Burn by Joanna Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My first book by this author, and gosh am I thrilled I picked it up! What a story! A paranormal romance that brings it all; original, action-packed, steamy and suspenseful. With phenomenal world building, it made me feel right there in the story. I can’t wait to see what book two has in store for me.
Battling Beckett: A Contemporary Step Brother Romance by T. Christensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A great stepbrother enemies to lovers romance. The chemistry between the characters was well written, and the story had enough drama, angst and suspense to keep you turning the pages. Both main characters took a while for me to warm to, but they won me over throughout the story as I learnt more about them. Overall a enjoyable read.
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love a good rockstar bad boy romance with a good girl attached. Jared and Ella went through so much with each other. So much insecurity and misunderstanding, but also so much love. Jared was someone you hate to love, but rooted for along the way. Ella was a bleeding heart and wore her feelings on her sleeve. From start to finish I liked their story and this is one journey you will enjoy following.
Grave Digger Academy by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So I love all things paranormal, throw in an actual academy setting and I’m in love. I have been looking for a new series and this is it.
So Makayla has applied to multiple paranormal academies, but is turned down by all but one. The one she doesn’t want to attend, but with it being her only choice she must go. As she goes to the academy her abilities develop and she learns more about her past family secrets. While keeping the bodies where they belong, in their graves, Makayla must make a moral decision to either stay on the side of good or switch to the sweet calling of evil. Why was Makayla denied entrance to the other academies? Does it have anything to do with her family secrets? What about when evil calls?
I loved the start to this new series by C.A. King. I have read a few books by this author and so when I saw this one recommended I knew I had to read it. If you like paranormal books that have a magical feel to it then this book is the one for you. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series to find out what happens next.
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was funny and pulled you in and spat you back out! Ella has a heart like no other and is very forgiving but understanding at that. Jared is hot and a jerk to say the least but it’s a cover and Ella sees right through it. She does what is right and best for her and Jared toward the end which makes him grow up and make the right choices. I can’t get over Sparky and Buttercup. I know that when the part came along where they were finally free my heart broke and I cried for Ella in shock and disbelief at Jared, I’m not sure I could have let him back in but that is what makes her a special character.
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had not read the first three books in the series, but the story was definitely great as a standalone. There was enough backstory on the other characters to not feel overwhelming or possibly repetitive if you had read them all, but just enough detail to know what was going on, but know that there was more to their stories. I absolutely adored Ella and Jared! I love my rom-coms, but so often I feel like they follow such a predictable pattern and everything is always wrapped up so neatly. This story absolutely kept me on my toes as to what was going to happen next and the author did a great job of showing two people who want to be together, but they are messy and it’s ok. I loved how real the dynamics felt between the two characters. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a great story with some very steamy scenes. I can’t wait to check out the other books and any future books in the series.
I thought that this book was really cute. It’s Book six, of the “Invisible Magic Wand” series. Caspian gets a special box from his Grandpa every year on his UnBirthday. Every year the presents are nothing what he expects them to be. I love that his grandpa is involved in his unbirthday celebration. I think there is a little bit of everything in this story for everyone. I would definitely encourage adults, teens, and elementary age kids to read this story.
The Mind-Reading Hat: Invisible Magic Wand Book Six by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thought that this book was really cute. It’s Book six, of the “Invisible Magic Wand” series. Caspian gets a special box from his Grandpa every year on his UnBirthday. Every year the presents are nothing what he expects them to be. I love that his grandpa is involved in his unbirthday celebration. I think there is a little bit of everything in this story for everyone. I would definitely encourage adults, teens, and elementary age kids to read this story.
Magic-Scars by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Gripping and highly emotive
This starts off a few years after book 1. We find Ian Troy in prison and left for dead. It was only a matter of time though before someone needed him. I found the connection to Troy different this time with his magic suppressed and amnesia we get to see the person underneath.
There is so much between the pages of this book and the author interweaves the connections flawlessly and brings the reader to a world that is as beautiful as it is broken. Characters that I came to love in the first book are back and the action, dialogue and the wide range of emotions kept me glued from start to finish. The storyline just keeps getting stronger and as much as questions are being answered, more things are being discovered. The stakes are high and there is still one more book to go. Highly recommend to fantasy fans – you won’t be disappointed.
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Defying Ella is a Rockstar contemporary romance. Even though it is the fourth in the True Platinum Series where each book is cantered around a different couple but can be read as standalones. It is a tale that had me up in arms at times. It is a love hate but hate to love relationship. The story really packs a punch in the feels and left me wanting more. I wish it had been written in dual POV because it would have really would have blown us away.
Jared is a bad boy rock star with attitude one where you want to smack him down for is treatment of Ella but then swoon after him. You find out why and that does redeem him.
Ella hates how she wants him. I didn’t know if I wanted to hug her or tell her to walk out the door and leave him and his sexiness behind. But the heart wants what the heart wants and it lets you see more than what is on the surface. However, she is not a walkover.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is part of a series where each member of a band has their own book. This book can be read as a stand-alone as that’s how I read it but the characters have history that I’m assuming were explained in a previous book. That didn’t make me love it any less. Ella and Jared had previously met and spent a week together until Jared just pushed her away to do his own rockstar thing. Ella ends up on tour with Jared’s band, her sister and her niece and has to see Jared parade his flavor of the night around all the time. That is until Jared and Ella are somewhere together for a long period of time.
Ella cannot stand to be in the same room as Jared and his mood swings. What will happen now when they are stranded with no one but eachother. I absolutely loved this book and wish I read the others.
review by @xchellex
The Mind-Reading Hat: Invisible Magic Wand Book Six by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great children’s book! Caspian receives to “unbirthday” gifts… a thinking stone from him mom and a Magic Hat from his granddad. He hears messages from others through his hat, and his stone helps him solve a problem – he rescues a turtle! What a good gift for an unbirthday!
I love the illustrations in this book – they are beautiful!
Tropical Date by R.S. Jonesee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5/5 Stars
Tropical Date: Billionaire Romantic Comedy (Postscript Island #2) by R. S. Jonesee
This is the first book I’ve read by the author. Tropical Date is the second book in the Postscript Island Series. I’m going to be looking for the first book soon. This was amazing and I hope there’s more.
Weston escapes to the states and runs into someone from his past. He’s a billionaire and normally things don’t frazzle him. Can they make it work and forget the past? The quote I chose for Weston is: “Paris, go on with the meeting. Mrs. Snowwoman has my vote. Make sure we add a gold star to her accessories.”
Marissa goes to college and gets her art degree. She paints to get over her missing boyfriend. When she runs into Weston things get difficult. The quote I chose for Marissa is: “Oh, please. I was working on a college degree and opening a store. Scatterbrained, I’d say.”
Highly recommended for Romantic Comedy lovers.
Fallen Star: The Divine Devils Book 2: Mystery Suspense Crime Thriller by R Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was really excited to read the next book in this series and it definitely lived up to my expectations. The book is well written and exciting to read, full of mystery and suspense. I really enjoyed getting to know more about the characters and seeing how they had developed over the two books.
I thought the author has done a great job of adding to this series. If the rest of it is anything like the first two books then it is certainly going to be a great one.
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is all about the characters from the moment they are introduced. The connection between them is instantaneous and you can feel it in every page. They have such a rocky start, it is hard to see how they will ever find a way to be together. But the connection between them clearly grows into something more than they could have expected.
This is a new author to me and I have very much enjoyed her work. The book was well written and the characters were completely believable. Although this is the fourth book in the series it can be read as a standalone, although I will be going back to read them all!
Sessrumnir by T.S. Simons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5/5 Stars
Sessrúmnir (Antipodes Series Book #5) by T.S. Simons
This isn’t the first book I’ve read by the author. Sessrúmnir is the fifth book in the Antipodes Series. Freyja is back and she’s moving on. You’ve got to read it to find out what happens.
Freyja is moving on with her life. She and Cam have grown apart and it’s obvious. She wants to get away and thinks she can keep her children safe. But can she? The quote I chose for Freyja is: “She is so naughty, but I can’t help but laugh at how creative she is! Between her and Caitlin, I am surprised poor Bridget hasn’t had a breakdown by now. Do you remember the time they painted Bridget’s chair with brown paint?”
Highly recommended for Dystopian Romance lovers.
Felines and Fatalities by Ruth J. Hartman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5/5 Stars
Felines and Fatalities: (A Kitty Beret Cafe Mystery #2) by Ruth J. Hartman
This isn’t the first book I’ve read by the author. This book is amazing and I’m glad we get more of Ellie. I love this book. Felines and Fatalities is the second book in A Kitty Beret Café Mystery Series.
Ellie is back. This time she’s not a murder suspect, but the one who finds the body. He was a judge and supposed to be one of the judges for the cat show. Now her shop is once again involved with a murder. What is going on? The quote I chose for Ellie is: “Yeah. The cost. Though it’s an interesting idea, it’s all I can do to run my business and pay for the care of the cats who live here. Not sure I could afford to do a show.”
Highly recommended for Cozy Mystery lovers.
The Colors of Love by K.R. Raye
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this story. This is the second book in this series which I highly suggest reading as it is just as enjoyable as this one. This is a well written story where the author used details to make the story pop and come to life. I enjoyed how I was pulled into the story from the start. The characters are connectable and have great growth throughout the story. There is great chemistry between them which makes the story easy to read. This is a fast paced story that is hard to put down. An engaging story that you don’t want to miss. There is much going on in this story but the other did a great job of keeping the story flowing. This made such a great story to read. I highly recommend this book.
Review by @bjwagner
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this romance story. This is my first book by this author which I look forward to seeing what is next for her. This is a well written story about what can happen in a snowstorm in one cabin and a hot, steamy rock star. This is a fast paced story that is not only hard to put down but easy to read. The characters bring the story to life as well as keep the story engaging. I enjoyed how they pulled me into their story and kept me turning pages to see what would happen with them next. They have great growth and chemistry throughout the story. They truly made the story for me. You don’t want to miss what happens in this story. This is the fourth book in this series but can be read as a standalone. I look forward to reading more from this series. I highly recommend this book.
Review by @bjwagner
Hairballs and Homicide by Ruth J. Hartman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5/5 Stars
Hairballs and Homicide (A Kitty Beret Café Mystery #1) by Ruth J Hartman
This is the first book I’ve read by the author. Hairballs and Homicide is book one in A Kitty Beret Café Mystery Series. Imagine owning a car Café and having someone end up dead after leaving. That is what this book is about. A great read.
Ellie owns a cat Café and runs her business like any normal day. A lady comes in and doesn’t realize that it’s a Cat Café until one comes up to her. Now that lady is dead and Ellie is a suspect because she was the last one to see her alive. The quote I chose for Ellie is: “Yeah, okay. I did see her earlier. Though I hadn’t known her name. Look, if she complained about being in the shop with cats, which by the way, I explained to her was a coffee shop with cats, maybe we could clear this all up right now.”
Highly recommended for Cozy Mystery lovers.
Jake by Toni Denise
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jake is my favorite character and Lauren is a crazy chick. I love how Jake shows so much interest at the beginning for this girl. Until density took a spin for both of them. He must train her and make her his, but is he willing to who knows? Like people say love has its own path for both of them.
Jake has trouble finding the right girl to be his submissive and for her to love him for him, not for his money. He sees love as a waste of time and his friends help him on a blind date.
Euphoric Wonderland: An Eclectic Collection of Psychedelic Poetry to Stimulate the Senses and Open the Mind by Ryan M. Becker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’ve read a few poetry-based books before, and I took a chance with this one. The cover is alluring, and from the get-go, it was better than I had anticipated. This is not normally my preferred genre but had gone out on a whim. Although I was pleasantly surprised with me actually enjoyed this book, it isn’t my favorite. The reviews stan true that a dictionary is HIGHLY recommended as the author pulls a variety of the language into the page with this one. Overall, it was an okay read, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would for not being the largest lover of poetry.
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a really gripping romance story between Ella and Jared. It’s definately a love story that you don’t see coming as right from the get go we see the connection between them to be one of angst and constant bickering not one for love to bloom. However the author does an amazing job with these characters. At first we see 1 side of them. We see how badly Jared treats Ella, the bickering between them is unreal and you don’t even think it’s from sexual chemistry as its just too much. However as time goes on we start to see deeper into Jared and Ella. We get to know them better and understand why they act the way they do. We get to experience every sense and feeling of fear and rejection and the terrifying prospect of wanting something so badly but being too scary to take the risk to get it.
Ella and Jared have a past so the attraction is there but once the bickering starts it’s hard for.either of them to return to that place before. Ella doesn’t want to have feelings for him. He’s always a jerk to her but something keeps.drawing her in. Jared on the other hand is being said jerk to keep Ella at arms length. He doesn’t want to open up about his feelings and opening himself to possible rejection so he decides to do the rejecting first even though the last thing he wants is to reject her.
Now they are trapped together in a storm. Will they be able to work out their differences and finally be able to open up honestly with each other? Or will being in the position of no escape from one another make the bickering and arguments even worse?
Kara Shieldmaiden of Eire by Jay Veloso Batista
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Having the ultimate pleasure of starting this series recently has been a blast, and as always, I enjoyed the continuation of this family’s adventures. Meeting the twists and turns, and being hanked to a halt with the multiple cliffhangers leaves readers anxiously awaiting the author’s next move. All of these characters have been a joy to experience, and without adding any spoilers, we await your next move, Batista.
Scepter Of Fire by L.M. Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5/5 Stars
Scepter Of Fire (The Vigilant Book #2) by LM Preston
This isn’t the first book I’ve read by the author. Scepter of Fire is the second book in The Vigilant Series. It’s a great book and we get to see Dexter.
Dex is now trying to figure out how to get back to his family. He doesn’t believe that they’re dead. He fights to prove that he is worth something. The quote I chose for Dexter is: “Fighting is full of them, especially when it’s life or death. Use the cheap tricks.”
Highly recommended for YA Fantasy lovers.
Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5/5 Stars
Hungry Business: A Gothic Story about the Horrors of Dating by Maria DeBlassie
This isn’t the first book I’ve read by the author. The author had a twisted mind when it comes to the stories they tell. This book was a quick read and I enjoyed it.
This book makes it seem like you are the character. Everyone you know is a zombie. You carry grave dirt to send them back. Will you turn into one?
Highly recommended for Gothic Horror lovers.
Aloha Series Box Set Books 1-3 by Jill Brashear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5/5 Stars
Aloha Series Box Set Books 1-3 by Jill Brashear
This is the first series I’ve read by the author. Try Easy, Try Me, and Try Right are the books in the series. Each can be read as a standalone, but they’re better all together. Each book is better than the last.
Try Easy (Aloha Series #1)
Keoni is a native Hawaiian and he is stuck picking up two people from the airport. When he sees one woman get off the plane he knows his heart is gone. Then Bones goes missing and reality crashes down on him. Going to Seattle and returning home without Lou. The quote I chose for Keoni is: “You deserve the best. I don’t know what I can give you.”
Lou goes to Hawaii for twelve days and isn’t really looking for a romance. She is leaving a great guy at home or at least she thinks he’s great. When she meets Keoni everything changes. She goes home, but she isn’t in it like she was before. The quote I chose for Lou is: “I don’t know anymore. I had my whole life planned out, then I met you. You weren’t supposed to happen. But when I thought I was going to die the only face I wanted to see was yours.”
Try Me (Aloha Series #2)
Declan is one of Keoni’s friends and he’s having a hard time dealing with the death of Eddie. Declan is having a hard time with his family. They don’t think he should be a surfer. The quote I chose for Declan is: “You were surfing. Not Sharp Park, but somewhere else. Somewhere in Hawaii, I think.”
Pearl has always had a thing for Declan. She doesn’t want to go after him since he’s a player. Then she ends up on the same flight as him. The quote I chose for Pearl is: “This job is for the birds. There’s a dozen out there better.”
Try Right (Aloha Series #3)
Claudia is Keoni’s ex and the one who broke his heart. She’s back and looking to reunite with him. Only she finds that he’s no longer single. She tries moving on only to find that she was part of a bet. The quote I chose for Claudia is: “I’m fine. Better get on with it. This might take a while to fix, and the show must go on.”
Henry is Penny’s cousin and is the one who gets Claudia into his bed. He knows that stuff happened between her and Keoni. He tries to make it work, but can he? The quote I chose for Henry is: “If you were really fighting for your life, you would want to bend your knee and give me a swift back kick to the groin.”
Highly recommended for Historical Romance lovers.
Moby Plays the Flute by Eeha Bhatt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The was a really beautiful story. I love the music aspect as well. The relationship between the father and daughter were beautiful. The is something I would read in my classroom. The father being called away was touching in a heartfelt way.
Defying Ella by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is one of a series that can be read as a stand alone or with the other books. I read this as a stand alone but feel like I could have grasped more of the main characters situation had I read the whole series first. That being said, do not discredit this book. It is an amazing read and kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. The quick wit and banter the main characters have, is what my souls breaths for. I could tell going into this book that is was going to be a page turner. The depth of the characters is something that not all authors can reach. I felt these characters to my core and there is nothing I love more than a great story line with some amazing characters. I like feeling as if I am there with them or part of their friend group and this book gives you that. This was a well written story line that has you turning pages from the get go and not being able to put it down. I do recommend reading the other books in this series because I felt like I could have gotten even more depth from the characters that way. I do plan to go back and read the rest of the series. If they are anywhere as good as this book, I will not be disappointed.
Reviewed by @bbohls
Listening to this story brought me so much joy. Will Franconi has almost everything. But something is missing from his life. Harper Newman has only her brother, who has special needs and loves cars. After losing their parents, Harper is now responsible for Jeremy. So she does everything to keep her brother’s life stable. Which means she has no time for dating. Jeremy is high functioning but Harper does not see that yet. In a simple letter to Will, Jeremy asks to see his car. Which is granted. That is where this story takes off. I love this story. Harper is strong and loving towards her brother. Will is intrigued by Jeremys request. Not realizing his life is about to change. This author has written a different kind of love story. One that has come close to my own life. I fell in love with the strong characters as well as this story. It is well written and easy to follow, with many twists and unexpected romance. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next story in this series.
