Tag: ARC Reviews

The Folklore of Forever (Moonville #2) by Sarah Hogle

2 Stars

Confusing

This is book 2 of the series Moonville and I am sorry to say that I never connected with this book.  I struggled with it from the beginning.  Our main female character Zelda Tempest is one of three sisters and both of her sisters can do magic.  But not Zelda who pushes the fact that she is a skeptic.  The main male character is Morgan Angelopoulos, a man who wants to be magical so much that he hunts ghosts hoping

 to find that they are magical.  The story itself is scattered and just confusing.  Neither main character caught my interest, and I’m sorry to say I couldn’t finish it.  I have read other books by the author and all have been solid 4 stars.  I’m sure some readers will enjoy the story and characters but not me. I was given an ARC of the book through NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion

Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

A finely woven plot….

Another well written book from Donna Grant.  She has taken us back to Skye, where an evil is still creating problems for the Druids on Skye.  Our two main characters, Carlyle who was part of the London Druids, and Devon, whose real name is Song has been associated with the London Druids since she was very young.  These two find themselves on the island of Skye where Carlyle has become a supported or the Knights who are fighting against the evil, and Devon has been sent to Skye to assassinate a Druid.  From this Donna has woven another intricate story that continues from the previous Skye Druids books while also introduces some favorite characters from her Dark Universe books featuring the Dragon Kings.  This is truly an outstanding book, and I cannot wait for the next in her Dark Universe series. 

I was given and ARC from the author thru NetGalley and this is my honest opinion. 

Blood Skye (Skye Druids #6) by Donna Grant

The only choice is surrender.

In my world, magic and danger go hand-in-hand. It has from my earliest memory. Magic was currency, and if you have it, you have power. I was shaped by some of the most influential Druids into a lethal weapon. Their weapon.

Until the night they betray me—and I wind up in the hands of my enemy.

He’s nothing but a job for me. To him, I’m the key to finding his father. Too bad I know nothing.

But right now, he’s the only thing keeping me alive, so I’ll do whatever it takes. Yet, if we’re going to survive, it means doing it together.

I’ve never allowed myself to care, to feel. To hope. He shows me a world that was always just out of reach, one I was never meant to be a part of—and a love that burns bright enough to scorch the earth.

Together, we will bring an empire to its knees.

Return to Scotland and New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant’s Skye Druids, where magic and danger intertwine and a tale of passion, revelations, and new beginnings unfolds.

BUY LINKS:

✦SIGNED PRINT→ https://dgrant.co/4fAsD0q

✦STORE EBOOK → https://dgrant.co/4fAsD0q

✦Amazon→ https://amzn.to/40MCD1l

✦BN→ https://dgrant.co/3CHdaOY

✦Kindle→ https://amzn.to/3LCmggH

✦Nook→ https://dgrant.co/3M4kyFe

✦Apple→ https://apple.co/3WGzpuo

✦Kobo→ https://dgrant.co/3yENnF1

✦Google→ https://dgrant.co/4dD2zkO

✦Audible→ https://dgrant.co/3EpzblD

✦Tantor→ https://dgrant.co/3DudIrm

✦Audiobooks→ https://dgrant.co/3ZMULI2

✦Nook Audio→ https://dgrant.co/3EtZPtR

✦Kobo Audio → https://dgrant.co/3CGDYP9

Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife by Tara West

4 Stars

Fun Story.

This book is a fun read with a wide assortment of characters.  Our main female character is Luciella – Luci- a Witch who has hidden her talents and has divorced her husband of 20 years.  She’s hoping to have a more fun-filled life.  Ethyl, Luci’s cousin, is a Pixie and a Witch, works with her in Luci’s bakery.  Des is Luci’s 12-year-old autistic son who sounds much older and wiser.  And finally, our main male character is Ricardo -Ric – who is tall, well-muscled, handsome, and tattooed.  And something more….

With this cast of characters, plus others who are both good and bad and every king of supernatural, Tara West has written an engaging book that is humorous and real.  The story is fast paced but a bit sketchy at times.  But if you suspend your mind from all the paranormal aspects and just enjoy Luci’s life, the reader can’t help but want to encourage Tara West to further expand this series. 

I was given an ARC of this book from BookSirens and this is my honest opinion.

The Uncrowned King (The Bastard Duology Book 2) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

Entirely entertaining!

This is part 2 of the Bastard Duology and well worth reading.  Donna Grant left a cliffhanger at the end of Book 1 and this picks up immediately after.  Derek, our main male character and a dragon is written exceptionally well, and Kora our hellhound female main character shows that she is able to change her world view and prejudices.  I loved this Duology!  Ms. Grant’s writing reminds me of how the very first Warrior and Dragon King books are written, hot men and capable women in situations that they didn’t want or expect.   With an expansive plot line and many characters in supporting roles a new reader would benefit from reading earlier books in Donna’s Dark Universe.  She always manages to create new personalities in every book, with new challenges for all the intertwined characters to overcome.  If you like paranormal books, this series has some surprising twists and turns and is well worth your time.

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

The Empress (Towerfall #1) by Kristen Cast

4 Stars

Hard to get into the story

But I continued to the end.  The beginning of the book introduces us to Hannah, from Chicago, and Kane Blackthorne of Towerfall from the Kingdom of Pentacles.  Hannah is not a normal, run of the mill working class woman, she is having issues at work with a co-worker who takes credit for others work including hers, and a breakup with her boyfriend.  As she walks homeward and passes a storefront offering Tarot readings, Hannah is given a card, The Empress.  Which promptly deposits her into Towerfall where she is accused of being a witch and nearly killed.  Saved by Kane, Hannah makes a deal with him to help the Kingdom from being destroyed in exchange for his assistance in finding The Empress card which she’s lost so she can return to Chicago.

Confusing?  Just a bit, but this book caught me by being the first in a series that uses Tarot as real characters and places.   Our main female character, Hannah, doesn’t seem to be in her 20s, she is more like a 16–17-year-old high school student.  Hannah grows a little through the story and finally acts almost her age by the end of the book.  Kane is older than her and has more life experiences, which make his character more interesting, but he could have been much more developed in the story. 

I did enjoy the book after about the halfway point, but the ending seemed to be rushed.  I hope the author, Kristin Cast, works harder to leave the Young Adult writing that keeps this book from being more satisfying to adult readers.  Using the Tarot as important characters is something I’ve never read before and can give this series a distinctive edge over other books.  I look forward to reading the next book. 

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

The Duchess Takes It All by Michelle McLean

5 Stars

An Outsider in Society

This story features a newly widowed Duchess of Clevesly, Tamsin Palmer, who is the daughter of a merchant.  She has a toddler whom she adores, her deceased husband not so much.  Being an outcast in high society is not easy, and to make matters harder, her husband had appointed a co-guardian for the son, the German Count of Rauchberg Christian august.  The story of the two of them is interesting and well written, a little slow in the middle, but an enjoyable book.  Michelle McLean does a great job of giving the details of both London society and German city-states political stresses.  The characters were written mostly in the time period the story is set in, and the author did a wonderful job of keeping Tasmin within the constraints of the period.  I have read other books by her that were set in the American West and enjoyed them also.  Ms. McLean does a thorough job of detailing the environment that surrounds her characters.  I’m looking forward to reading more books that she has written.

I received an ARC of the book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The Mirror (Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts

5 Stars

Another Excellent Read!

Continuing on with Book 2, Sonya, Trey, Cleo, and Owen have more challenges to meet in dealing with the Evil that is residing in the mansion that Sonya has inherited.  To get the best experience the reader should read the books in order starting with The Inheritance.

With intricate plotting, great characters, wonderful world building and as always near perfect Grammer, Nora Roberts has written another outstanding book. Cannot wait for the final book!

I received an ARC of the book through NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.

Dark Heart (Elven Kingdoms Book 2) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

Interesting and involved.

This is Book 2 in the Elven Kingdoms series, which is part of Donna Grant’s much larger Dark Universe.  This series deals with multiple types of Elves located on the planet Zora, so each books spends time explaining the Eves involved.  Our two main characters, female Arya and male Jai, both are Dark Elves looking for vengeance.  Secondary characters supporting Arya are her mentor Dain, and mates Yasmine and Ravi.  Jai, and his best friend, a female named Priya are tied to an evil group called the Masters, which sets up the underlying plot.  Donna Grant takes these characters and these plot points and weaves an intricate and compelling read.  Detailed enough to make the reader feel the betrayals and darkness but with enough violence to give it realism, and hope that the characters will survive.  While slow in spots, the story moves along in a steady stream to the conclusion.  Well written with good characterizations, I enjoyed this second book dealing with mostly the Dark Elves. 

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

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst

4 Stars

Loved the ending.

I wanted to read this book because it’s set in North Carolina on the Outer Banks (OBX) and touches on the wild horses located around Corolla.  After visiting the area, I am familiar with both the location and the horses. Both were treated accurately.   Our two main characters are Aspen Lourde, a writer of one best selling fiction book that was based on her breakup with her boyfriend, and Brick Babel who has returned to the OBX to run a horse tours business he’s inherited from his grandfather.  Side characters include Aspen’s sister Sierra who lives on the Outer Banks, and Brick’s best friend Kane who arrives late in the story, along with others who provide interest and color.  Aspen is desperately trying to write a follow-up to her first book using the plot of a fake boyfriend, which turns into real feelings and then a break-up. 

While the writing is excellent, the middle part of the book dragged for me.  It seemed to repeatedly cover the same themes, with Aspen becoming more and more desperate to write the follow up to her first best seller. A plus is that Brick is also given a voice which I find lacking in other books.  Knowing more about his history and his thoughts did add to this slow part.  Once the plot has moved to the last quarter of the book the story picks up and brought me back into the story, and the ending is excellent. 

Both main characters are well developed, maybe Aspen to much so, and the secondary characters detailed enough for the reader to care about them also.  Along with a dog, who plays an important part, the parts about the horses ring true to their existence on the Outer Banks.  This would have been a 5 Star read for me, except for the middle, which slowed down the story.  I like Jennifer Probst’s writing and have already found the next book by her to read.  And hopefully, she’ll write more set in the OBX.

I was given and ARC of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.