about making changes in the hierarchy of the Shadowhunter world.
This was a good book, but as someone who has watched friends become victims of racial profiling and treated differently because of race, I have issues with that type of thing, and to read in happening in a book makes me mad, because there is nothing I can do about it. That racial treatment was difficult to read, and to get past, so that made parts of the book very hard for me to read, and I am not really sure that I will be able to read the next book because of the huge uprising in this book.
Book One: Lady Midnight Review Link
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Nailgun Messiah (Micah Reed, Book 1)
by Jim Heskett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
For most of his life Micah Reed has been a screw up, drinking his way through life, but the trouble he finds himself in this night has nothing to do with him, really, unfortunately the big bad drug dealer isn't willing to believe him. Micah is able to escape and finds himself needing to get out of town for awhile, and although visiting his sister is forbidden, that's exactly what he does, which turns out to be a good thing. His little sister has gotten herself into, what she thinks is a religious group, but is really just a front for other illegal activities. Micah knows he has to get his sister out, but she is not really inclined to trust him based on his past record of screwing up. Nailgun Messiah is complex and multilayered story of all the people living in the house and the complex relationships and controls extorted over them. Author Jim Heskett has developed so many levels that you don't know who is really a friend or a foe until the very end.
Nailgun Messiah is titled as the first book in the Micah Reed series, so it would seem that the author Jim Heskett is planning to follow the main character through a few more books, which could be exciting. This book was full of adventure and intrigue, trying to figure how who was on what side, who you could trust and who you couldn't. Even after all that, I still found a few questions that I never got fully answered, which is the mark of a good book, it leaves you still wondering about certain small parts and then there is the possibility that they show up again later in another book. This was a really good book, although there were themes of violence and mind control, in case any readers have issues with that. Definitely worth the read.
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Curse Breaker
by J. T. Bishop
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Grayson Steele is slowly drinking himself into an early grave, followed all his life by what he believes to be a curse, everyone he loves dies three days after they are intimate with him. His best friend and business partner Cooper, doesn't believe in the curse and is always trying to pull Gray back into the real world, but it usually backfires. This time Gillian Fletcher finds Gray, she knows his story and she wants to help, in fact she devises a plan to prove to Gray that someone he knows is killing people just to drive him insane and that there is in fact no curse. Gray doesn't believe her, but it willing to give her a chance to prove her point.
When it's all said and done and Gillian's secrets are revealed, are they going to be too much for Grey to handle? Will he be able to come to terms with her and the future that she can offer him or is he going to sink back into a shell of a life, not with a curse hanging over his head this time but knowing that he can't have the the woman he has fallen in love with, truly in love with, this time.
This is a romance book, with a bit of a suspense and mystery, then there is the person who hates Grey enough to kill people he loves to make him think he is cursed. Which is almost one story all on it's own, then there is Gillian whis is another story altogether. She has her own secrets as to why she knows he needs her, how she can help and how she has helped others before.
Definitely a book worth reading!
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Witchy Woman (Book 2, The Necromancer): Psychic Suspense
by Pamela M. Richter
My rating: 4.2 of 5 stars
This is the second book in a series, and to be honest I did not read the first book, but it did not hamper me from being able to enjoy and understand this book. Most of the highlights of the first book, or the things that I really needed to know to understand this book were retold in memories or nightmares, or some other form that allowed you to know what had happened yet it still fit into the book wonderfully.
Michelle, may or maybe not be a bit of a witch, and that has nothing to do with here personality. She's still not sure she believes it, but Omar believed it enough to have her attacked, raped, kidnapped and almost killed twice now. Thankfully he is in jail, well at least his was until this morning. Michelle can't believe he got released on bail already, but she also doesn't think he is stupid enough to do anything to her while he is being watched. Of course, Michelle has no idea how desperate Omar really is.
Her first day back to work is hectic, and she has plans with her best friend Heather to go to the grocery, since both of them are out of food. She calls to let her know she is running late, then calls when she is heading to the parking garage, but when Michelle isn't home an hour later, Heather knows something is wrong. Good thing for Michelle, Heather is on top of everything, and bad for Omar.
Within hours, Omar has kidnapped Michelle and moved her car back to her apartment, left a message at work that she is sick and thinks that no one will be looking for her and that he has a couple days if not a week before anyone notices that she really is gone. He has a wicked plan and unfortunately it involves drugging Michelle to get her to cooperate or at least not resist.
Back in Hawaii, within those same hours, Michelle has alerted her new boyfriend Mike, Michelle's boyfriend Rod, who has dealt with Omar before, and Professor Vincent MIddleton, who was involved the first time around, and they are already searching for Michelle. They may be about twelve hours behind Omar, but they are determined not to let him win, they all want Michelle back now.
This was a good book. It is well written and the characters are well developed. Omar is someone that you will hate immediately, he has no redeeming qualities, he is just pure evil and it comes across in everything he does to try to force Michelle to come to him. Michelle is strong and a fighter, and she has learned to stand up for herself and she is not about to let some slimey guy take control of her life. She has amazing friends that will do anything for her and that is what is probably the best part of the story.
One note - anyone who has dealt with fertility issues might find a trigger in this book. You might do fine reading it or it might bring on memories and thoughts, depending on your personal experiences. I know how touchy the subject can be so I wanted to give a warning.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I received an ARC of this book. This is my honest and truthful review.
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The Black
by Neil Mosspark
My rating: 4.1 of 5 stars
Without warning one morning ten years ago, a black dome appeared over what was then Toronto. No one knew were it came from or why, but thousands of people died, and a huge area around it was off limits. Governments began working together, sorta, to try to figure out what it was and what to do about it, and that lead to Dave's current job. He trainers miners to try to tunnel far enough under the edge of the black dome to see if they can get inside.
Nothing ever goes as planned, and when they finally start getting a tunnel far enough in, strange things start happening that threaten to derail the whole project. A last ditch effort with Dave leading the charge and his best friend, Tony, who has been in the higher ups of this project all along, with him, leads to something completely unexpected!
This is a science fiction novel, and tells an engaging story that has you reading from page one. You want to understand where this black dome came from and what it is doing and you are completely interested in what is going on, and then everything gets completely flipped on its head!
I can't, and won't say why it gets flipped because that would ruin it for future readers, but just know that things are not as they seem, and once Dave has the chance to get inside the Black, all bets are off!
I really enjoyed this book and read it quickly because I couldn't put it down.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I received and ARC copy of this book. This is my honest and truthful review, it was not influenced in any way by receiving a copy of the book.
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The Rebel
by Alice Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sean is an amazing motorcycle mechanic, barely making a living, but doing the best he can on his own, and for the most part feeling pretty good about himself. He's got some demons from his past, some owning to his family and some to his brief time in a motorcycle club.
Paisley is Sean's eight year old daughter, and on that he hasn't had contact with since his ex-wife took her away. Of course Sean hasn't always felt he deserved to be in Paisley's life given his entanglement with the motorcycle club, but he is determined to give his daughter everything he can from a distance. That is until the day that his ex-wife is killed in a car accident and he becomes a single parent overnight.
Enter Taylor, a marketing exec in his father's company, that has no idea his history, knows nothing about him, but knows that Sean is what the company needs to turn around its recent major downturn, and she is just determined enough to know that she may have to fight father, son and brother to get it, but she is sure this is the best thing.
This was a well written book and the characters had depth and development and I think it is a good book to read. For me personally, I had trouble with the way Sean seemed to hold onto his mistakes like a badge and push people away and think that no one would ever give him a decent chance at a real life or think that he could change. I just wanted to smack him a few times in the book and knock the chip off his shoulders. That is the only reason I lowered the stars on the book. Another reader may not have those kinds of issues with the characters.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I received an ARC copy of this book and asked if I would be willing to honestly review the book. I am always honest in my reviews, and while I think this was a good book, it wasn't one that I personally would be into reading because of my issues with the personalities.
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Taliesin - Choice/Destiny by Suzanne Redfearn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For Tally, living around and being one with horses is just part of her life in the last few years, since her mothers death. When she endures an attempted attack by a drunken son of a horse owner, which ends with the horse defending her and injuring her father in the process, everything in her world is turned upside down.
Tally is asked to return to her hometown and live with her aunt, her mother's twin sister while her father is in the hospital, and when she starts heading back to the town, Tally experiences a huge since of deja vue. As she tries to settle in and be there for her father, Tally must come to terms with her own memories, the reality of what really happened, and what is really going on in the town for her birth.
Throw in two teenage guys, Cord and Walter, and things just get even more complicated.
This was a good book, well written and well developed. I found myself getting caught up in the story and wanting to know more about the characters and what is happening. This is titled to be the first book in a series, so that leads me to have great expectations for the next book.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I received an ARC copy of the book in return for my honest review. I always give my honest opinion, and while I like this book and think it is a good book, it is really clean reading and good for all age readers.
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Alawahea: The Azellian Affairs, Book One
by Sara L Daigle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(I still hate the 5 star rating system, this deserves more like a 4.75, but I don't have that option)
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Tamara is working to finish her college degree in a time when the Earth has found out that there are other plants out there with life on them, and in fact has been sending and receiving ambassadors for over 50 years. This year is going to be different as the Azellian ambassador has proposed having a sort of foreign exchange program at the University with four Azellian students coming to Denver to study for the year. Tamara is excited because her grandfather had been the ambassador to Azelle years ago, and she is interested in learning, even if her grandmother is having a hissy fit about it all. The thing is that there are secrets in Tamara's life and past that are on a collision course with the Azellian students, and nothing is ever going to be the same. Alawahea, The Azellian Affairs is the first book in a series that introduces the reader to another culture and begins the story of interactions, fears, differences and similarities. Author Sara L. Daigle has created a story that is captivating and realistic, the fears and prejudices that are projected towards the Azellian's are the same fears and prejudices that we as humans project on anyone we don't know much about, and the problems it can lead to are enormous.
Alawahea, The Azellian Affairs is the first book in a new series that looks to be both entertaining and thought provoking. All the characters were so well written and developed that, as a reader, I felt a connection to them each from the start, and it was easy to get caught up in the story and following them and wanting only the best for each one. Author Sara L. Daigle has created an environment in the story that is so realistic and believable that you feel like you are part of the story as the reader. I think this is a great book for all readers, and I definitely think it is a time, when a book that causes the reader to look at pre-conceived prejudices and how we think and treat someone slightly different than ourselves, is much needed and should be read by many people. Will it change attitudes? Maybe of a few, those open to understanding and that in and of itself is worth the read alone.
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the alchemy of charlotte goodwin
by Michelle Colston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
The Alchemy of Charlotte Goodwin by author Michelle Colston is probably the most captivating book I have read in awhile. Charlotte poured herself into dance, ballet specifically, and when that was taken from her, she poured herself into work. The problem is that she has never really figured out who she was or what she really wanted in life, and that is leaving her a lot of voids and questions in her life. When her Uncle Shel dies, she finds out through a phone call and in her distraughtness she runs across the street only to be hit by a car. The accident leaves her dreaming of alternative lives that she might have lead. At first she isn't sure what is happening, but the more she sees in these dreams, the more clear her frustrations with he3r current life become and she begins to wonder what her life could have been, and where it should go.
Author Michelle Colston has written a tale that feels so life-like and real that you find yourself drawn into the story, wanting to root for certain versions of her life over others, yet they all seem to intertwine in a great number of ways with the same people and places. The Alchemy of Charlotte Goodwin is not only the story of a woman finding who she really is and what she really wants, but it begs the readers to look into their own lives and think about choices and what might have been had they made a different choice, or had thins happened differently. Hidden secrets in her life are staring to come to the front the book, and her search is just beginning. The book ends on a promising note, and with the promise of a second book to come. This book is a perfect read for all ages, but I especially think it would be good your the young adult reader, to allow them to question their own lives and make sure they are living the life they want, and not trying to fulfill someone else dreams for them.
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Don't Hide From Me: Luc (The McCabe Brothers, Book 4)
by Lorhainne Eckhart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Don't Hide From Me is the fourth book in the McCabe Brothers series and focuses on youngest brother Luc. If you have read the previous books, it helps set the scene for this book, although it probably could be read on it's own.
Luc is having the hardest time of the brothers, and part of that is because Luc wants a relationship, marriage and a family, and that hasn't always been available to him, since Luc is gay. Now, things are changing and Luc is refusing to be anyone's secret, he wants it all, the same things his brothers all have.
This book is really a conclusion to the series in a way, focusing on Luc, but at the same time tying up any loose ends from the previous books, and wrapping up the McCabe Brother's into a neat little package.
I have no problem recommending this to readers of any age, just know they storyline going in so that you aren't caught off guard if you aren't open to reading the story. It is a good story line, and the family dynamics that you find in this book relate to a great number of people.
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Don't Run From Me: Aaron (The McCabe Brothers, Book 3)
by Lorhainne Eckhart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Aaron McCabe is a great fighter, but what no one knows is that he uses his fighting to relieve his greatest failure, to exercise the wounds from his past that he can't heal nor let go of. Tonight is no different, expect that his brother Chase is there, and not about to let things go. Chase always has to fix everyone's problems, but this isn't something even Chase can fix. Don't Run From Me is the third book in the McCabe Brothers series, so far having oldest brother Vic's story in book one and next oldest Chase's story in book two. Author Lorhainne Eckhart builds from the previous books, although you don't need to have read them to understand this book, and moves on to the next brother.
The McCabe Brother's series follows each of the McCabe brothers, who are all four adopted, and their individual journey's as they look to fill voids left in their lives by loss and love. Don't Run From Me is the third book, and can stand alone on it's own, but having read the other books in the series does give you more insight to each brother. Author Lorhainne Eckhart is able to weave a tale that is both heartwarming and contemporary at the same time. This story plays on a natural disaster that effected a great number of people, and influenced the lives of Aaron and his girlfriend at the time. This is a good read and recommended for most any reader, although there are a few minor adult themes in small areas of the book, it is really a good book for all.
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