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Second Chance eX-mas by N.D. Jackson – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Second Chance eX-masSecond Chance eX-mas by N.D. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a story about Ally and Archer, childhood sweethearts who had it all, the looks, the hope and the future as well as every chance for it to come true, that is until Archer left and never looked back but also never knew what he left behind until he returned home and found out.

It is Christmas in Blissful and Ally is busy preparing orders and making deliveries for her customers and as always is running late for her other responsibilities, but when she finally arrives home with everything she needed to complete her work before she can relax and enjoys the holiday season properly, she receives a piece of news which shakes her to the core, Archer is coming back to Blissful. Archer who left her, Archer who hurt her, Archer who she had learnt to live without and survive the wounds in her heart which he gave her and Archer who she would not let back in no matter what he tried to do, she had just gotten her life to a position where she could look at the future and be hopeful, despite the time and energy she had spent to get there and she wouldn’t let that future slip away.

Archer is thinking about coming back to Blissful and what that means, he is thinking about the day he left and the decision he made which led him to do so, it is a long drive from the airport and it is giving him more time to think than he would like. He knows that she probably hates him and has a life without him, but he doesn’t want to see it if she has, he is remembering all the places in the town as he passes them and some of the memories of Ally which are associated with them, as he thinks about turning the car around, but that all fades into the background when he pulls up outside his mother’s house. He sees the shutters and thinks about his siblings and how they each chose their own colours for them, he then sees his mother bounding down the steps and into his arms for a hug and to know if he is home for good, his reply is as long as she will put him up for and with that out of the way, he goes to eat what she has cooked for his homecoming meal and they start to catch up on what the other has been up to since he left, including exactly what he left behind and it is the shock of a lifetime.

This information leads to Archer and Ally meeting again and Archer trying to mend all that he broke when he left, he knows now what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it, but will he manage to reform these bonds, will the magic of Christmas be able to help, or will the past be too much to overcome? This is a story of second chances, but what they look like is not always what people plan them to be.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Cemetery Tour: A Walk Through the Old Yard by Stuart Ledwith – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Cemetery Tour: A Walk Through the Old YardCemetery Tour: A Walk Through the Old Yard by Stuart Ledwith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another book by Dr Stuart Ledwith, but is a more lighthearted one which tells the stories of the souls of those buried within the Old Yard in the Riverside Cemetery where the founders of the town he lives in and the cemetery he plans to be buried in with his wife, Baldwinsville, New York, it is a break from his more serious novels, but it is an illuminating look into lives past and the history of the area as told by the ones who created that history.

Dr Stu (as the soul’s call him) encountered these souls as he wandered through the cemetery over the course of 2020 when he went out for some daily exercise, weather and health permitting. He tells their stories in such a way that you can picture the person as you read them, they are from all walks of life and are all ages, genders and races, although some of it you don’t find out until you are deep within their stories, Dr Stu also includes his own story in there and it is a lovely insight into him as a person as well as an author.

This book is a wonderful read to anyone who is interested in history, biographies and people in general, it is an emotional rollercoaster though, so prepare yourself for what it has in store for you, but go in with an open mind and you will enjoy it even more.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Sweets and Santa: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (The Matchmaking Baker Book 2) by Rosie Pease – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Sweets and Santa (The Matchmaking Baker, #2)Sweets and Santa by Rosie Pease
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the town of Heartwood Hollow, in Founder’s Park, there appears a santa’s grotto and it almost feels like it arrives overnight, but that isn’t the only mystery in Heartwood hollow, Joanie is a baker who only lets a few people in on her secret recipes and they are the ones who work in her bakery with her, Gina and Bryan, as she prepares for a busy season and a few extremely busy weeks. She arrives in her bakery early to prepare for the day and her first time being open at Christmas, she has an ambitious plan for all sorts of flavours of cookies, this is on top of her usual orders of muffins, scones and more cookies for afternoon teas at the local hotel. As the town prepares for the holiday season as well, the only thing missing is snow, even though it is cold enough for it, so as Joannie makes her deliveries, she listens to the town rumours from the business owners including that another of her matches is going to be getting engaged soon, thanks to her, it is a family trait that she can tell who will be good matches, she can feel the connections as they are made and also, that the school kids are saying that her muffins are good luck and that is why this particular delivery has increased and that she should prepare more orders for when their final exams are coming up, but at least that’s all the rumours about her say.

As Joanie and the team are preparing the cookies for the day and thinking about the rest of the week and the new recipes she is going to try, this is when she is reminded of the Christmas window decoration competition as Sarah, her from of house employee asks whether she knows what the theme is going to be, it turns out that she has too many ideas and needs to narrow it down when she goes to the store to buy what she needs in a couple of days, but seeing as it is her first year, it doesn’t have to be anything too exciting or hard. When Gina suggests Cookies for Santa, but with a twist and it is then that Joanie comes up with her idea. She also receives a all from the local hotel and is surprised and happy to find out that they want her to do another load of cookies for another upcoming afternoon tea, Joanie agrees saying that although the bakery will be shut, she will be there anyway to decorate the window, so she can happily do both.

Later on that day, a frazzled looking young man enters the store and asks if they have found his engagement ring while cleaning up, Joanie hasn’t, but says she will let the young man know if she finds it, but that she hopes he does. It turns out that it isn’t the only thing that has gone missing, other bits a pieces have disappeared around the town and just as mysteriously, she notices that some gnomes have appeared at around the same time, but they don’t just look like normal gnomes, it turns out that they randomly appear and have done for years, but nobody knows who does it, Joanie goes to the library to find out more a few days later and while doing this, she comes up with the missing piece of her window decoration and a new recipe to try to top it off. As it nears Christmas and the town festivities start properly kicking off, things keep disappearing and the gnomes move around, but who is behind it and will the missing things be found, or will the Christmas spirit and romantic escapades be lost?

This is a seasonal themed cozy mystery which is a lovely and wholesome read, it is full of good cheer and the baking is guaranteed to make your mouth water and crave something sweet at the same time!

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Revel by Alden Elway – Reviewed by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Revel (The Howl Series, #1)Revel by Alden Elway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Revel Finley is a twenty two year old woman who lives with her family in a large cabin in the woods near Kane, but she is also a werewolf shifter, she lives for being in the woods and running free in her wolf form, to embrace and be embraced by nature and everything she loves and she is careful about being seen, that is until she is by a hiker in the woods as she is hunting. When she decides to pluck up the courage to tell her brother, she realises that the guy who saw her is his coworker and not just that, he has told her brother before she gets the chance to and now he has to keep it to herself or she will bear the full brunt of her Alpha Soren’s rage. Revel makes up a lame excuse for being there when she steps out of the tree line and sees her brother and he says he will give her a lift home as he is about to leave, so they go up to his office so that he can grab some paperwork, she sees a family photo on his desk as she looks around the office and remembers the day it was taken and how her family had a run together and bonded strongly, especially with her twin Tristan, it is while she is reminiscing that she is introduced to his coworker, Jamie and her reaction to him is something she wasn’t prepared for in the slightest.

When they get home, they have a pack meeting to discuss the sighting of this wolf and what the consequences might be for the pack, the meeting turns to fear, raised voices and panicked questioning until Soren asserts his status and calms the pack members down, throughout all of this, Revel is trying not to show how guilty she feels for the whole situation and that she is the wolf who has been seen.

Finally, Soren puts out the order to stay away from the trails and roads, or there will be consequences, as well as stating that nobody should hunt alone, but when everyone else cowers to their alpha’s will, Revel finds that she is not as affected as she should be. When Soren later pulls Revel to one side and tells her that he wants her to hunt with her two younger twin brothers so that she can bring one down a few notches and the other up a few and build his confidence. As the three of them head out later on with Tristan in tow, they walk through the woods in wolf form until they smell a mountain lion nearby and decide it is time to teach Ethan a lesson, it all goes to plan until Ethan runs off scared and discovers something in the wood that he wasn’t prepared for. They find a piece of human remains and decide that they need to return home and tell Soren about it, but when they find out he has already left, they decide to keep it to themselves until he gets back.

A welcome distraction arrived with Revel getting a job at the local farmers market, helping to lift crates and other jobs most days of the week, but this is where she runs into Jamie more and cannot deny the attraction between them. As she has to keep it a secret, she struggles with lying to her family as she sneaks around and spends more time Jamie, it is about this time when a mysterious and handsome lone wandering wolf, Daniel comes to stay at the cabin, which is not unusual, but what is is that hikers begin to go missing and bodies start to be found around pack territory, this puts more pressure on Revel as she tries to hide more and more secrets from her family and the danger around them grows.

Will Revel’s secrets be revealed to the rest of the pack, or will the pack be able to work out who is killing the hikers and what will happen if they do? This is a romance with a dangerous edge and shows how mistakes can lead to dangerous paths and dire consequences, but also how strength can come out of it and show what people are really capable of. A riveting look at pack life and romance with the added twist of danger in is a story you will want to continue and finish once you have started it.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Santa Got Run Over by a Vampire (New Orleans Nocturnes Book 4) by Carrie Pulkinen – Reviewed by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Santa Got Run Over by a Vampire (New Orleans Nocturnes, #3.5)Santa Got Run Over by a Vampire by Carrie Pulkinen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jane Devereaux is finally getting her chance to drive Gaston’s baby around New Orleans and is relishing in this until she runs someone over, as she starts to panic and get Gaston to call for an ambulance, she learns that it isn’t just any old person she has run over and nearly killed, it is Santa, THE SANTA, he actually exists and not only that and now Jane has to make a choice, she has to turn him into a vampire, or destroy Christmas, not much of a choice really. After the deed is done and Santa has been turned, Jane and Gaston load Santa into his car and after some shock and amazement, she gets to ride Santa’s reindeer Blitzen home, this is something she will never forget.

The next day, she has to go and see the Magistrate of their coven and register her new fledgeling and start to deal with the consequences of her actions, this includes the explanation of why she had to sire him in the first place, but first she has to break the news to Santa that he is now a vampire and everything that goes with it, however, Santa seems a little off and won’t stop singing his versions of Christmas songs and asking constantly for sugary things to crave his thirst. After Santa’s registration they take Santa out for his first feed and to get his official license, but something is still off, this is where they all have to break the news to Mrs Claus, as well as this, she has the added bonus of her dad coming to visit for Christmas and she is going to have to break the news that she is a vampire, but more that that, is that she is also married and prepare herself to see her dad and face his reactions to her news! Jane only has three days to fix Santa and save Christmas, but can she do it in time, or at all?

This story is a christmas themed romp through New Orleans where mistakes are made and curveballs are thrown around like snowballs in a snowball fight and a read which will keep you reading until the end.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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The Last Playlist: A Sonic EpitaphThe Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

P.A Kane introduces the idea of playlists of music and what story they can and will tell you during their journey and he should know, he has been creating them for years and on all the available and changing media throughout this time, but it isn’t just something any old person can throw together and there are rules to be followed, but also bent and broken. As you read through this book, you are taken on a journey through the playlist Kane has created to document his life and the experiences and the stories associated with the songs contained within it.

The book begins with a description of what a playlist is and the fundamentals of creating one, the rules, the do’s and don’ts, as well as how they can be creatively and emotionally satisfying. It also documents how the availability of music, the technology he used and uses and his perspective have changed and adapted over the years too.

The rest of the book is a series of essays which are attached to specific songs, it is written as a memoir and goes into incredible detail, both within the experiences and other pieces of music which complement or contrast with the title song and why. The experiences described are positive and negative in nature and some are harder to read than others, but it is done in such a way that even the most negative are brought to us as a way to encourage awareness and provoke thought and conversation around the subjects.

This is a biography, but not your usual run of the mill one, this one is a legacy of a life filled with revelation and the most important aspect is the music described within, it makes you feel like you are living in the moment being described and takes you to places you may never have experienced yourself, there is something in it for everyone and leads you on a musical discovery all at the same time.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Aiko (Heartstrings Book 1) by Brooke May – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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AikoAiko by Brooke May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aiko is one of six assistants created by cupid to help out when his workload becomes too much for him on his own, they all have their talents, but Aiko is one who always messes up, from minor to major, plagues to the extermination of civilisations and everything in between, but Aiko now has a chance to make up for these past mistakes and times in exile. Alejandro Gomez is a man with everything, the looks, the job, the personality, but when it comes to women, he is clueless and can’t seem to get the girl he wants.

We first meet both Aiko as an observer and Alejandro having his heart broken, he is in full romance mode, mariachi outfit and all, but it still hasn’t worked. Shortly after this spectacle, Aiko is called home and summoned to a meeting with Cupid and his other assistants, where she is surprisingly given a new assignment and the others show their feelings when it is announced and not many of them are positive reminders of Aiko’s past disasters. When she receives the file, she realises that her new assignment is the man who she has just been observing, the irony is clear, but she is determined to be successful this time.

The time comes when Aiko has to introducer herself and it just so happens that he is looking for a new assistant and this is where she makes her presence known, but it is not all plain sailing even from the beginning and although positive things start to appear, they are quickly forgotten when the negative things start, but at least Aiko has a plan, even if Alejandro is not convinced that it is going to work. He is shocked and doesn’t want anything to do with Aiko, but when he realises that he is going to have no choice in the matter, he finally relents and agrees to Aiko’s help, albeit begrudgingly..

This is a story of romance and a cupid who has lost confidence in their abilities, it is a testament to second chances and making up for past mistakes, but what they are and what the consequences may be is a question only answered by reading the book to find out whether Aiko and Alejandro can work together to create a happy ending.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Urban Justice (A Chicago Vigilantes Novel Book 2) by India Kells – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Urban Justice (A Chicago Vigilantes Novel #2)Urban Justice by India Kells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this second installment of the Chicago Vigilantes novels it is the story of Sloane Friday, a fiery ex cop with bright pink hair and a chequered history, which is all being brought back to her as she takes her turn as the Vigilante, and continues the fight against the drug that is Phantom and it’s suppliers. The death toll is rising higher and the hospitals are full of patients who have been affected by Phantom, but have not succumbed to it’s deadly influence.

It begins underground with Luke Radcliffe doing some urban exploration in a familiar set of tunnels with a friend of his, that is until he gets sick of him complaining and offers him a get out clause, after he leaves, Luke continues on until he hears shouts and gunfire in the tunnels. Thinking quickly, he tries the door and when he finds it stuck, he goes to find an alternative entrance to the control room above, when he does, he finds the Vigilante facing off against three armed individuals and remembering his military background in the Marines, he takes a shot at the one who is creeping behind the Vigilante and then quickly makes his exit from the tunnels, just before he gets out, the Vigilante catches up with him and nods an acknowledgement before blending back into the shadows.

We next see Sloane removing the Vigilante suit at their command center and get’s a dressing down from her boss regarding her antics in the tunnels and how she isn’t invincible, but is still a vital member of the team and Sloane explains her thinking behind the risk and the consequences of her actions. This leads the conversation to her mystery saviour in the tunnels and whether they had found out who he is and what he was doing there, but the only shot of the license plate is unreadable and they are back to square one, however, they did discover that there was a professor at the local university, Professor Luke Radcliffe who knows a lot about the underground tunnels and may have an idea of whether they could be the way that the traffickers are moving the Phantom around.

The next day Sloane dons a wig and goes to the university to talk to the professor and attend one of his lectures, but first she decides to go to his office and have a look around, then realising the time, she leaves and heads to the lecture hall, but not before running into someone, they apologise to each other and head their own way thinking nothing more of the encounter, that is until they realise that they are in the same lecture hall. After the lecture has finished, Sloane stays back to talk to the professor and ask for his help, he politely declines, but Sloane leaves her card and asks him to contact her if he changes his mind. This is where Sloane and Friday meet for the first time, but as the situation changes and they realise that Luke is in more danger than he knows and that they will have to work together in order to attain the goals which they set themselves, this is where attraction and feelings come into play to make things just a little bit more complicated.

Will they be able to work together and successfully navigate the darkness surrounding them, or will the darkness separate and destroy them and those around them? This action packed thrill ride with a splash of romance added in, will leave you not wanting to put the book down until you know how it ends, another addictive installment without a doubt.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Yule Lads Legend: Iceland’s Jólasveinar by Heidi Herman – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Yule Lads Legend: Iceland's JolasveinarYule Lads Legend: Iceland’s Jolasveinar by Heidi Herman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of how thirteen troll brothers find that all the pranks, stealing of items and mischief that they are used to, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

When the first troll arrives and starts getting up to the same old mischief he always does, he is seen by a human and makes the boy a gift to persuade him to keep his secret, but when the boy does keep the troll’s secret and then the next morning finds the gift as well, he is happy.

The troll sees that the boy is happy with his gift and is confused to begin with, but when he feels happy as well and tells his brother troll’s what has happened, a chain reaction begins and a whole new world of happiness and smiles are brought into the troll’s world.

This is a lovely short story which is a modern take on an Icelandic Legend of The Yule Lads, it is a tale which shows that even something that starts off as selfish can be changed into something wonderful when done for the right reasons, it is a quick read and one which children and adults alike will enjoy.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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First, We Kill All the Lawyers by Seelie Kay – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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

We first meet Donovan Trait, a handsome, dashing and confident lawyer who has never lost a case and is known to many as the hottest lawyer in Chicago, he knows his legislation and he also knows his ways around a judge and jury, he is also a three hundred year old vampire. The case in question this time is the illegal seizure of goods and harassment by law enforcement of his clients, he wins again of course, but as he is heading away from the courtroom, a brief tryst with a judge afterwards and through the lunchtime rush in the streets surrounding it, he receives a text message which is out of the ordinary, but believes that it is just a friend playing one of their usual pranks, that is until he ends up in hospital after receiving a stab wound to the side and collapses in the street. He wakes up in the hospital and on an IV blood transfusion and to the dulcet tones of his secretary pretending to be his fiancee in order to access his hospital room to get his sorted and out, at least once he has spoken to the police first, luckily for him, the first one on the scene is one he knows and won’t ask too many questions about how he is already healing after receiving a wound which would kill a human.

Next we meet the mystery killer and find out that they are very disturbed by the fact that Donovan Tate isn’t dead and that there is no mention of this in the newspapers at all, she then decides to give it another try because her plan would not succeed unless he was the first one to die. After that, it would seem random as they would all be killed in different ways and by seemingly different people, she had written her list out and was determined to follow through with it and kill all the lawyers who had wronged her and her family in the past.

A couple of days later and Donovan is back in the courtroom and cross examining another witness, he again succeeds in this and after a visit to his sister, who discusses his behaviour both inside and outside the courtroom to try to glean some information about his latest conquest and why this one might be the one he settles down with, this as well as who may have it in for him within the professional boundaries. After he leaves another night of passion with his very human lady love, he gets in a taxi to go to court, but he is unnerved by the behaviour of his driver and so calls his friend in law enforcement to subtly check it out while he is being driven to work, it is just before his appearance that he decides to go to the bathroom to straighten out his suit when he is shot by a mystery woman and is again awoken by the dulcet tones of his secretary.

It is after this that he decides to stay out of the spotlight and lay low as this is being investigated and the killer is made to believe that he is at death’s door and in a private facility, this encourages her to move onto the next names on her list and as the bodies pile up and there are no more leads that things get more serious for everyone involved.

Will the dead lawyers stay dead or will the true nature of the victims come to light? Will the killer be found and caught, or will they do as they say and “Kill all the lawyers!”? This is a thriller with a dash of romance which will leave you guessing until the end and wanting to see who is committing all these dastardly deeds in Chicago, but the only way to find out who it is is to read on and find out.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Hunted by Sarah Biglow & Molly Zenk – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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HuntedHunted by Sarah Biglow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a tale of vampires and vampire hunters, two sets of people leading very different lives and each others lifelong enemies, but that is just most of the clans, however, the Heartsong Clan wants to change this perspective from one of violence to one of peace and coexistence, that is why they hold “Human vs Vampire” LARP reenactments so that humans can learn a bit about Vampire culture and then maybe chose to become one of them and this weekend is another of these events where humans and vampires mix together for a few days.

This book starts with Edith on her wedding day as she prepares to end her life, she has lost her love and sees nothing else to live for, she just wants to be with him, she is walking into the river with the stones in her pockets until someone calls to her from the bank, this person is Mr Heartsong, a vampire she knows from the VHA (Vampire Human Alliance) and he is trying to glamour her to convince her that Daniel would want her to continue to live and to be happy and also stop her from joining Daniel in death.

100 years to the day she turned, Edith is leading the LARP event with Hope and Angel her two daughters, they are just like any other family, apart from they are vampires and older than they look, as they man the booth where people sign up for the event, a young man, Caden comes to sit and chat with Parker, another vampire and the girls and it turns out he is there to help with the recruitment drive, Edith is initially reluctant to trust the young man, but decides to give him the benefit of the doubt when the girls say that they trust him with their lives, as does Parker. As the day goes on and more people sign up, they have their first “vampire” added to the list, Dan, he is friends with the girls and Caden and it seems that he wants to learn more about the vampire way of life.

Next we meet Darren who is Dan’s brother and only wants to chaperone him to the nerdy convention that his brother is interested in attending, but he feels uncomfortable as soon as he enters the building where he can’t tell the humans and the vampires apart and as a hunter, it is something that he hates. He realises that he has lost Dan in the crowds, but remembers that he spoke about going to meet some friends while there, but getting there that late in the day, Darren is a little worried about him and starts to stress out when he can no longer see him because of their history. Darren has intel that the Heartsong Clan are recruiting at the event and he prays that that isn’t why Dan is here, however, if he is, then it will be a great way to get some inside intel on the Clan while meeting his brothers friends.

This is where Edith and Darren come face to face and meet for the first time and although the insistent banging on her office door is giving her a migraine, she remains polite and as she opens the door, another wave of memories hit her. It is then that he asks to join in the LARP and reluctantly, Edith agrees and gives him a tour of where he will be staying for the weekend, as they do this, Edith explains the rules of the weekend and the game play, as well as what will happen and when. When they see a group with Dan in, Darren takes him to one side and they have an argument about why Dan is there and why he left Darren in the convention and neither of them is happy with the situation, but they both go to the dining room when the bell is sounded for the meal. It is later that night when Darren decides to go and check that Dan is alright that all hell breaks loose as the weekend takes a turn for the worse and this leads to Darrens worst fears, that Dan is in danger and he is realising that Edith is not like any other vampire he has ever met.

Will Dan and Darren be able to escape the convention, or will the vampires show their true natures? Will Edith be able to come to terms with the memories which are flooding back and be honest with herself and Darren and will he be able to be honest with her as they grow closer? The only way to find out is to read along and discover their revelations at the same time they do.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Bullet Theory (Dr Nolan Mills Book 1) by Sonya Jesus – Reviewed by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The Bullet Theory (Dr. Nolan Mills, #1)The Bullet Theory by Sonya Jesus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book starts with Eleanor Devero and Kace as they are recovering from the loss of their child and a look into Eleanor’s thought patterns and despair as she spirals further into the darkness in her mind as she thinks about their job and how it puts them in the line of fire and that is exactly why they have lost what they have lost, the scars are there from the physical healing her body has already been going through, but it is the psychological scars which are hitting her hardest at the moment and drawing away from Kace seems to be her only option to stop the pain she is going through, even though he is going through it too. As she remembers the scenario where she was injured, she keeps replaying it trying to figure out who would have done it to her and she cannot accept that the police have stopped investigating and left the case open as there were no clues or leads to follow anymore and that is when she started investigating everyone around her who might even be slightly related to the case, this is also why she is now on unpaid leave and is going to have to attend mandatory counselling sessions. Since the case has been put on the backburner and the case surrounding the Bullet Man has come in, all the focus has been on that and trying to find the proxy killer behind it, but there aren’t many leads to follow there either, or at least, none that are of any use, they are chasing their tails and the only thing turning up are bodies and solved crimes attached to them.

The Bullet Man in question has developed a theory that when a bullet and a tortured heart exist together, the only variable is opportunity and so he has set up an experiment to investigate just that, by choosing test subjects and interacting with them to build up a profile of whether his intervention would help them or not. Having the ability to do this experiment as part of his actual profession gives him access to possible candidates and the resources and ability to solve the unsolvable without bias.

As Eleanor enters the therapist’s office with Kace for her first session, on the outside, she is unkempt, unfocussed and unable to look them in the eye, she is just a mess and a ghost of her former self and that is just the tip of the iceberg, inside, she is hurt, guilty, angry and just a plain wreck of her former self, she also wants revenge. Kace is doing most of the talking though until he is asked to leave so that the two of them can start their individual session before moving onto joint sessions as a couple. After the session Kace asks how she got on and Eleanor explains her homework to him and this bring up more feelings to the surface that she would rather weren’t there, they then go to the precinct where she can start to work with Kace on the Bullet Man case and start to get her bearings back and Kace thinks that her insights could help them with solving the case, but with all that Eleanor knows about the Bullet Man, she only wants to hire him.

What Eleanor doesn’t realise is that the therapist who she has been sent to is the Bullet Man and that as she is trying to piece herself back together with his help, he is also studying her, but when things come to a head, will Eleanor be able to decide what to do and will she follow her instincts or run as far away as she can? This is a thriller with twists and turns which keep you guessing throughout and at the fast pace you will go through this book, it is well worth giving it your full attention.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Life’s a Witch: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy (New Orleans Nocturnes Book 3) by Carrie Pulkinen – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Life's a Witch (New Orleans Nocturnes, #3)Life’s a Witch by Carrie Pulkinen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of Crimson Oliver, a witch who just can’t catch a break with her magic and everytime she casts a spell, something goes wrong and Mike Cortez, a demon in rehabilitation who makes deals with the devil and owns a restaurant all at the same time.

The story starts with Crimson as she is about to go in front of the Council of Elders of her coven, which is in direct relation to her latest magical mishap. As the Council convenes and Rosemary takes her place as head priestess, she asks one of the other witches to read out the charges against Crimson which, if they are found to be true, will .end up with Crimson having her power bound and a life in exile away from other witches for the rest of her life and Crimson has no intention of letting that happen as she is not guilty of any of the charges and given the result of her questioning, it looks like that is exactly what will happen, that is until she invokes the goddess and the right to challenge the high priestess to a magic battle and the goddess deems that it shall go ahead, much to the amazement of the rest of the coven, especially Rosemary. It is decided that the two witches have one month to prepare for the challenge and the winner takes the role of High Priestess and the loser has their magic bound and must live in exile, but Crimson is sure that Rosemary only rules the coven without their respect and decides that there must be more to Rosemary than meets the eye and that she will both find out and win the challenge, all she has to do is practice, practice and practice some more.

Next we meet Mike as he is about to go to his meet with a group of like minded demons and remembers to take his angel cake with him, a way to sweeten the evening, he also knows that he is late with his freedom payment when his hand starts to burn and his spine tingle, a sign that the connection between himself and Satan is itching for it to be paid. As the meeting winds up, Mike heads back home, he passes a few guys who he could read and see whether there could be a deal to strike, but he figures that it isn’t worth sending Satan yet another testicle as payment of the deal, he already has enough of those! He also sensed no malice in them and as he normally only made deals with those who would already be damned anyway, he passes on the opportunity, however, as soon as he gets past the restaurant downstairs and into his apartment, Satan is waiting for him, although it isn’t because he is late on a payment it is because he has a job for him, he is in need of a new assistant as his jealous girlfriend has gotten rid of the last one and he will only accept a witch, if Mike can manage it, then he can be free, so now the only thing Mike has to do is find one.

As Crimson and Mike decide to go to the same bar for different reasons and unbeknown to the other, they run into each other and the old flame ignites between them, but soon they have to go their separate ways before one of them decides to do something they would regret. The pull between them is too strong and they decide that they want to see where things will lead, but there are mishaps along the way and when they talk about it, they accidentally make a deal and Mike manages to damn Crimson when she agrees to give her body and soul to the devil in exchange for winning the contest against Rosemary.

This is a romp from New Orleans to Hell and back again, but will everything turn out to plan, or will history repeat itself? The only way to find out is to join the ride and find out.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Blood of the Dragon (Relic Hunters Book 4) by Martin Ferguson – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Blood of the Dragon (Relic Hunters, #4)Blood of the Dragon by Martin Ferguson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book starts at the ruined Poenari Castle in Romania where it is pouring with rain and cold and a small group have gotten past the local armed forces guarding it and have managed to climb the seemingly endless staircase to get to it, it is rumoured to contain the long lost treasure hoard of an infamous Prince, but when they discover a couple of old coins in the ruins as well as an old silver chalice with an unusual engraving, they are hopeful that they will find it, but that is until all the lights go out around them and they are viciously attacked.

Forty years later, a Professor and friend of the leader of the Relic Hunters of the British Museum Charles, start to receive threatening phone calls and letters and their office and house are ransacked, they decide to call Charles and ask for his help, while in a taxi on their way to the museum, they are attacked by a masked man and his mercenaries. They are nearly rammed off the road multiple times, they are peppered with gunfire and when the taxi is finally overturned and they are dragged from it with a gun pressed to their head, just in the nick of time, Adam and Emma of the hunters come to their rescue and take them to the museum after Charles received their messages for aid.

As the trio enter the museum, the Professor is astounded to see the part of the underground area of the Museum they are being led through, but are not happy when they find out that Charles isn’t there, but are happy to find out that the team will still help them. As the Professor explains what the people were after her for, it turns out that it is the diary of one of those attacked in Romania and that she bought through an auction, after it had finally been made public. As its contents are revealed and the location within it are discussed, the team come to a decision to go to the castle in question with the Professor and help them that they will set off there as soon as they are ready, but this is where the danger starts, secrets are revealed and paths cross in a most mysterious way.

This is yet another fantastic installment in the Relic Hunters series and one full of twists, turns, mysteries and action which well and truly sucks you in, but will the Hunters be able to overcome their latest adversary or will this plea for help be one they can’t fulfil?

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Night Justice (A Chicago Vigilantes Novel Book 1) by India Kells – Reviewed by Roxsanne Lesieur..

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Night JusticeNight Justice by India Kells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is only suitable for those over 18 due to it’s grapgic nature.

This is a story about a vigilante and a reporter, who will stop at nothing to defend the city they love, but they do it in rather different ways, The Vigilante is an underground protector who uses less than legal ways to deal out justice and the reporter Orla Karlsen works with the law to bring justice through the written word. We start the story with some background of how the Vigilante was created by a group of disillusioned friends and used their skills and abilities to dispense justice in the here and now while also recovering from a loss which tore them open and that one of this group of friends is the Vigilante five years later in Chicago.

Next Orla is introduced while she is shouting at an intern for making her nearly spill her coffee and talking to her fellow journalist and friend Kelli about the story she is trying to write about the Vigilante and how she is frustrated because she isn’t making any headway with it because there are so many differing opinions and conflicting information out there, but she is determined to carry on investigating regardless and at the same time, she will be finding out about a deadly new hallucinogenic drug called Phantom which is about to hit the streets of Chicago and from what she has heard, that is the last thing that she wants to happen to the place she calls home. Orla decides that she needs to talk to some of her sources and goes to see one of them and find out what he knows, so she heads to a more dangerous area of town to his house to find him, he reveals that he isn’t in the network to sell it, but that she really shouldn’t be poking her nose around trying to find out about it, it is dangerous stuff and the people who are going to be dealing with it are smart, organised and extremely dangerous. He also reveals that it isn’t just the mafia who were in the running, a number of people flew out to Europe to bid for it including some MC’s. He directs her to go see Damon Evans, the president of a local MC who might be able to give her some more information, so saying goodbye she leaves for the next step in her investigation, she feels like she is being followed, however, she has no idea that it is the Vigilate himself tailing her.

Next we join the Vigilante who is training and is working hard at it, managing to finally put an end to the match by using speed rather than brawn, he is then told that they all need to meet with the guy in charge and discuss what Orla did the night before and who she met up with. As he is reporting his finds and discussing Orla with the team, he is not just thinking with his head when it comes to her, he also finds her attractive to say the least, however, he tries to keep his head in the game and reports that she is definitely investigating Phantom from what he managed to hear and that coupled with other information they have gained themselves, they know that the distributors will be limited and the recipe kept a secret. They all know that it is only a matter of time until it starts to kill people and that Orla is still their best bet for finding the source, so it is agreed that they will keep tailing her, with some technical back up if needed, but that they still need to stay under the radar and that it will be even more difficult to stay that way with Orla on the case as well, so he decided to do a bit of digging about her himself, but this may have been a bad idea as he develops even more of an admiration for her than he had before.

The next day Orla can still sense that she is being followed and doesn’t like it, so she decided to go to work and act as if nothing was out of the ordinary, later on she goes home to change and go to see Damon, at the El Diablo bar, a strip club filled with bikers and topless females, so taking a deep breath and settling into her adrenaline spike, she goes into the bar and talks to the bartender, at least once she gets past the bouncer outside. She asks whether Damon is in the club and what the best way is to get the attention of him and his bikers and taking his advice, she orders drinks and lap dancers for the group and asks for a card with a question on the back for the man in question, this gets his attention and as they are discussing that it may not be the best idea to threaten those around her on their turf, this as well as Phantom and how he lost the bid for it, she asks for some more information about who did. This is until there is a burst of gunfire and the next thing she knows is that he has been swung over the other side of the bar as she escapes to the outside through the back entrance, it is then that she is saved by the Vigilante and where as he helps her to escape, he tells her to run, but she is more interested in questioning him and as a distraction is planned and produced, he grabs her and takes her for an unplanned car chase on the back of a motorcycle.

When it is safe, he leaves her in a slightly less dangerous area and after questioning her about what she was doing at the bar and what she knows, when he realises it is nothing new, he leaves, but Orla has other ideas and calls in a favour to get Damon’s number, when she gets it, she gives him a call and he suggests meeting up for breakfast, Orla agrees and gets a taxi home. When she arrives back she checks her mailbox and discovers an unknown car key, this leads her down to the apartment complex’s basement where she finds the Viglante has parked a car in her space, it turns out that the distraction was her car blowing up and that this is the compensation for it, but this meeting leads to one sexual experience that neither of them will be able to forget in a hurry.

As the light of dawn breaks and they go their separate ways, they both realise that they are going to have to work together to stop this menace, but will they be able to put their feelings aside, or will it lead to a disaster which could endanger the entire city? Will they be able to find out what they need to in time, or will Phantom start to destroy all that they love? The only way to find out is to read it all and find out whether you will be sucked in as much as I was.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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City Without A Sun (Vampire State Book 2) by Alexander Charalambides – Reviewed by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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City Without A Sun (Vampire State, #2)City Without A Sun by Alexander Charalambides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the next installment of the Vampire State books and it is just as good as the first book, it is full of twists and turns with everything being still in shades of grey and black and as confusing as ever when we rejoin Rowena and Vincenzo as they are getting to grips with their new life living together away from their families in an apartment in one of the Pale areas of the city. It is raining the usual black rain and Rowena is slowly getting used to the different light levels in daytime and nighttime in the city without a sun. She is waiting for Vincenzo to come home, so while she is waiting she checks in on her dad to see how he is finding life as a Pale since he became a citizen, he is enjoying it and the lifestyle and the perks of being a Pale and a politician, he asks after them and then hangs up and by this time Vincenzo is home. They have some toast and settle in to talk about his day and look at the news channels sitting on the sofa together, this includes the backlash from their recent legalisation of citizenship without having to become a Pale, they also discuss Flavius Fortis and the ULA and how they are gaining popularity since the vote, it is looking like they are stirring the pot and blaming it on the humans and the Prince of Kemet and his upcoming trip to Sanguinia.

The next morning Rowena heads out to start her new job at Gargoyle, a Sanguinian news network as their first human contributor which Vincenzo has pulled some strings to get her, she is nervous and sets of early to get there on time and it is a good things she did as she gets slowed down by a protest on the highway, as she is passing by she sees the officers dragging away a sign saying “Honor and Virtue”, but does not dwell on it while she is too stressed out about her first day. When she gets there she decides to give everyone who works there the benefit of the doubt, so she starts this with the Pale on reception whom she asks where to go to get to the offices and when she gets there, she is directed to the editor’s office by another Pale Ernesto. When she meets Corsi she is dismissed after a short introduction to her role at the paper and follows Ernesto to where her new office will be, which is an unusual thing for a new hire, she is told it is because she is famous, yet another thing for her to think about later on. Not surprisingly, there is a post it note with her login details on so that she can access her computer, so when that is done and remembering that part of her role will be on the screen as a presenter, she decides to go and explore the other floors of the building and meet some of the people she’ll be presenting the shows with.

It is busy on the floor she needs, there are Pale’s everywhere with clipboards, headsets and microphones, as well as other equipment, so Rowena passes by the editing suites until she finds the main broadcast room and Titus Serverus, the Pale she will be on screen with, he shows her round the room and warns her about the producer and then as it is lunch time, she asks to join him and ask him more questions about himself and Gargoyle. After Titus excuses himself and Rowena finished exploring, it seems like a good first day and after a few weeks of settling into the job and writing some articles, it is time for her first televised debate against Titus and just before they go on air, Titus leans in closely, covers her microphone and threatens her, he is hoping to throw her off her game and he almost does, but Rowena holds her own and manages to get through the debate and decides that the way she can win against him and others with the same viewpoint is to keep her job and as Titus corners her after the debate, she tells him just that and no matter what he says, she will do things on her own terms. It is when she speaks to Vincenzo about the experience and he didn’t think it was as bad as she thought, although he was supportive, she still ended up angry at the world, her position in it and him and the knowledge that she still had to go back to Gargoyle despite that. It is when she is pulled into Corsi’s office and is told that there have been complaints made about her from the public that she knows her suspicions were dead on and that the only thing she can do is to take a leap and say that she can get an interview with the only other thing that the current news networks are craving, the Prince of Kemet and now she just has to put a plan together to get it.

Has Rowena dug herself a hole which is too deep for her to dig herself out of? Will she survive this next round of political intrigue and will she still be able to stay her individual self? Only by reading the book can these questions be answered.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Vampire State (Vampire State Book 1) by Alexander Charalambides – Reviewed by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Vampire StateVampire State by Alexander Charalambides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is all about fitting in, or is it more not fitting in? This is what Rowena is thinking about, she lives at home with her mum, her dad is a volunteer in the armed forces and she is attending school in her home in Estovia, a place of natural beauty, covered in pine forests with bright sunshine which has been invaded by the Sanguinians. They have grey skin, yellow eyes and pointy ears and they look like something out of a nightmare, but this is no nightmare, it is her reality and it is about to change again, when she returns home from school where she is already feeling oppressed by them, they have changed her school to force them to engage with the Sanguinian curriculum and they watch over them like hawks and when they are old enough, they are drafted into their army.

When Rowena’s mum picks her up from school, something is different and Rowena has to remind her mum about the rules the Sanguinians have put into place and when they get to their house, the black cars which are parked in her driveway mean her mum says to stay in their car until she knows what is going on, but when she says it is safe to come in, but to be careful, then she is extra aware of her surroundings. When Rowena goes in though, she is surprised to see that her father has returned home and he isn’t alone, he is accompanied by a Pale called Legatus Valtiere, it turns out that her dad has saved his life and that they are being given the opportunity to live as his guests in Sanguinia with the added bonus of the opportunity to become citizens of Sanguinia as well. Rowena and her mother are extremely surprised by this news and ask the Legatus for some time to think about his offer and discuss it as a family, especially as becoming a citizen means that they must become Pales themselves, her dad is all for it, but her mum isn’t, but she knows how it will end and resigns herself to the fact that they will be leaving everything she knows for a land which she knows nothing about.

As they pack up their belongings and are taken to the underground train, Rowena is very aware that she hasn’t been able to sleep, but is determined to look on the bright side and the fact that this move will be a lot of firsts, this includes the underground train, she can only tell when daylight ends and night begins by the clock in the carriage, they are the only ones in there, but she can’t sleep, unlike her parents. As she looks out of the window, she gets her first glimpse of the city without a sun and can understand now why it is called that, everything is in shades of black and grey and there are giant columns of smoke which have merged with the storm in the sky. As they leave the station, they are picked up by Quintus, a human who serves the Legatus and are taken via the scenic route to their new home, where they learn a bit more about the family of the Legatus, some of the traditions in Sanguinian society and what some of the more important buildings are. Later on in the evening, Rowena hears someone in the house and goes to investigate, it turns out that it is the Legatus’s son and he has come to take some photographs of the view now that he won’t be staying in the house again, Rowena politely asks him to leave and then tries to get some sleep.

It is the next day when the Legatus and his family arrive with servants in tow for a meal with Rowena’s family to talk more about thor way of life, this is when she officially meets Vincenzo, the Legatus’s son and as their parents start to discuss things, they are allowed to leave so that Vincenzo can go and attend to something, he takes Rowena with him and they see a whole different side to the city revealed, as is the fact that Vincenzo is something of a revolutionary in his spare time, but after a few days pass, nore of the attitudes of the Pale’s is revealed and through circumstances out of her control she meets Luka who is another revolutionary, but a completely different one to Vincenzo and has some rather illegal and dangerous ways to get his message across.

This is where Rowena discovers the reality of being a human in Sanguinia, the dangers associated with it and what the Pale’s really think of them, so as well as having to make the decision of whether to go through with citizenship or not, she also has to contend with a decision between the two men she has met and when the Emperor Dominus and his underlings throw their weight around in the background, will the pressure become too much, or will Rowena be able to stay herself and remain an inidividual?

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Shift Happens: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy (New Orleans Nocturnes Book 2) by Carrie Pulkinen – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Shift Happens (New Orleans Nocturnes, #2)Shift Happens by Carrie Pulkinen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a romance with a bit of something extra, a dash of fur and fangs set in New Orleans and the French Quarter. Sophie Burroughs is a lady who loves animals, she has a dog walking business, a grandmother who was a witch and the who would love nothing more than to be one too and a best friend who is a vampire, but she also wants to get together for a night of passion with a werewolf. Trace Thibodeaux just happens to be a werewolf trying to find his best friend and relive his pack from the curse that they have been under since he disappeared, he is tall, handsome with a bad boy attitude and he doesn’t want to make repeat mistakes while trying to do this.

We meet sophie when she is with her best friend Jane trying desperately to work a spell to get a stain out of her shirt which was written by her grandma in her grimoire, but try as she might and in various states of undress, she is not succeeding, so when the frustration of it all gets to her and she shoves the grimoire to the floor, the last thing she was expecting to hear was that Jane had found a prophecy on the last page of the grimoire. Thinking that it was about her deceased dad on first glance, but when they read through it again, Jane realises that it’s actually about Sophie and that some parts of it have already happened, she has arrived in New Orleans and the other day a werewolf bit her at a halloween party! It is the next couple of lines which are both ominous and strange, but no more ominous or strange as her not being able to join the local coven and there being no uproar about the bite in the first place when it is illegal.

Trace is following Sophie, she is under surveillance by the pack because they think she is the one who is forcing the shifters to uncontrollably change form one form to the other and as one of the only unregistered witch, she is the most likely culprit, especially when he sees her walking 5 male dogs together on leashes, but he cannot hide the feelings her scent triggers in him, which is why he bit her in the first place at the party and he can already smell his scent mixing with hers as the transition to werewolf is starting, which is a massive problem and he has to rectify it because if she does complete the transition, her inborn ability with animals will make her a strong wolf and a risk with her ability to possibly control other alpha’s. He cannot ignore his feelings no matter how hard he tries and while he is following her as she finishes her rounds and drops the dogs off home, he nearly loses her, but sees her going into a coffee shop.

Sophie enters the cafe, she has had the feeling that someone was watching her, but couldn’t see anyone there, however, and thinks about the guy from the party, why the witches won’t help her and how this coffee shop is run by a witch, but she hasn’t yet broached the subject with er, however, she is jolted from these trains of thought when she sees Trace outside the window, she forgets all about the coffee and goes outside to find him. She doesn’t find him, however, she does find a dog in a muddy pothole and thinking it might be lost, decides to take him home to give it a bath and look for it’s owner the next day. What she doesn’t know is that it actually is Trace and that he has been forced to shift into his wolf form and that she is going to take full advantage of this opportunity to go into Sophie’s house and look for his friend, but the plan backfires on both of them when he shifts back and Sophie has to call in Jane as a reinforcement.

What will this pair do now, will they be able to resist their urges, or will they be torn apart by the two worlds they live in?

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Grumbler’s Ride: Satan’s Devils MC San Diego #2 by Manda Mellett – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Grumbler's Ride (Satan's Devils MC San Diego #2)Grumbler’s Ride by Manda Mellett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book for those over 18 only due to it’s graphic nature.

This is another fantastic installment of the Satan’s Devils MC series, this one is again based in San Diego and this one is Grumbler’s story, Grumbler is a man full of tattoos and his bike is his pride and joy, he has customised it completely and is always looking to improve it, but it is known in the club as his old lady!

We begin the story with Grumbler going for another tattoo in the club’s shop, he had a patch of skin to fill and now it is done, he has a skull smoking a cigarette as a tribute to his friend Smoker who has recently passed away and is really happy with the result. He reminisces about Smoker, as he leaves the shop and as he is walking towards his motorcycle, he thinks about how he spends his money on her and the crash he recently had which damaged it and broke his leg in the process and how it is still paining him now. He hears someone shouting as he is preparing to drive off and doesn’t realise it is at him, until he takes his helmet off and sees someone running towards him. It turns out that his bike has caught the eye of a photographer and he wants to take some pictures of it, he introduces himself as Devon Starr and uses flattery to try and get Grumbler to agree to let him do the photos, at first, Grumbler is wary and thinks that it may be too good to be true, but pride takes over when he thinks that it could be used on a motorcycle magazine or book and as he hashes out a deal with Devon, he is told that it would be for the cover of an MC romance novel and that his bike is the focus, not him, but he is thinking about how doing nothing and getting paid for it sounds like a good idea, so he gives Devon his number and that is the end of that.

When we next see Grumbler, it is in church where they are discussing the club businesses and how they are doing financially, as well as other business around the other club chapters around the country, this flows as usual and decisions are made, it leads to Grumbler reminiscing about the club’s past and the troubles they had, as well as troubles with another chapter, as well the members within the chapter they had trouble with. It also leads him to reminisce more about how a fellow member Niran had to help him with his role as Sergeant At Arms, as well as becoming close when he helped him to recover from his injuries, with his experience with living with an injured leg as Niran had lost one of his. He talks to Niran after church has finished and discusses the stock check and that he is trying to get the other members to log when they take anything out, but that they aren’t inclined to do it, to which they have a laugh about it. Grumbler goes to have a drink at the club bar as the club gets louder and the girls start to settle into the evenings activities, he looks around and thinks about how they are all sexy, but too young for him. He is propositioned by one of the girls, but decided to pass as he is feeling his age and isn’t as interested as he used to be in his younger days, he also thinks some more about his younger days, Smoker and how his Prez had found his old lady, he decides to go for a ride to get out of his own head before an early night.

The next day, he gets up early and goes down for some breakfast and conversation, he talks about the club’s Prez and his old lady looking for a house and how he will miss it when they go, mainly because her cooking has improved the standard of the food in the clubhouse. He discusses his plan for the day and decides to go to the harley store to see if there is anything new for his bike, when he gets a message from the photographer asking if he is free at three that afternoon to do the photoshoot, he agrees and then heads off with Niran to the store where they drink coffee, have a chat with the other customers and but what they want. As Niran leaves in one direction, Grumbler heads back to the club for a bite to eat before heading out to the photoshoot, he is the first to get there, followed by a young lady and her mum, the photographer and finally the male model. As the shoot is happening, Grumbler ends up talking to Mary who is the girl’s mum, they both shout when the models do something they don’t like and they bond a bit over it, soon enough the shoot ends and as all the parties say goodbye, they think nothing more about it until Grumbler finds out a couple of months later that the photographs have been used, but he hasn’t received his payment and this is where the story really gets going.

As Grumbler and Mary get back into contact with each other, they realise something is a bit fishy, but what they are getting themselves into, nobody was expecting or prepared for and what they find leads their paths to intertwine in a surprising way. What will the future hold for the two and will it all end in misery? The only way to find out is to read along and see!

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Journeys Through SpaceTime (Journeys Through Book 1) by James Talisman – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Journeys Through SpaceTimeJourneys Through SpaceTime by James Talisman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a story which spreads across multiple times and communities within the Multiverse where a chosen few are gifted with the ability to hear an ethereal voice and given special training from a group of Masters of Esoteric Wisdom. The chosen are of all different walks of life, from a beautiful Queen, to a soldier and a student, but all with the same mission to improve the world in a way that only they can. The book starts by introducing these teachers and the All-That-Is when they all gather in an auditorium where a beautiful and ethereal being of light and colour appears to spread a message of love and instruct them on the teachings that they are to give to their students.

In the next chapter, we meet these chosen people, starting in the Critonian Empire where Cassius is about to become embroiled in the next battle with their neighbouring empire, as he is in the melee of swords clashing on shield and bloody violence on both sides. As he is preparing himself, he thinks of the battle and why they are fighting in the first place, questioning where the need is for this senseless killing at all, he then experiences a voice telling him that they will return soon and to not forget the lessons that he has learned and that he will survive what is to come, he then briefly blacks out and when he comes to, his friend is protecting him and he finishes the battle which they win in the end. As Cassius celebrates their victory, he cannot help but wonder who the voice was and what the message it gave him meant.

We next go to Earth where Matt is doing his martial arts training with his friend Dan and it is during the cool down laps of the building where he experiences a voice telling him that they must leave, but that he must remember the lessons from his past and it is important that he does so but that they will return to him, he also then proceeds to black out. When he comes round, Dan is concerned about him but Matt ensures him that he is ok, Dan says it is because he hit him too hard in training, to which Matt responds that it seemed to be him who was taking more hits, all this is said in friendly banter.

We then meet Queen Neferities, a beautiful and fair ruler as she is sat on her palace balcony and watching the world go by while thinking how beautiful her country is and how the society she has helped to create is a wonderful place to exist, while also being a place that pays homage to it’s past with monuments is has placed throughout the city. She reminisces about her father and how he helped her to develop her interest in engineering and the sciences when she was a child so that she could develop her skills of understanding the complexities around them. This is as well as being taught the Esoteric Wisdom and the ancient teachings around reality and the Alchemy of Mind associated with it. She then passes the day meeting with her advisors and eating with them until she returns to her balcony to meditate on the knowledge gained and to plan her actions the next day. As she begins her meditation, she journeys to the internal space where she is at complete peace and can think about all that she has experienced during her day, it is during this meditation that she feels that someone has entered her chambers and it is her most trusted servant to tell her that her bath is ready. She enters the bath and proceeds to bathe and be washed by her two female attendants, just as she decides to enter the soaking bath, she feels dizzy and blacks out, this is when she hears the voice tell her that it must leave for a while and that she should remember her teachings and that she will need them to face the coming evil. She is then pulled from the bath by her attendants and decides to retire to bed where she can rest and think on what happened.

Next, the Co-Councillor of the United Commons of Eurotopia Rashella is thinking of all the progress her people have made over the years to become a peaceful community to work together and share the resources available to them while looking after the planet they live on and those within their solar system which they travel to. They are beginning to think about furthering this travel and have begun working with another peaceful culture, the Andotians to work together and further each of their technologies by sharing information and experience, this includes defensive as well as offensive technologies due to the realistic possibility that not all spacefaring cultures will be as peaceful as they are and that the need to defend themselves against this possibility is essential. Their culture is based upon the Esoteric Wisdom passed down to their elders by alien sources and has been essential in building the structure of the beliefs which created the society they live in today. As the meeting with the Andotians comes to a close, they agree to go for drinks after and Rashella goes to her apartment to change and meet her husband who goes to the meet up with her. It is during the meal, drinks and conversation that she blacks out and hears the voice in her head saying that she will be alone for a while, that she must ensure that Eurotopia continues as it is and that it is an experiment of the most successful kind. After this experience, Rashella and her husband leave the event and go back home.

In this next part, we meet Hirisho in Hydosito prefecture where he is sitting on a mountain top and looking over the valley where he lives to escape from his duties in the Shogun Lyshido’s elite troops within his army, for which he was chosen when he demonstrated his skills while exhibiting a sword made by his father on the Shogun’s visit to his village twenty years before. He goes back to his barracks to sleep and wakes up refreshed and ready for the days training with the rest of the elite troops. They complete the morning warm up and training where they are all shown the basic moves for the weapon they will be training with that day and he is matched with someone of equal experience, stature and skill so it is a taxing training session and good workout, this is until he hears the ringing in his ears and blacks out. The voice he hears when this happens tells him to continue on the path which he has forged and that he is ready for the next level of his training and that it will be back soon. His training partner helps him up and asks him if he is alright, Hirisho replies that he is and he is thankful that he didn’t hit him in the head.

The final chosen one is a resident on Elipsson, a desert planet with heat and cold which goes with it, as well as the limited resources left on it, this leads to the factions living on the planet being in a constant state of war and this makes this reptilian humanoid race a very violent one. A hundred years before, a spacecraft crashed onto the planet and it is this that has enabled the Elipsson culture to reverse engineer its technology to improve their technology and make them the ruling faction on the panet. It is the summer solstice and time for their highest ritual, the Hecatomb Ritual and the celebration which follows it, we meet Tyson in the middle of his work day where he is going to the baths to soak in the cool water and escape from the heat, while there, he is thinking about the night’s ritual and whether it is really necessary or whether it is an archaic ritual which shouldn’t have a place in today’s society. The soaks in the bath enable Tysson to meditate and think about the things within his culture which he doesn’t agree with, he starts to discuss this with his friend, he blacks out and hears the voice telling him that it will be away for a while, but that he should continue on the journey he has chosen and that his progress has been a pleasure to observe, after he comes back around, he realises that his friend has stopped him from drowning and they decide to call it a day and get out of the pools.

What will the future hold for these individuals and how will their paths develop over time? Will they be able to learn all the things they need to in time, or will time run out for them? The only way to find out is to follow them on their journey’s and find out.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Sanctuary Chronicles Box Set – Book 1-3 + Novella by India Kells – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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The Sanctuary Chronicles Box Set - Book 1-3 + NovellaThe Sanctuary Chronicles Box Set – Book 1-3 + Novella by India Kells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Please see the individual books for a full review.

This boxset of the first three books in the Sanctuary Chronicles and a bonus novella where the lives of three childhood friends Valeria, Sera and Violet are full of magic, but there are both seen and unseen dangers around them as dark magic threatens their lives. They each have their hopes and fears and as each has to face them, they discover that it is not only witches who are around, werewolves, vampires abound and the only place which is safe for them all is Sanctuary, but is it even safe there?

Book one, Broken Magic sees Valeria struggling to come to terms with the magic she has known all of her life breaking and becoming destructive after being cursed while on a hunt, but the werewolf who swears that at the same time, she killed his sister, what the future holds is the one question which they cannot predict.

Book two, Blind Magic follows Sera as her worst fears come to pass and she loses her sight completely, but the past she was trying to leave behind is insisting on following her when dark magic threatens to take her away from her beloved books and research and the only one who can help her doesn’t even want to be in the same room as her, but will Sera be able to overcome her past to assure her future?

Book three, Dead Magic follows Violet, a witch with flaming red hair and a fiery attitude to match and Finn, one of the oldest vampires around. As Finn makes the decision to end his long life, fall into oblivion and end the loneliness which surrounds him, he hears a distressed call from Violet a pull to help her which he can’t resist, but when this threat to her life is from dark magic, Finn needs to decide whether to give in to the temptation this witch holds for him, or leave it all behind for oblivion. Will darkness or light triumph over this unlikely pairing or is life or death the final outcome?

The novella Hidden Magic is the story of Kat and Brant, a human and a shifter who’s secret relationship is anything but ordinary, between him being a werelynx and her having telepathic powers, there is always magic in the air, but as christmas approaches and love is in the air, is the darkness from Kat’s path about to catch up to her, or will christmas be the time of magic and celebration it is meant to be?

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Bonds That Beckon (Daughters of Anubis Book 1) by Kelli Kimble – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Bonds that Beckon (Daughters of Anubis, #1)Bonds that Beckon by Kelli Kimble
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a story of acceptance, belonging and how not belonging can cause a lot of trouble, both for the individual and those around them.

Iris has just moved to Salvation with her parents, it is a close knit community where everyone knows everyone else, they have a close bond with each other and will do anything to protect what they have. She is seventeen and wants a normal life, but she just doesn’t fit in no matter how much she tries and history is repeating itself as usual when being different isn’t something any teenager wants.

Then one day as she is cycling home from school, she gets a flat tire, as she is deciding to walk home with it and dreading it, she is approached by a stranger in a flatbed truck who offers her a lift home, as she is considering the offer, the man introduces himself as Mr Anu and he won’t take no for an answer, so Iris accepts his offer and as they speak during the drive, Mr Anu asks whether there are any local boys who would like to help him out at his farm, Iris says she will ask, although not having friends is going to make that difficult, she gets the details of the offer and after Mr Anu drops Iris off at the corner of her street, she thanks him and starts to head home.

The next thing she knows is that another truck pulls alongside her filled with some of the local boys and one in particular insists on helping her with her bicycle, he is rather pushy and again, doesn’t take no for an answer. Iris escapes by going inside, but he hangs outside the house holding her bicycle until her father arrives home, starts making polite conversation and gets himself an invite to dinner. Over dinner Iris is feeling more and more uncomfortable and is trying to be polite until Gary leaves, but not without making her feel as uncomfortable as it gets.

As Iris is trying to tell her parents what happened, she is dismissed as not being polite and heaving no manners, but talk moves onto college and her future, but her father says that she shouldn’t go to college, but get a job instead and settle down, this is where Iris has the idea to take on the work at Mr Anu’s farm and her parents agree to it, although they aren’t impressed when they find out what kind of works she is doing. As Iris finds that she is happiest when working for and with Mr Anu, he talks about his past and her own past and herself, these questions lead to an unforeseen answer to why she feels different and in the meantime, at school Gary is becoming more pushy and still not taking no for an answer.

This is where things take a turn for the worse and the town’s loyalties come to the fore when Iris makes a choice with terrible consequences and the whole town bands against her and her family. What will happen to Iris and her family, are the consequences she faces going to impact others as well as herself? Will the town ever leave them alone and will this new knowledge about her past and future become a part of her and those around her, or rip her world apart?

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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War of the Damned (Relic Hunters) by Martin Ferguson – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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War of the Damned (Relic Hunters, #3)War of the Damned by Martin Ferguson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book starts off with Adam Hunter with his friend Duncan getting up to their old tricks in Oxfordshire and at the same time giving someone their comeuppance for short changing people and other illegal actions. Using some of the teams technology in tandem with a load of fireworks, the plan comes together and they manage to escape from the guilty parties security as well as the police, as some hidden knowledge and confessions are live streamed to the public domain. A good deed completed for a friend in a not so legal manner.

Next we join Adam back at the museum, where they have been called in, although getting around isn’t easy while the repairs are still ongoing after the last attack. Adam goes to find his brother in his sanctuary within the walls and they discuss their mum, Matt’s injury and pregnant girlfriend, where he is waylaid to go to another area of the museum to find Emma and tell her about the meeting. When Charles enters the room, all of the team are happy to see him up and about, although he isn’t at full strength, he is happy to see them too. He explains that he has to go to an inquiry into the events which had just come to pass, but that they had to go on another mission for the museum. This one involves going up to Scotland, to go and investigate a U Boat which a dredging team have found, when they get there, they find it in pristine condition, but also the appearance of a battle being fought inside, this is as well as a mysterious relic and a team of mercenaries.

This relic is about to lead them on a chase through Europe to uncover a hidden past and all the while trying to outwit and track the mercenaries on their tails, but there are going to be more than mercenaries to contend with, as ghosts of both Europe and the teams pasts are going to become real and present concerns. These ghosts are unrelenting and hidden in the darkest tunnels, beneath a seemingly inconspicuous area of Germany, the trail they are following is one of the most well known mysteries of the Second World War and they will need all their skills and teamwork to follow it until the end, but whether that will be one of light or darkness, only the damned know.

This next installment of the Relic Hunters story is just as gripping and full of fast paced action as the last ones and definitely not one to miss.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Soul’s Day Boxset: Horror and Paranormal Halloween Anthology – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Soul's Day Boxset: Horror and Paranormal Halloween ThemeSoul’s Day Boxset: Horror and Paranormal Halloween Theme by Erin Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a compilation of tales of the paranormal and horror variety, it is all themed around All Hallows Eve, or Halloween to most.

The stories in this set range from the view of death from the viewpoint of the living in a mortuary, a haunted house which kills those who enter it in a gruesome manner to a necromancer making tough choices in order to survive.

It also includes the romance between a shifter and a witch in a town surrounded in danger and intrigue where revelations can become life threatening and a teenager in need of training and aid is coming out of hiding and discovering that she is more talented she thought and also more dangerous, but will she be able to juggle life’s challenges or become the danger everyone fears?

The discovery of a dead body which looks like an ancient mummy is only the start of this violent and graphic story for those over 18 only and a woman on a mission to avenge the deaths of ghosts she can see attached to the living, but only after the questions she has have been answered, but how did she become like this and how does she get her answers? Only she knows that.

Next is the Karma Karnival but it isn’t all candyfloss and corn dogs, this is a Karnival with a twist, it is where those who have died learn where they will spend their death, but where this will be only the newly arrived Lord and Lady Karma know as they repent for Lord Karma’s sins .

It also contains the story of the Night Ranger as he waits to capture the last four souls he owes so that he can remove the curse placed upon him, but will he get them, or will another deal be struck in its place?

It’s Halloween night and Kris cannot sleep, but when she hears a scream ringing out and intruders in her idyllic home, can she and her husband survive the night or will these intruders be more than he can handle?

A woman has surgery to see and hear again, but as Halloween approaches, was this surgery the best idea, or will she be lost to her new world of sights and sounds? The woods at the edge of town seem to be the perfect place to play a game of dungeons and dragons, but will this group of boys survive the game when their Dungeon Master is an estranged classmate with a plan?

A forest guardian filled with spirits and a knight with magically powered swords clash, but does their future lie together and alive or separate and dead? Two sisters, MaryAnn and Ester enter the woods a night, despite the warnings of their grandfather, but when MaryAnn is taken from her, Ester escapes to run home and her grandfather, who retrieves MaryAnne’s body from the woods, but nobody believes how she died, apart from him, but why is she not able to mourn her sister and instead is still .fearful for her life and will the darkness now come back for her?

Theresa has it all, a booming following on social media, a job as an administrative assistant a clinic where she met her fiance, but on her wedding night, it all changes and s when her husband disappears, she has to uncover his secrets and save the life that she has built, but will she be able to do it? Irenna is an artist and that is all she wants to do with her life, but when she has to go on a trip with the worst person she can think of travelling with, her tormentor, she realises that their futures are bound in a way she she could never imagine, but in what way is what she has to discover.

Finally, a camping trip in the woods on Halloween sounds like a great idea to Raven and her friends, but that changes when they are being picked off one by one by something in the woods, but what is it that is hunting them and what happens to her friends once they disappear? All the while, another group of friends learn that they should have listened to the old ghost stories that people told them, but when they realise that they shouldn’t have taken the boat to the Island, it is too late to see how their lives would have panned out, but how this one day will change their lives, nobody knows, apart from the woman who is after them.

For a spine tingling and blood chilling box set, this one hits the mark, so what are you waiting for, dig in to these halloween themed tales for a worthwhile scare.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Tompkin’s School: For The Resurrected (A Supernatural Academy Trilogy Book 3) by Tabi Slick – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Tompkin's School: For The Resurrected (Supernatural Trilogy #3)Tompkin’s School: For The Resurrected by Tabi Slick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We start this story off back with Kain, Izara and Choyce, as well as the other characters which have also drawn you into the series, but we also learn where it all started and why. We are introduced to Thomas Thompkin and the schools namesake to see what happened to him and why he made the decision to create the academy in the first place. We also see what happened to one of the main characters in the first book and the repercussions of the actions of those around them, but this leads to more insights into the strange occurrences in the first two books as well.

Kain is still having dreams which have a dose of his reality mixed in with them, he is shrill waking up more exhausted than ever, but Izara doesn’t seem to be having the same issues, she is continuing with her research into how they can stop the upcoming clash of the opposing sides wanting control of the school and the students within it, when she discovers a book which calls to her in an irresistible way, but the temptation is hard to deny and despite all the warnings, Izara cannot stop herself from trying to discover its secrets.

As life at the Academy continues, tempers are fraying and choices are being made which will affect them all, trust is being questioned as are motives and emotions, Kain and Izara are still struggling with their powers and the things that they have done, as well as school work, plus the usual racing hormones and teenage problems which creep up on them.

Will the twins be able to resist the forces pulling them apart, or will they be led astray and be unable to stop the upcoming battle? What are the right choices and who can they trust? What will the future be filled with, darkness or light?

This book is the concluding chapter in the series and does not disappoint in any way, it is a compelling read which will keep you on a rollercoaster of emotions, will keep you off balance and guessing until the end.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Key to Tirumfall (Tirumfall Trilogy Book 3) by J Drew Brumbaugh – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Key to Tirumfall (Tirumfall Trilogy #3)Key to Tirumfall by J. Drew Brumbaugh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story is set seventeen years after the last installment and Gwen and Seth are adults, but still as close as ever, although Seth isn’t always happy when he gets into trouble when Gwen gets up to mischief! She has become quite proficient in the magical arts thanks to her uncle, the Emperor Pris teaching her, but she wants to see the world and is determined to do it. She has heard the tales of the Tower of Tirumfall and wants to see it for herself and find out what magic there is to learn there and she is insisting that Seth goes with her.

In Pogor, Isabella is living the life that Gwen was supposed to have and is not as proficient in the magical arts as she was meant to be, but she is happy in her own way, until she decides to stop the war between the two demon lords and get them to swear allegiance to her. Their destinies are twisted together, but they do not know of each other’s existence, or that they have been exchanged, this is until a stranger comes and announces it. This leads Isabella to leave with this stranger to find the true child of prophecy and sort things out once and for all, but this journey may not be as smooth running as they expect.

The Tower of Tirumfall, however, is drawing more than just the attention of Gwen and Seth, there are others with not so innocent intentions, but who will make it to the Tower first, will they get into it at all, will it yield the knowledge that everyone craves, or will it be more than anyone can handle?

This is a fantastic conclusion to a great trilogy,but the only way to find out how it ends is to read through this fast paced and enthralling finale.

Review by @roxsannel

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The History of the Universe: As My Soul and I Remember by Stuart Ledwith – Reviewed by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The History of the Universe: As My Soul and I RememberThe History of the Universe: As My Soul and I Remember by Stuart Ledwith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is about the creation of the universe, the development of the human race and it’s future. It is written from the point of view of the souls who created it by working through Stuart to bring this history and knowledge to the world. There is a lot of terminology throughout the book which was at times needed re-reading to fully grasp each concept, however, as the chapters went on, became more clear and easier to understand.

The book starts with Stuart’s journey to integrate with his soul Edouard, the methods he used, the questions he had, the answers he received and the souls he spoke to along the way. This detailed account also explains the past lifetimes Edouard experienced in a human body and what lessons he learned from each one to bring him to this point in his mission.

It then goes on to explain the creation of our universe and the process which the souls went through, the costs of this creation on them and how it has evolved over time to where it is now. This includes the formation and taming of the earth and its elements, the evolution of the beings on the planet throughout its various stages, how each of the stages was reached and also how the souls influenced these changes. It does this in the format of a diary of conversations, feelings and thought processes emerging from these discussions, quotes from other pieces written by others in the past and looking at the similarities and differences between them and what was said by the souls.

This book explains the overarching lesson of equality and unconditional love which the souls introduced within are attempting to teach the world, the ways in which it can be experienced and learnt, as well as what it should feel like when it is achieved. It was a very interesting book and although I did struggle with the content a little bit, it provoked a lot of thought and self reflection around the themes and ideas written throughout.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Wendigo Forest by C.A. King – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Wendigo ForestWendigo Forest by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a story about the Fawns, an ordinary family, mum, dad, daughter, but their life is anything but ordinary, they have to move towns all the time for work and these continuous transitions are hard for them all, but hardest of all on Clara. She cannot make friends, she cannot find love and she cannot let herself get attached.

We meet Clara as she is travelling to a new town and another fresh start, she is starting to get sick of it and lose her patience with her parents’ constant need to move, but she goes along with it as they see their new home, as the grey rain falls down. The sign for Chance was overgrown and hidden from view, a great start, next came the size of it, small, a place where everyone will know each other and not making connections with people will be harder than ever, but would also mean that they would be easily forgotten when they eventually had to leave. The house came next, a large country house backing onto the woodland which surrounded the entire town, a driveway and a large yard, not what they usually went for in the slightest.After unpacking everything and getting settled, the first day of school and her new life would begin, but that is also when the dreams start, a dream so realistic that it stops her getting a good night’s sleep, just what she needs before her first day and it stays with her throughout that day as well.

Clara enters her new school expecting the worst, the comments about the new girl, the stares and the lack of fitting in. However, this first day was different, it was when she saw him, Hank and he sticks in her mind the rest of the evening as well. The next day, Hank approaches her and invites her to hang out with him and his friends after school at the shake shack. As much as she doesn’t want to make connections, she always ends up making them anyway, so she agrees to meet the group of friends after school. The rest of the day passes and she gets to the shack, which looks exactly how you would expect it to from the name, she goes to look at the names of the ice creams there and is confused when they are named after animals. When she asks about this, they say it has something to do with a local legend, but aren’t allowed to say anything else about it, but that she should go camping with them in the woods on friday and if she does go, then she can join their group, with that they leave her to decide what to do.

She decides to do a little research of her own when she gets home and that is where the Wendigo pops up and the revelation that the forest around the town is called Wendigo Forest. It is around this time that her parents expressly forbid her from going into the woods, but she does it anyway and this is where the story really gets going.

What will happen if she goes into the woods? What is a wendigo and should she be more scared that one may be in the forest? Will her new friends let her join their group, or will something stop her?

This one night will be life changing, but will it be for better or for worse? This story of fantastical creatures, twists, turns and mystery, is a journey you will want to go on too.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Kismet Heart: A Protector Romance (A Surviving Love Novel Book 1) by Brinda Berry – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Kismet Heart: A Protector Romance (A Surviving Love Novel Book 1)Kismet Heart: A Protector Romance by Brinda Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We start with Malorie recounting the most traumatic experience she ever had when she was the lone survivor of a bombing and the loss of her mother and the after effects this has had on her. We then move to Malorie having dinner with her uncle JT for her 18th birthday, they are discussing Malorie going to college and leaving home, well, Malorie is expressly saying she doesn’t want to go and JT is on his phone, that is until Malorie goes to the bathroom to get away from it all. On her way, she bumps into a guy outside the bathroom where he knocks into her, he drops his phone and as Malorie reaches down to get it,she is bumped into by someone coming out of the mens and is pushed backward by the door. This leads to an awkward conversation with the guy and a panic attack in the toilet when she got there. Thinking no more about the event, she returns to the table in time for cake, where JT insists that she makes a wish as she blows out the candles, then as she is cutting the cake, she is surprised when someone joins them at the table, her uncle had invited someone to talk about work with to her birthday celebration! When the realisation hits that it is the guy from the bathroom incident, she doesn’t know what to do. When her uncle introduces him as Ace, they briefly discuss the work offer JT gave him and JT tries to press a bit more about his character, Ace does not feel comfortable with this and so decides to leave the restaurant, the offer and the others to their dinner.

As he gets to his car, Ace realises he can’t find his keys, as he is looking for them, he sees a suspicious man hangin around outside the venue, once he decides that he has left his keys inside the restaurant, he goes back in to find them. This is when all hell breaks loose and the guy from outside is now inside and threatening the hostess at the door. As JT starts to give Malorie her present and the explanation which goes along with it, she hears shouting and as Malorie looks around, hearing all of the commotion, she turns to see the gunman and starts to panic again, JT tries to reassure her when she hears a sound like a car backfiring and the next thing she knows, JT is lurching out of his chair and she can see the blood on his shirt, when her brain catches up and she realises it is a gunshot. As she is about to go over to him, an arm grabs her, she falls to the floor, feels the injuries sustained in the fall and the table she was just sitting at being flipped over, she is trying to reach JT, but when another shot rings out close to her hand, she is pulled away and when she turns to see Ace there, she is confused as to why. She again tries to get to JT, but when she can’t, she tries to get the gift he was going to give her, she can’t leave that last connection to him behind! She starts to hear sirens in the background, but again, the gunman starts to shout and Malorie turns towards him instead of running away, he threatens to kill more people and that just snaps Malorie into action, she rushes him screaming and attacks him, this gives the police enough time to get there, but she has been shot in the action and blacks out.

As she gets rushed to hospital, Ace accompanies her with the gift and stays until she is out of surgery, he also meets another family member of Malories, hands over the gift bag into their safekeeping and leaves the hospital. This is where Ace thinks that he will never see either Malorie or the other man again, but both of their stories have begun to intertwine and they will not be separated again, he becomes her bodyguard, but things will never again be straight forward for either of them.

This is a story of love, death, despair and hope and the only way of knowing which prevails is to read the book and follow in their path.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Super Sorry by C.A. King – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur

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Super SorrySuper Sorry by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sarah Sorry is just like every other teenager, she has friends, family, school and all the pressures that go along with them. She is popular, pretty, and on a strict self-imposed diet so that she can stay that way.

We meet Sarah as she is going to a landmark festival with her family where she wants to meet up with her friends instead, it is held the last two weeks of summer every year and there is lots to see, do and experience. As she goes off with her friends to find a group of guys from school, they go on rides and then for something to eat, being a cheat day, she allows herself the carbs she normally avoids. This is seemingly all she has to worry about when she goes to meet her friends, until it isn’t.

The day after the festival, Sarah finds that she has to go into school a day early to pick her classes for the year, even though she would rather be spending time with her friends, but while she is there, her teacher looks like he has seen something in her teeth, she feels mortified to realise that it is a spot on her cheek and decided the only thing that she can do is to pop it, but quickly has to leave the school bathroom and premises when the mirror starts to melt and give off some seriously toxic gasses.

Later on that day she is preparing to go to see her friends when she gets another spot, which unfortunately, her little brother sees and she is mortified again. After the last time she dealt with a spot, she decides to go to the local river and take care of it, what she doesn’t know is that this time it has another affect and later that evening, a beaver knocks on her window and demands to be let in out of the rain because he is soaking wet and it is Sarah’s fault!

The next day Sarah realises that this is no normal beaver, he has just made himself a plate full of waffles and complained about the lack of maple syrup in the house and the revelations just keep on coming when she has to change schools because of the closure of her own and when a teacher goes to her home and tells her that she has been accepted into her school and it is the beaver who made the application for her.

What she doesn’t realise is that she is no ordinary student, this is no ordinary school and she is not going through ordinary puberty and her life is about to change forever. This is a coming of age story with a twist, will Sarah be able to come to terms with her spots and the change which is coming, or will she be Super Sorry that this whole adventure started? This is a mystery which you will have to read to find out what the future holds for both Sarah and her talking beaver friend.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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