Review: Dreaming True in the Apocalypse by Phoebe Walker

 

Genre: Dystopian/Science Fiction/Romance

Description:

“After being left for dead by her survivor group, Allie Dawes has been living in an underground bunker for the first year of the zombie apocalypse. Her only company is Morrigan, a goddess who has gifted Allie with prophetic dreams and abilities that seem to have brought more trouble than good into her life. Just when the isolation is starting to make Allie wonder if she’s losing her mind, Morrigan sends her a dream with a mission: save Cameron Hale.

Cameron Hale is trying like hell to get back to his group and their community of settlements, where they are starting to rebuild society. On the way, he stumbles into the path of a massive zombie horde. Cam’s only hope for escape is to outrun the monsters, but he’s on the verge of exhaustion. Then an angel with a rifle snatches him, quite literally, from the jaws of death.

In Allie’s bunker, these two touch-starved, PTSD-ridden people who don’t quite feel like strangers find themselves drawn to each other physically and emotionally. But love isn’t simple in a world where the undead walk the earth, and even if Allie and Cam manage to stay alive during the struggles that await them outside the bunker, their tenuous bond may not survive.”

Author:

“Phoebe Walker is the pen name of co-authors and longtime best friends Jennifer ‘Jay’ Bull and Mary Morris. Jay lives with her husband and her cats in rural Illinois, where she works as a writer and a professional psychic. She began making up stories and characters in her mind at a very young age and always loved sharing them with others, so writing became a natural creative outlet. Jay collects tarot decks and cats, but her spouse has put a limit on cat collecting, so she only has the care of three tiny terror beasts. Mary grew up reading romance novels and SFF epics on a farm in southeastern Illinois. After earning an MFA in fiction, she has worked as a proofreader, copy editor, reporter, and English professor; today, she is an educator and freelance editor who has published short fiction and nonfiction in various lit mags. She lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, her children, and miscellaneous cats.”

Appraisal:

While willing to consider books of almost any fiction genre, I tend to shy away from science fiction although books in the dystopian subgenre are the most likely exception. While I’ll read romance, it is relatively rare, although a bit of a romantic subtext is no big deal. This book, while definitely falling outside my normal mild doses of sci-fi and romance still hit the spot in spite of that. The romance, while an important part of the overall book and definitely fitting the conventions of the genre, seemed perfectly natural (in spite of the very unnatural setting of the book). The premise of the book and how things shake out for our main characters involved a lot of unique twists that I had no idea what was coming next. Figuring out how to live in a world that has changed in so many ways, who to trust, and how far to trust them, and just how to survive this wild and strange world the characters found themselves in was a vicarious adventure I’m glad I took.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language and relatively mild adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an ARC (advance reader/reviewer copy), so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 105-110,000 words

Reprise Review: Dangerous Memories by Donna Fasano

 

Genre: Romance/Suspense/Psychological Thriller

Description:

“What kind of woman am I?

The question haunts Keira Rhodes when she awakens in the hospital with amnesia and learns that two men claim to be her baby’s father.

Logan claims he is her loving husband. Although Keira feels drawn to this quiet man, she senses that their marriage has been far from perfect. For Logan’s own brother, Kyle, staunchly maintains that Keira’s baby and her heart are his…

The truth lay hidden in Keira’s lost memory—and in the tender touch of one special man…”

Author:

“USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR DONNA FASANO is a three-time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award finalist, a Golden Heart finalist, and a two-time winner of Best Romance of the Year given by BigAl's Books & Pals Review Blog.

Her books have sold 4 million copies worldwide and have been published in two dozen languages. Her novels have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times, climbing as high as #1...”

To learn more about Ms. Fasano, check out her website or stalk her on Facebook. “She loves to hear from readers.”

Appraisal:

I was enthralled with Keira Rhodes predicament. She awakens in the hospital with no memory of her life before her fall from Simon’s Point in this psychological thriller. The story is mainly told through Keira’s eyes with the exception of getting enough of Logan’s thoughts to complicate and intrigue the reader. Right along with Logan’s younger brother Kyle, who both claim to be her baby’s father. 

I found the dialog realistic as Keira tries to put the pieces of her life back together. Logan is soft spoken as he tries to help Keira by giving her space and time to remember her past with him. Where Kyle is more insistent that she and the baby are his. Keira is not sure who to trust, to make matters worse, they all live in the same large house.  All she can do is trust her own feelings while searching for something familiar that may jog a memory.

The plot has a nice pace. The tension rises as Logan and Kyle both share pieces of their past with Keira. Ms. Fasano’s descriptive prose puts the reader right in the middle of each scene to share the experience along with Keira as pieces of her life are revealed from each brother. I was sure the story was going to take a turn for the worse, which kept me reading late into the night.

I like character studies like this. They give me a lot to think about and the suspense gets my heartrate up. I enjoyed this story, it’s different from the other books I have read by Donna Fasano. “If you enjoy the Hallmark Mystery movies, you will love Dangerous Memories.”

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

This is a clean romantic suspense with just the right amount of sexual heat.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Review: The Witness by Jordan Standridge

 Genre: Crime/Suspense/Romance

Description:

“Cops and deer. Her mama always told people Raina could sense them before she saw them. So the day she left home for a quick trip into town and sensed a cop ahead, she wasn't surprised to see one working a traffic stop. But never in her wildest dreams could she sense that traffic stop would turn into her own personal nightmare.

Attempting to save the life of a defenseless deputy, Raina nearly lost her own in a short but brutal attack. As she recuperates, the life she knew and loved is systematically being taken away from her by those she thwarted. Now she must dig deep inside herself for the courage to not only survive but to forge a new life in case she did.

Assigned to her case, Detective Channion Scott had a solid reputation for solving crimes. When he soon turned into her personal bodyguard, he wondered how was he to solve his attraction to the courageous woman who'd risked her life to save another's?”

Author:

An avid traveler, Jordan Standridge has worked in a variety of jobs, from sales, to being a police and fire dispatcher, and a manager. This is her second book, the other book being the first in this series.

Appraisal:

I think it is fair to say that I’m having a lot of conflicting feelings about how to review this book. The story at a high level is a good one. I love the characters. As the name of the series indicates, the protagonist is a strong and courageous woman who you can’t help but like and pull for her to get through these challenges. I enjoyed the different story threads and how they all fit together.

However, there are aspects of the author’s approach to writing that I found problematic. The book is a lot longer than it probably needs or should be because the story had a tendency to go down a rabbit hole. As a reader we would get a brain dump of what was going through one of the main character’s minds at a certain point, not unreasonable except the tendency to go into way too much detail was there. Then we’d get the same for what a more obscure character was thinking, which isn’t normal. The way it was done often had me thinking about the old writer’s adage to “show, don’t tell.” It felt like the reader was getting both shown and then told and told and told. At times the story took turns that stretched credibility, but I managed to get past those instances, and the reader was sometimes told things that I didn’t think were needed to understand the story and didn’t add anything to it, just bogging it down. I imagine some readers wouldn’t notice or take issue with the things that bothered me. If you think you’re one of those readers, the book has a lot of good points, so give it a try.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 145-150,000 words

Reprise Review: True Shifter (TOTEM Book 9) by Christine Rains

 

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Mystery/Mythology

Description:

“Saskia Dorn can't bear to lose anyone else. But when the only man she's ever loved turns his back on her, she runs off to sacrifice herself to the totem quest.

With a disgusting kiss, a dying house spirit grants her the power to shift into any creature. Yet she has neither the time to train nor the imagination to utilize the gift to its fullest. How will she manage to defeat a villain who has mastered the ability and made her the person she is? Saskia only has a few freakin' hours to figure it out. After all, the fate of every shifter in the world depends on her victory.”

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’ Facebook page.

Appraisal:

True Shifter, as far as I know, is the finale of the TOTEM series. And it packs a wallop! The tension and suspense ran high all through this novella. Saskia is faced with many challenges and conflicts, she’s intelligent and approached things in a logical manner. However, she is hard-headed, and still carries some insecurities. Watching her navigate the mysteries they are faced with to gain the remaining tokens is well written and enthralling.

Family and relationship dynamics play heavily in the plot as the story twists and turns back on itself. It turns out to be an emotional journey for the whole group. I was extremely satisfied with the captivating images painted by Ms. Rains, and the heart-warming climax of this series.

I’m hoping we get to hear further stories about the Dorn sisters and their chosen mates in the future. After all Lucky and Ametta need a new house spirit (domovoi) for the manor, and the kikimora, domovoi’s wife, has been charged with finding one. Then there is Berton Ellsworth, the vampire, who is inviting a water dragon to his castle. Seems like a lot of fun times ahead to me. :)

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

True Shifter is book nine in the TOTEM series. It is important to read this series in order as events build, and the characters grow through the previous books in the series.

Be warned, there are several F-bombs dropped.

Format/Typo Issues:

I came across no significant issues in proofing or formatting.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Review: Eve Versus the Apocalypse by Erica Lucke Dean

 

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Romance/Dystopian

Description:

“When everyone Eve cares about is killed in an alien invasion, she uses her skills with a blade to battle her way through the changing landscape. But with humanity on the brink of extinction, the aliens aren't the only monsters the college color guard faces.

After fleeing the war zone that was once Atlanta, Eve heads north to her family’s cabin in the woods. In the desolate mountain town, she encounters a group of survivors on the way to the fabled Safe Zone. Impressed with her fighting skills, the group's leader invites her to join their ranks.

But trust is a rare commodity in Eve’s new reality, and she must decide whether an alliance with the dangerously sexy Archer is worth the risk. His offer of protection is tempting, but if she agrees to join him, she’ll be putting more than her life on the line. She can either save what's left of humanity or lose her heart—and the whole damn world along with it.”

Author:

“Best known for her engaging and relatable characters, Erica Lucke Dean specializes in crafting stories that explore the complexities of relationships and feature quirky young women navigating the ups and downs of life and love. For over a decade, her novels have captivated readers of romantic comedies and paranormal romances alike, thanks to her ability to blend humor and authentic emotions.

Erica was born in the Twin Tiers of Upstate New York and lived on both coasts before ultimately settling in the scenic North Georgia Mountains, where she and her family live with two ginormous English Mastiffs and a diabolical Frenchie hell-bent on world domination.”

Appraisal:

The world has gone crazy, invaded by some strange aliens who are killing off the human population. Eve is tough and with the saber she used to use for show as a member of the college color guard she figures out how to deal with them well enough to survive, at least so far. While this is happening in the real world, Georgia specifically, the story world is much different with these aliens and the issues they caused. Avoiding the aliens and finding what is needed to survive for the humans who are left is a challenge. In some ways dealing with the humans is tougher. Eve knows she can’t trust the aliens, but with the humans sometimes she can and sometimes maybe not. Figuring that out is problematic at times. Luckily, she finds out that there is an area that is safe from the aliens, if only she can get there. This would be an adventure even without the twist of Archer, a man she’s very attracted to who seems to like her too, but can she trust him? Eve’s adventure as she worked through the issues that popped up kept me engrossed in this story to the last word.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language and a few mild adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Reprise Review: Molten Dusk by Karissa Laurel

 Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology/Romance

Description:

“While recovering from a devastating betrayal, Solina becomes increasingly drawn to Thorin as he helps her hunt down Skoll, the mythical wolf who vowed to kill her. If she can find and destroy the beast, she’ll bring a swift and brutal end to her enemies’ schemes. But nothing ever goes as planned in Solina’s strange new world.

During her search for Skoll, Solina uncovers a plot to unleash a battalion of legendary soldiers and launch an apocalyptic war. Before she and her allies can locate the fabled army, several ghosts from her past return to haunt her. Solina must fight for life and the fate of the world, or her hopes for love and a peaceful future will go up in flames.”

Author:

“Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between. Sometimes her husband convinces her to put down the books and go to the flea market to find something rusty to reuse and purpose.”

To learn more about Ms. Laurel stalk her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

WOW! Karissa Laurel is a wonderful storyteller. All of her characters are authentic and well written with depth. The plot is riddled with twists that keeps the tension and intrigue high. There is double-crossing as well unexpected help when you least expect it. And epic battles with mindless soldiers that Solina’s fire can’t harm.

Solina’s journey is enhanced by a vision quest, which helps her sort out the nightmares she is having and the guilt she feels about her brother’s death. Thorin also shares some of his fond memories as well as heartbreaking times of his past with Solina.

Through it all Solina remains true to herself, meaning she still defies Thorin occasionally. Despite that, they both do their share of saving each other in dire times. Solina knows how Thorin feels about her, but she is strong-willed and won’t admit her emotional walls are crumbling.

There is so much more I haven’t mentioned and I can assure you that you will not be disappointed in Molten Dusk. All plot points are tied up nicely with a satisfying ending. I’m not sure if this series is finished though, I can see other stories stemming from this solid foundation.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Molten Dusk is book three in THE NORSE CHRONICLES. I would recommend reading this series in order starting with Midnight Burning then Arctic Dawn.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing errors.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ? wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 words

Reprise Review: Descending Moon (Totem Book 8) by Christine Rains

 

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Mystery/Mythology

Description:

“Some say the moon is for lovers, but wise folks know to fear it.

Kinley Dorn must be strong for her family in these dark times. Sometimes she feels she’s all that’s holding them together. But when the frightening Moon Man attacks and bestows a burdensome gift upon her, Kinley might have to do more than simply help her family. She will have to battle a god, but which one? If it’s the sly man hunting her in the astral plane, Kinley might not make it out alive.”

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:

This addition to the series centers mainly on Kinley and the myth about the Moon Man. Ms. Rains has done a wonderful job building her myths in this series. The plot moves fast as Christmas is approaching and the bear totem looms closer than ever. So why has the Moon Man chosen Kinley to terrorize?

One thing I really enjoyed was a larger role for the local vampire, Bert Ellsworth. The Dorn sisters are building and designing Bert’s new home in the wilderness. Ransom, Kinley’s boyfriend, is also Bert’s personal assistant. His help becomes dire for Kinley and I hope to see more of him in the future.

Descending Moon is action packed and full of tension with a shocking ending on more than one level. That fact alone makes book eight exceptional. I’m not sure how they are going to manage getting all the tokens to put the totem pole back together to save all shifters in one more book. However, I am looking forward to finding out.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Descending Moon is book eight in the TOTEM series. It is important to read this series in order as events build, and characters grow from other books in the series.

Be warned about sensitive adult topics and there are several F-bombs.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ? wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 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: 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: Silverskin by Caitee Cooper

 Genre: Supernatural/Romance

Description:

Way up in Alaska a small, grieving family are having a holiday with some old friends, hoping a change of scene and a sojourn in nature will help them heal. They go out hunting in an area renowned for Bigfoot sightings, and run into something way worse than Bigfoot.

Author:

Caitee Cooper grew up in Laramie, Wyoming, where she enjoyed all things outdoorsy, musical, and bookish. She went to college at the University of Wyoming, where she earned a B.S in Psychology as well as two minors: one in music and one in business management (which is code for ‘she didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up so decided to just cover her bases.’) While attending school, she met and married her husband, Dallin, and they went on to have many adventures. Caitee currently lives in Riverton, Wyoming with her husband and their two children.

Outdoorsiness, music and books feature large in the novel. And she has obviously chosen the right profession because ‘not knowing what to be when you grow up’ is pretty much a standard description of writers. Except for those that always knew they were going to be writers, end of.

Appraisal:

This is a book with two foci. On the one hand it is (especially in the early part of the book) a truly scary supernatural story. On the other hand there is burgeoning romance. This is fair enough – it’s a sub-genre now: love and zombies/werewolves/vampires/demons, take your pick.

Unfortunately the couple falling for each other spend far too much time seeking to spare each other pain, misunderstanding each others’ brooding silences, and attempting to protect each other from the Alaskan evil. There is much weeping, concealment of weeping, soul-searching, dark circles under eyes, internal monologues, with occasional attempts to unburden to others when they are routinely disbelieved regarding the supernatural events in Alaska. Around the middle of the book this slows pace to a crawl and leads to a lot of repetition. Not of the helpful kind. (But, full disclosure: I am not a fan of the sort of romance that is fed by constant misunderstandings .)

Silverskin appears around the middle of the book and makes brief appearances thereafter. His role does not seem to be pivotal, as far as I could tell. Thus the reason for the title eludes me. And doesn’t give much of a clue as to what the book is actually about. See what you think.

Towards the climax of the book pace picks up again. Problems are going to be resolved: it is do or die! But that resolving event then doesn’t occur! Without any heads-up for readers, it was kept back for a second book, which I see was published in August 2024. That was naughty. An author should always be kind to his/her readers, and attempt to satisfy their legitimate expectations. If this is a two-parter the reader deserves to be told.

So, the author writes well: settings are varied and obviously well known to Cooper (Alaska, Colorado, California): the action set pieces are powerful and flow well: the human characters are all warmly drawn, it is easy to like them and care about them: the evil things in Alaska are well scary: Big Foot is … big. But the book is flabby in the middle. And you will not be vouchsafed a proper conclusion to your reading of this lengthy book unless and until you read the second one. One hopes that the denouement that was set up in the first book will finally be delivered there.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words

Review: Section Roads by Mike Murphey

 

Genre: Coming-of-Age/Mystery/Romance

Description:

“When attorney Cullen Molloy attends his fortieth high school reunion, he doesn’t expect to be defending childhood friends against charges of murder…

In a small town on the high plains of Eastern New Mexico, life and culture are shaped by the farm roads defining the 640-acre sections of land homesteaders claimed at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Cullen and Shelby Blaine explore first love along these section roads during the 1960’s, forging a life-long emotional bond.

As junior high school band nerds, Cullen and Shelby fall under the protection of football player and loner, Buddy Boyd. During their sophomore year of high school, Buddy is charged with killing a classmate and is confined to a youth correctional facility. When he returns to town facing the prospect of imprisonment as an adult, Cullen becomes Buddy’s protector.

The unsolved case haunts the three friends into adulthood, and it isn’t until their fortieth reunion, that they’re forced to revisit that horrible night. When a new killing takes place, Cullen, Shelby and Buddy find themselves reliving the nightmare.

Murder is an easy thing to hide along old country section roads.”

Author:

An eastern New Mexico native, Mike Murphey spent thirty years as an award-winning newspaper journalist.

Appraisal:

This is a great story. It happens at three different points in time with things that happened during all three periods coming together to solve the mystery at the root of the story. You’ll be jumping back and forth between the three different periods, but each chapter makes it clear when the events in that chapter are happening, so keeping track of where you are in time isn’t as difficult as in some books like this. Along with the mystery you’ve got a coming-of-age story for all the characters with how they went from being small town kids struggling to figure life out to reasonably responsible adults. If you’ve ever visited eastern New Mexico and have some sense of the geography and culture there, or really any small town, you’ll find the story draws you in even more. I was especially amused when one of the characters went to a restaurant in Las Cruces, New Mexico in the south-central part of the state and it was a place I’d actually been to myself many years ago. A great story that kept me engaged every step of the way.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Review: Strong at the Broken Places by Steven Newton

 

Genre: Romance/LGBTQ

Description:

“What happens when two intelligent, resilient women, both suffering the mental, emotional, and physical scars of severe abuse and living on the edge of poverty ... lose their jobs?

As each desperately struggles to recover her equilibrium, they find their lives further complicated by an experimental living situation, a precocious pre-teen daughter, a terminally ill best friend, a malevolent father, and a quirky priest with a penchant for playing matchmaker.

What do you get? Either a recipe of for disaster, or ... healing love?

Thirty-seven-year-old Sloan McKenzie has just been fired as a Catholic school administrator, and has barely enough in the bank to eat or pay next month’s rent, but not both. She accepts a part-time job teaching history at a struggling women’s college primarily because it will permit her to starve more slowly. In the closet for years, Sloan isn’t looking for love, though she could use a friend.

Leslyn Knapp became a teen mom at fifteen. Tossed into the streets, she’s fought every day to keep custody of her daughter without giving in to the internal voices that relentlessly insist that the world would be better off without her. Now twenty-seven and unexpectedly laid off, she’ll do whatever’s necessary to keep the two of them out of another shelter. "Whatever's necessary" has so far meant conning her way into a job in the dean’s office of the same small college, and signing up for a strange co-housing experiment. Leslyn needs a certain part-time professor to make the work commute possible, but she can’t afford friends.

Amanda Knapp is bright, athletic, motivated, and knows she has the best mother in the universe, all those “ghosts” that keep haunting Mom notwithstanding. But the twelve-year-old also suffers from persistent, often crippling anxiety that pulls her into dark places no matter how hard she fights. And Mom must not know; she cannot be a burden. The last thing she needs is an interloper who might threaten their exclusive, two-person team.

Sometimes, however, you don’t know what you really need until you stumble across it by accident.

This story is a love letter to all the women and daughters who find the courage to try and the resilience to persist in the hope of becoming … Strong at the Broken Places.”

Author:

A twenty-year member of the US military and then twenty seven years teaching history at Delaware State University hasn’t stopped Steven Newton from also writing lots of books, some traditionally published, others not. This is his nineteenth book.

Appraisal:

I loved this book. It would be a great story about human struggles, familial support, and teamwork, even if the main characters weren’t lesbians who were struggling with that part of their lives as well. That part just upped the tension and, for those of us who don’t fit that description, it puts us in a situation we aren’t going to experience in real life. I think imagining what others unlike us go through in difficult times is good for all concerned and one of the reasons I like books like this.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language and content. The book’s description on Amazon has a long content advisory that, if you might potentially be triggered by the depiction of a character with mental health issues, you should check out before deciding to read this book.

Format/Typo Issues:

My review is based on an ARC, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 125-130,000 words

Reprise Review: Fairy Bite by Maria Schneider

 

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Young Adult

Description:

“Shunned and ridiculed ever since a fairy mistakenly bit her, Ally leaves her village knowing it's the only way her family can resume their normal lives and be respected. She heads to Wendal, hoping the shifters there won’t care about the little problems associated with the effects of a fairy bite.

Before she is even halfway there, she discovers that the fairies may not be finished ruining her life. If she wants to leave Birk, she’ll first have to contend with the little people, a very ornery gargoyle, more than one prince and, of all things, an enraged dragon.”

Author:

“Maria saw her first dragon while gardening. She asked the gnome to take pictures, but dragons are shy and very fast. One of the fairies finally snapped a shot, but just as she handed it over, the dragon came by and flamed it to ashes! Neither of us wants to get our fingers burned a second time so, sadly, there will not be pictures any time soon!”

To learn more please visit Ms. Schneider’s website.

Appraisal:

Because of the fairy bite Ally got at age eight, she can sense and borrow magic from others. She also describes herself as ugly with distorted features due to the fairy bite. It took me a while to warm up to her, she seemed so pathetically withdrawn. Because of Ally’s situation or status for the last twelve years she grew up with no friends. Being a loner she is also a deep thinker, logical, and smart. The first friend she makes is Landry, a brownie, who is on a mission to find a gargoyle to collect on a “boon” (a term for favor or request) to free his family from slavery and abuse in Prince Kal’s prison near Anton. Prince Kal has declared every magical creature is his own.

The plot moves at a nice pace as the small band tries to overcome the nullifying magic of Prince Kal’s wizard. The rescue of all the shifters that have been captured is a far bigger job than expected. Prince Kal is nasty piece of work and his wizard is diabolical. The dialogue fits the story and all the characters remain true to themselves and grow accordingly. The twists are fast, furious, and unexpected. Fairy Bite is an engrossing, unique story, which is cleverly woven together, that goes above and beyond what I expected.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Fairy Bite is book three in the Dragons of Wendal series. I think book three could be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend the whole series.

Original review published June 9, 2017

Format/Typo Issues:

Nothing significant.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Review: Timeless by Jacqueline Hopkins

 

Genre: Historical/Romance/Time Travel

Description:

“When Liza Starr Love, an historical romance author, travels back in time with her main character, Ross York, who is a Peterson Detective in her tenth historical romance novel, she must prevent him from altering the future and try to save the life of her infamous ancestor--Belle Starr.

Liza is frantically working on her book deadline because without it, she has no way to keep her farm afloat after her husband died in a freak framing accident. She needs the money from the sale of her book, but a thunderstorm with tornado prevents her from working on it when the power goes out. When she gets it back, her hero and his daughter from her books appear in her office.

Ross, who lost his pregnant wife, is traveling on a wagon train to Santa Fe across the territory of Oklahoma, to take his daughter to live with his brother and his wife, he must also protect the gold he's carrying to pay the Peterson Detectives and keep it from falling into the wrong hands of the Younger Gang. But a severe thunderstorm one night finds himself and his daughter in a strange home with strange surroundings in the future he doesn't understand.

Together, Ross and Liza must figure out how to get Ross and Sara back to the 1880s. For Ross to arrest her ancestor without hurting Liza, the woman he's fallen in love with. For Liza to figure out how to save her farm, let a man help her and fall in love all over again. And for them both to figure out how their love can transcend between two worlds they travel between.”

Author:

Born in Durant, Oklahoma, Jacqueline Hopkins describes herself as a “displaced Okie with a bit of Choctaw blood.” A bit of a nomad her place of residence has bounced around a bit, with stints in states as varied as Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, and Connecticut as well as internationally, living for a time in Iceland. She currently lives in Idaho and is the author of several books that range from romance, to memoir, and even one that while primarily a cookbook has a little memoir thrown in as well. That’s a mashup you don’t see very often.

Appraisal:

This combination of historical fiction and romance (aka historical romance) and time travel isn’t one you see very often. I’m sure they’re out there, but not common in my experience. The couple examples I’ve come up with involved people from modern days traveling back in time and having to adapt to a time that was simpler in some ways, but also harder for the average person as well. This is different in that while we have a people going back to the 1800s, but also people from the 1800s who travel to modern times for a while. An adult man from the 1800s who thinks he understands things getting thrown into the modern world with various motorized vehicles, washing machines, hot tubs, and … well, let’s just say that just like with a toddler starting to explore, an adult thrown into modern times needs a close eye kept on them too. That all makes for some intense, but humorous things to happen.

Along with those new twists from traveling back and forth in time we’ve got the tension of a typical romance, complicated due to differences in how certain things from dress, to action, to gender roles were viewed in the 1800s compared to today. Throw it all together and the result is a fun read that also got me thinking about the changing world. I’m afraid I wouldn’t handle it well if I was transported a hundred years into the future.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

My review is based on an advance reviewer copy so I can’t judge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words