Friday, June 30, 2023

Review: Out of Nowhere by Donna Augustine Going Nowhere #3

Donna Augustine has been a favorite of mine for many years and I'm happy to share the finale of her Going Nowhere trilogy, Out of Nowhere with you.
Enjoy!


ASIN:  B0C76WS4F6
Publisher: Strong Hold Publishing
Release Date: 06-09-2023
Length: 265pp
Source: Author for review
Buy It: Amazon

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
There’s something primal about vengeance. After losing my career and family, it’s the only thing that drives me. So when I get the opportunity to become stronger and gain an edge on my enemy, I take it.
But everything has a cost and the price for my new power won’t be paid by me alone. I’ve bound Kaden to me, done the unthinkable, and it still might not be enough to defeat them. Now I might have to choose between killing my enemy or saving the ones I love…


Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Sophia Rose Reviews: The Sailor's Rest by Don Jacobson

 

Today Sophia Rose returns with a Jane Austen retelling with a twist. Read on to see what she thought.
Enjoy!



The Sailor’s Rest by Don Jacobson, narrated by Benjamin Fife

Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Don Jacobson

Published:  4.25.23

Time:  13 hours 31 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Narrator: 5 stars

Format: Audio

Source:  Author

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

Two grooms missing at the altar. Darcy & Wentworth kidnapped. Two great loves tried by separation, battle, and deception.

Set on the stage of Napoleon’s 100 Days, relish the mystery, sea chase, and, finally, the satisfying finish as four yearning hearts--desperate to be reunited-- draw closer together. Join the heart-stopping chase with Anne Elliot & Elizabeth Bennet as they search the tattered rooms of a waterfront inn, suffer on board a frigate engaged in a deadly game of naval chess, and then enter the gilded confines of London’s preeminent card room where revenge is riding on one final hand.

Can true love be lost at sea?

The Sailor’s Rest is set in the Persuasion timeline of 1815 but leaves in place the age and plot constructs established by Austen in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen’s greatest lovers come together to be tested in the crucible of war on the Mediterranean’s blue waters and in the smoky confines of a prestigious London gambling den.

 

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Review-The Devil you Know by Kit Rocha

 


One good thing about having more time to read from my personal library is that I can finally dig into my never ending backlist. I'm just sorry I waited so long to read The Devil you Know because it was awsome.
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 978-1250209382
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: 08-31-2021
Length: 304pp
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

The Mercenary Librarians and the Silver Devils are back in The Devil You Know, the next installment of USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Kit Rocha’s post-apocalyptic action/romance, with hints of Orphan Black and the Avengers

Maya has had a price on her head from the day she escaped the TechCorps. Genetically engineered for genius and trained for revolution, there’s only one thing she can’t do―forget.

Gray has finally broken free of the Protectorate, but he can’t escape the time bomb in his head. His body is rejecting his modifications, and his months are numbered.

When Maya’s team uncovers an operation trading in genetically enhanced children, she’ll do anything to stop them. Even risk falling back into the hands of the TechCorps.

And Gray has found a purpose for his final days: keeping Maya safe.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Sophia Rose Reviews: Shadow Mission by Kendall Talbot



Today my friend Sophia Rose returns with a review of Shadow Mission by Kendall Talbot an author she loves. Stop by and see if  #5 in Kendall Talbot's Alpha Tactical Ops series lived up to her expectations.
Enjoy!

Shadow Mission by Kendall Talbot

#5 Alpha Tactical Ops

Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Kendall Talbot

Published:  6.1.23

Pages:  378

Rating: 5 stars

Format: eARC

Source: Booksprout

Sellers:  Amazon


ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

She’s paying for her father's mistake. He thrives on breaking the rules.
But running from their pasts was never an option.


Held for ransom by a hideous overlord, the once fiercely independent Yasmin Sanders is now paying for her father’s deadly mistake. But she knows too much and fears the monster she’s forced to work for will never set her free.

Fearless ex-army hero, and leg amputee, Cole Tanner (Codename: Cobra) hacked into his first computer when he was twelve. That reckless action pitched him into an underworld that’s had him on a knife edge ever since. When Cobra cracks a supposedly unbreakable system, he gains intel on a shipment that could provide answers to the disasterous mission in Antarctica that he and his Alpha Tactical Ops team have failed to solve.

Cobra and his team launch a covert mission onto a freighter in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But trapped in the rusted hellhole, they are severely outnumbered. Cobra discovers a fiery redhead hiding from the chaos and she turns his world and his heart upside down when she unwittingly reveals a secret that proves the ruthless killers on the massive ship are the least of their worries.

With the ghosts of his past hell-bent on revenge, will Cobra make the right sacrifice to set Yasmin free? Or will they both drown in mistakes that will trap them forever.

Shadow Mission is a steamy, opposites attract romance, featuring a protective hero who is battling his demons and a feisty heroine who doesn’t trust anyone. Shadow Mission is packed with action, forbidden steamy moments and a mysterious hero who must learn from his past, to be free in his future.

 

Friday, June 16, 2023

Random House audio review of Spare by Prince Harry narrated by the author

Today I'm excited to share my review of Spare by Prince Harry. Like many I have watched him grow up under the flash of the paparazzi's bulb, but now I get the real story and what it was really like growing up the Spare.
Enjoy!

ASIN: B0BJ4JGQGS
Publisher: Random House Audio
Release Date: 01-10- 2023
Length: 15 hours-39minutes
Source: Purchase Chirpbooks
Buy It: Audible/Chirpbooks

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the global phenomenon that tells an unforgettable story of love, loss, and healing.

“Compellingly artful . . . [a] blockbuster memoir.”—The New Yorker

It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.

For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Sophia Rose Reviews: The First Death by Kendra Elliot

Today Sophia Rose returns with her review of, The First Death, #4 in Kendra Elliot's Columbia River series that releases today!
Enjoy!


The First Death by Kendra Elliot

#4 Columbia River

Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake

Published:  6.13.23

Pages:  313

Rating: 5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

For a search and rescue expert, the buried remains of her past are a dangerous obsession in a twisting novel of suspense by a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author.

Rowan Wolff was five years old when she, her brother, and their babysitter were kidnapped by a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest. The babysitter was murdered. Rowan was saved. Her brother was killed and buried in the forest, his remains never found. The convicted killer refuses to say where he buried the boy. Twenty-five years later, Rowan is committed to search and rescue with her faithful canine and is obsessed with finding her brother’s grave—and closure.

Detective Evan Bolton thrives on unraveling tough cases, but his latest is disturbing. There’s another serial killer hunting in Deschutes County, Oregon, and the crimes are identical to those committed by the sociopath languishing in prison. Each victim is linked to Rowan. When skeletal remains of several bodies are exhumed in the forest, Rowan’s connection becomes more entwined and impossible to ignore.

Rowan and Evan are determined to solve the case before someone else dies. And someone else will, as the truth about the past is unearthed.

Friday, June 9, 2023

Review: The Enchanted Hacienda by JC Cervantes

Today I'm so excited to be sharing my review of, The Enchanted Hacienda, an enchanting new novel from NY Times bestseller JC Cervantes. Read on to see why I loved it.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-0778334057
Publisher: Park Row Books
Release Date: 05-16-2023
Length: 368pp
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Publisher/ Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

From the New York Times bestselling author, J.C. Cervantes, THE ENCHANTED HACIENDA introduces us to the magical Estrada family.

"This is a contemporary coming-of-age story, with a sprinkling of magic, that’s one of my most anticipated reads of the year." —Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author, in Elle Magazine

“The warmth and humor of The Enchanted Hacienda immediately cast a spell over me.”
—Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters


When Harlow Estrada is abruptly fired from her dream job and her boyfriend proves to be a jerk, her world turns upside down. She flees New York City to the one place she can always call home—the enchanted Hacienda Estrada.

The Estrada family farm in Mexico houses an abundance of charmed flowers cultivated by Harlow’s mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, interpret dreams—but not Harlow. So when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family’s magic, she panics. How can she rise to the occasion when she is magicless? But maybe it’s not magic she’s missing, but belief in herself. When she finally embraces her unique gifts and opens her heart to a handsome stranger, she discovers she’s far more powerful than she imagined.

With unforeseen twists, romance, and a heavy sprinkle of magic, The Enchanted Hacienda is a captivating coming-of-age debut exploring identity, unconditional family love, and uncovering the magic within us all.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Showcase Demoiselles of Numidia a Novel by Mohamed Leftah

Today I'm happy to bring you the latest novel by acclaimed Moroccan author Mohamed Leftah to be translated into English posthumously and released just today by my favorite indie publishers Other Press.
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 978-1-63542-066-1
Publisher: Other Press
Release Date: 06-06-2023
Length: 208pp

Buy It: Publisher/ Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

Add To GOODREADS

Overview:

The acclaimed Moroccan author’s debut novel, this stunning portrait of the world of sex work describes its sordid reality with beautiful, poetic prose.

Available now for the first time in English, Demoiselles of Numidia offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of young women working in a Casablanca brothel—their relationships with each other and with their pimps, their dramas, and the rare moments of happiness that bloom in this violent underbelly.

Originally published in French in 1992, the novel quickly established Mohamed Leftah as one of Morocco’s great writers. It showcases the extraordinary combination of elegant language and graphic physicality, as well as the nuanced questioning of traditional gender roles, which would come to characterize his works.

Monday, June 5, 2023

Sophia Rose Reviews: Murder at the Royal Botanical Gardens by Andrea Penrose

 


Today Sophia Rose shares her review of Murder at the Royal Botanical Gardens by Andrea Penrose #5 in her Wrexford and Sloane Historical Mystery series.
Enjoy!

Murder at the Royal Botanical Gardens by Andrea Penrose

#5 Wrexford and Sloane

Historical Mystery

Published:  9.28.21

Publisher:  Kensington

Pages:  304

Rating: 4.5

Format: ebook

Source:  Purchased

Sellers:  Amazon


GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

The upcoming marriage of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane promises to be a highlight of the season, if they can first untangle—and survive—a web of intrigue and murder involving the most brilliant scientific minds in Regency London...

One advantage of being caught up in a whirl of dress fittings and decisions about flower arrangements and breakfast menus is that Charlotte Sloane has little time for any pre-wedding qualms. Her love for Wrexford isn’t in question. But will being a wife—and a Countess—make it difficult for her to maintain her independence—not to mention, her secret identity as famed satirical artist A.J. Quill?

Despite those concerns, there are soon even more urgent matters to attend to during Charlotte and Wrexford’s first public outing as an engaged couple. At a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a visiting botanist suffers a fatal collapse. The traces of white powder near his mouth reveal the dark truth—he was murdered. Drawn into the investigation, Charlotte and the Earl learn of the victim’s involvement in a momentous medical discovery. With fame and immense fortune at stake, there’s no shortage of suspects, including some whose ruthlessness is already known. But neither Charlotte nor her husband-to-be can realize how close the danger is about to get—or to what lengths this villain is prepared to go...

 

Friday, June 2, 2023

Sophia Rose Reviews: A Man of Good Fortune by Ali Scott

Today Sophia Rose is reviewing the audio version of A Man Of Good Fortune by Ali Scott
Enjoy!


A Man of Good Fortune by Ali Scott

Narrator Harry Frost

Historical Romance

Publisher: Quills and Quatros

Published:  1.27.23

Time:  9 hours 34 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Narrator Rating: 5 stars

Format: Audio

Source:  Narrator

Sellers:  Amazon


GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

A RIDE ON A STORMY DAY has disastrous consequences for Fitzwilliam Darcy, who finds himself grievously injured and bedridden–and with no memory of Elizabeth Bennet, the woman to whom he has been married for several years. Recovery is slow as his head injury has made it difficult for him to read and write, and a suspected fracture in his leg has made walking painful.

AS DARCY’S RECOVERY PROGRESSES, snippets of memory begin to plague him and questions arise. He begins to suspect that his wife, and those around him, know more about the time leading up to his accident than they are telling him. Why was he riding on such an inauspicious day? And why does he keep dreaming of his mother’s brooch?

AS THE DAYS PASS, he finds he is increasingly beguiled by Elizabeth. She draws him in, despite his concerns for her loyalty to him. He wonders if he can trust her love even as he finds himself learning to be in love with her again. Will the shadows in the past and the obstacles they have overcome defeat them? Or will he find happily ever after, once again, with his Elizabeth?

A MAN OF GOOD FORTUNE is a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and takes place several years after the marriage of Fitzwilliam Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet.

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Review East of Evil Interview with author Joni M Fisher

Today I'm featuring a fantastic thriller by Joni M Fisher, it's #4 in a loosely connected series but stands really well on it's own.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-0997257588
Publisher: Joni M Fisher
Release Date: 05-01-2023
Length: 354pp
Source: Publicist/ Author for review
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

GOODREADS

Overview:


A colossal fortune. A secret reaper. A young woman whose drive for justice makes her the target of dangerous people…

Nefi Jenkins dreams of becoming an FBI agent. After outing her parents’ heartless killer, the Harvard grad focuses on getting into a stellar criminal justice master’s degree program. But her career goals take a back seat when she inherits a ten-million-dollar trust from her late parents…with a hefty chunk gone.

Seeking the help of a forensic accountant, Nefi discovers a cunning thief has been stealing from her inheritance. And with her legacy at stake, the hidden enemy’s scheme to swipe her cash could turn deadly.

Can Nefi restore her parent’s last gift before her investigation turns fatal?

East of Evil is the fourth book in the page-turning Compass Crimes suspense series. If you like strong heroines, greed-driven crimes, and jaw-dropping twists, then you’ll love Joni M Fisher’s hunt for the truth.