Tag: ARC Reviews

Right on Cue by Falon Ballard

5 Stars

Her first love

The book starts out with our MFC Emmy (Emilia) Harper and her best friend/director Liz attempting to find an actress to play the lead in Emmy’s screenplay of her bestselling book.  She ends up taking the part herself since none who have auditioned do as good of a job as she does when tested with the actors auditioning for the male lead.  Emmy hasn’t acted in over 10 years and is still upset about the circumstances of her first, and only, acting role.  She’s worried, but not about working with the actor who will play opposite her, as they are friends.  But on the day before shooting is to start at a small country inn, she runs into Grayson West, who is the cause of Emmy’s destroyed acting career because of comments he made about her during the filming of their first roles 10 years ago when they were both teenagers.  From this first meeting, anytime they are together on screen everyone can tell neither has moved past that first movie. 

  From this beginning the story moves through hostility, anger, and disrespect until Liz has had enough of the childishness and pulls them both in and gives them an ultimatum- work together or the film won’t get made. From this point on, Falon Ballard does a wonderful job of letting us see how Emmy copes.  The road to the end of the book is not all smooth sailing though, but we get the ending readers deserve.

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

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron (Supernatural Singles #3) by April Asher

5 Stars

Maxwell sister #3

This third book in the series features Olive Maxwell, a Professor and Bax Donovan, Guardian Angel.  Both have played parts in the other two series books featuring Olive’s sisters.  Olive is looking for a new place to live, when Bax offers the spare room in his apartment to her.  She accepts, and a mostly non-magical story starts.  Olive is nothing like her sisters, which makes sense since they are triplets.  She is the low key one, staying out of the limelight.  Bax’s character is more flashy but has more layers to his makeup.  Of the two characters, Bax is more developed, and because of this, the more interesting one. Olive’s character didn’t generate a lot of interest on my part, and I think because of this, the story dragged in parts for me.  Once I got 2/3’s of the way into the book, the story became more interesting, and all the characters became something “more”. 

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is well written with the storyline giving readers more depth into the world April Asher has created.  I felt the story was a strong 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.  I will continue to read other books in the series if Ms. Asher continues to write them.

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

The Duke is Wicked (League of Lords #3) by Tracy Sumner

5 Stars

Is he really wicked?

In this book, our two main characters are an American named Delaney Temple who has a reputation, and the ability to read and absorb the information in books quickly.  Our main male character is Sebastian Tremont, the Duke of Ashcroft of the English aristocracy and who can manifest fire.  Our Duke has been in the other books in the series but in this one we get a better picture of who and what has shaped him.  Our American heroine is considered a Hellion, but you’ll have to make up your own mind it that is true, the same with the Duke being wicked.  I enjoyed this book, and the continuation of the series.  Fun and easy to read with no grammatical errors and the main characters are well developed.  Hopefully we’ll see Delaney’s twin in an upcoming book.

I was given this book as an ARC through BookSirens, and this is my honest opinion.

Dragon Kiss: A Dragon Kings Novella by Donna Grant

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 Stars

Well, I am not sure….

This short story is supposed to be a good introduction to the Dragon Kings series of books.  I’m not sure that is an accurate description of the book if you haven’t already read the previous books.  Both of the two main characters, Alisdair and Lotti, were introduced in the previous Dragon King book Dragon Arisen along with 2 others from the first book in this series.  I would consider this more of an arc between the last book and the next one which is why I rated this at 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.  The plot drags a little but does have action involving the 2 couples against the danger that is stalking them.  As the book ends, the main plot lines are still unresolved, but for fans of Donna Grant and her Dragon Kings, this only keeps us wanting more.  Well written with no grammatical errors the characters are also well developed and the story will make you want to keep reading this series.  I am looking forward to the next book.

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

Dragon Frost: A Dragon Kings Novella (Dragon Kings #6.5) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

The Fae Realm

This short novella from Donna Grant revisits Constantine and Rhiannon.  They are still on Zora, and on Earth, Winter is approaching.  Rhiannon is a Fae and feels her emotions deeply.  She missis Earth and the turning of the seasons.  Constantine knows this, and this is the story of how he shows his love and appreciation of her.

This is a well written novella, which showcases two of the main characters of Donna Grant’s Dark Universe.  The characters are true to their written personalities which makes this an enjoyable read. 

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

Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts

5 Stars

Another great trilogy starter!

If you’ve read any other series by Nora Roberts, you won’t be disappointed with Inheritance. She can write an interesting, suspenseful book with great characters and spectacular locations.  This book is a contemporary paranormal fantasy from the very start.  With two great main characters of Sonya McTavish and Trey (Oliver Doyle III) the lawyer son of Sonya’s lawyer Oliver Doyle II.  Add in additional secondary characters and you find that you are reading an intricate and well-developed story.  The ending of this book is a cliff hanger, quite a surprising one, but it will only make you want the second book RIGHT NOW!  I can’t wait to read book 2. 

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

Reign (Kindred: The Fated, Book 3) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

Finally!

Donna Grant has finally gotten to Malene and Armir’s story.  This is a continuation from book Everspell (Kindred series by Donna Grant) which gave us questions about whether she was killed or if something else happened to her.  In Reign Armir has not given up his search for her after the battle that finished Everspell.  But it’s been a year, and he is starting to doubt he’ll find her….and Donna starts an interesting, suspenseful, and surprising story.  I did think that the start was a bit slow, but it did pick up at about a quarter in.  Well worth reading, with no grammatical or plotting errors.  The two main characters are well developed and give us a good understanding of their minds.   It can be read as a stand-alone but will make better sense in the story if read from book 1 in this series, Rage.  An exceptional series, the Kindred starts the entire storyline, and is an enjoyable set of books that will give the reader the best experience.

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

The Rake is Taken (League of Lords, #2) by Tracy Sumner

5 Stars

Another great book!

Book number 2 in the League of Lords series, and this is a really fun, interesting offering from Tracy Sumner.  Our two main characters are Lady Victoria Hamilton and Finn Alexander (aka the Blue Bastard), Finn can read minds, and has the reputation of a playboy, and a scoundrel.  He’s dreaming about Lady Victoria, whom he has never met.  Lady Victoria also has a gift of both moving time, and blocking others supernatural powers.  She decides that the two of them should be friends.  And so, the story is off at breakneck speed.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Christmas Miracle in the Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal

3.5 rounded to 4 Stars

More about the twins than the couple.

I wanted to read this book because of the setting being in Ireland.  And it is, in what anyone not from Ireland, exactly how you’d picture it.  Our three main characters are Grace and Ava Kelly and Shane Egan.  Grace and Ava have left the village of Emerald Bay a year ago for the bright lights, big city of London.  Ava broke up with Shane before she left because he wouldn’t leave the village to go with her.  Shane is part of his family’s business, a fisherman who believes that he can’t leave his father and brothers.  Neither Ava or Shane have moved on, even though Grace is pushing Ava to forget Shane, and Shane had told Ava there was no coming back to him.  This is the basic setup for the book, which take place just before Christmas.  I felt the story of Ava and Shane was resolved fairly quickly and satisfactorily, but this creates another problem for the pair, and this part of the story seemed to take a long time to be resolved. 

The book is well written with good main characters and supporting characters, with no noticeable grammatical errors.  The plotline seems to drag in places, which is why my rating is 3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 stars.  An enjoyable book, but not enough conflict or tension. 

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

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn

5 Stars

Slow to get into.

I had a very hard time getting into this book.  Cordelia is not the aware, self-assured woman who knows what she wants and has plans on getting there.  Her character confused me, and I was about 30 percent in before I started understanding the story, and the characters.  Once that happened, I did enjoy the book, so that if there is a second book dealing with the sister’s character, I will read it.  Just know if you start reading, and seem to be struggling, keep going.  The story gets better and the book is worth it.  5 stars for having a good story and satisfying finish.

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