Scepter Of Fire by L.M. Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Dexter has been a pawn for long enough. He has always been tortured and abused for the sins of his father, but not anymore. Dex is a really great addition to the series. L.M. Preston is growing to be one of my favorite authors, I can’t wait for the next book.
From Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I only have one word for this book, AMAZING!!!! This is a semi new author to me but so far this is my favorite novel by our author and currently my favorite read for September. Wouldn’t it be great if every wish you made came true? But what do you do when your wish goes haywire? This amazing, and gritty ya fantasy novel is just that. Our author is descriptive, the characters are amazing and unique, and the story as a whole is original and we’ll put together. So if your looking for a new fantasy novel make sure you pick this one up today.
Notebook Mysteries ~ Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Once again The Notebook series delivers! I have loved ready every one of these books and I continue to look forward to each one.
The stories engage the reader and keep our attention throughout! The historical aspect is always accurate and the characters are lovely!
From Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I very much enjoyed this coming of age, YA, fantasy book with a dark twist and a side of murder. I enjoyed the characters and the relationships between them. I got a Harry Potter vibe from the 3 main characters, Baxter and his two friends Jason and Ashley. Baxter and Jason are best friends, who end up befriending Ashley who is the know it all at school and who they previously didn’t like. But when Baxter accepts the ring and unleashes his own Djinn, a type of genie, he is going to need some help in figuring it all out. I loved how all of the characters interacted with one another, and even though it was a fantasy book, the actions of the characters, felt natural and realistic. I really loved the relationship between Bax and his mom as well. The author did a great job with the character developments and how they matured and grew. Just as we think things are beginning to get wrapped up, the author throws another curve ball into the mix. This is a great novel for both teens and adults who enjoy fantasy with a dark twist.
Grave Digger Academy by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a really good quick read. I get Harry Potter vibes but with a twist. Makayla ends up at the school no one wants to attend, herself included. What she soon finds out, she is there for a reason. This fast paced magical book packs a punch in only 150 pages with the ending leaving you wa ting more. I felt for her as she made and lost friends, as she feared for her life, and as she sought out hope. There were parts that I felt it sped through but for a short book, did a great job. Can’t wait to read the 2nd book.
From Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
We’ve always been told that you can’t be too careful with your wishes. But how many of us have actually had to learn the lesson, especially when you’re in a dire situation? This book contains everything you want in a YA paranormal fantasy, and you can tell this author is one to watch.
Taking a ring from a strange looking man doesn’t seem like a bad idea when you’re a young teenager, but Bax changed his life when he just that. Now he will have to decipher what’s real versus what’s imagination which is no easy task with djinn against you. Will he be strong enough to resist the powerful djinn that appeals to him, or will he give in to temptation no matter the cost? With magic, mythology, murder, and tough lessons, this book was impossible to put down. I’m a huge fan of the YA genre and highly recommend From Brick & Darkness!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
Scepter Of Fire by L.M. Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Dexter is one of four kids, he lived with them and their parents up until they moved to the Void and ever since it seems that trouble has been finding him jo matter how hard he tries to keep on the straight and narrow. This leads to a bit of friction between him and his dad and they couldn’t see eye to eye, but all that changed when they tried to leave and before he knew it, Dexter was on his own.
However, albeit he is away from his family, he is not alone, thanks to something his father did, Dexter is now feeling like a pawn in a whole new game, but this one involves torture and imprisonment, but the things he hears between sessions are what keeps him up at night. This is as well as the nightmares fuelled by the loss of someone precious to him, as well as past events which changed him beyond recognition.
This carries on for a while, until he is no longer alone, two prisoners join him and they hatch a plan to escape, but things never go as planned for Dexter and now he has to his hide himself from them, as well as those who wish to use him for their own gain. The joke is on them though as Dexter has learned more about the Void than he lets on, he knows there are magical there and he knows who is in charge as well as what they want, he also knows that they should have let his family go.
What they don’t know is that Dexter is determined to become a Vigilant and find his family, but will he be able to keep his feelings in check long enough to carry out his mission? This is a paranormal urban fantasy where nothing is as it seems and danger lies around every corner and in every shadow. It is an addictive story which you will not want to put down until you know how it ends.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Grave Digger Academy by C.A. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Makayla is not sure what school she will be chosen too, there are so many options in the paranormal academy but the one no one wants is the Grave Digger Academy. Her first day is met with confusion and when she finds out she is assigned to the Grave Digger class, she is less then thrilled. That being said, none of her talents appeared until her class and now she seems a bit ahead of the curve. Something is going on though and only Makayla seems to be able to unravel it but could it end up costing her more then she thinks?
I thought this was really good. I felt for Makayla, she is trying to find her footing and with a bunch of older siblings to live up to it is even more pressure added on her. Well written and was one you kept reading until the very end.
Scepter Of Fire by L.M. Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
BOOK TWO! Dexter’s life is a mess. He is separated from his family and his best friend is dead. He finds out that he has been living in The Void, kind of like the regular world but not. Mortals are not aware that they aren’t where they think they are. Dexter is trying his hardest to right wrongs and stay alive. Through many challenges, he just wants to become free and save his family and friends.
This was a good read, action packed, supernatural beings, and testing oneself. Please read the first books of the series!
From Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Bax has been waiting for an adventure his whole life. As it’s just him and his mother, he spends a lot of time with his best friend playing video games. He also frequents the comic book shop, as in a way to be close to his dad. When a mysterious man gives him a purple ring, the life Bax knew is changed.
Go on this fantasy ride that also is dark and twisty. What a great read.
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great quick read, with a happy ending.
I am not one for mysteries but reading Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins makes me want to continue reading mysteries. This was a very quick read, but I loved every minute of it. Seeing the different relationships between each character was a great addition to the story.
I loved the strong female lead, who did not need any help. How she defended herself in every situation, especially towards the end.
Being a large romance person, I would have loved to see her and Jeremy’s relationship more, but hopefully that is shown in the other books of this series.
Another favorite part of this book, is how each person or situation is given background information. So, even if you missed other books of this series, you still get to know parts of information from those previous books.
I also would love to keep reading about Emma’s past. Her past is explained a little in this book, but does not go into great detail.
I cannot wait to try the recipes at the end of the book, especially since it is apple season where I live.
Thank you Kimberly Mullins for a great read, I cannot wait to read more!
From Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well this went a way I did not think it would..it is a but darker than I expected. It says its a teen adult story but I would lean more toward adult. This covers a few topics that are a bit much, in my opinion, for teens. I struggled when reading late at night with the visuals this projected. I felt sorry for Bax multiple times. He is young kid who gets into trouble and all he wants is for it to stop or to figure out how to quit. He is curious as all kids are and it got him into a bit of trouble.
Overall its a good story that mostly kept my interest. It really picked up towards the end and of course I was glued to it then. I would recommend this for an older crowd and for people who like a little darkness mixed in with the story.
Ashley is a quiet young student who just wants to finish high school and go to college. At home she is treated like Cinderella, by her step mother and 2 mean step sisters. She also works at the mortuary putting makeup on the dead. Then there is Harry forced to go back and finish high school. He’s a bad boy rock star and all the girls are after him. This is it! No spoilers. This is one of those stories you need to read. The author has written this fast paced teenage high schoolers story. There are bullies, mean girls and a mean step family. What a great coming of age story for the teens. Adults will enjoy this too, I did. I’m looking forward to the next book in this exciting series.
Dexter didn’t like being a pawn. It seems life was taking him there though. He and his father never saw eye to eye, but being captured and tortured for his father’s mistakes gave Dexter too much to think about. First, the girl he lost; he’d never forget what they did to her. It changed him, and made him see the small city where his father moved him was a prison for magicals, the damned, and now him. Too bad, the creator of the Void didn’t realize they would be better off if they’d set him free, because now he was fighting for his life, and someone he’d have to hide his feelings from to protect, not just from those that want to drag them back, but from himself—a vigilant. (Get the series: Book 0: Insatiable Darkness, Book 1: Caged Fire, Book 1.5 Unbreakable Darkness and coming Winter 2020 Break the Darkness)
Read other books in the Vigilant series: Insatiable Darkness, Caged Fire, Unbreakable Darkness, Scepter of Fire, Break the Darkness.
Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of Break The Darkness (The Vigilant Book 2.5) by LM Preston
L.M. Preston, a native of Washington, DC. An avid reader, she loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young girl. She is an author, an engineer, a professor, a mother and a wife. Her passion for writing and helping others to see their potential through her stories and encouragement has been her life’s greatest adventures. She loves to write while on the porch watching her kids play or when she is traveling, which is another passion that encouraged her writing.
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Evan’s father has passed away and Evan believes his spirit is haunting the family home. Trouble has come to Emma once again and this time it threatens to ruin the holidays. Evan’s father is thought to have taken his own life however he thinks differently. Will Emma and her team be able to find the culprit before they open their gifts? As ways this author does a great job pulling you, the reader, into the story and making you feel all the feels.
<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57433184-notebook-mysteries-emma” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”Notebook Mysteries ~ Emma” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1615909711l/57433184._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57433184-notebook-mysteries-emma”>Notebook Mysteries ~ Emma</a> by <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20991006.Kimberly_Mullins”>Kimberly Mullins</a><br/>
My rating: <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4987991691″>4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I started this series with book two, but this one was every bit as good. Emma is working in the family bakery but finds herself wanting some adventure. When one of the cases she is looking into turns serious she must decide what will happen with her family. How will she be able to keep them safe? This book is easy to read. I myself had a little difficulty getting used to the style of writing, but the story flowed well and of course the characters were great.
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<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/106111308-charlisa-wahtomy-alba”>View all my reviews</a>
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mini Christmas Mystery
The Notebook Mysteries series is brilliant and is even better with this bite-sized Christmas themed novella. This book brings Emma’s crew together to solve a crime based at a haunted house. Even though this is a quick read, it is written with depth and includes suspense, action and adventure. It can be read as a stand-alone but is so much better if read within the series. I have loved every book in this series – absolutely recommend!
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have read every book in this series and I just simply can’t stop. While this book is a little shorter than the others it is still a great fast paced story with plenty of suspense and mystery to keep you interested. While I love authors series, this one has become my personal favorite purely because it’s Christmas based. The characters are amazing, the plot was intriguing and full of suspense, but overall the writing style just really blew me away. So whether your looking for a good story or a good series make sure you pick up this one today.
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s Christmas time, but Evan needs Emma’s help! Ghosts don’t wait for Christmas. This was a great addition to the Notebook Mysteries series by Kimberly Mullins. It is a very fast paced, quick read. I’m definitely in the Christmas spirit now!
Notebook Mysteries ~ Unexpected Outcomes by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Once again I was able to get lost in the world of Emma. Not too often can I completely emerge myself in an entire series and not get bored! This may be a series that I purchase for my shelves, so I can read them over and over. Very good series for any young adult, or older adult as well!
Notebook Mysteries ~ Changes and Challenges by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Definitely read the first two books before jumping in to Emma’s current escapades! This time she and her team head to New York. Then she’s off to Paris! I still love her character, as I really enjoy a strong female lead. I also really enjoy the historic details in this series. I’m super excited to start the next book!
Decisions and Possibilities by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Emma is now 18 and she needs to make some decisions in her life. She is a woman, making a name for herself in a man’s world. And speaking of men, that’s a whole other decision! I am very much enjoying reading along with Emma as she continues to grow and prove herself. I love all her adventures.
Emma by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Emma is a young woman is 1881 who lives in Chicago, she has always had an analytical and logical mind, but it goes into overdrive when tragedy strikes the family during a large fire in the centre of the city ten years before. As Emma struggled to cope with the loss and even though it was over a decade ago, she still remembers what happened that night.
Nowadays she is older and working in her families bakery, she enjoys the works, even though it is hard and has some early starts, but she also is also wants more adventure in her life and so she asks to go out on the delivery wagons with the boys. Her father reluctantly agrees and she goes out with two of the ones her family trusts the most, but as she goes on the rounds and notes down her observations in her faithful notebook, she starts to notice patterns emerging, the patterns show everything from robberies to murders and eventually, she acts on these inconsistencies and makes the business owners aware of what she has discovered and then leaves it up to them to do their own investigations.
However, she can’t leave certain ones alone, especially when she gets closer than her family would like and finds that all the individual observations lead to something which endangers not only herself, but her family as well. Will Emma be able to solve the case using her skills and smarts, or will danger come in and sweep the investigation and maybe even her life away? This is a mystery with a female detective who is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and not afraid to get her hands dirty to solve the cases she becomes involved with, it is a story which will captivate all audiences and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Emma by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was immediately transported back in time, it didn’t even take me a couple pages to be fully engrossed in this book. The writing style almost like stories inside of stories, not only was different but it kept me entertained throughout.
I really appreciated that it is easily a book for teen/young adults to enjoy along with adults of all ages.
I also hope you are ready for a baking frenzy when you are done reading because not only does it give you the urge to bake, it provides the recipes to do so! I immediately updated my shopping list once I finished the book.
This was a quick cozy read that I highly recommend. I can’t wait to jump into the next one.
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Emma is back with another mystery to solve and it is coming up to Christmas time and Emma is busy with last minute deliveries for one job and putting more hours in at the family bakery to help out with the festive orders. The weather is turning and it is bitingly cold, especially when the snow starts to fall and this makes it a lot harder for Emma to go out on her bicycle.
One one of her office days, someone asks her for a favour, when they have reports that their relatives house is haunted and it is becoming increasingly difficult to convince people to stay there. Meanwhile, while making one delivery, Emma has a deadly encounter and Emma becomes embroiled in another more hazardous than ever before.
While all the action is happening, Emma and her family are trying to plan their own festivities, meals, treats as well as time for decorating the house, so this takes Emma’s mind of the things that she can’t control, but will they be able to solve these two mysteries before anyone else gets hurt? This is another thrilling chase through the streets of 1890’s Chicago by a female detective, as she unveils the clues and solves a mystery which Charles Dickens himself would be proud of.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Emma by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the first book in the Notebook Mysteries series. It begins the series with Emma’s start as a young amateur sleuth. Her mother was tragically lost in the 1871 fire in Chicago, where she ran the family bakery. Her family continued to run it after they rebuilt. But Emma wants to do more exciting things with her life. This book has great character development. It was also a fun read. I loved having recipes that I can make at home. I can’t wait to read the next book!
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Notebook Mysteries ~ Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins. l have loved this series and this book was no different. Its the continuing story of Emma who is well known for her skill in solving crimes. Evan has asked Emma if she will help solve the death of his father. He knows there is more to the story than what he’s being told. Now the timeline in this story is 1880’s Christmas in Chicago and with this author’s writing I felt like I was there, freezing and celebrating. This story is full of young Emma and her friends as they go to Haunted Houses and try to solve the death of Evan’s dad. Its a young adult quick read about friendship, crime, solving cases and maybe even murder. I do recommend reading the 1st books to get to know all the characters. I feel it makes the story so much more enjoyable.
Scepter Of Fire by L.M. Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Each book in this series seems to get better and better. I found it so easy to slip straight back into this world, as if I had just carried on reading. I would definitely recommend reading this series in order as each book is a continuation and you would miss out on a lot of details.
I love the way the author is building up these stories over the course of the series. It feels like she is building toward something and I can’t wait to see what that could be. I enjoy these characters each time I read about them. I feel like, with each book, we get pulled more and more into their journey. This is another great addition to this series and I can’t wait to see what is next.
From Brick & Darkness by J.L. Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was such a good one! It was a dark and Suspenseful YA that pulled me in from page one. I didn’t want to put this one down. Such a good start as a debut novel and I will be looking for more by this author in the future!
Happy Reading!
Notebook Mysteries Haunted Christmas by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Being a fan of the Notebook Mysteries series, I was very excited to have a Christmas book included to read. I highly enjoyed it. You can’t go wrong with a holiday book including a mystery in my opinion. As with all the previous stories in this series, the author did an amazing job pulling you into the story and keeping you on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns. I personally loved that this book was set in Chicago as that is one of my favorite US cities, and I could see the city in the 1800’s based on the awesome description of the city at that time. I would love to have another mystery set in this city at during the same time frame. Highly enjoyable and recommended.