The Gingerbread Lodge by Vicky Burkholder

November 3, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Gingerbread Lodge by Vicky Burkholder
Christmas Cookies
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Holiday
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Gisele Reid returns to the Gingerbread Lodge to help her aunt, but without paying guests, she’s afraid the lodge will have to be sold. An event she vows to stop. When an old friend shows up, she is astonished to find Max has turned into a man who makes her knees and heart tremble.

Max Oakley, a developer, has a client interested in buying land around the lodge. He has fond memories of the resort, as well as the girl who left him behind. When he runs into Gisele again, she’s even more beautiful than ever. A woman who could make him forget everything—even his job.

Plumbing problems, electrical outages, and the return of Gisele’s family throw a wrench into Max’s plans to woo Gisele. But when the truth comes out, she believes he’s betrayed her trust, and it will take a Christmas miracle to make everything right again.

It’s never too late to start over again.

One of my favorite things about this novella was how it included the paranormal elements of the storyline. They were hinted at here and there without ever becoming the focal point of the plot. This was the perfect approach to the topic given how logical Gisele and Max were in their daily lives. A touch of something otherworldly was all that was needed to give this tale a little Christmas magic.

I would have liked to see a bit more attention paid to the ending, especially when it came to conflict resolution. Some of the subplots were resolved much more quickly and easily than I expected them to be based on the amount of attention they’d received in earlier scenes as well as the length of time the characters had mentioned being bothered by them. As happy as I was to see how everything turned out, it would have been helpful to see more examples of the work the characters needed to put into those issues in order to fix them for good.

Gisele and Max’s relationship was delightful. Not only did they have wonderful chemistry, their shared history explained so many about why they each behaved the way they did and why neither of them had found anyone to settle down with yet. I also liked the fact that the author gave these two characters such a slow-burning romance. Stretching out the placements of those scenes made me anticipate the next romantic moment between them as the plot moved forward.

This is part of a series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone work.

The Gingerbread Lodge was a cheerful Christmas story that I’d recommend to anyone who is counting down the days until December finally arrives.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Battle for the Throne by E. J. Willis

November 1, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Battle for the Throne by E. J. Willis
Tales From Falyncia Book One
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical, sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

The sword quivers in Alaina’s hand. With one final stroke she can slay the gladiator, win back her freedom … and lose the trust of her people forever.

The Kingdom of Falyncia is caught in a war between a guardian spirit and a powerful demon. Alaina barely escapes with her life, yet she vows to one day claim the throne. When she finally returns home, the enemy has her in his grasp. Now she must choose between freedom and staying true to her people. If she fails to kill the gladiator, torture awaits. Can she find the courage to face it? Or will the demon triumph again?

A lost princess must face powerful foes and lurking demons if she ever hopes to reclaim her throne and free her kingdom in this fun YA fantasy!

While this story was a bit slow to start, things quickly picked up and it turned out to be a delightful read! Well written, and I loved the world-building and fantasy elements in this one. Aliana is rescued by a winged-wolf who turns out to be her guardian spirit of sorts, and must learn to fight the darkness that haunts both her past and future.

I really enjoyed seeing her journey, and look forward to the sequel in this duology! I loved the lore around the Wildlands and enjoyed getting to meet the various characters along the way! While the MC is 17 through most of this story, I can see younger teens or even adult readers enjoying this one as well.

There is the typical violence with the medieval theme and a war to be fought to win back her kingdom, plus the mention of demon like creatures who serve the evil king, but reads much like any other fantasy and is a good fit for the more traditional YA fantasy like seen in Narnia, Eragon, or Percy Jackson.

Overall a quick and fun read, and one that I’m sure many readers would enjoy!

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

Exiled Alpha by Amber Morgan

October 29, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Exiled Alpha by Amber Morgan
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Rachel Jacobs is a wolf on a mission. To save her pack from destruction, she’s turning to the werewolf who nearly destroyed it once before. Arkady Gusev is everything her father ever warned her againstso why does she find him so irresistible?

Arkady Gusev isn’t looking for a pack or a woman. But when Rachel walks through his door, she throws down a challenge he can’t resist. Is this exiled alpha about to come home?

Rachel had driven a long way to get to the Sandbox – a shifter-run club where pretty much anything was possible, for a price. Rachel wasn’t interested in any side entertainment though, she had one purpose, to convince Arkady to return to their pack – the same pack he’d been exiled from a number of years ago. Can Rachel and Arkady work together to solve each of their problems?

While I thought Arkady – and Rachel in a different way – were both rough and ready characters I enjoyed how they clashed with each other and both were not ashamed of themselves or their desires. Both headstrong and determined, it was fun to watch Rachel and Arkady circle each other and snap and snarl. Readers looking for an intense and hotly written story with plenty of sizzle and a bit of bite should find this really suits what they’re after.

Readers looking for a redemption style story or something a bit on the sweeter style definitely won’t find that here in this short story. But I was pleased with the strong, almost fierce and very modern take on the werewolf pack, the ousted Alpha and in particular I was pretty impressed with the deal Rachel and Arkady struck at the end.

With a very different – but undeniable – Happy Ever After, this was a fun and strong, sharp and toothy quick read.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wolf In Heat by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

October 20, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Wolf In Heat by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

What male would be interested in a vegan werewolf?

Heather resigned herself to life without a mate. She’s always been a freak, unable to fit into either the human or shifter world. When her broken family joins a new pack, she’s suspicious and reluctant to accept her new fate. When David starts showing interest in her, it’s hard for her to believe his feelings are genuine. She tries to give him the cold shoulder … until she goes into heat.

David strikes out time and time again with Heather. The new female in their pack refuses to acknowledge they are meant to be together. He’s not one to give up hope, determined to win over the curvy vegan wolf at any cost. When the mating heat takes hold of Heather, he’s the only one who can satisfy her. He’s ready to give her exactly what she craves, but he wants more than just her body.

When Heather runs into danger, will she accept David’s help or sacrifice her own life?

It hadn’t been that long ago Heather lost her parents and even though she was grateful she, her sister and Uncle had been accepted into Caleb and Bethany’s pack it didn’t ease her sense of loss and loneliness much. Heather hated change and the new pack, new home, new surroundings had pushed her as far as she could bear. Accepting David might be her mate was not an option Heather was willing to give time or thought to. Only now she feels she might be entering her heat phase and the full moon is drawing close. Can Heather and David find a way to make this work?

I found this to be a very emotional and highly sexual story. Readers looking for an intense and character driven story should find this really appealing. For the first part of the book, I was at times a little confused with Heather, who really seemed to blow hot and cold to me. I felt a deep empathy for David trying to work out where he stood with Heather. At first he went slow, trying to get to know this shy and timid woman, but then when the heat hit her Heather became this sex-starved she-wolf, but who then once again turned timid and tried to push David away when the heat passed. I thought he clearly showed his love and compassion for her and (particularly at the start of the book) I felt Heather acted a little bit unreasonably toward him. The authors did a good job of explaining what Heather’s feelings were and how/why she was so confused and changeable, but for the first part of the book I struggled to like or connect with her. Pushing someone away while knowing you were mated to them just because you were confused felt pretty silly and childish to me.

I was pretty relieved when Heather finally got her head screwed on right and accepted she was bonded with David. I could appreciate the fact that even though she was scared, she had made her decisions and stuck with it and tried to hold up her end of the relationship and not simply run, avoid or stick her head in the sand about it all.

After this the story moved a lot smoother and better to my mind. There was also a fairly interesting sub-plot revolving around some bear shifters and a rogue. I can totally understand why the authors made this subplot secondary to Heather and David – this is a steamy erotic romance and they’re the main mating pair, but I was pretty pleased that the werebear and other shifters subplot wasn’t just half-baked or added in as a sort of side note. I felt that got plenty of time and was a solid addition to the story. While not overly gory or descriptive there are some captive animals and blood-sport style of humans in the plotline that might not suit the taste of all readers wanting a more romantic/erotic style of story and less intensity to the non-romantic aspects of the plotline.

With a solid cast of interesting and varied secondary characters, a decent plot revolving outside shifters and others around the pack and a steamy mating relationship growing between Heather and David this is a good and solid story that I feel most readers should find something to enjoy within it.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Friends to the End by C.L. Colyer

October 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Friends to the End by C.L. Colyer
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Twelve-year-old Zach is convinced he’ll never be happy without his best friend Jeremy by his side. But both of their lives changed with a bang five months ago, and as far as Zach’s concerned, it’s his fault Jeremy will never see his twelfth birthday.

When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach’s not worried. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what’s real and what’s not.

Dying with unfinished business is no laughing matter.

The spirits were well written and generally sympathetic characters. While there were a few frightening ones that I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to meet in a dark alley, I was pleased with the wide range of personalities and backstories they had in general. Getting to know characters like these and learning what might have kept them tied to earthly matters after their deaths is one of the things I enjoy the most about paranormal stories. It was utterly delightful to have so many opportunities to do so here.

I would have liked to see a little more attention paid to world building. For example, some ghosts in this world seem to be much more powerful than others. Certain beings also appeared to have some special abilities that aren’t commonly seen in this genre. As much as I liked the plot in general, all of these pieces of information never quite gelled into a coherent explanation of how the afterlife works in this universe. If it had, I would have happily chosen a full five-star rating.

The narrator had some poignant things to say about grief, friendship, and regret. These scenes did a wonderful job of rounding out Zach’s character and exposing the audience to portions of his personality that many preteens his age would probably keep to themselves in most other situations. Every time he revealed another fact about his past and the heavy grief he was trying so hard to hide from his new friends, I grew to like him even more than I already did.

Friends to the End was a heartwarming read for anyone who loves the paranormal side of the fantasy genre.

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

Merry Little Wishing Spritz by Cherie Colyer

October 7, 2021 By 1 Comment


Merry Little Wishing Spritz by Cherie Colyer
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal, Holiday
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Modern-day witch Cassie Moore’s cozy life turns upside down when her friend foresees the wrecking ball that threatens to destroy Cassie’s home and workplace. But Cassie isn’t giving up without a fight. She casts a well-intended spell meant to save her apartment and her job. But magic is unpredictable, especially when her friend casts a little charm of her own that has Cassie lusting after the man she desperately wants to despise.

Jack Quinn has had his eyes on Lakeside Books for years. He has big plans for the cozy waterfront property, but he didn’t expect to care about the store or its employees. And he never imagined he’d be drawn to a certain brown-eyed saleswoman.

Almost as if by magic.

This novella is the perfect story for when a reader is short on time but needs a quick fix of romance. Merry Little Wishing Spritz made me smile, grin, giggle and thoroughly entertained me. It kind of reminded me of Samantha in Bewitched, and when Cassie spoke to her cat, Smudge, it brought to mind a fond memory of Bell, Book and Candle when Gillian, the female lead, talks to her cat, Pyewacket. The thing is with this story, it’s more upbeat, sweet and playful with a happy ever after ending that left me happy and content.

I’m of the opinion that this story would make a delightful holiday movie which could be watched not only at Christmas, because of the mistletoe, but Halloween too, because good solid romance movies can span the holidays that happen towards the end of the year. I would really enjoy watching all the little pranks Cassie played on Jack. He was a good sport about it all – not suspecting a thing, of course. The scene with the reindeer made me grin.

The supporting cast is pretty much one person, Peyton, Cassie’s best friend. She’s the heroine’s cheerleader, confidant and conspirator in getting Cassie to open up to the possibility that Jack may not be like all the other losers Cassie had dated in the past. She was a perfect best friend and I liked her personality.

It was a stroke of genius to include the topic of gift giving to those in the community that had no one to give them gifts. Cassie and Peyton dressed up as adorable elves and that’s another reason why I could see this book being made into a film. There were so many details that touched the heart, coaxed emotions and feelings, and brought to life their little part of the world.

Merry Little Wishing Spritz is a happy romance story that includes a little paranormal zing of witchy wonderfulness to spice up the fun as Cassie and Jack fall in love. I’m glad I found this little gem and I believe a lot of readers are in for a treat when they read this book for themselves.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Mile High with a Vampire by Lynsay Sands

September 28, 2021 By 1 Comment


Mile High with a Vampire by Lynsay Sands
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Mystery/Suspense
Rating: 5 Stars
Review by: Xeranthemum

In the latest Argeneau novel from New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands, an immortal and her mortal pilot are on the run from hungry vampires…and discover they’re life mates along the way.

Quinn Peters never wanted to be immortal. Once a renowned heart surgeon, she was turned against her will and now she has to drink blood to survive. Before she can ask how her “life” can get any worse, she’s in a plane crash. One of the few survivors, Quinn is desperate to get the mortal pilot to safety before her fellow immortals succumb to their blood lust and drain Jet dry.

But hungry vampires are the least of their worries—the crash wasn’t an accident, and someone is trying to kill Quinn. Will she and Jet find their happily ever after as life mates, or will her assassin find her first?

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that I enjoyed from beginning to end and I’m happy to share that Mile High with a Vampire delivered a quality read from the very first pages. It starts with a plane crash, a race for survival, a close call and a revelation that the crash was intentional. That’s just in the beginning chapters, the rest of the plot is figuring out who is trying to kill one of the passengers and why, especially when they’ve done nothing wrong to anyone. Who would do something so foul that they’d be willing to murder everyone on the plane, not just their target? The suspense, the interesting interplay between characters and the well-written plot kept me glued to the story. I didn’t stop turning the pages until I finished the epilogue. Ms. Sands has delivered another winner for fans to enjoy.

It took me a while to remember that Quinn was Pet’s sister in the book, The Trouble with Vampires. That’s when I first learned about their horrific background when they were little kids. This novel, Mile High with a Vampire, completes the story of the two sisters. Quinn finally gets her happy ever after, but of course, she has a bunch of hoops to jump through to get it. She has finally accepted the fact that she needs therapy to deal with what her husband had done to her and their son, what she’s become and to heal enough to start living again. However, therapy ends up giving her a lot more to deal with than she expected. Which of course is the point. The villains who traumatized both Quinn and Pet all those years ago are back in the picture.

Now, the villains are not what I expected. Ms. Sands wrote a scene describing what happened to one of the villains from back in the past and I have to tell you, it’s freakishly horrifying. I actually felt really bad for the guy because it was over the top violent. You may wonder how that past event effects the present and it’s a good question. It’s one of the surprises that impressed me in this book. I would never have guessed it. It helped make the climactic fight scene more meaningful. I know this probably doesn’t make a lot of sense but once you read the book and get to that part, you’ll understand. I didn’t expect to feel any empathy but I kind of did. Don’t get me wrong – a bad guy is still a bad guy – and comeuppance is meted out, but Quinn and Petronella (Pet) weren’t the only ones affected by the past and that’s all I’m going to say.

Now, to get to the good stuff. The romance between Quinn and Jet. It works, it’s great, I thought they were wonderful together, and I liked both their personalities. I thought Jet was a studly hero but it turned out he’s a smart cookie. He’s not just a pretty face. Quinn is adorable. I liked a lot of her internal dialogue and the insight it provides gives a reader a reason to want her to be happy – and that she would choose Jet when she finally was ready.

Their physical chemistry is of course off the charts. Life mates are always hot and bothered for each other. Readers will get plenty of examples of just how ‘hot’ it gets. Fortunately, the book has just enough of those scenes to satisfy readers who like the nitty gritty details, but for readers who are looking for a solid plot conflict, dialogue, action, intelligence with great storytelling and pacing, this story delivers.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a hearty shout out to Lucien, Margarite, Sam, Tybo and so many others in the Argeneau and Notte families that came to help Quinn and Jet survive so they could enjoy their happily ever after. I adore that whole family dynamic and how they all come together to party when things are good, and when things get hairy, they band together to defend and fight for the ones they love when there’s trouble. I believe this is the 33rd book in the series – so that’s a lot of family ties to keep track of. Oh, it might be naughty of me, but I actually snickered when Lucien accidently gets … well, I’m not going to actually tell you what happens… Fans of the series will more than likely understand why I found that scene humorous and why I giggled. Since I didn’t expect that to happen, I’m not going to ruin the fun and surprise by letting the cat out of the bag. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens.

On the whole, Mile High with a Vampire is a sure bet. It’s a fun and exciting adventure. I had a great time watching Quinn and Jet fall in love and you can be sure that I am adding this novel to my very large book pile of keepers. Many of Ms. Sands’ books have made it to my re-read list so many times, I’ve lot count. I’m thrilled with everything about this story and I heartily recommend it to paranormal romance fans in general, and to Ms. Sands’ fans specifically. It’s a great addition to the series and one not to miss.

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

The Witch and the Stag by Victoria Rogers

September 8, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Witch and the Stag by Victoria Rogers
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

As a solitary witch, Maddy McKinley’s job is to ensure her community is safe from paranormal harm. When a routine neighborhood exorcism goes wrong, Maddy finds herself haunted by a poltergeist that has been hounding her family for generations.

With the help of the hunky godling across the street, Maddy must learn to set aside her family traditions and work with another before the poltergeist destroys her.

A witch, a poltergeist, and a godling are all in a park – sounds like the start of a joke. It’s not! What it is, is a great short story about a poltergeist who has haunted the witch’s family for generations, and a godling who may be related to it. As this is a short story, the focus is on them and their sexy times, rather than them getting to know each other.

There is a story to it though, and you stay with Maddy and Cedric as they help heal each other after a bout with the poltergeist, plus how they work together to find more out about him, and figure out what to do with him.

This is an easy read, with plenty of steam. A perfect coffee break book. Definitely recommended by me.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

More Than I Bargained For by Kelli A. Wilkins

September 7, 2021 By Leave a Comment


More Than I Bargained For by Kelli A. Wilkins
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Katie doesn’t like going to estate sales. Why? Because she sees dead people.

When Katie reluctantly attends an estate sale with her friend Diane, she gets more than she bargained for. The deceased former owner of the house, Grace, realizes that Katie can communicate with her, and she has a lot to say.

As Katie pretends to shop, Grace tells her the story of how she was murdered—and reveals that her killer is still in the house.

It’s up to Katie to uncover the murder weapon and get it to the police… before time runs out.

There’s plenty of unfinished business happening at this estate sale.

The character development was fantastic, especially when it came to Grace who was the deceased woman who wanted Katie’s help. I had a strong impression of what all three of the characters were like as individuals, but Grace’s personality was so well-formed that it was easy to forget she was fictional. It was delightful to get to know all both of these women as the estate sale went on.

I would have preferred to see a bit more time spent on the mystery elements of the plot. Most of the hints regarding it were shared almost immediately, so the audience wasn’t expected to do much thinking about what had really happened to Grace. If the narrator had expected more of us, I would have easily chosen a full five-star rating.

The ending was satisfying. I appreciated the way the narrator wrapped up all of the most important details of it while still leaving a little wiggle room for a possible sequel. If the author ever decides to revisit this world, I’d love to find out what Katie and her best friend, Diane, get up to at their next estate sale. They were such a good team that they could communicate with each other in all sorts of subtle ways that other people might not notice. This was exactly the sort of skill that comes in handy when spirits and strangers are milling about.

More Than I Bargained For was a wholesome and heartwarming read.

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

Night Class by Hannah Crow

September 3, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Night Class by Hannah Crow
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

All Rachel wants is to pass Professor Thane’s class and keep her scholarship. When the handsome head of the History Department calls her to his office long after everyone else has gone home, she fears the worst, but what Thane has in store is a surprise beyond her wildest fantasies and darkest nightmares.

Thane knows his history because he’s lived through most of it. He’s an ancient vampire, an immortal blood drinker whose supernatural allure has drawn Rachel like a moth to the flame. But Thane sees a ghost of his own distant past in Rachel, and soon he reveals his attraction for her.

With her life – and perhaps her soul – in the balance, will Rachel surrender to his unholy lusts?

She needs to pass and he needs her…will things work out?

This is a short story, but it’s got hot moments. He’s a vampire, she’s a student and they’re playing with fire. I liked the premise of this story, teacher-student relations. It’s hot.

This is a short story, though, so it’s a tad short on details and a little thin on story. Rachel goes to the professor because she’s not doing so hot and he’s happy she’s there because she’s hot. For sheer erotic reading, it’s got the heat.

That said, there are some quirks. It’s short, so there isn’t much to the story. It’s also a bit muddled. The story feels like it’s being told from Rachel’s point of view, but then seems to slip into omniscient pov. It jarred me, but might be fine for other readers. This story also straddles between erotic and hot. It would be fine if the author went right for hot or right for erotica, but the straddling might leave some readers wanting more.

If you’re interested in a hot read that will singe the screen for a half an hour’s worth of reading, then this is the one for you.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »