Review: When The Magnolia Blooms

When The Magnolia Blooms by Annaliese Darr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for Readers Favorite.

Once a civil war solider and plantation owner, Rhys had his whole life ahead of him, until an accident on the way home took his life and left him a ghost, only visible to the talented in his own home. Centuries later, Fiona is in need of a place to hide out from a crazed stalker, and Magnolia House seems to be the prefect spot. Fiona comes from a long line of Irish people with some talent to the supernatural, either healing or seeing auras, and although she welcomes the talent in her sisters, she has never acknowledged any talent in herself. Her time at Magnolia House will challenge her beliefs in herself and set her on a new path in life that just might be more rewarding and happy, that is if she can stay alive. A couple causal dates and one kiss was enough for Fiona to know that she didn't want anything to do with police officer Derrick Morris, unfortunately he wasn't ready to give up on Fi and had begun stalking her. When she returns from her father funeral to find her home vandalized, she turns to the only person she can think of, Mike, a retired cop, and her family. Together they make a plan and get Fi to safety, they hope. When The Magnolia Blooms is the story of love lost and found, of purpose found and of living a fulfilling life. Author Annaliese Darr has created a compelling world and story that has the reader engaged and wanting more.

When Then Magnolia Blooms is the story of family, or traditions and history passed down. It has the elements of some supernatural talents, yet the way they are woven into the story they are believable and feel right. It is the story of leaning on your family in a time of need, and this is a strong family that is amazing and everyone dreams of having in their corner. The relationship with the ghost Rhys and Fi is strong, but it is more about them both learning to forgive and love again. Author Annaliese Darr has created a world in this remote southern corner of the world that feels passed over by time, but at the same time comforting and safe. For the most part the book is relatively clean, so I can recommend it to teens and adult readers alike. At the same time, the family dynamics in the story have me wanting to read the stories of Fiona's sisters, Maeve and Spring.

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Review: Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder

Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder by Chris Cavender
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder is the second book in the Pizza Lovers Cozy Mystery series, and although I wasn't crazy about the first book I tried the second.

Poor Eleanor, someone is found dead in her kitchen, and while she is suspected for a brief time, her best worker is ultimately the police's focus this book, and of course she has to step in.

Again I am hit with the police chief's refusal to do his job, I mean five minutes of police work - he didn't even realize the pizza came from somewhere else until Eleanor mentioned it. This stuff should have been common, it seems silly the way the police get focused on one person to the point they forget to investigate anything else.

I still can't get behind the character of Eleanor, I still think she is whiny and wallowing in her own life and refusing to move on and realize that she is young, alive and she needs to make the most of what she has in front of her.
I still don't like the police chief or his constant questioning of Eleanor, its almost like he is wanting to find something to blame on her so that he feels better about himself as a person.

Then there is my pet peeve - proofreading! OMG! On one page, the poor delivery boy goes from being Josh to Jason back to Josh again! Ugh!! Come on!! Names are on of those things that you just can't get wrong!!

Chris Cavender is a pen name for author Tim Myers - who has written a lot of cozy mysteries - some soap based, some candle based, even a minatures based series. Usually he develops characters so much better, I am just not happy with this series.

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Review: Switch of Fate 3

Switch of Fate 3 by Lisa Ladew
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Switch of Fate 3 is technically the fourth book in the Switch of Fate series, and probably the best to date.

Riot is a bad-boy with an attitude to match, well actually Riot has a bad-boy image that he uses to keep people from getting too close, and he hides his good side to everyone because he feels like he doesn't deserve to have his good side. Poor Riot has been a victim of family prejudice and rough treatment, everyone expecting him to be a bad-boy because he is a cat shifter, and he just can't seem to shake his own prejudice towards everyone after the way his family has treated him.

Riot has gotten involved in The Cause, but he won't be honest or upfront with anyone, and really goes about his business trying to make everyone think he is trouble when in reality he is the best guy out there. He's used this method to keep himself safe, but when his high school crush Gemma reenters his life, all bets are off.

Gemma has been the one person that has always believed in Riot, even if he didn't know it, and now she has a chance to show him what she can be to him, if she can get him to just put down his guard for long enough.

Gemma is the third switch to be discovered, and Riot does a great job of finding her and dropping her off with The Cause. She is also easy going and is able to fit into the life, finding things not as scary to deal with as Cora or Goldie, partly probably because she grew up in a military family and moved a lot and saw a lot of things, she is just more open and accepting of the realities. Gemma is also a wiz with language and is able to actually start understanding parts of the book.

What is awesome is that as she does, we hear from Anna, from the prequel, in this book by way of her journal entries in the Keepers Book. Now that there are three breath switches - it is time to make the coven a formal group and with that comes understanding and magic they had no clue about. Things are finally falling in place for The Cause and they are really becoming what they need to be.

I happened to like this book the best, I felt that Gemma was strong, independent and not as needy and clingy as Cora and Goldie, so she makes for a sharp contrast and the way that she just accepts things and moves on is awesome.

Now....I want to see more books. I have questions that need answered. Auntie needs to be figured out, and then there is the child in the mental ward, Jinelle Spencer, since the vampires are watching her, more needs to be said on her. I can't wait!

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Review: Switch of Fate 2

Switch of Fate 2 by Grace Quillen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Switch of Fate 2 is technically the third book in the series, if you include the prequel.

Flint is a big bear of a man, literally, he's a bear shifter, and he is on a mission. He wants to hunt down the vampire that killed his family and left him almost dead. He has been part of The Cause, but he thinks he will need to go off on his own to accomplish his goals until fate throws Goldie into his path.

Goldie is a switch, the second one to be identified now that they all kinda sorta know what is going on after Jameson found and claimed Cora. Well, they may still be flying pretty blind, but at least they have a home base that seems to know what they need.

Goldie has spent her life protecting her younger sister Darby, and running at any signs of problems, so to trust Flint and the rest of The Cause is a huge deal for her, and even when Flint promises to take care of Darby, she can't believe he actually will and makes the mistake of trying to run with Darby. Goldie has to learn to trust, aside from learning everything that is going to come with being a switch, which is really unbelievable to her.

This second book in the series if even more fun, in that it grows all the characters and we find them learning more and more about what they are doing and becoming a real group that actually works together instead of just a gathering of people that want the same thing, they are starting to actually become The Cause.

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Review: Pudding Up With Murder

Pudding Up With Murder (Undercover Dish Mystery, Book 3) 
by Julia Buckley


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
    

Pudding Up With Murder is the third book in the Undercover Dish Mystery Series.

Lilah Drake has a booming business of undercover catering. Lilah creates and makes wonderful casseroles and pot luck types dishes for her clients, who order them in secret and then pass them off as their own. She is also working at a local catering company, and recently she has started appearing on her ex-boyfriends television cooking show once a week. Life is good.

Recently, Lilah and Detective Jay Parker have started dating, but once again another murder is going to make things difficult for them. Jay Parker is a very upstanding police officer and has a pretty rigid set of ideals. The thing is Lilah is probably not the best girlfriend, she is a little clingy and not understanding, yet she expects complete understanding from Jay.

This story was really good in regards to the mystery and who did it and the characters involved, but the story fell flat for me in regards to the relationship between Lilah and Jay. She expects honesty from Jay, yet she tells him half truths all the time and expects him to accept them. There are always certain things that you don't always want to talk about at the time in a relationship, and Lilah refuses to get that. At one point her ex-boyfriend and her current boyfriend have lunch as they both care about Lilah and want to work out any issues between them that might be causing problems. Lilah flies off the handle at this - instead of seeing that they both care and want to make things better, to have them not fighting with each other so that her career can blossom - she gets mad at them for meeting behind her back and not talking to her. It was stupid, and I really felt I couldn't understand her anymore.

For the third book in the series, it was ok, but if the author ever published a fourth in this series, I am not sure that I would read it at this point.

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Review: Cheddar Off DeadCheddar Off Dead (Undercover Dish Mystery, Book 2) by Julia Buckley

Cheddar Off Dead (Undercover Dish Mystery, Book 2) 
by Julia Buckley


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
    

Cheddar Off Dead is the second book in the cozy mystery series Undercover Dish.

Lilah Drake has created a side business for herself. She creates and makes pot-luck or casserole type dishes for her growing list of clients, then she delivers them to her clients in secret and the client passes off the dish as their own cooking. This has become a lucrative business for Lilah and she loves it, but her dream has always been her own catering company, and now she is finally working part-time for the best catering company in Pine Haven. Life on the business side is going well for Lilah, even if the budding relationship with Detective Jay Parker took a terrible nosedive just as it was beginning.

Now Lilah finds herself face to face with Jay again when she inadverntly finds herself at the scene of another murder. While delivering food to her best friend Jenny at school, she talks to the school Santa for the day and as she is leaving the parking lot, a car drives in and shots the santa. Not exactly how she planned to spend the day.

This story takes even more twists and turns when the local Chicago, supposedly mob family is connected to the shooting. Lilah is in danger, and trust becomes an issue with Jay and Lilah again, even when he doesn't realize that her lie to him before was exactly the same as the lie he told her.

This second book in the series was well written and even more enjoyable. The characters became more in focus and we really learn more about each character. At this point I have high hopes for the third book.

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The Big Chili (Undercover Dish Mystery, Book 1) by Julia Buckley

The Big Chili (Undercover Dish Mystery, Book 1)
by Julia Buckley


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was in need of a break from all the paranormal novels that I had been reading lately, so wandering in the library the other day, looking through the shelves, I discovered this Undercover Cooking Series. I have always had a thing for cozy mysteries, so why not.

The Big Chili is the start of this cute, but short series. Liliah Drake works in her parents real estate office, but her passion is cooking, and so she has created this little secret side business for herself. She makes wonderful food creations, usually potluck time dishes and casseroles for her list of clients, and then she delivers them to the people in secret and they in turn pass off the dishes as their own. It's become quite profitable for Lilah.

Trouble starts when at a church bingo night, someone drops dead after tasting her chili, but of course no one knows that she made it because one of her clients, Pet Grundy has been passing this chili off as her own for years. Pet is terrified that someone will discover that she didn't make the chili, and makes Lilah promise not to tell the police that she actually made the chili.

Detective Jay Parker is the lead on this case, and he is smitten with Lilah, but then there is the secret that Lilah is keeping, it is driving her nuts because she feels bad about not telling the truth. What looked like a straight forward case of who-done-it turns into a complicated twists of who and why, with half the town involved in one way or another.

This was a cute book, it was a great start of a new cozy series and it ended with a great number of recipes. Only issue I had with the recipes is that they centered on a gourmet food product brand that came from the story, which leaves readers with no way to actually make any of the dishes.

Aside from that, it was a good story and I look forward to continuing with the second book.


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Review: Knit, Purl, Die

Knit, Purl, Die (Black Sheep Knitting Mystery, Book 2)
by Anne Canadeo


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
    

Knit, Purl, Die is the second book in the Black Sheep Knitting series....

First off, a pet peeve - the proofreading was lacking on this book! Don't know if it was a rush to get the second book out or what but there were are number of storyline errors. First off was the synopsis on the back cover, Gloria is listed as being on husband number four when throughout the story, he is actually husband number three. On the back cover her husband is identified as Daniel Wexler and where that comes from is anyone's guess because in the book he is Jamie. Now inside the story itself, early in the book Suzanne's daughter is called Natalie, but in book one and again later in this story she is Alexis. Also early in the book Brian is mentioned as either Suzanne or Dana's husband, when we know from book one and the rest of book two that Dana's husband is jack and Suzanne's is Kevin. Names need to be consistent throughout the series, and this is something that is easy to check and keep straight. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, it makes you question what you are reading.

On to the story itself - we add new character into the Black Sheep Knitting Club in the person of Gloria, but she is not to stay around too long. Again, Lucy seems to take the lead in questioning things with Maggie dragging her feet the most. We see more of Dana and Suzanne in this story than in Book one.

The story itself is well written and easy to follow, but I got caught up in the errors and couldn't enjoy it the way I wanted.

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While My Pretty One Knits (Black Sheep Knitting Mystery, Book 1) by Anne Canadeo

While My Pretty One Knits (Black Sheep Knitting Mystery, Book 1) 
by Anne Canadeo


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Aww, a cozy mystery. It's been so long since I have read one of these, but I got into the cozy mystery genre long before I started reading the paranormal - and so I know that it seems paranormal is all that has been on my reviews in a long time, it has - it is just what has come up, it seems to be a more popular genre than the cozy mystery at this point in time, so it just is more visable.

This book combines knitting and mystery! I love it. I am a novice knitter, meaning that I can do a basic stitch and make a blanket or scarf, or even a few other more complex items - but I can't read a pattern to save my life! So everything I knit is from my looking at something and trying to replicate it, no patterns, nothing like that.

The story also surrounds a small group of knitters that have become good friends and that meet at the shop and knit and talk, and I love that! What I wouldn't give to have a small group of people like that in my life that I could knit with and enjoy their company.

Rival yarn shop owner Amanda is murdered and of course Maggie, the owner of the shop is the top of the police list, when we all know that she didn't do it. Of course the group is set to figure it out themselves.

Normally in a cozy mystery I expected the yarn shop owner to take the lead in the story, but that wasn't the case in this book. Lucy the recently divorced and now unsure of herself graphic designer is the lead in the book, she is the one most of the conversations are from and it is her that takes the lead in figuring things out as to what really happened.

This was a great start to a series, and I hope to read more of it.

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Author: Jayne Castle

Author:  Jayne Castle
Author:  Jayne Ann Krentz


The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.

Pseudonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass

She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.

Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.

Series:

Ghost Hunters Series:

Late in the 21st century an energy Curtain opened in the vicinity of Earth, making interstellar travel practical for the first time. In typical human fashion, thousands of eager colonists packed up their stuff and lost no time heading out to create new homes and new societies on the unexplored worlds. Harmony was one of those worlds.

At first, things went well. The colonists brought with them all the comforts of home – sophisticated technology, centuries of art and literature and the latest fashions. Trade through the Curtain flourished and made it possible to stay in touch with families back on Earth. It also allowed the colonists to keep their computers and high-tech gadgets working.

And then one day, without warning, the Curtain closed, disappearing as mysteriously as it had opened. Cut off from Earth, no longer able to obtain the equipment and supplies needed to keep their high-tech lifestyle going, the colonists were abruptly thrown back to a far more primitive existence. Forget the latest Earth fashions, just staying alive suddenly became a major problem.

But on Harmony folks did one of the things humans do best: they survived. It wasn’t easy but two hundred years after the closing of the Curtain, the descendants of the First Generation Colonists have managed to claw their way back from the brink to a level of civilization roughly equivalent to our own modern day Earth.

Here on Harmony, however, things are a little different, especially after dark. There are the creepy ruins of a long-vanished alien civilization, a mysterious underground rainforest, and a most unusual kind of animal companion. In addition, a wide variety of psychic powers are showing up in the population. Seems that something in the environment on Harmony is bringing out the latent psychic talents in people.

Of course, there are some folks who don’t need any help from the environment. They already possess paranormal abilities. Turns out that several members of the Arcane Society were among the First Generation Colonists…

If, like me, you sometimes relish your romantic-suspense with a paranormal twist, Harmony is the place for you.

0  Harmony

.25  Bridal Jitters

.5 Charmed

.75 Soft Focus

1. After Dark

2. After Glow

3. Ghost Hunter
4. Silver Master

5. Dark Light

6. Obsidian Prey

7. Midnight Crystal

8. Illusion Town

Rainshadow Series:

Welcome to the Rainshadow Island. You are about to discover a whole new aspect of the world of Harmony and learn some of the future secrets of the Arcane Society .

In the Rainshadow novels you will meet the passionate men and women who are drawn to this remote island in the Amber Sea. You will also get to know their friends and neighbors in the community of Shadow Bay.

.5 Canyons of the Night

1. The Lost Night

2. Deception Cove
3. The Hot Zone

4. Sirens Call

St Helens Series:

1. Amaryllis

2. Zinnia

3. Orchid

The Hot Zone (Rainshadow Book 3) by Jayne Castle

The Hot Zone (Rainshadow Book 3) 
by Jayne Castle


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Hot Zone is technically book 4 in the Rainshadow Series, in you include the Prequel, Canyons of Night in the book count.

Sedona Snow is a high talent gatekeeper that has been kidnapped, and unfortunately no one notices that she is missing, not her family or even her husband. After escaping with the help of a dust bunny she named Lyle, Sedona finds herself on Rainshadow, the Island were misfits e Ungo to find a home.

Cryus Jones is another in a long line of Jones, founders of the Arcane Society back on earth, high level talents that keep to themselves for the most part, but he has been sent here as the new Guild Boss for the underground on Rainshadow - and to find Sedona.

Jayne Castle takes readers back to the world of Harmony, the island of Rainshadow for this book - again rare, high level talents, people most of the population are scared of find themselves drawn to each other. Only another extremely high level talent could understand or handle another high level talent it seems.

All of this series has its points that draw you in as a reader, the intelligence of the characters, the fact that they don't fit in elsewhere, that tey compliment each other and that they take care of their own. It is another in a long line of books by the author that makes you feel good, while at the same time taking you to another time and place.

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Switch of Fate Book 1 by Lisa Ladew and Grace Quillen

Switch of Fate Book 1
by Lisa Ladew and Grace Quillen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was recommend by Kindle based on other books that I have read, and actually - one look at the guy on the cover and I was sold - I figured even if the book wasn't good I could enjoy looking at him for awhile!!

Turns out the story was pretty good - it started out a little slow, the first fourth of the book maybe was laying some background sorta, but it was a fuzzy background, and that went a little slow, but once you got into the meat of the story it was a lot better.

Jameson is The Keeper - but he never got the chance to learn what that meant, he was to start his training when he turned 12, but on his 11th birthday his world was shattered by the deaths of his family and the former Keeper. He was lost and alone in the world, and he had no idea what he was suppose to be doing. For years he blamed himself for not knowing, when in reality with wasn't his fault.

Coraline, or Cora to most has always had a fascination with vampires, in fact she did her Literature thesis on vampires in literature, but what she didn't know was that she was one of the lost switches of the world, a breed of women born to hunt and kill vampires.

This first book in the Switch of Fate series tells the story as Cora and Jameson fumble together to discover their history and knowledge and be the guardians they were destined to be.

This is well written and is unlike most shifter novels that I have read. It plays on a completely different aspect of the relationship and buts them in more of a heroic although unseen and shadowed role - humans are unaware of shifters, vampires or switches.

Lots of adult themes and intimate interactions, so definitely an adult book - not for the faint of heart.

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Time and Blood: Evening Bower, Book 1 by Sherry Rentschler

Time and Blood: Evening Bower, Book 1 
by Sherry Rentschler


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Reviewed for Readers Favorite


Rhea is the last of her kind, a phoenix from Atlantis and before, she has lived over and over through the ages, but lately she is suffering from nightmares and a call for her to come somewhere unknown, but why and where. Who or what is calling her, and is it good or evil that awaits her?Viseral, the angel of Death, has watched over Rhea from a distant this whole time, but now he finds himself needing to stay away, to allow the prophecy to finish. Along with a cast of characters that readers meet in the prequel, The Gypsy Thorn, the fulfillment of the ages old prophecy begins in Time and Blood. Author Sherry Rentschler tells the happenings from the view of the main players in the story. Rhea, Jean-Louis and Franklin each have their own chapters to tell the events from their view, also side players such as Nathan, Rasand, Echo, and even Drayohmira have parts t o tell. This is the coming of a prophecy, but what does that prophecy really mean? Good or evil? Can anything be that straight-forward and cut and dried, or is there good in everything depending on your view?

Time and Blood is labeled as the first book in the Evening Bower series, although The Gypsy Thorn is the prequel to this book. For myself as a reader, I have to read books in order, so I went out of my way to find and read the prequel before reading this story, but I have to say that you don't need to read it first. As the reader, you meet most of the characters from the prequel, but you just aren't sure why they are on the sides that they have chosen in Time and Blood. The prequel gives you some of the answers as to why certain characters choose the sides they did, but at the same time, not knowing is almost more fun. The reader meets all the characters in The Gypsy Thorn but you don't need to really know them going into this story. Time and Blood is really about Rhea, her long dead mate, and the prophecy. It is her story of the prophecy, and it is her life that you are reading, not her whole history, but this one brief period in time when she has the chance to succeed, where the meaning of the prophecy is actually understood and everything changes. The prequel gave you information about each character, and maybe reading it after reading the first book in the series would serve the reader better, as knowing the characters doesn't effect this story, but after this point it might help. At the same time,this book is only the first, and so the story stops, but doesn't end, there are still so many questions that the reader is left begging for the next book.

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