Tag: ARC Reviews

Between Twilight (Skye Druids Book 9) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

Engrossing

This next book in Donna Grant’s Skye Druids series is a very intense read.  Dealing with our two main characters Finn and Vaila who are both Druids, the story follows the previous book by building on the evil that has creeped onto Skye.  Each character is fully developed, with explanations of the motivation driving them.  Once I started reading, I found that I didn’t want to stop.  Having read all of Donna’s previous books I followed the story easily, so a new reader may have some challenges with characters from earlier books/series.  Donna Grant writes these current series as part of a huge interconnected universe.

I can recommend all of Ms. Grant’s books, but this one is an exceptional read: compelling characters, intricate plot line, mystery, and a developing romance between two opposing characters—this book has it all.  Kudos to our author for providing such a satisfying book.  5 well deserved Stars!

I was given an ARC by the author and this is my honest opinion. 

Between Twilight (Skye Druids Book 9) by Donna Grant

Releasing 19 October 2026

She came to destroy me. Now I’ll burn the world to keep her.

She gets beneath my skin. Haunts my thoughts.
Strips away my control.

And I keep going back for more.

Every glance pulls me deeper. Every touch weakens my grip. And when she looks at me with those silver eyes full of secrets and fury, I know I’m already lost.

Something dark is closing in around us.

Power is shifting. Truths are unraveling. And the woman I can’t stay away from may be the key to it all.

I should walk away before she ruins me. Before this obsession consumes us. But when she’s in my arms, nothing else matters.

Not the lies.
Not the danger.
Not even what’s coming.

Because once I claim something as mine, I never let it go.

And I’m beginning to realize she was always meant to be mine.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant delivers a scorching story of obsession, betrayal, dangerous magic, and irresistible desire in the next installment in the Skye Druids series.

TROPES:
·  Enemies to Lovers

·  Revenge to Romance

·  He Falls First

·  Forced Proximity

·  Touch Her and Die

·  Love/Hate

·  Betrayal & Secrets

·  Fated Connection

·  Who Did This to You?

·  Only She Can Ease His Pain

BUY LINKS:

✦ DG SIGNED PB → https://dgrant.co/4gH5WKH

✦ DG Store ebook → https://dgrant.co/4gH5WKH

To Rule a Kingdom of Nothing (Billionaire Sanctuary: The Heir #3) by Blair Babylon

5 Stars

Another thrill ride!

This is the third book in the series which has Nicolai, heir in the Romanov dynasty, and Levi, his not so pretend wife of 2 days trying to keep each other safe.  This story has ties to the other Blair Babylon series that has the main characters attending a Swiss boarding school when they were children.  Can’t wait for the next book!

Well written with great characters, Blair does an outstanding job of describing the Ultra Rich world her books are set in.

I received an ARC of the book from the author through BookFunnel and this is my honest opinion. 

Burning Sea (Elven Kingdoms Book 5) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

Interesting

This book is set on the planet Zora, where Dragons, Humans, and Fae reside.  Elven Kingdoms deal with the different types of fae that are found there.  As you might guess from the title Sea Elves exist on this world.  More at home in water, they are still able to live on land by having gills on the sides of their necks.  But we first meet another elf, whose brother’s story was told earlier in the series.  Kaylani has the ability to hold her breath underwater for and unreasonable amount of time.  And she loves to swim.  On a long swim, she sees a slave ship and decides to single handedly save the slaves and so starts this story.  She is saved/captured by a Sea Elf named Varum and taken far from her home near her brother and the beach.  Here I feel the story started to drag, as she sits in Varum’s quarters, unable to free herself.  I didn’t think that the interactions between Kaylani and Varum really moved the plot along until near the end of the book when it seems that everything has imploded and there is no hope.  As always, Donna Grant writes an exceptional story with well-developed plotlines and interesting secondary characters.  Readers of this series will get bits and pieces of information that moves the larger story along.  Characters from prior and future books make appearances.  All of this ensures that readers will continue to want more from this series.  Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one in this series.

I received and ARC of this book from the author through BookFunnel and this is my honest opinion. 

Vampires Shared Bride (Dark Lords of London #4) by Jessie Donovan

5 Stars

Bit slow for me…

I must be missing something because I liked this book but didn’t love it.  It’s well written, and has vampires and fae witches. It continues with the Victorian London setting as the prior books. But the story seemed to take a long time to move along, with a large part explaining what was going through the 3 main characters minds.  The two male leads, Laurie and Joseph, gave their backstories, but Meadow seemed to be stuck in thinking about the same part of her past repeatedly.  Jessie Donovan did a good job of explaining what was going on for those who hadn’t read the first 3 books, giving the interrelated characters details a new reader would need.  Well written with enough world building for someone who just wanted to read a MMF why choose romance.  I’ve enjoyed the authors books but this one didn’t fill me with the “I can’t put it down” feeling that others seem to have had for Vampires Shared Bride.  I will continue to read additional books in this series as Ms. Donovan is an excellent author.

I received an ARC of this book from the Author through BookFunnel and this is my honest opinion.

Sacked By Surprise by Beatrice Bradshaw

5 Stars

A Rugby Romance

This is the third book in Ms. Bradshaw’s Rugby series, and it finishes with the story of Scottie who is easily the largest player on the Sterling Rebels team.  Quiet, but observant, he sees a woman in the movie theater who catches his attention.  Ava is a ballet dancer, who has been seeing another Rebel player, and has moved into Nevin’s apartment with him.  This has now put Ava into a situation where she is being treated badly-the domestic abuse is spoken about but not in detail- and her going to the movies is to give her alone time in which to consider what she should do next.  From this beginning the story progresses through sweet and loving moments to very hard moments that go from bad to worse.  The book ends satisfactorily and I enjoyed reading it very much.  This can be read as a standalone, and you won’t really be missing anything, but readers will get a better experience from having read the first two books in this series.

I was given an ARC by the author, and this is my honest opinion.   

Magical Midlife Rogue (Leveling Up #12) by K. F. Breene

5 Stars

A thrill ride, again.

With book 12 in the series Leveling Up, K. F. Breene has again shown readers that she can write a thriller with heart, a paranormal romance, and a story with a romantic heart.  Each book in this series has built on these 3 promises, and she continues to deliver.  Once you start reading you become invested in the story, and don’t want to see the series end.  I laughed and cried while reading what Jessie and Austin, and their crew, do to further their futures.  I have enjoyed every book and this one only adds to the finely woven and intricately told narrative based on a middle-aged woman finding herself.  This series is a must read for anyone who want to cheer on a perceived underdog.  Well done Queen Breene!

I was given an ARC of this book by the author, and this is my honest opinion. 

Kiss of Skye (Skye Druids Book 8) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

Outstanding! West meets East to help.

This book is centered on Mason, a member of the London Druids, and Rowan, a Druid from Washington state in America.  They meet in London while attending a large gathering of the London druids.  From this beginning Donna Grant has written a fast paced, exciting, and very involved story that moves the reader through an intricate web of characters.  As part of an ongoing series, this book should be read in order for the best experience, and what an experience Kiss of Skye is.  Well written with fully developed main characters and a supporting cast whose stories have already been told, it moves along quickly and for fans gives the reader an edge of the seat experience.  I cannot wait for the next book to read what else is going to happen to the Druids who live on the island of Skye. 

I received an ARC of this book from the author through BookFunnel and this is my honest opinion.

An Heir to Blood and Power (Billionaire Sanctuary: The Heir Book 2) by Blair Babylon

5 Stars

More and more!

This picks up where A Prince of Smoke and Mirrors left off.  Lexi Byrne, a country girl from Nebraska, and Nicolai Romanov, royal billionaire, who married yesterday evening are trying to work out how they will stay married for a full year.  Nicolai married Lexi to avoid having to marry the daughter of a Russian mafia boss, Demyan Volkov, who is now planning on his revenge.

Blair Babylon writes billionaire romance with adventure, and in this book so far, we have the romance and I’m sure that upcoming books will be giving us the adventure. Well written with great characters they are fun to read and are an escape from all our more mundane lives.  Can’t wait for book 3!

I was given an ARC of the book by the author through BookFunnel, and this is my honest opinion.

Mountain Fire (Elven Kingdoms #4) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

The story continues.

Our two main characters-Inej, a human and Manu, a Mountain Elf- are both complex characters.  I never really connected with Inej, but found in Manu a wonderful character to read about.  Inej has traveled to the mountains to try and find a co-worker who has been abducted.  She’s been told that Manu is the one behind the abduction.  Manu is the de-facto head of his tribe of Mountain Elves the Navara.  Unknown to Inej, Manu is working against the evil that is spreading through the planet Zora.  This is the start of the book Mountain Fire. Somewhat slow to me through the middle of the book, it picks up as we get closer to the end. 

Well written, with a good plot that ties into the prior Elven Kingdom books and has some characters from the Dragon Kings series, this is an overall enjoyable read with a mostly satisfying ending. 

I was given an ARC of Mountain Fire by the author Donna Grant through BookFunnel and this is my honest opinion.