Sea Witch by Sarah Henning REVIEW

 Sea Witch

by Sarah Henning

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.

Review:

There is nothing I love more than a tale that starts off sweet and turns sinister, if it's a fairy tale retelling then it's even better. Sea Witch delivered that with this enchanting tale of love, friendship and revenge. I can't lie I am a sucker for a revenge story, I just love the drama of it. 

In this tale we have three main characters who all happen to be best friends. Nik is a kind prince, Evie is the daughter of a fisher-man and Anna who has already drowned when the story opens. The friendship between these three is quite interesting. The personalities of each character were done well. They all had different personalities which brought the story to life. 

While I enjoyed the story itself, some things in it were predictable. I was pretty confident I knew at least 90% of what was going to happen after reading the first couple chapters, and I was right. There were only a couple small details that were added that I wouldn't have guessed but I did enjoy them. 

Overall, this was a solid read for me. I really enjoyed it and I'd recommend it to anyone who would like to try a Little Mermaid retelling that focuses on Ursula. 

Unwrapping the Best Man by Rachael Stewart REVIEW

Unwrapping the Best Man

by Rachael Stewart

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Synopsis:

On the first night of Christmas, her sexy crush finally gave to her—an unbelievably hot night! Now she’s ready for nights two, three and four… Unwrap the steamy sequel to Getting Dirty by Rachael Stewart.

I’ve lusted after brawny, gorgeously rough Jackson Black for six lust-fueled, unrequited years. But Jackson has rules, and the big one is “no getting involved with clients” of his elite London sex club. Including me. But our best friends are getting married, and for one deliciously hot night, the maid of honor and best man agree…what happens in the Scottish Highlands, stays in the Scottish Highlands.

It was everything I wanted and more…until the complete jerk disappears during the night.

Now it’s Christmas, and I have a plan to prove to Jackson Black just how much I don’t care, that he doesn’t turn me on like a Christmas tree. Only Operation: Naughty Elf is backfiring big-time. That aching need for his touch is stronger than ever. It’s painfully clear that I want more than just a fling from the untouchable Jackson Black.

I have one chance to unwrap the best man. But is this sexy, guarded grinch about to steal my heart…or break it?

Purchase Link: http://mybook.to/unwrappingthebestman

Review:

Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Rachael Stewart for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

 
Trigger Warning: there is sexual abuse of a 17 year old. It's not graphic or detailed but it is stated that it happened. Unwrapping The Best Man is the story of him learning the difference between sex with consenting adults and what happened to him when he was 17.

Jackson Black is a sexy dreamboat who has trouble with romance due to sexual abuse when he was young. Caitlin is the sexy woman who would give anything to just have him for her very own. In this hot and heavy romance we find out if they find their way into each other's arms or stay friends with their dirty hidden thoughts.

I thought this book was pretty well written. I feel like the author really took a chance in making one of the main characters sexually abused in a sexually explicit book but I feel like she wrote it well. The relationship between Jackson and Caitlyn was very sweet. The pace was absolutely perfect. I found myself engrossed within the story every chance I got.

The sex scenes in this book are... well, sexy! If you are cool with a little bit of smut that doesn't give too much of the hot and heavy details then don't bother picking this one up. The sex scenes are graphic, dirty and absolutely fantastic! If you want sexy writing that will start giving you ideas then give this one a try.

Author Bio

Rachael Stewart adores conjuring up stories for the readers of Harlequin Mills & Boon and Deep Desires Press, with tales varying from the heartwarmingly romantic to the wildly erotic.

She's been writing since she could put pen to paper as the stacks of scrawled on A4 sheets in her loft will attest to, and the lovingly bound short stories that her father would run off at work and proudly share out with his colleagues. Thinking it was a pipe dream to be published one day, she pursued a sensible career in business but she was really play-acting, achieving the appropriate degree and spending many years in the corporate world where she never truly belonged. Always happiest when she was sat at her laptop in the quiet hours tapping out a story or two. And so here she is, a published author, her full-time pleasure, a dream come true.

A Welsh lass at heart, she now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and three children, and if she's not glued to her laptop, she's wrapped up in them or enjoying the great outdoors seeking out inspiration.

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachaelstewartauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rach_b52
Website: https://rachaelstewartauthor.com/

Giveaway to Win an e-copy of Unwrapping The Best Man Rachael Stewart (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize. 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494400/

Ruinsong by Julia Ember REVIEW

 Ruinsong

by Julia Ember

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

Her voice was her prison…
Now it’s her weapon.

In a world where magic is sung, a powerful mage named Cadence has been forced to torture her country's disgraced nobility at her ruthless queen's bidding.

But when she is reunited with her childhood friend, a noblewoman with ties to the underground rebellion, she must finally make a choice: Take a stand to free their country from oppression, or follow in the queen’s footsteps and become a monster herself.

Purchase Links:

CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0374313350/
US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374313350/

Review:

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Our main characters are Cadence, a mage who is forced to sing powerful songs for the queen and Remi, a nobelwoman and Cadence's childhood friend. Throughout the story we switch between both of their perspectives. Each girl had her own personality and it was easy to distinguish who was talking in each chapter.

I absolutely loved this book! There was a perfect balance of magic, romance and thrilling suspense. This is the type of fantasy book I can just sink into like a hot bath. The imagery was absolutely fantastic and the writing was captivating. I was drawn into the book very early and remained entertained until it was over. The story is so dark and gripping I couldn't help but get lost in every page.

If you're looking for a dark, magical, LGBTQ story I would recommend giving this one a shot.

The Maiden and The Mercenary by Nicole Locke REVIEW

The Maiden and The Mercenary

by Nicole Locke

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Synopsis:

Keep your friends close…

But your enemies closer?

In order to find a legendary treasure map, mercenary Louve of Mei Solis must infiltrate his enemy’s fortress under the guise of a servant. There, Louve meets beautiful maiden Biedeluue, a fellow servant with her own hidden agenda…to save her sister from the malevolent Lord’s clutches! Their high-stakes missions may be at odds with one other, but their attraction cannot be denied even in this most dangerous of situations.

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maiden-Mercenary-Historical-Lovers-Legends-ebook/dp/B089LVSRBD/ 

 US - https://www.amazon.com/Maiden-Mercenary-Historical-Lovers-Legends-ebook/dp/B089LVSRBD/

CA - https://www.amazon.ca/Maiden-Mercenary-Historical-Lovers-Legends-ebook/dp/B089LVSRBD/

Review:

Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Nicole Locke for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am so happy to have gotten back into the Lovers and Legends series. I fell in love with Reynold in Her Dark Knight's Redemption and I couldn't wait to see how this book branches out from that story. I was most definitely not disappointed!

The Maiden and The Mercenary is a real page turner filled with secrets and deception. It didn't take long before I was drawn into the story. The story was well written and easy to read. The characters were well developed and enjoyable. While there were a couple parts that I didn't particularly enjoy and found a little off, this was still a good solid read overall.

Author Bio

Nicole first discovered romance novels hidden in her grandmother’s closet. Convinced that hidden books must be better, Nicole greedily read them. It was only natural she should start writing them (but now not so secretly). 

Social Media Links:

https://www.nicolelocke.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nicolelockeauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/NicoleLockeAuthor/
https://twitter.com/NicoleLockeNews

Giveaway to Win a £20 / $20 Amazon Gift Card (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494399/

Sound by Catherine Fearns REVIEW

 Sound

by Catherine Fearns

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

Can you hear it?

A professor of psychoacoustics is found dead in his office. It appears to be a heart attack, until a second acoustician dies a few days later in similar circumstances.

Meanwhile, there’s an outbreak of mysterious illnesses on a council estate, and outbursts of unexplained violence in a city centre nightclub. Not to mention strange noises coming from the tunnels underneath Liverpool. Can it really be a coincidence that death metal band Total Depravity are back in the city, waging their own form of sonic warfare?

Detective Inspector Darren Swift is convinced there are connections. Still grieving his fiancé’s death and sworn to revenge, he is thrown back into action on the trail of a murderer with a terrifying and undetectable weapon.

But this case cannot be solved using conventional detective work, and D.I. Swift will need to put the rulebook aside and seek the occult expertise of Dr. Helen Hope and her unlikely sidekick, guitarist Mikko Kristensen.

Purchase Link: mybook.to/sound 

Review:

Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Catherine Fearns for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sound is the third and final book in the Reprobation trilogy. Where Sound is part of a trilogy I do recommend reading book 2 Consuming Fire before reading this one because it'll help you better understand some things. You don't necessarily have to read book 1, Reprobation, to understand the last two books, but I recommend reading it anyways just because it's good.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book. I was, once again, intrigued by how the author was able to weave such an interesting, dark tale. I became so enthralled with Consuming Fire and Sound that I finished them both in under 24 hours. It was a really good end to a really good series.

If you are looking for a dark murder mystery that is far from average I'd recommend giving this one a try. Actually, I just recommend the whole series.

Author Bio

Catherine Fearns is a writer from Liverpool. Her novels Reprobation (2018) and Consuming Fire (2019) are published by Crooked Cat and are both Amazon bestsellers. As a music journalist Catherine has written for Pure Grain Audio, Broken Amp and Noisey. Her short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in Toasted Cheese, Succubus, Here Comes Everyone, Off shoots and Metal Music Studies. She lives in Geneva with her husband and four children, and when she’s not writing or parenting, she plays guitar in a heavy metal band.

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @metalmamawrites
Website:https://www.catherine-fearns.com/

Consuming Fire by Catherine Fearns REVIEW

 Consuming Fire

by Catherine Fearns

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen.

Liverpool is in the grip of an intense heatwave, and strange things are happening.

A woman dies in an apparent case of Spontaneous Human Combustion; a truck explodes on the dock road; the charred corpses of pets litter the city; forest fires ravage the pinewoods…and there are birds everywhere, silent flocks drawing in ominously.

Detective Inspector Darren Swift thinks there are connections, and his investigation delves into the worlds of football, nightclubs and organised crime. But is he imagining things?

Dr. Helen Hope doesn’t think so. And she believes the key lies in a mysterious seventeenth-century occult book which has gone missing from Liverpool Library.

In the blistering sequel to Reprobation, DI Swift is forced to confront some inconvenient ghosts from his past, as a terrifying shadow lies over his city’s reality….

Purchase Link: mybook.to/consumingfire 

Review:

Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Catherine Fearns for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Consuming Fire is the second book in the Reprobation trilogy. While this book can absolutely be read as a standalone, I do recommend reading the first book just because it's good.

We come back into the lives of Helen and Darren with the main focus being on Darren. This time we get more inside his head and his life as he takes on his strangest case yet.

Once again we are drawn into a situation that makes both rivals and companions out of science and religion. I found Consuming Fire to be quite a bit darker than Reprobation but in a good way. I feel like Fearns took her original idea and brought it to a whole new level. Taking on the darker side of religion, this time we face a fire demon. How to summon him is found in an old text bound in human skin. Can this demon really be summoned, or is someone just really good at science? I won't tell you that but I will tell you I really enjoyed finding out.

Author Bio

Catherine Fearns is a writer from Liverpool. Her novels Reprobation (2018) and Consuming Fire (2019) are published by Crooked Cat and are both Amazon bestsellers. As a music journalist Catherine has written for Pure Grain Audio, Broken Amp and Noisey. Her short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in Toasted Cheese, Succubus, Here Comes Everyone, Off shoots and Metal Music Studies. She lives in Geneva with her husband and four children, and when she’s not writing or parenting, she plays guitar in a heavy metal band.

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @metalmamawrites
Website:https://www.catherine-fearns.com/

Meet Me In The Treehouse by Kelly Tink REVIEW

Meet Me In The Treehouse

by Kelly Tink

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Synopsis:

In their secret tree house, nine-year-old Emma and her best friend Chris made a promise: ‘You and me forever’. 

It’s been five years since Emma left her hometown with her soon to be ex-husband and eight years since the tragedy that taught her and Chris that nothing lasts forever. 

Now thirty, Emma is an unemployed nurse living back on her parents’ farm, her life in tatters. Chris, however, is finally healing and making a success of his family’s country estate. 

They step into their old friendship as if it were yesterday, but as Emma sets out to rebuild her life, will their past and Chris’s future throw her further off balance? Or will she find the happiness she left behind by returning to the treehouse?

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JCLHYSG
US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCLHYSG
CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08JCLHYSG

Review:

Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Kelly Tink for a free copy of this book in echange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Chris and Emma were childhood best friends. They once made a promise that it was her and him forever. Now they are both grown up and have lived their separate lives. When Emma ends up back in her hometown and her friendship with Chris resumes will they be able to stay friends no matter what? Or are some promises meant to be broken?

This book absolutely flew by. It was such a quick and enjoyable read. The characters were well done and likable. The relationship between Chris and Emma was really sweet. It was nice to watch these two best friends work through some of life's toughest challenges. There are numerous obstacles presented throughout this story.  If you're looking for a story with a happy ending that makes you smile then this could just be the book you're looking for. 

Author Bio

Kelly Tink is a cancer nurse, writer and hopeless romantic, living in Cambridgeshire. She enjoys exploring fun outdoor places with her husband and two sons, especially if it involves eating ice cream by the sea. 

She’s an avid reader, loves a good film or TV series and drinks lots of tea. Meet Me in the Treehouse is Kelly’s debut novel. She can be found tweeting at @kelly_tink or on Instagram: kelly.tink

It would mean the world to Kelly if you would consider taking a few moments to write a review.

These reviews let new readers know what you thought of Meet Me in the Treehouse. Thank you.

Social Media Links: 

Twitter: @kelly_tink
Instagram: Kelly.tink
Facebook page @Kelly.tink3000

Trading Secrets by Rachael Eckles REVIEW

Trading Secrets

by Rachael Eckles

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Synopsis:

Celeste Donovan, a high-powered finance executive, seems to have it all--the penthouse apartment, the supermodel physique with a mathematician mind, and a trail of beautiful men she has loved and left behind. But when her boyfriend Theodore is killed in a mysterious accident, she suspects Omar, her abusive ex who has been keeping tabs on her, is behind his death.

Now she's caught in a game of cat and mouse, trying to anticipate Omar's next move, as she realizes he will stop at nothing to get to her. She sets out alone on a whirlwind journey to entrap him, determined to put an end to his destruction.

Soon Celeste is thrust in the middle of the largest financial scandal in decades. This time, however, she suspects powerful government officials are in bed with some of the world's most dangerous men. When she discovers that those she thought she knew best are involved in a secret society warring with Omar and his coconspirators, she must decide how far she is willing to go to avenge Theodore's death and whether she is willing to risk her own life to save everyone she loves.

Review:

Thank you to Book Publicity Services for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Trading Secrets was kind of a mixed bag for me. There were things I enjoyed and some things I could have done with out. For the purpose of this review I'll start with what I didn't like and then end on a positive with what I did like.

The worst part of this book, for me, was Celeste. She is one of the most shallow characters I've read about. The book is written in a way where every character is fawning all over her. The main thing we learn about each character, is that they all love Celeste. Every character is just as crazy about her as she is about herself. A great example of this is when her boyfriend dies, his parents are more concerned about her and her grief than they are with their own.

The other thing I didn't really like was the unnecessary word vomit. There were certain scenes in the book that just dragged on. When I got to these I usually skimmed through until the story picked up again. There was a lot that could have been left out without anything being taken away from the story.

What I liked about the book was the general storyline. The actual story itself was really interesting. There were a couple sections in particular where I just flew through them because they were so well written. The back story with Celeste and Omar was where the story really grabbed me. It allowed Celeste to be a little bit more understood. I still didn't like her character, but I did feel like I understood her a bit more.

Overall, I'm giving this one a solid 3/5. I feel like the good parts were really good and I'm glad I finished the book.

Reprobation by Catherine Fearns REVIEW

Reprobation

by Catherine Fearns

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Synopsis:

Are you one of the elect? Dr. Helen Hope is a lecturer in eschatology–the study of death, judgement, and the destiny of humankind. She is also a Calvinist nun, her life devoted to atoning for a secret crime. When a body is found crucified on a Liverpool beach, she forms an unlikely alliance with suspect Mikko Kristensen, lead guitarist in death metal band Total Depravity. Together, they go on the trail of a rogue geneticist who they believe holds the key–not just to the murder, but to something much darker. Also on the trail is cynical Scouse detective Darren Swift. In his first murder case, he must confront his own lack of faith as a series of horrific crimes drag the city of two cathedrals to the gates of hell. Science meets religious belief in this gripping murder mystery.

Purchase Link: mybook.to/reprobation

Review:

Thank you to Catherine Fearns and Rachel's Random Resources for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The concept of this story is so interesting and original. I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this before. You have a Calvinist nun, a heavy metal musician, a scientist playing God and a whole cast of characters swirling around in a science versus religion situation involving murder. It's quite the mixture.

I thought the science versus religion aspect was done very well. Growing up with a religious background I thought the author made some clever writing choices during the religious focused sections. I really loved how this book makes you think about what you would do if your afterlife was already decided no matter what you did on Earth.

The murder mystery aspect of the story was also good. I really liked the plot twist towards the end. I didn't figure out what was going to happen until it happened.

Being just over 200 pages I expected this to be a quick read, however, it is a slow burn. I would have preferred if this one had to of had a quicker pace. 

Overall, it was a pretty good book. I enjoyed reading it. If you're looking for an interesting read that brings science and religion face to face I'd say give this one a try.

Author Bio

Catherine Fearns is a writer from Liverpool. Her novels Reprobation (2018) and Consuming Fire (2019) are published by Crooked Cat and are both Amazon bestsellers. As a music journalist Catherine has written for Pure Grain Audio, Broken Amp and Noisey. Her short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in Toasted Cheese, Succubus, Here Comes Everyone, Off shoots and Metal Music Studies. She lives in Geneva with her husband and four children, and when she’s not writing or parenting, she plays guitar in a heavy metal band.

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @metalmamawrites
Website:https://www.catherine-fearns.com/

How A Woman Becomes A Lake by Marjorie Celona REVIEW

How A Woman Becomes A Lake

by Marjorie Celona

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis:

It's New Year's Day and the residents of a small fishing town are ready to start their lives anew. Leo takes his two young sons out to the lake to write resolutions on paper boats. That same frigid morning, Vera sets out for a walk with her dog along the lake, leaving her husband in bed with a hangover.

But she never returns. She places a call to the police saying she's found a boy in the woods, but the call is cut short by a muffled cry. Did one of Leo's sons see Vera? What are they hiding about that day? And why are they so scared of their own father?

Told from shifting perspectives, How a Woman Becomes a Lake is a compelling, lyrical novel about family, new beginnings, and costly mistakes, and asks, what do you do when the people who are meant to love you the most, fail?

Review Links:

CA - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0735235848

US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735235848

Review:

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

How A Woman Becomes A Lake is a dark, sad, dramatic work of fiction that will not be for everyone. Thankfully, I really, really enjoyed it. I would have to say this ended up being one of my favorite thrillers of the year.

I thought Celona's writing was absolutely magnificent. The way she was able to put me on an emotional roller coaster that kept me hooked on every page was wonderful. My heart was broken so many times throughout these pages. The characters were so incredibly flawed in a way that twists your emotions to make you feel multiple things for each character. The story is told through multiple person POV. I feel like each glimpse into their thoughts provided a layer of intrigue and interest to the story. I really just can't praise it up enough.

If you're looking for a dark mystery that will break your heart I'd recommend giving this one a try.