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The Vassal of Magic (The Virus of Beauty Book 3) by C.B. Lyall – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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The Vassal of Magic (Virus of Beauty, #3)The Vassal of Magic by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Vassal of Magic is Book Three in The Virus of Beauty Series. The book picks up where the first two left off so I highly recommend reading them first or you may feel a bit lost. The story continues with Wilf as he struggles with his magical powers. As much as he wants to be a normal teenager, he must make the decision to tap farther into his magical abilities or allow an ancient magical realm to perish if he stands back and does not intervene. The problem is that he is unsure how to fully harness his magical powers and that makes things a bit trickier. The stakes are higher for Wilf this time and time is running out for Wilf to make a choice as he struggles to protect his girlfriend Katryna and his loved ones.

I have read and enjoyed this entire series and the author never fails to provide an entertaining story with magnificent writing. The scenes are vividly described and pull you into each scene with the characters. I loved the way the author wrote and described the magical realm and felt transported there with the characters. The characters are beautifully written, unique, quirky, and lovable. You cannot help but root for Wilf as he struggles with the dilemma of being normal or of fully harnessing his magic. Wilf struggled to believe in himself and his capabilities as he tried to decide whether harnessing the powers within him would make matters better or worse. He bore the weight of the world on his shoulders and was burdened with a major dilemma to save a magical realm and his loved ones. In this installment we see Wilf grow and become stronger as he and his friends work together. This book was full of action, suspense, danger, mystery, magic, wizards, witches, family, friendships, and love. I highly recommend this riveting and entertaining series.

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Notebook Mysteries ~ Suspicions (Notebook Mysteries Book 5) by Kimberly Mullins – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Notebook Mysteries ~ Suspicions (Notebook Mysteries book #5)Notebook Mysteries ~ Suspicions by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Suspicions is the fifth book in the Notebook Mysteries Series. Set in 1880’s Chicago, this book follows Emma as she continues honing her sleuthing skills and solving mysteries everywhere she goes. This story starts off with a bang as Emma is hit from behind by an unknown assailant who starts stabbing at her with knitting needles. Not faltering for a moment, she is able to take the woman down and grill her for information to aid her in solving her latest case. The woman who attacked her is the head of a nefarious crime ring and Emma interrogates her seeking leads to solve a child kidnapping ring.

As Emma, Jeremy, and friends follow leads to solve the child kidnapping ring and rescue the abducted children they begin to realize it is part of something bigger. As they work to save the children smaller cases pop up everywhere and they realize that it is all part of a larger crime organization. The cases keep leading them to someone from Emma’s past who is behind bars, but Emma cannot figure out his involvement. Somehow from behind the prison walls he is able to pull Emma’s puppet strings and keep her guessing.

This was yet another great book by this amazing author. Although this could be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the other books in the series first. They will help to provide background information on the characters and provide details that will add to the fifth book. The characters, the plot, the storyline, and the settings are brilliantly described and immerse you fully into the story.

This story, as the others, grabs your interest from the first pages and does not let go. I was on an emotional rollercoaster ride along with Emma as she fought to save the children from the clutches of the organized crime organization. I felt tears of both sadness and joy as Emma and Jeremy swooped in to rescue the abducted children. The characters are ones that I immediately felt a connection with from the first book. Especially the character of Emma, who is easily relatable with admirable qualities. She is feisty, brave, pigheaded, determined, courageous, and wise beyond her years. A great read full of mystery, danger, heart pounding suspense, and nail-biting action.

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Unexpected Entanglement (The Echo Series Book 3) by C.R. Alam – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Unexpected Entanglement (Book 3 of the Echo Series)Unexpected Entanglement by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unexpected Entanglement is the third book in The Echo Series. It centers around Rowan who has been working hard to restore a rundown inn that has been in her family for years. Her father was working with her to restore the inn until his sudden passing. Before her father died, he told Rowan a deep dark secret that he has kept hidden from her and her brother all their lives. This secret shocks Rowan to the core and alters the course of future events in her life.

Fast forward several months and a wealthy hotelier named Chris has arrived at Vinalhaven. As a man who owns hotels all over the world he is well known and well respected in the hotel industry. His plan was to only remain for twenty-four hours and do some snooping around on the owners of Vinalhaven. However, his plans quickly change when he offers to help Rowan who is fighting a tight deadline to get the inn ready for her cousin’s upcoming wedding.

Although both Chris and Rowan try to remain professional about their arrangement, they find it hard to deny their attraction to one another. When he gets roped into playing the role of Rowan’s doting fiancé things take a turn. Suddenly things between them sizzle and the sparks between them start to fly. Will Rowan and Chris be able to work together when things start to go wrong at the inn and its future is at stake? Is there a future between the two of them? Is there a future for the inn?

The chemistry between Rowan and Chris was undeniable and it was interesting to see where the story was going. Especially since Chris was at Vinalhaven to basically spy on Rowan and her brother. Obviously, a heart wants what it wants, and attraction is hard to deny. The long-lost family member part of the story was intriguing and gave the storyline an interesting twist. I needed to read farther and see if there would be a family reunion of sorts between the siblings and how that would go. This book had mystery, drama, chemistry, passion, unexpected romance, and a twist with long-lost siblings.

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