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Forged by Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops, book 3) by Amy McKinley – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Forged by Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops, #3)Forged by Secrets by Amy McKinley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whew!! What a book!! I could not put it down! I read it in one day!

Amy did not disappoint with the last Hale brother!! It was a page turner ending that I was not expecting at all! I am adding her books to my TBR stack!!

These books were a fun weekend read that I would recommend to anyone wanting to escape to Honolulu but can’t afford the plane tickets to get there!

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Granted: Curse Of The Emerald Jinn by Rachel Huffmire – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Granted: Curse of the Emerald JinnGranted: Curse of the Emerald Jinn by Rachel Huffmire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun, clean YA read that I would recommend to any 8th grader and up.

The author pulls you in right away with her very likable, relatable characters, and the imaginative world of the Jinn realm. You are drawn into the life of Liam and his uncanny ability to constantly get hurt. She keeps you reading to find out why everything is happening. The unexpected twists surprise you too! Who can he trust? Who is telling him the truth?

I truly hope that she writes more about this world and continues the story of Liam and Kenna!

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Wolf’s Beautiful Beast (The Untold Stories Book 3) by Suzanna Lynn – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Wolf's Beautiful Beast (The Untold Stories, #3)Wolf’s Beautiful Beast by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness!! Suzanna does not disappoint with the continuation of this series!! I am loving the twists that she continues to add to this storyline!!

This has been such a fun read from the beginning! I am already dreading the end because I do not want this series to END! I love each of these characters and want to see them all get their happily ever after!

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Ocean’s Light (Blood of the Pirate BOOK 1) by Mina Chara – Review by Desiree Ottinger

The Ocean's LightThe Ocean’s Light by Mina Chara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great first book in a pirate series! Definitely a series that I will be adding to my TBR list once they are released!

The characters were truly, delightful to learn about as they were introduced. I am looking forward to learning more about their backstory in the next book. It will be interesting to me to see how the author proceeds with the story line!

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THE ISTANBUL HEIST (CODE RAVEN SERIES Book 8) by LYNDA FILLER – Review by Desiree Ottinger

THE ISTANBUL HEIST: Code Raven 8THE ISTANBUL HEIST: Code Raven 8 by Lynda Filler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was not my normal pick of a book, but I have to say that I really enjoyed it!

As I was reading, I realized that I must have picked up a book in the middle of a series because a lot of the characters had history that kept being referenced. However, the author did a great job of filling in the gaps so that I didn’t necessarily feel like I NEEDED to go back and start at the beginning of the series! All the characters felt very real and I wanted to be their friend!

I feel like I also learned a lot about Turkey, too! Now I want to visit Istanbul!

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City of Whispers (Imperial Assassin Series Book 1) by Katt Powers – Review by Desiree Ottinger

City of Whispers (Imperial Assassin, #1)City of Whispers by Katt Powers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unexpected twists. Intrigue.. Powers vs powerless… This book has all that and more!!

With this book only being the first in a series, I look forward to the next book! Can’t wait to delve in and learn more about this world and its characters that Powers has created in my mind. Honestly, I had a hard time with how some of the names are probably supposed to be pronounced, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to know what happened next!

I am sure book 2 will bring just as much intrigue and action!

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Red’s Tangled Tale (The Untold Stories Book 2) by Suzanna Lynn – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Red's Tangled Tale (The Untold Stories, #2)Red’s Tangled Tale by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Truly, this is such an exciting series! I loved book 1 so much that I binge read book 2 in a matter of a day! Her ability to interweave fairy tales, stories, and nursery rhymes is so enjoyable! You just never know who you are going to meet next!

The pace of the book kept me reading to find out what happened next, and I was surprised by who was introduced as new characters to continue with Hook’s mission to save the little mermaid. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next, there was an unexpected twist!

Cannot wait for book 3!!

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Best Of My Love (Love in Emerald Creek) by N.D. Jackson – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Best of my LoveBest of my Love by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reading this book pulled at your heartstrings for the characters. The author helped you see both sides of the characters’ stories and really made you feel for them. I was drawn in to the drama and just wanted to know how it all worked out in the end.

I especially enjoyed the snarky wit of Andrea. She is a real, take no crap kind of girl! Everyone needs to have a friend that knows them inside and out and that is there for them no matter what.

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Love Between the Lines by A.D. Brazeau – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Love Between the LinesLove Between the Lines by A.D. Brazeau
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness!! Such a fun read!!

If you enjoy reading about women having truly uplifting friendships, real life struggles, and falling in love, this is the book for you. The author pulled me in from the beginning of the book and had me cheering for a happy ending.

Seriously, reading this book made me miss my best friend! Every woman needs an Iris and Marlowe kind of friendship in their life!!

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Hook’s Little Mermaid (The Untold Stories BOOK 1) by Suzanna Lynn – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Hook's Little MermaidHook’s Little Mermaid by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun read!! She definitely keeps you guessing as to what will happen next as you read! Truly, didn’t want to put it down, and only did because I had to sleep!

I was surprised by the author’s reason for Captain Hook’s intense dislike for Peter Pan. It humanized him to the point that you couldn’t help but see Hook in a different light because of his misadventures in the book. I appreciated that she didn’t paint him as the villain that most people associate him with when they hear the name Captain Hook.

Because she also intermingled some other tale’s characters throughout this book, it’s hard to not feel that they are a foreshadowing of what is to come in this series! Can’t wait to read what comes next!

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The Tears of Boabdil by Neil MacDonald – Review by Desiree Ottinger

The Tears of BoabdilThe Tears of Boabdil by Neil MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such and interesting read for me! Admittedly, I have not read much on Muslims and their history. I felt like I got a glimpse into their history and mythology while reading a story about real people and their struggles.

The author wrote this story by intertwining three stories and timelines in such a fascinating way that I had to keep reading to find out what happened next! I was left wondering if that was all. I want to know more! This would be a FANTASTIC book club read!! It’s definitely the kind of book you want to discuss with other people.

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THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST AVENGER (ANNIE TILLERY MYSTERIES) by LINDA MARIA FRANK – Review by Desiree Ottinger

The Mystery of the Lost AvengerThe Mystery of the Lost Avenger by Linda Maria Frank
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my first time reading this author and I was not disappointed! Linda introduced me to some new, fascinating characters that were reminiscent of Nancy Drew and Ned. I truly enjoyed how she pulled in the WASPs and integrated it into a mystery steeped in our history of WWII.

Even though there was a previous book in this series, I did not feel like I missed out on anything that was pertinent to this story line. (Although, I will go back and find the first book!) Definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a strong, female character, family centric mystery and history!

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Rebecca Remains by Jessica Aiken-Hall – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Rebecca RemainsRebecca Remains by Jessica Aiken-Hall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book drew me in immediately. It was like watching a Lifetime movie in my mind! I enjoyed the pace of the book and read it in about a day. I just had to know how things played out in the end! Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was surprised by twists that I was NOT expecting.

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Guardians of the Garden by Theresa Pocock – Review by Desiree Ottinger

Guardians of the Garden (Guardians of the Garden, #1)Guardians of the Garden by Theresa Pocock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very enjoyable read! Her take on the Garden of Eden was something novel that really got me thinking. I would definitely classify this as a true YA book. My middle school/high school students will enjoy the intrigue of the plot and have them eagerly awaiting the next book in her series. I can’t wait to share this with them!

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