Showing posts with label 5 Stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 Stars. Show all posts

Monday, March 18, 2024

#BookReview: When Stars Come Out (When Stars Come Out, #1) by @ScarlettStClai1@Read_Bloom






Synopsis: Anora Silby can see the dead and turn spirits into gold coins, two things she would prefer to keep secret as she tries to lead a normal life at her new school. After all, she didn't change her identity for nothing.

Hiding her weirdness is just one of many challenges. By the end of her first day, she's claimed the soul of a dead girl on campus and lost the coin. Turns out, the coin gives others the ability to steal souls, and when a classmate ends up dead, there's no mistaking the murder weapon.

Navigating the loss of her Poppa, the mistrust of her mother, and Roundtable, an anonymous student gossip app threatening to expose her, are hard enough. Now she must find the person who stole her coin before more lives are lost, but that means making herself a target for the Order, an organization that governs the dead on Earth - and they want Anora and her powers for themselves.

From the brilliant mind of A Touch of Darkness's bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair comes a crossover reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice, in a darkly unique fantasy world.


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

#BookReview: Behind Closed Doors by @baparisauthor @BistroBookBabes






Synopsis: Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better.

But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.

Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.

Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.


Wednesday, March 06, 2024

#BookReview: The Last City (The Last She, #2) by H. J. Nelson






Synopsis: The first rule of living through the apocalypse. Trust no one.


Ara
Is desperate to reunite with her father and put the events that happened in Boise behind her. Ara hopes to find sanctuary in The Last City, an almost-mythical place where the plague is nonexistent and she can finally discover the truth about her family. Once she arrives, she discovers the truth is stranger than fiction, and Ara wonders if she’s made a huge mistake . . .

Kaden
Will go anywhere for Ara, will do anything, but he’s tested to his limits in The Last City. Forced to join a dangerous expedition, Kaden soon finds himself separated from Ara and, once again, on the run for his life. He barely escaped alive, and now he needs to risk it all again to find Ara in The Last City . . .

Sam
Has hooked up a rigged electrical system, blasting away the silence with music, feeling almost normal since he nearly lost his life. He doesn’t know where Kaden and Ara are, and when he meets a mysterious girl named E, they embark on an adventure that will bring all of their lives clashing together . . .

The first rule of living through the apocalypse. Trust no one. All three must uncover the secrets of The Last City if they have any hope of getting out of this apocalypse alive.


Sunday, March 03, 2024

#BookReview: The Beauty Trials (The Belles, #3) by Dhonielle Clayton @DisneyBooks






Synopsis: With the dangerous, erratic Princess Sophia imprisoned, Queen Charlotte decides to invoke the ancient tradition of The Beauty Trials-a series of harrowing tests meant to find the one true ruler of Orleans. Edel, who has always aspired to be more than just a Belle, decides to enter and, after promising to bind her arcana to keep from having an unnatural advantage, joins a few dozen other hopefuls intent on becoming the next Queen of Orleans.

But the trials are far worse than any of them bargained for. As the women are put through dangerous tasks meant to test their strength, confidence, composure, and bravery, many perish, and Edel is mysteriously attacked by one of the other competitors-forcing her to use her powers just to survive. Will her subterfuge cost her the crown, or is there a larger conspiracy at play?

New York Times best-selling author Dhonielle Clayton returns to her sweeping, lush fantasy series with an all-new story teeming with high-stakes court intrigue and danger disguised by beauty.


#BookReview: Iron Wolf (Vardari #1) by Siri Pettersen, Tara Chace (Translated by)






Synopsis: A new series from the author of The Raven Rings trilogy - Siri Pettersen!

Juva knows all about blood readers. Praised for their Sight, they are nothing but swindlers, preying on people’s fears for power and profit. Born by blood readers herself, she knows only too well, and she has vowed never to become one of them.

But when her family is threatened by vardari, the eerie lasting ones, who never age, Juva is entangled in a desperate hunt for the blood readers’ legacy: a dark secret that once changed the world, and may do so again.

In order to survive, she has to confront the terrifying childhood memory she fought to forget.

Iron Wolf is a new spellbinding fantasy mystery from Siri Pettersen, built on a Norse foundation, about blood, desire and addiction. It’s the first book in the trilogy VARDARI, an independent series set in the universe of the award-winning fantasy phenomenon THE RAVEN RINGS.


Wednesday, February 21, 2024

#BookReview: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid






Synopsis: Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny. 

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.


Tuesday, February 20, 2024

#BookReview: This Dark Descent (This Dark Descent #1) by Kalyn Josephson @KalynJosephson






Synopsis: The Shadows Between Us meets Six of Crows in this spellbinding new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, and pulse-pounding action, where the eldest daughter of a renowned family on the verge of ruin joins forces with a mysterious, rogue enchanter and a handsome, ambitious heir to win a deadly race.

Mikira Rusel’s family has long been famous for breeding enchanted horses, but their prestige is no match for their rising debts. To save her ranch, Mikira has only one option: she must win the Illinir, a treacherous horserace whose riders either finish maimed or murdered. Yet each year, competitors return, tempted by its alluring prize money and unparalleled prestige.

Mikira’s mission soon unites her with Arielle Kadar, an impressive yet illicit enchanter just beginning to come into her true power, and Damien Adair, a dashing young lord in the midst of a fierce succession battle. Both have hidden reasons of their own to help Mikira -- as well as their own blood feuds to avenge…

Steeped in Jewish folklore, This Dark Descent is a pulse-pounding new fantasy full of forbidden magic, sizzling romance, and epic stakes. In a world as dangerous as this, will the need for vengeance butcher Mikira’s chances of winning the Illinir … or will another rider’s dagger?


Thursday, February 08, 2024

#BookReview: Pen Pal (Special Edition) by J.T. Geissinger @BrambleRomance






Synopsis: LIMITED FIRST PRINT RUN--featuring spray-painted edges with a stenciled script design. Only available for a limited time and while supplies last.

The high-octane sexiness of Ana Huang meets the addicting thrills of Rachel Hawkins with a delicious twist in this dark romance from indie superstar J. T. Geissinger, now with a brand new bonus chapter!

The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single 

I’ll wait forever if I have to.

It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know.

Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply?

You .

I told the mystery man he had the wrong girl. He said he didn’t. I said we’d never met, but he said I was wrong.

We went back and forth, exchanging letters every week that grew increasingly more intimate. Then one day, the letters stopped. When I found out why, it was already too late.

Dante was at my doorstep.

And nothing on earth could have prepared me for what happened next.

This title will be released on July 2, 2024.

Monday, February 05, 2024

Death (The Four Horsemen #4) by @LauraThalassa @Read_Bloom






Synopsis: They came to earth―Pestilence, War, Famine, Death―four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all. The day Death comes to Lazarus Gaumond's town and kills everyone in one fell swoop, the last thing he expects to see is one woman left alive and standing. But Lazarus has an extraordinary she cannot be killed. Not by humans, not by the elements, not by Death himself. She is the one soul Death doesn't recognize. The one soul he cannot pry free from her flesh. Nor can he ignore the unsettling desire he has for her. And the longer she tries to stop him from his killing spree, the stronger the desire becomes. When Lazarus crosses paths with the three other horsemen, an unthinkable situation leads to a terrible seduce Death, save the world. A hopeless task, made worse by the bad blood between the two. But try as she might, Lazarus cannot stay away from that ancient, beautiful being and his dark embrace. The end is here. Humankind is set to perish, and not even the other horsemen can stop Death from fulfilling his final task. Only Lazarus can.


Saturday, February 03, 2024

#BookReview: It All Comes Back to You by @Melissa_Wiesner @bookouture






Synopsis: An absolutely unforgettable and heart-shattering romance, perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Lucy Score and Carley Fortune, that does keeping secrets destroy true love?

Anna works two jobs to get herself through college and never, ever talks about her family. It’s easier to keep her distance from everyone until she can finally leave her old life behind. That is, until chance throws her together with Gabe …

Gabe is top of the class, in a fancy fraternity, and has a big, perfect, warm-hearted family. He is everything Anna is not. Their connection is undeniable. His silver-blue eyes pierce right through her, and he makes her laugh in ways she never thought possible. But Anna would do anything to stop Gabe from discovering her darkest secret, and the real reason she goes home every night to a cold, silent apartment…

When Gabe and his family get close to the truth, Anna runs, vowing to never see them again. But forever is a long time…

Years later. Tragedy brings Anna back to the town she grew up in—a place she escaped a decade ago. When Gabe wraps his strong arms around her, it’s like finally finding home.

But when the truth comes out after all these years, will both their worlds come crashing down? Gabe is the one person Anna trusts but what if he has secrets, too? And how much pain can two hearts endure, before they are torn apart forever?

It All Comes Back to You will make you laugh, cry with both joy and pain, and hold your loved ones tight.


Thursday, February 01, 2024

#BookReview: Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth #1) by @SheLuresDragons @WednesdayBooks






Synopsis: A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.


Saturday, January 06, 2024

#BookReview: Master of Iron (Bladesmith #2) by @TriciaLevensell






Synopsis: In Master of Iron, the conclusion to Tricia Levenseller's exciting Bladesmith YA fantasy duology, a magically gifted blacksmith with social anxiety must race against the clock to save her beloved sister and stop a devastating war. 

Eighteen-year-old Ziva may have defeated a deadly warlord, but the price was almost too much. Ziva is forced into a breakneck race to a nearby city with the handsome mercenary, Kellyn, and the young scholar, Petrik, to find a powerful magical healer who can save her sister's life.

When the events that follow lead to Ziva and Kellyn's capture by an ambitious prince, Ziva is forced into the very situation she's been dreading: magicking dangerous weapons meant for world domination.

The forge has always been Ziva's safe space, a place to avoid society and the anxiety it causes her, but now it is her prison, and she's not sure just how much of herself she'll have to sacrifice to save Kellyn and take center stage in the very war she's been trying to stop.


Friday, January 05, 2024

#BookReview: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde #2) by Heather Fawcett @DelReyBooks






Synopsis: An intrepid professor must uncover faerie secrets in the delightful and heart-warming second installment of the Sunday Times bestselling Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore, and has catalogued many secrets of the Hidden Folk in her encyclopaedia with her infuriatingly charming fellow scholar, Wendell Bambleby, by her side.

But Bambleby is more than just a brilliant and unbearably handsome scholar. He's an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, in search of a door back to his realm.

By lucky happenstance, Emily's new project, a map of the realms of faerie, will take them on an adventure to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby's realm, and the key to freeing him from his family's dark plans.

But with new friendships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

This title will be released on January 16, 2024.

#BookReview:: Pen Pal (Special Edition) by @JTGeissinger @BrambleRomance






Synopsis: LIMITED FIRST PRINT RUN--featuring spray-painted edges with a stenciled script design. Only available for a limited time and while supplies last.

The high-octane sexiness of Ana Huang meets the addicting thrills of Rachel Hawkins with a delicious twist in this dark romance from indie superstar J. T. Geissinger, now with a brand new bonus chapter!

The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single 

I’ll wait forever if I have to.

It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know.

Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply?

You .

I told the mystery man he had the wrong girl. He said he didn’t. I said we’d never met, but he said I was wrong.

We went back and forth, exchanging letters every week that grew increasingly more intimate. Then one day, the letters stopped. When I found out why, it was already too late.

Dante was at my doorstep.

And nothing on earth could have prepared me for what happened next.

This title will be released on July 2, 2024.

Monday, January 01, 2024

#BookReview: The Summer Girl (Avalon Bay #3) by @ElleKennedy @StMartinsPress






Synopsis: College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston. Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that’s been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday… and maybe find herself a summer fling.

On her first night in town, she finds the perfect candidate: Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun-loving golden boy.

Tate, sailing instructor and lovable player, is no stranger to flings. In fact, he’s always down for a good time. But the moment he meets Cassie, he knows she’s not the girl you play games with. Cassie is gorgeous, hilarious, and, frankly, the coolest person he’s ever met. The last thing he wants to do is risk breaking her heart, and so he reluctantly puts her in the friend-zone… only to realize he made a huge mistake. Soon, his attraction to Cassie becomes impossible to ignore. He wants that fling now. Big-time.

And maybe even something more.

As Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, they’re about to discover that their situation is the least complicated part of this equation. Because Avalon Bay is full of secrets—and their relationship might not survive when those secrets come to light.

Elle Kennedy's next spicy and emotional romance in the blockbuster Avalon Bay series.


Sunday, December 24, 2023

#BookReview: Things We Left Behind (Knockout, #3) by Lucy Score @Read_Bloom






Synopsis: There was only one woman who could set me free. But I would rather set myself on fire than ask Sloane Walton for anything.

Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. On a quest to erase his father’s mark on the family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building an indestructible empire. The more money and power he amasses, the safer he is from threats.

Except when it comes to the feisty small-town librarian that keeps him up at night…

Sloane Walton is a spitfire determined to carry on her father’s quest for justice. She’ll do that just as soon as she figures out exactly what the man she hates did to—or for—her family. Bonded by an old, dark secret from the past and the dislike they now share for each other, Sloane trusts Lucian about as far as she can throw his designer-suited body.

When bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, these two find themselves not quite regretting their steamy one-night stand. Once those flames are fanned, it seems impossible to put them out again. But with Sloane ready to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea of marriage and kids, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse.

Broken men break women. It’s what Lucian believes, what he’s witnessed, and he’s not going to take that chance with Sloane. He’d rather live a life of solitude than put her in danger. But he learns the hard way that leaving her means leaving her unprotected from other threats.

It’s the second time he’s ruthlessly cut her out of his life. There’s no way she’s going to give him a third chance. He’s just going to have to make one for himself.


Saturday, December 23, 2023

#BookReview: Mr. Fixer Upper (Fixer #1) by Lucy Score @Read_Bloom






Synopsis: Gannon King is great with his hands and—if you believe what you read on Twitter—he’s “sex in a toolbelt.” The reality TV star learned his lesson about falling for pretty packages the hard, painful, humiliating way and he’s not making that mistake again. 

Sure, “Legs” is gorgeous as hell and smart-mouthed—two of his favorite qualities in a woman. But she’s an icy network kiss-ass. At least, that’s what he thinks until he catches her being human.

Field producer Paige St. James has zero time for temperamental stars, especially Gannon who does his best to get under her skin. She’s got plans to get out of reality TV and do something that matters.

But ratings are king and, when Paige and Gannon’s sparks are captured by cameras, the network smells a time slot victory. After an on-set accident and a vindictive celebrity “girlfriend,” Paige finds her reputation in tatters and her job hanging by a thread. 

She never should have trusted him…

But now that he’s gotten those talented hands on her, Gannon’s never letting go.


#BookReview: Love Me Do by @LindseyKelk






Synopsis: She may have given up on love – but she can still play Cupid for somebody else . . .
Lovelorn Brit Phoebe Chapman has barely set foot in her sister’s house in the Hollywood Hills when she’s swept up by lovable Bel, her sister’s personal trainer, and handsome Ren, the sweet and sensitive carpenter next door.

Bel has a head-over-heels crush on Ren but Ren has no idea Bel even exists. Certain that the two of them are meant to be together, Phoebe offers to play matchmaker.

Caught up with writing love letters and an unexpected friendship with a reclusive 82-year-old film star, Phoebe finds herself falling for the real Los Angeles – but is that all she’s falling for?

A feelgood, sunshine-filled, friends-to-lovers romcom, Love Me Do is a dreamy summer love story, perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry.


Wednesday, December 20, 2023

#BookReview: Face the Night by @LaniForbes @BlackstoneAudio






Synopsis: On a harsh frontier where good and evil contend for people's minds, a young woman must fight for her true identity in this scintillating YA fantasy from the author of the award-winning Age of the Seventh Sun trilogy.

Once, Catriona Macgregor led a charmed life. Daughter of a wealthy rancher, pretty and educated, she looked forward to all the world had to offer--until fate took a turn. Now family, home, and even her name have been stripped away. As "Black Cat Whitfield," adopted daughter of an outlaw, she's wanted by the authorities. It certainly wasn't the destiny she imagined--especially as one of the Blessed.

The Blessed, rare people like Cat, are supposed to use their gifts to carry out missions for the Patron Saints, but she can only imagine that Saint Prudentia made a terrible mistake in choosing her. Still, her gift has never deserted her. Whenever danger threatens, Cat receives a vision--just in time to save her life. And when she meets a renegade priest, Father Ignatius, he helps her understand how her ability may be part of a much bigger picture. A picture that involves facing up to the monstrous Baron Caldwell - the one who ordered her parents killed - and his son, Adrian, who betrayed them all.

Cat is torn between guilt over her parents' death, a longing for vengeance against their killers, and a dismaying new interest in Adrian. It would be easiest to flee the whole situation and never look back. But as someone once told her, you can't outrun the darkness on your heels. There's only one way to break through to sunrise - by turning to face the night.