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Master Trentino (Masters of the Consulate Book 3) by Sylvia Black – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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Master TrentinoMaster Trentino by Sylvia Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.25⭐️

When Trentino enters the home of the Mancino brothers to cover his people as they recover what was stolen from them. Unbeknownst to him, their sister wakes to check what is going on. Angel senses someone in the house but she’s not sure if actually someone or her dead grandmother trying to talk with her like always. Then a vampire traps her in a moment filled with fear but many something more. It only starts to become clear what that was when her home gets attacked, her brother killed, and this vampire enters finding her on the floor bleeding out. Though she’s grown to hate them, her life might just be saved thanks to one. Risking the needs of the community, Trentino will figure out why the Mancinos were attacked and how it connects the efforts being made to discredit and destroy the vampire community.

I actually found myself linking Angel a lot more than I anticipated. I think a lot had to do with the fact that I really struggled in the beginning because though these books are pretty decent and quick reads in the moment you’re reading them, I personally find it really hard to remember what happened. I found a lot of the time that I was struggling to remember who some of the main characters were and what their roles were within the vampire community. I will say that the author’s strongest skill lay in her romantic and smut scenes. With that being said, it took me a long time to realize that there was a larger overarching plot that would last several more books after what I was reading. Additionally, I find it frustrating that the main heroines continue to follow very similar paths of finding their mates and becoming vampires. On a positive though, I really liked how even though Angel wasn’t sure how much she wanted to be a vampire, she dedicated herself to figuring it out and had many great scenes with the other female characters. Overall, I agree with the one master’s comment at the end regarding his perspective on the rules being broken.

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Practically Pagan – An Alternative Guide to Magical Living by Maria DeBlassie – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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Practically Pagan - An Alternative Guide to Magical LivingPractically Pagan – An Alternative Guide to Magical Living by Maria DeBlassie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5⭐️

Modern society keeps us rushing from one thing to the next until we finally get home and crash on our beds. The constant moving doesn’t give us a second to think let alone reflect on how we are feeling and really get a chance to check in with ourselves. Magical living provides simple says of slowing down and enjoying the little moments in our day to day lives which can turn into magical experiences. Set up as a simple guide to bringing more magic into your life while striving for happiness and joy every day, magical living has something for everyone.

I’m really happy I picked this up when I did because it felt like something I really needed with everything going on in my life. This short guide packs a punch and almost each page has a concept, question, or thought for you to reflect on and how it relates to your own life. I liked that this book does embrace magic but views it as finding magic in your day to day activities rather than listing out actual spells and things for that magical feeling. I appreciate that the focus was on embracing what’s already going on in your life and changing your mindset on those items to create these routines into enjoyable rituals which can bring you joy in the long run. There was a lot for me to process in this book so I decided to buy a physical copy as well for me to easy flip through and reflect more on as I incorporate a lot of the selfcare practices into my day to day.

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Ashes of Aldyr (The Obscured Throne Trilogy Book 1) by Russell Archey – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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Ashes of AldyrAshes of Aldyr by Russell Archey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The time of prosperity and safety is over. Ygiddra and the Others now walk the world for good or for bad. Elves, dwarves, and humans alike must find a path that will lead them to safety or risk their lives trying. Set in a world of monsters, the unknown is a constant reality and horrors can be around every corner. As time passes, the lives of individuals across the land are told and the experiences they encounter are shared with horrific detail. No one knows what will happen to the world of Aldry but the ashes are falling and time continues on.

I had a lot of hope for this book and there were some great moments but overall I couldn’t connect with it the way I wanted to. The style of telling this story through a variety of different lengths of short stories of the slow decline of Aldry into chaos was an interesting choice and clearly works for so readers. For me personally, I had a hard time connecting with characters or even caring at times what was happening because we would then switch time and perspective. Since I couldn’t connect with the characters as well, when we switched locals and time periods, it was really hard to get back into the story. With this type of story telling, I think I would have been able to follow along better with what was happening if there was some type of map since so many different locations are mentioned. Personally, it would help me visualize the spread of Ygiddra and the Others’ power across the land better. I did feel a lot more connected with the characters and found my intrigue in the story greater for the longer stories. The potential was there for me to really enjoy this with all the mythological creatures, the weird plants, and the moments of time and space being ripped open. Overall, not for me but I’m happy I gave it a try since there were moments that I did enjoy and get creeped out by.

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Weep, Woman, Weep: A Gothic Fairytale about Ancestral Hauntings by Maria DeBlassie – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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Weep, Woman, WeepWeep, Woman, Weep by Maria DeBlassie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.75⭐️

In a small town in New Mexico, there is a legend that the residents don’t talk about. Every day down by the riverbank on at dusk the Weeping Woman gains her power and lays in wait to baptize young women who venture too close to the water’s edge. Their pain and tears give her strength and every mother warns their daughter to stay away or else she’ll return with forever damp hair and bloodshot eyes to live in a world of sorrow and never a moment of happiness. Knowing the truth, Mercy and her friend vow to do whatever it takes to keep La Llorona just out of reach.

I had a hard time with the start of this book. The narration style of Mercy talking directly to the reader is not my favorite but I can see why the author chose to go that route. What I appreciate about this book is that on goodreads it’s tagged as a horror which I can definitely see while also striving towards this underlying need for hope and true happiness. In the beginning I wasn’t the biggest fan of Mercy but once we got to the point in life where she was in her late 20s, early 30s I really started to root for her. I liked that the author focused on food and farming as a type of medicine and how it’s easy to have dreams but harder to actually make them become a reality. Even though this isn’t my favorite story, I feel that it’s going to stick with me a lot longer than most which makes me happy that I read it.

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Master Tuscano (Masters of the Consulate Book 2) by Sylvia Black – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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Master Tuscano: Dark Vampire Romance (Masters of the Consulate Book 2)Master Tuscano: Dark Vampire Romance by Sylvia Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After the kidnapping and trafficking Delilah was saved from, she’s had to process the trauma and emotions that came with those experiences. At the same time, the conversation about what her and Christian are has been looming in the background for months. Wanting to be his mate as a human has come with more strings than what she thought was possible. Now, it’s her turn to take revenge on those that hurt her. Vampire or not, Delilah with use the resources she has to gain control back in her life.

I liked this sequel but I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I did the first. The author repeated a lot of the tropes she used in the first book so a lot of surprise I felt in the first book were not there when I encountered similar situations in this second book. Over all I think Delilah was a decent character but I feel like she was too impulsive which wound her up in more dangerous situations than if she worked through things with Christian or even talking with Lucianna and Embry. I was a little invested in the relationship but I really appreciated some of the choices Delilah made in the final few chapters. I’d be interested in seeing what happens in book three but not sure how quickly I would get to it.

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Master Descallia (Masters of the Consulate Book 1) by Sylvia Black – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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Descallia: Dark Vampire Romance (Masters of the Consulate Book 1)Descallia: Dark Vampire Romance by Sylvia Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A string of missing persons cases bring two people from completely different parts of the world together to try and solve this case. One is Lucianna, a Las Vegas police officer who has clairvoyant abilities. The other is Salvatore, the Overlord of the Vampire Masters. When a robbery occurs when Lucianna starts her undercover work, she’s brought deeper into the world of vampires than she could have ever anticipated. With more women going missing, it’s going to take the abilities of her new team and all the skills she possesses with her own powers to hunt down where they are. The only issue is that even with her mind on the case, she keeps getting visions of what might happen with her and Salvatore, and that’s a distraction she just can’t afford right now.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this with how the first couple of trappers were written but I quickly found myself falling into the story and really enjoying it. Even though Salvatore is the Overlord, I appreciated how much he relied on Lucianna to lead the search for these women and to figure out what happened by providing her with a team who all have their own special skills that played an important role throughout the story. The way the author handled the romance kept the reader wanting more and even though I wish certain could have happened quicker, the incorporation of the visions was an interesting twist. Overall I really enjoyed the book. There was a decent amount of world building with the use of the vampire historical texts and I’m interested to see how things play out in the future.

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Tangled Roots (Witches of Willow Creek: Tangled Magic Series Book 1) by Denise D. Young – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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Tangled Roots (Tangled Magic, #1)Tangled Roots by Denise D. Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Willow Creek Coven has been a sanctuary for witches for many years and it’s no different for Cassie. When her brother threatens to take her home where she can’t practice magic, she begs the Goddess to keep her hidden from him. When the Goddess brings her out of hiding, Cassie steps into a world she doesn’t recognize anymore and the coven consists of only one man who refuses to practice magic anymore. Things will have to change though because a shadow is settling over Willow Creek and more than just the witches’ lives are at stake.

This surprised me in the best of ways and I really enjoyed my time reading this. It’s super quick and pretty short but it feels like the author covered enough to really make the story feel well rounded. One of my favorite parts is the small details of connecting the four elements to different creatures who represent them and asking for their blessings before practicing magic. I’ll be interested to see what happens next, especially with the romance. It felt a little quick but with the details included in the book, it didn’t feel forced.

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Chased (A Cambridge Men of Honour Novel Book One): A Dark Mafia Bad Boy Romance (Cambridge Men of Honour—Dark Mafia Romances 1) by Felicity Brandon – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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ChasedChased by Felicity Brandon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5⭐️

Chase Benedict has lived the life of luxury since he was born. He always went to the right schools, was the leader in everything he did, and also got exactly what he wanted. This meant that he’s not very accustomed to someone telling him what he doesn’t want to hear but that changed when he almost hit Allegra with his car. Now the top man at one of London’s largest criminal organizations is now being told exactly what a young woman thinks of him and his driving capabilities. This chance encounter could change their lives in ways neither of them anticipated when Chase and Allegra realize they can’t stop thinking about each other and there’s little that can be done to address it other than see what comes of it.

Overall I enjoyed the story and the sexual tension and smut were by far the best part. It explores Allegra’s introduction to a part of herself she wasn’t aware of while having Chase focus on laying out rules and consent in the beginning. I’m not sure how much I enjoyed the twist with how it impacts the couple but it was really interesting getting an idea of what would continue to happen between them. My biggest complaint personally (and which might not be an issue at for others) was the incorporation of the pandemic and how Chase is powerful enough to not abide by the restrictions in place. I definitely understand that realistically this is probably the case for certain parts of society but personally it really pulled me out of the book because I would get frustrated. Overall it was a quick read and had all sorts of chemistry!

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Try Right (Aloha Series book 3) by Jill Brashear – Review by Lauren Schnoebelen

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Try RightTry Right by Jill Brashear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.25⭐️

Claudia thought she got the life and career she has been dreaming about for years now but then a scandal places her on Hollywood’s blacklist, her options are limited. When a small role is offered to her on a not so well known show, she has to take it. Lucky for her though, it’s filmed in Hawaii and she can use this opportunity to rebuild her career, find herself again, and maybe even find the love of her life she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about since her trip to Hawaii right after high school.

I really enjoyed a good portion of this book and the setting of Hawaii in the 1960s was so much fun. Henry was probably my favorite character in the book but he still let me down at times though he made up for it in the end. My biggest issue and what really prevented me from giving this 4 stars but the misogyny in the book. Yes I 100% understand it provided the conflict for the book and I did enjoy getting the male perspective in this a lot but it pulled me out of the story so quickly with some of the comments from the male characters. I appreciated though that the author really tried to balance it out with things like having the Feminine Mystique laying around in Claudia’s dressing room or the comments around her struggling to deal with men using her to get ahead and how the same action can positively impact a man’s career while harming a woman’s. Overall I think this was a really fun book, especially for summer, and I could get behind the romance. Would definitely consider giving the other books in the series a try (which i believe are all stand alones but all located in Hawaii?).

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