Category: book review

April 11, 2018

A Witch’s Concern Audiobook Review

In A Witch’s Concern, Michelle finds that her problems are larger than one clan of witches, and is forced to choose between the people she holds dear and the way of life she loves.

About A Witch’s Concern

Michelle has been figuring out what her life is like now that the demon has been killed, and Sylvia and Varro are dead. Even the clans of witches trying to attract her to their way of life have backed off and given her a chance to grieve. Her relationship with Elron is stronger than ever, but there are things left unsaid.

On the way to her parents’ wedding, the delicate calm she’d been living in is broken. Witches are out for her blood, her family is caught in the crossfire, and friendships are threatened. Work doesn’t let up either, and she partners up with Elron to deal with magic gone wild. Michelle finds that her problems are larger than one clan of witches, and is forced to choose between the people she holds dear and the way of life she loves.

My Thoughts

I loved the first set of audiobooks in this series and this one doesn’t disappoint at all! This audiobook starts with a bang with Michelle’s kidnapping and stays intense throughout the whole novel.

Michelle is an independent, strong witch who feels no alliance to any clan and wants to keep it that way. Her Grandmother feels differently. I love that we were able to learn quite a bit more about her family history and the line of strong female witches in her family. Her Grandmother does not want to see this line end and goes to extreme measures to get Michelle to consent to her wishes, almost shocking at times!

I have always loved Michelle’s character throughout the first set of books and in this book she still remains my favourite. She has such a kind heart and just wants to do what is right and help others but she just can’t get a break. I loved that the focus of this book is her – no extra big case, just Michelle. Her character deserves it, she is just one of those individuals that gives of herself with no expectation of something in return. Her relationship with Elron is blossoming (yay!), they both deserve a loving relationship and not to mention some time to work on it.

The narration in this audiobook is excellent and adds to the drama and flair of the writing. I couldn’t stop listening as I just wanted to hear what was going to happen next with her. The plot is fantastic and keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is by far my favourite book in this amazing series. This series constantly leaves you guessing on who or what will show up and happen and leaves you wanting more.

You can purchase a copy of this audiobook on Audible.

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 Narrators

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.

Laurie got into voiceover by studying with the legendary dialect expert Paul Meier and hosting the teen program for a nonprofit for the blind, Kansas Audio Reader. She speaks French fluently and, before diving into audiobooks, lived and performed for some time in France. She’s racking up some bizarre credits, playing a range of characters onscreen from Disney princesses to horror scream queens, and proving her audio versatility by narrating everything from cowboy romances to action-packed GameLit fantasy trolls. You can also catch her in a few VR video games. Her favorite is playing confident, power-hungry, whip-smart anti-heroines.

Like Jeff Hays, she hails from the Kansas City area but currently lives in Atlanta.

Audio Excerpt

The Giveaway!

A Witch’s Concern Giveaway: $50 PayPal Cash

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

April 4, 2018

Red Sky Over America Book Review

In Red Sky Over America, William and America confront evil, but will it costs them everything?

About Red Sky Over America

William and America confront evil, but will it costs them everything?

In 1857, America, the daughter of a slave owner, is an abolitionist and a student at Oberlin College, a school known for its radical ideas. America goes home to Kentucky during school break to confront her father about freeing his slaves.

America’s classmate, William, goes to Kentucky to preach abolition to churches that condone slavery. America and William find themselves in the center of the approaching storm sweeping the nation and may not make it home to Ohio or live through the struggle.

My Thoughts

This novel takes place during a difficult time in America’s history, prior to the war to end slavery between the North and the South. Our main character is a young woman, America, who is the daughter of a slave owner. She goes away to Oberlin College which helps to foster her ideas of abolishing slavery and freedom for all people. From a young age, she has known that slavery is wrong but she has been afraid of hurting her Father and feared his anger.

Almost finished her studies, America decides to return home and confront her Father at last. She was not ready for the extreme response from her Father and those that she loves around her. She is shocked by her Father’s actions towards the slaves that she has always viewed as family and vows that she will not stop until slavery is abolished. He truly believes that what he is doing is for America’s future and well-being, keeping their family history alive never understanding that a future built on other’s suffering is not what America wants.

She embarks on a journey of helping slaves escape and her classmate (who also happens to be someone she is greatly attracted to for his convictions) William is tied into her future. William preaches at churches throughout Kentucky to abolish slavery – which in many places as we were to find out is almost a death sentence.

This is an excellent story of faith and hope during a time period that held very little. America was strong in her convictions but sometimes lacked the confidence and strength to follow through. As the case with many women during this time frame, she was stuck under the wings of her Father’s decisions. With William, she was free to make her own decisions and give her opinions – opinions that were much in line with his own. I loved every moment of this powerful book, I cried at times and other times my heart was full of hope. It is a beautiful story in a dark time.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures and writes Christian historical fiction set in America because there are so many adventures in American history. She is married to the love of her life, has two grown children, and lives in Akron, Ohio. Soldier’s Heart and A Christmas Promise are two of her historical novellas that have been published. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest. Tamera is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She has curriculum published and is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

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

April 4, 2018

Refugees (Mud, Rocks and Trees) Book One Review

One star. One impossible task. One chance to save the world they love.

About Refugees (Mud, Rocks and Trees) Book One

“An epic journey of a lifetime.” That’s what three young individuals from three different corners of the world have dreamed about. They were destined for greatness since the moment they were born. But what if they don’t want it? What if they’re not ready? What if their desires no longer align with the prophecy?

The problem is, they have no choice. The star has appeared. Their destiny has already begun to unfold.

It’s not the send-off that they’ve been dreaming of. Forced out. Banished. Raided. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Now they must discover who they really are while embarking on the most exciting journey of their lives. One star. One impossible task. One chance to save the world they love.

My Thoughts

Refugees (Mud, Rocks and Trees) was such an exciting read from start to finish!

I wasn’t quite to sure what to expect when I first picked up the book and started reading but I wasn’t pleasantly surprised. In this novel, we have three young individuals who are destined to save the world except none feel quite ready and they are not quite sure how. Each comes from a different past and culture, even their bodies are made differently. One is in the human form of a duck, another like a flying squirrel and another with the hard skin of an armadillo. What could they possibly have in common?

They have one man who becomes their guide and the star that set their destiny.

Each chapter is told from one of the young characters view-point as they struggle to leave their home to begin this new journey. All have risked banishment, being an outcast and one even is spared death. The novel is an exciting journey from start to finish, you never really know what is going to happen next and you feel connected to our main characters. I felt more connected to Amanki (the duck man) and Brina (the one that resembles the flying squirrel) and I am not quite sure why. Every time I came to their chapters, I just had to have more! I was emotionally invested in these two characters especially Brina.

This is an excellent novel for young adults (and adults who enjoy a great fantasy read!). I can not wait to read book two in this series as I was so sad when the book ended and where it ended.

You can purchase a copy of this boon on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

R.A. Denny started writing epic fantasy novels when, after watching the first Hobbit movie, she began excitedly spouting off information about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien’s writer’s group called the Inklings and how their greatest fantasy novels were created. One of her sons commented, “We could do that.” She laughed. Then, he turned it into a challenge.

Her unexpected journey had begun. For several years, she continued her day job as a criminal prosecutor and escaped by night to the world of the Tzoladian Empire. Then, she decided to just do what she loved.

She completed writing her six-book epic fantasy series: Mud, Rocks, and Trees. The series should be read in this order: Refugees, Seekers, Captives, Warriors, Visionaries, and then Deliverers.

R.A. enjoys ancient history, board games, and LEGO. That’s the nerd in her. She rides horses, raised flying squirrels and lives with two cats. That’s the animal lover in her. Oh, and did I mention that she loves a challenge? That’s the adventurer in her.

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

April 2, 2018

ICE Book Review

Lauren Carr has added a new series with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, ICE.

About ICE

The clues for a close-to-the-heart missing person’s case heat up when Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on the cold case.

When Sandy Lipton and her unborn child disappear, the court of public opinion finds young Chris Matheson guilty. Decades later, the retired FBI agent returns home to discover that the cloud of suspicion cast over him and his family has never lifted. With the help of a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each a specialist in their own field of investigation, Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on this cold case to uncover what had happened to Sandy and her baby and the clues are getting hot.

My Thoughts

Lauren spins an amazing web of lies, murder and love that will have you on the edge of your seat.

In this story, a young woman who has a fascination with Chris Matheson states he is the Father of her unborn child. While some know the truth, before he can prove his innocence with a DNA test both Sandy and her unborn child disappear never to be heard from again. Even after years of a successful career in the FBI, a marriage that did not quite work out and being the Father of a group of smart young ladies, this incident is still hovering over him like a dark cloud.

When he returns home after the death of his wife to give his daughters some normalcy, he is drawn to a group of former law enforcement officers who have retired but still love the thrill of solving a case. This group has a wide range of shockingly amazing skills! They assist him with this cold case that as they begin to unravel the case, leaves you shocked and in horror. We follow a story of deceit, betrayal, murder and family lies. These events from the past lead into a string of current deaths in an interesting twist that constantly leaves you guessing to who is the real culprit.

I love the way Lauren spun this novel – I could not put the book down! I had to know what happened to Sandy and her unborn child and how this disappearance was tied into a string of other murders. I never saw the end coming but it was perfect and suited the novel. A definite must read novel!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns.

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Book Trailer

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

March 23, 2018

A Most Noble Heir Review

In A Most Noble Heir, forces work to keep the couple apart, and a solution to remain together seems further and further away.

About A Most Noble Heir

When stable hand Nolan Price learns from his dying mother that he is actually the son of the Earl of Stainsby, his plans for a future with kitchen maid Hannah Burnham are shattered. Once he is officially acknowledged as the earl’s heir, Nolan will be forbidden to marry beneath his station.

Unwilling to give up the girl he loves, he devises a plan to elope–believing that once their marriage is sanctioned by God, Lord Stainsby will be forced to accept their union. However, as Nolan struggles to learn the ways of the aristocracy, he finds himself caught between pleasing Hannah and living up to his father’s demanding expectations.

At every turn, forces work to keep the couple apart, and a solution to remain together seems further and further away. With Nolan’s new life pulling him irrevocably away from the woman he loves, it seems only a miracle will bring them back together.

My Thoughts

On the death of the only Mother he has ever known, Nolan’s whole life is turned upside down. He has always wanted to find out the true identity of his Father but when he does his whole world is changed. His Father is the Lord Stainsby that he had begun to hate! Nolan, who has only known the life of a servant, is thrown into the world of nobility – a world that he despises for their arrogance, wealth and air of superiority. While his Father tries to accept him, there is someone who clearly wants him gone.

I fell in love with this unique story. I really thought that Lord Stainsby would be more accepting of his son and the relationship he has with one of the servant girls considering his own personal history. I was disappointed at first but as the story goes on, you learn more about the Earl and you start to understand him better. It doesn’t make it easier at times to accept what he does to Nolan but it gives you a better glimpse into his inner mind workings. Nolan’s story was so unique and my heart went out to him as he struggled. He wants to be a good son and a good husband but the two worlds seem to keep clashing and then throw in someone wanting to get rid of him and you have a page turner. Nolan has to learn to control his emotions, his past hurts and his own pride if he wants to keep his marriage and build a relationship with his Father. No easy task for anyone and especially for the quick to anger Nolan who is still reeling from his Mother’s revelations.

This is a beautiful story of faith, humility and second chances. I loved every moment of this well written novel. The characters and plot are well-developed and you have a hard time putting this book down as you become invested in Nolan.

You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Susan Anne Mason‘s historical novel Irish Meadows won the Fiction from the Heartland contest from the Mid-American Romance Authors Chapter of RWA as well as the Christian Retailer’s Choice Award for Debut Novel. A member of ACFW, Susan lives outside of Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two children. She can be found online at www.susanannemason.com.

The Giveaway

If you’d like to enter for a chance to win Susan Anne Mason’s Courage to Dream series, plus A Most Noble Heir, here’s your chance!

Enter here now.

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