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Emissary (Star-Crossed Celestials Duet) by A.L. Morrow – Review by Moriah Venable

Emissary (A Star-Crossed Celestials Story)Emissary by A.L. Morrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To redeem himself, Kai accepts an assignment to kill demons that are causing chaos in the mortal realm.

Byron Black is targeted but is saved by Kai. Though he knows there is more than meets the eye with Kai, who is an angel, he can’t seem to stay away from him.

Who wants him dead and why? The journey to find out the answers brings them closer and the attraction becomes hard to ignore. As Byron and Kai get closer, Kai begins to feel sadness because of how his previous relationship ended. Not wanting it to happen again.

When I saw an MM romance, I had to read it. I don’t want to give too much away. It took some time for me to get into the story, but once I did, I could not put the novel down.

This novel is part of the Star Crossed Celestial series but it can be read as a stand-alone. I hope there is more novels in this series.

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Cry Baby (Pierce Brothers Book 4) by Belinda Williams – Review by Moriah Venable

Cry Baby (Pierce Brothers, #4)Cry Baby by Belinda Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Determined to make this job work as a live in nanny, Amy Highgate is optimistic despite the issue with her boss being gloomy.

After the passing of his friend, Noah Pierce, who is bachelor takes in the daughter of his friend but he has no idea how to take care of her or who her father is.

This brings the two people together and along the way the two of them find some common ground.

I really enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would. I wasn’t in the mood for an instalove story and the cover and premise caught my attention.

I do enjoy slow burn romance and the characters getting to know each other before romantic feelings get involved.

I saw this was the most recent novel in a series of standalones but I will be reading the previous books to get to know the brothers.

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The White Knight Cowboy (The Studs of Clear Creek County) by Stacy-Deanne – Review by Moriah Venable

The White Knight Cowboy Stacy-DeanneThe White Knight Cowboy Stacy-Deanne by Stacy-Deanne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After returning home, forty year old Dusty finds a younger looking woman hiding in his stable.

Jo is running from the law after being accused of killing her boss, though she is innocent.

With the money for turning her in, Dusty could fix his ranch but turning her in doesn’t seem right.

Dusty comes off grouchy and mean but is really a good guy deep down.

Dusty and Jo’s first meeting didn’t start things on the right foot and there is an age gap between the two but I thought the story was well written.

I generally don’t read western type novels but I was in the mood to read something out of my normal.

I would like to read the next novel in the series.

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Echoing Hearts (The Echo Series Book 1) by C.R. Alam – Review by Moriah Venable

Echoing Hearts (Book 1 of The Echo Series)Echoing Hearts by C.R. Alam
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After watching how heartbroken her mother became, Rae Allen decides never to fall in love. She is traveling the world. Falling in love doesn’t fit those plans.

After being left at the altar, Dean Rowland sears off women. When these two meet, things change. How will jealousy affect their relationship?

I don’t want to give too much of this away. I was hooked from the first chapter and could not put this book down.

I loved Rae’s sassiness and I also loved their first meeting. I saw online that there is another book. I can’t wait to read it.

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Three Made In Heaven (Made In Heaven #1) by Elena Kincaid – Review by Moriah Venable

Three Made in Heaven (Made in Heaven, #1)Three Made in Heaven by Elena Kincaid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maddie is nine years old when she first meets Cole and Charlie. Unfortunately she only sees them in her dreams at different places. Over the years they become really close friends although romantic feelings start to grow.

Maddie starts having a refuting nightmare of someone in a hoodie pointing a gun at one of the guys.

I am a sucker for dream meetings where the people are actually in real and the two meet outside of dreams.

The reason behind them meeting in their dreams is stated but I don’t think it was ever clear who the person with the hun was and why the were targeting Maddie.

I generally stay away from ménage à trois MFM romances but I could turn away a premise like this.

It was short but a cute read.

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Lucky Stars by Fantasia Yu- Review by Moriah Venable

Lucky StarsLucky Stars by Fantasia Yu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Princess Mora is sent to marry Prince Fidge to form an alliance between the two worlds. However, the real reason causes Princess Mora not to want to marry him because of the deception. All she wants is to be free.

Darin has a connection to the enemy and is seen as an outcast. All he wants is to be free to live his life. He never expected to fall in love Mrs. Langley (Princess Mora). What happens when he finds out her identity?

I really enjoyed this sci-fi read. It is a bit short and a quick read but it is very enjoyable and I loved the characters and the world building.

I enjoyed the beginning where we first met Princess Mora and her sister Princess Pola. I just loved their interaction and conversation. How one Princess who is the oldest has all these expectations around them, including marrying someone for peace while the other is more free to do what she pleases because she is the second child.

The one the novel ended made me smile and laugh. I hope we get another book in this series.

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Bees in Loretta’s Bonnet by Moriah Venable

Bees in Loretta's BonnetBees in Loretta’s Bonnet by Lois J. Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loretta is carrying firewood when she drops it and discovers a leafcutter bee nest. There are holes throughout the tube shaped bee nest but no bees to be found. Where are the bees?

Looking around, she discovers more holes in the rose bush and their leaves but no bees? What happened to them?

This is a fun and educational book about leafcutter bees. I am not a fan of bees but this was really informative and made me appreciate them more.

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Lucas the Spy Cat (Jake the Growling Dog) by Samantha Shannon – Review by Moriah Venable

Lucas the Spy Cat: A Children's Mystery Adventure with Creativity & Imagination Boosting Activities (Jake the Growling Dog)Lucas the Spy Cat: A Children’s Mystery Adventure with Creativity & Imagination Boosting Activities by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ever wonder what your cat does when they go out at night?

This novel gives a creative way and adventure to what Lucas the cat gets up to when he leaves to go be with friends. There is a small camera on his collar.

The artwork is beautiful and the words rhyme. A fun book that also include activities such as a word search,after the main story.

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The Husbands by Naomi Valkyrie – Review by Moriah Venable

The HusbandsThe Husbands by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While completing an assignment, Dorian accidentally injuries another person. Wanting to ensure that the other person is okay, he disguised himself as a physical therapist to check on the man named Augustine. From the first meeting, Dorian has an attraction to the other man but tries to ignore the feeling mostly because he is married and tells himself that is it because he misses his wife.

The more time they spend together, the growing their feelings become.

The title and premise is what caught my attention. I don’t read a lot of M x M stories because to me, it can be difficult to find good ones. This story was short but it had an emotional impact on me. In a way I feel it was beautifully written and I was curious on how the story would play out. On how Augustine would react if he ever found out the truth about Dorian and how they met.

I really enjoyed reading this story.

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Super Enemies by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Moriah Venable

Super EnemiesSuper Enemies by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Carl and Mira are siblings and also enemies. When one wants to go swimming, the other wants to climb trees. When one wants to play Wildcraft, the other wants to play Labyrinth. One wants to be a superhero while the other wants to be a super villain.

They go to the beach and Mira continuously smashes the sandcastles that Carl makes. Each time he tries to improve them so that his sister will not be able to destroy them easily.

By the end, the two siblings agree to come back to the beach the next day.

This was a bit accurate when it comes to siblings. And the artwork is really nice. I feel like it ends abruptly but I think it is because the two finally agree on something.

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If I Had a Magic Wand by Melissa Lavi – Review by Moriah Venable

If I had a Magic WandIf I had a Magic Wand by Melissa Lavi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a short but heartwarming story giving guidance and wishes from parent to parent on what they want to instill in their kids as they grow up.

The illustrations are beautiful and watching the wand be passed parent to parent and child to child was just charming.

This also rhymes so it would also be a nice bedtime story to read. I currently do not have any kids, but if I do, I will definitely read them this.

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Amaleigha Loves a Good Story by Janice Pratt – Review by Moriah Venable

Amaleigha Loves a Good StoryAmaleigha Loves a Good Story by Janice Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a short but cute read. The grownups around her always talk about how caring and thoughtful Amaleigha is. She can be seen making a card for someone or planning a surprise.

Amaleigha also loved to read and visit the school library. She notices that there are not a lot of books for people who speak a different language. So sets her plan into action so that students who speak a different language would have more books to choose from.

Reading this just shows you what can happen when word gets around. So many people wanted to help and raise money in order to purchase books.

Not long after that, the community opened the bilingual free library.

I loved this story and how the community came together to help out with this goal.

I hope to read more Amaleigha stories.

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Pardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Moriah Venable

Pardon Me, PleasePardon Me, Please by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I saw the cover and the premise for this and just had to read it. Perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Albert is a turkey that lives on a turkey farm. As the holidays grow nearer, people are looking at Albert and not to be a pet.

One day, Albert sees the President on the T.V. where he announces pardons. Albert wonders if the President will pardon so he wont be someone’s dinner.

I went into this, thinking it was going to be funny but I finished it with a more open mind. Albert tries to communicate with the family that picks him, to not eat him. He wants to be the pardoned turkey this year so that he does not end up on a family’s table.

This is more than what the title and cover suggests and I am glad that I read this. I will have to read more of this authors’ books.

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Amaleigha and the Big Idea by Janice Pratt – Review by Moriah Venable

Amaleigha and the Big IdeaAmaleigha and the Big Idea by Janice Pratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amaleigha is five years olds and sees the world differently than most people. She loves running with her bare feet and just laying on the grass. With each season, there are things that Amaleigha notices about nature.

Those around her have different opinions about her. Her brother believes her to be a ‘crazy kid’ while her grandmother knows she will do great things.

One day, Amaleigha has a great idea and starts putting it into action by telling her family and making sketches.

This was a cute short story. I loved Amaleigha’s imagination and her interest in nature. The artwork was cute too.

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Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Moriah Venable

Dream-ShifterDream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twelve year old Gwendolyn has inherited the ability to become whatever animals she dreams about. For the most part, by morning she is back to herself.

When a house fire wakes her up suddenly, she awakes as an elk.

She only has a few months to revert back to her human self. Will she be back to find a way?

The more and more I read it, the more I start to love middle grade books.

This was a short read but it was really engaging. The book focuses are acceptance and love which are important.

I will have to start reading more in this genre.

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Ghost Talker (Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries Book 1) by Byrd Nash – Review by Moriah Venable

Ghost Talker (Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries #1)Ghost Talker by Byrd Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elinor Chalamet is a highly trained medium that assists the police in the city of Alenbonne.

When she is called to identify a body that was found in the canal, she finds herself in the middle of Royal affairs.

I really loved this book. Just the mix of sassy protagonists who have their own agenda that they are working towards and fantasy made this hard to put down. I laughed quite often while reading. Elinor’s witty replies and narration reminded me of Anita Blake.

I read online that this is a six part series and I can’t wait to see the romantic relationship with Tristan Fontaine progress throughout the series.

I love mysteries and I love ghosts so this is something I may read again because I loved it so much.

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Better Gnomes & Gardens (Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1) by Casey Cardel – Review by Moriah Venable

Better Gnomes & Gardens (Mysty Haven Mystery)Better Gnomes & Gardens by Casey Cardel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After being fired from his previous journalism job, Bob is looking for a new job. Thankfully he has a few months before rent is due so he frequents the local coffee shop hoping to find gossip to write about.

Seems his luck is turning when an older man approaches him asking him to find out who has taken his missing gnome. He agrees to help. Unfortunately, he soon learns that Misty Haven, the town he has just moved to, is not all that it seems.

I just want to say that I loved the paranormal aspect of this. I love when towns have their own secrets.

Bob is also a witty character. The fact he wrote about BigFoot made me laugh too.

This is short. I wish it was longer but I am excited for the next novel.

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We Blend (Falling for the Rockstar’s Daughter Book 1) by Willa Drew – Review by Moriah Venable

WE Blend (Falling for the Rockstar's Daughter Series #1)WE Blend by Willa Drew
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I started this book. Rockstar’s daughter finds love? Sounds great.

El finds herself at a bar off campus, in disguise in order to sing.

Wil, also happens to be at the same bar. When his guitarist is found drunk a few minutes before the show, El steps in, finding herself to be at the right place at the right time.

The cover and premise caught my attention. It has been a long time since I read a friends to lovers novel but I was sucked in. The slow burn of their relationship was great. Sometimes slow burns annoy me because I just want them to get together but the fast pace of the novel helped the progression of the relationship.

With the ending, I am so excited for the next novel!

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Moby Plays the Flute by Eeha Bhatt – Review by Moriah Venable

Moby Plays the FluteMoby Plays the Flute by Eeha Bhatt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Moby is a little girl who wants to excel in school but also has trouble in school. She sometimes gets made fun of and prefers to sit in the back of class to not draw attention to herself.

A day before her birthday, Moby’s Dad has to leave again because he is a Marine. She can’t open the gift until the next day. When she does open up, she sees a flute and she loves it.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times Moby blows into the flute, it does not make any sound. So she gives up.

A year later, on her next birthday, Moby is excited to receive a gift from her day. The special day passes and no presents from her dad arrives. This causes her to look for the flute.

Still doesn’t make a sound. She looks into the flute and notices a note from her dad in it. She tried again and this time, she can make sound with the flute.

Because of her attempting to try again, she was able to play the flute. She applies this to school work.

This was such a cute story. I loved learning about Moby and the important lesson here about putting in hard work and effort. It really is an important lesson for kids

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Curse of the Elf Lord (Kingdom of the Elf Lords Book 2) by Heidi Vanlandingham – Review by Moriah Venable

Curse of the Elf Lord (Kingdom of the Elf Lords Book 2)Curse of the Elf Lord by Heidi Vanlandingham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Émilien Elasalor concentrates on his brother and sister in law’s disappearance, knowing that he probably won’t be able to lift the curse so he can be with his wife, Hel.

This is a story about an Elf who has been cursed to have the body of werewolf? Sign me up cause I would have never thought of that.

The two finds themselves at odds when they have to work together.

I really enjoyed this novel, it was really captivating even though I didn’t read the first novel, I wasn’t confused at all. The writing style I really liked to. It didn’t take me long to be engrossed in the story.

I didn’t see anything online about a third novel but I would love to read about Émilien and this world.

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Grave Digger Academy (Grave Digger Academy Book 1) by C.A. King – Review by Moriah Venable

Grave Digger AcademyGrave Digger Academy by C.A. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Makayla applies to several schools and hopes to be picked for the school she really wanted to attend. Unfortunately, she gets accepted into Grave Digger Academy, the school where no one wants to attend.

She faces the school year not only with the disappointment of her family hanging over her but she must also face it by herself.

Not much excitement concerning the curriculum with it mostly consisting of spells needed to ensure that the dead stay dead. But Makayla soon finds out secrets involving her family.

The title of this caught my attention. It just seems different from other Young Adult novels. A school where students learn spells to guarantee that the decrease stays that way? I am a sucker for novels set in schools. It just gives me this gothic vibe.

I really like Makayla as a protagonist, especially her optimism. I look forward to reading how she grows as a character.

This is a short read but it definitely leaves me wanting to know more. I saw there were two other novels in this series so I am excited to start them.

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Break The Darkness (The Vigilant Book 2.5) by LM Preston – Review by Moriah Venable

Break The Darkness (Vigilant, #2.5)Break The Darkness by L.M. Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve read some of the other novels in this series and from what I gather it doesn’t follow the same character throughout the novels. Maybe one or two follows the same character then the next novel has a different main character so I am not sure if I need to read them in order or not.

In this novel we follow Rei who gets a job at the school newspaper. Now she can do what she is good at: investigating. Similar to other stories where characters start to unravel hidden secrets, this also starts to put Rei’s life in danger. Not only her life but her family as well.

I will need to read the novel before this but I really enjoyed this and I could not put it down. It is such a great feeling when you haven’t read about a world in so long but it still grips you from the first page.

I loved Rei and how many thought she was weak only to be surprised with how wrong they were.

I’m not sure how many novels will be in this series but I am looking forward to not only catching up on the previous novels but the future ones as well.

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Hairballs and Homicide Felines and Fatalities (A Kitty Beret Cafe Mystery Book 1) by Ruth J. Hartman – Review by

Hairballs and HomicideHairballs and Homicide by Ruth J. Hartman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cozy mystery with a cat café? Sign me up!

Ellie Warren is the owner of Kitty Beret Café, a cat café with hopes of getting the kittens adopted.

When an older woman visits the café, sprouting how much she hates cats, Ellie is shocked. She is even more shocked when the same lady is found dead behind the shop. Could the cats have killed her?

It has been a while since I read a cozy mystery. For past few weeks haven’t been the best so being able to lose myself in a novel is a pleasure in life that doesn’t happen as much as it used to.

It has a predictable plot with a romance that I see a mile away. Which adds even more charm to it. It’s a fun read. Dressing up the cats in costumes was a bit annoying. Cute I’m sure, by annoying because of course cats aren’t much of a fan.

I wonder how many novels this will be. I look forward to the next Ellie adventure.

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Felines and Fatalities (A Kitty Beret Cafe Mystery Book 2) by Ruth J. Hartman – Review by Moriah Venable

Felines and Fatalities (A Kitty Beret Cafe Mystery, Book 2)Felines and Fatalities by Ruth J. Hartman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ellie Warren returns for the second novel of the series.

She is still owner of the Kitty Beret Café where she still dresses up the cats in cute costumes to help them get adopted (I am not sure if that is helping or not).

When she is approached to host a cat show, Ellie is unsure. Because the show is for rescued cats, she agrees. What was suppose to be a fun performance, becomes more deadly when one of the judges is murdered.

With the help of her cat Templeton and Detective Dare, Ellie once again gets swept up in the investigation and wants to find the killer.

What I love about cozy mysteries is that there are so many different directions to go and various paths to setup the plot as well as the murder. I find this one to be very creative.

I enjoy the characters and the setting of a cat cafe (which I really need to go visit one). At Least this gives me a glimpse of what a cat cafe would be like.

I searched online to see if there was another book to look forward to but sadly I didn’t see anything. I really hope so.

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Bake Happy (Bake Believe Series Book 3) by Cori Cooper – Review by Moriah Venable

Bake HappyBake Happy by Cori Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always wanted to learn how to bake, so the title of this caught my attention.

Though I haven’t read the other novels in the series, I still enjoyed this novel.

Seeing people come together through baking, just makes me happy. No wonder people would bring over baked good to neighbors like I’ve seen in some movies. It conveys you were thinking of them and wanting them to feel welcomed in the neighborhood.

There is some drama with family curses being swapped and Cat trying to fix it before anything bad happens.

I will have to read the previous novels and this one again.

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Murder Most Pemberley (Eliza Darcy Mysteries Book 1) by Jessica Berg – Review by Moriah Venable

Murder Most Pemberley (Eliza Darcy Mysteries Book 1)Murder Most Pemberley by Jessica Berg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was looking for a good mystery and this one caught my eye.

When Eliza Darcy travels to England, her goal is to solve the estrangement between her father and her uncle.

Things don’t go as planned when a body surfaces. Clues lead her to believe that the murder and her family rift maybe be more connected than she initially thought.

I will admit that I have not read any Jane Austen books and as an English major, I am aware of how shameful that looks. I wasn’t lost while reading but I had a feeling I would have enjoyed it if I was more knowledgeable about Jane Austen since the main character’s last name is Darcy which I know is a name from a Jane Austen book.

I hope that there will be more of this series. While I wait for a possible sequel, I will be catching up on my classic literature novels.

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Watcher (Star-Crossed Celestials Book 1) by A.L. Morrow – Review by Moriah Venable

Watcher (Star-Crossed Celestials Duet #1)Watcher by A.L. Morrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Romeo and Juliet is one of my favorite plays and I am always into reading retellings. MM Romeo and Juliet? Count me in!

Jace is the last descendent of the first disgraced Watcher, fallen angels responsible for corrupting humanity. Hunting them down, are the Messengers, celestial beings from another realm.

Jace is still recovering from heartbreak when he meets Cyrus, a Messenger unlike he has met before. Cyrus wants peace instead of war, but that task won’t be easy. Neither is falling for the dark winged man.

Words cannot describe how much I loved this novel. I loved so many of the characters. I loved Cassian and Jace’s sister Hesper.

Unlike with Romeo and Juliet, where the origin of the feud remains unknown, in this novel, it becomes clear why there is war between the Messengers and the Watchers. The ending is also different from the original play which I also liked. This was a very well thought out retelling.

I read online that this is a series and I am so excited to read the next novel. I am not sure if the sequels will continue being from Jace and Cyrus points of view or if a new couple’s story will be told. I will impatiently wait until January of next year. Only a few months, but it feels like a lifetime away.

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Key to His Heart by Kristina Beck – Review by Moriah Venable

Key To His HeartKey To His Heart by Kristina Beck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I went into this expecting a cute romance. When I finished, I was so emotional and in awe of the story.

Katrina moves to small town Golden Crest to start over after a divorce with her baby Toby. Sometime after moving, she meets a man that she inexplicably drawn to. While she does want him, she is also afraid of sharing her secrets.

A former NFL player, TJ is now a chemist teacher and coach for the local football team. When he meets Katrina and Toby, he feels like he has finally found what he has been looking for: a family.

Katrina starts acting peculiar and he isn’t sure if he should give her space or stay.

I’ve read a lot of romances but this will stay with me. This is a story that I will remember from time to time and read over and over again.

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Caged Fire (The Vigilant Book 1) by LM Preston – Review by Moriah Venable

Caged Fire (Vigilant, #1)Caged Fire by L.M. Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A few years have passed since someone tried to kill her. EmVee and her dad have been on the run ever since, trying to run from their problems but now it is catching up.

When her father disappears, she finds out about his debt and favor being collected.

A glance of Kayden can’t be good either. With nowhere to run and unsure who to trust, EmVee goes to find out who is after her and her father.

I noticed that the author has more books in this series. There were so many twists and turns as well as emotional parts of the story that surprised me but I enjoyed the novel.

I’m not sure where the story is going next but I can’t wait to find out,

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Insatiable Darkness (The Vigilant Book 0) by LM Preston – Review by Moriah Venable

Insatiable Darkness (Vigilant, #0.5)Insatiable Darkness by L.M. Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

EmVee moves to the middle of nowhere town of NewPort. Her parents won’t tell her the reason for the sudden move. Although EmVee is curious, she also decides to reinvent herself as the new girl at a new school. She meets various other students including football players Silas and Kayson, Megan who talks a lot and Rachel, a girl who works at her parent’s gym.

Secrets start to be revealed, when athletes are murdered and cheerleaders goes missing. In the midst, is a mystery of who is trying to attack EmVee’s family. She takes it upon herself to find out.

I was pleasantly surprised. Within the first couple of chapters, I was hooked. I know why it is part of the Vigilante series after reading this. The groundwork for this seems solid and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.

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