Dark Site by Patrick Lee

May 6, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Dark Site by Patrick Lee
Publisher: St. Martin’s Publishing Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

On an otherwise normal morning, former Special Forces operative Sam Dryden is the target of an unsuccessful attempted abduction. Using his attacker’s cellphone, he learns that another person, a woman named Danica Ellis, is also being targeted. Dryden arrives just in time to save Danica from the assault team sent after her. But neither of them recognize the other, or have any idea why they are being targeted. The only clue is a heavily redacted, official-looking document given to Danica by her stepfather before he was killed.

Dryden immediately recognizes it as a “scrub file.” A scrub file is a record of what a subject knew before their memories were chemically destroyed. The redacted document refers to witnesses to a secret military site in Ashland, Iowa in 1989. Both Dryden and Danica Ellis lived in Ashland in 1989, when they were both twelve years old, though neither of them has any memory of the other.

Switching back and forth between the present day, when Dryden and Danica try to elude the forces that are after them, and the past in Ashland, Iowa, when both were twelve, making a discovery that forever changed their lives, this latest Sam Dryden novel proves yet again that Patrick Lee is one of the most original, compelling thriller writers today.

On what began as a normal morning has ex-Special Forces Sam Dryden fighting off an unsuccessful abduction attempt and then following the only link to a woman called Danica Ellis. Having never laid eyes on each other, Sam is astonished when moments after his arrival Danica also is nearly abducted by a unit eerily similar to the one who attempted to abduct him. Clearly the two of them are linked somehow – but if they’ve never met how can they be connected? As they each reach back into their pasts can they solve what’s really going on before it’s too late?

This is the third book featuring Sam Dryden and while they each are very self-contained with no real links between the stories they do each have a similar feel and pace to it. I feel anyone can pick this up by itself and thoroughly enjoy the suspense and action-orientated pacing of the plotlines. In this story I was pleased that the book bounces from the present (2018) back to 1989 when the main series of events leading to the current day occurred. As Sam and Danica discover more about the past it is merged quite well with these flashbacks so the reader learns of events and connections as the two main characters do. I felt the author did a good job with this balancing enough information to keep the plot moving but without the jarring quality flashbacks often seem to have. I thought this was well handled.

Readers who enjoy a solid mystery plot with elements of bio-warfare and military angles in it, along with a nefarious enemy lurking in the shadows should find that this sort of mystery really fits the bill. While the action keeps the pace moving at quite a solid clip the book didn’t come across to me as rushed and I had time to enjoy the unraveling of the plot. Readers who enjoy a faster pace to their stories should find this really appeals to them.

With a small cast of well-rounded and interesting characters plus an interwoven plot spanning the past and present times this was a good book and an author I enjoy.

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

Flock This by Jayce Carter

May 1, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Flock This by Jayce Carter
Publisher: Totally Bound
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

Trouble doesn’ t find me— I go looking for it.

I’ve been rejected all my life— always too loud, too messy, too much. I thought joining the spirit world— full of vampires, werewolves and magical beings living alongside humans— would change that, but as an anomaly without a clan, I’m more unwelcome than ever. Instead of power and sexy trysts with hot immortals, I end up working as a courier just to survive. I got turned into a crow shifter and all I got out of it is a sucky, dead-end job.

However, when I make a delivery and instead find the vampire leader’ s corpse, the stake that killed him in my hand, standing on the sidelines stops being an option. Without a clan to speak for me, I have no choice but to figure out who framed me and find the real killer on my own. Surrounded by people I can’ t trust, in a world that has no place for me, I’ve got to use every skill in my arsenal to stay one step ahead.

They say a little mischief is good for the soul, but too much of it can kill you.

Flock This is the first book in the Flocking It Up series and we start with a crow shifter who has a job as a courier. Things go pear-shaped when she makes a delivery to someone who’s just been murdered and is found with the bloody stake in her hands.

Grey doesn’t belong to any of the four clans but isn’t surprised as she has never felt as though she fits in anywhere. As she tries to find out who has framed her for murder, tries to stay alive, and maybe even find out who actually was the killer, we stay with her. Told in the first perspective, we see her innermost thoughts – most of which revolve around how chaos follows her and how alone she is. She isn’t actually alone though; she has friends and family she could turn to if she only trusted them enough.

Well-written and smoothly paced, this was an interesting story that just didn’t grab me as I wanted it to. As it’s the first in a series, I’m hoping to see more of the different players as the overall arc moves along. There are a couple of steamy scenes but nothing major. Most of the book is being sent down one alley or another, looking for the killer.

On the whole, it was enjoyable and recommended for anyone who likes urban fantasy.

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

Fox Hounds by Lia Connor

April 30, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Fox Hounds by Lia Connor
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Foxy Lady…

Reyna’s a skilled thief and the lightest-fingered pickpocket around. Several professionals would love to have her on their side, if only to be able to keep an eye on her. What they don’t know is that Reyna’s nickname isn’t just fantasy — she’s a shapeshifting fox and as clever and wily as they come. No one can catch her if she doesn’t want to be caught, and so far no one’s come close to winning her over.

Not, that is, until the hounds pick up her trail. Jonas, Si and Boone, lovers as well as skilled tricksters, have the Fox’s scent and they intend to woo her, outsmart her and win her to their team. As hounds in name as well as in shapeshifting nature, they know they’re just as good at getting the job done as Reyna is. All they have to do is catch this thief and get her not only on their side, but in their shared bed.

And they won’t give up until they get the job done.

Reyna’s got a secret weapon – she’s a shapeshifting fox who is both clever and wily in addition to being a darn good thief. No one has come close to picking up her scent until she comes across the hounds – Jonas, Si and Boone. Shapeshifting hounds, the three men are also skilled tricksters and are determined to bring Reyna into their team – no matter the cost.

I found this to be a sexy quick read. I was impressed with this slightly different take on a paranormal spicy storyline – the three hound-shifters a cohesive and long-standing team and very comfortable with their personal and working relationship. While initially I was somewhat in the dark as to why they needed Reyna and her fox abilities to join their team, I admit I found it very fun to watch the three men collectively tempt her into collaborating with them.

An enjoyable and sensual read, it was clear there was more to the plot than just a quick seduction and I was thrilled when the author followed through on that. Readers wanting a quick, sexy, paranormal story that has a few twists and turns in it should find this a lovely and refreshing change of pace. I thought this was a good story and I’m interested in reading more by this new-to-me author.

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

If the Fates Allow: A Short Story by Rainbow Rowell

April 29, 2024 By Leave a Comment


If the Fates Allow: A Short Story by Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: Self-Published, Amazon Original Stories
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

Social distancing came easily to Reagan. Maybe a little too easily. She’s always liked people better from afar. But Reagan doesn’t want her grandpa to be alone for Christmas this year—he’s already spent too much time on his own in 2020. So she heads back to her hometown with a dish of holiday Jell-O salad, hoping they can have a little normalcy. Hoping it will be safe…

She isn’t expecting to run into the boy next door. Mason is all grown up now. He’s considerate. He’s funny. He doesn’t mind how prickly Reagan is—he maybe even likes it. And it makes Reagan feel like her defenses are falling. She needs her defenses, doesn’t she? In a time when six feet is close enough, how long can they keep their distance?

With a title that’s a spin on Judy Garland’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, Rainbow Rowell’s If the Fates Allow is a sweet short story of a holiday romance read. Set in the same world as her young adult novel Fangirl (though not directly connected), it tells the story of two people who meet in the time of social distancing and find a unique connection.

While COVID has upended all of our lives since 2020, I wasn’t expecting it to be the setting of a romance. I think the author did a good job acknowledging the realities of COVID (i.e., the isolation, people who don’t believe in measures like masks or vaccines) while also including some lighthearted moments in an attempt to balance out the dark cloud that is COVID. Reagan does worry a lot about the pandemic, but I actually found myself empathizing with her given I experienced those concerns myself. While this book is marketed as a romance, I was admittedly more invested in Reagan’s relationship with her grandfather and the rest of her family rather than with Mason (the boy-next-door love interest). Fear not, however – the romance was still cute and well-written.

Audiobook narrators are usually a plus for me, but I actually found it preferable to read in print rather than listen because narrator Rebecca Lowman’s performance was a bit dry. She didn’t really change tone over the course of the read, and there weren’t different voices for the various characters either. I was hoping for a bit more animation, but that didn’t happen, so it did negatively impact my enjoyment of the read a bit.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. I would have hoped for something a bit longer (more of a novella length than short story), but it was satisfying as is. I would recommend it to Hallmark Christmas movie fans who are looking for something short to read. Bonus points if you have Kindle Unlimited, as it’s free to read on that service.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: COVID, Grief, Death of a Grandparent (in the past), Messy Family Relationships

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

The Flesh Tailor by Kate Ellis

April 26, 2024 By Leave a Comment


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

When Dr James Dalcott is shot dead in his cottage it looks very much like an execution. And as DI Wesley Peterson begins piecing together the victim’s life, he finds that the well-liked country doctor has been harbouring strange and dramatic family secrets.

Meanwhile, archaeologist Neil Watson has discovered a number of skeletons in nearby Tailors Court that bear marks of dissection and might be linked to tales of body snatching by a rogue physician in the sixteenth century. But when Neil finds the bones of a child buried with a 1930s coin, the investigation takes a sinister turn.

Who were the children evacuated to Tailors Court during World War II? And where are they now? When a link is established between the wartime evacuees and Dr Dalcott’s death, Wesley is faced with his most challenging case yet.

DI Wesley Peterson and his team are called in to investigate when a local doctor is found shot in the front door of his cottage in what looks very much like an execution-style murder. As they look deeper into the doctor they find his family history isn’t as straightforward as one would expect. Archeologist Neil Watson is also called in when two skeletons are found by a local wanting to renovate his newly purchased piece of land. What starts with two bodies quickly grown into half a dozen and one of those is the body of a small child seemingly from the 1930s. Can Wesley and Neil each uncover what’s really going on?

I was quite pleased with this book and found even though it’s right in the middle of the series readers should feel comfortable picking this up and knowing they can enjoy a well-plotted British police procedural style of mystery with a good element of archaeology woven into it as well. While I do admit the main characters and the police team in particular have a lot of threads and history connecting them together from the previous books in the series I didn’t feel there was anything that occurred which would leave readers picking up this book along would find too confusing. The two main plots are very well contained within this book alone and I believe it can be enjoyed by itself.

That said, I also did feel a little as if nothing too unique or fresh was brought into the book. While I thoroughly enjoy the fact the police procedural aspect to the mystery is well balanced with Neil’s archaeology this books felt a little bit like a “filler” style of book to me. To my mind, no real character progress was made in the police team, and nothing much occurred in any longer running story arcs so when I’d finished I felt thoroughly satisfied by the two mystery plotlines, but felt as though nothing really had been achieved by this book itself.

Readers looking for an interesting and enjoyable murder mystery – especially those who like a bit of something different like what I found with the archaeology aspect to the plot – should find this a good read and well worth the investment. In particular this might be a good book for readers not previously exposed to the series to try and find if they like the author’s style and whether this is a longer running series they might enjoy.

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

Changeling by Shelby Morgen

April 24, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Changeling by Shelby Morgen
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

“I don’t believe in Magic.”

Did he actually say those words — out loud — in an Irish pub, on St. Patrick’s Day? Divorced and alone, Michael Matthews doesn’t believe in much of anything anymore. So when he downs several mugs of Irish Stout while listening to the barkeep weave a tale of magic and intrigue centuries old, Mich’s judgment might be slightly impaired.

Mich wakes up bound and naked in a Fairy’s webs. He isn’t really sure he wants to escape the gorgeous little creature… but what’s he to do with a lover who’s only five inches tall?

She’s the Changeling Fairy, and she has a bag of Fairy toys — including magical restraints and Fairy Oil — she’s just itching to try out on her captive. She’s caught Mich for just one purpose — she has every intention of spending St. Patrick’s Day having wild Fairy sex with this hot hunk of an American. Just as soon as he learns to cooperate!

Michael Matthews is a procurement agent for a microbrewery distribution group and usually he knows exactly how to handle his beer. But this is St, Patrick’s Day and he downs more than a few mugs while listening to a very talented barkeeper. Mich then finds himself waking up entangled in more than he bargained for, and Arien is gorgeous enough neither of them are sure they want to undo what might have been started here.

I found this to be a funny and very unique sort of short story. With whip quick dialogue and plenty of quirkiness I definitely feel this is the sort of story you need to enjoy with a hefty drink and a lot of light-heartedness. Disengage your brain, relax back and just enjoy where this talented author takes you.

While there is some plot, I found that I enjoyed the fact the story didn’t really take itself too seriously. While funny, the sex was steamy and very explicit. Readers who don’t enjoy insta-lust stories might find the pace of this aspect to the plot was a little fast – but with such a short page count I don’t really see how any could expect a long, detailed, slow drop into the romance.

Steamy, funny and fast-paced, I found this to be an enjoyable and quick read. Best enjoyed with a drink and a light sense of humour, I feel plenty of readers should find this equally addictive.

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

Oddities by Thurdy

April 23, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Oddities by Thurdy
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A dystopian vampire teenager, severed finger salad topping, disgruntled Teddy bears, and an army of Percivals. What do these all have in common? They are all trapped within the pages of this collection of stories, like a genie waiting to be released from a bottle. Oh, forgot to say, there’s a genie in there too, but not one like you’re picturing. This one is actually … well, you’ll find out.

So, for those of you who spend your life in a state of perpetual distraction, who want to buy everything in the art supply shop, whose co-workers don’t know you write poetry…

no more staring into the mirror wondering how nice it would be to have horns.

It’s time to grow a pair.

If you love delightfully weird and memorable tales that break the rules, keep reading.

“Author” showed what happened when Ruby tried to wander away from the storyline her author was writing and do something else with her time. I enjoyed the surreal feeling of this short story as the author and characters debated over who was actually in charge of what was going to happen next. It kept me guessing until the last possible moment.

As much as I enjoyed Mx.Thurdy’s creative writing style, I did find myself wishing that certain portions of this collection had been given more time to develop. “Review” was included in this list. It followed a food critic visiting a bizarre new restaurant that felt like something from a bad dream. Every course was worse than the last one, and I struggled to understand why the critic stuck around when they clearly didn’t have anything good to say about this establishment. As entertaining as this was, it never quite gelled together for me. That pattern happened often enough for me to choose a three star rating, but I do hope to read more from the author in the future as they are a good storyteller.

Honestly, I couldn’t blame Teddy, a bright purple teddy bear created after a human wished him into existence, for being so grumpy in “Wish.” I would have been just as irritated if I were in his uncomfortable position. While this was a short piece, it was exactly long enough to get its point across and make me smile as I got to know the main character and the conflicts he faced in his life. In the end, I was content to imagine what happened to him next after the final sentence ended.

Oddities put a unique spin on the science fiction genre.

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

Beyond Stonebridge by Linda Griffin

April 22, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Beyond Stonebridge by Linda Griffin
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In this sequel to Stonebridge, it is 1959, and Rynna Wyatt’s abusive husband Jason has fallen to his death after a fight with his bookish, disabled cousin Ted Demeray. The police would like to know exactly what happened, but it’s impossible to tell the whole truth.

Jason’s death doesn’t end his relationship with them. Rynna is pregnant with his child and traumatized by his abuse. She and Ted leave Stonebridge Manor to start a new life in Brenford, where Ted teaches at the university, but Jason’s restless spirit follows and haunts Rynna’s dreams. He wants her back. He wants revenge. And he wants his son. How can Ted and Rynna oppose his claims and finally put him to rest?

The past never truly sleeps.

Some of the most interesting scenes were the ones that highlighted the many social differences between the era this was set in and life in contemporary times. Let me give two examples of what I mean. First, men were not allowed in the delivery room at this point in history and were highly discouraged from supporting their wives earlier in the labor process either. Second, learning anything new took much longer back then than it does now that most people have a smartphone and can look up any topic in a few minutes at most. I’ll leave it up to other readers to discover the rest of the societal changes over the decades and how they affected the storyline in all sorts of ways, but I was intrigued by how such things have shifted over time.

I struggled with the slow pacing of this novel. So much time was spent discussing previous events in the lives of these characters that there wasn’t much forward motion for the storyline until I was more than a hundred pages into it. The paranormal themes took an even longer period of time to appear which surprised me. As happy as I was to reconnect with the characters and as much as I wanted to give this a higher rating, these issues made me hesitant to do so.

The romance was handled nicely. I enjoyed seeing how Rynna and Ted’s relationship had blossomed since I first met them and how they both adjusted to the beginning of their life together. They were a good match who shared the same values and many of the same interests, too. I was glad to see them both finally find some happiness after all of the difficult things they’d previously endured.

This is the second book in a series that I’d strongly recommend reading in order for character and plot development reasons.

Beyond Stonebridge was a thoughtful read.

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

Because of You by Fiona Brands

April 16, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Because of You by Fiona Brands
Publisher: FriesenPress
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Liv and her best friends Travis and April have just started their last year of high school and things have gotten complicated—Liv has feelings for Travis, April is getting into trouble already, and Travis has a new girlfriend. But then Liv’s mom reveals a long-buried secret about Liv’s father, who took his own life when Liv was only two, and her life is turned totally upside down.

Reminded of unresolved trauma, Liv’s mom starts drinking heavily and Liv is haunted by the thought that her parents could have had good lives if they had never met. When Liv visits the antique shop of Travis’s grandpa, she discovers a grandfather clock they suspect can transport people back in time. As Liv’s life becomes increasingly chaotic, she’s forced to decide: will she travel back in time to stop her parents’ complicated relationship, or will she endure an uncertain future?

Whether platonic or romantic, love makes everything in life better.

I adored the close-knit friendships between Liv, Travis, and April. All three of them were kind and generous people who looked out for each other. Their banter made me smile, and I enjoyed seeing how they navigated their final year of school together as all three tried to figure out what the future might hold for them.

The pacing felt slow at times to me, especially in the first half of this novel. Based on the reference to time travel in the blurb, I was surprised to see so many chapters go by without a single mention of anything related to speculative fiction at all even though I later came to understand why the author made this choice. Some of the subplots also soaked up a lot of time in the beginning for reasons that I did not understand until much later or, in some cases, at all. The writing itself was nice, I simply felt that it could have been tightened up in the beginning so the characters could move on to the main conflict faster.

Most of the science fiction I read is harder and more definitive than this, so it was refreshing to see how lightly it was sprinkled into this tale. There were hints of it sprinkled here and there, but the majority of the scenes only contained moments that could happen in real life. This could be a good introduction to science fiction for readers who don’t generally read it because of that.

Because of You was heartwarming.

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

A Long Time Dead by J M Dalgliesh

April 15, 2024 By 1 Comment


A Long Time Dead by J M Dalgliesh
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

You can’t stay dead forever…
A group of high school students gather on the Isle of Skye’s remote Coral Beach for a hedonistic night of partying to celebrate the passing of their final exams. The new millennium is on the horizon and the future beckons, promising new hope and a fresh wind of optimism. In the coming days, many will leave the island for work or to study on the mainland, whereas others will remain on Skye and forge a more traditional path much as their families have done for centuries before them.

That is… all but one…

D.I. Duncan McAdam is dispatched home to the Misty Isle. A body has been found buried in a remote location on the Waternish peninsula. Well preserved in the peat, Isla Matheson – missing for the better part of two decades – is revealed to a shocked island community. A teenage runaway is dead… and no one is talking…

Joining a small team of detectives, Duncan is tasked with revisiting those who knew Isla, those who cared for her… and those with the potential to kill her… In a remote community well used to settling scores among themselves, will they trust one of their own when he asks questions or will they persevere with the façade of ignorance?

When the body of a teenage girl – one who was thought for many years to have simply run away – is found buried in a remote location on the Isle of Skye, DI Duncan McAdam is dispatched from Glasgow to help the police team uncover answers. Originally from the Isle of Skye, McAdam is expected to help ease things with the locals and to keep his head down. But in the remote community there are more than a few secrets being kept by the locals, and some of them are deadly.

I’ve greatly enjoyed other series written by this author and so was interested to pick up this book – the first in a new series. I found the location of upper Scotland to be very atmospheric and the characters to already appear layered and intriguing. There is clearly a lot of baggage and history with McAdam and his family – some of which was resolved in this book but some of which has obviously been left for more exploration in the coming few books. There also appears to be a lot going on with two of McAdam’s closest childhood friends and I expect that to unfold also in the coming few books.

The plot of this book was interesting and complex. While I did guess some of it accurately and around the middle of the story, some of the twists were things I hadn’t seem coming and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought this plot was a good combination of cliché and fresh outlook and while the pace was at times a little slow – for the first book in a police procedural story I felt it moved along well.

Readers who enjoy British style police procedural stories should find this an excellent book. As the first in the series there isn’t any baggage or hidden factors linking back to previous titles and there was enough “big picture” character arc clearly left for me to be eager to pick up the second book in the series.

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