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Make Me Burn (North Fork Series) by Alicia Street – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

Make Me Burn (North Fork Series Book 9)Make Me Burn by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Make Me Burn is Book Nine in the North Fork Series. Although this book is part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone. Logan Bennett has been attracted to his best friend’s little sister, Jinx, for as long as he can remember but she was always off limits to him. Jinx has had a massive crush on Logan since she was a teenager but could never act on her crush because he was friends with her big brother. When her brother and Logan had a falling out the three went their separate ways. When Logan returns home for a friend’s wedding he runs into Jinx and the feelings come rushing back for both. Logan is determined to be with Jinx now that her brother is out of the way and the bro code no longer applies. Jinx has only ever wanted a relationship full of desire, passion, and intense love and knows that Logan is the only man she can have that with. The passion and chemistry between Logan and Jinx is sizzling hot but life and past grudges with Jinx’s brother get in the way. Is there any hope of Logan and Jinx having a relationship? This book had second chance romance, passion, angst, drama, grudges, betrayal, and sizzling chemistry.

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White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

White Picket FencesWhite Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Julie grew up in a military family and as a military brat found herself moving from place to place. Nothing in her life was ever permanent and she vowed that when she had a family of her own, they would never experience a life like that. Julie worked hard to achieve that goal and when she got married with kids of her own she ensured that they had a forever home, in a forever neighborhood, complete with forever friends. Going through the motions she did everything for her family to make the best life possible for them but somewhere in the process she not only lost her sense of self but felt trapped in the life she created.

Julie finds herself feeling as though her family takes her granted and does not appreciate what she does for them. In a moment of weakness, Julie does something out of character and takes a moment to herself. That one moment changes everything and when her family needs her the most, she is not there for them. Her life and everything she worked so hard to create suddenly starts to spiral out of control when she loses her young son. Overwhelmed by grief, guilt, and thoughts of what-if, Julie finds herself struggling to keep her family together. The harder she tries, the farther she seems to drive them away.

This was a beautiful and poignant story that had me reaching for the box of Kleenex more than once. Julie’s story is one that will resonate with many women who have experienced similar situations. As a wife and mother, we often overlook our own needs and focus on those of our family. We do everything we can to keep them happy and show them that we love them through the things we do everyday. Cooking them their favorite meal, keeping a clean home, and ensuring everything is perfect. In the process we often feel as though we go unnoticed, feel taken for granted, and feel unappreciated. We lose our sense of self and no longer identify as anything other than who we are when we are with them.

In Julie’s case she struggled with all of this while simultaneously dealing with the sudden loss of a child. She was already feeling a discord in her family life and this tragedy only caused a farther rift between the family. Each member of the family is dealing with the loss in a different way, and they start to drift apart. Suddenly everything Julie holds dear to her is being ripped away from her and she risks losing it forever. This was beautifully written, and I felt as though I was reading Julie’s personal diary about her innermost thoughts and feelings.

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Dawnbreaker: The House of Blood and Sun by Hadley Thorne – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

Dawnbreaker: The House of Blood and SunDawnbreaker: The House of Blood and Sun by Laura Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dawnbreaker: The House of Blood and Sun is the third book in the Tapestry of Worlds Series. Conner became a vampire a century ago and has spent decades plotting revenge against the one who stole his humanity. He has been consumed by hatred for so long that he cannot remember how his life was before being turned into a vampire. He only cares about protecting his family until he sees Niamh and hears her sing. The moment he spots this beautiful sidhe princess he aches to possess her. When Niamh meets Connor her whole world changes. Until meeting him she spends her days locked away at the shining courts because she is no longer safe in her court. She comes out at night to play the fiddle across the veil in the world of men.

When an old enemy resurfaces Niamh and Connor’s lives are thrown into turmoil. Niamh’s power and memories are stolen from her and she is hidden away in the world of men. Kept away from the safety of the Other World Niamh is helpless and it is up to Connor to keep her from fading away. Will his affection be enough to break the spell she is under and save her?

The author did an amazing job of weaving a tale that takes place in the real world while simultaneously taking place in the nine mystic worlds. It is a beautiful blending of the real world and lands where magic exists. The characters of Niamh and Connor were wonderful and you could not help but root for their relationship to work. Connor is initially a vampire filled with hatred and the desire for revenge after being turned against his will. That all changes when he meets Niamh and falls in love. Now all he wants is to protect her at all costs. Niamh has been through a lot as she taken from all she knows and locked away to keep her safe. She is suddenly thrown into a world of power, blood and a web of games and must choose between blood family and the family she loves. A beautiful story with fae, vampires, magic, politics, suspense, intrigue, revenge, action, lies, passion, love, and mythology. I was intrigued by the existence of the nine mystic worlds along with the real world. Loved the author’s playlist that was included at the end of the book.

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