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The Arsonist’s Handbook: A Gripping Psychological Thriller by L.A. Detwiler – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The Arsonist's Handbook: A Gripping Psychological ThrillerThe Arsonist’s Handbook: A Gripping Psychological Thriller by L.A. Detwiler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jameson Wills is a kid who has grown up in a family where his only company has been his mum after his dad left, he is the kid who sits at the back of the classroom minding his own business and keeping to himself, he is the forgotten one, the ignored one, but he keeps up his grade and is working on his sketches so he can get into a good college, but all he has really ever wanted is to know about his dad, who he was and why he left. Pete Andrews has it all, the job, the house, the car, the wife and the kid he always thought he wanted, but he felt that it was never enough and he then started searching for things in the wrong places.

Jameson is just going through the motions like he does everyday, he isn’t too close to his mum because of all the hours she works at her two jobs and when she is at home, they barely communicate, but on this day, he goes into the attic to get his hockey stick, but instead, he finds a journal and as he reads through it, he realises that it is his fathers and it is not what he expected to read, but it rings true to him in a strange way. Meanwhile, Pete is having breakfast with his wife as she rocks their son, but it isn’t the amicable conversation it used to be, the atmosphere is icy and the distance is palpable, but as she makes sure everything is ready for her business trip but eh way she does it frustrates him and so he decides that he needs some kind of release, so he arranges for someone to look after his kid for a few hours so he can find it. However, when he is finally ready to return home, he finds that he has many missed calls and voicemails from his wife, because this isn’t the norm, he is worried and calls her back, btu when she starts screaming incoherently down the phone at him, demanding to know where he is, he has a feeling that something is definitely wrong.

Pete’s suspicions are confirmed when he returns home to find that there isn’t a home to return to, it is just a smoldering pile of ashes, there are fire crews, ambulances and the police there, but all he can do is try to breathe, hoping that his mind is working overtime and that the worst hasn’t happened, but as he sees the woman who was babysitting his son approach him and burst into tears, his worst fear is realised, his son was in the house and is now dead. As he tries to come to terms with what has happened, he takes the blame upon himself and his wife does the same, she demands to know where he was and why he wasn’t there to save their son, the police want to know the same thing, but he cannot bring himself to say it.

As Jameson reads more of the journal, the days turn into weeks and he begins to realise that his father was an arsonist and as he watches the news, basks in the knowledge that he has come back, but he also feels like he has met with his destiny and that maybe if the same blood runs through his veins as his father, will he be able to something to finally get his attention? As the investigation continues and arson is confirmed, Pete vows to find the arsonist and get his revenge, but will his chequered past come back to haunt him before he can find the one he is searching for? This is a thrilling story with plenty of action, revelations and a lot of fire as the hunt for the arsonist progresses, emotions blaze and walls come crashing down as you are drawn deeper into the arsonists handbook until a fiery conclusion is reached.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Travels Through Aqua, Green, and Blue: A Memoir by Mary E. Gregory – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Travels Through Aqua, Green, and Blue: A MemoirTravels Through Aqua, Green, and Blue: A Memoir by Mary E. Gregory
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of Mary E. Gregory told in her own words, it is the story of how her world changed when she was just five years old and what happened over the course of her life after that. Mary was born into a loving family in Nashville, Tennessee, she had her mum, her dad and two siblings, a brother who was the oldest and an older sister in between the two. They were well thought of and respected in the local community but from birth, Mary had challenges, she was born with a cleft palate and had multiple surgeries over her life to correct it and the issues which came with it, this would be something she would have to accept and learn to live with over the years. The main troubles started when her father, a preacher in the local church and a pillar of the community came out as gay, this was compounded upon with the HIV and AIDS crises which were starting to come into the mainstream media and create the stigma and taboos around the diseases ehich people believes they could catch just by standing near them. The life that Mary knew was going to change drastically after this as her parents separated and divorced, the church goers and friends of the family all retreated away from them and some started rumours and talking about the family behind their backs, it was also at this point that her mother started to develop mental health issues as well.

After the divorce went through, Mary and her siblings didn’t see their father for a while until the custody and maintenance payments were sorted out, it was during this time that their mother retreated into herself and began neglecting the household and them, her older brother had to grow up quickly and look after both himself and his sisters, trying to keep them going to school on time and not letting on how bad things were at home. The situation got to a point where the school called their mum and it finally broke through the wall she had built around herself and she started booking after things again, however, when the car broke down it started over again, plus when they got to see their father, she started arguments and it became too awkward for the arrangements to stick. Their mothers increased paranoia around the situation and what she believed people were saying about her she began to use her children to wage a war against their father, this led to her buying a car, packing them into it and driving away from the only home they had ever known without looking back.

On their road trip, they visited family members to say a last goodbye to them and in between staying in rest stops, spending the little money they had on food and gas, they passed through many places until they arrived in New York where the next stage of their adventures would be. This is where Mary and the others learned about life and how hard they would have to work to stay fed, warm and with a roof over their heads, sometimes this didn;t happen at all, they shuffled from hostels, to hotels, to apartments and back to sleeping in the car, going to food banks and soup kitchens so they could eat and their mother hopping from job to job between welfare checks, the had to attend school, even though it was hard for them and embarrassing, but they made some friends along the way.

The memoir continues as they keep moving along when their mother;s paranoia hits its peak, Mary learns a lot about life and how she should approach it and scattered in between the memories are snippets of her adult life and how she has grown and changed into the woman she is today. Overall, this is a wonderful story of adversity and how even childhood trauma can be used to create a strong sense of self, while teaching others how to observe, process and learn from life, no matter what it throws at you.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Rise Of Manifesto The Great: A Sci Fi Comedy Where Women Wear The Trousers (Planet Hy Man) by Kerrie Noor – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The Rise Of Manifesto The Great: A Sci Fi Comedy Where Women Wear The Trousers (Planet Hy Man)The Rise Of Manifesto The Great: A Sci Fi Comedy Where Women Wear The Trousers by Kerrie Noor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book for those over 18 due to its adult nature and sometimes graphic content.

Manifesto The Great is the grandson of the first leaders of the Planer Hy Man, leaders of a race of space faring men and women who were travelling through space on a ship to find a new hospitable planet where they could forge a new way of living, but living on spaceships can be cramped, especially of you are on them for a long time, so these particular wayfarers decided that sex was off the table and abstinence was the new normal, as well as segregation of the sexes so taht there was no temptation to fornicate. After a while this became the norm and nobody questioned it, until they arrived on Planet Hy Man where there was plenty of fresh air, space to live and expand and as it turns out a copious amount of hemp, this new found freedom leant itself to the reintegration of the sexes, fresher food and plenty of sex and partying in celebration and this is how they lived until some order had to be established, however, the views on how to do this were poles apart according to whether it was the females or the males who were speaking, in the end the males shouted the loudest and declared that they would do the work and the women were to procreate and look after the children and nothing mroe than that.

This way of living carried on for years, technology was invented, created and used to their advantage, including four-legged creatures and statues, the hemp was farmed and life was good, until the planet started to become more polluted and the women had had enough when their rights and duties were reduced even more and they felt like it was unfair that they were only regarded as baby making machines and walking wombs. Things were marginally better under the second leader, but when he passed away, the successor was even worse, a typical mans man who only thought of sex and participating in a sport he created of pulling spaceships, the women lost more rights and the men weren’t happy either, that is until Manifesto The Great came along and hoped to find a balance which sutied all the people of Planet Hy Man before they either tore each other or the planet apart. He tried to listen to women’s views as well as the mens, albeit the past leaders had female advisors, the men were always seeking to either overthrow them or cast them out as spies, believing that they were weak and brainless, the women however, wanted to prove them wrong once and for all.

Will Manifesto The Great be able to live up to the legacy which his forefathers left behind, will be able to make the wise decisions which will please both the men and the women, or will he drown in their demands for a better life and more equality? This is a comedic sci-fi adventure with plenty of crazy action, argumentative women and equally argumentative men who will drag you into their lives and keep you firmly ensconced there throughout the book.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Jeremy Full of Grace by Greta Cribbs – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Jeremy Full of GraceJeremy Full of Grace by Greta Cribbs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jeremy is a seventeen year old boy, he lives with his mother, is a devout Roman Catholic, helps out around the house and in the diner where the family swap a hot meal for a useful skill or useful things left over from the time before technology broke down and lies changed forever, he lives in a world which has survived a plague, a plague which wiped out most of the population and left the rest barren, infertile and unable to reproduce at all, apart from Jeremy, he is pregnant and nearing full term at that. Leslie is an agnostic woman who has lost her faith since the plague hit and so has been travelling around the country to find out about how the plague has affected the population and whether there is any hope to save humanity, this is where she meets Jeremy and his mother and finds out about his extraordinary tale of how he became pregnant.

As she has nowhere to stay, she is invited to stay in the spare room of the house Jeremy and his mother live in, again, in exchange for working and helping out or making use of a special skill, it is at the mealtime with the local priest and a neighbouring family where she hears of how the Virgin Mary visited Jeremy on a hot summers day and asked him if he would bear a child for her, Leslie is skeptical to say the least, but Jeremy believes it wholeheartedly and his mother is slowly beginning to believe in it too. The only problem is how Jeremy is going to give birth to this miracle child and stay healthy in the meantime, at least this is his mother’s main worry, Jeremy is convinced that things will all work out according to God’s plan, however, they are in luck when Leslie reveals that she is a midwife and may be able to help them both through this trying time.

Will Leslie be able to help Jeremy to safely deliver this baby while being bombarded with her thoughts of her waned faith and the unfaltering faith of those around her, will this crisis be something she can work through in time, or will it affect more than just herself? This is an original and captivating tale which will draw you into the lives of those surviving in this dystopian world and sticking with them to the conclusion of the story.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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House in the Woods by Jessica Aiken-Hall – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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House in the WoodsHouse in the Woods by Jessica Aiken-Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Molly Jackson is a young woman who has just finished her second year of college and is enjoying taking a break over summer, but she cannot enjoy herself too much because she has to look after her mum who has been diagnosed with Dementia and often forgets things and sometimes gets lost, but her dad has no patience with her and so it is often left to Molly to deal with everything while he just gets angry and complains, it leads to her feeling that she doesn’t belong in the family, that she is too different and it saddens her sometimes. As she is managing the pressure of daily life, her mum disappears from the house again, so she reaches out to her older brother to come down and help her look since her mum has been gone much longer than normal. While Molly is out searching for her mum, she passes the school and watches the preparations for this years graduation ceremony, but she spots a flyer on the notice board which she hasn’t seen before, it is about a search for a missing person, but she is shocked to find that they have been missing for twenty years and that the person in the picture looks startlingly like her.

After a few hours,Molly’s dad calls her and tells her that he has found her mum safe and sound and that she needs to get home as soon as she can, when she does, she immediately hugs her mum and tells her how worried she was before taking her into the garden with a cup of tea to sit by her favourite flowers, she takes the chance of her dad not being around to ask where her mum was, but she is evasive and doesn’t answer directly, apart from saying something about a “house in the woods”, any further conversation is cut off by her dad demanding lunch, which partially goes to plan until her mum forgets what she is doing and almost burns it. Later that evening, her brother turns up after driving most of the day to get there, but Molly realises that she forgot to tell him their mum was home, so he comes in to see her. She is happy to see him, but unfortunately, their dad isn’t so happy.

With her brothers arrival, Molly realises that she doesn’t really know that much about him and that since he moved away before she was born, she hasn’t had the chance because of the years which pass between his scarce visits, but now he is back in their hometown, she is going to use the opportunity to do just that and get to know him a bit more, but instead of staying with them, he decides to stay at the local motel as he cannot get on with their dad at all. She gets ready and goes to meet her brother, when she arrives he is on the phone and looking a bit upset, it turns out that he had been in contact with one of his friends about their twenty year reunion, seeing if he wants to go and whether he wants to meet up with them beforehand, this is where Molly asks if it has anything to do with the flyer she saw, this shocks her brother when he realoses who she is talking about and they decide to go and join in the search together after he tells her about the girl and their past. It turns out that they were college sweethearts but that she disappeared from a party and wasn’t seen again and her brother still tortures himself about it all this time later.

When they head to the search and find out where they will be starting and who will be there, things start to get a bit unnerving for Molly, this feeling only deepens as she becomes more involved and hears more about the girl and what happened, this combined with her mum disappearing again leaves Molly struggling to make sense of everything. Will she be able to help solve the mysteries of both the missing girl and where her mum keeps disappearing to, or will the things she finds out on the way cause her to worry more than before? This is a thrilling search for answers with plenty of twists, turns and secrets to keep you guessing the conclusion all the way to the end.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Deliciously Sinful Liaisons AUDIO BOOK by L.M. Mountford – Review by Stephanie Colley

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I give this collection of stories a 5/5. Just for the fact that I’m at lost for words it was so good.

The 7 stories in this book would make anyone blush 10 shades of red!
If you need help getting to the point of no return this is the work of art you need in your life. The detail that went into these stories to make you feel like you are there watching or living it, is amazing! This will definitely be a book I keep thinking about for days in a pretty good way!

Shield & Shade: Ascended Guardians Series by Misty Hayes – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Shield & ShadeShield & Shade by Misty Hayes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Zoey Taylor is just a normal girl on her way to graduating early, she studies hard and is a bit of a loner apart from one friend who she hangs around with, this is due to being an introvert by nature, but also because her family are really overprotective ever since she walked out of the house and into the woods behind in the middle of the night when she was five years old. As Zoey goes through her normal routine of school, studying, more school, more studying and maybe meeting her friend at the local diner for a snack before heading home, she is coming to terms with her desperate need to escape from it, to escape from her family and its drama which comes from being the only girl surrounded by four brothers, its loud and distracting.

One of the days she goes to the diner, her friend did mention that one of the guys who works there has a crush on her, but she didn’t believe it, she is too plain for anyone to notice her, but when she starts talking to him, she realises he is actually a nice guy under the uniform and permanent scent of sugar and grease from the fryers. When her friend turns up she is annoyed with herself bevuase of asking a stupid question which pretty much wrecked any chance of further conversation and she regrets it so she decides to leave early, unknowingly leaving her bag charm behind, her friend isn’t overly fussed and just proceeds to chat up the girls in the diner instead.

As Thanksgiving approaches, Zoey is worried that she won’t be able to study with everyone being in the house and tries to extend her curfew a bit so she can get some work done at the library, but her parents are having none of it, so she struggles ahead like normal. When her older brother comes home a couple of days after school has broken up, she is happy, but when a friend of his comes to see him, things start to turn odd, so she calls on her friend to come over to help her investigate what is happening and he agrees to come over on Thanksgiving itself.

When the day arrives, the family is preparing the meal, but unknown to her, the guy from the diner is going to turn up as well to return her charm and bearing cake, while she is talking to him, tensions rise between the two guys when her friend arrives and she asks one to leave. However, the day proceeds to become more shocking when someone she never expected turns up on her doorstep, Gabriel Stanton is wealthy, popular to the point of celebrity status and a philanthropist in his spare time and completely out of place in her living room, but there he is nonetheless. How will Zoey react when he manages to turn her life upside down with answers she never expected to hear and what will happen in the aftermath of these revelations? This is a thrilling tale of secrets, revelations and family bonds that is a rollercoaster of emotion and action as the story unfolds to reveal its final conclusion.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Divine Devils: Mystery Suspense Crime Thriller: Book 1 by R. Weir – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The Divine Devils: Book OneThe Divine Devils: Book One by R Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hunter Divine is an ex US Marshall with a past full of the good, the bad and the ugly, but thanks to a mistake and a boss who threw him under the bus and blamed him for it, his career ended and now he is job and bed hopping to get by and to keep the memories of that tragic time away, but he isn’t succeeding as well as he hoped, that is until he gets a call from an ex who is in a spot of trouble and need his help. Paige Hawkins is the CEO of a green energy company, with a loving husband and two kids, however, recently, those kids are in danger, there have been two attempts at kidnapping them, each more risky than the last and in which the security detail she had hired were injured. This is why she feels that Hunter is the only one who will be able to protect her kids from this unknown threat. Despite their past history and how it finished, she knows he is the right man for the job, so she asks him to come to see her and see what he can do.

Hunter arrives in Colorado Springs and heads to see Paige and her husband to get more details about the previous abduction attempts and is shocked to hear how they have escalated and after having a minor interrogation of his own, he leaves it up to them to decide whether he is hired to do the job or not, after they have agreed to, he speaks to the Detective in charge of the case to see if he can enlighten him on any other details before contacting the members he wants on his team and going to collect them. As expense is no option for the Hawkins, he uses their private jet so they can speed up the process and it is a good job they do when a third attempt is made at the family’s home. Fortunately, one of the team had already arrived and the Detective as well as another cop were on the scene, although they were taken down, Hunter and two other members of the team arrive and stop the kidnapping in progress.

The next day the final team member arrives and a plan is put into place, Hunter asks for a list of the parents possible enemies and has a member of his team on each member of the family while he investigates possible leads both with and without the Detective, although some of his methods are not the policeman’s preferred ones. As the days pass and more leads are followed, will Hunter and his team be able to work out who is behind the kidnapping attempts and why, or will the past repeat itself and Hunter find himself in another lose-lose situation? As the lines between good and bad blur the Divine Devils race against time to stop the kidnapper with endless resources using plenty of teamwork and making the hard decisions, but whether they are positive or negative remains to be seen. This is a thrilling mystery which is full of action as the investigation proceeds and suspects are run down, which will keep you reading to find out how it ends.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Carnival of Shadows: A Teagan Blackwater Urban Fantasy Novel (Black Water Magic Book 2) by Leslie Scott – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Carnival of Shadows (Black Water Magic #2)Carnival of Shadows by Leslie Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Teagan Blackwater is a young woman with extraordinary power, she is still reeling from the loss of her grandmother and the reality that it was her mother who killed her, she is finding the house too quiet and the routine impossible to settle into, not to mention keeping her young teenage friend out of trouble and running the trailer park in Firewater Springs she has inherited. Thankfully, she has her friends to help her out and keep her grounded, that is until a Carnival rolls into town and starts to disrupt the tenuous control she has over herself.

Talking of her teenage neighbour, she has a slight problem, her teenage hormones have gotten the best of her and she has managed to do something a little drastic when her current flavour of the month was moving too fast for her liking, it is easily sorted out, but the revelation which comes with it is less appealing. The cover up is a bit easier, a local police officer turns up after getting a call about a drunken teenager, however, after his vest camera is turned off, he asks for the truth of the matter, and when Teagan tells him some of the truth, he understand that things are not as they seem around there, that could be because he is one of those something else’s, he exudes a certain power which can only mean one thing, he is supernatural as well and he is smoking hot too! When he leaves, after asking Teagan on a date, he throws in that the MC club nearby is looking a bit too quiet and that maybe Teagan should go check it out seeing as she used to date one of them and owes a favour to another, however, when she gets there, things are definitely not good, she gets the feeling that she shouldn’t be there and that she also isn’t wanted there and she knows this means that when demi-demons are worries, that something is terribly wrong.

After this experience, she decides to ask the local hottie cop to meet her to talk about what she has just seen and heard and so she decides to go to a local watering hole to try and steady her nerves and meet him there to kill two birds with one stone, however, things don’t go to plan when she is given another warning by a set of supernatural twins and then is party to a show of the powers the Circus contains. This power is nothing she has seen before and it is so strong that everyone around her is affected by it, apart from her and the cop, their combined influence keeps them safe, but also opens them up to something even more dangerous, each other, especially when an ex brings out the testosterone in the group.

While Teagan and her friends come up with a plan to defeat this Circus of Shadows, Teagan is more and more drawn to the cop and asks him for help investigating the Carnival and the paranormal freakshow it contains, but when they find out who is behind it and what they are after, life becomes even more dangerous and complicated than it already is. Will Teagan and her friends be able to defeat the Carnival before Firewater Springs succumbs to its demands, or will the place they love fall into the clutches of the Shadows surrounding them? This is a paranormal romance with plenty of supernatural action which will pull you along with the investigation and have you rooting for Teagan and the others all the way to its conclusion, but to find out how it ends, you have to read it to believe it.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Moonlit Kiss : A Venice Romance (Moonlit Destination Series) by Amy McKinley – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Moonlit Kiss : A Venice Romance (Moonlit Destination Series)Moonlit Kiss : A Venice Romance by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gianna Bellini is an artist, as well as working on her own projects, she also restores art as well, it has always been a dream of hers to visit Italy and in particular Venice and Rome, so when she is sought out for a position restoring and completing a century-old fresco in Venice, she can think of nothing she would enjoy more, so she packs her bags and heads out on the first available flight. On her first evening there, she decides to go out and explore the city in the moonlight before heading to the apartment she will be stating in, but as she takes in the sights and although she does feel safe, she also feels an eerie familiarity with the city and hasn’t a need for the map she has already pulled up on her phone, all too soon, she arrives in the Piazza San Marco and decides to stop for a bite to eat in one of the restaurants and watch life passing in the Piazza as she enjoys a glass of wine and the orchestral music in the background.

After she finishes, she calls the woman who hired her to let her know that she has made it to Venice safely and that she will start work the next day, however employer has other ideas and has organised a Gondola ride around the city for her instead as a way of inspiring her creativity, Gianna thanks her and heads to the villa. As she walks, she becomes turned around as a dog crawls in from the sea, but when she hears a man crying out for a woman, she cannot help but respond, however, when she sees him, he too is familiar to her, but when he walks her to the villa, she thinks nothing more of it when she sees the fresco she will be working on in the moonlight before she prepares to go to bed.

The next morning Gianna prepares a cup of coffee and decides to take a look at the fresco in the daylight while she drinks it, she then reads the note which her employer has left her recommending the pains she will need in her work and decides to put the order in a the recommended shop before heading out on her tour. The gondolier takes her round the canals as he tells her about some of the history of the city and the sights he points out to her, she takes some photographs and immerses herself in the lessons until it comes to and end, when she is just about to get out of the gondola, she is crippled by a bout of sickness which leaves her dizzy and disoriented and about to plunge into the cold waters when a pair of strong arms surround her and pick her up. Gianna immediately feels a sense of comfort within the mystery man’s arms and doesn’t want him to let her go and this is heightened when she starts to talk to him. He introduces himself as Sergio Vitale and they agree to spend lunch together so he can keep an eye on her.

As the meal progresses they talk and cannot deny that they are attracted to each other, so when they swap phone numbers, it is with the intention of seeing each other again.
As the days pass and turn to weeks, Gianna spends time with her work and with Sergio, their relationship blossoms, but Gianna is plagued with vivid dreams which seem too real and as she talks about the fresco with Sergio she cannot understand how she will finish it, all the while the the dreams become more vivid and they start to encroach on her waking self as well. Will Gianna and Serdio be able to find out what the final panel should look like, or will one of the historical stories of Venice repeat itself once again? This is a romance with a historical twist where past and present collide in a mysterious puzzle which needs to be solved and will keep you guessing until the end.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Carnival of Shadows by Leslie Scott – Review by Heather Knalls

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Carnival of Shadows (Black Water Magic #2)Carnival of Shadows by Leslie Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Teagan Blackwater is now Swamp Witch of Firewater Springs after her Nola was murdered by her own mother, Mercia. Everyone in Firewater Springs still believes that her grandmother is missing. In this book Mercia is back to take the children of Firewater Springs to feed her demon that is helping her create her army. Teagan must defeat her mother and demon to prevent her town from being destroyed. With the help of her friends and her boyfriend Sean who is the sheriff of Firewater Springs they are able to defeat them and keep the town safe doe the time being. This book was so well written and kept me on edge the entire time I was reading it. Leslie Scott has an amazing style and I absolutely loved this book. Hoping more is to come from Teagan Blackwater and her friends.

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Moonlit Whisper by Amy McKinley – Review by Heather Knalls

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Moonlit Whisper (An Irish Romance)Moonlit Whisper by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amy McKinley has written yet another great one, may have been a little short novella but great. Fiona is dating Lach one of the best players on her father’s football team and has been for awhile now. Does she truly love him, she thought she did. Until her best friend and ex boyfriend who moved to the states to help his mother after his father was unfaithful returns to play for her father again. She soon realizes who she was truly in love with but will everything work out in their favor. Will Fiona stay with Lach or will she be with Connor again?

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Moonlit Mirage – A Cook Islands Romance by Amy McKinley – Review by Heather Knalls

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Moonlit Mirage - A Cook Islands Romance (Moonlit Destination Series)Moonlit Mirage – A Cook Islands Romance by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cade has had a troubled past of no doing from himself. His father is part of a ring of people that caused a hit to be put on his family. Nadia was hired to place the hit on Cade and his sister, but Nadia couldn’t go through with the hit. When Cade’s car goes off the bridge and sinks into the river as it was supposed to she decides to save him. By the time he surfaced she was gone. He has dreamed of her for years. Cade is on vacation on a beautiful island and runs into the woman that saved him and ran. She has offered to show him around the island since she now lives there, and she begins to fall for him. Will things work out for Cade and Nadia or will their pasts come back to haunt them. Amy McKinley has written another amazing book. Every book of hers that I have read have always kept me on the edge of my seat. She is definitely an author to follow!

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Moonlit Kiss by Amy McKinley – Review by Heather Knalls

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Moonlit Kiss (A Venice Romance)Moonlit Kiss by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gianna has been given a job in Venice to repair a painting on the side of a family home. Upon arriving in Venice she begins having episodes unlike any other. She has begun to have visions of the past and possibly her past life. She is unsure of what she is experiencing until meeting Sergio who she feels an instant connection almost as if they have met before. Sergio is a descendant of the artist who painted the house which its third piece was left unfinished due to his death. Gianna is to find a way to restore the first 2 scenes and finish the third. While trying to decide what is to go in the third panel she is starting to fall for Sergio, who is the nephew to Francesca who hired Gianna and is staying in the same house while she is there. Will she be able to decide what the scene is supposed to show. Will reincarnations of the past finally have the happy ending they deserve or will history repeat itself. Amy McKinley has written such an amazing story that held my interest the entire time, I didn’t want to put the book down and definitely didn’t want it to end.

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Twisted Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops Book 1) by Amy McKinley – Review by Stephanie Colley

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Twisted Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops #1)Twisted Secrets by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another book that wows your socks off!
Right from the start this book has you hooked!
Xander and Riley’s relationship has you gripping the pages to find out what happens next in their lives. From meeting in a coffee shop where Riley works to finding out mystery clues you will not want to put this book down till you finish. Even then you will want more from Amy McKinley!

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Bound by Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops Series Book 2) by Amy McKinley – Review by Stephanie Colley

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Bound by Secrets (Deadly Isles Special Ops, #2)Bound by Secrets by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amy McKinley is on a roll with this series.
Seeing how Amy portrayed Kayla, a powerful woman ready to get out of an abusive relationship and trying to better herself in the process. She ends up living with a guy she use to and still has feelings for, her brothers best friend, Jaxon. They have some history that got a little messy. But past is past right??? Maybe!
While Kayla is trying to get her life together she has to dodge her horrible ex.
Jaxon’s previous job is bringing up some mystery trouble that he is trying to figure out.
All this going on can Jaxon keep Kayla safe and keep her in his lifer this time around!
Can’t wait till the next book.

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Turning Wheels(Satan’s Devils MC #1) by Manda Mellett- reviewed by stephanie dulac

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Turning Wheels (Satan's Devils MC, #1)Turning Wheels by Manda Mellett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Turning Wheels(Satan’s Devils MC #1) by Manda Mellett is the first book i have read by this author. This book
did not disappoint me. I have added Manda Mellett to my must read author pile. Turning Wheels is a fantastic read and it had me turning pages from the beginning right to the end. I was not able to put it down. I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book my favorites were Wraith and Sophie were just amazing, The chemistry was definitely there and fun to follow. I look forward to read more books by Manda Mellett. Thank you for writing a wonderful read.

 

@stephaniedulac25

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Tally and the Angel : Book One India by Eleanor Dixon – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Tally and the Angel : Book One IndiaTally and the Angel : Book One India by Eleanor Dixon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tally is a thirteen year old girl who has just lost her mother, she is distraught even though she knew it was coming and her dad feels the same, but when he talks about a future without her, what he describes seems like the worse thing that could happen to Tally, he wants to leave her behind as a boarding student at her school, but she end up telling him exactly how awful it is there and why, she held back before so she wouldn’t worry her mum, so when she asks her dad to take her with him, he agrees to consider it. After this conversation, he gives her a letter and a gift from her mum, in the letter Tally’s mum tells her about what is in the box, it turns out that it is a pendant of the Angel Jophiel and that it will protect and guide her throughout her life until it is ready to be passed to someone else as it has been passed to her. All Tally wants to do is cry herself to sleep, but she is drawn to the small marble angel which looks so real, so she slips it over her head as she falls asleep and feels like she is surrounded by feathers as she sleeps.

As the time passes and she gets used to the idea of her changed circumstances, her dad tells her that she can go with him on his travels and continue her schoolwork as they go, he then tells her that he has been asked to go to India to help a colleague out and that they will leave in the morning, so Tally heads to her room to pack. As she is doing this, he thoughts go to her school friends and how she wants to rub it is]n that she doesn’t have to go to school anymore, it is at this point that the Angel Jophiel begins to talk to her and adminish her for her thoughts and this is where their companionship and friendship start, he will answer whenever she calls to him, be in out loud or in her head and he will support and guide her as she explores the world with her dad.

Once all the arrangement are made, Tally and her dad set off for India, it is Tally’s first time flying and she is more than excited and this stays that way when they land, they are met at the airport and taken to the house they will be staying in, this is where Tally meets her dad’s friend and the lady who will be looking after them. After she unpacks, Tally walks round the garden and as she is talking to her Angel, she runs into a boy called Balvan who she talks to and invites to meet her dad when she mentions going to the Taj Mahal the next day. As the four talk, they find out about a case the local police are working on surrounding children going missing around India, so they are warned to take care and not go anywhere by themselves, but Tally is fine with this and agrees to it.

The next few days are taken up with schoolwork in the mornings and sightseeing in the afternoons, however, when she becomes embroiled in the mystery of the disappearing children, will she and Jophiel be able to solve the mystery in time to stop the plot, or will it be too late and the flood bear down on India? This is a charming tale of friendship and how it can heal hearts, as well as having a healthy dose of mystery solving which will keep you entertained all the way through.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Don (Her Three Immortals Book 1) by Hazel Storm – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The DonThe Don by Hazel Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is only for those over 18 due to its adult content.

Vanessa Maan is a woman who can bring out the beauty in those around her and her job as a hairdresser and beautician enables her to do this, but since her dad died and left her family nothing, apart from his car “Dante” she has lost faith in men, they are all either angel’s or another type of word beginning with a! However, she has her mum and her brother who love her as much as she loves them and it is the only thing keeping them going with him not being well.

When she is returning home one day, she is nearly run over by her neighbour’s son, but he is not what she remembers of him, btu when she sees who is moving into his old room, she realises that her new neighbour is hot as hell and when she is introduced to him, she feels a strange connection to him which she cannot explain, the problem is that he feels the same, but because he is Grey, the Don of the Underworld and god of excess, he knows he needs to stay away from her. Meanwhile, when Vanessa makes a trip to New York for a couple of meetings, she is caught in a snowstorm, this is where she runs into Raef, he is handsome and sexy, but he is also one of the men which her mother warned her away from, however, he treats her just like a gentleman would and takes her for coffee and dinner, plus organises a hotel for her for the night and escorts her there where they swap numbers, but unknown to her, he is also part god.

After the snowstorm passes and Vanessa makes it back to work, albeit a bit late, it isn’t the welcome she expects when it isn’t her boss who confronts her about it, it is apparently a woman whom she has employed as their new assistant manager, but she is regarded coldly and cannot understand why, but she apologises and puts it behind her and gets on with her day. As time passes, she spends more time with Raef and he helps her with some of the problems she is up against, things at work also turn from bad to worse, but she has no idea why, this is when Aroz turns up and puts a spoke into the mix, he is an angel of love with heavenly looks and wings to match and he is an angel with a mission and Vanessa is firmly in his sights.

What will happen when all three of these sexy men come into Vanessa’s life, will it be heaven, hell or something in between? This is a steamy romance with as much trouble as there is lust, where making choices may just be the hardest thing on earth to do.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Lighting the Path: Leaning into a Hopeful Future as a Special Needs Parent by Marcia Nathai-Balkissoon – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Lighting the Path: Leaning into a Hopeful Future as a Special Needs ParentLighting the Path: Leaning into a Hopeful Future as a Special Needs Parent by Marcia Nathai-Balkissoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is an inspiring collection of experiences, thoughts, feelings and emotions centred around life with a special needs child. It is a life of struggle, hardship, ups and downs but overall rewards as you see them flourish despite their many challenges they face. Marcia Nathai-Balkisson talks about all these things and more, as she explores life before and after the birth of her second child Emma in Trinidad and Tobago, where she lives with her husband, Emma and her first born some Brian. She talks about the challenges she has faced and how she has overcome some and is working on overcoming the rest, as each chapter focuses on a different subject, it is a compendium of information, hints, tips, experiences, and advice, with a checklist at the end of the important things to be taken away from that particular chapter, but it is not just for those in the same situation as she is, there are things within this book that anyone can take on board and use in their own lives.

The book starts with the story of Emma’s birth and the defects they found which led to the need for open heart surgery as she grew and the complications which arose because of it, leaving her brain damaged, her mobility and motility reduced, as well as experiencing pain, spasms and a high sensitivity to touch. The book progresses through Emma’s life, explaining her challenges between that age and the age of nine when the book was written. It then moves on to explain how important it is to acknowledge what happened, acknowledge how it made you feel at the time and acknowledge what changes have had to be made and what needs to be done now. The next talks about coping with the situation and the need to take it day by day, task by task and finding what the single most important thing to achieve on that day is, how important self care is to staying healthy in order to be able to support your family and yourself, how to relieve stress and how essential it is to start the day in the right way, it also explains how these things can impact on the child and their stress levels if not done properly. There is also a section on planning for the future, both immediate and in the years ahead, this includes financially, personally and familially, some of which is expanded on further into the book.

One key thing is on how to recognise isolation and loneliness, how to recognise the signs of it and how to reduce it, it talks about relationships with family and friends, how they can grow and diminish, as well and what it takes to maintain them, how to deal with your feelings and how important connections can be, even if they are only on the internet and especially within support groups, as well as the importance of sharing your story with them. It also looks at how to create your vision for the future, how to connect it with your emotions and then the importance of looking back on it and updating it on a yearly basis to see just how far you have come, even if you don’t realise it at the time. The next section focuses on spirituality and how this can support you in your darkest times, as well as the need for research into what interventions can be done at home to improve the development of your child, as well as finding the right medical professionals and therapists who you can fully work with knowing they see things from your perspective, trusting your intuition and being your own advocate when you go to speak with them. Learn all you can about other children with the same medical and developmental issues, but don’t forget about any other children in the family and ensure that you still take time to show them you love them in the way best suited to them, keep looking at their development and help them as much as your special needs child and prepare for their future just as much as the other child too.
Another important thing is to keep your own and your families health at optimum levels and take the same care that you would with your child, look at nutrition, sleep and emotional resilience, as well as financial security and how to keep a balance between work, play, caring duties and your own physical and mental health, make shared decisions and compromise where you need to, do not neglect yourself or your partner and celebrate what you have achieved regularly. Make sure that the little milestones are recorded and acknowledged, celebrate how far you have come, this will help in the future when the challenging times rear their heads, which will happen.

All in all this book is full of useful information and experiences, but it does not replace medical or legal advice.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Dragons by Ty Drago – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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DragonsDragons by Ty Drago
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Andy Brand is an eighteen year old boy who is kidnapped and ripped away from his family and friends and wakes up in a twelve by twelve room, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and the ugliest white shoes he has ever seen, there is nothing in there but a cot bed, a sink and a toilet, there isn’t even a window, but there is a vent where the fresh air is circulated through. At first he feels like it is a dream, however, when reality dawns on him, he is trapped, but as he looks more closely at his surroundings, he realises that they are a new kind of technology he has only read about and that everything in the room is made of this material, but the thing that scares and weirded him out the most is the Voice which answers some of his questions and asks some questions of him. When a piece of paper is dropped through a gap in the ceiling and the Voice asks him to burn it, he knows suddenly what they want him for, but he cannot tell them anything, he has to stick to his family’s motto, Conceal and Protect, this applies to all his life lessons and it is something he refuses to back down on and instead he pleads ignorance.

Andy is not sure how long he has been in this room, however, when the voice states quite clearly that he will not be fed unless he complies with their request, Andy goes hungry, he refuses to give in to their demands and over the next day, he only drinks the tap water and answers nature call until they eventually give in and put some food into his room. Once the Voice realises that he will not cave in to their demands, they pretty much leave him alone, this is when he hears a voice calling out to him from the vent in the corner, she introduces herself as Miranda and they soon strike up a friendship as the talk over the next few days. At some point they are both taken separately for tests, but from talking to her, it seems that Miranda is having a completely different experience to him, but he still tries not to give his captors what they want, that is until Miranda is threatened.

It is at this point that Andy shows his true colours and lets his blazing personality out to play, however, this causes some consternation and he is drawn into a world that he didn’t expect and a plan which he cannot escape from, he is told that he is needed to help a group of people, however, even though it appears that he is not trusted, he does begin to connect with a few people around him, however nothing is quite as it seems, will Andy be able to carry out his part of the plan and still live to tell the tale, or will the truth behind his unease come to the fore and play out in front of his eyes? This is a sci-fi novel which will keep you trying to work out who is telling the truth and who is lying as the unpredictability of the people around Andy ramp up the tension around him as they try to bend him to their will, but the only way to see whether they succeed is to read to the end and find out.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Terrifying Love: A Halloween Anthology – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Terrifying Love: A Halloween AnthologyTerrifying Love: A Halloween Anthology by Serena Nova
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This anthology is a collection of romances with dark elements throughout, there are seven short stories and a poem at the beginning of each, it is a collection which ranges from love which has been twisted by the eye of the beholder to a tale of true love and a curse.

The first story is about a girl who escapes who escapes from her kidnappers and runs into Willow and Evan who come to her rescue and agree to take her home, but what information they manage to get from her shows them that they may be in over their heads, especially when it looks like the kidnappers are possibly following them. Are the three in over their heads, or will they figure out the who and why before they get to the where and when?

The second story is one in which a dancer, Binx has an audition for a top dance company at the local theatre, but when she goes to get her normal order for breakfast she runs into a man, she thinks nothing of it until she sees him again as she leaves, she gets a bit of a creepy vibe. The next day as she heads to work, she finds out that someone she knows has been killed just outside, as she waits to hear about her audition, more unusual things start to happen, but are they going to lead to something good or bad?

In story number three a Queen is left by her King as he wages war on those around their homeland so he can expand their borders, however, she feels saddened and abandoned every time he leaves, when she asks advice from her maid, she is shocked, but considers it, but will she risk everything her mother worked to achieve, just to find love outside a loveless marriage, or will the consequences of such a decision be worse than she could ever imagine?

In story number four, a popular urban legend is explored in a new way as a woman is taken from the life she knows and detests into one where she finds the place she belongs, however, when that peace is destroyed she enacts a vengeful curse on those who have taken her loves, her life and her child’s life away, but how far will this curse reach and is there any way to break it?

In the fifth story Kayla is a Huntress and one who is feared by all other supernatural creatures or Myres all because of one fateful Halloween night when she was turned into a Vampire and now she is hunting someone in particular on this Halloween night, she is looking for a Witch, anyone will do but time is running out and she has to make promises she wouldn’t normally keep in order to get the information she needs to find one. Will she find her Witch and be able to fulfill her mission in time, or will fate intervene again on Halloween and ruin all her best laid plans?

The sixth story is set in a bank where Anna works and works hard, however, just as things are starting to look up in her life, it all comes crashing down around her when a colleague passed away unexpectedly, the only thing keeping her going is the cute female security guard she has a crush on and who is the only thing now keeping her there, but will she be able to change anything around her and give in to this possibility of romance, or will she end up crashing and burning?

In the final story, Rebecca is being interviewed about a shocking experience she just had involving a spade and a patio, she is shaken to the core and nervous to speak about how she saw the light and tried to escape the darkness around her, but what happened to make her into the scared woman she is during the interview and was it orchestrated by the light or the dark?

This collection keeps you on your toes while you explore the light and dark sides of love.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Secure Decision (Chase Security Series Book 5) by R.L. Dunn – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Secure Decision (Chase Security Series Book 5)Secure Decision by R.L. Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book only for those over 18 due to its themes of an adult nature and adult contents.

This installment of the Chase Security International series is the story of We “Alamo” Crockett, he is a medically trained ex Navy Combat Medic who has now transferred that to being a Paramedic and the head of the newest Chase Centre for Training in Virginia and is working all hours of the day to prepare for the Centres opening while meeting all the new employees and running the orientations and overseeing the security of the plot of land which the Centre is built on. When he receives a call regarding a friend, he immediately accepts him in a role at the facility, knowing that it will help the both of them as he is on point with his work no matter what is happening around him and Wes needs someone he can fully trust to take on some of the responsibilities associated with running the Centre.

As he is going into the centre of town to drop off some paperwork, he finds that a car has been in an accident on the property and is currently wrapped around a tree with a woman with a head full of blonde curly hair bleeding and injured within it, that woman is Eleanor West, the new Director of the Equine-Assisted Therapy Programme and she is heading to the Centre for her first day on the job, however, when she sees a cow in the middle of the road, she screeches to a halt to try and avoid it, however, she hits the tree instead because of the rain slicked road surface. As Wes is tending to her, bandaging her eyes, hooking her up to a drip and talking to her the whole time while waiting for the emergency services he has called to aid him, they don’t know who the other is, however, they soon realise it when she is taken to the hospital for treatment. She is clearly terrified and uncomfortable with certain aspects of the treatment, however, she feels comfortable with the man who rescued her and he looks after her as best he can and this includes taking her to stay in a room in his home overnight so he can check in on her concussion and other injuries. As she recovers, Eleanor continues to feel comfortable with Wes, however, she feels like she doesn’t stand a chance because of her looks and some of the snide remarks she begins hearing when she goes to settle into her accommodations thanks to the rumours which start flying around after her stay in the boss’s home, what she doesn’t know is that Wes is feeling the same way about her, with her curves, wit, dedication to her job and personality, he is finding it hard to resist her charms.

As the week progresses and the Centre is closer to opening up, tensions mount when the snide comments and rumours cause friction within the therapy team as they don’t believe she can do the job, however, when she takes charge of the situation and makes changes to the team, she proves that she can and will do what is needed for both the horses and the future patients. Meanwhile, a gruesome discovery is made on the property line and this leads to an investigation and stress of a completely different kind when it appears that the curvaceous blonde he is developing feelings involved appears to be attached to it and as the two become closer, Eleanor has to make the decision whether to share her past with Wes or to just tie up loose ends and do what she always has done and run away. Will Eleanor be able to overcome her anxiety and body image issues to open herself and her secrets up to a possible future with Wes and can he keep his feelings for Eleanor separate from the investigation into the discovery of a web of secrets and lies surrounding the Centre? This is a romantic suspense with plenty of heart, it will draw you in and keep you reading to the conclusion to find out which of the possibilities come to pass.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Mariekkela: From Finland, with Love by Stu Ledwith – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Mariekkela: From Finland, with LoveMariekkela: From Finland, with Love by Stuart Ledwith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dr Stu Ledwith is back to tell the story of another soul he has encountered, only this time it is from a dream he had every night between the ages of ten and seventeen, it was a very vivid dream of a young soldier as he spent time with the woman he loves, that is until he is shot by another soldier and dies. He never thought much about this dream until recently because of the pandemic changing the life around him and allowing him the time for meditation and self-reflection. It has allowed him to focus on it and allow the soul of Mariekkela to approach him and tell her story.

The dream always followed the same path, he is a Finnish soldier fighting in the Finnish-Russian war and he is spending time with Mariekkela and some others in a sauna near a military checkpoint, then one day, the sauna is attacked by Russian soldiers when he is killed while trying to retrieve his rifle. This book tells of Mariekkela’s life after the attack and how she dealt with her fiance’s death, it is not a book for the faint of heart, however, reading the story puts life in perspective as you see the conditions of life at the time and time and how those around her rallied around and helped her is an emotional but rewarding read which will make enchant and engage you until the end.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Mornin The Super Bird : Mornin Finds a Way to Stop Extinction – Review By Jules Heartly

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Mornin The Super Bird : Mornin Finds a Way to Stop ExtinctionMornin The Super Bird : Mornin Finds a Way to Stop Extinction by Jules Heartly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! It was adorable, informative, and beautiful!! The message was very well articulated for children to understand and want to become advocates for the earth and all its beautiful entities. I loved the aspects that were included for children; the singing, the colourful pictures and the message that was conveyed. Jules Heartly (author) and Diego Diaz (illustrator) did a fantastic job with these. I was very impressed with the way that Heartly and Diaz decided to teach children about such a big topic. They were able to grab children’s attention and have them want to care about the birds and even understand, to a degree about pollution. I loved even more that the author and illustrator were able to give children ideas on what they can do to help! They included these in the actual story and then at the end by giving websites to check out. All in all a great story for children and adults alike.

Reviewed By @heather26

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First, We Kill All the Lawyers (Donovan Trait Series) by Seelie Kay – Review by Stephanie Colley

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First, We Kill All the LawyersFirst, We Kill All the Lawyers by Seelie Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is only one way to start a vampire story. Make it Spicy! And author Seelie Kay did not disappoint in this wonderful book First, We Kill All The Lawyers (Donovan Trait Series).
There is no denying Donovan Trait, one of the best lawyers in town, knows what he is doing in the courtroom and in the bedroom! He is a vampire after all, they have been around the block a time or two. 300 years to be exact.
Donovan might have seen a thing or two, but never found a true love. Until now. And she is Human.
If all that wasn’t enough to keep him on his toes. Why not add a killer on the loose that wants to kill all the lawyers?
Donovan has his hands full after he is one of the first lawyers to be attacked. He has to keep his “life style” hidden since he can’t die from normal human things like being stabbed and shot.
It’s a whirlwind of emotions and crazy ups and downs. But this book is at the top of my list. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

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Ouroboros (Antipodes Book 3) by T.S. Simons – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Ouroboros (Antipodes #3)Ouroboros by T.S. Simons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this installment of the Antipodes series, Cam has set off on a journey of discovery and healing after the loss of his wife Laetitia when she was cruelly killed, he is in pain and needs some closure, so he heads away from his home, his family and his life so that he can go back to them fully healed and able to be with them completely, so he takes of on his boat. On his naval travels, the first place Cam stops at is Kirkwall and a visit to the community living on Orkney where some of the other women who shared in his late wife’s ordeal live, he cannot remember what happened on that fateful day and so he asks to speak to them when they are ready. In the meantime, he meets up with some old friends and sees how life has changed there over the past year, he is happy to see them and he thinks that they are happy to see him too, or at least some of them are, but he finds out that they are all still suffering too, he knows he has to regain their trust before they will open up to him.

As he introduces himself to the inhabitants of the island he hasn’t yet met, he has a feeling that there is someone in the crowd he knows, but cannot place them, it turns out to be someone who was heading up the recruitment centre where he was chosen when the whole domed community idea was started. As they properly introduce themselves, Cam asks what they have been doing on Orkney and how they ended up there, this leads on to conversations about their role on the island, the portals and everything else they had learned over the last few years and Cam is invited to join them on future trips around the community, to which he readily agrees. He stays with a friend and it is their partner who opens up first and shocks Cam by telling him that the women feared him after his outburst a year ago, but now that they have seen him and he explains his reasons why and his feelings on everything that happened, they can understand him better too. As the days pass and a working relationship with the woman from Australia develops, Cam stays on the island as he waits for the other women to talk to him, he learns all that he can so that he can take the information with him when he gets home. When the opportunity to talk to the women arrives, it helps them all with some closure and acceptance of what happened and Cam is grateful for it all, but nobody is surprised when he continues on his travels past the place he lost his mind to grief and on to another place in Scotland he hoped to find some more answers.

As he approaches the place he needs to go, Cam finds somewhere dry to spend the time he needs to dig for some information, this takes a little longer than planned, but is worth it in the end when he finds what he was looking for, as well as some unexpected information along the way. He makes a few more stops on his travels and shares some of the things he has learned along the way with others who are as shocked as he is, but it causes him to question the friendships he has and others he hasn’t. Will Cam be able to use the information he finds out to look after those he holds dear, or will circumstances beyond his control threaten the life he has come home to find again and will he be able to look on his life and friendships in the same way because of it? This is another journey of secrets, revelations and discovery which keeps you on your toes as you journey along with Cam and those around him, a story you will not want to miss out on.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Red Coat by Isobella Dunn – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Red CoatRed Coat by Isobella Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sara Flemming is a woman with a mission to help those who cannot help themselves, ten years ago she ran away from a family who made living with them impossible, she had tried many times before, however, each time something happened which dragged her back, before she wanted to, but this time she needed to, but fate was not on her side and now she works for the same Social Services who helped her out of her miserable life those many years ago. Colin Fulton was a young man who got into small town trouble with his little brother and a girl who he would do anything to help, however, when she leaves town without a trace and without looking back, he has to carry on life without her and now he is the Sheriff of the town where he used to run wild with his little brother looking like he is going to follow in his path.

One saturday afternoon, Sara is waking up to start a well needed weekend off after a very rude alarm clock decided to annoy her with its incessant beeping, however, just as she is about to start cleaning up her kitchen, she receives a phone call from work where they need help with a girl, they need someone with her history as she is the only one who might be able to deal with her, however, this day will be one she can;t forget any time soon. As she approaches the girls, she observes that she is trying to look like she has it all together and is even a little bored, however, she sees straight through that to the girl who is angry, frustrated and a little bit sad, so as she walks to her office, she heads straight in without even looking at the girl, she wants to read her file first and get an idea of what she will be dealing with. As she does this, she realises just how much the girl looks like her and has a history like she has, so she invites her to enter the office and talk to her. Meanwhile, Rachael is sat outside in the waiting area but cannot believe that she has been given a choice rather than being told what to do, it is so unusual she is thrown, but this is just the start when Sara is honest with her and straight talking, she feels like she might just be able to talk to her, this is solidified when they go and get pizza for lunch and Rachael opens up about what has been going on in her life.

Colin is dealing with his usual small town policing problems while also rescuing his little brother from a young woman’s clutches, this is easier said than done, so he ends up coming out on patrol instead, but they come back to something a little harder than dog wrangling. Meanwhile, Rachael has been put somewhere temporary while her situation is sorted out, but something spooks her again and she runs away on the bus to somewhere Sara would rather forget, but she is forced to go retrieve her as she has the best rapport with her, but when she gets there and realises she is unharmed and in the Sheriff’s office, what she doesn’t expect to see is who the Sheriff is and her thoughts and feelings about him, however, he is in no doubt about his feelings for her. Will Sara and Colin be able to work together to keep Rachael safe from harm, or will their pasts catch up to all of them in this small town? This is a story of trust, memories, pasts and presents coming together to forge a future from uncertainty which will have you on an emotional rollercoaster as you follow the path as well.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Forbidden Wolf (The Shadow Chronicles Book 1) by C.R. Robertson – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Forbidden WolfForbidden Wolf by C.R. Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of Tasha and Levi, Tasha is a vampire with special gifts which she has to hide from her coven, she doesn’t have much affection from her parents, but she adores her little sister and now that Tasha is nearing twenty one years old, after her next birthday she will be conscripted into the vampire army, but she always feels trapped by her coven and the secrets she has to keep, so every night she goes into the forest around her to be free and be herself while nobody is watching. When she does this she can use her gift to sense the world around her and connect with the souls residing within it and her main goal is to find an elusive balck jaguar which has been seen around the base. Levi is a werewolf with a distinctive black pelt, he is a loner and prefers to spend his time in the forest learning about what resides within it when he isn’t hunting to prepare for when he joins with others in a military unit, but this one day both Tasha and Levi run into each other on the boundaries of their respective lands when she believes he is the black jaguar and sensing what the other is, they bite each other in an attack first and ask questions later way that their kinds have been trained to do during the war between their races and afterwards, fully expecting that they will die within a few hours from the poisons contained within each.

As they stand and argues over who bit who first and why, as well as what they are going to do now, so as the poisons flow through their systems, they introduce themselves to each other and although neither wants to be with the other as they die, Levi mentions a cave nearby where they can spend their last few hours together and talk. When they get there and they sit with each other, neither of them can deny a certain attraction fizzling between them, Tasha hasn’t felt like this towards anyone else in her coven and she is both scared and excited by it, but she also feels strangely safe with him, Levi is just as confused at his feelings about Tasha and when they share a kiss as they lay dying on the cave floor, the unfairness of the situation really takes hold, especially when Tasha has a last course of bloodlust, she can’t resists biting Levi and tasting his blood one last time. However, as they bite into each other something happens and they start to heal and recover and one thing leads to another and they are kissing again while still mystified at what has happened until the sun rises and Levi shifts into his wolf form to protect Tasha from the deadly rays, but as night falls they reemerge from the cave and walk back to the boundaries discussing their surroundings on the way.

What should have been a death warrant, was something they couldn’t resist as they agree to meet again the next night and many nights after that, however, as their time together comes to an end they agree to meet again once their conscription ends, however, the war isn’t all it is slated as and the future becomes more uncertain for them every day they are fighting, especially when a new enemy comes to the fore, but will they be able to keep their love a secret and stay alive long enough to allow their plans to come to fruition, or will fate intervene and rip them apart? This is an action packed forbidden paranormal romance with plenty of action thrown in for good measure which will keep you hooked until the end.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Next Door to a Star by Krysten Lindsay Hager – Review By Heather Knalls

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Next Door to a StarNext Door to a Star by Krysten Lindsay Hager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Krysten Lyndsay Hager has done it again. I absolutely loved this book. It is a young adult book about Hadley who is having a hard transition as her only friend has moved and has left her as an afterthought. She has decided to spend the summer with her grandparents where she meets new friends and the usual end of middle school into high school drama begins. Her grandparents live next door to a once tv star that is the same age as Hadley and they become friends and that where drama begins because she is not cool enough for the stars friends and they become jealous of her. It was such a well written book and I cannot wait to see what is in store for Hadley and her new friends.

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