Designed by Destiny by Maya Tyler

November 15, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Designed by Destiny by Maya Tyler
Fairy Godmothers Incorporated, #1
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Confirmed bachelor Nicholas Grey is more than the playboy perpetrated by the tabloids. Now his position as CEO of the architecture firm Grey & Company is on the line, and his mother’s interference is making things more difficult. Nick’s committed to his work, but, in order to be taken seriously, he needs to land a huge project. A stable personal life will help guarantee the contract.

Fairy Godmother Faye Delmore hears Nick’s plea and steps in to help. Posing as a publicist, she suggests a strategy to polish his public image, which includes convincing Beth to play his wife. Faye knows Nick needs the huge project to save his job, but she also knows he needs Beth in his life.

What happens when you add a fairy godmother who loves playing matchmaker into the equation? A future designed by destiny.

If readers enjoy the fake fiancé trope, then this is a fun story to try. Bethany Clark and Nicholas Grey accidently meet during a meet and greet at an architectural conference. What I found interesting is that there is a fuzzy thread of ‘love at first sight’ though that’s not the theme of this romance tale. Nevertheless, their initial contact frankly screamed attraction and interest. The author wasted no time in creating a situation of desperation, the catalyst that starts a series of events Nicholas could never have conceived. It quickly snowballs out of control and he and Beth have to navigate it as a team.

The thing about two strangers coming together in this manner means that there’s a lot of vulnerability that can easily be taken advantage by unscrupulous characters. And boy oh boy did the author create some whackos. Poor Nick was surrounded by them, and it shocked me that one of them was a member of his own family. Even though it’s a common kind of wrinkle in fledging relationships, Ms. Tyler used it to good effect. I kept hoping for a fairytale ending, and I kind of got one, but not in the manner I expected.

This book, though touted as paranormal, wasn’t heavy with it. It’s a light touch via the gentle guidance/inference of a fairy godmother, Faye. What was unexpected is the sub-story of Faye’s own doomed romance also getting a second chance. While I wasn’t thrilled with the ‘interruption’, Faye’s character grew on me. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with hoping for two ‘happy ever afters’, right?

I really liked Cara, Beth’s best friend. Everyone should have a friend like Cara. In a way, Nick had his best friend, Greg, to rely on as well, but I was ambivalent about him for most of the story. I was worried he would end up like Jason Alexander’s character from Pretty Woman – there were subtle similarities and it preyed on my mind in the background every time he was on scene. I don’t know if it was accident or design by the author, but it provided a heightened sense of worry for both Nick and Beth – I really wanted them to be happy. I became 100% engaged in their journey to a happy ever after that I felt they both deserved. I am relieved to report that this romance story satisfied my optimistic hope for the couple – after a very scary encounter with an enraged and vengeful secondary character. I didn’t expect that and was properly stunned.

Designed by Destiny is a really good read and a wonderful romance story. It includes variations of the tropes of the genre that fans will recognize, but Ms. Tyler uses them to create an engaging and entertaining tale of two unlikely people who share a passion for architecture and discover a new passion, for each other. Its ending shows a promising future for both Nick and Beth as they both open themselves up to trust, love, and the realization that together, they could conquer anything. I think the only thing that could have made this story even better would have been adding an epilogue showing the fruits of their new dream. Alas, I have to use my imagination – which isn’t too much of a stretch. The author laid a solid foundation that pretty much guaranteed their solid HEA. I definitely recommend this book and if you do decide to pick up your own copy, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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*Love Me Like You Do by Erika Kelly

November 10, 2022 By Leave a Comment


*Love Me Like You Do by Erika Kelly
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

How did the hottest hockey player in the NHL wind up braiding hair and hosting tea parties?

Because someone was foolish enough to name him co-guardian of their children. That’s how.

Cole Montgomery’s living his best life–until he gets a call from an attorney letting him know he’s been entrusted with the care of two little girls. He can’t imagine why anyone would think he was a good role model. He can’t even keep a plant alive.

Lingerie designer Hailey Casselton grew up with a free-spirited mother. So, when she finds out she’s the temporary co-guardian to two children, she’s determined to give them the best Christmas they’ve ever had. Unfortunately, she has to live with the jerk from high school who ruined her senior year.

But she gets a glimpse of the man behind Cole’s larger-than-life persona, and she likes what she sees. He might be used to living for himself, but he works hard to change his ways and meet the needs of these lost and scared girls. It doesn’t take long for her to enter dangerous territory–falling for a guy who’s never going to settle down.

Except…as much as Cole keeps saying he can’t wait to get his freedom back…he can’t deny these girls–and okay, even Hailey–have become the very best part of his life.

And he’s not quite sure what to do about that.

Erika Kelly is one of my favorite authors because she knows how to paint a picture. In her newest book, Love Me Like You Do, she writes an emotional story about two people going through some heartbreaking circumstances and falling in love along the way.

I loved reading Cole and Hailey’s story. They knew each other in high school and circumstances brought them back together again. Cole and Hailey have to deal with tough issues and make difficult decisions, not only about their lives, but the two little girls that have been entrusted into their care.

Cole and Hailey are both careful with their hearts. They yearn for a home and family, something neither one of them grew up with. The small town of Calamity is the perfect place for them both to heal, love and live.

Cole is a professional hockey player whose whole life revolves around hockey, and he is shocked when he discovers his best friend has died and left him in charge of his two daughters. Cole is such a great guy; he deserves to have everything. He is successful and charming, yet he is insecure when it comes to Hailey. Cole loves everything about Hailey, but she is clueless.

Hailey is working every waking minute trying to make it as a designer in New York when she rushes back to Calamity after being told she is now co guardian of two little girls.

Cole and Hailey have unresolved issues from the past that they slowly resolve as they spend time together. They are perfect for each other, and I easily fell into this wonderful story and kept reading because I needed to know what would happen next. I highly recommend this one.

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*Princess and the Player by Isla Madden-Mills

November 8, 2022 By Leave a Comment


*Princess and the Player by Isla Madden-Mills
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Levelheaded Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade ball—at an exclusive lifestyle club.

There, she meets unknown-to-her NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask—he’s there to celebrate his birthday. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.

Unfortunately, Francesca realizes quickly that her masked prince is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Getting tangled up with a shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs right now, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her (not that she’s his type anyway).

But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve…a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?

I loved reading Tuck and Francesca’s story. When they meet there is an immediate connection, and they have one incredible night together. After that night, neither one of them has any expectations of ever meeting again, but fate has other ideas.

I found Tuck easy to like. He Is successful in football, but unfortunately, his personal life is a mess. At thirty-five he is the oldest wide receiver in football, and he is not sure what he will do when his football career is over. Tuck’s life seems to be going downhill and he isn’t sure what to do about it. When Tuck meets Francesca again, he wants to spend time with her, but he has a hard time convincing her it’s a good idea.

I easily connected with Tuck and Francesca, and I was rooting for them because they both deserve some good in their lives. I felt sorry for them because neither of them has had an easy life, they are both flawed and have baggage from their pasts.

This is a wonderfully written story and it left me with a good feeling. Tuck and Francesca are perfect for each other.

They are interesting, easy to connect with and I enjoyed all of their encounters. I also enjoyed the odd assortment of friends in this story. They add a lot of laughter and entertainment. I highly recommend the Princess and the Player.

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This Calder Sky by Janet Dailey

November 4, 2022 By Leave a Comment


This Calder Sky by Janet Dailey
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The great Calder empire stretched across the Montana plains as far as the eye could see. Everyone knew a Calder’s word was law and that one day Chase Calder would carry the family name to new glories. But for handsome, arrogant Chase Calder there was also beautiful Maggie O’Rourke, who came to him in innocence and stirred in him a deep, insistent longing. But Maggie was determined to be free from the harsh codes of hard men. And even Chase Calder’s strong arms couldn’t keep her. Still, in them both burned the raw passion of the land…where even the greatest love must fight to live beneath This Calder Sky.

Two souls bound to come together, but boy are there some wrinkles in this plan.

I’ve only read a couple books by Janet Dailey, but I was urged to read more by this author because these are some of the classics of romance. This is some of where the romance genre really came into its own. I’ll certainly read others by this author because I see why this author is so well-loved.

The pacing was interesting. There were moments when the characters weren’t together, but they weren’t far from each other’s mind. I liked that. I liked that Chase was so alpha. He knew what he wanted, but he was smart enough to realize he wasn’t ready to have it. That takes guts.

I have a few quibbles with this book though. Maggie is fifteen when the story starts. When she and Chase get together the first time…she’d underage and he’s not. That really bugged me because I kept thinking she was a child. It wasn’t right. Another thing that bothered me was how she went from naïve to experienced in seconds. It seemed a bit unrealistic. I get that this book was originally published in 1981, but even then, the age gap at that time seemed too much. I also didn’t get into the big chunks of the book where the main characters were so far away from each other. But that’s just me. There’s also the trigger warning that there is animal abuse in this book. This might not bother some, as it’s fiction, but if you’re not a fan, then you might want to skip those pages.

I’ve left quite a bit of negative about this book, but there are some positives, too. I liked the interaction between Chase and Maggie in the second half of the book. The tenderness showed right through. I liked how Chase was with Ty, too. He came into his own as a father.

If you’re looking for a book that’s certainly vintage, but still interesting, then this might be the book to try. Give it a shot.

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Dark Whisper by Christine Feehan

November 1, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Dark Whisper by Christine Feehan
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva is a Lycan of royal blood. She knows what is expected of her, but all she wants is to be out from under her family’s watchful eyes. There is a fire inside her that is building. A restlessness coupled with a sense of growing dread. Every day she feels the weight of the legacy passed down through generations. The prophecy that says a man will come to claim her as his mate, and that she will guard his soul. She knows nothing about him except that he is hers. But nothing seems real until the night she meets him in the flesh….

Afanasiv Belan is a Carpathian, an ancient one. In all the centuries of his existence, no one has ever affected him like Vasilisa. He can see into her mind and feel what is in her heart. They are so alike, warriors bound by honor and plagued by secrets. They both know they must reveal the darkest parts of their souls if they hope to survive and protect the ones they love.

But if they claim each other as lifemates, it will change them down to the bone. They will become something more—something feared by both of their kinds….

The action is well-written, the suspense and drama are strong, and the characters are as interesting as ever. What I liked about Dark Whisper is that there is no stupid drama about the heroine resenting or resisting Afanasiv’s claim to her, or the possessive alpha nature of the hero. Vasilisa is well aware of what she guards, and I actually like that about her. No unnecessary angst, just a strong sense of self, knowing her duty and the confidence of her skill to carry it out, come what may. She’s a very strong heroine.

Both hero and heroine work well together. They don’t get a lot of down time because the pace of this novel is non-stop. The plot conflict keeps coming at them. But with their allies, Afanasiv and Vasilisa are up to the task of fighting off demons, vampires and betrayers. It’s a dark read which fits the title appropriately.

The ending is a bit abrupt, and I wasn’t expecting that. Usually there’s a wrap up that gives a reader time to admire all the threads of the plot being wrapped up, including the happy ever after. It felt like a roller coaster ride that ended too soon, up, down whoosh and …done. It was still a good tale, entertaining and engaging. Afanasiv and Vasilisa definitely complement each other. There were even a few surprises which I enjoyed.

I’m not too thrilled with the current story arc. I’ve been a fan of the series for a very long time, and most of the books are awesome. This one with the demons and Lilith mixing with vampires and mages just seems like it’s pushing the envelope into an area I don’t care for. The one sticky point that bothered me the most was the use of holy water. It seemed disingenuous because there was no correlation to anything referring to Christianity in Dark Whisper. I am used to holy water being directly associated with some type of Christian faith because it’s one of the most potent, visible and easily accessible symbols, yet it’s frequently taken out of context, using all its power but none of its source. I’m all for engaging willing suspension of disbelief in order to enjoy the paranormal romances I read, but I can’t ignore the use of something with power devoid of what gives it power in the first place. Using it on evil beings and then expecting me to believe that it would have the same powerful effect as if it were produced from the sole source, a Christian religion, but not? Nope, that didn’t work for me. It didn’t completely kick me out of enjoying all the other aspects of the novel. Like I said, there was a lot going on, but I took note, and it bothered me enough to mention it. It’s a good thing that there were many other facets of the tale I did like. There were exciting and powerful characters helping the hero and heroine out and I enjoyed the idea that there is something about Skyler that could create a new story arc for her and Dimitri. It certainly brought up more questions than answers, but they are captivating ideas to ponder. Then there’s the mention of the trapped Carpathian, Justice. Something big is building, that’s for sure. I’m glad they got one of the bad guys out of the picture. How they did it was sort of gruesome but extremely apropos. This is a dark romantic paranormal suspense after all. Ms. Feehan knows what she’s about.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It’s a good read and I think fans of the series will like it. I did go, Wow! a few times and threw in a whoa! or two as well. It’s worth checking out.

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Square Penny: Romance and Mystery Afoot by Shelley White

November 1, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Square Penny: Romance and Mystery Afoot by Shelley White
In for a Penny Series, #2
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

With the dramatic conclusion of Penny Gothic and Tripp’s self-realization, Penny’s happily ever after should be just around the corner…right? What happens when neither main character is ready to ride off into the sunset? They read another book.

The couple meet up in 50s-era teen series Pom Squad Mystery #17. They channel their inner Nancy Drew and Ned to solve the corny mystery of the missing time capsule.

Meanwhile, Penny’s research into her family legacy produces information that suggests sexy neighbor, Gregorio, might be more than just a secondary character.

When the mystery is solved will Penny and Tripp be ready to take their romance into the real world or will unanswered questions still stand in their way?

If you like gentle fiction, look no further.

I was once again amused by Penny’s healthy suspicion of and intelligent responses to some of the tropes of the romance genre that would be unusual to find in the real world. That is to say, she wasn’t the sort of character who leapt into anything without knowing exactly where she’d land first and what she’d do if something didn’t turn out the way she expected it to. That endeared me to her just as much as it did in the first book. She was relatable, funny, and well-rounded.

It would have been helpful to have a little more time dedicated to the mystery storyline. I was interested in how it would play out but didn’t find enough clues to help me come up with good theories about what happened to the missing time capsule. This was the only issue preventing me from choosing a full five-star rating as I enjoyed everything else about this book.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about this series so far has been how much time the slow-burn romance has been given time to develop. While this can be read as a standalone work, I’d recommend starting with Penny Gothic: A Romance of Fictitious Proportions if you want to fully appreciate all of the effort the author put into setting up the framework for Penny and Tripp to fall in love. These sorts of storylines are so much more meaningful to me when I’ve had ample time to get to know the characters and discover the reasons why they’d make a fantastic match.

Square Penny: Romance and Mystery Afoot was a lighthearted and entertaining read.

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Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ The Akseli by Dianne Duvall, Kirsten Potter (Narrator)

October 31, 2022 By 3 Comments


The Akseli by Dianne Duvall, Kirsten Potter (Narrator)
Aldebarian Alliance, Book 4
Publisher: Self-Published, Tantor Audio (Publisher)
Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Simone has hunted and slain psychotic vampires night after night for hundreds of years and desperately needs a change. When the leader of the Immortal Guardians offers her an opportunity to guard ten mortal women who are venturing to another planet, she dives right in and finds traveling into space and meeting amazing alien races just as exciting as she’d hoped… until an enemy attacks. Simone saves everyone she can before she’s thrust into an escape pod and the ship explodes. Alone, fearing some—if not all—of her friends have been killed, she vows to seek vengeance.

Despite his fierce reputation and propensity for violating the law, Janwar has formed a friendship with strait-laced Prince Taelon of Lasara. When the prince’s ship is destroyed, Janwar joins the massive Aldebarian Alliance-wide search and rescue mission and soon locates the Gathendien ship that launched the attack. An odd thing happens, however, as he and his crew stealthily approach it. The lifeforms inside begin to perish, two or three at a time in quick succession. Much to his surprise, someone else has reached the ship first: one of the very Earth women he hoped to rescue.

Fascinatingly fierce, Simone bands together with Janwar and his crew to search for her missing friends and wreak havoc upon those who wish to harm them. She also widens eyes, drops jaws, and sparks laughter and mischief as she banishes the warriors’ world-weariness and makes each day seem like a new adventure. The friendship that grows between Janwar and Simone swiftly deepens into love. But the enemy warriors they face are tenacious and boast more weapons in their arsenal than the alliance knows. Can Janwar, Simone, and such a small crew vanquish them?

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Miscellaneous Musings, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: ,

Bella Cigna by Wendi Dass

October 31, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Bella Cigna by Wendi Dass
Foreign Endearments, Book 1
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Devastated by personal loss, Sarah Flynn escapes to Rome where she finds a job teaching English. Only the girls’ school is like a nunnery and she’s expected to speak fluent Italian overnight. What has she gotten herself into? While the beautiful sights rekindle her interest in art, not even her brush finding canvas can heal all the wounds she carries. She’ll need the help of a meddling nun, a nutty mathematician, and a handsome Italian admirer. Can Sarah overcome the insecurities born of a shattered marriage? Will she again take a chance on love?

This is a character driven, drama-infused novel of a very flawed woman trying to find her way back from the betrayal of her husband, someone she trusted implicitly. His leaving Sarah like she was nothing to him was traumatic and sent the heroine into an emotional quagmire.

Sarah’s friend, Meredith, is crucial in not only supporting the heroine, but giving her advice and a shoulder to cry on when needed. She also acts as a sounding board on and off throughout the novel. Another person that interacts with Sarah is her mother. The relationship is very similar to real life – a relationship that bounces between love, annoyance, impatience, gratefulness, supportiveness and every other quirk that can exist between a mother and a daughter. There are quite a number of interpersonal relationships sprinkled throughout the book – not all of them are benign. Then there’s Anna. I liked her. She is a young, quirky and energetic young woman who ends up taking the older Sarah under her wing. It’s up to the reader to decide if that is a good or bad thing. I think Anna was a good-hearted young lady who was still maturing during the course of the novel. Sister Maria is another secondary character that I felt was crucial to the romance’s success.

When I said that Sarah was flawed; that’s an understatement. Lying by omission comes back to haunt her. Going against her better judgement and drinking to excess in a foreign country also comes into play as a plot conflict. Her lack of self-esteem, her lack of confidence in herself as a woman, courtesy of her ex-husband, messes with her decision-making skills and she makes some bad ones. Repeatedly. Then she comes up against a sexual predator, so that may be a trigger for some readers. Sarah goes through so many ups and downs, it made me dizzy. Eventually things even out and a reader can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the hints of an HEA become realized.

This is ultimately a romance story, and Eduardo and his daughter are the bright spots that made this novel enjoyable. I really adored every interaction between Sarah and Lucia, Eduardo’s daughter. I felt they were the most beautiful exchanges in the whole book. Eduardo is a very nice guy, handsome and rich, but he can be very emotional and easily hurt. But he is also very forgiving, and that part of his nature is key in the success of the romance.

The happy ever after is hard won but satisfying in the end. Actually, it’s a very happy HEA and I was thrilled for Sarah. After everything she went through, she deserved to be happy. Bella Cigna is not an easy read but it’s a good story with a nice romance between two people that sound like someone you could meet in real life.

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The Akseli by Dianne Duvall, Kirsten Potter (Narrator)

October 28, 2022 By 3 Comments


The Akseli by Dianne Duvall, Kirsten Potter (Narrator)
Aldebarian Alliance, Book 4
Publisher: Self-Published, Tantor Audio (Publisher)
Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Simone has hunted and slain psychotic vampires night after night for hundreds of years and desperately needs a change. When the leader of the Immortal Guardians offers her an opportunity to guard ten mortal women who are venturing to another planet, she dives right in and finds traveling into space and meeting amazing alien races just as exciting as she’d hoped… until an enemy attacks. Simone saves everyone she can before she’s thrust into an escape pod and the ship explodes. Alone, fearing some—if not all—of her friends have been killed, she vows to seek vengeance.

Despite his fierce reputation and propensity for violating the law, Janwar has formed a friendship with strait-laced Prince Taelon of Lasara. When the prince’s ship is destroyed, Janwar joins the massive Aldebarian Alliance-wide search and rescue mission and soon locates the Gathendien ship that launched the attack. An odd thing happens, however, as he and his crew stealthily approach it. The lifeforms inside begin to perish, two or three at a time in quick succession. Much to his surprise, someone else has reached the ship first: one of the very Earth women he hoped to rescue.

Fascinatingly fierce, Simone bands together with Janwar and his crew to search for her missing friends and wreak havoc upon those who wish to harm them. She also widens eyes, drops jaws, and sparks laughter and mischief as she banishes the warriors’ world-weariness and makes each day seem like a new adventure. The friendship that grows between Janwar and Simone swiftly deepens into love. But the enemy warriors they face are tenacious and boast more weapons in their arsenal than the alliance knows. Can Janwar, Simone, and such a small crew vanquish them?

Looking for an edge-of-your-seat, romantic suspense, sci-fi adventure that will knock your socks off? The Akseli is definitely the book to check out. There are space battles, sword fights, alien monsters, narrow escapes, action behind enemy lines on an ice planet, an A.I. program that can actually be considered a secondary character, and a romance that made my little heart go pitter-patter.

That list is only a tiny fraction of what made this story stand out as it amazed and enthralled me and had me listening to the audio version twice – some scenes, thrice. Lest a reader worry that it’s all flash-bang action, I assure you that there are tender moments, sweet moments, character dialogue that made me sniffle and my heart hurt for some of the guys in the scenes. Janwar’s crew each have their own story, and I will tell you, every single one needs their own HEA. You want tortured heroes? Men who’ve been hurt, scorned, made examples of and treated as pariahs by either their culture or their families? My heart broke for each of these brave men that Janwar now calls family. They all have good hearts, are actually noble and, even having chosen an unorthodox career in order to survive, have resisted becoming villains and instead kept their honor and are fiercely loyal to Janwar and to each other. How could the heroine NOT fall in love with Janwar and his ‘family’?

The Gathendiens are back being their dastardly, disgusting, vile, smelly selves – they are the perfect villains. They hate everyone and are bent on genocide towards any civilized planet that has something that they want. And they are not the only characters with defunct moral compasses – a reader finds out there are more deviant, greedy, power-hungry beings that will do anything for power and/or money. One of them reminds me of a character from the second set of Star Wars movies, and the other, is too close to a real-life villain. But I won’t go there. This novel is about a hero and heroine who defy and overcame incredible odds, all in order to rescue victims and friends from evil aliens. The story is about Janwar and Simone falling in love even while in the thick of things. It’s about a man who becomes better, stronger, more focused and more heroic all because of the love of a strong woman with a zest for life and adventure. It’s about acceptance, embracing differences and finding common goals. All of that is woven in throughout the novel with excellent storytelling skill.

If fans listen to the audio version, they are in for an experience of delight, entertainment, laughter and being 100% engaged and invested in every character’s wellbeing. The narrating talent of Ms. Potter is second to none. Each character has their own voice and Ms. Potter uses her voice skills flawlessly. I’ve yet to experience another narrator with her consistent range and ability to express emotions only through voice. Yes, the writing has to have it first, and it does, but the narration explodes the story into brilliant life. It’s one of the reasons that, when it comes to Ms. Duvall’s books, I purchase them in all three formats, audio, print and ebook. I’m always so satisfied, I find it well worth the investment.

The Akseli is a star-quality novel that gives readers a top-notch reading experience that thrills and entertains non-stop, all the way to the perfect and romantic happy ever after ending, with an irresistible hook for the next adventure in the series. Sign me up! I simply can’t get enough of this wonderful universe Ms. Duvall has created through the Aldebarian Alliance. It’s a book addiction worth having.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Life We Dream Of by Jennifer Leigh Pezzano

October 26, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Life We Dream Of by Jennifer Leigh Pezzano
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“Numb. That’s what I had been. That’s what I had always been. Impassively navigating through my life like a habit I could not define. A deep dreamless sleep I stumbled through. And I suddenly wanted to wake up.”

Diagnosed with an incurable cancer, Julia is forced to come to terms with a life largely unlived. Haunted by past trauma and regrets she cannot amend, she has built a wall around herself, insulating her from the world.

But when a chance meeting breaks down her barriers, Julia begins the process of letting life back in, taking her on a journey toward love, self-discovery, and a daughter she never knew. Will she be able to fully make peace with her tangled past and confront all the pain buried beneath the rubble?

The Life We Dream Of is a love story about second chances, overcoming fear, and the boldness one must summon to find healing within.

Healing comes in many forms.

I must admit that it took me a little while to warm up to Julia because of how closed off she was to the world around her and how much she resisted anything that might reveal the deepest parts of her personality. One of the wonderful things about character development is how it can affect the reader’s opinion of a character as that character grows and changes throughout the course of the plot. My first impression of Julia was wildly different from what I thought of her after I finished the final scene, and I tip my cap to the author for digging into the protagonist’s life so deeply that it could produce such a change in my opinions.

The romantic storyline was handled perfectly. Julia and her love interest were both people who had excellent reasons to believe that romance was no longer something meant for them, the least of which were the serious health diagnoses that were threatening their lives. I appreciated how much effort Ms. Pezzano put into exploring why these characters had shut the door on falling in love again as well as why they both decided that it might be worth exploring after all.

Some books have writing styles that are as smooth as butter, and this was one of them. There wasn’t a single thing I’d recommend changing about the way this was written. I laughed, cried, and felt swells of many other emotions cresting over me, too, as I read it. This was even more true as the ending loomed and I knew I had to say goodbye to these characters soon.

The Life We Dream Of was a beautifully satisfying read.

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