Runaway Home by Camille Anthony

July 10, 2024 By 1 Comment


Runaway Home by Camille Anthony
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Fleeing the shame of being rejected in favor of an Omega, Jackson Southerly, alpha wolf, has run away to one of his family’s ski resorts.

Fleeing the shame of being left at the altar, Sioux Brown has traded in her tickets to the Bahamas and run away to the snowy slopes of Colorado, where she plans to lick her wounds in solitude.

The snow in their hearts melts as they share the deserted lobby in the dark of night, but will their growing attraction survive the light of day?

After being rejected for an Omega, Jackson Southerly decides to run away to his family’s ski resort. Sioux Brown has also fled after being literally left at the alter. Going to polar opposite of her longed for honeymoon in the Bahamas, Sioux finds herself knee deep in the snow alongside Jackson. Even though their attraction is instant, they are both at rock bottom. Will their tenuous attraction survive the long haul?

While I do admit the general concept of this story is not very unique – I did enjoy how the author managed to squeeze in quite a few twists within the first chapter to have this very short story feeling fresh and different to me. I thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace and feel readers who are wanting just a quick and tasty spicy read should find this highly enjoyable.

Disconnect your brain, sit back with a delectable drink and just enjoy the ride. I laughed in quite a few places – so don’t expect to find a complicated plot or anything too deeply serious in this lovely short story. Just enjoy the steamy shenanigans and relatable characters.

A fun and super quick read – this was a good story I enjoyed.

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

Out of Body by Lina Hansen

July 9, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Out of Body by Lina Hansen
A Magical Misfits Mystery Book 3
Publisher: Literary Wanderlust
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A skeleton unearthed, a coven in peril, and meddling villagers with a penchant for mayhem—Myrtle Coldron’s life is about to get wicked.

Myrtle Coldron, owner of the Witch’s Retreat B&B and leader of the Magical Misfits, enjoys a hike and stumbles upon a skeleton. The unwelcome discovery unleashes a series of bizarre events that shake the quaint village of Avebury to the core. And to top it off, she has scary dreams haunting her nights.

With the help of her loyal partner Chris and her quirky friends and familiars, Myrtle must navigate the tangled web of suspects to flush out a killer holding the keys to a secret from the coven’s past.

Should she fail, the Magical Misfits will be history….

Being a witch isn’t easy, but it sure is worth it.

I enjoyed the descriptions of magic, especially when it came to all of the research and prep work that Myrtle and her fellow witches had to do ahead of time before casting group spells. Those scenes were so vivid and exciting. Of course such things would take plenty of effort in order to work properly! If everyone could do it, casting spells and performing magic wouldn’t be half as special as they are in stories.

It was tricky to keep track of the large cast of characters, especially since most of them had brief introductions that did not provide many details about their personalities, interests, or physical appearances. It’s easier for me to keep track of characters who have something unique about themselves that will trigger my memory once I encounter them again, and I wished I had more of those clues here.

The plot twists kept me guessing. I especially liked the way the identity of the skeleton Myrtle discovered while out on a hike was revealed. It wasn’t what I was expecting, and it made me wonder what other surprises the author had in store for me. Luckily, this pattern repeated itself as I continued on, so I had several other chances to once again be surprised.

I would recommend reading this series in order for character and plot development reasons. There was a lot of material from the previous instalments that was only briefly mentioned. Knowing about it in advance makes understanding what was happening much easier.

Out of Body was an interesting read.

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

Sex On The Beach? by Willa Okati

July 2, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Sex On The Beach? by Willa Okati
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Warren might be a vampire, sure, but he’s getting the knack of it. He’s cool — he can handle the wicked urge for hot blood right from a vein and has these bitchin’ fangs. He does miss the sunlight, though. No problem — he also has a lover, Dusty, the biggest-hearted, goofiest but also kinkiest vampire you’ll ever meet. When Warren gets the urge to get away, Dusty comes up with the perfect way to make unlife a beach.

Sort of.

Warren loved Dusty and since they were both Vampires they were guaranteed an eternity together to share their adventures. But when Dusty’s latest idea involves their spare room, a bunch of floodlights and an enormous amount of brown sugar even Warren isn’t sure there’s a way to come back from this.

I found this to be a highly amusing and rather sweet (sugary!) tale. While it’s clear Dusty’s heart is in the right place the more practical side to my brain was flummoxed at how virtually impossible it was going to prove to be for the two men to return their guest bedroom into any semblance of order. That said, it was a really sweet and highly fun idea that Dusty had and once the sex began I doubt Warren cared how impossible it would be to clean everything up.

Disconnect your brain, make yourself a frothy, beachy drink, and relax back to enjoy this short and funny ride. I found the two characters well matched and there were quite a few laugh aloud lines exchanged between them and their attraction burned off the pages.

Short and steamy – I found this to be a fun and enjoyable quick read.

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

The Cadaver Game by Kate Ellis

July 1, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Cadaver Game by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Piatkus Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The decaying body of a woman is discovered in a suburban house in South Devon, following an anonymous tip off to the police. DI Wesley Peterson has problems establishing the woman’s identity and, as he begins to investigate her death, another disturbing case arises. Two teenagers are found shot dead at the foot of a cliff.

The teenage victims had taken part in an online game called Blood Hunt and it seems they may have been persuaded to play a sinister real-life game, which ended in their murder.

When a skeleton is found near the place where the teenagers were last seen alive, Wesley must face a terrible truth . . . and a hunt to the death.

A woman suspected of lying undiscovered for a week in her house is found and the level of decomposition has DI Wesley Peterson and his team struggling to positively identify the lady. Before they can make much progress with this case two teenagers, naked and both shot at close range with a shotgun, are found at the foot of a cliff. If this wasn’t unusual enough one of the teens has a close link to a member of the police team and when a skeleton is uncovered making it four bodies and no real connection between them Wesley really has his hands full.

I was pleased that this was another really strong addition to this series. While I do feel readers can pick this book up as a stand alone some of the secondary characters in the police team have quite a stronger than usual part to play in this book and so some prior knowledge of who is who and how everyone is linked together would be helpful I think. That said the plot itself stood very well by itself and I thought the author did a good job of knitting everything together and keeping the various plots and subplots ticking along well.

I enjoyed the fact that Welsey’s wife, Pam, didn’t factor as much as usual into this story. I’m still not a big fan of her and to be honest I felt the story moved much more smoothly and enjoyably without her impatience with Wesley and his job. After all these years of marriage I still struggle that she can be annoyed by Wesley needing to devote time – especially when there are four murder investigations all underway. I felt the book was far better for there not being a lot of Pam’s presence.

While there wasn’t a lot of Wesley’s friend, Dr Neil Watson he was integral to one of the sub plots and the skeleton and I did enjoy how he was doing something very unusual and strictly speaking not really archaeology (in a traditional sense) at all. I felt that was quite fresh and well handled.

An interesting albeit slow moving but thoroughly enjoyable British police procedural style of story with a healthy dose of history and archaeology. This was a good book and is a series I’m really growing fond of.

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

Sunset Ledge by Darlene Deluca

June 25, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Sunset Ledge by Darlene Deluca
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Jack Armstrong lives like a recluse on his Texas ranch. In the difficult years after his wife’s death, he goes through the motions of life and wants to be left alone.

Caroline Tate, a widowed ecology professor, arrives at the ranch for a much-needed break and to take nature photos for her sabbatical project. But relaxing is a challenge when she finds herself at odds with the curmudgeonly cowboy who owns the place.

Jack generally steers clear of the guests, but this time, it’s not so easy. Vivacious Caroline doesn’t fade into the background. This city gal comes with pearls around her neck, a big red flower on her floppy hat, and way too many questions. Her self-assured, adventurous spirit gets under Jack’s skin, and she soon stirs feelings long dormant inside him.

Can a college professor from Nashville find common ground with a reclusive Texas rancher?

Caroline has taken to traveling since losing her husband several years ago, after their only child left home. When she finds herself on sabbatical from work, and looking for a place to reset and unwind she finds herself on a ranch in the wilds of Texas. Not sure what to expect, she sets out taking nature photos for a book she’s working on and ends up making quite the impression!

Jack Armstrong has only ever known ranch life, and that suits him just fine, thank you! Yet, when when he finds himself running into the renter of one of his ranch cabins, he can’t seem to shake the feeling that she’s different from the other women he’s met. The two quickly spark a unique friendship and take readers on a fun adventure of their own!

The characters in this one were fun and the small town near the ranch offered a unique glimpse of small town life along with the fun ranch life experiences Caroline gets to enjoy in her time on the Armstrong Ranch. Things like the snickerdoodle cookies and the town dance added another layer to the charm in this one!

The romance was well paced and fit well with the story. Both Jack and Caroline were previously married and had lost their spouse giving them a bit of common ground, and a more matured sense of what they wanted in a relationship, should they choose to take the risk. Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read.

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

Suffer The Dead by Rhys Dylan

June 24, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Suffer The Dead by Rhys Dylan
Publisher: Wyrmwood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Nothing bad ever happens in the countryside… right?

When a farmer and his son go missing whilst chasing rustlers, DCI Evan Warlow and his team are called in to investigate. Everything points to a botched raid by heartless thieves, but with no bodies, and little or no clues, the team quickly start chasing their tails.

The close-knit community reels from the shock, but not everyone the team comes across is being entirely honest, and it quickly transpires that, under their prim and proper facades, some have secrets they are desperate to keep.

But even Warlow isn’t prepared for the monstrous truth when, like a rabid sheepdog, it finally sits up and bites him on the leg.

He’s too busy trying not to get killed himself.

DCI Evan Warlow and his team had been sent far north to help a rural team investigate a father and son who have gone missing. Sheep rustling is a major problem in the quiet area and when blood and splatter is discovered on a barn next to the men’s abandoned car everyone fears for the worst. But as the team investigate, they uncover more problems hidden in the small community and soon no one is safe.

I’ve been really enjoying this Welsh based police procedural series. Written in a slightly gritter noir type of style this book hooked me from the beginning. While there is a fair bit of history between Warlow and his team members, I don’t feel readers should shy away from this book if it’s the first one they’ve come across. All the connections are quite well explained, and really the plot and setting is all easily encapsulated within this book so it stands quite well alone.

There was a bit of progress as well with the DCI and some of his personal/family story arcs which I really enjoyed. A part of me hopes we get a bit more history and background to some of the other team members in forthcoming books but there is enough of a feel of the slow-burn here that I am happy to come along for the ride, especially when the mystery and police plotlines are so well written and realistic.

I found this police procedural style of story a good read and particularly enjoyed the Welsh feel and setting.

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

Murder at Sea Oats Beach by Karen C. Whalen

June 20, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Murder at Sea Oats Beach by Karen C. Whalen
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Breanna Hart is volunteering at the animal shelter and living her best life in a North Carolina beach town, but that changes when the police chief is found dead under mysterious circumstances inside the cage of her favorite dog. Everyone has the dog tagged as the murderer, even the handsome police officer in charge of the investigation, and the pooch is put on the euthanasia list. In spite of being new in town and dealing with both a social phobia and a secret, will Breanna be able to solve the crime and prove the dog’s innocence? Will she be able to find his forever home so she can embrace the salty seaside life and find a forever home for herself?

Innocent until proven guilty should apply to dogs, too!

Breanna was a memorable and relatable protagonist. Her compassion for others instantly endeared me to her. It was interesting to see how her flaws influenced the decisions she made. Specifically, her impulsiveness was both a great way to push the plot forward and an impediment to her goals depending on the scene. I also appreciated how much effort was put into describing how social anxiety affected every facet of her life. This isn’t a mental illness I’ve seen mentioned very often in fiction, but Ms. Whalen struck a chord with how accurately and sympathetically she wrote about it.

I would have liked to see the mystery play a bigger role in how the storyline rolled out. There was so much attention paid to everything else that was going on that it took longer than I would have preferred for Breanna to start investigating what really happened to the police chief. Mysterious deaths aren’t common in small, quiet towns, so I was expecting the characters to react more strongly to such a turn of events.

Small town politics can be complex and frustrating, especially for newcomers. I enjoyed this deep dive into what it can be like to move to a new place and try to join an insular community. Breanna was completely unprepared for the nuances of it all, and I nodded along as she slowly realized just how much she had to learn about the friends and neighbors she was still beginning to get to know.

Murder at Sea Oats Beach was a playful summer read.

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

Obedience by Isabella Jordan

June 13, 2024 By 1 Comment


Obedience by Isabella Jordan
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A princess with a problem… Meela must marry a prince from another planet in order to ensure the security of her people. Trouble is Meela’s known to be a bit feisty, and sometimes that gets her into trouble. It’s bad enough she has no say in who she’ll marry. Worse still, the queen places an obedience curse on Meela to thwart her errant ways. As a result of the curse, Meela finds herself in plenty of predicaments not exactly fit for a princess. But what’s a princess to do when two gorgeous hunks come along and place sensual demands on her Meela’s not sure she can — or even wants to — deny?

Meela might be a feisty princess, but she knows she has to marry a prince for the good of her people. But when the Queen puts an obedience curse on her to curb her feisty ways the magic has some unexpected consequences.

I found this to be a fun and rather sassy short story. I thought the twist in the tale about the Obedience curse was a stroke of genius and I really enjoyed the slant to the story as a whole. The first chapter really setup the situation Meela had found herself in – and both the good and bad aspects to the queen’s curse – and all the sexy shenanigans rolling in from those consequences was a fun delight to read.

I thought the author showed a good balance between Meela being unable to refuse a command and having the curse force her to obey, but equally not pushing past the ilne of non-consent. I do admit that while the ending felt just a little cliched to me, it was very satisfying, and I feel most readers should be very happy with the twist.

Sexy and fun, this is a quick read I feel many readers will enjoy.

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

Past Tense: A Matt Moulton Mystery by Michael Amedeo

June 12, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Past Tense: A Matt Moulton Mystery by Michael Amedeo
Publisher: Level Best Books
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

As America races toward the supposedly bright new decade of the 1950s, disillusioned white private dick, Matt Moulton finds himself faltering in the dark. Should he serve an amnesiac client whose recovering memories of paid murder intensify his own wartime guilt as an assassin? Should he risk endangering the person he loves, a beautiful black woman, for information on that case and an apparently related one? Does he imagine he can save her and himself from the corruption, the intolerance, and the apathy that linger in that violent nation’s shadows?

Taking place in a misty, sulky San Francisco, “Past Tense” appeals to readers who love their thrillers hardboiled. It brings pulp fiction back from the past, but here, the genre seems more modern and yet more noir-like than ever before.

Good murderers cover their tracks. Can a good detective foil the murderer’s plans before too many more people die?

The main storyline was fast-paced and interesting. I enjoyed taking note of the clues Matt found and trying to figure out why so many people connected to this case kept turning up dead. There was plenty of fodder for the imagination here, and my attention remained strong from the first scene to the last one.

I would have liked to see more character development in this novella, especially when it came to Matt. He was an intelligent but often conflicted protagonist. Learning more about his past and how it had shaped his personality would have made it easier for me to connect to him. I also found myself wishing he had shared more information about his feelings for Gina as she seemed to occupy many of his thoughts when he wasn’t focused on work. Exploring that relationship in more depth would have been a good way to showcase more of who Matt was when he wasn’t attempting to solve cases.

Speaking of Gina, I loved the romantic subplot between her and Matt. There were definitely sparks to be seen every time she showed up in his life. I appreciated how clearly they communicated their feelings to each other and found myself wishing they could find a way to overcome the racial prejudices of the late 1940s that were such a huge obstacle for them. My fingers are crossed that readers will get more opportunities to get to know her later on in this series as she seemed to be a level-headed and kind woman.

Past Tense: A Matt Moulton Mystery kept me guessing.

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

Fated Love by Sean Michael

June 11, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Fated Love by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Love doesn’t always get a second chance.

Ten years ago, Sunny Morgen waved goodbye to his boyfriend Jack at the airport, never expecting to see him again. Since then, he’s focused on learning a trade and raising his daughter as best he can. He never would have guessed that fate would bring Jack back into his life.

Jack Johnston hated leaving Sunny for a job on the west coast, but he couldn’t afford to turn it down. Ten years later finds him back in Ottawa, retired, with a three-year-old daughter in tow, and a new lease on life. The last thing he expects when he opens the door to meet his potential new baby-sitter and her father is Sunny.

Now that fate has brought them back together again, will Jack and Sunny reclaim the love they gave up?

Ten years ago, Sunny said farewell to his boyfriend Jack at the airport. While sad, neither man ever expected to see the other again and they’ve both focused on their lives, careers, and later each raising their own daughter. Only now Jack finds himself back in Ottawa and utterly shocked when he opens the door expecting to find a potential babysitter only to find himself once again in Sunny’s orbit. Now that fate has brought the two men back together can they make it work?

This is a fun and short story that would be great as a quick and sexy read. With the two characters knowing each other well – albeit from a decade ago – there wasn’t the usual feel of insta-love that can sometimes ring untrue. Jack and Sunny had left each other on good terms, their lives just moving in different directions, and so the fact they reconnected so quickly and became intimate almost immediately didn’t strike me as unrealistic.

I must admit I would have preferred a little more length to this story – seeing how Jack and Sunny managed to work together and build their relationship, but this is still a lovely snippet showing the two men getting back together and it leaves off on a very positive and hopeful note with the two men clearly interested in rebuilding the relationship they had each let go of.

For a quick, sexy and enjoyable read this is a good story and one I will likely reread.

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