Ryan’s Christmas by LJ Ross

March 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Ryan’s Christmas by LJ Ross
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Christmas can be murder…

After a busy year fighting crime, DCI Ryan and his team of murder detectives are enjoying a festive season of goodwill, mulled wine and, in the case of DS Phillips, a stottie cake or two—that is, until a freak snowstorm forces their car off the main road and into the remote heart of Northumberland. Their Christmas spirit is soon tested when they’re forced to find shelter inside England’s most haunted castle, where they’re the uninvited guests at a ‘Candlelit Ghost Hunt’. It’s all fun and games—until one of the guests is murdered. It seems no mortal hand could have committed the crime, so Ryan and Co. must face the spectres living inside the castle walls to uncover the grisly truth, before another ghost joins their number…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

It’s the week before Christmas and DCI Ryan and his wife have spent an enjoyable weekend day with Ryan’s colleague’s and their best friends Frank and Denise at the Edinburgh Christmas festival. On their trip back home, however, the weather turns against them and they’re forced off the main road and into the wilds of Northumberland. Seeking refuge inside England’s most haunted castle, they find themselves uninvited guests at a “Candlelight Ghost Hunt” while staying overnight. They try to take the fun in stride, only to find a real-life murder has taken place and their holiday cheer quickly becomes the grim reality of finding yet another murderer before the year is out.

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this series and was excited to find this slightly shorter Christmas-themed story. Despite the slightly shorter length (but still a solid 250 ish pages) everything I as a reader enjoy about the regular books in this series was here on display in this Christmassy story as well. Ryan, Anna, Frank and Denise are well-rounded characters and have been working together seamlessly for a number of years – this being the 15th book in the series – and yet I still feel readers new to the author and series could pick this story up and find a fun murder-mystery and police procedural style of story. I do feel readers who have read at least a few of the previous books and understand some of the history and friendship between the main characters will find a deeper emotional connection to the book and characters, but I don’t feel that knowledge is necessary to enjoy this book on its own merits.

Readers who enjoy an older style – almost Agatha Christie-esque – small town, who dunnit, style of closed-door murder mystery should find this book right up their alley. At the party in the castle there are a finite number of characters assembled who had access to the body and so unlike many of the other books in this series the set-up wasn’t traditional to find a list of possible candidates but more to just figure out who present had the means, motive and opportunity. I also feel this style of mystery lent itself to the slightly shorter length of the book which was a clever move by the author.

I found this an enjoyable and solidly plotted read with a good Christmas theme and a solid murder mystery. The slightly slower pace of the police procedural mode of solving the puzzle appealed strongly to me and while readers used to more action orientated plots might find it a little slow, I personally thoroughly enjoyed the more realistic pace.

A good book with strong characters and a well-planned plot – this was a great and fun read I enjoyed.

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

A Very Private Woman by Connor Whiteley

March 17, 2023 By Leave a Comment


A Very Private Woman by Connor Whiteley
Publisher: CGD Publishing
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

An Invitation Like No Other. Sister Rivalry. A Very Private Woman.

Nothing is as it seems.

Private Eye Bettie English receives a visitor. She hears a top-secret job offer. Bettie knows something is afoot.

Bettie needs to find the truth.

If you enjoy gripping, unputdownable private eye mysteries holding you from the first to last word. You will love this book!

Be careful whom you trust.

The pregnancy subplot added some nice twists to this mystery. I can’t say much about it without giving away spoilers, but I liked seeing how the author used common pregnancy symptoms to encourage his characters to do certain things that they probably would not have otherwise done. This isn’t something I’ve seen very often in this genre, and I found it refreshing to have such an ordinary but important part of life included in the character arcs.

While I understand that there are additional books coming about Bettie and the other characters, I did find myself wishing that the narrator had spent more time on character development in this introduction to their world. I certainly didn’t expect to figure everything out about the characters right away, but it would be tricky for me to describe their personalities in depth at the moment. My fingers are crossed that we’ll get to know Bettie and the people closest to her better in the future because I really wanted to give this a higher rating. The storyline itself was exciting and fun.

Speaking of the plot, I enjoyed the author’s dedication to keeping everything moving along at a quick pace. That was an excellent choice for this particular mystery, and it kept my interest levels high from the first scene to the last one. There was always something to urge me to continue reading for just one more page which was a wonderful excuse to ignore the outside world for a while and see what happened next.

A Very Private Woman was an intriguing start to a new mystery series.

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

The Gray Man by Mark Greaney

March 16, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Gray Man by Mark Greaney
Publisher: Sphere (Penguin House)
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

To those who lurk in the shadows, he’s known as the Gray Man. He is a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible and then fading away. And he always hits his target. Always.

But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. Forces like money. And power. And there are men who hold these as the only currency worth fighting for. And in their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness.

But Court Gentry is going to prove that, for him, there’s no gray area between killing for a living and killing to stay alive….

Court Gentry lurks in the shadows – quietly killing the targets he’s given then fading back away. Only when a powerful man is determined to spare nothing to ensure Court’s head becomes his newest trophy does Court’s carefully crafted world come tumbling down. With even his closest allies forced against him, Court needs to dig deep and use everything he’s got to escape with his life.

I found this to be a really well paced and solidly plotted “secret assassin has the tables turned” sort of story. While superficially this is like a number of other stories out there, I found that I quickly got sucked into enjoying both Court’s character and eager to see how things would unfold next. While he isn’t an anti-hero like many assassin characters are nowadays – there are still small amounts of loyalty and patriotism inside Court’s makeup – Court is also extremely pragmatic and doesn’t yearn for things to be different or for a lifestyle that simply isn’t achievable for him anymore. I found this quite endearing, and it really helped sell me on his character and the book as a whole.

I absolutely admit I felt a fair bit of sympathy for Court’s handler – Donald Fitzroy. Without giving too much away I strongly feel he was put in a horrendous situation – a genuine “no win” sort of position – and while we all might be able to talk about various options or differences in how we would handle such a thing, I truly felt like Fitzroy did the best he could. Certainly, Gentry was given a raw deal having to fend for his life, but I definitely feel like Fitzroy had an equally bad time of the entire situation. It’s not often I feel deep empathy for a secondary character and not the main protagonist, so this surprised me and helped the book feel fresh and different to me.

Readers looking for an exciting, action orientated espionage style of story should feel this really fits the bill. There are a bunch of cannon-fodder character deaths and plenty of shoot ‘em up scenes without an extreme amount of gore or dwelling on the violence. The bad guys here are actually bad – so I did feel in places the story got a bit gritty – readers looking for something a little easier or gentle might not find this fits the bill for them.

A fast paced and interesting thriller, this is a great book. I’ll be looking for the next in the series.

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

Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch

March 15, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Gollancz
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A mutilated body in Crawley. A killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil, possibly an associate of the twisted wizard known as the Faceless Man. Or maybe just a garden-variety serial killer.

Before apprentice wizard and Police Constable Peter Grant can even get his head ’round the case, two more are dropped in his lap: a town planner has gone under a tube train, and there’s a stolen grimoire for Grant to track down.

So far, so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans, and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River—in the jurisdiction of some pretty prickly local river spirits?

It’s been almost a year since PC Peter Grant learned the world wasn’t quite what he’d expected, and he had begun his apprenticeship in magic along with his police duties. So, when another murder has some earmarks of being magically related but plenty of other clues hint this might be completely mundane, Peter has his work cut out for him. As usual, Peter and Lesley race to find out exactly what’s happening all the while learning on the job.

The Rivers of London series is a whole lot of fun. Plenty of paranormal creatures and activities alongside some solid police procedural style regular mystery work packed in with a healthy dose of humor and the absurd. I’ve found that this is one of those series where you’re caught laughing mid-way through a scene only to have it all turn on its head. While this book can be read alone, I strongly feel that readers will get a lot more enjoyment if they read these in order. The characters, situations and links are all very well explained but a lot of history has happened in the previous books. So, I definitely feel those connections and overall story arc in particular will be a lot more meaningful and enjoyable to readers if they’ve read at least a few of the previous books. That said, it’s not strictly necessary in order to follow and enjoy this book.

I was pleased to see both Peter and Lesley are growing – both as characters and in their magical training and talents. I was also glad to be reminded that while a number of books have occurred only approximately a year in story-time has passed. It’s been explained before that an apprenticeship can be upwards of ten years so while some growth has occurred this is expected to be slow going and so they are both absolutely learning and only in the beginning stages, which makes things more interesting to my mind.

Readers looking for an enjoyable – often humorous – paranormal tale with a strong mystery plot should find this a lovely read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am eager to continue with the series. Recommended.

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

Dawning of Darkness: The Fall of Gods and Kings by James G. Robertson

March 14, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Dawning of Darkness: The Fall of Gods and Kings by James G. Robertson
Publisher: Self-Published / Next Life Publishing LLC
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Systems fall, planets die—darkness dawns on us all. When a god known simply as the Dark Creator enters our universe, the concord of the world inhabited by the spirits of men and their kings, the gods’ chosen few, fades. As this being and his overwhelming force of corrupted horrors and children eclipse Afterworld and its territories, the kingdoms of men must put aside their differences and band together.

After millennia of fighting, the final blockade separating man from those sinister entities has collapsed. With so much at stake, and with the Dark Creator approaching the Divine Mountains, will our protectors’ sacrifices ensure Afterworld’s survival? Or will this encroaching darkness consume it all?

Resistance is essential if good is to prevail.

Without giving away too many details, this was no ordinary war. Not only had it lasted for thousands of years, there were plenty of other magical things going on with it that made me smile. It was cool to see just how many fantasy tropes and mythical creatures the author was able to include in the storyline in ways that made sense. I wish I could gush about them all in more detail, but it’s best if other readers are pleasantly surprised just like I was.

I found the large cast of characters confusing. There wasn’t a lot of space in this novella to get to know the characters deeply, especially the ones who played supportive roles, so I didn’t have enough details about many of them to quickly recall who they were and how they were connected to everyone else.

The descriptions of the settings were well done. I appreciated the time the author took to explain the landscape, how it affected how people lived in that area, and how it may have changed since previous scenes. All of that attention to detail made it easy to imagine where the characters were and why they were so surprised by certain developments.

Dawning of Darkness: The Fall of Gods and Kings was an exciting ride.

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

The Don’ts of Zombie Hunting by Ashlynn Monroe

March 14, 2023 By 1 Comment


The Don’ts of Zombie Hunting by Ashlynn Monroe
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Coralee Bradley is the only veterinarian in the small town of Davis, Wisconsin. Everything about Davis is tranquil, except for one thing — zombies. Coralee finds herself battling for her life against the same people she called neighbors seventy-two hours earlier.

Injured, Sergeant Jordan Parks seeks refuge with an angelic redhead. When she becomes a threat to their safety there’s only one thing he can do — make love to her. One night of end-of-the-world passion will never be enough — if they survive.

Emily Bradley saved her sister’s skinny ass from zombies. She survived when almost everyone she knows is dead. Now Jordan, her sister Coralee’s apocalyptic squeeze, has led them into a situation filled with chaos and death at Fort McCoy. It’s time for Plan B, and Yankee and Thad are just what the doctor ordered.

Emily and Cora have lost their home, watched friends die, and found love. Still, they are unprepared for the decision that will change everything. Inside of them burns the salvation of humanity, if they can stay alive long enough to realize the cure.

Everyone dies, but not everyone really lives.

The end of the world as we know it doesn’t have to mean physical contact and romance are off the table, too.

Because all three of the stories included here featured the same main characters, were set in consecutive order, and were so closely connected to each other that teasing them apart would be difficult, I’m going to review them as a group.

The zombies made me shudder. This was one of those universes where things quickly spiral out of control and the characters don’t have much information about why people are coming back from the dead or how this disease began. That kept the tension levels high, and I couldn’t stop reading until I knew how everything turned out.

It would have been helpful to have a better balance between the erotic and horror elements of the storyline. There were multiple occasions where characters shared intimate moments under incredibly dangerous circumstances. It was difficult for me as a reader to understand why they kept taking those risks over and over again when they were otherwise pretty levelheaded when it came to dealing with zombies and figuring out the best way to stay one step ahead of these monsters.

The ending made me smile. I was wondering how the tension between these two genres would be resolved since horror tales often don’t end on a happy note while erotic ones almost always do. Without giving away spoilers, I thought the author did a good job of balancing the audience’s expectations in the final scene and wrapping everything up satisfactorily.

The Don’ts of Zombie Hunting was a wild ride.

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

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

March 10, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber
Publisher: Forge Books
Genre: Contemporary, Light Paranormal, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.

It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.

As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.

Two women, lots of misunderstanding and hurt, plus pie.

I picked this book up because it was recommended to me. I’m glad I read it, as it was something out of my normal wheelhouse. The book moved along fine, and the writing was good. It’s a family saga, women’s fiction type of book and it was good.

I have a few niggles with the book, though. There are a lot of characters and at times, it was hard to keep track of them. Natalie and Anna Kate are good characters, but the cast around them is almost too much. I get that this is a homey feel type of book, but there could’ve been more depth to the characters to make them stand apart better. Also, I got confused as to whether this was a paranormal book or straight realism. The cat was a fascinating character, but it seemed like the thread was left loose. There are the starts of romances in the book, but nothing really seemed wrapped up.

I do have to say this did read well like a family saga and a slice of life story. I did feel like I was there with Anna Kate and Natalie. I think some of the dimensions of their characters could’ve been explored more, but they were relatable and that worked. I liked how it was like reading about friends.

If you’re looking for a book that’s warm, cozy, takes a while to develop and will make you want to eat pie, then this is the book for you. Check it out.

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

Around We Go by Sarah Caldwell

March 9, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Around We Go by Sarah Caldwell
The Loveseat Series, Book 1
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

An elegant dress, a paid-for hotel room, and a night out with my boyfriend? What could possibly go wrong?

Around We Go tells the story of Allie, a journalist desperately in need of a good night out. Uninspired at her job and yearning for adventure, she attends the opening of the hotel that her boyfriend helped develop. Perhaps this event will provide just what she needs to rekindle her flame, and maybe even light a new one…

Fast and hot.

I picked up this book because I wanted something quick for a lunch read and this delivered. It moves at a great clip and the characters were interesting. I’ve never read anything by Sarah Caldwell and I’m glad I did.

I liked that Allie came into her own in this story. It’s refreshing to see a woman blossom this way and to realize what she deserves. The empowerment is great. I liked that she’s relatable, too. I had some issues with the way things played out, as it was almost too fast and would like to see where this goes after this book.

Still, it’s hot, fast and will singe the screen as you read. Give this short story a try!

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

Love’s Anchor by Mimi B. Rose

March 8, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Love’s Anchor by Mimi B. Rose
The Laurentian Mountain Clan
Publisher: Totally Bound
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

She’s caught between two clans. One says she’s their property, the other she’s the Fated Mate of the Alpha’s son.

After hiding from shifters all her life, Mirabelle Beauchamp finds herself caught in a deadly rivalry between two clans. When sexy Alpha’s son Maxime Ducharme helps her fend off a shifter attack, she’s thrown into the world her mother shielded her from. Maxime’s rivals return, claiming Mirabelle is one of them, but she knows she belongs to Maxime and Maxime belongs to her.

They’ll both have to fight for what they want. For the freedom to choose—and to love.

Hot, fast and shifter fun!

I’ve never read anything by Mimi B Rose and I’m glad I rectified that. This was a hot read and fast, but it moved along at a good clip. I liked the writing style and will check out more of the author’s work.

Mirabelle and Maxime are a good pairing, even if they’re from rival clans. I liked the way they had to work together and figure things out, while fighting off temptation and rivals. This story moved fast, but I liked the insta-love portion. It worked for the story.

There were a few loose ends I wanted to see tied up, but that only whet my appetite for the next book. I see this is a prequel, so I’m excited to find the rest.

If you want something hot and fast, then this might be the right story for you.

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

Greek Style by Stephanie Burke

March 7, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Greek Style by Stephanie Burke
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

All May wanted was to take pictures of poppies in the mountains of Greece. She didn’t know she was breaking a taboo and stealing male energy.

But when a satyr and a faun demand she gives back what she has inadvertently taken, the term Get Your Goat suddenly takes on a new and deliciously naughty meaning.

Hot, quick and sinful.

I love the work of Stephanie Burke. The author takes the story to places I would’ve ever expected or fathomed, and it works so well. The writing flowed along well, and I felt like I was there with the characters. I needed to know more.

May, her faun and her satyr are a good triad. I liked how things got hot FAST. This short story is intended to be scorching and it delivered. I liked that the story moved so quickly and there wasn’t much time to catch a breath—especially not for May!

If you’re interested in a hot, FAST, paranormal short story that will scorch your lunch time, then this is it!

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