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Practically Pagan – An Alternative Guide to Magical Living by Maria DeBlassie – Review by Lucy Machard

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

I absolutely loved this book. One hundred percent, I recommend this to anyone trying to find their way back to internal happiness and internal peace. The tone of the book to me feels like a patient mother or teaching showing her daughters how to push back societal expectations of women to learn how to find what benefits happiness and peace. She talks about finding your inner Divine Feminine, as well as taking pleasure in simple things in the world, and decluttering your soul as well as your life. I don’t think I’ve highlighted a book so much. I know I’ll be getting a physical copy soon and re reading it over and over again, and trying my best to pull from it to let go of the things that hold me down. Every one should read this, even if you don’t believe in Paganism. There’s not a lot of theology or ideology in the book, it’s simply said, about living the best life you can in a world that doesn’t prioritize the individual or individual happiness.

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Minotaur’s Lair (Servant of the Gods Book 3) by Luciana Cavallaro – Review by Lucy Machard

Minotaur's Lair (Servant of the Gods, #3)Minotaur’s Lair by Luciana Cavallaro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’ve been a huge fan of Greek mythology since I was a kid, and I’ve read a lot of fantasy books based around the myths. Finding mythos/fantasy books as an adult can be pretty hard.

I liked this book. I read it as a stand alone, but it is part of a series. I thought it was interesting how they took a modern day man back to the time of the ancients. It’s an interesting story, and I find the plot almost a little strange, but not bad.

One thing I did have a slight issue with though as someone who has studied history and religion, is how some of the Argonauts used the phrases Baal and Molech as curse terms, which by the time ancient Greek society would have come around, wouldn’t have been the mainstream gods worshipped, especially because those gods were worshipped in another region of the world. (Ancient Babylon, specifically)

It was nice to take a break from romance novels and jump into an action novel. I did like the book, and if you’re into mythology and action, this is the book for you!

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Much Ado About Dying (Guardians of the PHAE Book 2) by Rowan Dillon – Review by Lucy Machard

Much Ado About Dying: An Irish Urban Fantasy Novel (Guardians of the PHAE #2)Much Ado About Dying: An Irish Urban Fantasy Novel by Rowan Dillon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, what an unexpected ending! I really enjoyed this book, it’s long like the first one, but you get a bit of a better feel for the characters and more understanding of the world, since most of the world building happened in the first book. I also loved that we got to connect with the old gods of Ireland more, and got more insight to the mythology and history surrounding the country. Just like the first, there’s another very helpful pronunciation guide in the front. This book is definitely full of its own twists and turns!

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Taming of the Few (Guardians of the PHAE Book 1) by Rowan Dillon – Review by Lucy Machard

Taming of the Few: An Irish Urban Fantasy Novel (Guardians of the PHAE #1)Taming of the Few: An Irish Urban Fantasy Novel by Rowan Dillon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it’s definitely an interesting story. It’s almost an Irish X-Men story. The character development throughout the book is something I enjoyed. The book is fairly lengthy, and took me a bit to go through. The writing style is also a little more complex than what I normally read, but I did appreciate that there is a pronunciation guide in the front of the book, considering that while I do have Irish roots, I don’t speak the language very well. If you love modern fantasy/urban fantasy, then this is definitely the book for you!

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Love Tools (Bluestone Series Book 1) by Isobel Reed – Review by Lucy Machard

Love Tools (Bluestone Series, #1)Love Tools by Isobel Reed
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely fell in love with this book on page one. It completely sucked me in, and the tenacity of the main character had me smiling throughout the whole book. It’s a quick read, pretty mild, but it’s still a gorgeous love story. Of course, there were moments when I wanted to smack both of them upside the head. It has such a wonderful ending, and I’m 100% looking forward to the next book!

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Love Tools (Bluestone Series Book 1) by Isobel Reed – Review by

Weep, Woman, Weep: A Gothic Fairytale about Ancestral Hauntings by Maria DeBlassie – Review by Lucy Machard

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

This book took me a bit to get into. At first I was a little confused on what was going on, but as the story progressed, the more I couldn’t put it down. It’s a beautiful book of overcoming the past, and letting old wounds heal and to stop letting the past mistakes rule your life. I absolutely loved this book, it’s a perfect gothic horror with a gorgeous ending. I can’t recommend this book enough!

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The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch by Julia Brewer Daily – Review by Lucy Machard

The Fifth Daughter of Thorn RanchThe Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch by Julia Brewer Daily
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was interesting. It honestly took me a while to fully get into it. The writing style seemed a little stiff and formal, and to me personally didn’t feel like it flowed well. The book seemed really drawn out with a rushed ending. It’s a great story though, and I wish we got more from the romance with the two leads than what we had in the book. Hopefully, there’s a sequel coming soon and we can follow along with Emma’s story even more!

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Degrees of Innocence: Dark Mafia Romance (Cruel Deceptions Book 1) By Via Mari – Review by Lucy Machard

Degrees of Innocence (Prestian Series, #1)Degrees of Innocence by Via Mari
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is fan-freaking-tastic. It’s full of twists and turns, and of course as is the typical with any mafia romance, full of steamy romance. I’ll be completely honest with you guys, I actually forgot this was a mafia romance until about halfway through the book. I loved the characters chemistry, and honestly while if it was in real life, I’d find him full of red flags, but I loved, loved, LOVED Chase. I absolutely devoured this book, and I know that the rest of the series is just as worth it. This author is amazing and I can’t wait to read more books by her!!

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And Then She Fell by Dreena Collins – Review by Lucy Machard

And Then She FellAnd Then She Fell by Dreena Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’d heard a lot about this book in some of my friend’s circles, and I knew I had to give it a try. What a book. This is one of the most riveting books I’ve read, honestly. It’s a story of clarity, mystery, and a search for truth. I’m not someone who reads a lot of psychological thrillers, but this one was so hard to put down! I loved watching the development of the characters as the story went on. The determination, the suspense, just everything about it is utterly fantastic. Highly, highly, recommend this book, and this author!

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Ice Dance by Vik Azeem – Review by Lucy Machard

Ice DanceIce Dance by Vik Azeem
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So this book is definitely an interesting book. Like, not in a bad way, but it’s definitely like nothing else I’ve read before. It is full of humor though, and it’s a whirlwind of action that moves quickly and takes the reader on a ride for sure. I did enjoy it, and it’s perfect for this colder weather and fits right in with the holiday if you’re someone who enjoys “seasonal” reading. Definitely give it a try!

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Elemental Fire (The Hidden Realms Book 1) by EG Manetti – Review by Lucy Machard

Elemental Fire (The Hidden Realms #1)Elemental Fire by E.G. Manetti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holy smokes! Pun slightly intended. I mean, the title should have been indication enough that this book would be, in slang terms that match my GenZ self- absolutely FIRE. It’s an absolute perfect mix of my favorite genre and one of my other favorite genres- Modern fantasy mixed with a great mystery. It’s almost like Shadowhunters, but more adult. It’s a fantastic read, a bit of a longer book, but it is amazing. I’ll for sure be looking forward to the rest of the series and I’ll be on the watch for more of her books. I can’t recommend this to enough people!! Run, don’t walk to get this book!

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Bycatch by Alexander Blevens – Review by Lucy Machard

BycatchBycatch by Alexander Blevens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a riveting tale of justice, forgiveness, and how old wounds affect us more than we know. As someone who loves history, sometimes it’s easy to forget that people were part of making that history and that their lives were impacted so deeply from it. This book follows the story of two Vietnam vets and their children, and does a great job of showing the cost of generational wounds. I absolutely loved this book, it sucked me in and pulled me under and I just couldn’t put it down. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

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Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid by Cari Schaeffer – Review by Lucy Machard

Cooked: The Chef Blows Her LidCooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid by Cari Schaeffer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book combines two of my favorite things- books and food. As someone who used to (and still does) dream of one day being a professional chef, this book gave my heart so much joy. It’s mixed with heartbreak, adversity, tenacity, and humor! Honestly, this is a book I’ll probably make my mom read! It’s a bit of a longer book, but it’s so worth it! I was enthralled with it from the first page! The author really knows how to suck the readers in, and I look forward to reading more books written by them!!

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Soliloquy by Janet Fogg – Review by Lucy Machard

SoliloquySoliloquy by Janet Fogg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book kinda started slow for me. I pulled it out at work during a slow period, and at first I couldn’t really get into it. And then it sucked me in! So if you find yourselves in the review section for this book cause you’re second guessing, I’m telling you- keep going. This book sucked me in so hard and fast! It’s the perfect book to read in the evening with a cup of tea or cocoa. The ending absolutely killed me! It’s got that perfect mix of romance and adventure, I loved it so much!

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Fighting Chance by Toni Denise – Review by Lucy Machard

Fighting ChanceFighting Chance by Toni Denise
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I LOVED it. It’s a steamy slow burn, but it won’t take long to read! I loved the romance between Chad and Kendall, and I wished we got a little bit more, but simply because I didn’t want the book to end. I’m not sure if it was just the app being weird, but when I was reading it on my phone it was in italics, but on my kindle it was regular formatting. However, if you’re debating on reading this book, don’t hesitate any longer! You won’t regret it!

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Mafia Elite Series Box Set Volume 2 by Amy McKinley – Review by Lucy Machard

Mafia Elite Box Set: Volume TwoMafia Elite Box Set: Volume Two by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ever since I read the first book in the Mafia elite series, I’ve been a die hard fan of this author and of these books. Every single book is utterly fantastic, full of action, romance, and adventure. I always recommend these books to pretty much everyone I know. Every time I pick one up, I can’t seem to put it down! This author is very good at making her readers get lost in the book, to the point where if its a day I only meant to read like 30 minutes before bed, before I know it, my husband’s already asleep next to me and it’s two in the morning! This author is honestly a word-smith, weaving words into some of the best books I’ve ever read. I cannot recommend these books enough!

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Divided Lives by K.R. Mullins – Review by Lucy Machard

Divided LivesDivided Lives by K R Mullins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is set in the early 1900s, following the main character as she manages her “divided” lives. Since it is the early 20th century, of course queer relationships are extremely unheard of and are definitely kept under wraps if they exist. I do love the queer romance, and as a queer person, I felt it was written very well. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the book, I did, but it did seem to be moving a little bit slower. I think it took me about three days to fully finish, but then again, I have been in a reading slump. I’ll honestly probably have to go back and read it again, but I did like the writing style, and I will be on the lookout for more of this author’s books.

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From Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan – Review by Lucy Machard

From Brick & DarknessFrom Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a kid, I loved the Percy Jackson books. This book took me right back to the days where I would be engrossed in those books. The auth or pulls you right into the story, and every time I tried to put the book down, I couldn’t! It sucked me in so fast! I loved this book, and I’ll for sure be checking out more books by this author! I can’t stress enough how amazing this book was, I completely loved it!

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Operation Pinpoint (Space Force Rejects Book 1) by Landra Graf – Review by Lucy Machard

Operation PinpointOperation Pinpoint by Landra Graf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Just, wow. What a read! I’m not really a space/sci-fi reader, but holy heck did this book pull me full force and hold me down. Don’t get me wrong, I love sci-fi movies and shows, and now I think I’m addicted to this series. It really pulls you in, and keeps you entranced throughout the whole book. This author did a magnificent job with pulling in her audience. I think I busted this out in a little less than two hours. The romance, the fighting, everything was just spectacular. 5/5, can’t wait for the sequel!!

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Euphoric Wonderland by Ryan M. Becker – Review by Lucy Machard

Euphoric Wonderland: An Eclectic Collection of Psychedelic Poetry to Stimulate the Senses and Open the MindEuphoric Wonderland: An Eclectic Collection of Psychedelic Poetry to Stimulate the Senses and Open the Mind by Ryan M. Becker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve had a love for poetry since I started performing it in high school for my speech team. My first book of poetry I ever owned was a history of poetry written by African American poets in the 1900s, which sparked my own desire to write poetry myself.

This book reminds me of the outpouring of words and verse I used to love when I was younger. I find this set of poetry to be very interesting indeed and trippy, just like the description. While there were a few things I didn’t fully understand because of my age (Like some of the Beetle’s and Pink Floyd reference, along with some other millennial pop culture references), this was still a book that I felt I understood what the author was trying to say. I’ve read poetry where the authors dedicated their time to articulation and where you could tell they picked every word with care, and I’ve read poetry that felt like it was a tidal wave finally set free from the dam they had built within the author’s soul, and this book is the beautiful middle.

I absolutely loved this book. The rhythm, the cadence, everything about it spoke to me on a level I forgot I had. I’m now going on a deep search to see if he has more books, because I honestly couldn’t get enough of this one. If I was still in school, it would have been the next subject of my speech season. Highly recommend!!!

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Jake (Billionaire Blind Dates Book 1) by Toni Denise – Review by Lucy Machard

Jake (Billionaire Blind Dates Book 1)Jake by Toni Denise
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! I absolutely love this book!!! If you’ve read the Manhattan’s Titans series and are in a bit of a book hangover from it, then seriously check this out! It’s a bit of a slow burn, with the guy who’s used to being used for his money falling for the independent girl that unexpectedly steals his heart. I 100% will be waiting for the other books in the series. Can’t wait!

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Battling Beckett by T. Christensen – Review by Lucy Machard

Battling Beckett: A Contemporary Step Brother RomanceBattling Beckett: A Contemporary Step Brother Romance by T. Christensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book for SURE takes me back to my Wattpad days. It’s a gorgeous enemies to lovers book, which is my favorite. It is a tad on the taboo side, but honestly so were 90% of the One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer fanfics that were running rampant all over the internet in the mid 2010s. I love it. I’m not a sports person, but such a sucker for the sporty dude and quiet girl romances. I wasn’t even half way through the book when I already knew I’d be obsessed with it. I definitely recommend!

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Battling Beckett by T. Christensen – Review by

Destiny’s Daughter (Intimate and Unfiltered Book 3) by Lynda Filler – Review by Lucy Machard

Destiny's Daughter: It was the best of times.Destiny’s Daughter: It was the best of times. by Lynda Filler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you’ve followed my other reviews, you’ll see a pattern of fiction book, with a heavy taste in fantasy and historical fiction. It’s not that I don’t like non-fiction, it’s just I normally don’t pick it up.

However, this book pulled me in. Aside from a book written by a family friend of mine, and a book I read in high school, I haven’t really read any memoirs.

This author is someone bursting with stories that I could listen to forever. I highly recommend this book, and I’ll be delving into her other memoirs. If you do decide to read this book (which I HIGHLY suggest), it would work better formatting wise on a Kindle Fire or tablet/phone or in print, because there are some gorgeous pictures that don’t show up on my Paperwhite.

It’s clear that she poured love into this book. There were some things that took me by surprise, in a good way. I loved it. 100%, five stars.

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The Girl Who Escaped by Mark Nolan – Review by Lucy Machard

The Girl Who EscapedThe Girl Who Escaped by Mark Nolan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve never read anything by this author, but I’m really impressed with this book. The beginning is a little slow, and feels very cut and dry with his writing style, but it is fan freaking tastic. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I’m happy I gave it a chance. It is a longer book, and took me a while to finish it. If you’re a crime person, then this is a book you’ll enjoy. I’m on a bit of a book hangover from a series I recently finished, and this is the aspirin that helped take the edge off. Definitely give it a try!

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I’m Not Your Difference (Fitz Series Book 4) by Theresa Sederholt – Review by Lucy Machard

I'm Not Your Difference (Fitz, #4)I’m Not Your Difference by Theresa Sederholt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was an absolute whirlwind. I’m not the biggest fan of Stephen, but who knows what the 5th book will bring. There is a very intense and graphic scene about 80% percent through the book, but compared to the first, it’s pretty tame. I started this book early in the morning waiting at the mechanic, and I meant to just do a little reading before bed, but before I knew it, I was sucked in and lost in the writing. I 100% recommend this book and the other books in this series!

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Silent Innocence (Fitz Series Book 2) by Theresa Sederholt – Review by Lucy Machard

Silent Innocence (Fitz, #2)Silent Innocence by Theresa Sederholt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. This book. Just like the first, I was completely sucked into another of Fitz’s investigations. I am 100% in love with this series. This book definitely was full of twists and turns, and kept me on the edge of my seat. There’s heartbreak and love, and of course mystery. Absolutely loved it. I cannot recommend this series enough, I’m pretty sure my husband is so tired of hearing about it. I cannot wait to see where the story goes with Fitz’s family in the third book.

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Uniquely Mine (Fitz Series Book 1) by Theresa Sederholt – Review by Lucy Machard

Uniquely Mine (Fitz, #1)Uniquely Mine by Theresa Sederholt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had this sitting on my TBR for about a month before I started to read it. The first chapter threw me for a loop, and I was hooked. It is very graphic, so proceed with caution. But it does instantly pull the reader in. I was absolutely hooked on this book, I know for sure I’ll be reading the next one. I’m very impressed with this author, I absolutely love it.

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Scandalously Yours (Titans of Manhattan Book 5) by Anise Storm – Review by Lucy Machard

Scandalously Yours (Titans Of Manhattan #5)Scandalously Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While I think Jonah Courtland is still my favorite Titan, this is an amazing book. I wish it was a little longer so we could have gotten more with the characters, but I’m pretty sure I say that about all of her books because I love them so much. The romance between Alessia and Kris is very well done, and I couldn’t get enough of it. The ending did have me freaking out a bit, but everything was alright in the end. Cannot recommend enough!!

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Rivals (Mafia Elite Book 7) by Amy McKinley – Review by Lucy Machard

Rivals (Mafia Elite, #7)Rivals by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yet another home run written by this author! I cannot stress enough how much I love her books, and this one was just as amazing as the rest in her series. An enemies to lovers, slow burn love story that makes you feel all the things- and it’s a quick read! I just got so lost in the book, and almost lost track of time. This was an amazing book.

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Goddess of Everything: A Blood-Curdling Tale of Truth, Freedom, and Love by Paul DeBlassie III – Review by Lucy Machard

Goddess of EverythingGoddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

This author is a good author, but his books just aren’t for me. This book was very, very graphic and a little too disturbing for me. There is child mutilation in it, if there was a content warning, I missed it. But if you’re a lover of reading horror, then this would be a great book for you. I’m just not into it. Writing wise, it’s fantastic. Detailed, pulls the reader in, and has a good story line. But as I already said, it is fairly graphic. I’m just not a paranormal/horror book reader.

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