*Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin

May 23, 2022 By Leave a Comment


*Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin
The Texas Murder Files Book 3
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

After a scandal derails her television reporting career, Macey Burns comes looking for a change of pace in Lost Beach, Texas. She’s ready to focus on her first passion—documentary filmmaking—and has a new job working for the island’s tourism board, shooting footage of the idyllic beachside community. Her plans for a relaxing rebound are dashed when she realizes the cottage she’s renting belonged to the woman whose body was just found in the sand dunes.

Detective Owen Breda is under intense pressure to solve this murder. Violent crimes are rising in his small town, and he can’t stand to see anyone else hurt…especially not the beautiful documentarian who keeps showing up at the precinct.

With the clock ticking, cameras rolling, and body count climbing, Macey and Owen must use all their resources to find the killer without getting caught in the crosshairs.

Lost Beach, a sleepy little beach town in Texas becomes the scene of a grizzly murder. I was excited to read Laura Griffin’s newest book, Midnight Dunes because she knows how to write a suspenseful story, with just the right amount of romance. Laura Griffin is one of my favorite authors and she never disappoints me when I read her books.

The two main characters in this story, Owen and Macy, are brought together when Macy is hired to film a tourism film for Lost Beach. Owen works as a detective in the small town and is working on the case of the murdered woman. From the moment they meet, Owen and Macy have sizzling chemistry however, their careers leave them little time for romance.

I liked everything about this intense story. It drew me in and never let me go. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I had no idea who the killer was until the very end. The characters are believable and likeable. There is tension whenever they are together and I enjoyed all of their interactions. The dialogue is realistic, the pacing is perfect and the plot is intriguing and has many twists and turns. This story held me spellbound and I was quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen next. I could feel the tension as Owen and his team race to discover who killed the murdered woman. This story is a exhilarating and hard to put down.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Mr. Right Across the Street by Kathryn Freeman

May 20, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Mr. Right Across the Street by Kathryn Freeman
Romcom Collection, Book 4
Publisher: One More Chapter
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Mia Abbott’s move to Manchester was supposed to give her time and space from all the disastrous romantic choices she’s made in her past. But then the hot guy who lives opposite – the one who works out every day at exactly 10 a.m., not that Mia has noticed thank-you-very-much – starts leaving notes in his window…for her.

Bar owner Luke Doyle has his own issues to deal with but as he shows Mia the sights of her new city he also shows her what real romance looks like for the first time. And when he cooks up a signature cocktail in her honour, she realises that the man behind the bar is even more enticing than any of his creations. And once she’s had a taste she knows it will never be enough!

For pure escapism, this spicy-lite feel-good romance story fit my mood to a T. Mr. Right Across the Street is more like ‘across the complex’ since it takes place between facing apartments. Still, it was a unique way to pursue a romance.

Some readers might think it’s creepy to have messages taped to windows to be seen by someone else, but the author had her main character, Mia, discuss it with her sister, then Ms. Freeman had Luke, the hero, address the issue so as far am I’m concerned, with everything out in the open, I was free to enjoy the quirkiness of the story.

I enjoyed Mia’s growing relationship with her neighbor, the grumpy Stan. The initial description was a turn off but, that’s one of the strong points in this story. Mia attempted to get to know her neighbor and in doing so, went beyond the superficial and discovered the person her neighbor actually was. That reaching out, that overlooking initial appearances is something people forget to do. They get so hung up on the looks that the depths of a person are never revealed, and possible friendships never materialize. I think that is one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. Where there were many opportunities for angst, anger, spite, back-stabbing and over the top emotional drama, Ms. Freeman avoided all that by giving Mia a sunny personality that tried not to be quick to judge, and when she did, and it was found out not to be what she thought, she stepped up to the plate and apologized; she owned her mistake and moved on. Now, that’s not saying the heroine was perfect. Nope, not by a long shot. She has hang-ups that were a bit repetitive, but then again, people who are self-conscious or feel vulnerable about themselves tend to do that – overthink, fret and repeat. Still, it would have been nice to have had a bit less of it.

Luke is a bar owner who has his own demons to deal with. He has secrets that tend to be the ones that stir the plot the most, and could possibly annoy readers the most. Communication is lacking at times on his part. Once a reader gets the entire picture, I guess I can see where he was coming from. His secrets were a little out of the ordinary but it’s the way poor Mia discovers them that I had a hard time with. Luke is fallible, all too human, and has put himself in a very bad situation by the life decisions he’s made so far. Again, Mia has the right to not be so trusting because Luke, who wants to be trusted, just didn’t understand for the longest time that he needed to get over himself and lay it all out there. So, instead, readers are treated to what feels like a dentist appointment – getting those secrets out was like pulling teeth.

I mentioned that this book is spicy-lite. I think this story could have done very well at a sensual level, but there’s the eventual capitulation to the slow burn Mia and Luke have been fanning all through the story and they end up taking it to the bedroom, and the door is left open. I’m glad it was a short visit. I liked the whole premise of the romance, the secondary characters, the plot, the floppy-eared bunny, the brusque neighbor and the loving but interfering family members enough to not need the bedroom details. But, for readers who need to have those scenes in a story, they should be pleased at the delivery.

Another strong aspect that comes through deals with Mia and Freya. That could have been a whole kettle of toxic fish but again, the author gave Mia an inner strength, and a caring and forgiving nature. Forgiveness is a wonderful, healing attribute that not many people remember to practice these days. The author applied it quite effectively and is another reason why I liked this novel.

All in all, Mr. Right Across the Street was a delightful, engaging, and happy romance story that made me smile many times. I’m really glad I read it and think it would be a good book for romance readers to spend time with on a lazy afternoon.

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The Last Goodnight by Kat Martin

May 18, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Last Goodnight by Kat Martin
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

When Kade Logan said goodbye to his estranged wife eight years ago, he never thought it would be the last time he saw her alive. Now her car has been hauled out of a nearby lake and Kade is determined to track down the man who murdered her. Enter Eleanor Bowman, a talented private investigator who’s about to stir up a hornet’s nest on his Colorado ranch.

With old scandals still buzzing about his late wife’s many affairs and new violence erupting, Kade is faced with the discovery of another beautiful woman’s body. Are the two killings linked? Who is the man who seduced, then murdered both victims? Ellie believes they are dangerously close to the truth.

From corporate Denver high-rises to posh Vail mansions, Kade and Ellie sense the killer is closing in again, and this time Ellie is the target. Kade must risk everything to save the woman he’s coming to love—before she becomes the next one to die . . .

Kade Logan had found a way to move past his wife’s murder and life his life. That is, until her car is pulled out of the lake, dredging up all the rumors and hurt she’d left behind. Will he be able to sort through the rumors to find the truth or will he forever wonder who killed his wife?

Eleanor Bowman is an accomplished private investigator and it’s obvious why she’s so good at her job. She’s smart, she’s determined, and she has the charm and wit necessary to get people to let their guard down and talk to her. She’s also an enjoyable heroine. Despite her wariness of Kade in the beginning, she moves past her distrust of men and finds herself in a comfortable place with him.

Kade Logan is dedicated to his ranch, his ranch hands, and his community. However, he can’t rest easy until he knows for sure who killed his wife. His work ethic and dedication to his crew is admirable and he’s assembled a great crew. My one issue with Kade is his sometimes over-the-top alpha male act. He’s hired Ellie to find his wife’s killer and yet, whenever she starts talking to another man, he gets jealous and interferes. It was frustrating to say the least. I will give him credit, however, due to the fact he does learn to curb this instinct by the end of the story. Both Kade and Ellie are strong-willed and passionate. Once they put aside their issues, they make a great couple.

The Last Goodnight is an exciting and steamy story of murder and betrayal. The author does an excellent job of threading bits and pieces together to slowly show you the whole story. I had nearly as many suspects as Kade and Ellie did and only began to figure it out around the same time as they did. This was my first Kat Martin novel, but it’s not going to be my last. I’m eager to find out what happens in the next in the series.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Rose from the Moon by Ilda Kunic

May 13, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Rose from the Moon by Ilda Kunic
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Maybe this reality is only an illusion.

Maybe beyond the dream, life begins where we live love for real.

Rose From the Moon is a beautifully illustrated debut collection of poetry, the first part of the trilogy series, transcendent, authentic, and eclectic journey about soulful growth and development through love, the awakening of the cosmic soul, remembering who you are and who you were before, remembering yourself. The poems are going to take you on a journey beyond the three-dimensional spaces, stepping outside of that illusionary world and sailing into higher states of consciousness, a state of eternal love. The flow of this cosmic love story is divided and immersed into two chapters: You and Waiting. Each chapter presents words intertwined in poems and poems as picturesque illustrations and visionary imagination.

In this illustrative poetic style, Ilda takes readers on an adventurous journey filled with unique, colorfully dreamy imagery and raw, deep emotions , reminding us that love is eternal and immortal, the only true bliss of our souls. “Rose from the Moon” will leave readers curious and inspired to explore this mysterious world filled with love.

Love is a double-edged sword.

The metaphors in this poetry collection were lovely. Many of them included references to things found in nature like shadows and the stars to show how love can affect every aspect of someone’s life. My favorite metaphor was the one that compared falling in love to pieces of an iceberg slowly falling off as the iceberg melted. It was such a vivid description of a natural phenomenon that forever changes the landscape when it occurs.

I would have liked to see a wider variety of words used in this collection as many of them were used repeatedly. While that worked well for the poems that were using similar metaphors, it made other poems blur together in my mind because of how alike they were. With another round of editing to tighten up those lines and add more variety to them, I would have been happy to give this a much higher rating.

Romantic love is capable of bringing great joy as well as unfathomable pain to our lives. Not every relationship lasts an entire lifetime, and even the ones that do must end eventually. I appreciated seeing how much effort the author put into reminding the audience of the dual nature of love. There was often a little pain to be found in the poems extolling the feeling of falling in love as well as some beauty to be found in the poems that discussed what happens when a relationship doesn’t work out.

Rose from the Moon was filled with all of the raw tangle of emotions one can find when they fall in love with someone again or for the first time. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves romantic poetry.

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A Mad Awakening by Sasha Hibbs

May 12, 2022 By Leave a Comment


A Mad Awakening by Sasha Hibbs
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The dead are meant to stay dead. Eighteen-year-old Albert Frank Young knows because he’s one of them. He had his life planned out with intentions of attending college in the fall with his brilliant girlfriend, Mary Shelley. What he didn’t plan for? Dying before his dreams were realized.

Over the course of one night, his life, and Mary’s, change forever. Mary’s brilliance quickly turns into a maddening obsession fueled by the death of Albert. Death took her mother away. She’ll be damned if death takes her boyfriend away too. In crossing the line between life and death, Mary damns them both before she realizes the realm of the living and land of the dead is an arena she has no right to meddle in.

A story of young love, the depths grieving drives the heart to, and the consequences that follow. This gothic tale proves love lives beyond the grave.

Love never dies.

The author did a good job of mixing the science fiction and romance genres, and I’m saying this as a reader who generally prefers to read books that focus on one or the other. I appreciated the hard work Ms. Hibbs put into ensuring that they were both given plenty of time to shine. Some scenes nudged a little further into one direction due to what the plot needed in that moment, but overall everything balanced out nicely.

It was confusing for me to hop between the perspectives of multiple narrators. As much as I enjoyed getting to know them, there simply wasn’t enough time to dig deeply into anyone’s personality or character growth due to how often readers needed to shift from one narrator to a different one. This technique would have worked better for a full-length novel, but eighty-nine pages simply weren’t enough for it to be effective here in my opinion.

I liked the way this novella jumped around in the timeline. There were some incredibly exciting scenes shared in the beginning that made me yearn to find out how they were connected to the quiet life Mary had when the audience first met her. Having that information so early on also made the foreshadowing pop out to me when it showed up. While I didn’t have the full story by any means, I knew enough to start putting the pieces together as soon as they arrived. That was a fantastic choice.

A Mad Awakening was a fun homage to Frankenstein.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

*Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting

May 10, 2022 By Leave a Comment


*Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’. As the business administrator for their family’s event hotel, the Spark House, London has more important things to worry about, like bringing in new clientele.

As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company’s CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago.

As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isn’t until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jackson’s secretive past and London’s struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands – not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.

Helena Hunting is one of my favorite authors and I have read everything she has written, so I was excited to read her newest book, Starry-Eyed Love. Hunting knows how to paint a picture, she is a wonderful storyteller and she makes this story come alive. I devoured this delicious story and I just couldn’t put it down. It has a plot that kept me spellbound, with realistic character development and witty dialogue. In fact, the banter between Jackson and London, the two main characters, was what I loved the most about this story. Their chemistry just explodes off the pages.

London and her sisters own Spark house, a quaint hotel in Colorado surrounded by beautiful grounds where they host events. When London meets Jackson, a billionaire who owns Holt Media, it changes both of their lives forever. Jackson and London have an intensity that leapt off the page and I loved their encounters. Their communication through email and text messages made me laugh out loud as they got to know each other.

I loved Jackson. He is charming and sweet and totally into London. Jackson is a billionaire who has seen it all and is feeling bored with his life when he meets London, who he finds refreshing. Jackson is vulnerable with London and he shows her a side of him that he doesn’t share with anyone else. You don’t want to miss this delightful, charming and spicy romantic story.

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Queen of Shadows by Britt Cooper & Erin Dulin

May 9, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Queen of Shadows by Britt Cooper & Erin Dulin
The Chronicles of Faybl, #1
Publisher: Finch Books
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Chamomile

Why be a princess when you can rule the shadows?

Rejecting the senseless demands of her wicked stepmother, Ella of Locksley shares her family’s abundance with the people of her land. Yet, the desperation of her community has only begun.

When the nation of Llundyn is brutally attacked, Princes Ric and Johan begin to fight for their right to rule, leaving the kingdom’s very heart to hang in the balance as subversive forces emerge. Taxation drives the citizenry toward hopelessness, with the absence of leadership taking its toll.

Striking out on her own, Ella takes up the nation’s cause, making a name for herself as the infamous Hood, and leads her cunning crew, stealing from the rich to provide for the poor. But the return of the rightful heir, along with a forbidden romance, changes everything—with artifice and betrayal leading to an unlikely alliance that unites prince and thieves.

The passion and true love of a king leave Ella torn between duty and loyalty when, at the stroke of midnight, her identity is exposed. She’ll face the ultimate choice—enduring as the Hood or sacrificing it all for the ones she loves.

This epic debut by co-authors Britt Cooper & Erin Dulin will leave readers wanting more!

Queen of Shadows is a steamy Fantasy Romance story that pairs Robin Hood with Cinderella in an unforgettable whirlwind of excitement! The chemistry between these two was immediate and I loved finding the fun easter eggs along the way paying homage to their original tales while enjoying this amazing retelling!

This one definitely sets a dark tone from the start, and I loved it! Ella is the Queen of Shadows, and it shows in this brilliant blending of everything I love about this genre! Strong character types, sizzling chemistry, a reluctant hero, a good balance of action and romance, and a tantalizing slow-burn!

From the start, I was hooked! I loved getting to know this remarkable cast, and absolutely cannot wait to read more! I couldn’t put this one down and eagerly await the next installment of this extraordinary series!

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Love and Lavender Ice Cream by Sara Freeze

May 4, 2022 By 1 Comment


Love and Lavender Ice Cream by Sara Freeze
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romance, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A sudden summer storm drives Miss Sophia Selkirk into a confectioner’s shop filled with the delicious scents of ice cream and candies. Just as she settled in with her glass dish of delectable ice cream, a shadow falls over the table: the fiancé she jilted without explanation two weeks before has appeared. Can she trust him enough to reveal the secret that sent her fleeing from the only man she has ever loved?

Simon Warren’s entire life was jolted the night before their wedding when Sophia sent a brief note informing him she could not marry him. Now, he has tracked her down to this small confectioner’s shop, where over two dishes of ice cream, they will grapple with a secret scandal from the past and discover whether their love can overcome all obstacles.

Ice cream can’t fix everything, but it might be a good place to start.

Great chemistry is crucial for the romance genre. Luckily, Simon and Sophia had plenty of it! It was delightful to see how many different methods the author came up with for showing why these two people deserved to end up together. Ms. Freeze gave the audience plenty of information to work with, and she trusted us readers to put some of the pieces together for ourselves. It’s always neat when that happens.

I would have liked to see more character development. Of course, one can’t generally expect as much of that in a short story as in something that has a few hundred pages to work with, but I did find myself wishing for more detailed explanations of why both of these characters behaved the way they did. This was especially noticeable when it came to their discussions of how their pasts might impact the happy life they’d one dreamed of sharing together. Do note that this was a minor criticism of a tale I otherwise thought was nicely done.

The dialogue made me chuckle. I adored the fact that Sophia and Simon were both such witty and quick-thinking characters. Honestly, they could have discussed what to add to their grocery list or how quickly the price of tea was rising and still kept my interest. That was how much I enjoyed reading their banter! They were quite well matched for each other.

This is part of the One Scoop or Two series. It can be read as a standalone work.

Love and Lavender Ice Cream was a sweet treat.

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Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

May 2, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Romance, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Set in an incarceration camp where the United States cruelly detained Japanese Americans during WWII and based on true events, this moving love story finds hope in heartbreak.

To fall in love is already a gift. But to fall in love in a place like Minidoka, a place built to make people feel like they weren’t human—that was miraculous.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tama is sent to live in a War Relocation Center in the desert. All Japanese Americans from the West Coast—elderly people, children, babies—now live in prison camps like Minidoka. To be who she is has become a crime, it seems, and Tama doesn’t know when or if she will ever leave. Trying not to think of the life she once had, she works in the camp’s tiny library, taking solace in pages bursting with color and light, love and fairness. And she isn’t the only one. George waits each morning by the door, his arms piled with books checked out the day before. As their friendship grows, Tama wonders: Can anyone possibly read so much? Is she the reason George comes to the library every day? Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s beautifully illustrated, elegant love story features a photo of the real Tama and George—the author’s grandparents—along with an afterword and other back matter for readers to learn more about a time in our history that continues to resonate.

Hope can sprout anywhere.

One of the most valuable portions of this story for me was how it gave concrete examples of how racism affected the daily lives of the two main characters and the other people they lived with. For example, the living conditions of the camp they stayed in were poor, and the narrator went into detail about how uncomfortable everyone was who lived there. These moments drove their points home in both subtle and overt ways.

I found myself wishing that the author had provided more details about why Japanese people were sent to incarceration camps in the United States during World War II and what their lives were like there. These are things that most adults are probably already aware of but that middle grade readers may not have been taught yet. I yearned to give it a higher rating as the subject matter is such an important one, but I wasn’t sure how interested kids would be in this tale if they didn’t already know the historical context of it.

I was delightfully surprised by how much hope the characters had for the future. The circumstances they were living under were incredibly difficult, and yet both Tama and George held onto the belief that better days could be on the way. That isn’t something that’s always easy to do, but it was the perfect addition to the other themes of the storyline as well. After all, life is often filled with mixtures of emotions like these.

Love in the Library was a thought-provoking read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Fabric Over the Moon by Ferran Plana

April 22, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Fabric Over the Moon by Ferran Plana
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Stories come alive at night.

They are whispered around dying campfires, by quiet bedsides, under deformed old trees.

They might get interrupted by the howling wind, inaudible gasps, or nervous comments, only to be continued fervently once the dust settles again.

Why did the girl visit the eerie village? What did the gypsy’s words mean? Can the discovery of a new flower change the world?

Stories are supposed to end but they never do.

They leave you wondering and longing for more. They live on in your mind, in corners with cobwebs and memories you’ve been suppressing, in recurring daydreams you have while waiting in long lines. They fester and thrive there. They spiral and soar. You wish they would die but they cannot anymore.

Once you blow breath into a story, it instantly becomes yours…

Why stick to one genre when there are so many other interesting ones to explore, too?

A string of mysterious deaths in a monastery made the main character in “Winter” wonder what was really going on. I was immediately drawn into the mystery of why they’d lost so many members over that winter, especially since this was so unusual for them. The twist ending made me grin. It wasn’t something I saw coming, but it added a delightful spin to the quiet life the characters typically lead.

Some portions of this collection were hard for me to understand, and I’m saying that as someone who loves short stories and flash fiction. There were multiple times when they abruptly ended and I wasn’t entirely sure I fully understood what they were trying to communicate. “Shane” was one such example of this. It followed the adventures of someone named Shane who helped two pigs travel through the woods at night to deliver an important message. As much as I liked the characters, I was confused by how quickly it ended and how many loose ends were left dangling in the final scene.

There was a dreamlike quality to “Locked” that worked beautifully with the tale it told about someone living in the distant future who wondered what Earth was like before the environment became dangerous for humans. I can’t disclose why it was dangerous for spoiler reasons, but I can say that I was surprised by each new revelation about how humanity survived this disaster and how they’d adapted to it over time. This was something that would have made an excellent novel, but it also worked just as well in the handful of pages the author decided to write about.

The Fabric Over the Moon was a thought-provoking read.

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