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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Dragons by Ty Drago – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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DragonsDragons by Ty Drago
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Red Coat by Isobella Dunn – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Her Blackened Heart (The Blackened Series Book 2) by Isra Sravenheart – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Her Blackened HeartHer Blackened Heart by Isra Sravenheart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Istra and Astrid the Raven turned man return in the next installment of this series, they are still living in Lady Isra’s tower and they are each others confidant, friend, lover and a match with regards to the darkness within them, the compliment each other and look out for each other and their combined darkness thrills them both. Although over the last year they have been together, some things have remained the same and others have changed, more shades of deep reds have emerged within the castle and Astrid has become more comfortable changing between his raven and human forms, his abilities in the use of magic have improved and he is able to help Lady Isra more than ever with her plans. After their last encounter with the outside world, Astrid insisted on cloaking the tower with a more powerful spell so that Lady Isra could remain safe and protected from the outside world and although she still enjoyed going for her walks in nature, she agreed to the improved security.

One day, the peace they had sought is broken when an unknown intruder approaches the tower, it is a creature magical in nature, but Lady Isra decides that they may find some use for them and so welcome them into their new home, but only with complete understanding that they aren’t trusted and that they must not reveal their situation to anyone in the outside world, these conditions are agreed on and so are shown to their room and left to settle in. On one of this individual’s first tasks, they are sent into the outside world, where they make a mistake which could cost them dearly in the future, but which brings another individual into the lives of Lady Istra and Astrid. This new person is a good witch called Contessia, she beforend the new arrival and when she goes to seek them out with the information she shouldn’t have been privy to, it leads to circumstances which nobody expected. Contessia is welcomed into the household and makes the acquaintance of Lady Istra and Astrid where she has tea and conversations, however when the day becomes late, she is invited to stay, however, this will be a night Contessia will never forget.

As a new day dawns, Contessia is sure that she has made a mistake entering into this tower, however, she is worried about her friend and is drawn back to the place despite her misgivings, this is where Lady Istra takes her under her tutelage of the dark arts and begins to mold Contessia into a new image. Astrid understands Lady Istra’s reasoning and also partakes in molding this innocent young witch, but in a less friendly manner, however, he isn’t the only one, an old acquaintance of Lady Istra’s, Everilda makes a sudden reappearance in her life, however, the reunion is not a happy one and suspicions reign as to what this person’s intentions are. As Everilda and Lady Istra’s bad blood escalates and Everilda’s motives become clear, an all out war between the two is inevitable, will the use of innocents be one witch’s undoing? Who will come out on top in the end and will there be too much collateral damage to deal with? This is another magical adventure of rivalry, a clashing of past and present as memories and realities combine to create a conclusion which you will not want to miss out on.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Her Blackened Rose (Blackened Series Book 3) by Isra Sravenheart – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Her Blackened Rose (Blackened #3)Her Blackened Rose by Isra Sravenheart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the third installment in the story of Lady Istra and Astrid, they have had time to receiver from their latest escapade, but Lady Isra has been changed by her latest experience, albeit she isn’t sure exactly what happened, but Astrid does and as he recalls the events, another problem is on the horizon for this duo of dark souls. Although Astrid has been honest with Lady Istra about some aspects of their life, he has also been hiding things from their past, things that he is not sure Lady Istra will be able to forgive him from hiding them and it is causing his some serious anxiety and a lot of distance between himself and his lady love. Meanwhile Lady Istra is becoming used to her new state of mind and body as she prepares for an unexpected meeting about the deeds of her recent past, but she counters every point with one of her own and succeeds in not relenting to the pressure being put on her. One member of the meeting is someone she hasn’t been acquainted with before, he introduces himself as Ronald and hopes that they can meet again in the future under more favourable circumstances. Astrid is suspicious and doesn’t trust the human, despite feeling no magical energies coming from him, he is just being protective of his Lady Istra and safeguarding her from those he believes may do her harm.

Ronald O’Kutte however, is devising a plan to avenge his brother Kane O’Kutte, he believes that Lady Istra is guilty of involvement in his brothers disappearance and he is determined to strike at her weakest point and destroy her like she has done to him and his family. As he thinks about what he can do, Astrid is visited be an old friend who warns him about Lady Istra’s future and safety so that he can formulate a counter attack if and when needed, but he is finding it difficult to keep his secrets and is unwittingly increasing their distance while she does the same with him. Time passes and Lady Istra encounters Ronald again while on one of her walks in the forest, she doesn’t quite know what to make of him, however, she remains polite and keeps him at arms length until she can return home to Astrid. A few days later, after a night of passion and intimacy between Lady Istra and Astrid, she wakes up for one of her early walks and wakes Astrid up with screams when she finds a devastating tragedy has befallen a member of her household during the night and she is distraught, she shrugs off the attention from Astrid and the have an argument over it until she walks off and leaves Astrid alone at the tower, it is during this walk when she encounters Ronald by chance and he sees the vulnerability in her and decides it is time to make his move.

As Astrid is waiting for Lady Istra’s return he becomes more and more worried as the time passes and she doesn’t return, meanwhile Lady Istra is lost within a spell and try as she might, she cannot escape it, the only thing she knows is that she needs to find Astrid and engage his help to end the danger she finds herself in, but this is easier said than done when she is trapped in a world reliving all her past evil deeds. Astrid decides to confront the last person she was seen with and get an answer to his one burning question, where is Lady Istra? Can Astrid find Lady Istra in time before the spell she is trapped in consumes her, or will the dark plans others have made come to pass in their favour? This is another adventure where magic and reality combine to create a world where nothing is as it seems and secrets are kept and the truth of them revealed, but how it ends is only found out by reading all the way to the concluding events.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Earl’s Scandalous Wager by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The Earl's Scandalous WagerThe Earl’s Scandalous Wager by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emily Riventon is an eighteen year old girl with only a step-brother and a step-mother as family, her step-brother is also her legal guardian, but he has a drinking and gambling problem and unfortunately, on a night which started with attending a soiree together, ended in a candle-lit gambling den around a table with the men betting on dice and the wager was her! As she watches from the sidelines, she regards those sitting around the table, all young men apart from one and it is this one she is sincerely hoping doesn’t win, however, even if her step-brother wins the roll, she will still end up married to him or worse, but because of the tight hold on her wrist, Emily is unable to escape this mortifying and horrifying situation. As the dice roll, it seems that her luck is running out and her step-brother’s luck is in, however, on the last roll it is another of the gentlemen who wins, it is the Earl of Lenbridge and now she feels slightly more fortunate.

The Earl who has won his prize regards Emily scrutinizing her features, womanly shape and attire in the rooms candle light, he appraises him in the same way, he is handsome, has large hands and a well cut suit and evening jacket, meanwhile, he is more than happy with her beauty and he sees an innocent young woman before him who will do nicely in comparison to another young woman he has made the acquaintance of. After this, the Earl pulls some paperwork from the inside pocket of his jacket and presents it to her step-brother to sign, which he does with an exclamation and a regretful look Emily’s way and once this transaction is completed, Emily and the Earl leave the establishment and get into a coach to head to their next destination, it is clear that the Earl has imbibed a high amount of the strong liquor which was on offer and seems to be quite affected by it as he is helped into the carriage by his footman, mumbles to himself and falls asleep during the journey. While Emily is observing all of this, she is trying to collate her thoughts and wrap her head around everything which had come to pass that evening, that is until they reach their destination and the footman has to wake the Earl up.

As they enter an unfamiliar house, they are greeting by a butler who appears to have dressed hastily so that he can inform another of their arrival at the house, again, the Earl has to be helped out of the carriage and into the house, although he does still have the dexterity to be able to stop Emily from falling over on the dimly lit walkway. However, as the next guest is announced, Emily has a sudden feeling of foreboding, what will become of her now that she is the possession of the Earl, will he just use her as a mistress and make her future even more uncertain, or will she be forced into a marriage of convenience where duty comes before love? This is a tale of a regency period historical romance where uncertainty reigns and futures are as changeable as the weather, but it is a story which will hook you in and wanting to know what the future holds, will it be full of obligation and boredom, or will it be a riot of secrets and revelations? The only way to find out is to read to the end and see where this inconsiderate and scandalous wager leads.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Her Blackened Soul (Dark Spell Series) by Isra Sravenheart – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Her Blackened Soul (The Blackened, #1)Her Blackened Soul by Isra Sravenheart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Isra is a powerful witch who lives in a tower in the middle of the forest, she is as dark as dark can be and she is known for it, the local villagers say that she should be avoided at all costs, that she is wicked and evil and that she has power, beauty, control and authority, but she has a cold heart thanks to a lost love and the bitterness which has led her down this dark path, however, she adores nature and everything in it, apart from humans, she has no time for them, but they still come to her for help from time to time and she does just that, as long as they have no ulterior motives which would impact on herself. When she isn’t doing that, she is gaining knowledge and learning about the world around her, even though she casts an invisibility spell that only those with magical abilities will be able to find her in her self imposed isolation and this led her to her darkest spell yet, she ignores all the warnings from her peers and other magical beings and goes after the power of transformation, to merge herself with a dragon, to absorb its magic and keep it for herself, so she goes for a walk in the woods and does just that, she enters a trance-like state of meditation and the dragon approaches her, she speaks with it before plunging a dagger into its heart and after being covered in its emerald blood, she heads home to think about what she has gained.

As the days and weeks passed, Lady Isra and her surroundings became blackened in more ways than one, she is now feared by those around her, darker and more isolated than ever and she has no intention of changing any time soon, but that changes when she meets a python on one of her walks in the forest, as they share a conversation, they find out a little more about the others, Lady Isra feels a connection and kinship with the snake and so she agrees not to harm any of his kind and promises to stop by to converse with him again in the future. As she leaves, Lady Isra thinks about the conversation they had and the information about the stranger who will make themselves known to her, she wonders what his intentions will be and what will come about from them.

Time passes for Lady Isra and she has more conversations with her friend, however, she also makes another one when a raven appears and introduces himself as Astrid, he is from another land and wishes to assist Lady Isra in her plans, he knows she is powerful and dark and it hasn’t put him off seeking her out. As Lady Isra continues with her dark plans, Astrid is further drawn to the enigmatic witch and she is drawn to him, he is a magnificent animal and the darkness is as strong within him as it is within her. Where will the darkness take Lady Isra and Astrid and will they be able to travel on this dark path together, or will the darkness rip them apart? This is a dark romance with magic woven throughout as you follow along the path of darkness to find out where it leads.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Blue Summer Part Two by Everly Taylor – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Blue Summer Part TwoBlue Summer Part Two by Everly Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is only for those over 18 due to the adult nature of the content within.

This is the second part to the adventures of Lillie and the Zayed, we start with Chief and Brian as they man the computers in the offices and Chief has a bad feeling about sending Heath, Clay and Lillie to her apartment to gather her things, that is until Erius appears near her apartment. As they start to panic and head out, Heath and Clay come running in while trying to explain what happened and how Lillie was in her room packing while they went to answer the door to her landlord, but they couldn’t get to her quickly enough and she disappeared. As they try to come up with a plan to get rid of him once and for all, they decide that in order to do that they need to get Lillie back first. Meanwhile, Lillie has been given a vial of something by Erius and is struggling to move while he pompously talks to his mink Martin as he prepares to start the interrogation, but she just about manages to hide her leg and any evidence she has been with the Zayed.

As Erius starts to question Lillie, he tells her that the serum he has given her will cause her extreme pain if she lies to him, so as she decides what she can say to be evasive but avoid the pain and for the most part she manages, however, she realises that the potion is wearing off and she can start to move, so she decides to try and make her escape. As she is doing this, the four Zayed are heading towards the tower where Lillie is being held, she decides to use some of her skills that Erius will not be expecting and escapes again by distracting him and running the same way she did the first time, much to the surprise of everyone and the frustration of Erius.

As they all regroup and try to find a way to stop Erius once and for all, Lillie and the four Zayed use their skills and ingenuity to come up with a plan, but will they be able to stop Erius one and for all, or will their luck run out? This is a magical race against time with highs and lows making it a gripping sequel you will want to finish.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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

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ChasedChased by Felicity Brandon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book only for those over 18 dues to the adult nature of the content and possibly triggering themes.

Chase Benedict is a man who knows what he wants, he is the head of the Men of Honour and he has a dark side which would leave most people reeling and disgusted, however, his charm and debonair attitude keep reeling the ladies in, that is until Allegra comes along. Allegra Vallance s a law student who wants to specialise in human rights law, so in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, she is taking her course online and is stuck in her halls of residence thanks to the nationwide lockdown the government has imposed, but that will all change when she meets Chase.

Chase is sat in his leather chair at the head of the meeting table as usual going through the items on the minutes and considering his decisions carefully, especially about the plans for the group’s 160th anniversary celebrations this year, all the while all the time thinking of the upcoming weekends entertainment and how his life has turned out. He looks around the room afterwards, glorying in the old school decoration, the abundance, the men who held this position before him and the premium scotch he has tucked away for just this time of the day, the decision to have a public charity event and a more sordid affair afterwards have him excited and happy to be breaking the rules he had no intention of obeying in the first place. Meanwhile Allegra is stuck, she cannot think of what she needs to write for the piece she is desperately trying to write for her course, so she decides to go for a walk to get out of the house and out of her head, despite the torrential rain outside, but when she crosses the street, she is nearly hit by a car she didn’t hear or see coming. When the driver gets out of the car and starts having a go at her, in an arrogant and self-important manner, he hackles are raised and she bristles with indignation at his accusations and comments, she speaks her mind like she always does and it seems to take him aback, as though nobody speaks to him that way and this shocks her. After a short time, the man leaves and Allegra decides to go back to her room, her hope of settling her mind hasn’t happened though and she decides to go for another walk for some food.

As she is walking to the local takeaway, she is stopped by a young policeman and interrogated as to why she is out during a lockdown and whether she is breaking the rules, she is slightly offended by his mannerisms and although she knows she is bending the rules, she wants to stand up for herself, but his attention is thankfully drawn away when a car comes racing down the road and the policeman goes to intercept it. As Chase returns to where he met the enigmatic woman he cannot stop thinking about, he is stopped by a policeman and dressed down about his speed, however, it is instead Chase that dresses him down, demanding that he calls his superior to amend his mistake. He takes the opportunity during this confrontation to speak to the charming young lady again and this time it is a less confrontational conversation where he gets more of an inkling of her attitude and personality and as such, he invites her to his group’s upcoming event, she accepts and they both leave with Chase promising to contact her with the details.

This invitation is going to be an evening of glamour, black tie clothing and champagne, however, it isn’t going to be one soon forgotten as the lives and lifestyles of Allegra and Chase are going to collide in a flurry of personality clashes, but will the drive them apart or further together? This dark mafia style romance will keep you hooked as two strong personalities meet and clash with consequences neither can imagine.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Hunter’s Heart (Love After Earth) by Astrid Sharpe – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The Hunter's Heart (Love After Earth)The Hunter’s Heart by Astrid Sharpe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Poppy is a woman who lives a lonely and sometimes frustrating existence in the tower blocks of Summercotes in East London, she lives on her own since her mum dies the year before and spends the rest of her time in the fish and chip shop where she works, Franks Fries, but that all changes when she is kidnapped on her way home as someone grabs her from behind and injects her in the neck with a syringe. Zensah is a Relicai, he is the leader of their tribe and has had to make some hard decisions for them when a giant tsunami ravages the planet they live on, destroys their homes and kills most of their elderly, women and cubs, it is a devastating loss and he is going to meet with another race who have said that they are going to be bringing some female settlers with them next time they are there and whether there is room for them on his planet, he says yes and they agree to meet again.

The next thing Poppy knows is that she is waking up somewhere unknown, fully clothed with a headache worse than a hangover, the fully clothed part is a good thing, but when she opens her eyes and sees the bright light above her and a giant toad next to her, things get a bit surreal. The weird thing is that she can understand the language and when she sees the girl next to her getting some laser treatment in her eyes, she understands that the same thing must have happened to her. As she takes in more of her surroundings, she finds she is bound by some glowing yellow bands, which is why she cannot move, there are also four other women in the same situation, well at least she isn’t alone in her predicament. The next thing she knows is that the alien is reporting to someone else that they are ready to be presented to someone and that they need to be their best behaviour, but who to is just as startling, a group of five panther-men walk through the door and as they talk about being “settlers” the truth dawns on Poppy and the others, they are to be sold as “breeding slaves”. Since this is the last thing that they want, they plan their escape by screaming and using the frog people’s own weapons against them, however, the plan doesn’t go as expected and the next thing they know, they are having to escape again, this time down to the last planet they wanted to be on.

When Zensah boards the shuttle with his four best warriors to go and meet the new settlers on the ship, he is thinking about the decisions he has made since being chosen as the leader and he is doubting his abilities to do the job, especially when he sees his home planet from above. When they dock with the main ship and go and meet the new settlers, he soon finds out that they aren’t settlers at all, that they are not there of their own free will and that they are being sold to him for the crystals on his home planet, this doesn’t sit well at all with Zensah or his Relicai nature and so he refuses the trade, that is until it is mentioned that if they refuse, the females won’t be returned home, they will just be taken elsewhere, he is stunned and doesn’t know what to do. However, when the females make their escape bid, he sees something new in them and makes the split second decision to help them, however, the consequences of this are suddenly more drastic than he believes and when they return to his home planet, he knows that he owes it to this band of females to help them adjust to life on his planet.

He starts this by protecting the one who is with him called Poppy, taking her back to his village and then talking to the other females after that, however, this isn’t as simple a task as it seems when Poppy asks him to teach her survival skills on the way, he agrees and becomes a mentor to her as they travel. Will they be able to reach the tribe’s home territory and cross the wild landscape unscathed, or will their luck run out during their long journey? This is a dystopian adventure with aliens, humans, friendship and hardship throughout as these two people learn about life and working together as they draw you along this new path with them.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Courage of Us (Code of Honor Book 1) by Brooke May – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Courage of UsCourage of Us by Brooke May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Patience LaClare is a woman who over the last seven years has lost her courage and become a shell of her former self, she has been in a loveless marriage with a man who cheated on her, blamed her for everything going wrong in his life and verbally abused her, but the day it all became physical is the day she drew the line and asked for a divorce, however, Patience has lost her friends over that time and only has her family and herself to rely on. Duke Micheals is a Marine who left everything behind, including the girl he loved, since then, he has seen more of war than he ever wanted to and when he lost his dog in a tragic encounter with the enemy, he developed PTSD and this meant a medical discharge, leaving the Marines and returning home to his family and all the memories of what he left behind.

Patience is heading to her cafe in her parents grocery store as usual, where she bakes the town’s favourite sweet and savoury snacks, what she doesn’t expect is her car breaking down in the car park at night, when the snow is falling and it is freezing cold, but the last thing she expected was Duke Micheals to come to her rescue on his way back from filling in the paperwork so he can start his new job as a deputy in the local police department. The surprise stops them both from being able to form words, but it is Patience who breaks the silence first but her words are sarcastic, independent and scathing, but she reluctantly accepts the lift home from him, the silence between them is deafening and when she gets into her house, she is an emotional mess, but so is Duke after he drops her off. Seeing Patience has solidified what Duke was thinking that she needs him as much as he needs her, however, it is also clear that she will not be as easy to convince as he hoped, he will have to put in a lot of work to pull the person she was out of the person she is and he knows just how to do it, he will simply start by asking her to dinner and then see where that takes them.

As the days progress, Patience and Duke start to spend more time together as friends and catch up on the times since they last saw each other, things are going well but there are a lot of feelings to sort through and pasts to be shared, this takes a long time as the things they need to share are painful and hard to talk about and it doesn’t help when their families meddle and try to speed the process up. The two realise that they still feel as strongly for the other as they did seven years before, but also that the attraction they felt has multiplied as they have gotten more mature and grown into themselves.

Will they be able to reveal all the hurt they are hanging onto and overcome the barriers they have each built around their hearts, or will it all be too much when they find out what the other has been through and leave them reeling away from each other? This is a second chance romance where friends who have been broken try to come back together as adults with all their baggage included, where tenderness, grief, love and loss collide with the past, present and future to create a journey which envelops you and takes you along for the ride.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Wild Vamp (Jaded Vamp Book 2) by L.D. Wosar – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Wild Vamp: Jaded Vamp Series Book 2Wild Vamp: Jaded Vamp Series Book 2 by L.D. Wosar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Kaysee Belluomo is a vampire, but she isn’t just any vampire, she is the head of the Milite Coven along with her husband Dominic Belluomo and they are the elite of the elite of vampires, but one day in 2030 that changed when they were made aware of an individual who was creating a hybrid of a lycan and a vampire to create a new super race of supernaturals. Unfortunately, reports were that slowly but surely, they were taking over the USA and recruiting to their coven with the promise of power and a better life and most were taking the vampire in charge of it up on his offer because of his talent for persuasion. On this particular day they had invaded the Milite Coven headquarters and that is not something that Kaysee is impressed with in the slightest, however, her husband’s reluctance to do anything apart from strategise and make plans has Kaysee all riled up and after blood.

Forty years later and Kaysee’s predictions have come true and the Milite Coven have moved to Las Vegas in the hopes that they can find a food source and stay one step ahead of the hybrids following them, however, this plan hasn’t worked and the Coven’s members have diminished from over a hundred to six including Kaysee, her husband and her son. As they go hunting for hybrids in McCarran Airport Kaysee is still being undermined by the men in the Coven and she is getting sick of it, however, because she is a deadly fighting machine and completely head over heels with her husband, she goes along with the plan, albeit reluctantly, however, on one of these hunting trips things start to go wrong. After they have returned to the hotel and Kaysee finds out that her son has spoken to the leader of the enemy and has some opinions on him that don’t quite match up to his parents one, an argument ensues and loyalties are questioned and the next day while going to confront said leader, they split into teams and some split off on their own, however, when the time comes to leave, some of her Coven are captured and turned into more of the hybrid puppets. Due to this unexpected loss, the Belluomo’s decide to recruit some newborns from a group of humans who are still left in Las Vegas, so after they feed, they start taking the group back one by one to rebuild the Milite Coven back up.

When two of the missing coven members return to their home base, one is completely won over and the other is the opposite, enhanced, but still loyal to a fault, so when they are ambushed by hybrids and lycans alike on home turf, Kaysee does everything in her power to protect those who are left, however, her husband is kidnapped and flown out of the USA and overseas to Europe. Kaysee is devastated and retreats into herself for a few days before snapping back out of it and planning the rescue of the two men she loves most. Will Kaysee be able to successfully rescue her husband and son all while wiping out the rest of the Hybrid Coven, or will the past come back to haunt them and reduce their plans to cinders? This is a rip roaring romp of a paranormal romance with passion, violence and sex throughout which leaves you on no doubt of who is in charge and what happens when a female vampire is scorned.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Cross of Ciaran by Andrea Matthews – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The Cross of CiaranThe Cross of Ciaran by Andrea Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ciarán is a pagan priest in the Kingdom of Connachta in Ériu, however, a twist of fate has led him to an unfortunate event and a gathering storm is showing the displeasure of the Goddess he has sworn allegiance to. His crime was falling in love, marrying the woman and converting to her religion in the process and this angered the priests who raised him, welcomed them into their ranks and gave him the honour of being a Child of the Goddess whose role in the priesthood was to create the new generation of these chosen. This is why he is being condemned to eternal living confinement in a tomb and his wife is to suffer the trifold death while he watches on, tears Ciarán apart and the guilt he feels for this act of love is immense. As he is forced to drink the elixir which places him in the bodily state needed for his punishment, he learns some truths which shatter his whole world and repair it at the same time, he only has time to pray to his God as he slowly freezes into a state of living death.

Caitlin O’Connell is an archaeologist working on a dig in County Mayo in Ireland when she discovers a tomb on a hillside with an inscription which details who is interred there and why, but the why leaves more questions than answers and when the team open up the tomb and find a fifteen hundred year old body still in pristine condition. She has had to deal with a lot while on this site, a certain lack of respect from her coworkers, but nothing is as annoying and trying of her patience than the son of the digs benefactor who has no idea what he is doing or how the things he does on site can affect the whole dig, but when he tries to mess with the body and attacks one of the team members at the same time, leniency is not in his immediate future, despite who his father is. As the dig progresses and more tombs are found, there is a mystery as the differences between the three become apparent, however, when they are taken to three different museums around the world for display, things are even more strange when the body starts to bleed and stories of it opening its eyes start to circulate. Meanwhile, Ciarán is slowly waking up from his imprisonment and as he does, he is plagued by dreams and memories of his past, his childhood, his lady love and the revelations he has yet to process, however, he cannot understand where he is and how the invisible barrier is holding him in, so he decides to break out of the prison and find out what is happening.

Caitlin is dealing with the jet lag and all the responsibilities which have come with this new discovery, until it all comes to a head when one night the body just disappears after the glass display it was being preserved in is shattered and there are no leads as to where the priest has been taken. The police are trying to investigate, but with no leads and the benefactor being unimpressed with the handling of the situation and a copycat scenario on the other side of the world, both the dig and the investigation are closed, meanwhile Ciarán has made his way through the mysterious city he has woken up in to arrive at a church of the God he now believes in and is taken in by the Priests who live there, they care for him, feed him and make sure he has everything he needs, however, as he recovers from his plight, he doesn’t realise that Caitlin is the niece of one of the Priests and as much as he tries to deny it, there is an attraction there, but she is determined to uncover the truth behind both the missing Priest and the mysterious newcomer to the Parish who seems to know more than he is letting on, especially when he has an encounter with the police, where he sees something which reminds him of someone from his past he has no wish to see upon the earth once more.

As Caitlin is finding more questions than answers in her need to seek out the truth, will Ciarán let his past slip out and reveal his true identity to the world, or will his secrets catch up with him in more ways than one? Will Ciarán’s physical attraction to Caitlin lead to something more, or will the things he has endured create a blockade they cannot break down? This is a supernatural story with a historical and romantic twist where pagan rituals, religious beliefs and archaeology are mixed together to create a complex story of love, loss, life and death which is compelling throughout.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Sleeping Angel (Soul Connection Book 2) by Nikki Lynn Barrett – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Sleeping Angel (Soul Connection, #2)Sleeping Angel by Nikki Lynn Barrett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Angel and Logan are two young people with a lot of guilt over one other young person, the death of Logan’s sister. Logan blames Angel for not coming forward with some information sooner and he also blames himself for not heeding the signals and seeing what was right in front of him. Angel blames herself for the same thing, she didn’t take notice of a situation which felt a little off, she feels she was selfish and it was only when someone asked her a question two years later that she realised she should come forward, but when she does, her apology to Logan goes down in flames and he dogs her every movement after that and makes her life a living hell. Another year down the line and it is the anniversary of his sisters birthday and Logan does what the same as every year, gets drunk, angry and accusatory, he goes to Angel’s house and shouts abuse at her before being taken home, Angel is trying to celebrate her birthday when he shows up, but becomes completely overwhelmed and goes outside for some air, but all of a sudden she sees headlights and then is out of her body and nobody can see or hear her, apart from one person who insists that she goes back into her own body, however, as she does, she sees a flash of light and then nothing.

The next day Angel wakes up, but in somewhere she doesn’t recognise, she is not in a hospital where she expects to be after what she saw, but when she looks in the mirror, it is not her looking back, it is someone with blue hair and a nose ring and she has a roommate she has no idea the name of, thinking that she has the hangover from hell and trying not to let on she has no idea who she is, she is eventually taken to the hospital to be checked over. When she arrives there, she decides to go and look for herself instead, but finds that her body is surrounded by too many people and hasn’t woken up, but she does run into Logan, this is how she finds out she is in his ex-girlfriend Rionna’s body and that just causes more questions than answers. Finally she finds the one person she knows can help her untangle this mess and hopes that she can work with them to solve the mystery.

Meanwhile, Logan has woken up in the hospital with no memory of what happened after he was taken home by two people who were at the party he crashed, he remembers going to bed to sleep it off, but when he is told that he was behind the wheel, drunk out of his mind and that he ran over Angel outside her home, he realises just what a mess he is in. As he comes to and is treated for his head wound, the police come into his room and tell him that he will be arrested on multiple charges as soon as he is released from the hospital, however, the severity of the punishment will all depend on whether Angel wakes up from the coma she is currently in. Logan is torn in two by what he has done and accepts all the punishments he is given, however, when the alcohol withdrawal hits him, he feels like death would be preferable to the pain, spasms, nausea and hallucinations he is experiencing.

Will Angel be able to figure out Rionna’s life so that she can work out how to get back to herself, or will fate intervene and leave more questions than answers for her? Will Logan be able to turn over a new leaf, or will the downward spiral he was experiencing before begin again? What ties Logan, Angel and Rionna together and how did the body swap happen in the first place? This is a story of loss, grief, heartbreak and secrets with a tangled web of connections which need to be unraveled before the mystery can be solved.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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The Eclipse Dancer by Laura Koerber – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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The Eclipse DancerThe Eclipse Dancer by Laura Koerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Andy is a woman with a secret, she is fifty two and is half fairy and has had to return to her childhood home to care for her mother, they never had the easiest relationship, but now between the cancer and the dementia, Andy’s mother is dying and is a shell of her past self and is still living in a memorial to the past in her trailer on Iowa. Everything has changed since Andy left home as a young woman, barely of the age to live on her own, but when the total eclipse of the sun comes around, she harks back to a time when life was much more simple, a time when all she had to to was dance and make sure nobody was watching, a time of memories and the emotions tied to them.

As the almost forgotten memories come flooding back the more time she spends in the trailer, the more regret and pain she feels for her family and for herself, she reminisces about her relationships with her mother and brother, how her life was dysfunctional and full of secrets from the time she made her Barbie doll walk through the long grass as if on an adventure, walking into town with her older brother Danny, times she spent with her friends when she had them and a birthday present which awoke strange and confusing thoughts swirling around her mind. She thinks of all the times she felt ashamed, from the snapshots of her life she can barely remember to full vivid recollections. One thing she cannot remember however, is her mother telling her anything about her father, she learned all that from an Auntie Alana who she met at the age of thirteen amid a tumultuous period when all she wanted was to feel like she belonged and this new found relative gave her just that, with stories of fairies and the past with lessons for the future weaved within them. For once, all Andy’s questions were being answered and a whole new world and experiences were opened up to her, including flying and the dances, the things which set her apart, yet at the same time joined her to something beautiful.

However, not all Andy’s memories are positive ones, the memories of loss, death and loneliness also plague both her waking hours and her dreams, memories of Kenshi the boy who lived with Alana and who taught her about flying and stealing, her neighbor Mr Toliver who knew about the fairies, but kept their secret and told stories of his own family, Hairy the dog whom she rescued from a puppy farm and kept as a pet and the rest of the fairies she met over time, her family and the father of her daughter who left them behind. Can a childhood be overcome, or is change something which can only be brought about if the lessons are learned? How do love, loss, loneliness and joy translate over time and would you change anything if you could go back in time? These are some of the things this story makes you think about as you become immersed in learning about Andy and her life through her memories and experiences.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Blue Summer Part One by Everly Taylor – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Blue Summer Part OneBlue Summer Part One by Everly Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lillie is a girl on a mission, she wants to become a fixture in the fashion design world, but in order to do that, she needs to start at the bottom and today, this means that she has to carry a load of clothing designs by one designer to a meeting with another designer, however, she did not expect the humidity and weight of the clothing to combine to make her walk one which can only lead to being a sweaty mess. However, as she is making her way down a particularly busy road, someone decides that they want her purse, so when the guy in question slams into her back and causes her to try and pull her bag back, this causes her to fall flat on her back side and drop all of those designer pieces all over the floor.

As Lillie is raging at this unknown assailant, an unknown male voice drags her from her thoughts and helps her up from the floor and when she turns to look at her mystery helper, little does she realise that it is a Zayed, and a hot, sexy one at that. Thinking little further than that, she thanks him and starts to chase after her assailant while shouting to ask whether the Zayed will watch ehr things until she gets back, not that she is expecting that to happen in the slightest. Lillie is confident that she can outrun and outsmart the purse snatcher because she knows the area like the back of her hand and knows all the shortcuts, however, when she sees that the Zayed is hot on her heels and determined to continue helping her, she agrees and as he is going after the other guy, she takes a shortcut and gets in front.

When the predicted appearance of the culprit comes to pass, she hauls him down from the fence, kicks him in the ribs and repeats the move he used on her to get the bag, thus dragging him back and relinquishing her purse from his clutches, it is at this point that the Zayed comes back and scares the living daylights out of the guy before escorting her back to where they first met, but she is amazed to see another Zayed gathering the clothing and insisting that the two of them escort her to her destination, but not before falling into her and nearly getting her run over by a bus! Lillie reluctantly agrees to their offer of help and before she knows it, she is at her intended destination with minutes to spare, thanks the Zayeds and whilst thinking that they are nothing like they have been portrayed, they are polite, hot as hell and just genuinely nice people and the only thing different about them is their blue skin. After freshening up, Lillie goes into her meeting, however, it doesn’t go well and after she storms out and goes home. It is on her way that she realises that she is being followed by someone and just as she makes a break for it and almost reaches her apartment, they pop in front of her out of thin air and then proceed to kidnap her.

When she wakes up, she is locked in a room in a tall tower, so she looks around to try and see if she can get out of the window, however, while she is moving a footstool over to it, she knocks a vial of something which breaks all over the floor. When the kidnapper returns to the room to question her, she cannot give him the answers he is looking for, but she manages to make a break for it when the kidnapper lets his guard down and as she is running she bumps into the two Zayeds from earlier in the day and they are accompanied by another two as they run to her aid, but what will happen when they get to safety? Will Lillie discover somewhere she could find happiness, or has she just walked into a more dangerous scenario than the one she left? This is a story full of magic, romance, secrets and revelations all rolled into one, as well making you think about lifes preconceptions and how this can affect how you see the world.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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BRINK OF DENIAL: A Dark Mafia Romance (Sons of Sindicato Book 2) by Sonya Jesus & Cam Johns – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

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Brink of Denial (Sons of Sindicato #1)Brink of Denial by Cam Johns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is for those 18 or over due to the adult nature of the content within.

Dane Girodano is the son of the Giordano’s, one of the Sons of the Sindicato and he is also next in line for the seat at the head of the families, but the one thing he doesn’t have is Mila Blanc, a model living in California with the face and body every man wants and every woman wants to be and that is because 11 years ago, she left him brokenhearted for a life away from the Sindicato and everything that went with it. Now Mila Blanc is disillusioned with the life of a model and is just waiting for her contract to end so that she can get her payout and follow her new dreams, however, there is one complication they are an addiction and a vice that neither of them can kick and this could get them into a lot of trouble.

As Mila is trying to keep her head above water and tie up loose ends around her, she gets home after a stressful day and finds a friend there waiting for her with a hot meal cooked and pretty much on the table, however, when this friend finds her phone and sees that she has been paying a man a lot of money, he goes off the rails and goes to set the record straight. This does not go quite to plan and ends up escalating the tension between Mila and her blackmailer instead of calming it down and when reality hits that he can ruin her career easily so near to its conclusion, she decides to call an old friend to help her sort things out. Meanwhile, Dane is trying to sort out his own messes as they suspect that there is a leak somewhere in their operation and they have an idea who they can pump for information about it, however, the individual is not as forthcoming as they had hoped when fear and physical stimulus aren’t working, so they decide to change tact and play the waiting game in a bid to eek it out in another way.

As Dane tries to ignore Mila’s calls thinking that all she wants is more no strings sex and he is not in the mood for that in the slightest, he eventually gives in and answers the phone, however, when she asks for his help he reluctantly says yes and meets her at the time and place she requests of him. When he arrives, Mila fills him in on the details of what has been going on and why he is there, she has a plan and so they go to confront the man in question, but despite the beatdown and threats he receives, he is not letting go that easily and threatens Mila in a new way while simultaneously involving Dane, the Police and the rest of the Sindicato families. As this little meeting is going ahead, other wheels are turning in other areas of the Sindicato businesses which dredge up yet more questions than answers.

This is where Mila starts to miss her old life and the ways in which things were more simple and because of this, she decides that she wants back in with Dane and a second chance at something she thinks they both want, but will Sindicato business get in the way, or will Mila be able to take back control of her life and everything in it? Will Dane be able to forgive and forget, or will the past be too much of a raw and open wound to ever be able to heal? This is a rollercoaster of ups and downs with secrets, revelations, truth and lies throughout and you will become as absorbed in the Sindicato life as they are.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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