#BookReview: The Emerald Stone (The Ancient Key #1) by Sharon Ihama

Synopsis: Dejected Mark could not have imagined his future to be more different than what reality would become. A scholarship in college will open an unusual door: a door into our past, and a past that will determine our fate.

A very peculiar message in a pair of familiar-looking gloves leads Mark to discover that all earth - the Modern Race (us) and the Ancient Realm - face a perilous fate – the Last Reckoning, a great war against the Beast Lord, Zargon. With the aid of the Ancient Key, a sacred and prophetic book with more to it than meets the eye, the Modern Race and the Ancient Realm need to combat this peril as one.

Questions Mark had long wrestled with about his life, (and indeed life itself), will be answered in ways he could not have imagined – even beyond the questions.

The search for THE EMERALD STONE begins.

Our world meets The Lord of the Rings.

Beyond, fate calls..

#BookReview: And Then She Vanished (Joseph Bridgeman #1) by @nickjoneswriter

Synopsis: He only looked away for a second.

Still haunted by the disappearance of his little sister Amy over twenty years ago, Joseph Bridgeman's life has fallen apart. When a friend talks him into seeing hypnotherapist Alexia Finch to help with his insomnia, Joseph accidentally discovers he can time travel. His first trip only takes him back a few minutes, but his new-found ability gives him something he hasn't felt for the longest time: hope.

Joseph sets out to travel back to the night Amy went missing and save her. But after several failed attempts, he discovers the farther back he travels, the less time he gets to stay there. And the clock is ticking.

With the help of Alexia, Joseph embarks on a desperate race against the past to save his sister. Can he master his new skill and solve the mystery of Amy's disappearance before it's too late?

Previously released as The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman this updated version includes extra chapters, new plot lines and even deeper character development. It makes way for an expanded vision of The Joseph Bridgeman Series, with the first four books released in 2021 and 2022.

#BookBlitz: A Shadow in the Light by @kearytaylor @XpressoTours #Giveaway $20 Amazon gift card

A Shadow in the Light
Keary Taylor
(Parallel Verse Guardians, #1)
Publication date: April 20th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

“You went and fell in love with an ultralight? That’s like a spider falling in love with a butterfly.  They’re both arthropods, but the entire universe knows they don’t belong together.”

I needed an out.  I needed to be someone who wasn’t trapped in Las Vegas, marooned in the LightVerse where I didn’t belong.  I went to that club looking for nothing and everything, and there he was.  Jaxon’s hands on my hips were just what I needed, and for one night, it was easy to be someone I wasn’t.

Then our signals went haywire.  We’ve been looking for the gatekeeper for a long, long time so we can go home to the DarkVerse.  We test every new ultralight in hopes they will be the key.  It’s my job to bring them in.

It feels like a cruel joke when it’s him.  Turns out Jaxon Gray comes from one of the most dangerous crime families in Sin City.  I’m not the only one after him.  The other ultralights want him just as bad, and they’ll kill me to get to him.

Now we’re on the run together.  He should be scared.  He’s seen me shift, and it’s not sparkly or pretty.  But he doesn’t cower when he sees my darkling from—my shadows, my claws, my fangs.  With a hungry gleam in his eyes, he asks to know more.

This is dangerous.  He’s about to manifest.  And as soon as he does, his biggest impulse will be to kill me.  But it’s too late for my heart, I can’t walk away.  So, the million-dollar question is: will what’s building between us be enough for him to overcome his instincts?

#BookBlitz: Absolution by Marla Holt @XpressoTours #Giveaway $25 Amazon gift card

Absolution
Marla Holt
(Lightning Crashes #2)
Publication date: April 20th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Lightning crashes.

The tower falls.

Rachel Ferrer thinks she’s already hit rock bottom, but then the ground crumbles beneath her feet. Alone, she is finally forced to face the darkness she’s been avoiding. Rachel doesn’t dare hope the spark of light in the distance might include Nicolas, even when she can’t forget the feel of his lips on hers.

Nicolas Rivera has always been the stable one. He is who others come to when their worlds shatter, but suddenly his life is the one in ruins. He doesn’t hope to connect with Rachel in the aftermath, but he discovers her in the last place he expected to. Uninhibited at last, the electricity between them finally ignites.

Is their flame enough for Rachel and Nicolas sift through the rubble, rebuild, and finally emerge, together, into the light?

Absolution is Volume 2 of the Lightning Crashes Duet and should be read after Temptation. Melt into this forbidden, slow-burn duet with a guaranteed happily ever after today.

#BookReview: A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

Synopsis: An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing in Ancient Rome

In Ancient Rome, all the best stories have one thing in common—murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city, Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic. Caligula was butchered in the theater, Claudius was poisoned at dinner, and Galba was beheaded in the Forum. In one 50-year period, 26 emperors were murdered.
But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? In A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture, including how perpetrator, victim, and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside Ancient Rome's darkly fascinating history, we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.

#BookReview: Spellmaker (Spellbreaker Duology #2) by @CNHolmberg

Synopsis: Dead wizards, stolen enchantments, and broken promises force a young spellbreaker out of the shadows in the next thrilling installment of the Spellbreaker series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus thefts isn’t a puzzle to Elsie Camden. But to reveal a master spellcaster as the culprit means incriminating herself as an unregistered spellbreaker. When Elsie refuses to join forces with the charming assassin, her secret is exposed, she’s thrown in jail, and the murderer disappears. But Elsie’s hope hasn’t vanished.

Through a twist of luck, the elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey helps Elsie join the lawful, but with a caveat: they must marry to prove their cover story. Forced beneath a magical tutor while her bond with Bacchus grows, Elsie seeks to thwart the plans of England’s most devious criminal—if she can find them.

With hundreds of stolen spells at their disposal, the villain has a plan—and it involves seducing Elsie to the dark side. But even now that her secret is out, Elsie must be careful how she uses the new abilities she’s discovering, or she may play right into the criminal’s hands. 

#CoverReveal: Gutter Girl by @LynnRushWrites @KellyAnneBlount @entangledteen

Synopsis: Star football player Jace Rovers has a secret. And not just any secret—a shocking secret… He writes romance. The kind with swords. And dresses. And kissing.

Nobody knows. Not the other kids at Twin River High. Not his overbearing parents. And certainly not the millions of fans who’ve read his book on the writing platform Scribbles. And that’s the way he plans to keep it.

Except suddenly one of the other football players grabs his notebook in jest and starts reading a kissing scene out loud…and Jace knows he’s busted.

But then McKenna Storm, resident goth girl who avoids the spotlight like a virus, snatches up the notebook and tells everyone she's the author. And lucky for Jace, she later agrees to continue the ruse...for a price.

Heck, he'd give her anything not to reveal his secret. But when they start to fall for each other, he knows he'll have to keep the biggest secret of all—his darkest character is based on her…

#BookBlitz: Guiding Gaia by @TishThawer @XpressoTours #Giveaway

Guiding Gaia
Tish Thawer
Published by: Amber Leaf Publishing
Publication date: April 20th 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

She awoke to save us, but it may already be too late.

The world is in chaos. Stars are falling from the sky. Floods, hurricanes, and fires rage across the land. And the only being strong enough to stop it is stuck in teenage form … again.

Reborn, Gaia has come to Earth to battle through the strife and discover if the world is worth saving.

Tasked with guiding her, it falls to me to help her weather the storms, and hopefully, find a place where she can be at peace. But time is running out, and her patience is waning. Now, I fear if the human race doesn’t destroy the world … she will.

#BookBlitz: When the Smoke Clears by @cchilovewrites @XpressoTours #Giveaway $25 Amazon gift card

When the Smoke Clears
C. Chilove
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: April 19th 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Lieutenant Colonel Brenden Jasper lives a life of secrets, danger, and clandestine missions. As commander of the most elite Black Ops unit in the world, nothing is more important to him than protecting the country he loves. But there’s a reason only the toughest, battle-tested, alpha men can call themselves members of the Black 2131 brotherhood. None but those in the highest realms of government even know of its existence, and it’s Brenden’s job to avoid emotional entanglements so he can keep it that way.

Dr. Paige Nichols has spent her life ruled by logic and reason, teaching and analyzing art history, so nothing could have prepared her for the completely overwhelming attraction-at-first-sight when she sets eyes on Brenden. Their chance encounter at a party opens her up to a tantalizing dark side she never knew she had—and leaves her wanting so much more. But a man with a dark side often comes with way too many secrets…ones that could put her life in danger.

Though their chemistry burns hotter than ever, when danger comes knocking on Paige’s door, Brenden will have to walk a fine line between duty, honor, and love.

#BookReview: Spellbreaker (Spellbreaker Duology #1) by @CNHolmberg

Synopsis: A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.

Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.

For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?

#BookReview: The Warrior King (Inferno Rising #3) by Abigail Owen

Synopsis: Meira Amon is the most reserved of the phoenixes, finding computers easier to deal with than people and their messy emotions. But she wants revenge against the Rotting King Pytheios for the murder of her parents just as much as her sisters. Offering herself as a queen for their ally, dragon shifter King Gorgon of the Black Clan, only makes sense. 

Just one problem… 

Samael Veles worked his lowborn ass off to become the fiercest warrior of the Black Clan. He has pledged his life to protect his king at all costs. Yet somehow, in the middle of war, he took one look at a woman in a reflection and gave up his heart. When that woman turns out to be the phoenix promised to mate his king and help bring peace to their kind, he has no choice but to accept it. 

Until her fire unexpectedly destroys the king after they’ve wed. Now Samael must choose between his loyalty to his clan and protecting the queen who might be his mate from his people’s wrath, one of which will unlock a destiny no one could have ever imagined… 

#BookBlitz: The Restarting Point by @boldenmarci @XpressoTours #Giveaway $25 Amazon gift card

The Restarting Point
Marci Bolden
(Chammont Point #1)
Publication date: April 27th 2021
Genres: Women’s Fiction

Marketing executive and mother of two, Jade Kelly can now add cancer survivor to her list of successes. But while her life looks good on paper, four months out of treatment, Jade realizes she hardly knows her college-age children and she and her husband Nick are little more than housemates.

Determined to start over, Jade schedules a family vacation to a lakefront cabin. When her kids bail and Nick stays home to handle a last minute work crisis, Jade heads to Chammont Point alone, determined to dust herself off and figure out what to do with the rest of her life.

While she’s away, the life she thought she had unravels. Secrets, lies, and old wounds drive Jade into new adventures and new relationships. With the help of family and new found friends, Jade learns starting over sometimes means finding a brand new restarting point.

#BookBlitz: The Other Prince by Alice Dolman @XpressoTours #Giveaway $20 Amazon gift card

The Other Prince
Alice Dolman
(Royal Connections, #1)
Publication date: April 19th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

After moving to London, Amelia Glendale landed her dream job as a lawyer at the Queen’s Charitable Foundation. But when the queen dies, Amelia finds herself working for her longtime royal crush, Prince Leo – and his stuffy older brother Prince Edmund.

Charismatic Prince Leo was once known for his hard-partying ways, but has settled down and thrown himself into a life of philanthropy. He’s Amelia’s perfect man and she’s sure they’d get along if she wasn’t too star-struck to speak to him.

Prince Edmund has always been the sensible brother and dutiful heir, until a scandal of epic proportions leaves his reputation in tatters. With his comfortable existence disrupted, he sees a chance to build a life and relationship where he is more than just his position.

Thrown into the princes’ orbit, Amelia discover that maybe the perfect man for her isn’t the prince she expected. Will Amelia get her fairytale ending, or will the pressures of life in the spotlight be too much to bear?

This feel-good romantic comedy about love, friendship and tiaras is perfect for fans of American Royals and The Royal We.

#BookReview: The Truth About Melody Browne by Lisa Jewell

Synopsis: This “touching, insightful, and gripping story” (Sophie Kinsella, #1 New York Times bestselling author) from the instant New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone follows a young woman searching for answers about her unknown past and the mysterious fire that irrevocably changed her life.

When she was a child, Melody Browne’s house burned down, destroying all her family’s possessions and her memories. Ever since this tragic event, Melody Browne has had no recollection of her life before she was rescued from the flames.

Now in her early thirties, Melody is a single mother, living in the middle of London with her teenaged son. She hasn’t seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody has no desire to reconnect until one night, while attending a hypnotist show with a date, she faints. When she comes around, she is suddenly overwhelmed with fragmented memories of her life before that fateful fire.

Slowly, she begins the arduous process of piecing together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her up and down the countryside, to seaside towns to the back streets of London, where she meets strangers who seem to love her like her own. But the more answers she uncovers, the more questions she is left with, and Melody can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever know the whole truth about her past.

“An absolute must-read” (Cosmopolitan, UK), The Truth About Melody Browne “will make you laugh, cry—then tell all your friends about it” (Daily Record). 

#BookReview: But for the Mountains by Erin Riha

Synopsis: Arden Thatcher wasn’t meant to be chosen.

But when her name is announced, she’s presented with something she never thought she’d have: a future away from her abuser. Shuttled off to attend the prestigious National Women’s Institute, Arden will receive Nordania’s highest honor, studying with other elite candidates to become leaders, diplomats, and ambassadors on the world stage.

Only, the institute’s not quite what she expected. Paraded around in gown after gown, the tests seem less about educating and more about a different competition, with a very specific prize at stake—the Nordanian Prime Minister’s son. Despite the dean’s protestations that angling for an engagement leads to expulsion, Arden sees the truth. There’s a secret bubbling beneath the institute’s refined surface, and those who refuse to play along may well wind up dead.

With the danger escalating, and the return of her abuser on the horizon, Arden’s shiny future becomes a gilded cage. And this time, she’s going to need powerful allies to escape.

Political intrigue, swoon-worthy romance, and a dash of dystopian flare, But for the Mountains begs the question, how do you change the world when you’re not allowed to try?

#BookBlitz: Cruel Beasts by Allie Santos @XpressoTours #Giveaway $10 Amazon gift card

Cruel Beasts
Allie Santos
(Moretti Academy, #1)
Publication date: April 2nd 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Reverse Harem, Romance

I stood in their way and now they vowed to destroy me.

All I wanted was to experience life without my every move monitored, and Moretti Academy was my chance at freedom.

They had other ideas.

The werewolf I grew up with, the cold fae sleeping with school staff, and a dragon with psychotic tendencies set their sights on me—and not in a good way.

The university was supposed to save my life by bringing out my dragon, but the cruel beasts tormenting me may kill me before I get the chance to live.

CRUEL BEASTS is a 96,000 word paranormal romance with enemy-to-lovers/love-hate themes. This is a REVERSE HAREM novel, meaning the main character will end up with more than one love interest by the end of the series. This is book ONE of FOUR in the series. Triggers: Contains foul language, sexual scenes, heavy bullying, cliffhanger, and jealous/possessive themes.

#BookReview: The Poet (Samantha Jazz Series #1) by @lisareneejones

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones brings a fresh, modern take to the thriller genre that will keep you guessing until the very end.

“The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth.” -Jean Cocteau

Some call him friend or boss.
Some call him husband or dad.
Some call him son, even a favorite son.

But the only title that matters to him is the one the media has given him: The Poet.

A name he earned from the written words he leaves behind after he kills that are as dark and mysterious as the reason he chooses his victims.

One word, two, three, a story in a poem, a secret that only Detective Samantha Jazz can solve. Because he’s writing this story for her.

She just doesn’t know it yet. 

#BookReview: Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein

Synopsis: An exciting debut contemporary young adult novel perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Mary H. K. Choi 

Grace Welles had resigned herself to the particular loneliness of being fifteen and stuck at a third-tier boarding school in the swamps of Florida, when she accidentally saves the new kid in her class from being beat up. With a single aim of a slingshot, the monotonous mathematics of her life are obliterated forever…because now there is this boy she never asked for. Wade Scholfield.

With Wade, Grace discovers a new way to exist. School rules are optional, life is bizarrely perfect, and conversations about wormholes can lead to make-out sessions that disrupt any logical stream of thoughts. 

So why does Grace crush Wade’s heart into a million tiny pieces? And what are her options when she finally realizes that 1. The universe doesn’t revolve around her, and 2. Wade has been hiding a dark secret. Is Grace the only person unhinged enough to save him?

Acidly funny and compulsively readable, Mercedes Helnwein’s debut novel Slingshot is a story about two people finding each other and then screwing it all up. See also: soulmate, friendship, stupidity, sex, bad poetry, and all the indignities of being in love for the first time.

#BookBlitz: Harm’s Way by @karenreneewrite @XpressoTours #Giveaway $20 Amazon gift card

Harm’s Way
Karen Renee
(Riot MC Biloxi #1)
Publication date: April 13th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

If it weren’t for bad luck, Stephanie Combes would have no luck at all.

On top of stealing her identity and ruining her credit, Stephie’s ex-boyfriend has shamed her in the most unexpected way. As a card dealer, she’s determined to make a fresh start in Biloxi where the tips are better and she can climb out from under her shame and debt. Running into her long-lost stepbrother and his sexy-as-sin best friend wasn’t in the cards, but that was her bum-luck rearing its ugly head. The last thing she wants is another man in her life.

When it rains it pours, but lucky for Stephie, Har is there to save the day during the deluge. Staying with Har temporarily should be no problem, but they can’t deny their lust. The more Stephie distances herself, the more Har fights to keep her around. And he fights dirty.

Michael “Har” Walcott’s motorcycle club is in turmoil. As president of the Riot MC Biloxi chapter, he’s determined to get his club out of the drug trade, but his brothers are resistant. The last thing he needs is a woman dividing his focus from his brothers and his club… which is precisely when he meets a spunky and seemingly familiar brunette.
She’s familiar because Stephanie was once a stepsister to Har’s best friend Brute. Allowing her to distract him isn’t an option. But after her roof collapses, Har steps in to save the day. The more he learns about Stephie, the more he wants her to stay.

He fights his attraction, but he can’t control his impulses.

He hasn’t felt anything like this for a woman in years. It’ll be a cold day in hell before he lets it slip through his fingers again.

#BookBlitz: The Glass Slipper by @KristiWebster @XpressoTours #Giveaway

The Glass Slipper
K. Webster
Published by: Dangerous Press
Publication date: April 20th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Betraying the most powerful man in New York wasn’t something I ever envisioned when I first started playing games with Winston Constantine. But he’s engaged in far more dangerous games than ours, and his enemies are out for blood.

Winston has my heart, the Morellis have incriminating photos, and I’m left with nothing except three stepbrothers who want to hurt me and a future in doubt. I knew Winston wouldn’t be my prince charming, but that didn’t stop me from falling for him.
After all, the slippers fit, and I let myself believe I’d be dancing with Winston forever.
Until too much truth comes to light.

Until I realize instead of ruling the board, I was just a pawn.

In the end, I have only one question. When his game with me is over, will I be able to pretend as if the glass slipper wasn’t a perfect fit?