Category: book review

In Blood Awakening, worlds collide, marking the beginning of the end to an age-long battle warring between the forces of darkness and light in the universe.

About Blood Awakening

A war has been brewing in the shadows.

Kaelyn Hamblin never felt particularly extraordinary, growing up in a strong Irish household in the heart of Boston for most of her young life. Her humdrum routine remained markedly unchanged for longer than she cared to remember; until that day. The day when a beautiful stranger drifted into her hole-in-the-wall bookshop and changed her life forever.

Tyrian knew from the moment he locked eyes on her that she was the one. His one. The singular being within all of time and space that was made for him and him alone. His world was not one of niceties and pretty things; bringing her into it would be dangerous. But he would protect her. He had to. After all, it was foretold.

Worlds collide, marking the beginning of the end to an age-long battle warring between the forces of darkness and light in the universe. The fate of all rests on the shoulders of a lone druid and her band of human hunters to quell the rising tide of evil threatening to overtake everything and plunge the connected realms into eternal darkness.

My Thoughts

I have always loved stories about vampires and the supernatural, the war in the shadows and the battle between good and evil. Blood Awakening puts a new and exciting twist on the familiar.

In this story, Kaelyn and Tyrian have a very interesting connection. Tyrian is a hunter, one who was chosen to protect humans from the vampires that crossed into our realm to cause havoc. Kaelyn is tied to him not only through their growing intense love and sexual attraction but through a much deeper bond. She is his Medium, woven into his soul for them to protect, love and support each other.

Their bond is woven into an even greater foretelling – the coming of a great evil. It is up to the group of hunters and their leader to fight the darkness that has risen. At the centre of this battle is Tyrian, Kaelyn and the vampire realm.

This was a definitely intense and sexually charged novel (It is geared to the slightly older teen and adult due to the mature content). I loved that the plot was so much different that your typical supernatural novel as it creates excitement and suspense. I loved the balance between the romance, battles and history of the supernatural. It was well written and the author has an excellent way of pulling you into the story. I also loved the cover design – it attracted me instantly to the book and the plot hooked me into reading all night long. I cant wait to see what she comes up with next!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Simon and Schuster.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Miranda Nichols enjoys her too short-lived moments in Boston visiting family. That’s why her stories tend to travel there. She’s had years of professional experience perfecting detail-oriented work and it shows in her writing. A current student working towards her MFA, she’s following her lifetime calling. She’s a loyal friend who’s not afraid to tell it like it is. Like the smell of fresh popcorn, her fantasy romances tempt you and keep you coming back for more.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In A Witch’s Path Book One Witch for Hire, most witches don’t work for police departments, but Michelle isn’t your average witch.

About A Witch’s Path Book One Witch for Hire

Most witches don’t work for police departments, but Michelle isn’t your average witch. She’s clanless, looking for a wizard who isn’t offended by her lack of family connections, and in danger of losing her job if she can’t find the escaped trolls before they start eating the local residents.

Trolls, angry police, and misbehaving spells are the least of her problems. Statues attacking homeowners might be problematic for your average witch, but to Michelle it’s another day at the office. Her real concern is the wizard suddenly interested in dating her and an old elf set on pestering her. When her happy family is rocked by a long kept secret her stable life falls apart faster than she can pick up the pieces.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with Witch for Hire, book one in A Witch’s Path – witches, trolls, elves and more, what isn’t there to love?

Michelle is a different kind of witch. She didn’t grow up knowing her clan and or her entire family. She has a lot of strength and powers, which to be honest growing up I always wanted to have the magical powers of a witch so this was kind of awesome listening to. She is also a special kind of witch who works for the police department! This is definitely not your average type of town right?

In this case, escaped trolls are at the heart of her problem and she needs to find them before they start to eat the locals. Who would have known that trolls like to eat humans?! Tied into this is a mysterious elf that has entered her life (who is fascinated by her but she seems to be at times indifferent) and a wizard who is also interested in dating her. On top of this, she finds out some pretty shocking information about her Father’s identity and whereabouts. Exhausting right?

A Witch’s Path Book One is an excellent introduction to Michelle, her life and her work. We get an excellent work up and history of her and what she does plus the plot builds itself up excellently to lead into book two and three. I could not stop listening to this audiobook, I had to know exactly what happened next in not only her personal life but her case, which takes an awful turn in itself. This audiobook was full of action, excitement and more! A definite must listen to.

You can purchase a copy of this audiobook on Audible. Listen to an excerpt here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

N.E. Conneely lives in northern Georgia with her dog and a mountain of books. They sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter, and life as they know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky. For fun, N.E. plays with her dog, reads, knits, crochets, paints, and does tie-dyeing and origami. She makes a great pizza and is currently negotiating with her husband about raising sea monkeys and growing a vegetable garden.

About the Narrator

Jeff Hays has made a name for himself in the audio book world by creating immersive experiences out of his productions. His versatility and authenticity in voicing characters, expressive low-impact narration, and dedication to offering the highest quality audio possible has earned him a loyal following of listeners. Having been fascinated with sound since he can remember, Jeff takes his background of composing and producing music, and his continual consumption of the avalanche of fictional media we all experience in these modern times, and uses it to inform his style of story telling in the audiobook realm.

And now, having produced more than 80 audio books and perfecting his craft, using the namesake of his live streaming narration show, the Soundbooth Theater shingle has been hung. Soundbooth Theater is dedicated to applying Jeff’s production methods to new audio books with other budding narrator talent, and expanding his scope from audio books, to voicing and producing animation.

The Giveaway!

A Witch’s Path Series Giveaway: 3-Month Audible Membership

Disclosure: I received an audiobook in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In When the Stars Come Out, can two people open up enough to give them both a chance at having real and lasting love?

About When the Stars Come Out

Cottonbloom. A beautiful, faraway place where a woman can escape her past―and find reason to stay forever.

Willa Brown never planned to stay in Cottonbloom. She was on the way to somewhere else when she landed there and found work at the Abbot brothers’ garage. . .and a sense of comfort and safety that she had never known. The same holds true for Jackson Abbott himself. With one glance in her direction, he can make Willa’s heart melt. But what begins as an unrequited crush turns into something far more powerful than Willa could have ever imagined.

Jackson’s most meaningful relationship has always been with his car―and he’s not afraid to admit it. Still, he can’t help but become emotionally entangled with his new star mechanic Willa, who is definitely hiding some dark secrets of her own beneath the hood. Jackson desperately wants Willa to trust him, and to seek protection in his arms. But even as the two slowly surrender to their shared attraction, the danger lurking in Willa’s past remains a stubborn obstacle. Can she open up enough to give them both a chance at having real and lasting love?

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this beautiful romance between two people who seem like the complete opposite!

Willa is a young woman who has had a troubled past and carries so much blame and pain in her heart. She carries the weight of the actions of others on her shoulders as her own blame and this has affected her life greatly. She has constantly been on the run but had finally settled (somewhat) in Cottonbloom. She has faced poverty, stereotypes and more in her young years and you just want her to have a little bit of happiness, even though she does not feel that she deserves it.

Jackson is that typical workaholic. He loves his family business and his cars. He is not very good at showing emotions or even realizing love when it comes knocking! When he realizes his feelings for Willa, he tries hard to show her but he can be awkward at times in his affection. I felt so bad for him at times!

These are two people who deserve love and happiness but both are so unaccustomed to it that they have a difficult time trusting and accepting this love and affection. They leave you shaking your head at times, laughing at others but at all times hoping for a bright future for them. When the Stars Come Out is a beautiful romance about hope, faith and forgiveness. I loved every moment.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major―Chemical Engineering―and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. Then He Kissed Me, a Cottonbloom novel, was named as one of Amazon’s best romances of 2016. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Childhood neighbors get a chance at love in Should’ve Been You, an achingly romantic novella in Nicole McLaughlin’s Man Enough series!

About Should’ve Been You

National Guardsman Jase Beckford wants to live a quiet life raising cattle and taking care of his mother. His childhood friend and neighbor Hannah is still his best friend, but when he walks into the Walters house one morning and sees her twin sister Becca for the first time in five years, he wonders if he missed out on something special.

Becca Walters has nursed a secret crush on Jase since childhood, but he always preferred Hannah, so she buried her feelings assuming her sister and Jase would one day turn their flirtation into a real relationship. And this Christmas, she is anticipating a proposal of her own, so Jase’s reappearance in her life doesn’t mean anything. Much. Okay, maybe more than Becca would like to admit.

However, when Becca’s sister gets engaged to someone who’s not Jase, Becca and Jase find themselves spending more together. And when secrets are revealed, suddenly those dormant feelings come back to life; but is the possibility of something between them worth risking the happiness of everyone they love?

My Thoughts

Should’ve Been You is a sweet, fun and sexy romance between two people who would never have thought they would have a relationship.

Becca and Jase have known each other their whole lives but never really knew the other well enough despite Jase being so close to Becca’s sister Hannah. We find out the reason for this being that Hannah had jealously told them both lies in order to prevent the two from ever becoming too close. While you want to be mad at her, you almost can’t blame her for wanting to keep Jase close! He is everything you could want in a man – kind, thoughtful, sexy and more. He had a difficult past that has forever changed the way he views relationships and sometimes even himself.

When the two are re-united again without the pressure of Hannah possibly being in the picture, sparks fly and boy do they fly! You can see how perfect these two would be for each other if they would just get over their shyness and lack of trust. They also have Hannah looming over their relationship – she controls Jase and can sometimes possibly without meaning to manipulate his feelings.

This was a sweet, fun, romantic read that I enjoyed from start to finish. It was well written and the characters were developed nicely. It had a great story of putting yourself out there and trusting in yourself and someone else, regardless of what has happened in your past.

You can purchase a copy of Should’ve Been You on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Nicole loves to read, bake, make lists, and binge watch an entire television show season in one day. She lives with her husband and three boys in a small town outside of Kansas City. You can find out more at www.nicolemclaughlinbooks.com.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In Frostbitten, great beauty hides dark secrets.

About Frostbitten

Seventeen-year-old Anastasia Lockhart has never led an easy life, but when she starts getting into serious trouble, she’s sent to live with her grandparents in Cedar Falls. The small, picturesque town hasn’t changed since she visited four years ago, with one exception – the presence of a handsome, mysterious boy named Frost.

Despite warnings from her grandparents and friends to stay away from Frost, Anastasia can’t deny their attraction, and the more time they spend together, the deeper in love they fall. Unfortunately, Frost has a secret that is beyond Anastasia’s wildest imagination, and she soon finds herself in the midst of a supernatural legend that has haunted Cedar Falls for years.

My Thoughts

Frostbitten is a fun, paranormal romance based in Cedar Falls in Northern Ontario (woohoo thought this was pretty cool hearing Toronto and Ontario in an audiobook as this never happens). The story will be a huge hit for fans of youth paranormal novels like Twilight and Vampire Diaries (although in this case a werewolf takes centre stage, which I actually enjoyed reading about as I think we have had enough of vampires).

Cedar Falls is a remote, beautiful, isolated town that holds a dark secret – a history of attacks and wolves. This is where Anastasia finds herself after getting in trouble at her previous school, her Mother’s home with her Grandparents. She is a very typical teenager – unsure, wanting to fit in and conflicted about her emotions.

Anastasia does not find life any easier in Cedar Falls – the youth in her school are mean and untrusting. Something I am sure many teens can relate to (I know I could have), they torment her with their lies and gossip. She falls hard for Frost a young man with his own troubled past (most that is not his own fault). Their relationship seems doomed from the start – her Grandfather despises the young man and it doesn’t help her social life at school. He also has a very huge secret that could destroy their friendship.

The story really picks up here as we dive into the town’s history and the legends of the werewolves. Their relationship is starting to build and when werewolf hunters come to the town – they are forced to make a huge decision.

This was a well written, fun and interesting audiobook, Heather has done a great job with this story. It has a great plot line that paranormal fans will love. The narrator in the audiobook is excellent and kept me engaged and interested throughout the novel. There is some mild language throughout the book so depending on your comfort level with this it may be better geared for older youth. A great read and/or listen overall!

You can purchase a copy of Frostbitten on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Heather Beck is a Canadian Author and Screenwriter who began writing professionally at the age of sixteen. Since then she has written eleven well-reviewed books, including the bestselling series, The Horror Diaries, which has sold in six continents.

Heather received an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree from university where she specialized in English and studied an array of disciplines. Currently, she is working on the Frostbitten series and has two anthologies slated for publication. As a screenwriter, Heather has multiple television shows and movies in development. Her short films include: Young Eyes, The Rarity, Too Sensible For Love, Circular, and the forthcoming Witch’s Brew.

Besides writing, Heather’s greatest passion is the outdoors. She is an award-winning fisherwoman and a regular hiker. Her hobbies include swimming, playing badminton and volunteering with non-profit organizations.

Disclosure: I received an audiobook of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.