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Soliloquy by Janet Fogg – Review by Savanah Schwarz

Soliloquy is a story about love and how it lives through the most difficult of times and the most wartorn. This is the first book that I have read by this author. I was nervous, as it was a period piece if I would enjoy it because I do not typically read this genre, so I really wasn’t sure if I would want to finish it. I did finish it, it turns out. But the story and plot and character dynamics intrigued me enough to continue to the end.
Erin who is a professional piano player, finds herself thrown into the past in the time of WWII and into Nazi-occupied France. There she is drawn into helping the resistance against the Nazis, as well as helping a British pilot who ironically has a tie to her time in the future. With the ever-present danger and the pressure of time running out, the high stakes and romance cause for the seat of your pants, nailbiting reading. there are complex dramatic climaxes and peaks in the story but this is a story that leads to a constant thrilling intriguing, seat-of-your-pants page-turner. I would recommend this to any historical fiction reader and anyone looking for thrill and romance. Definitely looking forward to more from this author.

Friends with Benies (Paris in Springtime Book 7) by T.B. Bond – Review by Savanah Schwarz

It was a cute story. Typical friends-to-lovers storyline. The two main characters, one a shifter and the other a Mage are best friends, and they secretly love each other. The problem is not only are they from different worlds, but their love is forbidden because Wednesday is a Mage, and Ryker is a Panda Shifter. They are both looking for their soulmates or mates. Neither one wants to be with anyone but the other. You can feel the chemistry within their relationship, and the tension it causes when they cannot be together. However as the story progresses, you are rooting the whole time for them to be together and it seems impossible that they won’t. This is 7th in a series. There are moments when it references or gives a glimpse of other couples and Characters, but nothing that would deviate or distract from this story. I would read other books by this author as I felt interested and intrigued and it moved pretty quickly at times. Will definitely try to read more of this series.

Stumble & Fall (A Legacy of Silence Book 2) by Amy Rivers – Review by Savanah Schwarz

This is the 2nd book so I don’t know if I would have learned more or liked the book more if I had read the first one. However, this seemed to be standalone so It was a completed book I felt. I loved the plot and the summary of the book. That was what drew me in. It teased suspense and drama and a torrid past. However, when diving into the book I was disappointed and not as “wowed” as I would have liked to have been. There are some taboo subjects that talk of rape, sex trafficking, and trauma caused by it. Kate is intriguing and brings the story together. It picked up the pace and continued to keep me interested enough to finish it and read it. T Overall I would recommend this for a thriller and an interesting book.

The Crown of Stones: Magic-Scars (The Crown of Stones Book 2) by C.L. Schneider – Review by Savanah Schwarz

The second book of the Crown of Stones series continues with Ian in prison, defeated and without any hope. However, there are others, people who need something from him and people who have ill intentions for him. Either way, Ian will not be in prison long.

I was stuck between being sad, angry, and brilliantly amazed about how Ian’s journey continued with this one.

It continues several years after the first book. Several characters – friends, and enemies – return for more character development and continuation of the story.
I was not disappointed with this book. It grabbed my attention right away and I was thrilled to follow Ian and glad he was not lost after the ending of the last book. I really liked how deeply this delves into Ian and how focused it is on him. Just like any book, there are those I loved and hated. But each character had their own segment, their own reasons to continue. Some fought for freedom, while others fought to live or simply to get closure.

In this book, the world comes alive, leaving you enthralled and enriched with the storyline. Everything becomes so real, almost as if you could touch it. I loved how this developed and was so excited to read the third one. This book is so dark and daunting. It left your brain worn out from the intensity. But it was such a beautiful book. I definitely hope others liked this as much as I did.

Kara, Shieldmaiden of Eire (Forerunner Series Book 4) by Jay Veloso Batista – Review by Savanah Schwarz

The fourth book, for me, was, hard to get into. Only because I went straight from reading the 1st i the series to then reading the 4th. There is a brief description or synopsis of what happened previously, which is why I think I was ultimately able to read this one. This part of the Forerunner series begins Kara’s journey as she is hell-bent on escaping an arranged marriage and chasing her desires and intense need to be a warrior, just like her father. Kara, now armed with a sword and her wits, must prove She can be a warrior and not just a girl. This continues as the Clan is battling for their lives through Midgard and into unforeseen beginnings and endings!
The Forerunner series is overall very descriptive and easy to be drawn in with its mystical world and great characters. The world-building is very good and it is hard not to love Kara and Kaelan’s blossoming relationship. It was so easy to fall in love too with both of them and root for them. The ever-changing perspectives, not unlike the Witcher, take some time to get used to. However, because the characters and the story are so easy to follow and love, it eventually becomes less distracting. I love this series so far and cannot wait to read more.

Thorfinn and the Witch’s Curse (The Forerunner Series 1)) by Jay Veloso Batista – Review by Savanah Schwarz

This Viking tale starts off with Thorfinn, a young boy in a Viking family. He is shy and a little timid, but as he goes through this tale he starts learning and growing into his own. the fact that this story isn’t all about fighting, wars, and gruff men in battle is a plus as well. There are ancient Viking rituals and celebrations as you would imagine, and a Viking wedding ceremony that was very interesting to read about. The author does such a good job of putting the story together and making the words flow together, even though it is very much an old language and could easily be the hardest part to read through.
Ultimately this story reminded me of the Witcher series, the last wish. The history and storytelling of the Vikings and this series are so good. However, It was in multiple POVs and continuously switching, if you were not into the story, that could be intimidating.

The story starts with Thorfinn when he and his brothers’ adventure and go too far by waking an ancient crone atop a crumbling tower, which in turn, brings a curse upon them. As Thorfinn continues to see and hear things he shouldn’t because of the ghost and his curse. It seems it may not have been a curse. Thorfinn grows into himself rapidly and you can see the character growth and his thoughts change from sweet and innocent to something else. As Thorfinn attempts to put everything back and somehow make it right again, he ends up with unexpected results and consequences for not just him, but his family line.
Under the elder spirit, Raga, centuries old and a character all their own – appears to Thorfinn and his family as a black old raven, who has seen better days. Guided by Raga, Thorfinn quickly navigates his way from the existing, and what seems as the real world of Midgard and the Realm Between.

It was at times hard to get through due to the running on of the story sometimes, with too much description, long chapters, and never-ending pages. Reading it was smooth and easy enough but took some time.
I would still recommend it.

Into the Light (Moon Harbor Series Book 3) by Kate McWilliams – Review by Savanah Schwarz

When reading this there is a clear message to the reader that this is a friends-to-lovers trope. So there is no mistaking it based on the previous books and the character story you see briefly in and out of the others in the series. I am a huge fan of this trope, and Kate did not disappoint. The characters were hard not to love and root for. Everything is pointing for them to be together. Between Rafe’s guilt and twisted past, and Ellie’s fragile but stubborn pride, it is clear they will both have to come together. When they do…whew lots of sexy-smexy time and dirty talk! Throw in the other characters and a brief glimpse of their story and a never-ending ride of up and down with these two and you can’t help but love this book.

Kate tells the tale of Rafe and Ellie who fall in love despite their circumstances. Ellie is fragile and sweet, she can hold her own and definitely stubborn and independent. She has fallen so deeply in love with Rafe, but he is older and her older brother’s friend. Very taboo, but she still cannot manage to stay away. Her parents dying has given her a reality check on many things, but rebuilding the friendship with Rafe has made her realize things about herself and the love she feels for Rafe.

Rafe, broken and “cursed” according to him, has no intention of being anything other than friends with Ellie, despite being friends with her brother. He knows he is bad for her, and yet is drawn to her flirtatious nature and independent stubborn will. Through flirty banter and sweet gentleness and Rafe’s ever-present strength and protectiveness over Ellie, I quickly got carried away with this story. This is my first time reading any of this Author’s books. I will tell you it won’t be the last. definitely recommend it to others.

Necrosis by C.L. Schneider – Review by Savanah Schwarz

“Raspy sounds of hunger pushed from her rotted throat, washing over me with the smell of old blood and things long dead.” This is the sentence that greets you when you open this tale of the dead. It eeks and reeks and creeks of sounds of the dead. C.L. Schneider describes in such intricate detail the vast difference between the living and the dead. She pulls you in with the dead sounding so close to humanity that when we hear from the characters, we know the feeling of seeing what was once human be so appalling and yet show slight shadows of the dead’s former self. I am a huge fan of apocalyptic books and stories and this does not disappoint. This fantastic story starts with Amy, the mother of Lily, her nine-year-old, standing in her mom’s house, after months of fighting for her life and with her boyfriend, she hoped, against what she already knew, that her mother was alive. As you follow her along in this journey of trying to fight and survive the dead, you become attached to her and her daughter and you will right along with her. Surviving, along with her, you become immersed in it and almost willing them to survive. This is one of the best stories in this genre. I give it a 5-star. definitely recommend. Though I warn you, because of how descriptive and alive these characters and things become in the story it can be a little unsettling. Definitely looking forward to C.L Schnieders’s books in the future.

Fractured Worlds: Courage in the Apocalypse by Courtney Konstantin – Review by Savanah Schwarz

So, I started this book and read it with out putting it down. This genre of apocalyptic, end-of-the-world type of story line is my favorite. I was not disappointed. Each story had its own unique version of terrifying and almost believable threads of the world ending. By the time you finish the first book about electromagnetic waves and people turning into brainless killing machines you won’t want to stop. Each story was intricate and detailed with great characters and world building. Each story draws you in and it gets better and better. I would recommend this to anyone. It will not disappoint.

The Colors of Love (The Colors Trilogy Book 2) by K.R. Raye – Review by Savanah Schwarz

After reading the first book, I was hoping to get more answers to my questions and see more character development. For Imani, I was not as attached as I was in the first book. In this one, she became a little annoying and somewhat overwhelming with her mixed signals and the consistent stress she portrayed throughout the book. It’s not that I did not like her storyline, but that I had hoped for a more mature, experience-driven arc for her instead of high maintenance and incredibly flighty with her emotions. Imani was a little too hot-cold for me which caused me some anxiety to continue reading about her. I would also like to have seen more of a story between Lance and Melody. I saw some with them individually, but I felt like Lance should have been given his time to learn how to focus on his “girls” and less on gratifying his other less appropriate natures. Overall I liked this book. It takes me back to senior year in high school when I watched the popular kids’ life unfold in front of me and shake my head at the bad decisions and toxic breakups and broken hearts(I was the outcast and nerd in my school). This gave me all the feelings of high school love and naive romance. The tragic loss of Melody hit me hard and had me set the book aside to calm my nerves. As ever the graphic scenes, the trigger warnings, and the intense emotions these characters experienced made me fall in love with them and become incredibly frustrating. So, though I yearn for a more developed storyline from the characters, I also cannot wait to read the next one. This book was that frustrating and that good. I definitely recommend it.

The Colors of Friendship (The Colors Trilogy Book 2) by K.R. Raye – Review by Savanah Schwarz

This book starts off with a focus on three friends. The three of them meet and instantly form an insta-love, insta-friendship. Melody is purely romantic at heart and believes in the whole “love at first sight” type of fairytale. This ironically takes up most of the book as she falls for Kevin. Lance is the Jock and wants to go Pro to the NFL, and Imani is loyal and friendly, and always quick with witty banter.
The Colors of Friendship is about friendship, and the journey to discovering themselves. There are some harsh themes, like abuse, and graphic erotic scenes. However, this did not deter me. Instead, though some of the language and storyline were harsh, it also added to the grit of the story and added to the character development. I am glad there is a 2nd and 3rd book because this book left me feeling as if the story of the 3 friends is not finished. Almost underdeveloped. I was intrigued and very convinced to keep reading. There were a few hangups for me, mainly because of how naive Melody could be, especially being in college. But somehow that just made the story better in some ways. definitely worth the read.

Bake Happy (Bake Believe Series Book 3) by Cori Cooper – Review by Savanah Schwarz

To say that Bake Happy is the perfect ending to Cat’s story is a bittersweet feeling for me. I continued to read and watch as Cat develop from this young girl to a young lady all through baking her heart into everything and a little of her Granny’s secrets.  This book had me so crazily reading every word just to get to the end. I kept waiting for more and wanting to learn and bake just as Cat had! This character Arc and storyline had me completely thrown through a loop. One minute I was laughing, the next I was crying, the next I was happily munching on cookies (yes, I tried a recipe), happily flipping to the next page. 

Cat Anderson is a sweet, kind, albeit sometimes very much an annoying teen, type of person. However, none of that deters her from loathing Nate. But when Cat and Nate are thrown together, by fate or baking (who knows),  making wishes and hoping for something else both tie them together and draw them apart down. The suspense killed me. The ever-present giggly, quirky Cat turned more into a young lady and pleasantly surprised me more times than I can count.

 

I love how they deep-dive into emotion. Cat and her family, each person in their own way, walk through a plethora of emotions that are guiding and helping them figure out the morale behind baking emotions into their food. They really consider seriously every emotion and carefully extrapolate each one into the most delicious food. Sometimes for the better, some for the worse.
I like how Cat walks us through her journey and learns the differences between emotions.
I also really loved all the added recipes in this series. It’s a nice homey touch and it feels like I’m being let in on family secrets.
So much more perfect for this story.
I loved this series and recommend it to anyone who needs a good laugh, a good cry, and a good family story.

Bake Off (Bake Believe Series Book 2) by Cori Cooper – Review by Savanah Schwarz

Bake Off is the second book in the Bake Believe Trilogy. We met Cat in the first book when her life became this ever-twisting and winding road of baking, young love, and self-exploration. But now as her family’s secret is discovered and Cat realizes she can not only bake sweet delicious goodies but that she can bake in powerful emotions, stronger than any she’s ever known before. So she and her family travel to Arizona to visit the Bakery that started it all. There she falls into a Bakery showdown between her family members. She learns along the way what it means to harness the power in her emotion through baking and mystical family history. There is history, drama, and baking secrets to keep you reading. Just like the first book in this series, I was enamored. This cleverly written story brings you into the day and life of an average girl with a special gift. As I was reading I fell in love with Cat and her family and was totally immersed in the family drama, teen angst, and magical fun that comes from Bake-off. This is definitely a great sequel to the first and I can’t wait to read the next one. I also happened to try a recipe or two while reading it. Totally recommend.