Sophia Rose Reviews: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Today Sophia Rose brings us a review of The Tainted Cup, a first in a new fantasy mystery series. Stop by and see what she thought.
Enjoy!

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

#1 Shadow of the Leviathan

Fantasy Mystery

Publisher:  Del Rey

Published: 2.6.24

Pages:  432

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

Review - Don't Be Mean to Thirteen by Douglas Harris, Illustrated by YipJar

Today I have the privilege of sharing my review of, Don't Be Mean to Thirteen by Douglas Harris, an insightful, educational and entertaining children's book.

ISBN-13: 978-1952843136
Publisher: Label Free Publishing 
Release Date: 10-13-2023
Length: 24 pp
Source: Publicist for Review
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

Thirteen is feared and disliked for no good reason, while Twelve has always been so popular! When Thirteen and his friend Friday get together -watch out for friggatriskaidekaphobia! Explore the ancient historical roots of these popular superstitions while encouraging children to use evidence-based, critical thinking with our friend, Thirteen!

Showcase - It Takes a Rake by Anna Bennett

Today I'm showcasing, It Takes a Rake by Anna Bennett, #3 in her Rogues to Lovers series, a new release from St. Martin's Paperback's.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 9781250793959
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: 1-23-2024
Length: 320pp
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

The swoony, frothy finale to the Rogues to Lovers series from award-winning author Anna Bennett.

She’s about to face her biggest challenge yet…

Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty’s a talented heiress who can take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards—and she won’t be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win—with a little help from her childhood rival.

Turning her buttoned-up nemesis into a certified rake.

Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest? He’s been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man, but Leo’s determined to beat the odds—even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty’s willing to tutor him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he’ll have to be very convincing.

Let the lessons begin…

Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he’s softening Kitty’s hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she’s a bit too skilled at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger…

Showcase- All I See Is Violence by Angie Elita Newell

Today I'm showcasing All I See is Violence by Indigenous author and historian, Angie Elita Newell who draws from real events to intertwine the stories of a professor, a soldier, and a warrior from three different time periods.

This is an important story and I hope to have it read and reviewed soon!

ASIN: ‎ B0CB9HPHDC
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Release Date: 01-16-2024
Length: 312pp
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

A woman warrior, a ruthless general, and a single mother―three stories deftly braided into the legacy of a stolen nation

The US government stole the Black Hills from the Sioux, as it stole land from every tribe across North America. Forcibly relocated, American Indians were enslaved under strict land and resource regulations. Indigenous writer Angie Elita Newell brings a poignant retelling of the catastrophic, true story of the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn and the social upheaval that occurred on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1972 during the height of the American Indian Movement.

Cheyenne warrior Little Wolf fights to maintain her people’s land and heritage as General Custer leads a devastating campaign against American Indians, killing anyone who refuses to relocate to the Red Cloud Agency in South Dakota. A century later, on that same reservation, Little Wolf’s relation Nancy Swiftfox raises four boys with the help of her father-in-law, while facing the economic and social ramifications of this violent legacy.

All I See Is Violence weaves love, loss, and hard truths into a story that needs to be told―a journey through violence to bear witness to all that was taken, to honor what all of our ancestors lived through, and to heal by acknowledging the shadows in order to find the light.

Sophia Rose Reviews The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain an AustenProse blog tour

 

Today Sophia Rose as part of the AustenProse blog tour reviews Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain. Read on to see what she thought.
Enjoy!

#Giveaway - Showcase Hunted by Proxy by Manning Wolfe a Partners in Crime virtual tour

Hunted By Proxy

by Manning Wolfe

January 15-February 2, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

In this lawyer on the run action suspense, can attorney Quinton Bell hang on to his new life as he hides in plain sight?

Hunted By Proxy takes you on a heart-pounding journey through the life of a criminal defense attorney, whose world, as he knew it, was wiped out by the very client he tried to save.

Quinton establishes a new life and law practice in Houston and thinks he’s outrun the dangerous adversaries who chased him there. Just as he begins to relax, he receives a mysterious note that proves to him that he’s still in danger and running from a powerful and relentless adversary. But who?

With each passing moment, the noose tightens, and he must draw on every ounce of wit to outsmart those who still want him exposed, or worse, dead.

Will Quinton Bell find a way out, or will he forever be a target in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thriller
Published by: Starpath Books, LLC
Publication Date: January 2024
Number of Pages: 300
ISBN: B0CFWWCX7F
Series: Proxy Legal Thriller Series, Book 2
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Sophia Rose Reviews Swat for Dummies by Gail Koger

 

Today Sophia Rose returns with her review of Swat for Dummies by Gail Koger #2 in her Deputy Gemma Stone series. Read on to see what she thought.
Enjoy!

SWAT For Dummies by Gail Koger

#2 Deputy Gemma Stone

Romantic Comedy

Publisher: Self

Published: 12.18.23

Pages:  135

Rating: 4 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  Author

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Just call me Calamity Jane, wherever I go, trouble soon follows. Which makes my job as a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy a bit hazardous. From chasing down a bank robber to dealing with a cat burglar or handling Sun City’s seniors who are crazy as June bugs and horny as hell. My personal life is complicated. Off duty I’m a ballroom dancer. Detective Sergeant Dante Delgado is my new dance partner. My relationship with him puts me in the crosshairs of a dirty cop with homicidal tendencies. Can we stop him, or will we become his next victims? Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted. Are you brave enough to enter my world?

Author’s I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for way too many years and this novella contains some of the wilder incidents that occurred.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews The Seven Sins of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Julie Cooper

 

Today Sophia Rose reviews The Seven Sins of Fitzwilliam Darcy a Pride and Prejudice retelling.
Enjoy!

The Seven Sins of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Julie Cooper

Historical Romance

Publisher:  Quills & Quartos

Published:  9.18.23

Pages:  386

Rating: 5 stars

Format: Trade Paperback

Source:  Quills & Quartos

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: Goodreads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

Perhaps falling in love was not a momentous initial attraction, but a growing realisation that one’s life was simply happier, better, when in the company of a certain gentleman. After Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy departs Hertfordshire unexpectedly just before Mr Bingley’s ball at Netherfield Park, there is no further impediment to prevent Jane Bennet’s romance with her handsome neighbour. Unfortunately, Mr Darcy returns to Netherfield on the Bingleys’ wedding day, just in time to launch disaster into the proceedings. Elizabeth Bennet’s attempt to put the wedding-wrecker in his place only worsens matters when her private conversation with Mr Darcy becomes a misunderstood marriage proposal. Mr Darcy is willing to put everything right—for a shocking price. Can Elizabeth bear even a temporary alliance with this incomprehensible, possibly roguish, but certainly ardent Mr Darcy? Can Mr Darcy convince the intriguing and charming Elizabeth Bennet to overlook his sins long enough to become his bride, or must he banish her from his dreams forever? The Seven Sins of Fitzwilliam Darcy is a lighthearted, humorous retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice perfect for fans of regency romance!

 

Oceanview Publishing January offerings

 Happy New Year and welcome to the first post of 2024 I hope you're ready for a great year!

Today I'm featuring Oceanview Publishing's January 2024 offerings
Enjoy!

Happy New Year

 

Let's just say it was a long holiday season for our house there's been someone sick ever since the middle of December and as soon as I think we're on the mend another one falls victim to whatever bug happens to latch on. So I know it's been a while but I wanted to say Happy New Year 

and I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season here's wishing you the best in 2024. 

Let the blogging begin! 😉