Category: Books and Book Reviews

these could be my own book reviews, or information on authors and books.

Dashing Mr. Snow by Alexis Winter

5 Stars

Office romance

What a fun holiday book!  We meet Sadie Emmert first, about 3 years ago as she is starting a new job out of college.  The group of new hires is attending a new hire orientation, and the CEO sees her and decides to speak to the group.  Alex Snow is about in his early 30s, and is considered unfriendly and intimidating.  Sadie settles into her job, enjoying work, but not so much her personal life.  Now, 3 years into her career, she’s asked to take paperwork to the CEO for signatures that his assistant forgot in the assistant’s rush to leave for the weekend.  And this is where the story takes off and becomes a fun read.  I enjoyed reading about the increasing friendship between the two, and how Alex Snow is such an un-typical boss.  Alexis Winter has written a well though-out story, with no errors.  The characters are both fun and detailed.  A great holiday read!  I was given an ARC of this book from the author through BookSprout and this is my honest opinion. 

Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Romance Novel (Grimm Cove Book 5) by Mandy M. Roth

4 Stars

Non-Linear Timeline

This is the 5th book in the series, and like the previous book, doesn’t really follow a straight line.  Once you accept that, the story is interesting and gives you more information about what is happening in Grimm Cove.  The two main characters, Rachael Franks (Frankenstein) and Drest Bright are meant to be together, but the road they follow takes a long and convoluted track to get to the end.  This book should be read after the first 4 in the series because each is intertwined and will be harder to follow without having read the others. This book is well written, with no grammatical or spelling errors.  Other than the way the timeline is handled, I enjoyed reading Book 5 and am looking forward to book 6.  I was given an ARC of this book by the author through BookSprout and this is my honest opinion. 

Rage by Donna Grant

New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant returns to her beloved Kindred world with an all-new, captivating fantasy romance series sure to capture hearts.

Elin feels as if she’s been in the fight of her life forever. She lost her mother to prejudice and misunderstanding and her sister to the Coven, not to mention her home and the freedom to use her magic without consequence. But she finally feels as if she has found a place to at least rest—that is if she can remain hidden.

When a mysterious illness befalls his clan, taking many lives, Rob Mackenzie finally goes to check on the person squatting in the cottage on his family’s land. He hopes to find help. He doesn’t expect the most enchanting and enigmatic woman he’s ever seen or the way she makes him feel—the passions she rouses. But it’s clear she has secrets, and earning her trust may be the toughest battle of his life.

When the truth comes to light that a witch has been targeting the Mackenzie clan, Elin can’t remain sequestered. She knows she can help, and some things are more important—especially when they include saving the man she has quickly come to love. But it means revealing her secret to him and those who have hunted her kind for eons. Those who see anything they don’t understand as evil. Still, Elin hasn’t been able to safeguard those she’s loved in the past. She has to at least try to save Rob and his family.

Even if it means her end.

LINKS:

RAGE: https://dgrant.co/rage

Kindred: The Fated #1

✦Kindle→ https://amzn.to/3vS21V4

✦Nook→ https://dgrant.co/3wfDesX

✦Apple→ https://dgrant.co/3N2fb7Y

✦Kobo→ https://dgrant.co/3MTugZc ✦Google→ https://dgrant.co/3giUR6S

Rage (Kindred: The Fated Book 1) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

New Kindred trilogy

This is the first book in a new trilogy dealing with the situations left from the original Kindred series written by Donna Grant.  The writing style is very similar to how the original books were written, and several characters from that series are mentioned in this new book.  We meet Elin, who is a witch on the run from the Coven, a group of witches who are determined to dominate their world.  She lost her sister to the Coven, and she wants no part of them and their schemes.  She has stopped running for a short time, squatting in an out of the way hunting cabin, hoping to recover some of her strength and come up with a plan to keep away from the witches hunting her.  The cabin is on Mackenzie land, and the brother of the Laird, Rob Mackenzie decides to find out who has been using the abandoned cabin.  As any book written by Donna Grant, there are issues for the main characters to overcome, and a larger challenge that has to be addressed.  This book is well written, with a good plotline and character development.  A very enjoyable read, I am looking forward to book 2 of The Fated.  I was given an ARC by the author to read, and this is my honest opinion. 

Of Mates and Magic (Eliza Falls Book 1) by Maggie Francis

3 Stars

Short with silliness

This book is written very simply…and seemed to me more suited for a much younger audience.  A sweet witch/shifter story that would be good for a middle school aged teen.  It features Cora and Desi who are best friends, running a business together, and new witches.  Their small town is mostly a magical enclave, and draws in Seb and Tate, brothers and wolf shifters looking for a new home.  While Desi and Tate become friends, there is a tension between Cora and Seb.  At this point the story takes a lot of time for the characters to move forward.  At about 175 pages, the story needed to move more quickly through the “should we, shouldn’t we” be friends or something more.  Not a whole lot of conflict between the two, until finally a situation arises that forces the two main characters to make decisions.  This book had no editing issues.  Hopefully the next book, telling Tate’s story will have a tighter plotline.  I was given an ARC through BookSirens, and this is my honest opinion. 

A Royal for Christmas (It’s Raining Royals Book 4) by Alix Nichols

4 Stars

Changing life circumstances

It’s a month to Christmas, and we meet Camille Mussey, sister to the dead Jeanette Mussey who was accused of arson, and is the poorest person in the country of Mount Evor.  She is an outcast because of her sister, and a witch.  She’s working as a pantomime for pocket change.  One of the Royals, Marquess Louis-Philibert de Valois is grandson of the Duke of Arrago, is sent to collect her, and bring her to the ducal estate.  This sets up the story that takes place over the Christmas season.  Camille’s character isn’t the most likable one in this series, but she is smart.  Louis might be a playboy.  Unlike the prior books, this one doesn’t involve finding a key, but some loose ends may, or may not, be tied up with this story.  I enjoyed reading A Royal for Christmas and am looking forward to the next book.  I received this book from BookSirens, and this is my honest opinion.

King of the Unblessed (Realm Immortal: #1) by Michelle M. Pillow

4 Stars

The story grew on me.

The story starts with the reader meeting Lady Julianna of Bellemare and her brothers, who are preparing for her wedding to a much older neighbor.  Julianna wishes otherwise, but for her family she’ll do this.  Watching her from his kingdom from the otherworld is King Merrick of the Unblessed, King of Valdis.  He hears Julianna wishing in her room to be taken on a adventure; Merrick comes to her, and coerces her to leave Bellemare, and go to the Otherworld on a quest.  I found that the character of Julianna to be very immature for her age, and very colorless.  Merrick is a much better developed non-hero whom I couldn’t help but root for.  The story grew on me as I read further into it, but I never could care for Julianna.  I like the Faery Queen Tania better, even though she had a very small part in this story.  I plan on reading the next book Realm Immortal: Faery Queen.  I was given and ARC of the book from the author through BookSprout, and this is my honest opinion.

Iron Ember (Skye Druids #1) by Donna Grant

Iron Ember blurb

Delve into the thrilling first installment of the all-new Skye Druids series by New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant, where magic reigns and danger abounds.

Skye isn’t just an island. It’s a home. A refuge. But not to Elodie MacLean. Not anymore. Tragedy tore her world apart and then took the one thing she felt made her whole. She vowed she’d never return, but that’s exactly where she ends up. Now, surrounded by the ghosts of her past, Elodie must navigate her version of Hell and try to make peace with herself and her family. But someone or something doesn’t want her on Skye, and she finds herself attacked—and this time not by her personal demons.

Scott Ryan has a mission: uncover who has been killing Druids and why. When his quest takes him to the beautiful Isle of Skye, he doesn’t think anything could captivate him more than the land itself—until he lays eyes on the breathtaking and confident beauty his leader sent him to find. However, it’s clear that she has trust issues, and he can’t reveal his plans—at least, not yet. But he’s always been sure of his ability to sway a person, and she’s a challenge he’s more than happy to accept, especially when he finds he will do anything to protect her.

With so much history and so many secrets, victory is anything but guaranteed for the couple and their allies. And the forces at work, those who wish to rule the Scottish isle and all those who reside there, have a plan that nobody will see coming.

Buy Links

✦SIGNED PRINT→ https://dgrant.co/3zeFna8

✦Kindle→ https://amzn.to/3s9U63V

✦Nook→ https://dgrant.co/3dUxVXu

✦Apple→ https://dgrant.co/3GMGMXt

✦Kobo→ https://dgrant.co/3ENiGw3

✦Google→ https://dgrant.co/3xwilex

✦Audible→ https://dgrant.co/3T4Y352

✦Tantor→ https://dgrant.co/3kctHxm

Iron Ember (Skye Druids #1) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

Dark World continuation

This is the first book of the Skye Druids series, but follows immediately after Dark Alpha’s Command.  In this book we meet Elodie MacLean, who has come back to Skye to help her sister get their parents’ house ready to sell.  A terrible tragedy happened over a decade prior, but since neither sister, nor an absent brother plan on living in the house it needs to be cleaned, repaired and sold.  Elodie is a druid, but her magic has been gone since the tragic event.  She meets Scot Ryan, and the brother of his best friend are on Skye, having come from Edinburgh to try and solve the murders of Druids there.  They are looking for Elodie, and when they meet her, and hear she is looking for help to get the cottage repaired, they offer their services.  Donna Grant weaves an interesting story reminiscent of her earlier Dark World books.  She plots out an intricate storyline for the reader to follow, and while following we get glimpses of other characters from prior books.  I can say that the start of this book dragged for me-I couldn’t figure out who these characters were and why they were important.  But Donna Grant had a plot, and it is full of twists and turns, and leads the reader to a satisfying conclusion.  I received and ARC of this book from the author through BookFunnel and this is my honest opinion.

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle

4 Stars

Enjoyed the ending.

I started reading this, and the main character, Bettie Hughes, is an absolutely horrible person.  She is self-obsessed and feels she is entitled to everything she wants.  As the book goes on, the author explains Bettie’s reasoning for feeling this way, but she continued to be such a whiney, revenge driven person, I almost decided to stop reading.  But upon the introduction of the Holiday Spirit, I wanted to see what would happen to Bettie since Hall (the Holiday Spirit’s earthly name given him by Bettie) is such a giving person.  I don’t want to give away the story, so I will only say that after Hall’s arrival, the plotline starts to make a slow climb to acceptable.  By the end of the book, I was glad I had continued reading.  I was given an ARC of the book through NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.