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The Crown of Stones: Magic-Scars (The Crown of Stones Book 2) by C.L. Schneider – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Magic-Scars (The Crown of Stones, #2)Magic-Scars by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ian Troy is back in this second installment of The Crown of Stones series, Magic-Scars. I was so excited to jump right into this book to follow the fate that Ian had befallen after his tragic mistakes had come about from wishing with the Crown of Stones. Now that Ian’s finally freed from his captivity he enters a world full of people being unsettled and fearful for their lives. Ian’s old enemy Draken of Langor has taken control of Mirra’kelan and is a terrifying king who rules with an iron fist. Ian finds himself amongst a group of rebels who are seeking a way out of their situation. As Ian tries to find and put back together the Crown of Stones, he is faced with odd marks appearing across his skin, that continue to multiply in number as his search continues. What is the meaning of these magical scars that are appearing, do they have anything to do with the Crown of Stones? Will he be able to help the group of rebels to find their freedom, and regain his use of magic without overloading his addictions? You will not want to set this book down as you follow Ian Troy’s latest adventure.
@Brandy Rymer 04/2023

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The Crown of Stones: Magic-Price (The Crown of Stones Book 1) by C.L. Schneider – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Magic-Price (The Crown of Stones, #1)Magic-Price by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

C. L. Scheider outdid herself in this magical book of perseverance and tough life decisions. It definitely reminds the reader to think before you act. There are consequences to every wish we make in life. I love that this story takes us through Ian Troy’s life, showing us where he is before he found the Crown of Stones and how he feels about being a magic user. Then allows us to see the consequences his wish has caused to himself and everyone. Fast forward ten years later, when all Ian wants to do is forget that he’s ever been a magic user, causing his mind to remain in a fog with his drinking habits, when everything he had been running from has caught up to him. What will Ian do, will he go back to his old ways and use his magical abilities or will he remain constantly on the run? Read this first book to find out…I am so excited to start book #2!
@Brandy Rymer 4/2023

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Messenger (Star-Crossed Celestials Book 2) by A.L. Morrow – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Messenger (Star-Crossed Celestials Duet #2)Messenger by A.L. Morrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A. L. Morrow has written a brilliant tale of Romeo and Juliet, a story of star-crossed lovers but in a celestial setting. This book kept me on a roller coaster of emotions, from sadness at a loss to joy for the lovers being reunited, but then distraught for everything they had yet to experience. I want to go back and read book 1 so that I can put together the pieces of their back story. This was an amazing read and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of a happily ever after story. What amazing characters Jace and Cyrus are, along with all of the other characters that we come across along this journey.
@Brandy Rymer4/2023

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Savage Lies (Hidden Valley Elite Book 1) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Savage Lies: A High School Bully Romance (Hidden Valley Elite Book 1)Savage Lies: A High School Bully Romance by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isla Vaughn’s Hidden Valley Elite Book 1 “Savage Lies” was amazing! I stayed up all night reading because I could not put this book down! Riley is a girl with secrets who is not only gorgeous, but she knows how to protect herself, she doesn’t let anyone mess around with her. Cole is the Elite of Hidden Valley High School and always goes after what he wants, and what he wants is the new girl Riley. Cole is not only a star player on the football team, but he participates in underground fights with his brother Damon, and his cousins Phoenix and Shane to help raise money for his cousin’s college tuition. Unfortunately if Cole or the boys got caught he could risk losing any chance any of them have at going to their choice college. Cole makes sure that everyone in the school knows that Riley is off limits, he wants her cold-shouldered and no male is allowed to date her. Cole gets dirt on Riley, while she gets dirt on Cole, and they both go back and forth trying to one-up the other, while trying to fight off the electrical passion that they have between them. Unbeknownst to either one, Riley’s mom is dating Cole’s dad, and he’s proposed marriage. Cole figures out that Riley’s mom was his dad’s mistress when his mom committed suicide, making Cole’s love/hate relationship with Riley even stronger. What lengths will Cole go to make Riley’s life a living hell to get his revenge for the death of his mother, and will their passion for one another go unrequited or will they find an outlet to suit the two, especially with Riley sleeping across the hall from Cole?

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Savage Start (Hidden Valley Elite Prequel) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Savage Start: A High School Bully Romance: Hidden Valley Elite PrequelSavage Start: A High School Bully Romance: Hidden Valley Elite Prequel by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isla Vaughn is an absolute genius when it comes to writing young adult fiction! I was so excited to find out that she had written “Savage Start” the prequel to the Hidden Valley Elite book series. This is a must-read to fill in the gaps of what Book 1 of the Hidden Valley Elite book series is referring to in the opening chapter when Riley mentions meeting and kissing a hot guy at a pool party a year ago. It also includes the death of Cole and Damon’s mom, which is heartbreaking but something that you need to read to understand where all of Cole and Damon’s anger comes from. This book has well-developed characters with intense details that make you feel like you are right there experiencing life as a teen during your summer break. This may be a short read, but putting the missing pieces together is vital before you move on to Book 2 in the Hidden Valley Elite series.

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His Forever Muse (The Echo Series Book 2) by C.R. Alam – Review by Brandy Rymer

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His Forever Muse (Book 2 of The Echo Series)His Forever Muse by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

C. R. Alam’s book His Forever Muse, The Echo Series Book #2 continues the story of Brandon and unfolds the mystery behind the one that stole his heart, which was hinted at in Book #1. I love that this book opens with Rae and Dean having their first child Maya and the fact that Brandon got to be there with Rae when she needed him most. Watching their happiness, Brandon is reminded that something is missing in his life, and this leads him to travel around the world searching for what he is missing. What a coincidence that he runs into Callie (Curtis’s big sister, who Brandon hasn’t seen in 15 years) while he is visiting Chris at his resort in Morrocco. Will Brandon be able to reconnect with his long-lost love, or will her haunted past pull her away from her past love? What is she hiding from Brandon, and her family, that caused her to go quiet for all these years? If you are a fan of The Echo Series, this is a must-read that jumps right in with the drama, the romance, and the amazingly developed characters that we have grown to know and love as well as some new ones that we get to meet.
@Brandy Rymer 04/2023

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Streets of Shadow by Rebecca Bischoff – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Streets of ShadowStreets of Shadow by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rebecca Bischoff’s book “Streets of Shadow” was an amazing historical work of fiction that kept me guessing who was trustworthy and who was the story’s villain. The characters are all well-developed, you will fall in love with Kenna, our heroine, and all of her new friends that we meet along her journey. You will also despise those working against her, but not everyone is who we think! Did Kenna’s brother-in-law Oliver really poison his wife Cinaed, or was there foul play from someone else, who is this Cecilia, is she Oliver’s mistress as Kenna suspects? You will cheer on Kenna as she fights to survive the horrible fate that has befallen her and will scream in anguish at all of the wrongful deeds that she is put through and the mistreatment that she must endure. This was one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read, and I highly recommend it.
@Brandy Rymer 3/2023

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The Thieves (The Millersville series) by Susan Specht Oram – Review by Brandy Rymer

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The ThievesThe Thieves by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Thieves by Susan Specht Oram has written a great second book in “The Millersville series.” I love the fact that we get to meet new characters from this small town that we have learned to love so much. If you have never read the first book, I highly recommend that you understand the atmosphere you are dealing with. It is ingenious the way that Susan starts this book out right from the start with an obvious robbery of a laundromat. I did not see the twist of two inexperienced young adults, Jasmine (Jas) and Phil, robbing a business, just to turn around and be robbed by some professional thieves Bets (Betsy Zerkowitz) and Zerk (Mark Zerkowitz). This book takes so many twists and turns that you will be on the edge of your seat wondering who’s the good guys and who’s the bad guys. Enter in Dan the tow truck driver who is supposed to save the day and tow away the kid’s vehicle, but instead decides to join them on their adventures, unbeknownst to him what they are. Eventually, we meet Dan’s Ma, Roberta (Robbie), who has decided she wants to join in on the road trip wherever it may be taking everyone. Why would Jas and Phil go to all this trouble to rob a laundromat and then track down the thieves who robbed them? You’ll want to read this book to find out how everything turns out and why two good kids do such a terrible thing.
@Brandy Rymer 3/2023

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Shore Lodge by Susan Specht Oram – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Shore Lodge: A high-stakes psychological thriller (The Millersville series)Shore Lodge: A high-stakes psychological thriller by Susan Specht Oram

Shore Lodge by Susan Specht Oram was a fantastic read! Right from the beginning of the book, we jump right in with Jacklyn’s husband, Albert’s death. From there we get to go back and forth between the points of view of Jacklyn and her adult children, Dusty and Rose. Poor Jacklyn is struggling with depression after the sudden death of her husband, causing her son Dusty to step in and help care for her. Rose is so busy caring for her son, Max, dealing with her high-demand job, and being a divorcee. Dusty convinces Rose that their mother needs to be put into a home to receive around-the-clock care where she can rest from the stresses of running her garden store and relax from the things of the world while attending grief counseling. Dusty and Rose convince Jacklyn to agree to go to the resort for a couple of days stay to rest and get some grief counseling, little did Jacklyn know she was being put into a permanent facility where no one is allowed to leave. Jacklyn does everything she can to reverse her actions of signing over her power of attorney to her son, Dusty, who seems to have ulterior motives his sister Rose did not see coming. Will Jacklyn be able to find a way to escape this place of terror before she goes insane?
@Brandy Rymer 3/2023

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Manipulator’s War (Ruarnon Trilogy Book 1) by Elise Carlson – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Manipulator's War (Ruarnon Trilogy, #1)Manipulator’s War by Elise Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book starts with action right from the very beginning, even during the Prologue you are introduced to Ruarnon, one of our main characters in the book. If you make it a habit of jumping right into the chapters and skipping this section of the book, you will miss so much information! I love how we start out getting to see the point of view of Ruarnon in his time and place, and then into the lives of our other main characters Linh, Fiona, Troy, and Michael in their modern times and home. What a fascinating idea that during a school field trip, the four kids are sent into a different time and place as if by magic to enter Ruarnon’s land and time, right when they are most needed. This book is an amazing fantasy book full of surprising twists and turns and some greatly developed fighting scenes. You will laugh, cry and cheer on our heroes and heroines as they seek to find a passage back to their homes while crossing the path of Ruarnon, the man leading his people to victory.

@brandyjo 03/2023

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Echoing Hearts (The Echo Series Book 1) by C.R. Alam – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Echoing Hearts (Book 1 of The Echo Series)Echoing Hearts by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was absolutely one of the best romance novels I have ever read! The development of the characters was amazing, I felt like I was watching a movie as the storyline played out, it was so real. Right from the beginning when we step into the life of Dean Rowland, an extravagantly rich gentleman about to say “I do” to the mysterious Leighton, I felt that he had to be our main character. Then the transition into the life of Rae Allen, the wandering free spirit of a woman, hanging out with her rock band friends and reading an article about Dean Rowland’s runaway bride. I knew right there that at some point this would be our leading lady, but boy I had no clue what kind of a rollercoaster ride we would be on with these two. I could not put his book down from the second that I picked it up, I’m a romantic and I wanted to see Dean and Ray find their happier ever after, whether it be with them, or with Leighton and Brandon, the illustrious rock star who believed everyone deserved their soul mates.
@Brandy Rymer 3/2023

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The Man in Black by L.R. Liverpool – Review by Brandy Rymer

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The Man In BlackThe Man In Black by L.R. Liverpool
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

L.R. Liverpool’s book The Man In Black was such an excellent read, I was so enthralled with all the excitement and mystery of this awesome book. I love the characters that are developed with such fine details, I grew to love and hate them. I was fearful of losing my favorite characters to the mysterious killer, and was cheering for the gift of love for our main character!
When Fenimore James announces at the beginning of the novel that he was going to leave his quiet life as a farmer’s son I was intrigued by what path he was going to choose for his new life. When he took all of the money he had been working for and saving to take off and achieve his life’s dream of joining a gang of thieves I was a bit shocked. Fenimore proceeded to change his style of clothing dressing in all black, except a nice white dress shirt, all of which he had tailor-made for himself, I was worried he had spent his life earnings, but apparently, he still had plenty at the moment to travel on. Fenimore even went as far as changing his hair while awaiting the completion of his suit.
Once Fenimore was all dressed to go, he changed his name to Simon Shaw, a more dastardly name to be feared. Then we went on his search to find a gang of thieves to join. In a bar during his travels, he heard talk of a fearful group of bandits called the Red Evans gang. Simon considered his options of going home to marry a local woman, even though he did not feel attracted to women like most of the men his age, or seeking out this gang and joining up.
Simon decided his fate and off he went to find the Red Evans gang. In a surprising twist Simon not only met and befriended Red Evans himself in a big city bar, but he accidentally saved Red’s life. This led to Red inviting Simon to come and join his gang. You’ll have to read the story to follow along with the exciting and frightening events that Simon goes through as he grows to be a man who finds love in a place he never thought to look for it.
Brandy Rymer 2/2023

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Master Calabrea (Masters of the Consulate Book 6) by Sylvia Black – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Master Calabrea: Dark Vampire Romance (Masters of the Consulate Book 6)Master Calabrea: Dark Vampire Romance by Sylvia Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sylvia Black’s book Master Calabrea (Masters of the Consulate Book 6) was a thrilling romance book! If you love books with vampires, witches, human warriors, villainous rogues, and wolves, this book is for you. Two main characters we get acquainted with include Tansia the human warrior, and Master Calabrea the vampire master. We also get to know their friends and companions: Embry, Lucianna, Lucas, Overmaster Descallia, Raven, Angel, Roman and so many more. We wouldn’t want to leave out the not-so-friendly characters in the book including Isala (Lucianna’s sister), and Sierra (Master Calabrea’s jealous ex).
This book starts right out and takes you on a journey to find the illustrious Isala, who is luring other affiliates from all the different groups to join her to overthrow the vampires. Will the vampires be able to work together with members of the other groups or will they find out that they can trust no one?
What’s up with the fire burning between Tansia and Master Calabrea who just met for the first time at the beginning of the book? Will these two continue to ignore their attraction or will Tansia’s humanity be too much for Master Calabrea’s vampiric ways? How does Sierra react to the obvious attraction these two have for one another, you’ll have to read the book to find out these answers and more.

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Hot For Me (The Balefire Series Book 4) by Tam DeRudder Jackson – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Hot For Me (Balefire, #4)Hot For Me by Tam DeRudder Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Buckle up because this is going to be a very exciting ride! Have you ever wondered what it must be like to see into the interworking minds of famous musicians, well that’s exactly what you get with Tam DeRudder Jackson’s Hot For Me (The Balefire Series Book 4)! Not only did she develop very multidimensional characters, but she also draws a perfect picture of what it’s like to be behind the scenes and on stage with the world’s most famous rock band and the hottest female pop star (Christy Valor) who happens to be single, but has secrets that are haunting her. Add in a single gorgeous bass player (Adam Tron) from Balefire who loves the after-parties and all those groupies, and boy do you have a recipe for some mischief. Will Adam Tron be able to break through the walls Christy Valor has put up and get her to trust him with her secrets, or will she run the opposite way, leaving our bass player hanging with no clue what hit him?
This book is hot, steamy, and full of surprises that you did not see coming. If you have not read the other books in The Balefire Series you will want to go back and read the stories of the other bandmates, Jack and Clio, Blu and Ashleigh, and of course Dakota and Annabelle’s romances. When you finish this book you will be begging for more in the series, like what’s up with The Balefire’s Manager Garrett and his mood?
@Brandy Rymer 2/2023

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The Exchange by Nadija Mujagic – Review by Brandy Rymer

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The Exchange: A NovelThe Exchange: A Novel by Nadija Mujagic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nadija Mujagic’s The Exchange will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what twists and turns it will take next! I could not put this book down, right from the very beginning you are thrown into a mystery that will keep you asking, what happened to Jake? I love how the author starts chapter 1 with what is happening right NOW and then in chapter 2 she takes you back to the past 4 years prior and leads you back to the present to finish the book. Be prepared to be shocked at all the things that Sam goes through in her life before she gets back to her search for Jake. You will fall in love with several of the characters and others you grow to despise, beware that not everyone is who you think they are! There are parts that will have you in tears, and other times that you will be gnawing at your fingernails, anxious about what is going to happen next.
@BrandyRymer 2/2023

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Hush, My Darling (Benoit and Dayne Mystery Book 2) by Winter Austin – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Hush, My Darling (Benoit and Dayne Mystery, #2)Hush, My Darling by Winter Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hush, My Darling by Winter Austin
5 Star Review
This is the second book in the Benoit and Dayne Mystery series. This book is amazing in how it takes you through so many twists and turns as you learn more about the life of Deputy Detective Lila Dayne and why she moved from Chicago to the quiet area in Eckardt County. This tale will take you through a rollercoaster of emotions from intrigue to joy, to fear and fright as you follow all the suspenseful twists and turns of the story. This is a book that you will not want to put down the second you pick it up, it starts right off in Chapter 1 with Deputy Detective Lila Dayne reliving the trauma that drove her to run for her life, seeking safety from her past torments. This story also pieces more parts of the puzzle for you about some of the other characters including Sherriff Elizabeth Benoit, ex-sheriff Kelley Sheehan (the mysterious ex-sheriff), Deputy Kyle Lundquist, Undersheriff Raphael “Rafe” Fontaine, and whole gang protecting Eckardt County. If you are a fan of a good murder mystery that keeps you up at night you will want to check out this series!

Reviewed by @BrandyJoRymer

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Straight for the Kill (Benoit and Dayne Mystery Book 3) by Winter Austin – Review by Brandy Rymer

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Straight for the Kill (Benoit and Dayne Mystery, #3)Straight for the Kill by Winter Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Straight For The Kill by Winter Austin

5 Star Review

This is the third book in the Benoit and Dayne Mystery series. If you’ve read any of the books in this series you will not want to miss this third installment in this series, because it will tie together the mystery that has been haunting Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit and Deputy Kyle Lundquist since Book #1, The Killer in Me by Winter Austin. This book starts right off with a murder and an attack that resembles the exact same death of Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit’s best friend (one of whom was Kyle Lundquist’s sister). As you move through the story you will be constantly questioning who is a “good guy” and who is involved in the cover-up of the death from 25 years prior. Whom can you trust, who is covering up their part in Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit’s friend’s deaths, and is this related to the new murder case on the 25-year anniversary of the past case? Is ex-sheriff Kelley Sheehan really involved as Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit has always suspected, and why is her sister Marnie acting so strangely? Find out more when you pick up this third book in the Benoit and Dayne Mystery series! You will not want to put it down!

Reviewed by @BrandyJoRymer

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