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States of Grace (Grace Locke Mystery Series) by Mandy Miller – Review by Vanessa Watts

States of GraceStates of Grace by Mandy Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is something to be said about legal mysteries that can pull you in and take you back to a memory or a moment that you dealt with something the main character is going through. Grace is a down on her luck attorney just trying to survive after experiencing major pitfalls in her life. From enlisting in the military after September 11 to the throes of addiction and battling a crushing disability that can knock out even the strongest fighters. Grace has switched sides in the courtroom from being a prosecutor to now being defense counsel and defending those she once had the pleasure of putting away, all for the sake of keeping her law license. However, one day she sees the news about a young rich girl arrested for murder but there is one silver lining Grace knows that last name. Finally seeing a light out of her dark days Grace just needs to find a way to represent the accused and she knows just how to do it. The only problem is the accused is the daughter of the woman who stole her husband.

The evidence against her client is stacking up and for Grace often accused is synonymous with guilty especially with the insurmountable evidence the police have. However, as Grace continues to investigate she comes into irrefutable evidence of her client’s innocence and the victim isn’t as innocent as he seems. This leads Grace down a dark road from her past as she looks into the pill mill enterprise in Florida. Can she escape her past life while getting her client acquitted for murder? This book pulls you in hard from the first page and doesn’t let go!

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The Heart of a Hussar (The Winged Warrior Series Book 1) by Griffin Brady – Review by Vanessa Watts

The Heart of a Hussar (The Winged Warrior, #1)The Heart of a Hussar by Griffin Brady
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love reading historical based literature but found myself very unfamiliar with the Polish army or the winged hussars as they are called. What makes this a truly exceptional read is the way the author describes the time period from the soldiers’ armor to the lands they hold dear. The author is able to draw in the reader without overloading you with knowledge. It is enough detail to transport you to the 17th century and allow your mind to build a 3d replica in your mind to visually wander through. The interactions between the characters are dynamic and very relatable with Jacek and his captain who has serious disdain for him.

Our main character Jacek Debrowski is a newly appointed Lieutenant in the Polish army fighting Muscovy forces. He is everything a good lieutenant should be brave, loyal, fair, good hearted and above all a good leader. He is selected to go on a foraging mission for supplies for his soldiers when he comes to a town being ransacked by lost men who have no fealties to either side. He sticks his neck out to save a young girl Oliwia and her brother after seeing the devastation of their home and the people who they were living with. He takes them back to his lands in Poland which sets off a chain of events that no one can predict the conclusion too. Will Jacek and Oliwia let their budding romance bloom or will it present too much trouble? Will Jacek have to let go of his ultimate dreams with the Polish army? If you like romance novels with action and adventure aplenty then definitely take a chance on this book. I fully believe you’ll fall in love with the characters and their plight just as I did. Now to wait for book 2 so I can pick up where this one left off!

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Diabolical Sword (The Charm Collector Book 1) by Melissa Erin Jackson – Review by Vanessa Watts

Diabolical SwordDiabolical Sword by Melissa Erin Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first time I have heard of this author but I love all things magical and decided to give this urban fantasy a try. I am really glad I did though because this book was phenomenal. The character development was wonderful including the sentient sword that the author was able to describe and make the sword come to life in such a way. The world building was fantastic and made it seem as though anyone could visit Luma.

We start off meeting Harlow, your typical human living amongst magical creatures just trying to get by. After losing her parents she uses her dad’s tools of his trade to find her own albeit illegal enterprise in order to survive. She becomes a charm collector which entails showing up after notorious magical artifact collectors are apprehended to loot their stash of magical artifacts and sell them to her own list of clientele. This score was the one she had been waiting for and everything goes smoothly until she follows a hutch and takes the dragon sword. From there her life goes haywire as this sentient sword has a mind of its own and has taken a shine to Harlow. One day it simply vanishes from her apartment and Harlow counts her lucky stars until she is accused of murder and the sword once again finds its way into her possession covered in blood. Now she is on the run and must prove her innocence before she ends up behind bars for a murder she did not commit. This book has it all: action, adventure, plus a good mystery to boot. I would encourage everyone to take a chance on this book, I just know you’ll become hooked just like I was!

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Born in Darkness (Mafia Elite Book 3) by Amy McKinley – Review by Vanessa Watts

Born in Darkness (Mafia Elite, #3)Born in Darkness by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As the third book in the mafia elite series this one quickly became a favorite. It’s action packed right from the start and there are so many twists and turns that when you figure everything out you’ll be as shell shocked as the characters are! While these all could be stand alone books following along with the characters through each one builds upon the storyline and allows you to understand the events happening and why they are happening. Plus each book has been amazing and I’m already anxiously awaiting the next one.

This book is Emiliana and Stefano’s story. Emiliana is trying to come to terms with her past abduction which just won’t quite leave her alone. While Stefano is doing his best to keep her safe especially from his father who threatens her often to keep Stefano in line. The bosses are working to uncover the rat while protecting their love ones. As new information is uncovered the path it leads to is unexpected. Can they uncover the rat while protecting their loved ones? What happens when the rat is very close to home? Can the mafia princesses make it out unscathed? This is a must read series that will have you on the edge of your seat. Can you uncover the rat before the mafia bosses can?

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THE BOX (HER THREE IMMORTALS BOOK 4) by HAZEL STORM – Review by Vanessa Watts

The Box: A Greek Gods Urban Fantasy Romance (Her Three Immortals Book 4)The Box: A Greek Gods Urban Fantasy Romance by Hazel Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, I have been stalking this book for a while, anxiously awaiting its release as I was already enthralled by this series. It breaks my heart a little that this is the conclusion, but I was secretly happy to hear more books may be on the horizon. I absolutely love this author as a storyteller and the way she builds up this whole storyline has been amazing. This series only makes sense if you start from book one so you can truly understand the characters and why they do what they do.

After putting Aroz and Bow back into a single entity everything seems to be falling into place for Vanessa. She is at peace with her three sexy gods and is fulfilling the prophecy as it was written for Psyche. That is until the Goddess of beauty, Aroz’s mother pulls Vanessa into another task for her. She must fill a box with eternal beauty which sounds like it should be easy. Until she finds out that she must go to the highest mountain in Tartarus, to collect it from a very old, grumpy Goddess. Nothing ever goes according to plan because other deities have ulterior motives and only want to see Vanessa fail. Vanessa reconnects with Raef, Gorgonita, and her underworld moth PK whom all are willing to go with her to help accomplish her task. With Grey stuck in the upperworld waiting to fulfill a contract can they succeed even with so many odds stacked against them? This is a must-read series that will have you hooked from the very first page!

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