Santana Hicks – Itsy Bitsy Book Bits

Posts

Reunion (The Hellgate Chronicles) by Jocelyn Lindsay – Review by Santana Hicks

October 19, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Reunion by Jocelyn Lindsay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In her senior year of highschool, Meg closed a portal to hell. Once her job of being the gatekeeper came to a close, she took off never to go home again. That is until she was in her 40s and a comatose friend reached out to her psychically. Someone is trying to open the gate 20 some years later and it is up to Meg to once again make sure it stays closed.

Reluctantly, Meg returns home to do her duties of being the gatekeeper. Leaving at such a young age left a lot of loose ends in her hometown. Everything is different yet still the same and Meg is thrust back into a life she wanted to forget.

I absolutely loved this book for a number of reasons, especially the premise of the main character being in her forties. Too many times the main characters are in their twenties and although the books are still enjoyable, now that I am getting older, it’s getting harder to connect with younger characters.

I adored Meg! She was a rough around the edges type of girl. She was witty, and a but coarse at times. The book itself was filled with unexpected twists and turns keeping you guessing. Full of action, humour, and emotional growth, you will definitely want to join Meg on this adventure!

View all my reviews

Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Santana Hicks

October 15, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children’s Book About Bullying by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a story about a big, strong guy named Beefy who used to scare other kids. He learns a valuable lesson that being nice is better than being mean. He makes a new friend named Max who encourages him to be kind. Beefy learns that bullying can really hurt people.

Overall, the book is a heartwarming and educational story that is perfect for young readers. It is a great choice for parents and educators looking for books that promote positive values and teach children about the importance of empathy and kindness. The pictures are fun and colourful keeping the attention of the children reading it.

View all my reviews

Whisper (The Entian Curse) by Kay Ross – Review by Santana Hicks

October 13, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Whisper by Kay Ross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Whisper is a sentient curse. Being the cause of someone’s death causes Whisper to hate death and want to stop it from happening again. Whisper has the ability of connecting with humans by touch, they then have access to the person’s thoughts and memories. The sorcerer who has created Whisper, wants to team up together to try to access a tree that has different countries’ sources of magic pouring into it.

Whisper doesn’t want to cause any harm and it has actually formed a relationship with a couple of its hosts. Unfortunately, not everyone sees Whisper as a good thing and they want to eradicate it. Whisper has to make choices, some good, some bad, some that might result in the very thing they want to stop. Can death be stopped is the question..

The premise of this book was so unique and weird that I could not put it down once I started it. A sentient curse who is good hearted and quirky. A small girl, barely 18, who almost instantly becomes Whisper’s best friend and mentor. A battle hungry barbarian of a man. The relationships are so different from each person but still so wholesome in their own ways. I thought the relationship between Whisper and Ethene was cute. You could tell that the author put in a lot of thought and time into the creation of all who is mentioned in the book.

View all my reviews

Mommy, Am I Indian Today? by Sheeba Varghese – Review by Santana Hicks

October 9, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Mommy, Am I Indian Today? by Sheeba Varghese
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a cute, quick read about a child who is learning about their culture. The family is going to a wedding so they put on their “fancy clothes”. Since the family only wears their Kurtas for special occasions, the child asks their mother if they are Indian today. The mother then goes into details about the family heritage and how they are Indian everyday.

I thought this book was a fun way to introduce Indian fashion culture in terms that and pictures that would make children understand easier. The illustrations were also very nice and detailed.

View all my reviews

Sanctuary by Bree M. Lewandowski – Review by Santana Hicks

October 7, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Sanctuary by Bree M. Lewandowski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After Petra’s brother is announced as dead by supposedly killing himself, Petra takes it upon herself to find out the truth. She does not think he would do that. She goes to the Cloistered City to follow in her brother’s footsteps. Petra slips into the role as a courier and tries to discover more about her brother’s time here.

She meets Rand, a captain in the Shivalry. He seems different from the rage filled fighters that the Shivalry normally have in their ranks. Petra is instantly intrigued by his unique eyes and can’t seem to get him out of her mind since meeting him. In the middle of the Festival of the Late Harvest Moon, Rand brings Petra to a magical garden where Petra accidentally bonds the two together using an ancient incantation.

The pair need to work together and get used to a new life together even though they are from completely different places. Will love prevail or will the empire find a way to destroy them.

I really enjoyed Petra and Rand as characters. The author did a wonderful job with the character growth of both, together and alone. The way they built the world made it come to life. I also really enjoyed the internal monologue.

I honestly think the author could potentially write a second book with these characters. There are some loose ends and the world is big and interesting enough to continue on.

View all my reviews

It’s Cool To Be Kind by Shermaine Perry-Knights – Review by Santana Hicks

October 1, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

It’s Cool To Be Kind: A Children’s Book on Kindness and Friendship by Shermaine Perry-Knights
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Martin, Max and Michael have a school assignment to write about what they are good at. While talking about things they do that make them cool, they help people along the way. The kids realize that being kind is cool and enjoyable too!

This was a cute and quick read. Kids can learn that being kind can make everyone happy, including yourself! The pages were bright and vivid drawing attention and keeping it. At the very end of the book, there are a couple of cute games making it even more fun!

View all my reviews

The Viper’s Bloodline Awakened (The Gods’ Scion Series) by Winnifred Tataw – Review by Santana Hicks

September 29, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

The Viper’s Bloodline Awakened: The Fifth Book in the Urban Fantasy series The Gods’ Scion by Winnifred Tataw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the fifth book of ‘The Gods’ Scion’ series. This is not a standalone and you should read the whole series. I made that mistake and read this as a standalone and was very confused. It took me a long time to get who was who and what was going on.

After a while, I started picking up what was going on but whereas this was book 5, all of the characters were already introduced. A lot of the characters were related and their names all started with ‘R’ which made it even more hard.

The book itself was interesting. The main character is the queen who can’t trust anybody and there’s betrayal around every corner. One of the queen’s children is supposed to be next in line for the throne and everything was going well. All of a sudden, a young man shows up claiming to be the dead crowned prince’s heir, meaning he would have claim over the throne. He will stop at nothing to get it. The queen will have to try to stop him.

The book was very political with a lot going on within the family and kingdom. I’m sure if I read the rest of the series, I would have found it more enjoyable.

Full of fantasy, lore, family, betrayal and a splash of romance, there is something for everyone!

View all my reviews

Midnight Falls by John Evans – Review by Santana Hicks

September 24, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Midnight Falls by John (ronin) Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Josh Blevins is tired of being hunted by creatures out for revenge. He has decided enough is enough and is done running. Before he goes out with a bang, he decides to write his story. We are then transported back to the beginning of the end for Josh.

After he fails at his career plans, Josh decides to move back home. After living in New York in a small apartment, he thinks it is time for him and his trusty husky, Nimrod, to go back to his country roots. He settles into a life in the small town of Midnight Falls. Everything seems calm and dull but in reality, it’s a town filled with secrets.

Being an outsider, Josh has no one he can trust except for Nimrod and a few other outsiders; Lizzie, Joey and Brad. Things start heating up between Josh and Lizzie when Nimrod gets outside and there is a gunfire sound. They come across a creature they have never seen before and it all goes downhill from there.

I was afraid this would not be my jam as I don’t normally read horror (I scare easily) but the cover intrigued me. I am a fan of werewolves and the monsters resemble them. I found the book to be more like a thriller than horror which was perfectly fine by me. The author did an amazing job bringing the characters to life and keeping you on the edge of your seat in anticipation. I also loved the detail the author went into writing Nimrod. He was so goofy and stubborn. It reminded me of my dog who is part husky. She is also a stubborn goofball.

View all my reviews

Mr. Lucky (Trentbridge Crime Series Book 1) by Lee Wood – Review by Santana Hicks

September 22, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Mr Lucky by Lee Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

James Sheldon was on his way of getting promoted at his job as a detective. He was about to start a new case when the worst happened. James’ family was killed in a hit and run. He ends up spiralling and drinking his life away. He loses his job, his house, and most of his belongings. He turns to life in the streets. All that is about to change when he decides to buy a lotto ticket and wins.

Meanwhile Dave Rex, is a crime boss. Starting with drugs and then getting in the property game, he has money galore. He worked hard for his money and will not let anyone get in the way of his plans. Dave decides to buy a lotto ticket. On his way out of the store, he collides with a homeless man. Once Dave checks the numbers, he realizes that he should have won but instead the homeless man had the winning ticket. Livid, Dave decides to try to take down James and get his money back.

James wants to do good with his winnings. Being homeless really opened his eyes to the troubles some people have. He wants to start a charity where they will provide cheaper rent for those in need. He wants to put a bet on a place that has potential. Unfortunately, Dave has already put a bet in for this place as well. When he finds out that James is about to take something else away from him, he doesn’t care how but he will take James out of the game.

This book was really hard to get into at first. The author introduced too many people all back to back in my opinion. Plus it was very slow paced before anything of note happened. It went into too much backstory from a lot of characters. About halfway through the book is when James wins the lotto and things start to kick off. After that point, I started getting into the plot. James was a caring man who just needed a helping hand after his life fell apart and he never forgot those who were there for him. Dave was a bad, bad man. Full of anger and no empathy is a dangerous mix. Although he has never murdered anyone himself, he has called in some hits. He honestly was a piece of crap of a human, which makes for a great villain. I was rooting for Dave to be knocked down a peg or ten. All I have to say is Karma is a B…

View all my reviews

The Secret Aftermath (The Discoveries of Julia Xero Series) by Gloria Oliver – Review by Santana Hicks

September 14, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

The Secret Aftermath: An Urban Fantasy Thriller by Gloria Oliver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is set immediately after the first book in the series called ‘The Secret Humankind’. It references a lot from this book and will need to be read to be fully caught up to what’s going on in this book.

After the death of Jake, Julia finds out she can tap into the same energy the Secret Humankind does making so that she heals at a fast pace. This shouldn’t be possible since she is only a human. The council is not happy about this and demands a meeting with her. The council is divided. While some think she should be taken out immediately, others think she should be given a chance. They decide to let Julia be under her boss’ care who is one of the secret humankind. She is given a few stipulations, one of them being she is not to willingly tap into the energy. Julia is an unknown entity to them and they want to find out more about her. The decision doesn’t stop unsanctioned murder attempts. First she has a stalker and now she has to fear for her life. It is never a dull moment.

On top of all that, they still are trying to figure out what and who Jake’s master was. Julia will once again have to put herself in danger to solve the mystery.

I absolutely love Julia. She started out as a pessimistic person with no self worth, to a strong and selfless person forming a life with strong relationships. She never thought she would have friends but here she is with multiple. The author has done an amazing job bringing the characters to life. I also love the whole concept of how the Secret Humankind is made. It is totally unique. Can’t wait to see what the author has up their sleeve next!

View all my reviews

El Diablo (Jessica Watts Southwest Suspense Series) by Kathryn Dodson – Review by Santana Hicks

September 4, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

El Diablo: A Jessica Watts Southwest Suspense Novel by Kathryn Dodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jessica left behind a life of danger to have a ‘normal’ life. She married her best friend and is a paralegal. As time goes on, she starts to miss the dangerous past. When her friends daughter tells her about a pastor who seems to be preying on young teenage girls, Jessica takes it upon herself to investigate the man. The man also just so happened to be a client of her boss who just closed on a property.

This man seems sleazy but very charismatic so everyone seems to love him and think he is a wonderful man. Jessica seems to be the only one to see through his facade. Jessica wants to protect the innocent girls but she will have to delve back into her dangerous past.

I love Jessica as a character. She is so caring and willing to put herself in a bad spot if she thought you were in danger. She tries so hard to move on from her past but it doesn’t seem to want to let her go. Even though this is a series, you can read this book as a stand alone. It has enough detail that you won’t be confused. There is mention of the previous book but only in passing. The author has a way with making the story come to life. Twists and turns, there’s never a dull moment.

View all my reviews

Driving into the Night by Amanda Kay – Review by Santana Hicks

September 2, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Driving into the Night by Amanda Kay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kenai and Mikael have always been intrigued by each other throughout high school but neither of them made any advances. Things changed when Kenai was given a ring that was a family heirloom. The ring was cryptic and spoke to him. It seemed to speak more in the presence of Mikael. One night at the party, they were dared to kiss each other. Kenai thought maybe Mikael liked him back. The next day he found a note where Mikael expressed his hatred. After high school they went their separate ways never to see each other again.. Or so Kenai thought.

Mikael has been told his whole life that he is worthless and his whole purpose in life is to die at the hand of the hunter who bares the ring. Of course the hunter had to be the guy he was crushing on. He knew they could never be so he pushed him away. Time was running out, he had to die to save his family so he sought Kenai out to finish the job. Kenai doesn’t want to kill Mikael so they agree on 6 months. If they can’t find a way out of this, they must do what has to be done.

Will love prevail or will the ring get the kill?

This book wasn’t what I expected. I was expecting something darker but it wasn’t dark at all. It was a romance between 2 young men who should be enemies but can’t find it in their hearts to hate each other. I found myself a bit annoyed at the internal dialogue, especially Mikaels. It was too repetitive. I also couldn’t understand how Kenai was so oblivious to everything when it was all basically spelled out to him. The premise of the past was intriguing to me. The history of the pact and the ring would make a great story. I wish it went into more detail about it.

View all my reviews

Soul Sacrifice by Courtney Davis – Review by Santana Hicks

August 26, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Soul Sacrifice by Courtney Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying that I normally do not like the dystopian genre. Most of the time it is the same thing with just a little bit of difference to call it something else. I tend to stay away from it because of this. I have read a couple of other books from this author and decided to give this book a try regardless of the genre. I am happy I did. This book is like no other dystopian book I have read before and I am all for it. The premise is so different from anything I have ever read. I was hooked from page one.

Ebony is a half soul who is dying of cancer in a world where halflings are treated poorly just because they are missing part of their soul. There are rules and regulations set in place to try to prevent more halflings and the rumoured nosouls. One of the rules being you can only procreate with your soulmate. You need to both be fullsouls to give your child a chance. Ebony wants to find her soul sibling and sacrifice herself to give this woman a chance at a good life but when she meets Lark, she starts questioning everything.

Lark makes his living finding the soul siblings of halflings so they have a chance of becoming whole. Growing up a halfling orphan, he has a soft spot for the lesser beings. When Ebony walks in and wants to hire Lark to find her soul sibling, he discovers that they are soulmates which should be impossible to determine since she only has half of her soul. Lark will stop at nothing to find Ebony’s soul sibling to give him a chance of a life he gave up on. One with his soulmate.

They embark on the journey together, both with the same mission but with totally different outcomes set in mind.

View all my reviews

The Human Mating Site, Complete Series (The Human Mating Site Series) by B.L. Wilde – Review by Santana Hicks

August 22, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

The Human Mating Site, Complete Series : A Steamy, Dating Humour Romance by B.L. Wilde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bella is on a journey to find herself and to do that she has to start loving herself again. She decides to go on a quest to liberate herself with the help of Mr. Right(Now) and I am happy to be a part of her journey. These books are steamy, witty, and sassy. I love Bella as a main character and I hope she eventually finds Mr. Right.

I had already read a few of the earlier books in the series so when I saw the complete series in one spot, I knew I had to read the rest.

Bella meets all kinds of different men, some are charming, sweet, sexy while others are liars, boring and downright abusive. Throughout the series, I couldn’t decide who would be best for Bella. I narrowed it down to Liam or Jenson. This series was a rollercoaster ride as Bella became more confident and started branching out more.

Bella is such a sweet woman who is curvy, sassy, and witty. She deserves the best. She will just have to work hard on finding it.

View all my reviews

The Crown of Stones Trilogy Box Set (The Crown of Stones Series) by C. L. Schneider – Review by Santana Hicks

August 20, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

The Crown of Stones Complete Trilogy by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ian Troy is a ‘Shinree’ (witch), whose whole existence is frowned upon. The Shinree’s magic, considered dangerous was shut down by feeding them drugs. Ian was not one of them. The desire to cast was strong within him but he refused until he found an ancient artifact, the Crown of Stones. With a war raging on for a very long time, Ian felt as if magic will solve it. With power emanating from the Crown, Ian gives in and cast a spell to end the war. Unfortunately, all magic comes with a price and the price was steep.

BOOK ONE: MAGIC PRICE
This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The author was very detail oriented. It was as if I was in the world myself. Pack filled with action, you will not regret this adventure.

BOOK TWO: MAGIC SCARS
I have been in love with this author since I read another one of their series called ‘Nite Fire’. I really enjoy this author’s writing. They are very focused and show a lot of attention and care with everything they write. Each character comes to life and the writing style in all of their books makes you lose yourself in the fantasy world. This book was no different. I enjoyed this book a little more than the first as it was more dark and twisted. I would highly recommend this book and anything else this author writes!

BOOK THREE: MAGIC BORNE
I loved the previous two books of the series and I did enjoy this one but I must admit, it was my least favorite of the three. The first two books gave me Witcher vibes while this one is too different. I found it hard to follow along during some scenes of time travel. That’s the only downside in my opinion.

The trilogy is amazing. The author wrote Ian with such depth and intensity that I have no idea how he managed to endure everything he went through. I am sad to see it end. I was introduced to this author’s books a couple years ago and I am so happy to go through this journey from start to finish. You can tell the author puts their heart and soul into the writing making the characters become more real.

View all my reviews

Master Bistrita (Masters of the Consulate Book 11) by Sylvia Black – Review by Santana Hicks

August 14, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Master Bistrita by Sylvia Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Master Bistrita is the 11th book in the ‘Masters of the Consulate’ series. Although it can technically be read as a stand alone since each book focuses on one vampire master and their fated mate, I would suggest reading the series since the sub plot has been going on since very early on. Plus it would make it easier to know who is who.

This time around we follow Master Bistrita and Chara. Chara is a bartender and when the two of them meet, it’s fireworks first thing. They very quickly fall in love and as a Dom/Sub relationship, there is a lot of steam. Most of the time, I love the females in this series but honestly, I found Chara desperate. She really wants to become a vampire and throw everything away for a man she just met. There wasn’t a lot of relationship building with these two. Everything just happens quickly. For a BDSM couple, I expected more steamy scenes but there were only a few.

As for the sub plot, they are still trying to hunt down Lucas. A witch is helping him to evade them at every corner so they have to find out who is helping him if they want to finally catch up to him. Their revenge has been a long time coming.

View all my reviews

The Queen’s Dance (Heart & Hand Series Book 2) by Nicole E. Kelleher – Review by Santana Hicks

August 9, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

The Queen’s Dance: A Sizzling Slow Burn Fantasy Romance by Nicole E. Kelleher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the Heart & Hand series. Although it is set shortly after the first book, it could technically be read as a stand alone. The first book was about Lady Anna and Lark’s love story. This time around, it’s focused on Anna’s sister Claire and her love interest Trian. There is mention of things that had previously happened so it would be easier if you read the books in order but is not necessary.

Claire has the gift of foresight. She thinks it’s a curse since she can’t control when a vision happens. She keeps it locked up tightly. After the loss of her home and parents, Claire decides to put her heart on lockdown. Vowing to never fall in love in fear of losing another loved one.

Trian is assigned to escort Lady Claire and as time goes on they start bonding. Claire teaches Trian about different plants and their uses while Trian teaches Claire how to adapt and survive no matter where she is.

One day, Claire is kidnapped and she has to take all of the lessons taught to make her way back home. She presumed that Trian is dead so she no longer cares about how she looks and starts using her gift to her advantage with the help of women who have similar powers. She will do anything to get home to her sister.

I loved Anna in the first book and I love her sister just as much. They are so similar yet so different. Claire is strong, witty, cunning, intelligent and beautiful. Trian is brave, strong, shy, and caring. I like how the author wrote their relationship slowly developing instead of “boom! We are in love” like a lot of romances tend to do. I feel like this book was a lot more action filled compared to the first and I loved it.

View all my reviews

Dark is the Wood (Enchanted Tales with Dragon Scales Series) by Kristin Ward – Review by Santana Hicks

August 5, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Dark is the Wood: A Young Adult Fantasy Romance by Kristin Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gillian’s brother is dying of a disease called the wasting. There is no cure and no one survives the illness. One night she heard her parents talking about witches in the Shadowlands that could potentially cure the wasting. Gillian knows what she has to do to save her brother. Venture into the forbidden Shadowlands, find the witches and beg for them to help her brother. Unfortunately, life has different plans.

Upon entering the Shadowlands, Gillian is met with dangerous creatures she has never seen before. She is saved by a man named Roman. A dragonborn. Now that he has her, he is not going to let her go. His father takes claim on all those who enter the lands and it is Roman’s job to deliver.

There’s more to Gillian then they all realize and she’s not going to make it easy for her captures. She will stop at nothing to save her brother. She just has to escape the clutches of the wretched dragons. The more time she spends with them, the less she thinks she knows about them.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, filled with action, intrigue, mystery with a splash of romance. Plus who can go wrong with dragons? Gillian was a wonderful female main character. She was stubborn, brave, strong and determined. The way the author wrote the character was perfect. She wrote in great detail, flaws and all. The author also put their own twist on a couple of classics. There are both Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast vibes like mentioned in the synopsis. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

View all my reviews

A Vampire in Disguise (Creatures of the Midwest Series) by Ava Silvers – Review by Santana Hicks

July 30, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

A Vampire in Disguise by Ava Silvers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hazel’s sister is missing so she heads to the last known location her sister was seen. The town of Shadow Hallow where magical creatures are relatively normal. When Hazel enters the place were sister was renting, she was plagued with a vision of her sister getting murdered. Thus began her search for her sister’s killer.

As time goes on, more clues show up but so do more questions. Hazel doesn’t know who to trust all she knows is she isn’t leaving here until she finds out what happened to her sister.

Hazel is a fire witch and her personality matches her powers quite nicely. She appears feisty and witty, caring and quirky. All things I love about her. I loved most of the characters. They all had such strong personalities. The author did an amazing job with this cozy mystery mixed with the supernatural. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

View all my reviews

The Monkey Island Murder: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery (Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery Series) by Rosalind Barden – Review by Santana Hicks

July 28, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

The Monkey Island Murder: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery by Rosalind Barden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sparky is back and this time with a big personal adventure… going back to school. She is not happy about the decision but she knows it will be good for her in the long run. Instantly bullies make their appearance and call her names and push her around.

After her first day of school, Sparky goes to Bookie to see if he has any jobs for her. Instead he invites her to go to Monkey Island with him. Never been, Sparky is excited to go. What kind wouldn’t love to see hundreds of monkeys jumping around?! While there, Bookie talks to a man in all yellow. He looks uncomfortable so Sparky decides to keep an eye on him while also watching the monkeys. Next thing you know, the man in yellow is dead and Bookie is accused of murder. Sparky knows that he has been framed and no one is willing to help him. It is up to her to clear Bookies name and get him out of jail. She has a lot of obstacles in her way. The biggest one is school.

Sparky is like a whole different kid this time around. She actually thinks of others and has calmed down significantly. In the past, I found it hard to like her as the main character. This time, she is more caring and sweet. She no longer is homeless and it has made a huge difference mentally. This book has been my favourite so far in the series.

View all my reviews

Unexpected Heroes by Naomi Valkyrie – Review by Santana Hicks

July 24, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Unexpected Heroes by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elijah moved to a new town to start with his infant son to get away from the past and start over. Leaving an abusive relationship is hard enough without having to start completely over. On top of that, having a baby to deal with too. Griffin is all Elijah has left. Elijah finds it hard to believe that people are willing to help him without a motive. His new boss is very accommodating, welcoming both him and Griffin with open arms. Even his hot neighbour, Jude, seems more than willing to lend a helping hand. Elijah wants to welcome Jude into his life but his trust issues are in the way.

Jude is a grieving alcoholic who lost his husband a year ago. When his new neighbour, a single dad, makes Judes heart start pumping again, he doesn’t know what to do about it. He deals with feelings of guilt with a sprinkle of hope. Even though they just met, he can see himself falling for this man and his cute baby.

Will the duo be able to put aside their negative feelings and come together or will something more sinister keep them apart?

I absolutely love Naomi Valkyrie’s books. Although they normally tend to write more fantasy than contemporary, this is a nice change of pace. The author writes novella sized books but with so much detail that it has the depth of a novel. They make the characters come to life with relatable feelings and actions. It is really easy to resonate with the characters and plots. I have said it many times and I will keep saying it. I highly recommend Naomi Valkyrie.

View all my reviews

This Time Around by Kimberly Packard – Review by Santana Hicks

July 18, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

This Time Around by Kimberly Packard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Josie’s life couldn’t get any worse right now. A divorce on the horizon, custody battle, and her business is not doing good. It’s just one thing after another and it is taking its toll on her. She spirals into a full blown panic attack and wakes up 30 years in the past. Her senior year. Josie thinks that this is just a panic induced dream since she has a few regrets at this time including turning away the one boy who had her heart.

When Josie realizes she isn’t waking up back in the present, she decides to fix her mistakes from the past. She wants to tell Daniel how she feels but in doing so, she might erase her current life and lose her 2 kids she adores.

Who doesn’t love a time travelling trope. You’ve heard of 15 going on 30 but have you heard of 47 going on 17? Redoing your senior year in hopes of getting it right this time around. If only I could go back. I really enjoyed the main character Josie. She spent so long being a wife and mom first that she forgot what it is that she wanted in life. She may spend a lot of time inside her 17 year old body but she still has the mindset of her current age. Everyone has regrets. Only difference is Josie gets to change hers.

View all my reviews

Red (Modern-Day Fairy Tale Book 2) by MK Harkins – Review by Santana Hicks

July 12, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Red by M.K. Harkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

‘Red’ is the second book in the ‘Modern Fairy Tale Romance Series’ and technically can be read as a stand alone but you get introduced to the characters in the first book ‘Ashes’. I would suggest reading the first book before this one to better understand the characters.

George is still wallowing in his depression after the disappearance of his girlfriend Laura. She left without even a goodbye so he never got the proper closure to move on. George decided to never get serious with a girl again to protect himself from heartbreak.

Lily is a sweet and sheltered girl who grew up being bullied. This causes her to fear rejection and to have low self esteem. When she meets George, sparks fly instantly and she finds herself attracted to him. Their mutual friend, Ashley, warns Lily that George may not be emotionally available yet. When he asks her out, she is quick to say yes. The date went great and Lily thought everything was perfect until George ghosts her.

Merilee, a fairy godmother in training, has to try to get Lily and George together within a certain time line or she will be demoted. She made this mess so now she has to fix it. Paired with an arrogant but sexy guardian Angel, she has her work cut out for her.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series so I was excited to read this one. I love Lily’s character. She is so sweet, awkward yet oddly charming. George comes across as a selfish play boy but he actually has a lot of depth. I cheered them on from the page they were introduced to each other.

View all my reviews

Amy’s Betrayal (Gemstone Massacre Series) by Julia Goldhirsh – Review by Santana Hicks

July 5, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Amy’s Betrayal: An LGBTQIA+ Arthurian, Urban Fantasy by Julia Goldhirsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is the second book in the “Gemstone Massacre Series”. It takes place shortly after the first book and dives right in. The first book focused mostly on Amy with some POV of others. This time around, it focuses more on Dusk.

After Dusk feels betrayed once again from Amy, he decides to seek revenge and put a stop to the violence. With a target on his back from Opal, it’s going to make it difficult to go unscathed but he is determined.

Meanwhile Amy is realizing that Opal and herself have a lot more in common than she wants. She wants to put an end to Opal once and for all but at what cost?

I really like the LGBTQ+ elements in the book along with the lore from King Author with bits and pieces of Norse Mythology (Freya). I also love the concept of magical gems. Like I said in my review of the first book, it gives Steven Universe vibes with more violence. Highly recommend it!

View all my reviews

Murder by Moonlight (Felines of Fairytale Forest) by K.L. Montgomery – Review by Santana Hicks

June 24, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Murder by Moonlight by K.L. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Catherine (Cat) has been working as a night custodian at the Fairytale Forest amusement park for years. Her and her work bestie, Gloria make the best of it by amusing each other. Neither of them take the managers seriously so when one is found strangled to death, the duo are the top two suspects.

The amusement park employs cats to hunt for rodents. It is known to leave the cats alone so they do not become dependent on the humans. Catherine never bothered with the cats before but then Zoe, the leader of the cats, leads Catherine to the body. Turns out Catherine can understand and talk to the cat. Thus becomes a sleuthing partnership. Catherine must find out who the killer is to clear her name.

I really enjoyed this book and the characters. Cat was a carefree and fun adult who was middle aged which is rare for main characters in books. That is an automatic brownie point. I wasn’t a huge fan of the felines point of view. It was too stiff in my opinion. But then again, I could totally see one of my cats talking like that so who knows? The author could be spot on with how cats talk.

View all my reviews

Wasabi (Evil Sushi Series) by C.A. King – Review by Santana Hicks

June 21, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Wasabi by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wasabi is the third book of the Evil Sushi Trilogy and all 3 books take place one after the other. If you haven’t read the previous books, please do.

Humanity is gone as we know it. Death and decay is everywhere and no one is safe. The group from the second book “Sashimi” has been separated. Aileen, Rod and Ned were left behind with Paul, Arthur, Karlson and a dog. Sally was taken into an underground military base.

With hordes of fish zombies and killer plants everywhere, the group is not safe. They decide to head to the mountains to get away from the water in hopes of making their chances of survival higher. The question is can they make it. Meanwhile Aileen is still seeking revenge on the enemy Sashimi for killing her brother. If she gets the chance, she will take it.

Things on the base aren’t so good either. The general is old and is making bad decisions for the survival of humanity. Instead of seeking a cure and eliminating the enemy, he instead wants to repopulate underground. His second in command has other plans and will stop at nothing to get the general to step down out of leadership position.

This was an exciting end to a weird but wonderful trilogy. C.A. King is one of my favourite authors. I have not found anything I did not like from this author. I recommend this book and any others written by them!

View all my reviews

One Quarter Villain by Cori Cooper – Review by Santana Hicks

June 18, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

One Quarter Villain by Cori Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On Maddy’s 17th birthday, her grandmother sent her a DNA kit to submit. Maddy doesn’t understand why it would matter. She knows who her parents and grandparents are so who cares about the rest right? Maddy forgets about the kit until a few weeks later when her mother confronts her about it and tells her that since it means so much to her grandmother, Maddy should just get it over with and do it. After threatening to withhold a fun trip Maddy has planned with her friends she finally does it.

When her results come back, Maddy is confused when it says she’s 25% villain. Is it a typo? Must be. Based on both her mother and grandmother’s reaction, she isn’t so sure. Then the phone calls from a strange organization start up. Maddy’s views have always been black and white. There is good and there is evil. No one can be both. Now she has no idea what to think. She is one of the most trustworthy, rule following, goody two shoes. No way can she be part villain.

Then her best friend and potential love interest gets banished to another realm and it is up to Maddy to go and save him. She will have to let go of everything she has once known to do this.

I really enjoyed this book. Just the premise of finding out if you are a villain via a DNA test was intriguing enough to me to pick this book. The author did a wonderful job portraying a confused teenage girl on a journey of finding herself while trying to find someone else. There is action and adventure around every corner. I could not put the book down once I started it.

View all my reviews

Purrfectly Framed (A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery Book 2) by Ruth J. Hartman – Review by Santana Hicks

June 11, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Purrfectly Framed: A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery by Ruth J. Hartman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Molly is back with her cats ready to solve another murder! Molly’s friend, Evan, is a photographer and has been asked to work with Molly’s clients for pet portraits. When Molly went to his studio to meet him, he was in shock saying that there is someone in there. Molly went in to investigate and there on the floor was a woman bludgeoned. Turns out it was Evans’ old high school art teacher, Agnes Temple.

Agnes was a bitter old woman who thrived on causing trouble with anything and anyone around her, which means a number of people have motives.Once again the sheriff has his eyes set on one suspect and refuses to look into much else. This time his target is Evan. Molly knows that Evan has to be innocent so she takes it upon herself with the help of her friends to find the real murderer once again.

Seems like half the town is happy that Agnes is no longer able to cause trouble, any of these townspeople could be the murderer.

I was excited to read this book as soon as I finished the first one in the series ‘Brushed up on Murder’. I love Molly and her cats. She is stubborn, independent, caring and will stop at nothing to protect those she considers a friend. The way that the author wrote this book, it could be read as a stand alone. The only issue I had was how whenever the previous murder in book 1 was mentioned, it just kept saying ‘Whitewater Valley’s previous murder’. No previous names or anything making it unrealistic conversation and monotone in my opinion.

View all my reviews

Brushed up on Murder (A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery Book 1) by Ruth J. Hartman – Review by Santana Hicks

June 10, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Brushed Up on Murder (A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery, Book #1 by Ruth J. Hartman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Molly Stewart is a cat groomer. She loves her job even when dealing with some stubborn cats and their pet parents. One man in particular, named Durbin, is one of the pet parents who are hard to handle. He loves his cat Jasper so much, he likes to hover over Molly while she is doing her job. While grooming Jasper, Durbin gets a text and leaves Jasper with Molly asking her to meet him at his house when she is finished.

Upon arrival, Molly notices that Durbin is not out front waiting for her so she goes out into his garden thinking he might be out there. She wasn’t wrong but she found him murdered with a garden tool. The police are targeting Molly’s uncle as the main suspect and it is up to Molly to clear his name. Everyone is a suspect. Durbin was not a well liked man. Barely anyone had anything nice to say about him. With no one to take Durbins cat, Molly takes him in. She will find justice for Jaspers human even if it puts her in danger.

Could it be the wife? The odd nephew? The business partner? Or maybe it is someone all together different. Molly will get to the bottom of it.

The local veterinarian, Hank, (who is also Molly’s crush) wants to help her with both settling Jasper into his new home and with the investigation. She thinks that he is not interested in her beyond platonic friendship so she tries her hardest to forget about any romantic feelings. Although it is hard when the man seems to want to be around her all the time.

I have read a few other books by this author that were also cat themed and I can’t get enough of them. I am a cat lover and I appreciate the love between the cats and their owners in all of this author’s series, Who wouldn’t want to read books with a feisty heroine and their kitty cats?

View all my reviews

Just Ducky (Weird Shifters Series) by C.A. King – Review by Santana Hicks

June 1, 2024/0 Comments/in Reviews /by Santana Hicks

Just Ducky by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ducky is an outcast. Her whole town is filled with shifters. Wolf shifters, feline shifters, not to mention the vampire family that rules over the town. Meanwhile Ducky is a duckling shifter. One that can’t control her shifts either. She is ridiculed and made fun of all the time.

When word gets out that the Vampire Lord Kobreon is possibly looking for his potential bride, all the women line up to meet him. Even Ducky wants to meet him. She knows that it is impossible that she will be the one chosen but wants to at least catch a glimpse of the mystery man. Hiding in a bush she ends up pricking herself and making a sound, when a woman starts towards the bush, Ducky panics and transforms. The woman scoops her up and brings her into the castle out of harm’s way. Kobreon sees the duckling and instantly takes a liking to her wanting to keep her as a companion. She has to stay in the castle longer than intended under the guise of being just a duckling.

The treaty between humans and shifters is on the brink of shattering due to the human princess being poisoned. The humans are blaming the shifters and demand a culprit and a cure or else war will be imminent. It’s up to Kobreon to find a cure to make sure his people are safe. Especially Ducky.

I thought this was a cute story. At first I wasn’t sure about it because the premise of a duckling and a vampire kind of sounded weird to me. Who would have feelings for a duckling?! Instead you get a platonic relationship between the two for the most part. Ducky feels like a failure and needs to learn how to properly control herself. She has no confidence. She works to find herself outside of being just a ducky. Kobreon has the weight of the world on his shoulders but no one to share the weight with. Just having Ducky around has helped give him hope. They both have their problems and at the end of the day they can cuddle up and relax.

So far, I have read quite a few of C.A. King’s books and loved them! This also falls in that category. The author has a way of writing about something unique and out there making it so you never have a dull moment reading their books!

View all my reviews

Archives