Review: Never Have I Ever by Harker Jones

 

Genre: Horror/LGBTQ

Description:

“Trust no one. Because it could be anyone.

When eight teenagers in a small Michigan town start receiving texts urging them to play Never Have I Ever, they find themselves caught up in a deadly game of secrets, repentance and retribution that may be connected to a girl who disappeared the year before.

As they start getting killed by someone in a scarecrow costume — or is it a costume? — the school bully sets out to discover who’s playing the prank in hopes of redeeming his past behavior.

And staying alive.

But will he figure it out before that past catches up to him?”

Author:

After growing up on a dirt road in a small Michigan town, Harker Jones moved to Los Angeles where he is an author, both of books and for magazines as well as a screenwriter and editor. For more, check out his website.

Appraisal:

This is an interesting book. If you were a teen in the late 90s or a parent of a teen in that same era then some of the references might give you flashbacks of that time. (The genre is horror and for some taking you back to then might make it even scarier.) Even if you can’t relate to that era you’ll probably still be able to relate to what the teen years are like for most of us. If you’ve had experience living in a small town and how life there can be different then you’ll relate to what the kids in this book go through even more. Along with the horror aspect you’ve got a mystery or two at work which kept this reader engaged as I tried to figure out all the pieces, guessing wrong way more than I want to admit as I tried to figure out what was going on and anticipate how it was going to end. The result was an engaging and entertaining read, even if some of those flashbacks to the late 90s weren’t so great.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Review: The 9th Witness by Rebecca Forster

Genre: Legal Thriller

Description:

“No good deed goes unpunished: this time it's going to be brutal.

Christmas is coming and the world is joyful for everyone but Josie Bates. A devastating miscarriage, her employer’s pending retirement, and her husband’s overseas job have left her alone and adrift—until Lily Daye dies and names Josie executor of her estate. Josie has no idea who this woman is, but her will is simple and her possessions meager. In the spirit of the season, Josie accepts the job. Yet behind Lily’s seemingly modest existence lies a complex, mysterious life. When an eccentric tech mogul turns up to contest the will, the only spirit Josie is channeling is one of outrage that her life is being upended and Lily’s last wishes disrespected. Up against a high-powered, ruthless attorney, a court on a schedule, and an entitled man with more money than God, Josie is determined to protect her client’s interests or die trying.”

Author:

“Rebecca Forster is the USA Today bestselling author of Keeping Counsel. She has written in many genres but her legal thrillers have been called, 'Perfect. Impossible to put down,' by the CBS legal correspondent

She holds a BA from Loyola University, Chicago and an MBA from Loyola University, Los Angeles.

Married to a superior court judge and the mother of two sons, she teaches at UCLA writers program, volunteers in classrooms and speaks in many venues around the country.”

For more, visit Ms. Forster’s website. 

Appraisal:

I’ve read and loved lots of Rebecca Forster’s books over the years, in multiple series. If forced to pick a favorite The Witness Series with Josie Bates would probably be my pick. This one had a lot of elements that kept me engaged with a tendency to reveal something at the end of the chapter that made me want to immediately start reading the next chapter. Josie spends some time in court and experiences some tense situations that make the legal thriller classification a good fit for this. There is a lot of mystery to it (with her client, Lily Daye, being deceased, Josie has to figure out what Lily’s estate consists of, where the person who is supposed to inherit it is, and as the story unfolds lots of other mysteries pop up). We’ve also got some other twists dealing with new technology and Lily’s past that only complicate matters more. It makes for an engaging, fun read that kept me guessing as to where things were headed right to the end.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

This review is based on an advance reviewer copy, so I’m unable to gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Review: Takes More Than Love by Jenna Winters

 Genre: Memoir

Description:

“If Jenn had known her husband's family before they'd gotten married, there might never have been a wedding at all.

Now she has to confront the reality that her new family holds ignorant—and, at times, racist—views, and that spending time around them triggers her ingrained trauma of growing up Black in the U.S.

Why is it so hard for her to speak out against their prejudice? And, more importantly, what does it mean that her husband is silent in the face of all this?

This transformative memoir follows Jenn as she confronts the past, helps her husband on his own journey to racial awareness, and finds the inner strength to be an advocate for others.

Both harrowing and uplifting, this book is for anyone who has ever been othered, as well as those in close relationships with those from different walks of life. It challenges us all to confront our unconscious bias and seek true reconciliation.”

Author:

According to the publisher’s website Jenna Winters “lives with her husband and four children in Omaha, ​Nebraska. Whenever she has a spare moment, she can be ​found enjoying a book (she carries one with her everywhere ​she goes). The only thing she loves more than reading is ​traveling. She believes that leaving the comfort zone of one’s ​own community is one of the greatest ways to build empathy ​for other people.”

Appraisal:

One of the many great things about reading books is how they can help us understand other people who are in situations much different than our own, which is what this book did for me. The opposite of that, seeing how someone struggling with the same things you struggle with and potentially getting ideas of how they deal with comparable struggles is another area where some books are very valuable, and for other readers out there, this book could well do that. Some might even find themselves on both sides in different ways, for example you might not understand the struggles of being a minority race in the US who has to cope with racism, but you might find yourself having to help a spouse understand why something is difficult for you because they have never experienced those situations (maybe helping a man understand issues that a woman encounters that he never would).

The point, of course, is that better understanding people from all walks of life, both how their lives are different and how they’re the same helps everyone. I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to become a better person and improve their understanding of the world and those around them.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: The Ishtar Ignition by Timothy Black

 

Genre: Erotica/Science Fiction

Description:

A novella continuing the adventures of aviatrix Charlotte Frost (personal motto: ‘fuck it or kill it’) who is being pursued (for reasons not in this book) by the Matriarchy at the urging of the Godmother AI. Her space ship has somehow landed in a massive hangar, which is where the action takes place. It is full of potentially lethal tech, which has been largely powered down. The tech is vaguely familiar to Captain Frost. Frost straps on her tool belt, and she and her trusty sex Doll (the gender shifting Arslan-Tash) get to work on an exit strategy.

Author:

Black’s Amazon bio reads thus: “Born a modern-day nomad in the Deep South, Timothy Black wandered through most of the southern United States in an attempt to find his life, love, and home. After studying Geology, Astronomy, and the Occult, he found himself with a degree in Philosophy and a habit of writing odd things. A serial killer of coffee and whiskey sours, he has since found his den in the Pacific Northwest with two raucous bird ladies that peck him when he gets too far out of line. That's a whole lot of beaking.” There is another Timothy Black on Amazon, who is a retired teacher. He is not this Black.

Appraisal:

This is a lot of fun. Captain Frost’s space ship is called the Harlot’s Promise and is powered by orgasms produced by the practice of tantric sex. The plot is small but perfectly formed: the girl on girl action is clever. Black has corralled a number of ancient middle eastern deities, myths, tantric energy, and alternative religious and political  pathways to create a complex military matriarchal state in opposition to the majority patriarchy to power this SF adventure. All these little dogies, hitched together, gallop along very nicely indeed.

The only problem is that this is book 2 and it doesn’t really stand alone. So now you know that, do start with the first one, The Clockwork Courtesan.

The third book in the series (The Engines of Eros) was published in August 2024. So with the whole trilogy now available, the frustrating deficiencies I experienced should melt away. I did feel the lack of the grounding that first book would have provided. But I had a very nice time all the same, thank you very much. Call me. 🤙 😉

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Format/Typo Issues:

There are a few clunks, but the book has excellent pace and you will ride right through them.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Reprise Review: Shadows Fall (Totem Book 7) by Christine Rains

 

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Mystery/Mythology

Description:

“Ametta Dorn is hosting her first family Thanksgiving feast. Everything must be flawless from the appetizers to the desserts. But the totem quest weighs heavily on her and her family. If she can’t even fold a perfect crane napkin, then how can she help her family find the next token?

That totem is closer than any of them realize. The Shadowmen have opened a door to their world, and they’ve targeted Ametta as the weak link in her family. She will show everyone she's just as capable as they are. Except her daring might be the very thing that loses not only the raven totem but also her life.”

Author:

“Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not reading or writing, she's going on adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of S.C.I.F.I. and Untethered Realms. She has one novel and several novellas and short stories published. Her newest urban fantasy series, Totem, is almost complete at nine books.”

To learn more visit Ms. Rains website or stalk her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Ametta is a perfectionist in all areas of her life, and even though she has obtained a token of the totem, she still feels a need to prove herself. Which lead her into unforeseen trouble. Events leading up to Thanksgiving seem to be targeting Ametta specifically. The Shadowmen have selected her as the weakest link in her family.

The story moves fast with shocking revelations exposed. Truth and answers are unclear, even for Sedge. This Thanksgiving will forever be marked by devastation instead of the Dorn family’s perfectly flawless Thanksgiving celebration. Shadows Fall is an exciting and emotional read. You won’t want to miss this addition to the TOTEM series.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Shadow Falls is book seven in Ms. Rains TOTEM series of nine novellas. It’s important to read this series in order as the story develops.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing errors.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Review: BITS by C. J. Kichuk

 Genre: Technothriller

Description:

"What does it mean to be human—or perhaps human 2.0?"

This question sets the stage for the thrilling journey that awaits in BITS, an action-packed thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In a world where the lines between artificial intelligence and human sentience are blurred, we are forced to question what it truly means to be human.

We meet Clayton Rhodes, a seasoned FBI agent with a complicated past and a 25-year career under his belt. After a traumatic experience, Clayton is at a crossroads in his life. But when he is offered a chance to work with a renowned psychiatrist on an experimental project involving AI, he sees it as an opportunity to redeem himself and get back to active duty.

Tasked with teaching an AI entity the intricate art of undercover operations, Clayton hopes this opportunity will be his ticket back to active-duty status, a chance to exorcise the ghosts of his past and reclaim his life. However, what begins as a straightforward assignment spirals into a mind-bending odyssey.

Clayton's journey into the world of AI shatters his expectations, disrupts his plans and overshadows his desires, leaving him to navigate a labyrinth that challenges his very perception of reality.

Long after the masterfully delivered dose of adrenaline fades, BITS leaves the reader with much to ponder.”

Author:

“C.J. Kichuk has taken has taken his years of experience in software development, cyber security, and management consulting, and blended in the creative energy of his years as a songwriter and performer. His debut novel BITS is the result of his ‘what if’ approach to life. Living in Austin, Texas, when not spinning yarns, he can often be found in his home studio writing and recording music.”

Appraisal:

The thriller aspects of this story would make for a good read. Throwing in all the unexpected twists and turns that it takes due to the involvement of artificial intelligence and you’ve got a story that will have you on the edge of your seat, never quite sure what to expect next. That the things depicted in this story might not be wild science fiction someone is imagining could happen in the distant future, but instead things that seem to be, if not possible today, well within what might happen in the near future, makes for that much more of an intense read. The book’s description says it leaves the reader with much to ponder and I agree, this should get you considering AI and its potential repercussions, both good and bad.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count:110-115,000 words

Review: Late Checkout by Alan Orloff

 

Genre: Thriller

Description:

“Motel proprietor Mess Hopkins is more interested in helping others than turning a profit, so he opens the doors of the Fairfax Manor Inn to those seeking refuge from a bad situation. But when his cousin Finn shows up in trouble, his world is rocked, because Mess had thought Finn was dead, having run away six years earlier.

Unfortunately, Finn was in the wrong place at the wrong time and saw the wrong thing—an incident with deadly consequences.

It’s up to Mess, his girlfriend/newspaper reporter Lia Katsaros, and buddy Vell Jackson to solve the crime before some bad men achieve their goal—killing the only eyewitness. Mess’s frightened cousin Finn.”

Author:

Award-winning author Alan Orloff has a bunch of published novels as well as having his short fiction included in many publications.

For more about Alan Orloff, visit hiswebsite and follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Appraisal:

Mess Hopkins owns a motel in Fairfax, VA, a suburb in the Washington, DC area 10 to 20 miles southeast of DC. Okay, he doesn’t exactly own it. His family does, but he gets to manage it and keep the profit, so close enough. It is what many would refer to as a “fleabag motel.” Definitely not very upscale. His goal isn’t to make oodles of money from it though. He hopes to make enough to scrape by, making enough profit for him to survive, while he helps out those in need. This means that many of the rooms at the motel are not generating revenue as Mess lets people live in some of them, Mess lives in one himself, and the reality is many of them are empty most night regardless. Phil, Mess’s uncle, thinks he should be spending more time trying to get more business and less time helping others. Then Phil’s long-lost-son Finn shows up. Mess and his cousin Finn were great friends until Finn ran away six years prior and no one has known where he was. Trying to help his cousin, who it turns out has gotten himself into a scary situation, and figuring out how to deal with that turns into quite a mystery. What Mess and Finn and some of Finn’s friends who he drafts to help go through in helping Finn, who keeps making decisions that make things even worse, keeps both Mess and the reader on their toes as they try to figure things out. This is the second book in the series featuring Mess Hopkins and I’ve really enjoyed the series thus far.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

This review is based on an advanced reviewer copy, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Review: Rock Crush and Roll by Hunter Snow

 

Genre: Romance/Romantic Comedy

Description:

“What if the rock star you had a crush on in high school is into you? But it's 15 years later and you're over dating musicians. Or are you?

Tyler Robertson is a music manager. Cary Kingston is the biggest rock star in the world. She's sworn off dating musicians. And he's a confirmed bachelor.

But when their working relationship turns into something more, she wonders if she's falling for the rock star or the person.

You can't always get what you want... but sometimes you can.”

Author:

“After (barely) surviving a career in the music industry, Hunter Snow now lives to tell its tales. She writes contemporary romances from her home in the Pacific Northwest. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.”

For more, check out Hunter Snow’s website.

Appraisal:

This tale has the things you’d expect a book in the romance genre to have. The unexpected and humorous twists that happen as our heroine, music manager Tyler Robertson, and her unexpected romantic partner, rock star Cary Kingston, find their way to the ending a romance is expected to have add a ton of humor to the story. If you’re a music fan like I am it makes this story even better. A fun and enjoyable read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Plenty of adult language and some mildly adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Review: Twisted Vessels by Jaysee Jewel

 

Genre: Fantasy

Description:

The only bit of land on this whole planet is a floating, hollowed out island, much like Laputa in Gulliver’s Travels. It is called Maivau. Life in the top tiers of this island, where the sun shines and the water supply is clean, is pretty sweet. The work gets harder, darker and dirtier the further down the in the old mine workings you live. At the top is The Arbiter who runs her teeming island with tight control and coercion.

It is easy to slip down the tiers, much less easy to rise. The story is about what can happen when you try to better yourself and rise in such a society: and what happens when you fail. There is a mysterious system of gods, who appear to people and sometimes give them super-powers (which they also sometimes take away again). There is an element of ‘Snakes and Ladders’ to the Maivau and this story.

As well as the island, the author has created a number of intriguing sentient beings. These have replaced the ancient humans who used to inhabit this world (one presumes there was more land back then). They have been drawn from folklore, myth, The Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien’s work, along with a big dollop of the author’s imagination which, mixed together, give each species unique traits, which enrich the story. There are lovely artistic impressions of them by Victoria Chevalier in the book. And a kick-ass cover by “Chinhdwc”.

Author:

Jaysee Jewel is an author after my own heart, in that she doesn’t like to work exclusively in one genre, or at one length. She is a keen gamer. And ranges across fantasy, steampunk, sword and sorcery, SF, romance and horror with her writing. In 2023 she released three novels and a novella in various milieux. The back matter of this book promises that the sequel to Twisted Vessels will be out this year. But after such a burst of creativity last year we should, perhaps, anticipate a short delay.

Appraisal:

Jewel has built an interesting world, and seeded it with these six races, from among whom she has teased out her characters. The title is apt: these people have been twisted like pretzels by their environment.

Unfortunately – as Jewel explains in the back matter – this novel is mainly back story. Jewel has written this first part of a longer work so that readers can become familiar with the setting and the characters. In order for them to be fully introduced they are given Stuff To Do. And what happens is life changing for them, as it should be. But there is also much internal monologue-ing, often revisiting the same problems and dilemmas, which does not push matters forward. Quotidian actions are given in detail, and repeated when they reoccur. Descriptions are repeated.

I realised I was halfway through and rather little had happened, considering this is billed as an adventure. As what I’d read was, nevertheless, interesting I didn’t feel I’d wasted my time. But it did become apparent that I was going to have to be content with a solution to the interim problems the author had set her characters and wait for the sequel (now you see why the date of its release is important) to see what happens when The Real Story starts and we set off towards The Big Reveal (big hints about what is to come are dropped at the end of this book).

Some parts of this book may be a tough read if you are squeamish. The whole society on this over-populated, vertically-integrated island is based on people being horrid to one another – in vile and imaginative ways. Much of this is on the page. But there are kind-hearted and virtuous folk too. And they do sometimes prevail.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Descriptions of brutal violence, off-stage rape, drug abuse.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an advance review copy, so we can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 words

Reprise Review: The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know by Paula J. Caproni

 

Genre: Non-Fiction/Self-Help

Description:

“In this book you will learn what you need to do to achieve the success in life that you desire and deserve. The author provides you with a practical framework that will help you get better results at work, be successful in your career, and enjoy a fulfilling life outside of work.”

“In short, this book answers these three main questions:

(1) What do the most successful people do differently than other people?

(2) How can those characteristics and behaviors be learned?

(3) How can you apply these lessons to your own life?”

Author:

“Paula J. Caproni is a faculty member in the Management and Organizations Department at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Professor Caproni received her MBA from the University of Massachusetts and her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Yale University. In addition to teaching about leadership skills, effective coaching, developing power and influence, and creating high performing teams in the University of Michigan MBA and Executive Programs, she has served as the Academic Director of the Full-Time and Part-Time MBA Programs. She has coached over 500 executives and served as the lead Professional Development Coach for the Executive MBA Program and several Executive Education programs.”

Appraisal:

At its foundation, this book is looking at the scientific studies that have been done that pertain to being successful and based on that explains the steps you or anyone could take to become more successful, whatever that word means to you. In other words, Ms. Caproni has provided the data.

As I was reading I found myself providing anecdote in support of the theories. For example, there were multiple times the author mentioned joining and participating in a Toastmasters Club as something to help in a particular area, and I compared her suggestion to my own Toastmasters experiences, and they agreed. I found myself looking at successful people I know or situations I’ve been in and saw that they fit the patterns she describes.

One big takeaway that some people would benefit from learning is that a big part of success is believing you can achieve your goals and then taking the actions to get there, one step at a time. This is a book I wish I’d read years ago, but think even those getting a bit old like me could still profit from what it teaches.??

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words