SEEING GRAY by C.E. Brown

Fiction, YA Urban Fantasy

5*****

Blurb: Celestials have been killing Seers for centuries, as prophesy states that a Seer will overthrow Celestial rule. Worried for Zoey’s safety, her parents forbid her from registering as a Seer and interacting with the Celestials, Fae, and Demons who hide among humankind. Zoey is forced to wear a necklace that hides magic from her and conceals her magic from them. Witness to her mother’s murder at the hands of a Demon, Zoey vows to track down her mother’s killer and make him pay. Embracing her magic, Zoey is brought deeper into the mythical world by an unlikely ally and wonders if perhaps her parents were right to keep her out of it. Will she avenge her mother’s death, or will she meet the same untimely fate?

Thoughts: Although this is obviously part of a serialized story (which I normally do not care for), I really enjoyed this. The main characters did accomplish what they set out to do, but we also know there is a lot more to come.

Zoey is a Seer whose mother refused to register her as a Mythic and tries to keep her hidden from the Mythic world. But Zoey can’t wait to be registered as she believes all good things will come from that. But she finds out that it’s not all good. When she “Sees” the demon who murders her mother, she vows revenge and meets an unlikely ally in the form of Tristan, a demon enforcer who’s hot in more ways than one. They form an unlikely alliance as both need something only the other can get.

Zoey is a great character. She is rash and impulsive—which gets her into a lot of trouble. In fact, all the characters are great, as is the world building. We get to see all the different realms and species – like Carrion, the troll that Zoey befriends. There is a lot to like about this book and I am looking forward to more in the series.

Definitely recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

THE STONE WITCH OF FLORENCE by Kelly Sweeney

Fiction, Historical, Medieval Magical Mystery

3***

Blurb: Ancient sorcery. Magic gemstones. Only one woman can save a city in ruins…
1348. As the Black Plague ravages Italy, Ginevra di Gasparo is summoned to Florence after nearly a decade of lonely exile. Ginevra has a gift—harnessing the hidden powers of gemstones, she can heal the sick. But when word spread of her unusual abilities, she was condemned as a witch and banished. Now the same men who expelled Ginevra are begging for her return. Ginevra obliges, assuming the city’s leaders are finally ready to accept her unorthodox cures amid a pandemic. But upon arrival, she is tasked with a much different she must use her collection of jewels to track down a ruthless thief who is ransacking Florence’s churches for priceless relics—the city’s only hope for protection. If she succeeds, she’ll be a recognized physician and never accused of witchcraft again. But as her investigation progresses, Ginevra discovers she’s merely a pawn in a much larger scheme than the one she’s been hired to solve. And the dangerous men behind this conspiracy won’t think twice about killing a stone witch to get what they want…

Thoughts: I found this story a little hard to get into, but once I did, it was fascinating, though a little slow at times for me. I did find it dragged a bit even though I liked the history mixed with mysticism. The imagery is amazing and the characters realistic – even for the era. This story takes place in the 1300s in Florence, Italy, during the height of the Black Plague. The main character, Ginevra, is a stone witch—someone who has an affinity with magic, especially gems. All she has wanted all her life is to be recognized by the guild of doctors as a healer. But women are not permitted to be doctors. So she stays in the shadows, helping those who come to her with her potions and magical lapidary (stone) applications. The story is heavily focused on church politics, but does a good job of adding in the elements of gemstone magic, alchemy, and more.

The author’s attention to detail as well as the extensive “author notes” at the back of the book show that she did her homework well. Her research is extensive and shows through with the knowledge of what a person in this time period would be up against, especially if thought to be a witch.

I liked the ending when the Inquisitor Michele and she become friends as they hunt for the lost relics and how, in the end, he accepts that God is working through her and helps her.

Recommended to those who enjoy a medieval tale of magic and the religious issues of the time.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are mine and are not influenced by anyone.

Book:                                      Truth and Dare

Series:                                     The Wonder of Wildflowers

Author:                                   Ann M. Trader

Release Date & Copyright:    7/15/24

Publisher:                               The Wild Rose Press

Genre:                                     Contemporary Romance

Heat Level:                             Steamy (Champagne Line at TWRP)

Book Buy Link:          Books2Read Universal Link

Blurb:

A bright and talented environmental engineer, Goldie Vreeland understands facts and figures, but Max Corda, her secret office obsession, remains a puzzle. On the eve of a business trip to a coastal island, fate intervenes, pairing her with her sexy crush. As she thinks about sharing the same space with Max for a week, her world veers dangerously off course. Fueled by success as engineer and president of his family’s firm, recently divorced Max needs to jumpstart his life. When his father unexpectedly assigns him to Goldie’s project, his closely guarded attraction to her comes front and center. Thoughts of spending a week alone with this beautiful intelligent woman make his internal compass glitch. Romance stirs with the island breeze, so simple when they’re hundreds of miles away from normal. But as Goldie and Max return to reality, will they discover real love is more than a game?

Author Bio:

I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring recipes on the lighter side of southern comfort foods. I’m a member of Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and I love relaxing on my back porch to read and write. These days I take walks around my neighborhood, but when I was sixteen, I hiked the Grand Canyon with a group of friends. I love watching television dramas (in no special order): Palm Royale, The Buccaneers, The Bear, Emily in Paris, Outlander, Shrinking, Shogun, Outer Banks, Stranger Things, The Crown, and Peaky Blinders and reading a great romance book.

Social Media Links:

Amazon Author

BookBub
Facebook 
Goodreads

Twitter

Website:  https://annmtrader.com

Tagline:  Truth makes love real, and with a dare…it’s for keeps.

Excerpt:

Max walked toward me, thumb hooked under the shoulder strap of his bag, and smiled. Clearly, he aces the masculinity test with no preparation at all. He tilted his head, like he was thinking over something. Obviously, he had no idea he could ask me anything, and I’d say yes. Readily. Breathlessly.

 “So,” he said, dragging out the word, “about dinner tonight—”

 “Oh, I got it,” I said, waking up my phone. “Sofia texted me everything. Reservations downstairs at seven o’clock.” From the look of his furrowed brow, I wondered if I had a fleck of apple skin stuck between my teeth from my mid-flight snack.

 “Yeah…there’s been a slight change of plans. You and Ethan were having dinner downstairs. I have something else planned for us.”

 Us. The word sounded dreamy coming from his mouth, floating through the air like a kite in springtime. My toes curled inside my sandals.

 “That text,” he said, gaze flickering to his phone, “was from one of my best friends from college. We’re meeting him and his wife for supper. I don’t know what the hell got into Ethan.” He rubbed his knuckles under his chin. “You can’t come to the coast and eat hotel food. Even this hotel’s food.”

 I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “No, of course not.”

 “We’re meeting Jack and Leigh at Thibodeaux’s at eight.”

 Thibodeaux’s. The name twirled through my thoughts.

 Max leaned a shoulder on the wall, and our gazes met. “It’s this fantastic urban grill—gorgeous waterfront views—fresh catch served daily. Exceptional food and service—”

 As exceptional as you…?

 “—so, how’s that sound?”

 My heart skipped a pair of beats, then I relaxed into my natural Goldie grin. “Sounds wonderful.”

For some reason, over the past two weeks, I have been inundated with requests for reviews and/or spotlights. While I love this, and love to help out my fellow authors, I know some of you are wondering why I haven’t posted your review yet. Well, it’s mostly because I currently have twenty-five requests on my list and I’m only one person and… I am guilty of trying to not turn down a request (exceptions do apply though!). So, yes, it is all my fault, but I promise you, I will get to your review as soon as I possibly can.

You see, I do actually have a life (though my kids might argue with that) outside of my reviews. I am also a writer. And a volunteer at the local library where I’m currently doing inventory and cataloging. And helping out a friend who got hit by a car two weeks ago (she is laid up with two broken legs, a broken wrist and concussion). And all the other stuff that goes with living a life.

So I promise, I will get to your book. Just give me some time. 🙂

And enjoy your life! Don’t forget to go out and have some fun. And hug your families and friends.

Hugs everyone!

NORTHERN LIGHTS IN HIS EYES by Andrew Grey

Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Gay, Steamy Heat

5*****

Blurb: When Garvin Haverton lost his husband, he lost himself. Unable to bear the reminders of their love, he left his friends in Los Angeles for the remote Alaskan wilderness, cut ties with his old life, and started over. Model William Moreau has let Garvin hide for long enough. He misses his friendship, and he has to know if the spark he felt between them could ignite the love of a lifetime. So he packs a bag, books a flight, rents a car… and almost gets himself killed in a blizzard. When William shows up half-frozen, Garvin is furious. Unlike William, he doesn’t need to be rescued. He has a life in new friends, a dog, a job. But he can’t kick William out into the cold, and it doesn’t take many long, cold Alaskan nights before he realizes that he may have a life, but he hasn’t moved on. He could do that with William. The chemistry between them could heat his little cabin all on its own. But William’s life is in LA, and Garvin can’t go back. Is their unlooked-for romance doomed from the start?

Thoughts: It’s rare that a setting is so well done that it comes across almost as a character in and of itself. This story is one of those rare occurrences. Set in a small village in the Alaskan wilderness, the descriptions are so vivid that you can really picture it. Especially when the artist friend Devon describes the way the light plays off the snow and how it’s not all white. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a description so beautifully done. Kudos to the author for this.

Then there’s the bits about the cold and how dangerous it is and how dehydrating. I actually laughed at the one point where Garvin wants to go out the next day because it might actually get up to freezing and be nice for an outing.

Finally, there are the characters. Garvin is perfectly flawed in that he buried himself in his grief and hid away from those who cared about him. Enter William, a friend who wants to be more, but he has to track down Garvin and convince him to join the living. Then there are the friends at the general store and how everyone helps everyone. And there’s a little bit of danger with the explosion, the avalanche, the miners… and it’s amazing how William jumps in to help. The pull between the two men is well-done and their issues give them conflict. And the HEA ending satisfied.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

CRUEL CHARADE by Alana Lorens

Fiction, Thriller,

4****

Blurb: Miami attorney Bet Lenard has had a rough year. She’s battling an unknown illness that drives her to drink to cope with her pain. Her lawyer husband has divorced her and taken the best part of their business, their home and their children. On the night of May 16, 1996, Bet finds herself in the Everglades in the middle of the night, drugged, lost and next to a burned car with a dead body in it. Hoping she’s hit bottom, Bet must drag herself out of her living hell and discover who tried to kill her. Was it her ex-husband, not satisfied with stealing everything that mattered? An angry client, unhappy with the outcome of their case? Her best friend’s husband, livid that Bet’s restraining order kicked him out of her life forever? Police officers fuming that Bet helped a client convict a dirty cop who was their friend? She has no idea.
As she tries to sort out the motives behind her would-be killer, even more suspects come to light. The only thing keeping Bet sane is her relationship with her therapist, who encourages her to struggle and survive, despite everything that’s gone wrong. How will Bet discover the truth and bring her enemy to justice before they strike again and, this time, succeed?

Thoughts: There is a lot going on in this story. It’s all about Bet Lenard, and the story is in her POV, but it goes back and forth from present time to her past so you get all the reasons behind what’s happening in the back story. Bet is nearly killed in the Everglades in a car fire. She barely gets back from that before other things start happening. As a criminal lawyer, she’s often worked with dangerous people, but she’s not sure who is doing this to her—and there are a lot of possibilities, including her ex-husband.

There’s enough going on in this story that you definitely will not get bored – right up to the last page! Just when you think everything is solved, you turn the page and… it’s not! Nicely done. The only thing that kept me from giving this five stars was the back-and-forth in past/present. Not one of my favorite types of writing, but overall, the story is excellent.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

TRUTH AND DARE by Ann M. Trader

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

4****

Blurb: A bright and talented environmental engineer, Goldie Vreeland understands facts and figures, but Max Corda, her secret office obsession, remains a puzzle. On the eve of a business trip to a coastal island, fate intervenes, pairing her with her sexy crush. As she thinks about sharing the same space with Max for a week, her world veers dangerously off course.
Fueled by success as engineer and president of his family’s firm, recently divorced Max needs to jumpstart his life. When his father unexpectedly assigns him to Goldie’s project, his closely guarded attraction to her comes front and center. Thoughts of spending a week alone with this beautiful intelligent woman make his internal compass glitch. Romance stirs with the island breeze, so simple when they’re hundreds of miles away from normal. But as Goldie and Max return to reality, will they discover real love is more than a game?

Thoughts: Have you ever played the game “Truth or Dare”? The game is the basis of an important conversation between Max and Goldie. That was the beginning of their relationship. The entire book is about the sexual draw between the two of them. They work in the same company, but not together (except on rare occasions), so there is no conflict there, but there is plenty later on because of miscommunications. Both of them have a lot of baggage that makes relationships difficult.

This was a romance in every sense of the word. The first night with the “phone sex” was hot even though nothing happened. The heat continued through the book with them ending up together in spite of everything. (Come on, it’s a romance! Of course they end up together – the story is about how they get there!) I loved their families, especially Goldie’s (and the family names). There wasn’t a lot of “setting” done, but that wasn’t a problem as the emotions carry the entire story.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

MISTAKEN IDENTITY MURDER by Leslie Langtry

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Merry Wrath, ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader, is having a hard time dealing with the fact that the girls in her troop are now at that extremely dangerous age—the middle school years. Bearing this in mind, Merry should have anticipated what disaster chaperoning the school dance would be. Chaos reigns with everything from a rogue attack penguin to a punch-induced hallucination brought on by the very latest synthetic LSD. Things only get worse when a man is murdered, and the killer has been caught on camera—and is none other than Merry Wrath!  Merry knows she’s innocent, but proving it to the police is another matter. And family issues are keeping her awake at night too, now that Merry’s hosting the Holy Mud Man from Chechnya and his goat Warren, to see if her new twin nephews are prophets. Add to that the zoo is considering revoking Scout Lauren’s junior zookeeper status, and there’s a howler monkey loose in City Hall, and Merry may just be in over her head. Can she control her girls and solve the case before Officer Kevin Dooley and his hamster patrol throw her in jail?

Thoughts: This was a hilarious, sometimes confusing, oddball cozy mystery. If you take all the weird characters you’ve read about, put them in a town called “Who’s There”, and add in the CIA, hamsters who are cops, a hermit who parades as a Hobbit, a Holy Mud Man, and a town mayor who’s a thirteen-year-old girl (who likes to take animals from the zoo for fun), and you’ll get an idea of what’s going on here.

Actually, no you won’t. But all of the above is in there and plenty more. Merry is an ex-CIA operative. Her best friend is an ex-assassin (and enemy!). Merry’s husband, Rex, is the town cop and he shows her a video of her stabbing a man to death. And Merry and friends are off and running to prove her innocence. Merry also runs the local girl scout group—but those girls are scary! While the demon cultists aren’t. There are a lot of suspects in the story for Merry and friends to track down.

I found the story to be a fun read with a satisfying ending, but, like most series, coming into it not from the beginning, can be confusing at times. Though the author does an excellent job at weaving in the various connections between everyone. I would have liked a little more scenery, though, but overall, a decent story.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

PINNED 4 MURDER by J.C. Eaton

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, #13 in series

5*****

Blurb: When a dead body shows up in the pin return at Sun City West’s bowling alley, it’s only the beginning of a tumultuous league season for this retirement community . . . With a killer in their midst and a high-tech developer threatening to overhaul their beloved bowling alley, the seniors of Sun City West turn to amateur sleuth Sophie “Phee” Kimball to strike back at both culprits. She’s been recruited by her mother’s friends before, but this time Phee finds herself pulled in two directions when one of the book club ladies gets tangled in the clutches of a dangerous cyber-scammer who pretends to be the love of her life. Phee’s investigation grows even more complicated when the bowling alley is sabotaged and a flimflammer is found dead in the nearby bushes. With the league tournament in limbo and one of the seniors pegged as the likely murder suspect, Phee will have to cut the cord on the cyber-criminal and pin the killer—before they can strike again . . .

Thoughts: This is the thirteenth book in the Sophie Kimball series. Though I haven’t read others in the series, you can bet I’m going to be looking for them. The author had enough details that I didn’t feel left behind with jumping in. The characters are a hoot, especially Phee’s mother and her chaos-causing dog Streetman.

The story takes place in Glendale, AZ in one of the “senior” areas—Sun City West. The board of directors wants to update the activity center/bowling alley in order to attract a younger crowd, but the seniors want nothing to do with the upgrades. It’s their center. What follows are murders, sabotaged areas, and shenanigans, including cyber-scams with a good friend. Phee’s mother ropes her and her PI husband and his company into investigating what’s going on. But it’s never that simple.

This was a fun story – especially the scene with Streetman in the bowling alley. I laughed at the ensuing chaos. And the description of what was happening with Gloria and her scammer was all too real, and something that occurs much too often. Realistic characters and situations make for good reading.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.