Review: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  

First off can we talk about how absolutely stunning the cover is?  I had no idea what this was about and I wanted to read it based on the cover alone, then I read the synopsis and I was even more excited to read it!

I really enjoyed this, especially the folklore/mythology aspects of this book.  I love learning about different cultures through their lore and myths and this was an excellent journey through West African tales at during a time of great strife.  Gods and Goddesses in many cultures or Orisas in Africa are often seen as great and powerful beings whose wrath is mighty, but who also protect those who pray to them and pay them homage.  This tale is no different, we have Yemoja, who is an Orisa of the sea and she has created the Mami Wata or mermaids that captures the souls of the fallen slaves.  The Mami Wata bless the souls and help them on their journey to the Creator.  Slave trade has become rampant and when our main character comes across a man in the water who is not dead, she decides to save him instead of guide is sole to the creator.  Her actions go against the task she was given as a Mami Wata and may put her kind at risk.  Simidele begs Yemoja for forgiveness, however it is not hers to grant and Simi must go on a journey to seek absolution from the Creator directly.  She is aided by the boy she saved, Kola, as he knows where the high priest who can help them.  As Kola and Simi race to Kola's village, they encounter friend and foe along the way.  The also discover that the Creator's messenger has grown power hungry  and  is not doing what is best for humans and orisas.  Not only must they save the Mami Wata, but now there is much more at stake.  

I really thought the author did a great job with the world building.  The descriptions of the mythical creatures and the Orisas was done really well.  This is not the first book I've read about Yemoja and her Mami Wata, and I've done some research on the subject because it is quite fascinating.  I think she did a wonderful job blending the historical points with the lore and the more fantastical aspects of the story.  I also really enjoyed learning about Simidele through her flashbacks before she became a Mami Wata,   I thought her struggle with who she is today and her letting go of her humanity was done very well and the emotions came through on the page.  There was also a good bit of action in this to keep the pace going.  I could have done without the budding romance, but it wasn't so overpowering it took away from anything.  This does end a bit abruptly.  It isn't quite a cliffhanger, but it leaves  you with that cliffhanger feeling.  I believe there are going to be more books and I hope there is more to Simi's story because there are some unanswered questions about what happens next to Simi, Kola and their friends.   I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

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Review: Jonah Bennett by Tijan

Jonah Bennett by Tijan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions are my own.

I really love the 1001 Dark Nights novellas, they give you a glimpse into a series or a world and author has created. In this case we get Jonah Bennett's story. This novella is a standalone, but if you want really understand who Kai is or how the Bennett Mafia operates, give Bennett Mafia a read. I would say you could read this before or after. This also has ties to The Not-Outcast, but you don't need to read that to really understand what is going on in this book. If you want to know more about Cutler Ryder, check that out.

Jonah isn't like his brothers. He isn't part of the family business. He's a doctor, he saves lives instead of taking them, but he's also a Bennett. When a hitman kills his fiancé for no reason other than his name being Jonah Bennett, he wants revenge. When the forensic technician who ran the tests on his beloved happens to end up at the same club as Jonah, his hackles rise and the family goes into mafia mode. Carson, the forensic tech, was basically at the wrong place at the wrong time. The first time when she met the Bennetts she was just doing her job, the second time they thought she was up to no good. She wasn't but someone else was unbeknownst to her.

Jonah and Carson despite their circumstances, were instantly attracted to each other. She is a balm to his broken heart and soul, but he doesn't want anyone else to get hurt because of who he is and who his family is. Jonah quickly comes to realize that he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Carson safe and he isn't willing to let her go.

I really enjoyed this novella. It had a fast pace and an engaging storyline.

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Review: The Hidden by Melanie Golding

The Hidden by Melanie Golding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an arc of the audiobook via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The narrator was fantastic! She did a wonderful job with the different voices for the characters. She also has a lovely singing voice. I love those little touches when a narrator can add to the story by singing parts of the story, which in this book music and song was an important part of the story. She also did an amazing job with Leonie's voice, it is hard to do a realistic 2 year old voice without sounding fake and ridiculous, but she did a great job with it.

This mystery/thriller takes a while to come together. It is told from several different perspectives, the main being Ruby a struggling musician and Joanna a detective. Joanna is Ruby's mother, so naturally when she finds that Ruby may be involved with a case she is investigating, she wants to protect her daughter. Their relationship is a bit unconventional and has been strained as of late, but as the story unfolds we find out why. We also learn of Ruby's involvement in her neighbor Gregor's life and his own unconventional family. As the story unfolds she sees parallels between her upbringing and that of her new friend Constance and her daughter Leonie.

The timeline for this switches back and forth between then and now, I believe they are about 1 year apart from each other from when Ruby befriends Gregor and is introduced to Constance and their daughter Leonie. In the present we follow Joanna as she is investigating Gregor's attempted murder and a missing child case that may be related. As the story slowly develops, Gregor paints a picture where Constance is mentally unstable. The more Ruby gets to know the strange family, the more she realizes something is off with their story and she is determined to find out the truth if only to help the innocent little girl she has come to love.

I don't want to spoil too much because as things started to come together, this was actually pretty twisty and turny. I loved the mix of mythology and almost magical realism mixed in with the mystery and thriller elements. This took some unexpected turns and I really appreciated how the different perspectives added to the storytelling. This also takes a good look at family and the dynamic between the mother-daughter relationship. This was layered with so many different elements that keep the reader engaged and wanting to know what is going to happen next. It starts off slow, but the pace builds nicely and then takes off and holds steady until the end. I really enjoyed this and will be looking into more of the author's work.

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Review: Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an arc via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This story was a bit confusing at times . The plot jumped around quite a bit. Nnedi Okorafor's books previously, her writing is complex and full of meaning. I've gone back and re-read several of her works and gained a much deeper and richer experience on the second read. I feel like Noor will be the same way. I just finished it and I feel like I need to read it again to gain the full appreciation for the work itself. I also feel that on the second read I'll already have a handle on certain situations and characters.

Our main character AO, as she prefers to be called, was disabled at birth. She was fitted with with prosthetics, but a car accident at 14 injured her arms and legs even further. She was then outfitted with cybernetics much to her parents horror. AO accepts that she is human and part machine and rejoices in her dual nature. Society on the other hand does not really accept her with her robotic arms and legs. This causes people to lash out at her for no reason other than she is different. She is often asked "What kind of woman are you?" When this question leads to a physical altercation in a market, AO flees the scene and runs to the desert where she meets DNA. They are drawn to each others and are able to find comfort in their differences and the struggles they both face. DNA is a cattle herder, and when his herd is attacked, he and AO end up on the run from the authorities. As they run, AO begins to develop abilities that she finds are linked to her prosthetics and the corporation that is after her and DNA.

This is a little more violent and mature than Okorafor's other works. I think that plays along nicely with the social commentary regarding self acceptance, body shaming, and the anti-capitalist theme to the story. The big corporation, Ultimate Corp, has rooted themselves in everyday life and has influence over everything. It brings up a good social commentary discussion about big corporations and the power they wield and the impact they have on society and culture. We've seen this before where a big corporation has overstepped and played with the lives of people in books and movies before and I think that plotline was really interesting. It took a while to get to that part of the story and the truth behind what was really going on.

I thought the world building was really excellent. The descriptions of the Red Eye, The Hour Glass, and other places and events in the book were really well done. This was a really interesting African-futurism book that blended futuristic sci-fi with cultural aspects. I actually really look forward to reading it again to experience the full effect of the author's message and story.

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Sneak Peek: Jonah Bennett by Tijan

 

Jonah Bennett, an all-new sexy and fast paced novella in the Bennett Mafia Universe from New York Times bestselling author Tijan and 1,001 Dark Nights is coming November 16th, and we have a sneak peek!

A screech of brakes. 

A horn blaring. 

That was the only warning we got. 

Melissa and I were traveling. We’d taken time off from our residencies, mine in surgery and hers in family practice. We were in different locations. The driving distance wasn’t that far, but this time together was special to me. 

I had decided. I didn’t want to wait anymore.

That was my last thought as we came to a quick stop in our rental car. The traffic had frozen, bumper to bumper. 

“What the hell is going on?” Melissa asked.

I looked over at her and smiled. She was beautiful, like always. Big doe eyes. Long brown hair that had a slight curl. We’d been together for the last year. When I switched to go to medical school in the States, she was in the same year as me. We dated on and off for that year and the year after, but it was on and off for a reason. 

Then school happened. 

We graduated. 

We went into our specialties, but we decided to try again. 

I was happy that we had. I was happy with her. 

I was just happy. 

She was gorgeous. She was kind. Smart. She liked to tease me with this little sparkle in her eyes. She was also competitive, always pushing to get the best marks on each test and exam. She pushed me to do better, and that was a novel experience for me. I was used to pushing myself. No one in my family was in the medical field. It wasn’t what they did, but me… That was not me. I was the first to venture outside our family business. 

It wasn’t that I didn’t have their support. I did. They wanted me to go, to do better, to be better, but that’s all they had to offer. So I was left in the role of pushing forward, forging a new path. Though not with Melissa. She motivated me, and that was one of the many reasons I’d fallen in love with her. 

Right now, however, I was mostly focused on the fact that we had six days left to celebrate before going back to our normal, hectic lives. I reached over and threaded my fingers with hers, staring at the sparkling ring on her finger. 

“We should call our families tonight,” I suggested. “Tell them about the engagement.” 

She’d been glaring out the window at the traffic, but when I dropped a kiss on our fingers, she relaxed. 

She turned to me, that sparkle in her eyes. “Oh, you mean I’ll actually get to meet your family? Your very reclusive family that you’ve always said isn’t in the States and out of phone reach?” She was teasing, but sort of not. 

She hadn’t met my family for a reason, but they knew about her. 

Kai had her investigated. And if Kai had any files on her, then I knew Tanner got them as well. He probably had done a couple passes, too. Meaning, that he saw her in physical proximity, he knew her, but she wouldn’t have known who he was. Brooke wasn’t one to be left out. She insisted to overhear a phone call I had with Melissa one time. It was her way of “meeting” her. 

That was my family. 

But it was time. If she was going to marry me, she needed to know what she was marrying into. It was only fair, but once she knew, I’d have to be prepared that she might decide not to be with me—or worse, that she’d say something to someone else. 

I leaned back and shot her a grin. “When you meet them, you’ll know why.” 

The traffic still wasn’t moving forward, and more horns had started to blare. 

I frowned. “You think it’s an accident up there? That’s why we’re stalled?” 

“Oh.” Her smile melted away. 

If someone was hurt, we were supposed to go help. 

Melissa reached for her seatbelt at the same time I did. 

“Open the trunk,” I called as we rounded to the rear of the car. 

She found the button to pop it open, and I saw a first aid kit pushed back in the corner. I grabbed it, shutting the trunk. 

As I did, a guy came walking toward us, past the truck in front of us. Tall. Broad shoulders. White. He was in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, decked out like a stereotypical cowboy—probably Wrangler jeans and a shirt stolen from the set of an old Clint Eastwood movie. I catalogued all that out of habit. 

He saw me and stopped. 

He looked at Melissa. 

He turned back to me. “You’re Jonah Bennett?” 

I frowned. “Who’s asking?” 

“Do we know you?” Melissa stepped toward him, looking him over. The doctor in her came first, always. “Are you hurt? Is there a car accident back there where you came from—” 

She was concerned about him, concerned about others. 

That’s what she did, who she was, and why I loved her. 

He pulled a gun out and pointed it at her. 

She didn’t seem to register that. She was looking for blood on him when he pulled the trigger.

Synopsis

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Tijan comes a new story in her Bennett Mafia universe…

Jonah Bennett wasn’t like his family. The mafia business was firmly what his brothers did, not him.

That changed the day a rival family killed his fiancée.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Reserve your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3A3t52Z
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/JonahBen

Add Jonah Bennett to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3igoyUK

About Tijan
Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new series from north Minnesota where she lives with an English Cocker she adores.

Connect with Tijan
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Review: Kiss Before Midnight by Anna B. Doe

Kiss Before Midnight by Anna B. Doe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really cute novella that serves as a prequel to [book:Kiss To Remember|53420993].  This crosses over between both the Blairwood University Series and the New York Knights Series.  It has been a few months since I've read books in either series so this was a nice reminder of who everyone was and to reintroduce the setting.

This follows Grace and Mason on their first date.  They both have watched each other from afar at the local community center while she is there for dance class and he is there playing basketball.  When they finally meet and exchange numbers they end up going on the sweetest first date.  It is clear that they have a connection, and we only get a small glimpse of it in this novella.  I expect we will get the full story in a Kiss to Remember.  I am hooked and can't wait to see what happens between the baller and the ballerina.

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Review: The Seventh Queen by Greta Kelly

The Seventh Queen by Greta Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

If you loved The Frozen Crown like I did, you are going to love the ending to this duology. This picks up where that leaves off. The Frozen Crown left us with quite the cliffhanger, and we pick up where that left us. You really will need to read book 1 to understand what is going on in this book or I feel you will be completely lost. This series is filled with political intrigue and the movements of the players start in the first book. If you picked up with with this book, you will have missed the build up and be confused as to who the players are and what their motivations are. Like book 1 this is a bit on the slower paced side, and I don't mean that as a negative. The pace fits the book and the plot, While there are some action scenes, this fantasy is not filled with magical battles and fight scenes. This is more of a chess match and a battle of wits as Askia not only has to figure out how to save herself but the entire empire before Radovan steals her magic and takes her life. While she is a warrior queen, she is also well equipped in court politics ang the games that nobles play to gain information and use it to gain the upper hand.

We don't get a ton of explanation of the magic system in this book. The magic is pretty straightforward, but the magic system is mostly explained in book 1. We don't get much of a recap of what happened in the first book, which if you are like me you read it almost a year ago. The more I read of this the more I remembered what was happening, but the events and locations of the first book only play a small part in this book. They are connected but most of this book takes place in Radovan's stronghold, where he is keeping Askia captive while he takes her magic. While she can't wield her magic in her captivity, she is still able to use a bit of magic and is aided not only by those who have sworn to serve her in death but the queen who came before her. With the six queens on her side, she is able to gain valuable information not only about Radovan, but his court and the castle. She is able to strategize and maneuver around him while planning her escape and a way to save everyone she cares about. I really enjoyed how this all came together. This has magic, politics, a little romance, some action, and some good discussions about guilt, sacrifice, and doing what is right for the greater good. This is a solid duology and I highly recommend it!

While I enjoyed the ending and felt it was fitting, I do feel that some readers will take issue with the lack of closure. The ending is a bit open ended and doesn't give concrete answers to certain plot lines. This is one case that I feel like an epilogue maybe 5 years later would have been a nice touch. Then again it leaves things open for more books or for the reader to imagine what could be.

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