Category: reviews

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Book Review: The Sisters – Ruth O’Neill

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In a web of deceit, escape is just the beginning.

Ava Cressman’s life takes a twisted turn after her divorce from Spencer. Seeking comfort, she falls into the arms of a mysterious man named Joel Carney, a former college acquaintance. However, when Joel meets Ava’s sister, Tanya, an unsettling connection sparks between them.

Tanya, seemingly innocent, invites Ava and her twin sister, Belle, on a secluded trip to a remote lodge. From the moment they arrive, an ominous atmosphere hangs in the air, hinting at a hidden darkness beneath the surface.

As shocking truths emerge, will Ava find a way to expose the tangled labyrinth of secrets before it’s too late?

The Sisters is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the depths of manipulation, betrayal, and the darkest corners of the human mind. As Ava fights for her freedom and tries to untangle the lies, she also must face her own demons and find the strength to outsmart those who want to control her life.

My thoughts: I was kindly sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have a sister, and while we do have our moments, our relationship is thankfully nothing like the one Ava has with Tanya. Both see themselves as the protagonist of their families – main character energy if you will. And they both remember their childhood very differently.

Ava starts a new relationship with Joel, and they’re taking it slowly, but Tanya just keeps showing up, flirting and chatting with Joel, driving Ava mad. Then Tanya arranges for their mother, who isn’t well, to have a home nurse while the sisters are away, without talking to Ava, who takes it personally. Her twin, Bella, seems to have been cast as peace maker in the family, trying to get her sisters to get along better.

Joel invites himself to the sisters’ trip, causing another row. But is there something more sinister going on? Do Tanya and Joel know each other? Ava has so many questions and as the holiday takes a sinister turn, she’s desperate to get some answers and save herself, Bella and their mum from danger.

Twisting, shocking and with some slightly bewildering moments (mimicking Ava’s experiences), this is the dark side of sisterhood.

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Blog Tour: A Power Unbound – Freya Marske

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Jack Alston – Lord Hawthorn – would love a nice, safe, comfortable life. He renounced magic after the death of his twin sister. But with the threat of a dangerous ritual risking every magician in Britain, he’s drawn reluctantly back into that world.

Now Jack is living in a bizarre puzzle-box of a magical London townhouse, helping its owner Violet track down the final piece of the Last Contract before their enemies can do the same. And to make matters worse, they need the help of writer and thief Alan Ross. Cagey and argumentative, Alan is only in this for the money. He’s loud in his hatred of the aristocracy and their unearned power . . . and unfortunately, he happens to be everything that Jack wants in one gorgeous, infuriating package.

When a plot to seize unimaginable magic power comes to a head on Jack’s own family estate, Jack, Alan and their allies will become entangled in a night of champagne, secrets and bloody sacrifice – and the foundations of magic in Britain might be torn up by the roots before the end.

Filled with magic, murder and romance, A Power Unbound is the thrilling third book in The Last Binding trilogy by Freya Marske. Start the series with A Marvellous Light and A Restless Truth.

My thoughts: all good things must come to an end, and so we come to the final book in the The Last Binding trilogy. The gang is all here, and all trying desperately to stop their enemies from finding the last piece of the Contract – the knife, and stealing magic from the magicians.

Jack, Lord Hawthorn, has seen what can happen when you do just that, but he can’t tell anyone, thanks to a fiendish spell. But having to return to his ancestral home, the scene of his sister’s death, might change things.

As events begin to get worse – and they’re all threatened with arrest, Jack must stop his evil cousin George, and Edwin’s horrible brother Walter, on home turf.

But he’s distracted by the journalist Alan Ross, aka Alonzo Rossi, who infuriates but also bewitches him. Could this man, with the ability to negate magic, be the love he’s needed for so long? And can they stop the scheme and save magic?

Delightful, very spicy, full of the humour and adventure this trilogy is known for, as the gang attempt to out-think and out-scheme their enemies with some disguises and misdirection. A fitting end to a series I have thoroughly enjoyed.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Legionnaire – Samantha Traunfield

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TheLegionaire copy

Discover the epic military fantasy where magic determines your place in life. “This grim, passionate tale will scorch readers.” – Kirkus recommended review

We’re celebrating the release of The Legionnaire by Samantha Traunfeld! Read on for more details!

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The Legionnaire

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Genre: NA Epic Fantasy

Saiden, a Blood-Cursed legionnaire—blessed by both the God of Life and Goddess of Death—is a paradox. Called both “death-bringer” and “world-ender,” she is surprisingly careful about taking lives and proving herself to be a monster. Torn between her loyalty to her queen and the need to protect her people, Saiden struggles to decide who she is going to be in a world that has already cast her aside.

Queen Loralei is hiding the fact that she’s been blessed by the God of Life while navigating the manipulative and dangerous landscape of ruling a kingdom. When she discovers a mysterious prisoner in her dungeons, she begins to unravel a complicated plot that shadows her reign and would change the course of history.

Mozare, gifted by the Goddess of Death with the powers to control shadows, is hiding lots of secrets in the dark. As Saiden’s legionnaire partner, he would do everything to protect her—even if that means killing the queen she swore to protect to save her from a fate worse than death.

With friends and enemies becoming indistinguishable from each other, can these three individuals survive long enough to fulfill their destinies without losing those closest to them, or will their missions irreparably ruin them—and possibly the entire kingdom?

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Samantha’s love of stories began when she was about 12—could read a whole book in a day and wrote lots of stories featuring cute ghosts. Now she writes stories about badass women, sharp weapons, and banter-y relationships.

When she isn’t writing she’s usually cuddling her dog, starting a new craft project she might not finish, or trying to figure out how video games work.

There’s a 94.6% chance you can find her curled up in a bookstore somewhere (math is not her strong suit), but if you don’t, you can find more information on her website.

Samantha Traunfeld

My thoughts: I really liked Saiden, she’s the ultimate soldier but also kind and protective of her friends. She hides because of the undeserved reputation and the rumours about her gift, something she never uses and was born with.

Assigned to guard the Queen, Lorelai, as she’s crowned, the two women bond and Saiden gives Lorelai self-defence lessons. There’s a growing anti-monarchy movement, one that involves people close to both Lorelai and Saiden, but they’re unaware. Saiden gets drawn into the movement and is horrified by their plans, but it’s too late to stop them.

With some really shocking twists, and characters you want to root for, this is intelligent and interesting fantasy examining power, how it’s given and how it’s used.

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*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Pass The Cyanide – Karmen Špiljak

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A deadly feast, a mobster restaurant and a family get-together with fatal results.
Savour the spicy tang of dark and twisted tales in Pass the Cyanide, a follow-up to the award-winning collection of culinary mysteries, Add Cyanide to Taste.
From an old friend hiding a deadly secret to a ravenous house with an appetite for friends, Špiljak masterfully blends the allure of food and the thrill of mystery. Each story is a rich and satisfying
serving of crime, with a twist that will leave you wanting more.
A must-read for fans of culinary noir and foodies who love a pinch of danger with their suspense. All recipes included are cyanide-free.
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Karmen Špiljak is a Slovenian-Belgian writer of suspense, horror and speculative fiction.Her short fiction has been awarded and anthologised. Her short story collection, Add Cyanide to Taste, won the
2022 IndieReader Discovery award for best short stories/Fiction. She lives in Belgrade with her husband, two mischievous cats and an undefined number of literary characters.Find out more – Website

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My thoughts: a series of food related darkly comic short stories, ranging from a chef whose sous chef has had enough, to one that uses a secret ingredient no one must find out about, a mobster who wants only good reviews and a mother who drugs the PTA. Each one is amusing and entertaining, I like when supposedly ordinary people snap and do terrible things. There are also recipes for some of the dishes included but all thankfully poison free!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Canterbury Tails – Trudie Pabor

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Carol Flynn and Jack Wallis are living and working in the same square mile, eighty years apart. In the twenty-first century, Carol is afraid of potential dangers lurking in the outside world and locks herself away safely at home. Longing to improve her mental health she keeps a diary and rehomes a dog to help her go outside and meet other people.

When out walking Biddy, her Bichon Frise, she sees a poster protesting the closure of the local social club and unwillingly finds herself co-opted onto the committee to save it.

In the twentieth century, Jack is on the home front as the first line of defence for the aeroplane factory, fighting the dangers that invade his world. He has made a special human connection and wants to explore it before time runs out.

When Covid 19 threatens the closure of the social club on their housing estate, saving it could acknowledge Jack’s affections and provide the community Carol is trying to find.

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Trudie Pabor lives on the outskirts of Coventry. Having worked as a secondary school teacher in various schools for twenty-four years, she now helps university students to achieve their goals. Whilst obtaining a master’s in creative writing, she made several contributions to a university anthology and has continued to write since.

Trudie enjoys cycling to work and takes inspiration from the world around her. ‘You never know what you are going to see that will spark your imagination!’ A background in secondary education shaped her first novel ‘The Malady of Miss Maybely’, and her experiences of living in Coventry have heavily influenced her second novel ‘The Canterbury Tails.’

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My thoughts: so a book with lots of dogs was always going to appeal to me, and I love history too, which added to the appeal of this book with its dual timelines.

Carol is a recovering agoraphobe (with good reason) who gets a dog, Biddy, to help her go outside and even meet people. And she does; Arthur, who is almost 100 years old and his dog George, Jackie and her excitable pup too. These people are her first friends, and they help her come out of her shell and get involved with saving the local social club. Until the pandemic forces them to cancel their plans.

Jack is living through WW2, working in an aeroplane factory and drinking a quick pint at the pub before catching his train home to Rugby. That’s where he meets Billy. Drawn to one another, they become friends, sharing a shift as night watchmen on the factory roof, and a meal in the pub.

As lockdown lifts, Carol starts looking into the area’s history, drawn into Jack and Billy’s story by a chance discovery. Jackie does some digging too, and Arthur offers up his memories of the war years. Can they piece together the story?

A sweet and charming story of friendship and community at challenging times in recent and not so recent history.

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*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Sedona – Kerry Fryar Freeman

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Sedona copy

Welcome to the launch tour for Sedona by Kerry Fryar Freeman! Read on for more details!

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Sedona

Publication Date: November 15, 2023

Genre: Mystery/ Small Town Mystery

Sedona, AZ is a tourist town that lures people from around the world who believe there is more beyond the veil of reality. They come for the whispering pines, Hopi legends, vortices, magic crystals, and healing springs. Enter Cal Novak, a spunky editor from Atlanta, Georgia, who gives up the city life because she is searching for more: more time, more adventure, more meaning. The magic of her new hometown does not disappoint. Behind the curtain of every window there are secrets waiting to be uncovered. For those searching for more, there’s no place like Sedona.

GET IT HERE!

This is about legacy; this is about the legacy that was left before us. It’s about the land, the trees, the water, the buttes, the canyons, the tribes, the people…you can’t just appear and understand it all. Once you’re rooted, it flows through you; it speaks to you; it lives in you. You will never get that because you’re not part of that. You work up there on that butte with someone who couldn’t care less about what we are, who we are, and you think you have it all figured out. I feel bad for you, Cal, tumbleweeding along. You’re just dry roots, rot, dust in the wind. We don’t need you anymore. Get out!” Tommy yelled.

The bar was silent, every face turned toward Tommy and Cal. He could see Cal’s eyes starting to water, red flushing her cheeks, a slight shake of her hands as she removed them from her glass. Noise returned to the bar, but Tommy’s eyes were once again unmoving.

“If it’s really more than that,” Cal said, her voice quivering, “then you deal with your own mess. I’m out.” Cal stood up and walked away.

“Hey, Cal!” Des shouted. “Wait up.”

The words fell hard on Tommy, much harder than he anticipated. There was a weight that he hadn’t felt in a long time: responsibility. It was time to take matters into his own hands.

About the Author

A native of North Carolina, Kerry Fryar Freeman crafts fiction as if it were a new puzzle. The settings are real and well researched, the details are rich and layered, and the stories absorb and propel readers one piece at a time. Kerry’s debut novel, SEDONA, was long-listed for the Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Award and is set for publication with the Wild Rose Press. In addition to fiction, Kerry writes in academic and professional settings. She worked as an editor for N2 publishing. Currently, she writes English Language Arts curriculum for the North Carolina Virtual Academy serving high school students across the state of North Carolina. She also writes a blog called “Books and Bevies” where she features an array of authors from New York Times and Amazon bestsellers to debut Indie gems. Books and Bevies can be found on her website KerryFryarFreeman.com or by following her on Twitter @KerryFFreeman and Instagram @Books_and_Bevies.

Kerry Fryar Freeman

My thoughts: at first I struggled to like Cal, she seemed to be letting life pass her by. Yes, she was taking care of her grandmother, but all she seemed to do was go to the bar in town and drink, then microwave a meal.

Thankfully once she got a job at the new tourist attraction Belle Butte (pronounced “beaut”), things got a lot more interesting. Something is getting the locals stirred up – the new business has only hired out of towners, or recent incomers like Cal. And in a tourist reliant area, that’s not helpful, plus the boss isn’t building links with other businesses, and he seems to be keeping secrets.

Jack, Cal’s journalist pal, asks her to have a look around, maybe write something he can pass on to the big newspapers in Phoenix. So she does. But it’s a whole lot more complicated, and dangerous, than she thought.

Clever and with some lovely dark humour, this is an enjoyable small town thriller, with more dodgy dealings and villains (some of whom have redeeming qualities) than you might expect.

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*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Door-to-Door Bookstore – Carsten Henn, translated by Melody Shaw

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There’s a book written for every one of us…
Carl may be 72 years old, but he’s young at heart. Every night he goes door-to-door delivering books by hand to his loyal customers. He knows their every desire and preference, carefully selecting the
perfect story for each person.
One evening as he makes his rounds, nine-year-old Schascha appears. Loud and precocious, she insists on accompanying him – and even tries to teach him a thing or two about books.
When Carl’s job at the bookstore is threatened, will the old man and the girl in the yellow raincoat be able to restore Carl’s way of life, and return the joy of reading to his little European town?

THE DOOR-TO-DOOR BOOKSTORE is a heart-warming tale of the value of friendship, the magic of reading, and the power of books to unite us all.

Translated by Melody Shaw


Amazon UK Amazon US

Author Bio – Carsten Henn has worked as a radio presenter, wine and restaurant critic, and has published a number of successful novels. He lives in Germany.

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My thoughts: this was delightful and adorable and all about the magic of books!

I love the idea of Carl hand delivering the books every evening, and making up literary nicknames and back stories for each of his customers. I felt terrible for him when his friend, the bookshop’s owner, died and he lost his job. Thankfully his other friend, Schascha, has a plan to help him. And it involves books!

Sweet and charming, this is a wonderful story for book lovers everywhere.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Blood on Shakespeare’s Typewriter  – Mark Eklid

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When Dan Khan buys a unique piece of cultural history for £50 from a man in the pub, he thinks all his troubles are over.

He is told it’s the actual typewriter William Shakespeare used when he wrote all his plays.

Dan and his girlfriend Shannon reckon it must be worth millions!

But they don’t realise the vintage machine was stolen from the city’s most notorious crime boss.

And he will stop at nothing to get back the sinister secret it contains…

My thoughts: I do worry about the state of the education system when someone genuinely believes Shakespeare used a typewriter. But that’s why Dan Khan bought one off a dodgy bloke in the pub for £50 and gets himself and girlfriend Shannon embroiled in utter chaos as a result.

There’s some wonderful black humour running through this book as two people with no idea what they’re doing go on the run with a furious criminal and his goons on their heels.

Thankfully they’re being followed by a police detective with a brain, and protected (sort of) by a computer genius who doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt. Between them everything might just get sorted out, although there’s a kidnapping and being held hostage to get through first!

Funny, clever and highly enjoyable. Wouldn’t mind seeing this become a series, with Em reluctantly helping the police with her hacker skills.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: After the Fall – D.M. Simmons

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AftertheFall copy

We’re going back to the beginning when the first angels fell…

This special omnibus includes both books in the After The Fall duet—the story of Dante and Diablo, fallen angels, bound since The Fall—as well as bonus content previously unreleased. A fresh, new taken on fallen angels unlike any out there, readers call it “super-hot with all the tingles,” a “fascinating enemies to lovers tale, “a story that is “as swoony as it is steamy,” and “a whirlwind, with twists that come at you!”

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After the Fall: The Duet of Dante & Diablo

Genre: Spicy Fantasy Romance

❤️‍🔥Spicy Fantasy Romance
❤️‍🔥Fallen Angels
❤️‍🔥Enemies to Lovers
❤️‍🔥Found Family
❤️‍🔥Soul Mates

Dante

What courses through me, if not the need for desire and corruption?
It is after all, what I am.
Daemon. The worst of The Fallen.
And my job is clear.
Secure fealty from the Undecided to whom we are bound.
Diablo has not wavered in five thousand years.
And I not only wanted her on our side. I will stop at nothing to make it happen.

Diablo

What will I become if I swear my fealty and surrender to the dark?
It is not who I once was.
I may no longer be an angel, but I will be Undecided until the end of time.
Dante doesn’t intimidate me. Not anymore.
The fire that drives him, is now alive in me.
I’ve been paying since The Fall. And I’m done paying in blood and tears.
I will break myself from our bond. And will stop at nothing to make it happen.

Get it on Amazon or Order the Special Gift After the Fall Gift Box

About the Author

D.M. Simmons is an award-winning author of adult and new adult fiction. She is passionate about creating atmospheric worlds and telling captivating stories that take readers on an adventure. Fascinated by the indelible power of love, romance is usually at the heart of her stories, along with the narrator’s journey. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, sons and crazy cats.

D.M. Simmons

My thoughts: this was an interesting (and spicy) take on the story of angels turned demons after the Fall from Heaven. Dante and Diablo are in a way two sides of the same coin, both somewhat tormented and trapped together, unable to break free and be themselves. Dante is essentially meant to get Diablo to swear allegiance to the dark side, their fight is centuries old and both are driven to a sort of despair by it but at the same time drawn towards one another.

This special edition brings both books together with additional materials and it is rather beautiful (I was only sent an ebook but I went and had a look at the gift set – see link above) and if you enjoy reading this and want something to treasure, then I say go for it!

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*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Boatmore Butcher – L. Stephenson

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Three paramedics are drawn into the mystery of a bizarre spree unfolding on a quiet island town. 

Devastated by the loss of his son, Liam Price, must hold it together whilst leading his team against a killer who finds new and twisted ways to prevent them from saving the lives of their victims. 

But one serious mistake puts them and everyone they love in grave danger.

As the island starts to slip into hysteria, our villain goes to gruesome lengths to keep their identity a secret. 

Able to hide in plain sight, the killer is out for revenge as they close in on their prey. 

Can they escape the wrath of the Boatmore Butcher? 

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L. Stephenson has been telling stories of killers and boogeymen to his friends and writing them on his computer since the summer before he began high school. A university degree in Film & TV Screenwriting, a handful of anthologies and a novella later, and not much has changed, it seems! 

Stephenson’s first short story was published as part of a Halloween-themed collection by Dark Ink back in 2018. Nearly five years later, terror just came full circle as the author has returned home to Dark Ink to release his debut slasher novel, The Boatmore Butcher.

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My thoughts: if I lived on this island, where people keep getting brutally murdered, I’d leave. The body count is very high and since the killer is very good at framing others for his crimes, moving far away is the best plan.

Brutal, bloody, but very creative, this butcher knows what he’s doing. Terrorising the community for his own ends and hiding in plain sight. If you love slasher films and jump scares, this is the book for you, packed with shocking twists and turns, it’ll make your hair stand on end.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.