#BookReview: Rise of Midnight (Rise of Midnight #1) by Sara A. Freites

Synopsis:  "I just wanted my normal life back, but the vampires and demons of my city had other plans for me..."

At seventeen, Autumn Hayes is no different than any other high school student. But after a strange dream one night, some unwanted changes come her way—dark figures following her, unsettling stares, a tragedy hitting close to home…

Autumn soon finds herself held captive by a group of individuals calling themselves “vampires”. From them, she learns she's not who she's always thought and that she must play a key role in sending a powerful demon back to hell. 

Things get more complicated for Autumn and the vampires when they capture an alluring stranger named Blake. He’s not like the others, and he’s sparked their curiosity...especially Autumn’s. 

Now, Autumn must leave behind everything she’s ever known and accept her new fate—fighting to prevent a possible hell on Earth. 

But will she lose her humanity in the process?

#BookReview: Your Dream For Me by Alison Schaffir

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Scarlett, unlike her theatrically gifted parents, is not one to spend time near a spotlight. Scarlett dreams of becoming a renowned fashion designer, where she can flex her creative talents away from a crowd. So it's no surprise when she sneaks into her school's costume shop to explore the racks. Unexpected, however, is coming face-to-face with Nathaniel Wilder, a talented theater student who piques a new interest.

With fashion still as her main priority, Scarlett vows to learn how to make a 50s-inspired dress for her best friend, Macie. After all, she needs a strong portfolio of work to help her get into her dream school, the Fashion Institute of Technology. The one problem? She has no idea how to operate a sewing machine. Thanks to Nathaniel's encouragement, Scarlett decides to shadow the school's drama teacher to practice her skills, hoping to fuse her passion for fashion with theater...and be closer to him for the spring play.

Scarlett's designs are unfolding, but a distressing event involving Macie shakes everyone in Scarlett's world—causing their friendship to falter and Nathaniel to unexpectedly pull away. With building stressors threatening the rest of the year, including a rival who wants to tarnish Scarlett's reputation, Scarlett must rely on her determined spirit and newfound sewing skills to keep her fashion dreams—and her most important relationships—from unraveling.

Releasing March 7, 2023

#BookReview: The Mirror Season by @LaAnnaMarie

Synopsis: An unforgettable story of trauma and healing, told in achingly beautiful prose with great tenderness and care. --#1 New York Times-bestselling author Karen M. McManus

When two teens discover that they were both sexually assaulted at the same party, they develop a cautious friendship through her family's possibly magical pastelería, his secret forest of otherworldly trees, and the swallows returning to their hometown, in Anna-Marie McLemore's The Mirror Season...

Graciela Cristales's whole world changes after she and a boy she barely knows are assaulted at the same party. She loses her gift for making enchanted pan dulce. Neighborhood trees vanish overnight, while mirrored glass appears, bringing reckless magic with it. And Ciela is haunted by what happened to her, and what happened to the boy whose name she never learned.

But when the boy, Lock, shows up at Ciela's school, he has no memory of that night, and no clue that a single piece of mirrored glass is taking his life apart. Ciela decides to help him, which means hiding the truth about that night. Because Ciela knows who assaulted her, and him. And she knows that her survival, and his, depend on no one finding out what really happened.

#BookReview: Darkborn Messiah by Tyler Nomax #DarkbornMessiah

Synopsis: Wake up, Work, Obey, Worship, Repeat.
What a world…

What would happen if a beautiful redhead demon told a suicidal wealthy businessman that he was chosen to be the messiah to save humanity and took him on a journey through time and space filled with pain, suffering, hope, self-discovery, and ascension?

A genre-bending supernatural transformation story dealing with the modern world's devastating problems. A unique book guaranteed to be the first of its kind.

Wealthy family man William Rudned was not as happy or satisfied with his life as he appeared. No amount of money, privilege or popularity was enough to extinguish the fire of anger and misery inside him. In the midst of a profound depression and thoughts of suicide, he was relentlessly questioning the meaning of existence and the way of the world we live in. It was getting harder and harder for him to get out of bed every single day only to go through the same aimless vicious cycle all over again. There was something terrible and beautiful inside him, growing, prospering, and consuming his soul.

Why are we here? What is life? Is this modern world system the only way we can live? Do we really need money? Is capitalism the only way? Are we being told the truth about God? Do we need religion? What is the purpose of it all? Can there be a better world? A world where everyone lives in prosper, a world where there are no wars, where all are equal, where people are virtuous and honest? Is there an unknown power that prevents us from reaching our perfect selves, our conscious and enlightened selves?

Only after meeting a beautiful demon named Milena, who guides him on a journey through time and space hell-bent on grooming him to be the messiah of the future world, will he find the answers he seeks. But his metamorphosis to be the savior of mankind is no easy task and the road to enlightenment is paved with desolation, pain, suffering, and most of all, his inner demons.

In his début novel, Tyler Nomax takes the reader to various terrifying and tragic lives of everyday people via parallel universes and timelines in a manner that challenges the norms that we accept and obey unquestioningly, turns them upside down and offers solutions to usher in a paradise for the human race. Nomax does not shy away from declaring war on everything people have taken for granted and considered the way since time immemorial; Organized Religion and Patriarchy, Money, Capitalism, Royalty, Political Systems, Technology and every other aspect of modern life that he claims brings humanity closer to ruin every passing day.

#BookReview: In the Shadow Garden by @LizParkerWrites @readforeverpub

Synopsis: Three generations of witches must discover where their magic went wrong as secrets resurface that could solve a twenty-year-old mystery in this riveting debut, perfect for fans of Practical Magic and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe.

There's something magical about Yarrow, Kentucky. The three empathic witches of the Haywood family are known for their shadow garden—from strawberries that taste like chocolate to cherry tomatoes with hints of basil and oregano. Their magic can cure any heartache, and the fruits of their garden bring a special quality to the local bourbon distillery. On one day every year, a shot of Bonner bourbon will make your worst memory disappear.

But twenty years ago, the town gave up more than one memory for the year; they forgot an entire summer. One person died. One person disappeared. And no one has any idea why.

As secrets from that fateful summer start to come to light, there must be a reckoning between the rival Haywood and Bonner families. But the only clue Irene Haywood has is in her tea leaves: a stranger’s arrival will bring either love or betrayal…

#BookReview: The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by @aereichert @BerkleyRomance

Synopsis: Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends, but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert.

For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells–the self-described Waterpark Capital of the World–means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina’s always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who’s much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina’s side all through her lonely childhood.

Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. He’s charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she doesn’t have time for romance–she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she’s in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his fried cheese curds recipe? 

When the Dells starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is.

#BookTour: The Old Dragon's Head by Justin Newland @JeanBookNerd #Giveaway

Constructed of stone and packed earth, the Great Wall of 10,000 li protects China’s northern borders from the threat of Mongol incursion. The wall is also home to a supernatural beast: the Old Dragon. The Old Dragon’s Head is the most easterly point of the wall, where it finally meets the sea.

In every era, a Dragon Master is born. Endowed with the powers of Heaven, only he can summon the Old Dragon so long as he possess the dragon pearl.

It’s the year 1400, and neither the Old Dragon, the dragon pearl, nor the Dragon Master, has been seen for twenty years. Bolin, a young man working on the Old Dragon’s Head, suffers visions of ghosts. Folk believe he has yin-yang eyes and other paranormal gifts.When Bolin’s fief lord, the Prince of Yan, rebels against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, a bitter war of succession ensues in which the Mongols hold the balance of power. While the victor might win the battle on earth, China’s Dragon Throne can only be earned with a Mandate from Heaven – and the support of the Old Dragon.

Bolin embarks on a journey of self-discovery, mirroring Old China’s endeavour to come of age. When Bolin accepts his destiny as the Dragon Master, Heaven sends a third coming of age – for humanity itself. But are any of them ready for what is rising in the east?

#BookReview: The Wee Free Men (Discworld #30) by Terry Pratchett

Synopsis: The first in a series of Discworld novels starring the young witch Tiffany Aching.

A nightmarish danger threatens from the other side of reality. . . .

Armed with only a frying pan and her common sense, young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching must defend her home against the monsters of Fairyland. Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle—aka the Wee Free Men—a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men.

Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true, and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself. . . .

#BookReview: A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld #32) by Terry Pratchett

Synopsis: The second in a series of Discworld novels starring the young witch Tiffany Aching.

Something is coming after Tiffany. . . .

Tiffany Aching is ready to begin her apprenticeship in magic. She expects spells and magic—not chores and ill-tempered nanny goats! Surely there must be more to witchcraft than this!

What Tiffany doesn't know is that an insidious, disembodied creature is pursuing her. This time, neither Mistress Weatherwax (the greatest witch in the world) nor the fierce, six-inch-high Wee Free Men can protect her. In the end, it will take all of Tiffany's inner strength to save herself . . . if it can be done at all.

#BookReview: Dreaming of a Heart Lake Christmas (Heart Lake #1) by @booksby_sarah

Synopsis: When sparks start flying, these total opposites discover Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.

To raise enough money to start her own business, Nola Bennett needs to sell “The Castle,” her beloved grandmother’s historic house, and get back home to the city. But Heart Lake’s most eligible bachelor is insisting she hang on to the property. He may be one of the hottest, grumpiest men she’s ever seen, but Nola has no time to pine over her high school crush.

All woodworker Tanner Dean wants for Christmas is some peace and quiet, but that’s not going to happen with infuriating, irresistible Nola Bennett back in town. How can he persuade her to keep The Castle out of the hands of greedy developers when sizzling attraction flares every time they’re together? And the more time he spends with Nola, the harder it becomes to picture a future without her—unless he can convince her, once and for all, that Heart Lake is exactly where she belongs. 

#BookReview: At Home on Marigold Lane (Highland Falls #5) by @AuthorDebMason @readforeverpub

Synopsis: True love deserves a second chance.

For family and marriage therapist Brianna MacLeod, moving back home to Highland Falls after a disastrous divorce feels downright embarrassing. Bri blames herself for missing the red flags in her relationship and worries she’s no longer qualified to do the job she loves. But helping others is second nature to Bri, and she soon finds herself counseling her roommate and her neighbor’s daughter. Bri just wasn’t expecting them to reunite her with her first love . . .

Caleb Scott knows his failed marriage has been tough on his stepdaughter, so he’s grateful she’s found someone to confide in . . . even if it’s Bri MacLeod. Seeing Bri brings up feelings he’d thought were long buried. He knows it’s not the right time for either of them to be rekindling a relationship, but being with Bri feels right—like coming home. He’ll just have to convince her that risking her heart again might give them exactly what they both need . . . a second chance.

#BookReview: Violet Made of Thorns (Violet Made of Thorns #1) by Gina Chen @actualgina

Synopsis: A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.

#BookReview: Blood Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #3) by J. Bree

Synopsis: After three years on the run, I’m back in a Resistance camp, chained to a chair as the resident monster.
Everything I ran from, all of the villains of my past, they’re all here to take another bite out of me. But this time, I’m not alone.
With my Bonds desperately trying to reach me and new friendships I never expected, I start to believe that maybe I won't become the weapon they want me to be. Maybe I’ll be a monster of my own creation.
When loyalties are questioned and Bonds are tested, everything I thought I knew gets turned upside down. Who are my friends, and who are my enemies?
Are Bond ties stronger than blood?

*Blood Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.

#BookReview: The Love Scribe by @amy_meyerson @parkrowbooks

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of  The Bookshop of Yesterdays comes a charming novel about a woman with a special gift—her stories help people fall in love.

 

When Alice’s best friend, Gabby, is reeling from a breakup, Alice writes her a heartfelt story to cheer her up. While reading it in a café, Gabby, as if by magic, meets the man of her dreams. Thinking the story might have some special power to it, Gabby shares it with her sister and other friends, who all find instant love. Word of mouth spreads, and Alice stumbles upon a new calling—to be a love scribe.

But not all the love stories she writes unfold as expected. And while Alice tries to harness her extraordinary gift, she is summoned to a mansion in the woods where she encounters the reclusive Madeline Alger and her mysterious library. As Alice struggles to write a story for Madeline, her most challenging assignment yet, she’s forced to confront her own guarded heart. Because maybe—just maybe—there’s a love story waiting to be written for her, too.

Emotional, deeply imaginative and brimming with valuable life lessons, The Love Scribe explores love, fate and the power of stories when we choose to believe in them. 

#BookReview: Riven (Riven #1) by @mindeearnett @BalzerandBray

Synopsis: From acclaimed fantasy author Mindee Arnett comes an epic, adventurous story of a young mercenary magic-user trying to escape the oppressive island of Riven—and a young noblewoman trying to change it forever.

Mars Darksvane wants out. Out from under the thumb of Una, the crime boss who pulled him off the streets as a child and trained him as an assassin; out from the island country of Riven, where magic, in the form of a dangerous material called Ice, allows the rich to live in luxury and keeps the poor in thrall. Mars is a secret adept—a person born with the ability to channel the magic that flows beneath Riven—and while his power gives him abilities useful to an assassin, it also makes him a target. And when his last mission ends in tragedy, Mars finally decides it’s time to escape to the mainland. No magic, no history, a new life on his own.

But Una has other ideas. If Mars wants his freedom, he’s going to have to perform a final job: protecting Fura Torvald—the heiress of the rich and powerful Torvald kith, and the daughter of the last man Mars was sent to kill—and stealing from her a mysterious object known only as the Primer.

Mars has no interest in Fura or whatever the Primer is, nor in Riven’s corrupt and oppressive politics; he just wants to do his job and get out. But as Mars comes to know more about Fura, the Primer, and the true nature of the power in Riven, he realizes that he will soon have to take a side in a fight he has avoided his entire life. Which side, however, he does not yet know.

Mindee Arnett, the acclaimed author of Onyx & Ivory, returns with a sweeping, pulse-pounding new fantasy adventure set in an unforgettable world in which the power you have can set you free, or bind you in chains forever.

This title will be released on January 10, 2023.

#BookReview: The Den by Cara Reinard

Synopsis: A family estate is to die for in a gripping novel of psychological suspense by the author of Into the Sound.

Nothing brings the four Fox siblings together like their detestable father’s heart attack—and a hefty inheritance to be divided equally. At his deathbed is his oldest daughter, Valerie; her irresponsible sister, Lucy; and their two embattled brothers, Christian and Jeremy. Even the former housekeeper, Marisol, who’s been with the family for forty years, is on watch. All Valerie hopes for is an amicable reunion, despite the damages of the past.

By punishing means, Stefan Fox raised his children to be competitors. The cruel lessons now serve them well in a game of life and death. When it comes to the family fortune, the rules are simple: fewer siblings means a bigger share.

After a suspicious accident, Valerie knows the worst is yet to come—and confiding in the wrong person could be the most dangerous thing she’s ever done. 

#BookReview: Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho @cavalcar @InkyardPress

Synopsis: The grandchildren of two rival Brazilian bakeries fall in love despite their families’ feud.

Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas.

Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family’s bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas’ bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari’s world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.

Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable—she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought—and she maybe even likes what she learns—but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another?

#BookReview: The Last Huntress (Mirror Realm #1) by @LenoreBorja

Synopsis: Alice Daniels has a problem. Her reflection keeps misbehaving when she looks in the mirror--and the longer she ignores it, the harder it tries to get her attention. On her eighteenth birthday, she learns why: she is a huntress, someone gifted with the power to enter mirrors and the magical world that exists beyond. But with this power comes immense responsibility, for in the Mirror Realm lurks an evil that has infected the human race for centuries: demons. It is up to her and her three huntress sisters--with the help of one handsome and overbearing protector--to hunt and banish this evil one demon at a time, thereby keeping the chaos in check. But when an ancient god pays Alice a visit that turns deadly, it is clear the Mirror Realm is more than it seems, and she soon finds herself in a race against time to save the life--and soul--of the one man the gods are determined to never let her have.

The Last Huntress is a story of redemption and sacrifice, the bonds of true sisterhood, and the impossible, sometimes frightening, things we'll do for love.

#BookReview: Dark Tides (Kingdom of Bones Trilogy #2) by @Kimberlyvale_

Synopsis: When love is an anchor, the sea can swallow you whole.

Csilla Abado has a full plate after becoming the first Queen of Bones. While leading Cerulia, sending fleets to hunt for Dominic Rove, and recruiting new crews to the cause, she must also find a way to mend the lingering crack between Limbo and the mortal realm. Otherworldly creatures are spilling through, threatening more than just the island kingdom. When Lorelei and Nara go missing, the crew takes sail once again to find them and stop the worst of the villains, Magnus, before he can slip through the crack. As their leader, Csilla takes every decision head-on, but her sister's death weighs on her, and if she doesn't learn to let go, she could end up alone in her fight.

After the events at Crossbones, Kane Blackwater is desperate to find the traitorous Dominic Rove, but when his desperation sends him to Death's Cove, he's met by creatures that should be locked away in Limbo. He returns to Cerulia with this knowledge and an evil, magic-laced wound that’s slowly seeping through his body. When Lorelei suddenly goes missing, he joins the search, but his time is running out and he must decide what's more important to him: her life or his own.

Lorelei Storm isn't the same since her return from the realm of Limbo. A menacing and powerful magic rests under her skin, and she fears it as much as she craves its potential. She tries to keep this secret from her found family, but when she accidentally hurts someone, she finds she can no longer hide her ability. She flees only to be caught, alongside Csilla’s first mate Nara, by an Incendian Scout and taken as prisoner. But Lorelei finds out the scout is also an emberblood, and if she must, she will use her enemy to learn how to control her powerful new magic.

Jaron Thorne was raised to hate and hunt pirates. Becoming his fire god's champion and wielding his obsidian sword has given him even more purpose in ridding the kingdoms of every last pirate. Fighting runs through his veins, but when Magnus's whispers send him to steal away the only living stormblood, he ends up taking an extra captive: an archer whose frosty demeanor intrigues him as much as he hates it. But as he learns more about the world he thought he knew, Jaron must learn to control his inner-flames or risk burning down everything around him, including his chance of finding his lost brother.

As the war between gods and mortals builds to a crescendo, Csilla, Kane, and Lorelei must not only protect their world from destruction, but also their hearts from looming devastation. The seas darken and not everyone will survive the rising tides.

#BookReview: Flight 171 by @amychristinepar @GetUnderlined

Synopsis: Devon Marsh is haunted by secrets. Like the identity of the person who killed her twin sister, Emily, in a hit and run accident last Halloween, which Devon has vowed to uncover. Like the things Devon said to Emily just before she died.

But she’s determined to start fresh when she boards a four-hour flight along with her classmates for their senior class ski trip. Devon never could have guessed those secrets would surface in the most terrifying way when a supernatural creature hijacks their flight and gives the students a deadly ultimatum:

Choose one among them to sacrifice before the end of the flight. Or the plane will crash.

As the clock ticks down, the creature slowly unearths the passengers’ deepest, darkest secrets—and reveals that one of the teens on the plane is responsible for Emily’s death. The students must agree on a sacrifice, or there won’t be any survivors. But can Devon find a way to stop the creature, or will she give in to her anger and let revenge take control?