Review: Fear of Fire and Shadow by S. Young

Fear of Fire and Shadow by Samantha Young
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the Author, however I have since purchased the kindle version of the book, and I do own the kindle version of the original version Slumber. As with all of my reviews all opinions are my own.

Slumber was one of the first kindle books I ever purchased and it was the first book of Samantha's I ever read. Fear of Fire and Shadow is an updated version of Slumber, and only minor adjustments have been made to the book, the main plot is the same and a few things have changed. The characters are a bit older, which fits better with some of the more mature content. The book was originally YA, and it reads a bit more New Adult now. It is fairly tame compared to her contemporary novels when it comes to mature content. Rogan is fairly immature when she starts her quest and makes some questionable choices. She does have some good realizations that she did make poor choices and wasn't well prepared and owns her poor choices. Rogan does grown on this journey and faces internal and external battles. I'm not sure if the author has plans to return to this world and continue the series. The ending was altered slightly from the original to allow for more adventures in this would should she ever want to return, but this stands nicely as a standalone as well.

This follows Rogan, a mage in a world where magic has been thought to be dying. Her best friend Haydyn is the princess of the realm and when she falls ill to a mysterious sleeping sickness, Rogan's magic is the only thing that can save her. Haydyn's family has a unique magic that keeps the peace in the land, but with her illness, the people are turning to the darker side of human nature. Rogan sets out on a quest to find the cure with an entourage, the head of which is her sworn enemy. Wolfe has never done anything to Rogan personally other than exist, but his father killed her family and kidnapped her when she was a child for her magic. On their journey Rogan discovers that her hatred is misplaced, and that she and Wolfe have more in common than she knows. Rogan doesn't want to give into her feelings for Wolfe as it would betray her family, however her quest reveals much about herself, her land, and her true feelings about Wolfe.

I really enjoyed this on the second read. I would have liked to see a full edit of the book as both the author and I have matured over the last 10+ years. She is one of my favorite authors, but I would have liked to see her write Rogan and Wolfe with the banter and chemistry similar to her contemporary romances that I love so much. I'm still holding out hope for a sequel in this world and hope to see more fantasy from the author in the future.

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Review: Housebroke by Jaci Burton

Housebroke by Jaci Burton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This follows down on her luck Hazel, who is trying to put the pieces of her life back together after a divorce that left her homeless and broke.  Her friends are letting her stay in their house while it sits on the market until she can find a suitable place for herself and her five foster dogs.  Enter Lincoln aka Linc, the man who has purchased said house.  Linc buys and renovates homes, so imagine his surprise when he finds a woman and 5 dogs occupying his latest project.  Quickly realizing that he can't throw her and her pack out on the street, he offers her a place to stay.  Hazel is no slouch and offers to be Linc's personal chef in exchange for a small salary and a room in the guest house until she can find a suitable place to stay.  She and the pups quickly get to know Linc and they get along great.  Linc is quickly enamored with Hazel, her cooking, and her dogs.  They have alot in common and they both have a hard time trusting others after being burned by past relationships.  

This was really cute.  I loved the dogs and the love Hazel had for them.  My dog is a member of our family and acts like he's king of the castle.  Linc and Hazel take their time getting to know each other before romantic feelings come into play which I really appreciated.  The way they meet and some of their interactions are a bit unrealistic and you have to suspend your belief about their relationship at times, but it is a rom-com so I'm willing to do that a little.  Some of their conversations feel a little bit forced and repetitive, but overall they were a cute couple and eventually worked things out.

Overall, this is a cute rom-com with two unlikely people bonding over their love of good food and great dogs.

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Review: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

I love a good Indiana Jones type of story with a little mythology, archeology, and adventure.  I was so excited that this had a female lead, but I was a little let down by this.  The story was a bit hard to take seriously when the two main characters were constantly thinking about how hot each other are and lusting after one another.  It was lacking the adventure plotline that I was expecting from this book.   Our female lead continuously wants to be taken seriously for her work, yet her mind is constantly in the gutter and despite how capable she is as an archeologist she doesn't think through her actions.  I think the book's message really got lost along the way.  If the author's goal was to write a steamy rom-com, she did so, however I wanted more of the dig and science behind it.  

This follows Corrie and Ford, two archeologists who have been rivals since their days as students.  Both great at what they do for a living, but very different in their methods.  Corrie has always been fascinated by the ancient Aztec warrior Chimalli, especially since her grandfather claims they are his descendants.  She even wrote her thesis on Chimalli and her dream is to lead an expedition to find his remains.  Unbeknownst to Corrie, Ford has been handed her dream expedition and he needs her help when the dig has come to a standstill.  Corrie has been angry with Ford since their days as students and she has never confronted him about it.  Ford knows he needs to come clean about what really happened all those years ago and the dig is just another reason for her to hate him.  As Ford and Corrie form a truce to make the most of the dig, the truth slowly comes out and the spark between them is reignited.  The dig isn't going as planned, but with Corrie's help and expertise on the subject and history, things slowly turn around.  

Like I said I was expecting more of an adventure book with a romance.  I felt mislead by the premise of this book.  If you are expecting something like The Mummy, Lara Croft, or Indiana Jones which this was compared to several times it is lacking that type of humorous adventure.  There is a bit of action that occurs toward the end, but overall the action and adventure I was looking for was lacking.  Perhaps this is more realistic of how an actual dig really works, but I was expecting something a bit more fantastical and less realistic.  At it's core this a romance novel, and I didn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters.  There is alot of lust between them for much of the book, and there are some spicy bits, so depending on what you are looking for this may or may not be the book for you.  They fight alot, and I wasn't a fan of the conflict resolution overall.  Their communication skills need some work and something I look for between adult characters is great banter and good communication.   

Overall, this was fun but not what I was looking for.

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COVER REVEAL: The Arrangement by Adriana Locke

 

Adriana Locke has revealed the gorgeous covers for The Arrangement!

Releasing: December 28, 2023

Catch up with the Brewer family (from The Proposal) in this "spicy and swoon-filled" office romance.

Full Blurb Coming Soon!

Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3Qi9N3L

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheArrangementAL

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3tZZvxF

Meet Adriana

USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestselling author, Adriana Locke, writes contemporary romances about the two things she knows best—big families and small towns. Her stories are about ordinary people finding extraordinary love with the perfect combination of heart, heat, and humor.

She loves connecting with readers, fall weather, football, reading alpha heroes, everything pumpkin, and pretending to garden.

Hailing from a tiny town in the Midwest, Adriana spends her free time with her high school sweetheart (who she married over twenty years ago) and their four sons (who truly are her best work). Her kitchen may be a perpetual disaster, and if all else fails, there is always pizza.

 

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Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a strange, dark fairy tale come to life.  I feel like every small town has a creepy house with a creepy backstory.  This town is no different, Starling House is strange and everyone steers clear of it.  The house's namesake was a recluse and she wrote a strange children's book that only became popular after her disappearance.  Her family and the house are surrounded by rumors and stories, but no one knows the truth.  The current resident, Arthur is also strange and reclusive and no one knows much about him.  Opal has had strange dreams about Starling House for as long she can remember.  She and her younger brother have not had an easy go at things since their  mother died.  Opal will do anything to keep her brother safe and give him a better life.  She approaches Arthur for a housekeeping job, and while everyone else in town fears the house it strangely feels like the one place she belongs.

The longer Opal spends at the house, the more she discovers about it, the Starlings, and Arthur.  There are some truth to the rumors, but there is so much more happening on the Starling property and Opal and Arthur have to figure out how to protect the town from the monsters both real and imagined.

This is one of those books that you finish and you go "What did I just read?"  I feel like I need to read it again.  Harrow's prose is beautiful and the story is well written, but it isn't going to be for everyone.   I was at about the 70% mark and I was unsure of how things were all going to come together, but they eventually did towards the end.  I have to admit I was confused as to what was going on through most of the book.  The author uses metaphor throughout, and it isn't until the very end that we find out what the main message is.  

There is a mild romance between the two main characters, however I didn't feel the chemistry between them at all.  The romance fell short for me.  I also found the main characters to be unlikable and in a story where there is a good vs evil plot I want to root for someone.  The character development also missed the mark for me.  I really liked the concept of the house being sentient, but I wanted more of the house and less of Opal acting out and having tantrums.  I did appreciate the atmosphere and the descriptive nature of the writing.

Overall, this book was OK for me.  I feel like this book is either a you absolutely love it or you don't kind of book.  It was lacking in the horror elements I wanted to see from a book with a gothic haunted house with terrible monsters.  The pacing and characters didn't appeal to me personally but I think there are others out there who are going to love this book.   The author tackles some important messages, but the way the story is told didn't appeal to me.  

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Review: My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills

My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  

Graham is a successful football player with everything going for him.  During the final play of the Super Bowl, he takes a hard hit causing a concussion and and a near death out of body experience.  It has left him rattled as he recovers.  In an attempt to find meaning he takes a vacation in his new fancy car to the middle of the desert.  There he finds Emmy, a quirky girl hiding from her crazed soon to be ex-boyfriend.  (Trigger warning for domestic abuse in the present and past).  Graham helps Emmy get rid of unwanted advances from a stranger at the hotel they are staying off.  Graham accidentally drops his keys leaving Emmy the perfect escape when her ex shows up looking for her a short while later.

When they both return to New York, Graham needs a favor and Emmy owes him one after stealing his car.  You see he and his brothers are set to inherit a large sum of money, however they all have to be married, to a woman.  Graham's brother Brody could use the money to expand his business, but he and his husband have been cut out of the will.  Graham isn't dating anyone and he is focused on his football comeback, so a marriage of convenience is ideal.  Graham and Emmy had a connection in the desert and he proposes a mutually beneficial agreement that will help both of them.  Emmy is wary of the agreement, but she has a family to look after and Graham doesn't seem so bad after getting to know him.  The more time they spend together the more their connection grows and threatens to break down the walls they have both built.  

I really enjoyed getting to know Graham and Emmy.  This reads as a complete standalone but if you have read some of Ilsa's previous books, you will appreciate the Easter eggs.  This has just the right amount of spice and humor to balance out the more emotional moments.  Their relationship does have more of an instalove feel to it as they don't spend a ton of time together on the page developing things.  The time they do spend together is fun, but I would have liked to see them together a bit more on the page.  This has a distance makes the heart grow fonder vibe to it as they figure things out.  I enjoyed the side characters and hope to see some of them get their own books in the future.  

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RELEASE BLITZ: My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills

 

My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills is now live!

In a sizzling romance that sparkles with wit and depth, two wounded souls meet by chance in the desert and agree to get married, and their lives will never be the same.

On a normal day, Emmaline Darling isn't a car thief. She's just a simple girl who runs a bookstore and adores cats. But when she's stranded in the desert and needs to get away from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, she picks her only option: swiping the keys to a famous football player's Lamborghini and speeding away.

Football star Graham Harlan is in chaos. First he took a hit on the field that left him with a near-death experience, and now he's promised his brother he'll get married to secure the family inheritance. Trouble is he isn't even seeing anyone.

Then a mystery woman steals his car. With his usual stubbornness, he tracks her all the way to Manhattan and gives her an ultimatum: marry me or I'll press charges.

Her choice is obvious, only neither of them expect the sparks that ignite between them.

As the end of their arrangement looms, will Graham take a chance on love or let his darling walk away forever?

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

https://mybook.to/mdb

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Meet Ilsa Madden-Mills

#1 Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills pens angsty new adult and contemporary romances.

A former high school English teacher and librarian, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

 

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