Group Hug by Ariella Talix – Review by Tabitha Montero
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201578024
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201578024
Beach Ball Blunder by G Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Beachball Blunder was a fun read that taught us about honesty and taking ownership of your actions. I personally loved the illustrations in this book. My daughter and I especially liked Cray and Fay on the playground swings. This is the third book I’ve read with my daughter by this author. It was really cool to read watch her connect and recognize characters and scenarios from previous books “remember cray’s arm?!”. She was able to really grasp the storyline with the writing and illustrations like you would hope from any children’s book. Similarly to other books in the series, there were enough challenging words to make her proud of her reading without getting discouraged. Another great children’s
book by this author.
Cutter: Devils’ Spawn Daddies by Victoria Saccenti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first book I have read by this author, and it ain’t be the last. It’s filed with suspense, action, sex, roll playing, intriguing and a thriller. It keeps you in the edge of your seat and wanting more. It’s an easy read and end before you know it. I highly recommend it.
House Valdis Origins: Xenobia by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
House of Valdis Origins: Xenobia by Naomi Valkyrie is a short prequel to The Rise of House Valdis and gives the reader a close look at the reality Xenobia faces as a slave. Held captive under many rules, the slaves have to be extremely careful what they do or say, otherwise they face severe punishments. Xenobia does not trust anyone or being close to people, except for her roommate, Urd. When they are sold to a new master, things really take a turn for them both and not in the best of ways.
Although a very fast read, this story was well-written and packed with a lot of details to give a good look into Xenobia’s earlier life. If you like tension and adventure, I highly recommend taking time to read this quick prequel!
Beach Ball Blunder by G Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another amazing story by this author. The message of making a mistake and lying about it is very important for little ones as well as adults. It is a reminder that our true friends will understand when you make a mistake and support you. Again the illustrator has done a magnificent job. Loved this story
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow!!! This author never disappoints. The tension holds you in a vice and doesn’t let go. If you love to read romance mixed with danger mixed in, you will love this author’s books. This book had me in its grips quickly. The sizzling hot connection between the main characters was on fire and you were in their corner all the way through the book.
Please note trigger warnings as there are some dark issues in this book. I found this story line added to the book and the emotional roller coaster this book takes you on.
Cutter: Devils’ Spawn Daddies by Victoria Saccenti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great story, and well-developed characters. I love MC and the twists and turns and angst that come along with the stories. It is always interesting to see the differences between the men and the women they end up with. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
House Valdis Origins: Xenobia by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a short story that progresses quickly but it is a really good story. It did leave me with a lot of questions and wanting more. The writer did a great job capturing my attention and since it was a short read I was able to read it quickly. I hope to see a continuation of the story and with more information about the main character and the underground.
Treasure Hunt by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
3 1/2 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Treasure Hunt is Book 4 in the Grandma’s Closet Series as we are on another adventure with Carrie. Learning new words and their meaning, Carrie loves finding new treasures in her Grandmother’s boxes, and finds two metal rods. Does Carrie find gold or other treasures in her adventure…
This story is enjoyable for ages 4-8 but can also be loved by the young at heart. My great nieces and nephew including me always enjoy Lois’ storytelling.
House Valdis Origins: Xenobia by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A short paranormal story which takes place before the first ‘House of Valdis’ novel, and which I read in one sitting as it had me hooked. Once again the authors wonderful descriptive narrative brought both the intriguing characters and the setting vividly to life, making me feel immersed in the story. The original storyline kept me happily turning the pages, and I loved the main character’s Xenobia and Urd. Xenobia has been raised in a society where women are treated like cattle and so she obeys the rules and tries not to draw attention to herself. The only person she is friendly with is her best friend Urd, and so when they are both bought by a man with extreme sadistic tendencies she plots their escape. However, when Urd overhears their Master’s ultimate plan for them the girls have no option but to run even though they are not prepared. They hope to find the underground movement and get to safety, but whilst on the run and with their lives in danger Xen learns that the price of rebellion is high. I loved the relationship between Xen and Urd and I found this to be an enjoyable and engaging read.
House Valdis Origins: Xenobia by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
House Valdis Origins: Xenobia is the prequel to the House of Valdis series. It is a quick read but packed with action, danger, suspense, emotions, and tension. The book gives Xenobia’s backstory and explains where she came from, the abuse her and her friend Urd endured, and the trauma they suffered. Xen is a strong character that I instantly felt my heart go out to for the life she had led, and all the horrors inflicted on her. Despite all that she persevered and never gave up hope. Xenobia is strong, resilient, smart, feisty, and determined. A great read with a riveting and heart-wrenching story that hooked me immediately and was impossible to put down. I look forward to the next book in this series!
Hay Goes Home by G Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hay Goes Home was such a great book! I’m loving all of these reads. My 3 year old has enjoyed this book, and he was so happy to see the bear being nice to Hay and Cray! I also love the encouragement at the end of the book!
Magic Wanda by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I definitely recommend this to any little girls who just love the idea of magic. This was definitely a page turner and I enjoyed the whole book. I was glued to the book and was kind of sad that it wasn’t bigger! I also just love how the grandmas character is sweet and understanding as all grandmas are! And it’s even more wonderful of the special relationship carrie shares with her grandma that mom wouldn’t understand!
House Valdis Origins: Xenobia by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Xenobia is a slave. She lives in a home of women who are sold off to the highest bidder. She knows not to get close to anyone since it’s only a matter of time before one of them goes missing. That is until her new roommate worms her way into Xen’s heart. Urd gets through Xen’s defences and an unbreakable friendship is created.
Xen’s friendship with Urd was going to be her downfall but she didn’t know just how bad it was going to get. Once the masters found out that if they torture Urd it also affects Xenobia, they started abusing Urd on the daily. Xenobia spent her evenings trying to find a way for the two of them to escape this hell. The question is, will they make it?
I love Naomi Valkyrie, their writing is so unique and every story is chalk full of excitement, action, angst and with a paranormal element. I honestly have not read something from this author I disliked. This was the prequel to ‘The Rise of House Valdis’ which I will be sure to read in the very near future!
House Valdis Origins: Xenobia by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In a society where being invisible is your best asset, Xenobia excels and thrives under her tendencies to blend. That is, until she meets Urd, and the two become fast friends. Suddenly, survival becomes a two-person necessity and Xenobia can’t just look out for herself. Unfortunately, Urd captures the attention of a rather sadistic Master and Xenobia overhears the plans he has for her. Xenobia knows the struggle is futile, but how can you abandon someone you care for? A storm brews on the horizon, and Xenobia knows things will never be same. This was an emotional and powerful prequel that left me wanting to dive deeper into the rest of the story!
Curse of Forbidden Island by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m dipping my toes into more paranormal romances lately so I had to read this one. Rather quick read but I really enjoyed every page. Mystery’s make a book so much fun! Always needing to know what happens next so I’m quickly reading and flipping the pages but it grabbed my attention right away. And there’s a little bit of steam which I love!!! Can’t go wrong with that. Honestly though, it ended way too quickly for me and I didn’t want it to end. I’ll definitely be reading more of this authors work!
Fade Into the Night by Becky Flade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Was not expecting this book to have so many twists and turns! Seriously had me on the edge and needing to know what happens next. Absolutely loved the characters especially Noah!! Suspense romance are always fun! You get the love but also get the drama and I’m here for it. Please read the rest of this series as well! You won’t be disappointed.
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Harper and Gabriel were childhood best friends and high school sweethearts that were pulled apart when Harper’s parents are suddenly killed in a car accident their junior year of high school. When Harpers parents die, she is forced to move from Chicago where her father is a Titan, to Portland to live with her uncle until she graduates high school, her world changes in many ways, and none of them are positive for Harper. Due to being so far away, and the horrible changes that are occurring in her daily life, including physical and sexual abuse, Harper ends her relationship with Gabe, and tells him that she’s with someone else, in an effort to push him away and protect him. For the next decade, Harper isolates herself from her friends back in Chicago, until she realizes that her uncle is behind the recent deaths of Gabe’s parents and may be poised to try and harm or kill Gabe, whom she still loves. Harper goes back to Chicago to warn Gabe that her attempts to figure out what happened to the money that should have been left for her when her parents passed, may have accidentally opened a Pandora’s Box that cost him his parents and may yet cost him his life. Gabe refuses to talk to Harper at first, until the incoming winter storm causes him to bring her into his home for a night, where passions are ignited in more ways than one. When Harper finally tells Gabe what she suspects, he doesn’t believe her at first. This book is a great opening to what I am sure will be an awesome story. The characters are flawed and realistic, the world building is great.
Master Botosoni by Sylvia Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Enemies to lovers AND vampires? YES PLEASE. When I tell you I devoured this book, I’m not lying. It’s literally all my favorite tropes into one and I’m obsessed! The danger, the hotness..loved it all. You can’t go wrong with this series! If you love the darker stuff like me, pick this up!
Portrait of Deception by Kathryn Dodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Margo’s father passed before she could even meet him, but that’s not the only ghost that follows her. His career and notoriety in the photography business haunts her too. Feeling as if she will never leave his shadow, She becomes very excited when she is invited to Italy to be in the running for the Butler prize. She meets a man who lives in another country who offers her a job to photograph him. He gives her the creeps, so she turns it down at first. However, her life is flipped upside down after a series of events, Margo gives it a second thought. Which turns out to be another thing that will haunt her for the rest of her life.
I highly recommend this book, wonderful world and character building. Margo was very relatable, by far my favorite character in the book. I was on my toes the entire time, it felt like the book went by so fast with all the twists, turns and *almost* betrayals.
Reviewed by @Melancholy Rose
Cray Saves the Day by G. Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cray the crab is back with another adventure, but this time he is in a helping mood, although he is crabby at the humans who have come to visit his beach.
He has watched them have fun all day, but when they leave, they leave all sorts of trash behind and that’s not a good thing.
This is where Cray, his friends Hay The Fox, Turtle Fay, and Gull Ray go to visit Queen Mer May to find out what they can do.
What will this group of friends do to make the beach an inviting and safe place to visit?
This is a fun filled way to learn about the environment and how humans can impact it, while also teaching what you can do to help the environment yourself.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Kingdom of the Oceans by Martin Ferguson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Adam and Matt are in big trouble, as they try to steer their boat through the storm raging around them, they can also see the shipwrecks which surround them, that is until the equipment in the boat goes off, but as they approach the first gap, they can see the first of the constellations they need. Adam is gripping onto the boat for dear life, his fear of water and drowning aren’t doing him any favours and it is only looking to the sky and Matt with his encouragement which is keeping him from utter panic.
The storm becomes even more wild as they crash through the waves, but the further they go, the harder it is to keep in course, especially when the turns are extremely tight and the brothers are in an old rusty boat, all they can hear is the groaning of the hull against the submerged rocks and wrecks, however when the engine dies on the last turn and they punch through to clear skies, all they can see is a drop off the end of the world and it feels like this well and truly is the end for them and that they will never find out the truth.
All is not lost though when they manage to swim out of the wreck and to land, however when they encounter the locals from Atlantis, they think that they are out of danger, however, they are not treated kindly and soon they find out why. Can Adam and Matt convince the Atlanteans that they haven’t come to do harm, but that they are only here for answers and to warn them about the groups who have followed their journey for more nefarious reasons, or will they lose more than just their lives? This is an action packed read where danger surrounds and catastrophe is just around the corner in a race against time to save the world from the evil lurking in the hearts of the evildoers.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Murder At Music Hall by A. J. Ullman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book introduces an absolutely gripping story that, at times, had me on the edge of my seat. What should be a straightforward murder investigation turned out to be anything but and the character had to navigate some complex situations. The story was intriguing and I wasn’t always sure which way the author would take it, which made it more exciting to read.
The book is full of twists and turns and it is great to see how the character handles everything that is thrown at him. The author has created a really exciting book that is full of suspense and mystery. This is a fantastic start to a new series and I cannot wait to read more.
Cutter: Devils’ Spawn Daddies by Victoria Saccenti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cutter is the sergeant at arms for the Devils Spawn MC and as such, he enforced the rules and although they are a one percenter club, they don’t engage in the usual criminal activity, so when Cutter is arrested when he tries to go to the rescue of an injured store clerk, he knows it is all because of the cut he wears and the stereotypes associated with it. What Cutter doesn’t expect is to have the same female officer with whom he has a history, it is Emily Mayhew, the one who arrested him the first time this happened, taking the blame for something he didn’t do, only now, she is a detective, however, the deal she proposes is even more surprising, but he is most definitely interested.
As the interview goes on, Emily realises that she is still attracted to Cutter’s type of trouble, just like last time she saw him, only now, she has the chance to act on it, but only if he feels the same way. The deal she puts on the table is to infiltrate a new MC, the Sons Of Chaos who have just moved into a neighbouring part of the city, this is bad because they have ties with some very unsavoury people, the kind of people who traffic objects and people, so she needs someone who can go undercover and a cop would be found out straight away.
Once Cutter has spoken to his prez and figured out how he can successfully infiltrate the group, they decide to tackle it the proper way, using the rules the other club have blatantly disregarded, however when Emily turns up in the wrong place at the wrong time, Cutter has no choice but to get involved. Much to both of their surprise, Cutter’s dominant side and Emily’s submissive side seem a perfect match, but will he be willing to accept her Middle and her his Daddy tendancies and will this distract them both from the mission at hand? This is a steamy MC romance with a kinky streak, as well as plenty of danger, darkness and light in this mile a minute tale with a hint of espionage within.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story by Amy Q. Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
From the title of this book, I expecting a nice romance story that was fairly superficial without much depth. However, I quickly realised this book was so much more than that. The perspective of middle aged female in a corporate world was so well portrayed and convincing. It gives such a real insight and feel about a situation a lot of the readers will have experienced. For me it meant I connect with the main character even more.
I loved the story overall and I thought it was absolutely perfect for the characters. It was well written and the kind of story I became completely immersed in. This is a fantastic story from start to finish that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Savage Lies by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It has been a year and now Riley is back in Hidden Valley and again, she is alone, her mum is off with a man, but Riley is not sure what her angle is, but when she has a surprise visitor, she has no idea what to do, except that she really doesn’t want to stick out, but one kiss destroyed that idea. Cole Savage is one of the Hidden Valley Elite, a group of football stars who also happen to be family, the four of them rule the school and everyone knows it, but for Cole, one kiss stayed imprinted on his mind, but it wasn’t one of the usual girls, it was wits a stranger who got away.
As she is staying put for now, Riley has to go to school, but her plan to stay incognito isn’t working because she runs straight into Cole and his fellow Elite, this is where Riley realises just how bad things are going to be. Cole is already in a bad mood, but as soon as he sees the mystery girl he kissed right in front of him, he is lost in memories and makes the snap decision to make her his and have a bit of fun at her expense.
As the days move ahead, things are escalating between the Elite and herself, not to mention at school, but she is determined to win this dangerous game because of she doesn’t, things could turn deadly! Will Riley be able to keep Cole at arms length and herself safe, or will things spiral out of control? This is a young adult romance with a dose of darkness where nothing is as it seems and secrets swirl around everyone, in this rollercoaster of emotions.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Out of Bounds by Tam DeRudder Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
Out of Bounds is a contemporary romance and the second sexy book in the NA Game Time sports series. I can take or leave sports stories, but Tam does them so well I just have to read them.
Tam writes the story in multiple POV making the story that much more interesting because you get to feel the characters inner most thoughts and feelings that makes it seem more real. It’s easy to fall for the characters and enjoy their journey.
With love, drama, humour, emotion and angst sparks fly in this sexy, hot, seductive, passionate and intense tale.
Bax knows what he wants, and he wants her, but she only wants a one-night stand. He will let her think that, but he is one who gets what he wants, and he wants her.
Piper has been burned so all she wants is a one and done but he wants to take it all the way to the end zone.
I can’t wait for the next book.
Happy reading!
Reviewed by @jennadb
Out of Bounds by Tam DeRudder Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an author that I never hesitate to pick up. An author that I have enjoyed reading from the first book I picked up. I enjoy her writing style as well as how her characters pop right off the pages and into your heart. This is a well written story about Piper and Bax. They are my favorite of the story for sure. They have great chemistry and growth throughout the story. I enjoyed their attraction and how connectable they are. They bring the story to life on each page. I found myself hoping they would find their HEA they so deserved. This is a fast paced, hard to put down story. An engaging, easy to read story that you don’t want to miss. I highly recommend this book.
Review by @bjwagner
Dark Sky at Dawn by Laurie L.C. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have read many of Laurie’s stories and have never been disappointed with anything she has written.
Laurie’s storytelling is wonderful and instils you with so many emotions. I feel like I was right there with the characters as they struggle with having to deal with life and death and the effects on them and their relationships. These characters made my heart bleed for them as they fight war, spies, corruption, greed, violence, hatred, slavery, freedom and class distinction and so much more. Underneath it all it is a love story. The strength, hope and faith these characters have as they struggle along in this battle for life will have you rooting for them hoping and praying for a miracle.
This is an interesting American history tale of the war of 1812, and it is easy to see Laurie’s passion on the subject matter come to life. She has cleverly crafted history and fiction into a seamless blend that left me thinking about it long after I had finished the story. Being that I am not an American this has been a history lesson for me.
It will be interesting to see what the second book brings.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story by Amy Q. Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
Women’s fiction romance book Bailey and the CEO is the first book in the A Better Man series by Amy Q. There are so many stories out there and it’s not until you have clicked on them that you realise, they are written for YA’s. To say I am a bit sick of so many YA stories is an understatement. So, it was a nice change of pace to get stuck into something written for women of a little bit older age.
I really enjoyed Amy’s book Lap Baby and hoped this one would be just as good, and I was not let down.
Bailey and the CEO is a multilayered well-crafted story where the characters are well developed and felt real, relatable, likable and easy to connect with.
Bailey is driven and highly successful in her job. Even though she shouldn’t she discovers that there is more than one thing that makes her Boss even more attractive.
Fox has always known that Bailey is beautiful but until they really connected, he didn’t realise just how special she is.
This was a great read and one I would highly recommend to other readers.
Reviewed by @jennadb

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