Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

My Review for Shaedes of Beasts by Jenny Grimes


'Watch where you are going, you glorified pincushion!
'

I'm finding it difficult to begin this review. Not because I hated the book (absolutely not!) but more because I can’t quite pin down how I feel about it yet.

For a change, let's work backwards.The last chapter was so good. I’m already itching for the next book just to see how this new character is going to shake things up (don’t worry—no spoilers). The final battle was less fighting and more of an intense rescue mission. It was heart-wrenching and scary, whilst being fully immersive, as we trudge through the forest in the rain, and the mud, with an incredibly novel way to stop the storm from raging and the rain from pouring down. 😉

Shaedes of Beasts was slow to begin with, as Jenny takes her time reintroducing old faces and bringing in new ones, whilst slowly recapping earlier battles. However, once it gets moving you are once again thrown into the magical lives of the members of the Shaede Court, as they attempt to save their worlds and their friends. 

Depressed - that's how I felt when I was reading this. Not because I wasn't enjoying it (I was), but because it basically never stopped raining, inside the book and outside my window. Zero sunshine. But hey, not all battles can be fought under a blazing sun! 🤣 

Thank you so much to Jenny Grimes for including me on her ARC team for Shaedes of Beasts.

About the Book

One love will make her. One spell will break her. One choice will save her.

The consequences of everything that happened in Corynthia haunt the High Shaedes as they attempt to savor the peace their sacrifices purchased on behalf of the Seam. While everyone seems to be moving on, Opal remains shattered—broken in ways that no one else can even begin to understand.

Edmyn and Farris are more than willing to distract her battered heart, but soon are faced with more troubles of their own. The Moon King must continue to rebuild what the dragons destroyed, while Farris must deal with the return of an unwanted figure from his past, come to wound him anew.

What will happen when a mysterious and alluring purple Shaede appears at court and offers Opal a taste of something she’s never had before?

And will the Shaedes be able to maintain the frail peace they’ve secured even when faced with suspicious talking beasts from Jovii’s Isle invading their lands and making soul magic demands?

About Jenny

Jenny Grimes writes fantasy romance novels that focus on the blurred lines between worlds, the darkness you’ll find in all of them, and the love that resides there too. She creates her characters and spins her stories from her home in the human realm, where she raises her three little book dragons with her husband, and spends a healthy amount of time reading, travelling, and creating art.





Friday, July 25, 2025

My Review for Crestwood Falls by Emma-Louise Smith



'You're part of this town now, Freya, and we protect our own.'

Crestwood Falls gave me massive Gilmore Girls vibes with a gorgeous magical twist!! I loved how everyone lived happily together, despite their ‘differences’. 😉 I’ve never read anything so unique before, where the magic is normal, useful and just surrounding everyday life. It was simply beautiful. 

As soon as Freya found herself in Crestwood Falls, she knew she was where she belonged, as the residents picked her up and wrapped her in a great big welcome. She’d found her people, and they loved her. 

I’ll be interested to see where the author takes Crestwood Falls next, with so many different characters, there is plenty of opportunity for many more books. 

Thank you to BookWolfUK, Salpe Publishing and Emma-Louise Smith for the opportunity to read and review Crestwood Falls.





About the Book

Grieving the loss of her parents and blaming their deaths on their magical obligations to their coven, Freya Lockchild packs up her life and leaves her home, vowing that she will never again use her own magical abilities.

Following her intuition, Freya makes a new home for herself in the small town of Crestwood Falls – a sanctuary of coffee shops, cakes, and a vibrant community, all surrounded by forests and overlooked by the mountains that tower above the town.

But what is Freya’s connection to Crestwood Falls? And could its mysterious inhabitants hold the key to mending her broken heart?


About Emma-Louise

Emma-Louise lives on the wonderful North-East coast. With a passion for reading and writing she can often be found sat scribbling away at her desk or curled up in her favourite reading corner. Emma-Louise re-discovered her love for writing after a diagnosis of Crohn's disease which caused severe health issues. Her hobbies include beach-combing with her children, going on walks, swimming and watercolour painting. 





Wednesday, July 23, 2025

My Review for Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry, read by Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke


“I don't like holding hands.” “How do you know? You've never held mine.”

I have a beautiful sprayed edge copy of Shield of Sparrows, but I really didn't want to read that one. So, I grabbed a copy on Libby, plugged myself in, and immersed myself in the beautiful narration, primarily from Samantha Brentmoor.

I knew I'd enjoy this. Marketed for lovers of SJM, what would there be, not to love? It turns out, nothing. I devoured every word, I was invested in Odessa's story, I was with her every step of the way, as she fought the monsters, cared for Evie and snuggled up with Faze, her cute but little scary baby monster! I adored the Guardian - should I have done? Probably not! 😉 

I really wanted to stay in that treehouse that Odessa made home for a while, it seemed so cute, and I know that here in the UK at least, you can rent out treehouses for holidays! How cool would that be?

Of course, it's similar to every other romantasy book out there, but give me any sort of romance which isn't! I found it addictive, all the way through, and I really hope we don't have to wait too long for book 2.

Thank you to all the bookstagrammers who reviewed this and therefore persuaded me to try it!

About the Book

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if for the first time I reached for it?


About Devney

Devney is a #1 Amazon, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over forty romance novels. After working in the technology industry for a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to pursue her passion for writing. She was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Washington with her husband and two sons.”




Sunday, July 20, 2025

My Review for Carrie by Stephen King


'And then the world exploded.'

Hmmm...... #thatindiebookclub decided to do an about-turn and read a Stephen King book, alongside July's book of choice (Silver Elite), and, being up for anything, I thought I'd give it a try. Now I don't particularly do horror, but as I've been discovering, horror in books doesn't have the same effect as horror on the screen, so why not give Carrie, Stephen King's first ever published novel, a try.

I had no idea what this was going to be about. I don't think I've ever read the synopsis, and I certainly haven't seen the movie. While I enjoyed the story, and was fully invested in the destruction of everyone and everything which surrounds our protagonist, I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the writing. 

I described it, to a friend, as - the bits where it says what she's thinking - but after clarification, she kindly explained to me that what I actually meant was 'that stream of consciousness method in the brackets'. She also informed me that it is called 'ergodic' style, which apparently means that the author is making the reading process more challenging for the reader, on purpose. No thank you, I don't want my reading to be challenging, I want it to be fun. 😜

However, I'm not basing my Stephen King experience on just this one book. The next one we are reading is IT, followed by Pet Sematary so I can make a more balanced decision after that!

About the Book

Carrie White is no ordinary girl.

Carrie White has the gift of telekinesis.

To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie - the first
step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues.

But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she
is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes her . . .


About Stephen

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. King is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.

Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.


Thursday, July 10, 2025

My Review for Luminiferous: The Omen of Light by Yana Metro


'The first thing a gargoyle eats after coming alive becomes its sole diet'. "What exactly did she eat?' 'Erm...strawberry cookies.'

Omen of Light is the first book, in a planned seven-part series and I really enjoyed it. Think ACOTAR crossed with Harry Potter quests and battles. There was a sort of resemblance to dementors in the story and Hairito reminded me a little bit of Dobby - although I only just thought of that!

Lilly is our protagonist, and she's only eighteen. I forgot that as I disappeared into the forests with the adventurers on their quest for Luminiferous. For such a young girl, she has a good head on her shoulders, she doesn't panic - much, and is determined to rid the worlds of the dark creatures known as noxes. 

I enjoyed the world building, which wasn't too complicated, and sets the scene for the following books to come. I have the second one, sitting on my bookshelf and I really hope there are more to come.

Thank you to Yana Metro for the gifted copy of Luminiferous: The Omen of Light.


About the book

PARALLEL WORLDS. FORBIDDEN LOVE. A DEADLY QUEST THAT COULD DESTROY THEM ALL

At just eighteen, Lilly White has lived multiple lives. She endured the harsh reality of growing up in an English orphanage, isolated and unwanted. But paradoxically, visions and dreams of lush forests, mystical creatures and most troubling of all – a warm, loving family. Lilly doesn’t know if these are the delusions of a lonely mind, or something more.

When a man with a raven reveals a portal to a lost world, she finally gets proof she is not insane. But for all the ethereal beauty of this impossible place, a toxic darkness creeps closer, consuming everything in its path.

Caught between the desire to belong and the need to fight an evil that threatens all of existence, Lilly uncovers gifts within herself she never imagined.

But some truths are hidden for your own good…

Now she is thrust into a mission to save two worlds with non-existent odds of survival. Yet it’s either that or a fate worse than death.

About Yana

A PhD in Physics, Yana spent years as a nano-researcher before diving into exploration of existential mysteries through fictional characters and magical worlds. Her debut series LUMINIFEROS unites contemporary fantasy and romance in a thrilling seven-part journey of self-discovery. She lives in the urban jungles of London but dreams of lush coniferous forests stretching beneath leaden clouds that almost constantly curtain the sky.



Sunday, July 6, 2025

My Review for Good Dogs by Brian Asman, read by Alex Picard, Erin deWard and Joe Hempel


'Live, let live, and let the things that howl in the night, be'.

If you remember, you will know that I rarely read a synopsis, so I am presuming this ended up on my Libro FM list because I saw the word werewolf, and give me a book with a fluffy wolf in any day! 😂 What I wasn't expecting was the monster thing when the lycanthropes had to move, and live in a ghost town. I still have absolutely no idea what that creature even was, I just know I was rooting for the werewolves, every single step of the way.  

There is a big sense of family and supporting each other throughout this book. Delia is Mummy wolf and tries to do everything she can to keep the pack safe and hidden from humans. When the chips are down, they all look out for each other. Humans by day and wolves by night, no matter what they are, family always comes first - even if the little sister is the most annoying baby wolf there is!

Read this is you like a paranormal horror story, with plenty of scary parts, which especially come to life when you're listening to the audiobook when out walking down country lanes!!! 🐺

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review Good Dogs by Brian Asman.

About the Book

The debut novel from viral horror sensation Brian Asman, Good Dogs is a heartfelt and harrowing story of survival, belonging, found family, and the lengths we’ll go to protect it.

No one ever said being a werewolf was easy. Take Delia, for instance. She’s spent much of her life fighting against her own nature, plagued by nightmares of childhood trauma, and trying to find her place in the world. Many werewolves are just like her: ostracized by their families, forced to live alone and in secret as they await those nights when the Change overtakes them.

Becoming the den mother to an odd bunch of lycanthropes in Southern California isn’t exactly the answer Delia was looking for. But under the strict rules of the house, they are able to manage the Change safely, and hunt without endangering their San Diego suburb. And they aren’t lone wolves anymore, they’re a pack—a family.

But when one member’s carelessness leads to the discovery of a severed leg in their backyard, Delia and the rest of her family are forced to confront the cold, hard fact they’ve known all along—they don’t belong here. Their only option is to cover up the kill and head into the wilderness, far from people. There, hopefully, they can live out their lives without posing a threat to anyone else.

At home, they might’ve been apex predators. But in the wilds around Talbot—a town abandoned for a century—Delia and her pack aren’t the only ones with a savage bite …


About Brian

Brian Asman is a writer, actor, and director from San Diego, CA. He’s the author of the forthcoming expanded edition of Man, F*ck This House (and Other Disasters) as well as Good Dogs, Our Black Hearts Beat as One, I’m Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today, Neo Arcana, Nunchuck City, Jailbroke, and Return of the Living Elves. He’s recently published short stories in American Cannibal, The Dark Waves of Winter, DreadPop, Pulp Modern, Kelp, and comics in Tales of Horrorgasm. 

A film he co-wrote and produced, A Haunting in Ravenwood, is available now on DVD and VOD from Breaking Glass. His short “Reel Trouble” won Best Short Film at Gen Con 2022 and Best Horror Short at the Indie Gathering.

Brian holds an MFA from UCR-Palm Desert. He’s represented by Dunham Literary, Inc. 














Wednesday, June 11, 2025

My Review for Unbound by Shadows by Avalon Griffin, read by Aileen Bishop


Transported to another world, tempted by a dangerous passion.

Demons, royal courts, vampires, and an adventure! What more could a fantasy lover need?

I probably glanced at the synopsis when I requested this one, but I forget that within five minutes! So when I plugged in my AirPods and started planting up my tomatoes, I absolutely wasn't ready for any of what I listened to, but oh boy, was I taken on an adventure. Unbound by Shadows starts off pretty normally, just a couple of sisters, spending a weekend hiking together, until Selene seemingly falls through the earth. It's then that the fantasy begins. 

I loved that Selene was idolised by the majority of people who came across her, it was a refreshing change that someone didn't want to kill her on first sight! Samael was an awesome demon, who, just needed to learn how to control his temper and perhaps Selene was the human who could help him with that.

Aileen Bishop did a fantastic job narrating this one, and quite often I found myself in amongst the conflicts, which Selene and Samael encountered on their journey.

If you love ACOTAR, and the Crowns of Nyaxia then you're sure to enjoy this one. 

Thank you to Blush Audiobook Promotions for the opportunity to listen to and review Unbound by Shadows by Avalon Griffin.

About the Book

Transported to another world, tempted by a dangerous passion.

Selene has never been one to make a fuss. She doesn’t mind it when the barista gets her order wrong, someone cuts her off in traffic, or she has to drop everything to mediate her family’s latest crisis. But when she goes through a portal to the matriarchal dimension of Aurelia, she discovers that being nice doesn’t always pay. Especially when she meets a demon whose smoldering gaze makes her wonder why she ever craved a life so ordinary.

Samael is a vengeance demon with a drive to punish wrongs. Kidnapped from the Underworld and brought to Aurelia as a boy, his demonic tendencies make him an outcast in a realm he can’t escape. When he becomes Selene’s guardian on a quest for a stone that could send her home, he plots to sacrifice her and steal it for himself. But as they travel together, their attraction grows. Until one day, they each must choose between finding escape and surrendering to temptation.



About Avalon

Avalon Griffin is an indie author who writes fantasy romance with unique characters, far-away settings, and a healthy dose of heat. She is the author of the novel Unbound by Shadows,and the short story, The Vampire’s Library,which was published in Once Upon a Book Club’s 2024 Book-Club-Mas anthology. When not writing, she can be found traveling the globe in search of kitschy roadside attractions, off-beat museums, and cryptozoology legends. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and a crew of formerly feral cats.





Thursday, May 29, 2025

My Review for Shaedes of Fire by Jenny Grimes


'A dragon will always catch you when you fall.'

This is such an incredible sequel to the first book, and if it was possible, I adored it even more. Opal, Farris and Edmym - I did not see that coming! 🌶️ But they handled the whole situation with maturity and even a little bit of humour!

As our adventurers are tasked with their missions, the amazing Jenny Grimes does an awesome job of taking us along for the ride - quite literally in some cases! Who doesn't want to be able to pop into a hole and transport to another realm, or even just get somewhere that little bit faster - it definitely beats catching the bus!

I loved Nell and that's all I'm going to say about her, you need to read this for yourself and continue along with Nell on the High Shaedes journey, as they encounter wizards, sarcastic dragons, and make some difficult decisions. 

If you haven't read Shaedes of Power, then read that first. If you love Fourth Wing and ACOTAR then I guarantee you will love this too. Now I'm off to make myself some 'honey cakes and daphweed tea' whilst I find my next read!

Thank you so much to Jenny Grimes for including me on her ARC team for Shaedes of Fire. How long do I have to wait for the next book??!!

About the Book

“Lesson A dragon will always catch you when you fall.”

Months have passed since Opal returned to the Shaede Court after defeating the Night Prince and experiencing the epic loss of her family. While so many things seem like they are falling into place for the High Shaedes, Opal must now navigate the dueling affections of her charming faerie lover, Farris, and Edmyn, the handsome and relentless Moon King.

In addition to dealing with all the complications that are revealed about her magical bond, dragons have come out of isolation and attacked the Night Court for no known reason, leaving the faerie realm both puzzled and crippled with fear. Add some drama with the faerie-worshipping wizards in the south and some unusual nightmares plaguing her best friend, and the hard-won peace that Opal and her friends thought they’d achieved begins to quickly unravel, leading them to places they have never been before.

What begins as a journey to discover the truth in Opal’s heart, quickly transforms into a high stakes quest, which involves a magical rock hunt, dragons with bad attitudes, wizards who become family, and a spicy love triangle that wants to be so much more. Welcome back to the Seam, where magic abounds, dysfunction festers, and love grows.


About Jenny

Jenny Grimes writes fantasy romance novels that focus on the blurred lines between worlds, the darkness you’ll find in all of them, and the love that resides there too. She creates her characters and spins her stories from her home in the human realm, where she raises her three little book dragons with her husband, and spends a healthy amount of time reading, travelling, and creating art.


























Wednesday, May 21, 2025

My Review for Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson, read by Samantha Summers and Flint Park


Just when you were expecting a sweet romance......

...and once again I dive headlong in without reading the synopsis, 🤣 but hey, it all adds to the excitement and uncertainty of a book right! There I was, pootling around the garden, pulling up weeds, thinking I was listening to a cute little romance, coming from the shores of Loch Ness. The narrators were dragging me in (especially Flint with his Scottish accent) and I was all set for love and romance, and maybe a little bit of resistance from one of the main characters. What I wasn't expecting was the steaminess between Key and Lachlan. But that was fine, I don't mind spice in a book at all, as long as it's done well and this one was. What I REALLY wasn't expecting was the paranormal aspect! 🦕 That's all I'm going to say, I don't want to spoil it for anyone else who doesn't read the book description or reviews. 😝 

Apart from the surprise of what I realised I was reading, I loved the story. Nothing was out of my comfort zone, I read spice and paranormal, fantasy and romance - sometimes all together. I judge a book by its cover and that cover does not say 'monsters'! 

Lana - your book was so, so good and I will definitely be having a look at your backlist. Thank you for creating Key and Lachlan, I adored them both and Samantha and Flint brought them to life.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson.

About the Book

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

About Lana

Lana Ferguson is a sex-positive nerd whose works never shy from spice or sass. A faded Fabio cover found its way into her hands at fifteen, and she’s never been the same since. When she isn’t writing—you can find her randomly singing show tunes, arguing over which Batman is superior, and subjecting her friends to the extended editions of Lord of the Rings. Lana lives mostly in her own head, but can sometimes be found chasing her corgi through the coppice of the great American outdoors.

Lana hopes to give the world all sorts of sexy stories between two dummies sharing a single brain cell—but until then: practice safe text, use commas.



Friday, March 21, 2025

My Review for Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney read by Ruby Cherise

Vampires and Jay Gatsby......

I love The Great Gatsby, and when I saw the opportunity to listen to a retelling, with vampires no less, then I had to download it, grab my AirPods and head off into the garden with Jay and Daisy.

Now I didn't particularly like Daisy's character in The Great Gatsby, but she was pretty cool in this one, a great girlfriend, awesome mate and pretty great cousin. I loved how vampires weren't the only paranormal aspect of Beautiful Villain, and I'm not going to give you any spoilers, I'm just going to say that Daisy has a pretty impressive talent which could come in useful in the real world!

If you've read The Great Gatsby, you'll have a fun time seeing how Rebecca slots things into the retelling, I thought it was cleverly done and to be honest, the characters are a whole lot better in this version!

Ruby Cherise is great as the narrator, she made the audiobook experience fun and enjoyable, and I'm hoping she narrates the others too. I'll definitely be reading or listening anyway. 

Thank you to Libro FM and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney.

About the Book

Seven years ago, I lost him for good. Now he's back, but is he still the Jay Gatsby I used to know…or is he something more? Something…darker.

Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. She doesn't want to think about life after college, or the newly awakened power of her voice, which has a way of making people do frightening things. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy confronts the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart―now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.

It isn't long before Daisy becomes entangled in a web of dizzying wealth and lies and obsession darker than she could have dreamed―culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.

But it isn't until Gatsby is shot through the heart―and survives―that Daisy discovers the truth of how Gatsby clawed his way up in the world by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends' lives at stake, her own untested power still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: side with the man who claimed her body and soul…or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Great Gatsby with a magical twist.


About Rebecca

Rebecca F. Kenney writes spicy fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and retellings, including the Gilded Monsters series from Sourcebooks Casablanca. "Beautiful Villain" (Gilded Monsters #1) is a spicy Southern gothic retelling of The Great Gatsby with vampires, set near Asheville, NC. "Charming Devil" (Gilded Monsters #2) is a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray, set in Charleston, SC. Books 3 and 4 of the series are Southern gothic retellings of Wuthering Heights and The Phantom of the Opera. 

Rebecca's most popular indie books include the Wicked Darlings series (spicy Fae retellings of the Nutcracker, Wonderland, and Oz), the Merciless Dragons series (dragon shifters), the Dark Rulers series (standalone fantasy romance novels in a shared world), and the Beloved Villains series of genderbent fairytales. Other books include a post-apocalyptic vampire romance trilogy (The Vampires Will Save You), a demon romance duet, a dark mermaid fantasy duet, and other spicy retellings. Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.




Thursday, February 27, 2025

My Review for Shaedes of Power by Jenny Grimes


I NEED BOOK TWO - NOW PLEASE!

I don't even know where to begin this review. Shaedes of Power is easily the best book I have read so far this year - and yes - I read Onyx Storm! All of it, from the world-building, to the sassy friends that are Opal, Dru and Leyanna. The magic, Farris, Edmyn and even the Shadowlands just blew me away. It picked me up, threw me across The Gaylenswood and brought me down somewhere back in the human realm, and I'm still catching my breath!

There's love, there's hate, there's death and there's magic. Lots and lots of magic. You can't always control who you fall in love with, even if that means you'll never see the sunlight again (let's be honest, I can't remember the last time I saw it anyway)!

The love triangle had me intrigued, and I had no idea it was coming because hey, I don't check out what I'm reading before I read it! Sometimes that's the best way, right? I can't wait to find out how this pans out in future books, but I guess my curiosity will have to wait.

Oh and I want to be a yellow shaede!

Thank you so much to Jenny Grimes for including me on her ARC team for Shaedes of Power, and I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next instalment!

About the Book

How many pieces of your soul can you give away… before you break?
In a faerie hierarchy built upon one’s ability to produce specific, color-driven magic, Opal is an outcast, and on the cusp of giving up on her future at court.

While visiting the human realm, she witnesses a dark magic shadow beast attack a human—a beast which should have been forever imprisoned in the Shadowlands. Upon her return home to the faerie realm, she finds the Shaede Palace in chaos, the vampiric Dark Princes ready to start a war over old wounds and court prejudices, and a revolving door of impossible choices.

Join Opal on her path to self-discovery and a quest to save her realm, all while she navigates a passionate romance with the charming human she manages to save from the shadow beast, and the seductive Dark Prince who captures her and wants to show her a whole new world in the shadows.

It will take everything Opal has to find her way through the darkness, but with the help of her friends and the histories of her people, she might just discover spells that can change the world.


About Jenny

Jenny Grimes writes fantasy romance novels that focus on the blurred lines between worlds, the darkness you’ll find in all of them, and the love that resides there too. She creates her characters and spins her stories from her home in the human realm, where she raises her three little book dragons with her husband, and spends a healthy amount of time reading, travelling, and creating art.








Wednesday, February 26, 2025

My Review for Belladonna by Adalyn Grace


Death is hot - and I don't mean the temperature of hell!

Wow - I didn't see any of that coming! Fantasy, romance, and mystery, and a whole host of other stuff all rolled into one book. I honestly didn't know what to expect when Belladonna was chosen as October's read for #bookstabritsbookclub (yes, I know I'm behind with my reviews)!!! I loved it. The mystery and suspense of finding out who the killer was, was addictive, and Signa and Death's relationship was awesome - you'll soon forget that he's not a real person, as they begin to work together to solve the mystery.

Parts of this reminded me of The Secret Garden, I think because Blythe is ill in bed, and she reminds me of Colin Craven, weak and not wanting to help themselves! It was also reminiscent of another book that I can't recall, with Thaddeus Kipling - the library ghost, who quite frankly was an awesome dude! He should have a book written all about him!

Published as a Young Adult novel, I would say it's bordering on New Adult, so just be aware if younger teenagers are reading it. 

I've just realised the next one isn't on my TBR, so I'm off to add it now.

About the Book

Nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow, orphaned as a baby, has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her last remaining relatives are the Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at the glittering and gloomy estate of Thorn Grove. Thorn Grove’s patriarch, Elijah, mourns his late wife, Lillian, through wild parties and drink, while eldest son Percy grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and daughter Blythe suffers from the same mysterious illness that killed her mother. And when Lillian’s spirit confronts Signa and claims she was poisoned, Signa realizes that Blythe could be next to die.

Signa’s best chance of uncovering the culprit and solving Lillian’s murder is an alliance with Death himself—the very man she hates most. And Death, that fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side, shows her that their connection may be more powerful than she ever dared imagine.


About Adalyn

Adalyn Grace is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, IndieBound, and International bestselling author of the Belladonna series and the All the Stars and Teeth duology.

Prior to becoming an author, Adalyn spent four years working in live theatre and studied storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular series The Legend of Korra. 

Local to San Diego, Adalyn spends her non-writing days by watching too much anime, and by playing video games with her two dorky dogs.