Sophia Rose Reviews: Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

 

Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

#1 Isle of Wyrd

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Ace

Published:  11.11.25

Pages: 528

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads 

GoodReads Synopsis:

A young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny will learn that bargains can change your fate—for good or ill—in this darkly enthralling fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Others and the Black Jewels series.

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

Sophia Rose Reviews: Presidential Seclusion: The Power of Camp David by Charles Ferguson

 

Presidential Seclusion: The Power of Camp David by Charles Ferguson

Non-Fiction, Political History, Biography

Publisher:  Prometheus Books

Published: 11.4.25

Pages:  216

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: Hardback

Source:  The Globe Pequot

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Behind the gates of Camp David—where presidents find solitude, forge diplomacy, and shape history in absolute secrecy.

The Presidential Retreat Camp David is shrouded in mystery, and rightfully so. The hidden retreat atop the Catoctin Mountains is the one place the President, First Family, and invited guests can gather in absolute secrecy for relaxation, rejuvenation, and world-changing decisions. Because of this dedication to privacy, and a desire to maintain the mystery and exclusivity of the last bastion of solitude for the President, few comprehensive accounts exist detailing the storied history of Camp David and the role the “Spirit of Camp David” plays in world affairs.
 
Presidential Seclusion provides an exclusive account of the mysterious and storied retreat. Extensively researched from Presidential Archives as well as from the pages of Presidential memoirs, this non-partisan, informative account weaves exclusive stories into a tapestry revealing the importance of Camp David on diplomacy and world history. Written by the former Camp David Historian, this personalized tour of the exclusive retreat makes tree-shrouded trails, majestic vistas, and rooms where history happened over the last 80 years accessible to everyone. As you read, the “Spirit of Camp David” is revealed to infuse everyone who works and visits the President’s private mountain retreat, mainly how Camp David personally affected its primary guests, the fifteen First Families fortunate to call the private retreat a second home.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie

 

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie

#2 Guild Codex: Spellbound

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Self-Published

Published:  11.16.18

Pages:  308

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

When I found myself facing down the scariest black-magic felon in the city, practically daring him to abduct me, I had to wonder exactly how I ended up here.

It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender--but not at a bar. At a guild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right?

Then my favorite guild members--three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages--asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding.

So that's what we did. And that's why I'm here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago.

Why did I agree to this again?

--
Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris, narrated by full cast

 

All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris, narrated by full cast

#5 Gunnie Rose

Alternate History, Fantasy

Publisher:  Graphic Audio

Published:  3.31.25

Time:  6 hours 5 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: Dramatized Adaption

Source:  Library borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Lizbeth Rose and Felicia as well as brothers Eli and Peter, are reunited in Texoma only to break apart before the Wizard’s Ball held in San Diego, which will determine all their fates.

Following the murderous events of the “gripping…thrill-ride” (Karin Slaughter) Serpent of Heaven, Lizbeth Rose is awaiting the arrival of her sister Felicia and her husband’s younger brother Eli in Texoma. Both needed to leave the seat of the Holy Russian Empire in San Diego after Felicia’s burgeoning wizardly power in death magic became the reason for kidnapping and assassination attempts from her mother’s family of high-powered wizards in Mexico.

Yet bad news has traveled ahead of them, as Eli is called back to San Diego, taking Peter along with him, splitting them apart in more ways than one as their enemies’ plans for revenge come to fruition. In this fifth installment in the beloved and bestselling Gunnie Rose series, #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris has crafted a family drama of murderous and magical thrills.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours. This year I'm so thankful for my family who continue to support me, for my friends who are the family I choose and for my very special blog partner Sophia Rose who keeps this blog going.

I'm also thankful to have read my first book in over a year.

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving 

and don't eat too much Turkey :)

Sophia Rose Reviews: Talk Cowboy to Me by Carolyn Brown, narrated by Brian Hutchinson

 

Talk Cowboy to Me by Carolyn Brown, narrated by Brian Hutchinson

#4 Lucky Cowboys

Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  4.22.25

Time:  8 hours 54 minutes

Speed: 1.2xs

Rating: 4 stars

Format: audio

Source: won

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

For Remington Luckadeu, The Double Deuce Ranch is the perfect place to raise his two boys. But some fiery woman is fighting him for it, and Remington is not sharing—no matter how the sparks fly when he and Adele O’Donnell are together

One cowboy. One cowgirl. One ranch.

Who will win the Double Deuce by the Fourth of July?

When Double Deuce Ranch has two prospective buyers, owner Walter Jones decides to let the two run the ranch together to see who comes out on top. Adele O’Donnell and Remington Luckadeau roll up their sleeves for the fight of their lives.

Ready to battle it out over cleaning stalls, milking cows, and training horses, neither expects the attraction that grows between them. Can the two of them change from enemies to more than friends? And what happens when Walter returns to find the two have come up with their own solution for who gets the ranch?

Sophia Rose Reviews: Shakespeare’s Christmas by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

 

Shakespeare’s Christmas by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

#3 Lily Bard

Mystery

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  11.24.09

Time:  6 hours 37 minutes

Rating: 4 stars

Format: audio

Source:  library

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis: 

Lily Bard heads home for the holidays.

Lily heads to her hometown of Bartley for her estranged sister's Christmas Eve wedding. But there is something in the air besides holiday cheer—there's murder. And Lily must work fast to clean up the messy case before her sister promises to love, honor, and obey a killer.

Sophia Rose Reviews: Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose

 

Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose

#9 Wrexford and Sloane Mysteries

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Kensington

Published:  9.30.25

Pages:  368

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Beyond the gilded ballrooms and salons of Regency London lurks a sinister web of intrigue and deception, and when a murder occurs within the scientific community, Lord Wrexford and Charlotte are the perfect pair to unravel it . . .

A welcome interlude of calm has descended on Wrexford and Charlotte, though with three lively young boys in their care and an unconventional circle of friends and allies, quiet rarely lasts long. And sure enough, in the dead of night, an old acquaintance appears and asks for help. His
brother-in-law has been accused of murdering a fellow member of the prestigious Royal Society at their London headquarters, Somerset House. 

Wrexford agrees to investigate, and with a little unexpected help from their young charges, discovers that what seemed a simple case may be part of a darker, more dangerous plot, where science, money, and politics collide. A mysterious new technical innovation threatens to ignite a crisis throughout Europe, with frightening consequences for London’s financial world.

There is also personal upheaval for Wrexford and Charlotte, when a shocking secret from the past brings a profound change to their family, testing the bonds of loyalty and trust as never before . . .

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: A Very Plain Young Man by Christina Dudley

 

A Very Plain Young Man by Christina Dudley

#2 Hapgoods of Bramleigh

Historical Romance

Publisher:  BellaVita Press

Published:  5.26.14

Pages:  382

Rating: 4 stars

Format: ebook

Source: purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

The anticipated follow-up to THE NATURALIST, a Regency romance described by Austenprose.com as "a literary feast for any Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer fan...If you read one Traditional Regency this year let it be The Naturalist." Book One of the series The Hapgoods of Bramleigh, THE NATURALIST was also a finalist for Best Romance in the 2013 PNWA Literary Contest.

In Book Two of the series, A VERY PLAIN YOUNG MAN takes up the story of Elfrida, the most beautiful of the Hapgood sisters, as well as the most practical. If she must marry eventually, she intends to choose a husband not with her eyes, nor even with her heart, but with her common sense. He must be respectable and steady--not given to gambling or wenching or idling like her scapegrace uncles. So naturally, Frederick Tierney, the rakish brother of her new brother-in-law, will never do. Not only is his chequered past not entirely in the past, but he is too handsome for his own good and takes delight in unsettling her. But when another offer comes her way which meets all of her supposed requirements, Elfrida finds choosing duty over desire not as simple as she imagined.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Three Mages and a Marguerita by Annette Marie

 

Three Mages and a Marguerita by Annette Marie

#1 Guild Codex: Spellbound

Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Self-Published

Published:  9.14.18

Pages:  312

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  KU borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

GoodReads:  

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.

It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview - to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right?

I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they...offered me the job?

It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-sh*t bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here.

So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course - with a pay raise.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - The Serpent in Heaven by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Eva Kaminski

 

The Serpent in Heaven by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Eva Kaminski

#4 Gunnie Rose

Post-Apocalyptic Thriller, Alternate History

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  11.15.22

Time:  8 hours 53 minutes

Rating: 5 stars

Format: Dramatized Adaption

Source:  Library borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

GoodReads:   

GoodReads Synopsis:

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series.

Felicia, Lizbeth Rose’s younger half-sister and student at the Grigori school within the capital of the New Holy Russian Empire in San Diego, is caught between secrets and powerful family struggles. As a distant relative to the Tsar, she provides an essential service to him by providing blood transfusions for his hemophilia, and she is thus given rare access and dismissed as if cattle. At the Grigori school she is seen as a charity case, a poor orphan with no prospects and no sign of magical prowess—the latter which Felicia keeps purposefully hidden. And yet, when a kidnapping attempt is made upon Felicia her past and her future crash together in violent ways.

Continuing immediately after The Russian Cage, this fantastical fourth book takes a side step, exploring the Holy Russian Empire while also showcasing the dynamic depths of magic within Harris’s alternate North America in curious mysteries. Felicia, it turns out, is far more than the Russian-Mexican waif Lizbeth rescued, and the journey of discovery she is on is filled with magical assassins and desperation, but above it all is her courage to never give in to the limitations imposed upon her.

Sophia Rose Reviews - A Moment’s Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

 

A Moment’s Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

#8 Verity Kent

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Kensington Books

Published:  8.26.25

Pages:  389

Rating: 4 stars

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: Goodreads 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate.  But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern—the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary . . .

August 1920, Dublin,  A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he’s stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels’ help to thwart him.

As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.

As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs—including targeting Verity and their friends—the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs—or the consequences will be devastating . . .

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Shakespeare’s Counselor by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

 

Shakespeare’s Counselor by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

#5 Lily Bard

Mystery

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  11.13.09

Time: 7 hours 50 minutes

Rating:  4 stars

Format: audio

Source:  library

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis: 

Cleaning lady and karate expert Lily Bard is a woman with a complicated past. Doing her best to cope with her terrifying memories, she decides to join a therapy group in her adopted hometown of Shakespeare, Arkansas. As it turns out, the group members' feelings aren't the only things that need sorting out, as they assemble for a session only to find a woman dead, left on display as some kind of twisted message.

Lily soon finds herself embroiled in the murder and its aftermath. Some of her own terrible secrets have been dredged up, and she may not be able to rest until she can untangle the 'who' and the 'why' of this shocking crime. But can she do so before the killer strikes again - and before her own nightmares send her over the edge?

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh

 

Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh

#10 Bree Taggert

Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake

Published:  9.16.25

Pages: 312

Rating: 5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: Goodreads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

In the wake of a woman’s savage murder, the suspects and motives are only mounting for Sheriff Bree Taggert in a twisting novel of suspense by #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

In a quiet suburban neighborhood in upstate New York, single mom Kelly Gibson is slain in her home—the victim of a rage killing. Right away, Sheriff Bree Taggert has three persons of interest: an angry soon-to-be ex-husband, a furtive rebound boyfriend, and an obsessive neighbor.

But as Bree and investigator Matt Flynn work together to narrow the field, there’s a shocking twist in the case: a second woman is murdered in the same brutal fashion.

While investigating, Bree is attacked and left for dead. When another woman is kidnapped, Bree and Matt must act quickly to unravel the deceptions in Kelly’s life and death and find a killer before someone else dies.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews- Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy by Martha Wells

 

Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy by Martha Wells

#2.5 The Murderbot Diaries

Sci-Fi

Publisher:  Tor Books

Published:  7.11.25

Pages:  34

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

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GoodReads Synopsis:

Perihelion and its crew embark on a dangerous new mission at a corporate-controlled station in the throes of a hostile takeover...

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Eva Kaminski

 

The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Eva Kaminski

#3 Gunnie Rose

Post-Apocalyptic Thriller, Alternate History

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  2.23.21

Time:  7 hours 52 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: Audio

Source:  Library borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Picking up right where A Longer Fall left off, this thrilling third installment follows Lizbeth Rose as she takes on one of her most dangerous missions yet: rescuing her estranged partner, Prince Eli, from the Holy Russian Empire. Once in San Diego, Lizbeth is going to have to rely upon her sister Felicia, and her growing Grigori powers to navigate her way through this strange new world of royalty and deception in order to get Eli freed from jail where he's being held for murder.

Russian Cage continues to ramp up the momentum with more of everything Harris' readers adore her for with romance, intrigue, and a deep dive into the mysterious Holy Russian Empire.

#1 'New York Times' best-selling author Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse mysteries and Midnight, Texas trilogy) continues to ramp up the momentum with more of everything Harris' readers adore her for with romance, intrigue and a deep dive into the mysterious Holy Russian Empire in the much loved Gunnie Rose series.

Sophia Rose Reviews - Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters, narrated by Grace Conlin

Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters, narrated by Grace Conlin

#4 Jacqueline Kirby

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Blackstone Audio

Published:  8.5.08

Time: 12 hours 42 minutes

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Audio

Source:  Purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

She may be a bestselling author, but ex-librarian Jacqueline Kirby's views on the publishing biz aren't fit to print. In fact, she's thinking of trading celebrity for serenity and a house far away from fiendish editors and demented fans when her agent whispers the only words that could ever make her stay: Naked in the Ice.

Seven years ago, this blockbuster skyrocketed Katleen Darcy to instant fame. Now the author's heirs are looking for a writer to pen the sequel. It's an opportunity no novelist in her right mind would pass up, and there's no doubting Jacqueline's sanity...until she starts digging through the missing woman's papers - and her past. Until she gets mixed up with Kathleen's enigmatic lover. Until a series of nasty accidents convince her much too late that someone wants to bring Jacqueline's story -and her life - to a premature end.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews - Shakespeare’s Trollop by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

 

Shakespeare’s Trollop by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Julia Gibson

#4 Lily Bard

Mystery

Publisher:  Recorded Books

Published:  11.24.09

Time:  6 hours  54 minutes

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: audio

Source:  library

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

GoodReads Synopsis: 

Welcome back to Shakespeare - a charming Arkansas town with endless back roads, an eclectic mix of residents, and a dollop of noir. Featuring cleaning woman/karate expert Lily Bard, Charlaine Harris's series puts a unique spin on the traditional cozy to create mysteries that "work on every level. The writing and plotting are first rate [and] Lily is appealing in her own prickly way" --Washington Times

In the latest installment, Lily discovers lifelong Shakespeare resident Deedra Dean murdered inside a car parked in a woodsy area outside town. Determined not to get involved, Lily wants to leave the police work to Sheriff Marta Schuster and her team of deputies, and concentrate on cleaning, high kicks, and her boyfriend Jack's impending visit. But when Deedra's notoriously promiscuous lifestyle provides an extensive list of suspects but very few clues, Lily has no choice but to resume the role of amateur detective and join the investigation.

In this fourth book in Charlaine Harris's highly acclaimed and darkly compelling series, Lily Bard delivers a hard-hitting mix of Southern charm and street smarts, a combination so alluring that long-time readers and newcomers will be dying to visit Shakespeare again.