Sunday, January 28, 2024

The First Dryad | The First Collection: Book 1


 This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.

This book is currently on Amazon Kindle, Paperback, and Hardback.


By: Teshelle Combs

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance

Publication Date: October 22, 2022

Rate: ♥♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

Aia spent her life in hiding…until her secret was discovered and she was taken to the Palace in chains. Now, among the last crop of an ancient arboreal race, she will have to prove herself useful to the High Prince to survive. But alas, love is ruin. And the last of one race might become the first in another.

From The Episode Entitled, "What Nightmares Do You Mean?"

“You dropped your book,” the Second Prince said with a smirk. “Did you do that on purpose, Little Tree?” He folded his ink-stained hands together in front of him, his elbows on the desk.

I bent and snatched the book up, clutching it to my chest. “Why would I drop a book on purpose?”

He tilted his head. “To appear helpless.”

“Why would I put so much effort into feigning a state to which I have already fallen victim?”

His eyebrows raised, his stormy eyes lightening for a moment. “You are a victim to helplessness?”

“Well, I am here in this Palace against my will. And I cannot help myself except to accelerate my own demise if I so chose, which I do not. So yes, I would say I am quite helpless. And so, if I drop a book, it is not some strategy. I am merely nervous. And now you have made fun of me for it.”

“Hmm….” He picked up his quill after studying me for just a bit and made it as if he would write again. But before he touched it to his paper, he looked back up at me, surprised that I still stood before him. “Will you not…go, then, since I have made you so nervous?”

I knew how ferociously I blushed, and how my heart squeezed almost to the point beyond beating in my chest, and how my hands gripped the book too tightly. But I could not, for any reason or after any amount of urging myself, convince my feet to move.

The Second Prince laughed, but not the happy sort, and stood up from his seat. He approached me, his white shirt unbuttoned at the top and his brown breeches nicely cut and perfectly hemmed. When he was very close to me, he reached out to take the book from my hands.

I let him do this, of course, because he was a Monarch of the Realm, and who was I to deny him? Except when I looked down at my arms, the book was still pressed against my bosom, and his hand had retreated, for I had dodged its advance with the slightest deflection.

He was very surprised then, as was I, and his dark blue eyes glittered with amusement. “May I see your book please, Honorable Tree?”

I bit my lip as I handed it to him. And then, because I did not know what to do with my empty hands, I clenched the formerly smooth fabric along the sides of my sage green dress.

The Prince traced his fingers across the leather cover of the book, and I felt my chest burn. I gasped at this response, for it was not allowable for me to think about his fingers or the way they moved so lightly over the brown leather. I was not meant to wonder what those same hands would feel like wandering over my skin.

His eyes flicked up at me when I gasped, but then, when he saw I had nothing to say, he continued with his examination of the book.

My Thoughts:

I wasn't expecting anything like how this book went. It has wonderful story building and the characters were well thought out. You loved some and hated others. Aia and Willen were great main characters. I found myself routing for Aia and all the trials she was going through. The poor girl really had it rough and Willen had a lot to deal with on his own. I loved all the different magical powers everyone had. This book had me from the very start until the end and I can't wait to pick up another book in this collection. This is a stand-alone book, but there are others in this collection.

P.S. If you like fantasy romance with mythical magic and creatures this could be the book for you.

Want to send me a book on my Wish List go here...Thank you!

Currently Reading: 

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros





Friday, January 26, 2024

How to Steal a Dog


 This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.

This book is currently on Amazon Kindle as, Audiobook, and Paperback.


By: Barbare O'Connor

Genre: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: January 1, 2007

Rate: ♥♥♥♥♥

Read on: Audiobook

Book Summary:

Half of me was thinking, Georgina, don't do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, you're in a bad fix and you got to do whatever it takes to get yourself out of it.

Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is "borrow" the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected.

My Thoughts:

This was a delightful realistic book about a girl named Georgina. Her family falls on hard times and she makes some poor decisions. She meets some wonderful people who show her that she can do better and make better decisions about her choices. The little dog Willy is a delight and anyone would be happy to be his friend. 

This book is for ages 8-11 and would make a wonderful story for a book report or just for fun. I listened to this on Audible and the narrator Suzy Jackson did a fantastic job being a little girl.

P.S. I highly recommend this to anyone no matter what age you are if you like dogs and a well-thought-out story with meaning.

Want to send me a book on my Wish List go here...Thank you!

Currently Reading: 

The First Dryad by Tessella Combs




































Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Silent Sounds | Ameslan Series: Book 1


This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, 
I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.

This book is currently on Amazon Kindle.

By: Annait LJ

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction

Publication Date: November 11, 2022

Rate: ♥♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

AFTER HER PARENTS GO MISSING, SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Zillayah Andrews wants nothing more than to finish her last year of school. She’s almost out the door. Almost able to find the truth about Ameslan’s dirty little secret. This new world may look perfect with its fae creatures, two suns, and ecological advancements. It may be exactly what the human ancestors hoped for when they found this planet so many centuries ago. It might just be the utopia to beat all utopias…

Until you speak.

One sentence. One word. One mistake. That's all it takes to shatter the balance between everyday life and a never-ending hunt. Zillayah knows this better than anyone. It’s the one thing her parents engrained in her head before they disappeared.

Sooner than later, Zillayah falls into the custody of her eccentric aunt, Emriah Cohn, a teacher that doesn't realize she’s on a short leash. How will they navigate the annual tests to find people of the Old Tongue? People like Zillayah? Speaking is already a death sentence for anyone caught.

What will they do when Zillayah’s skills extend far beyond the imagination?

My Thoughts:

I picked this book up on the Fantasy stuff your Kindle day. It's not something I would have normally picked up, but I truly enjoyed it. They live in a silent world where you are prosecuted if you can speak. I loved the world-building and all of the sign language used to communicate. The characters were well thought out and brought the plot to life. You will find yourself routing for Zillayah to survive. Of course, it ended on a cliffhanger so we now play the waiting game for book two Whispering Waters. Hopefully, the wait won't be too long. 

P.S. If you want to try something unexpected give this one a try. It might surprise you. 

Want to send me a book on my Wish List go here...Thank you!

 Currently Reading: 

Spindle of Fire by Tee Harlowe














Sunday, January 14, 2024

Stuff Your Kindle Day

 


Have you ever heard of Stuff Your Kindle Day? Or taken part?

It happens a few days a year.

Authors get together and offer free books. There are so many to choose from.

I picked these up on Fantasy Stuff you Kindle Day. 

These are just a few, I got a little carried away.

Silent Sounds By Annait LJ

AFTER HER PARENTS GO MISSING, SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Zillayah Andrews wants nothing more than to finish her last year of school. She’s almost out the door. Almost able to find the truth about Ameslan’s dirty little secret. This new world may look perfect with its fae creatures, two suns, and ecological advancements. It may be exactly what the human ancestors hoped for when they found this planet so many centuries ago. It might just be the utopia to beat all utopias…

Until you speak.

One sentence. One word. One mistake. That's all it takes to shatter the balance between everyday life and a never-ending hunt. Zillayah knows this better than anyone. It’s the one thing her parents engrained in her head before they disappeared.

Sooner than later, Zillayah falls into the custody of her eccentric aunt, Emriah Cohn, a teacher who doesn’t realize she’s on a short leash. How will they navigate the annual tests to find people of the Old Tongue? People like Zillayah? Speaking is already a death sentence for anyone caught.

What will they do when Zillayah’s skills extend far beyond the imagination?

Ask Alice By Kell Frillman

You've never experienced Wonderland quite like this.

When Alice was a child, four demonic men and a bloodthirsty Queen held her captive and introduced her to her darkest fears. Now she is all grown up, but the memories of their passionate, inhuman eyes consume her every waking thought.

On the eve of Alice's eighteenth birthday, a mysterious key leads her back down the rabbit hole into a dark and twisty world where the men who once taught her to fear them now have new lessons for her to learn.

But Alice is not the same innocent, frightened girl that they previously broke. This time, Rabbit, Hatter, Cheshire, and The Jabberwocky will have to play by her rules.

Let the seduction begin...

ASK ALICE is Book 1 in The Tainted Wonderland series, a dark, steamy, RH / why choose paranormal romance. Who says adults can't enjoy fairy tales of their own? :)

Please check the author's site and the beginning of the novel for TW / CW

Revenant By R. Valentine

Revenant is a futuristic, urban, post-apocalyptic, paranormal romance that's haunting, intensely sexy, and passionate.

When Abby Rose meets Ethan Sterling, the vampire leader, she's unsure what to think. She's never met a vampire before and has only heard bad things about them. But she's helpless against the dangerously sexy male, and his touch ignites a new hunger that threatens to consume them both.

After meeting Abby, Ethan is forced to make a hard decision. He wants nothing more than to keep her safe, but his secrets are piling up. As events unfold, a new enemy threatens to destroy everything he's worked so hard to protect her from.

What happens when Abby finds out that everything she believed about her life is a lie—and that Ethan knew all along...

City of Masks By Ashley Capes

When a royal conspiracy topples the noble House Falco, Sofia must take up the burden of her father's mantle and assume guardianship of his Greatmask. Yet the sentient bone mask, powerful enough to Compel those around her, will not speak, and Sofia, the first female Protector in a hundred years, is left defenseless.

Hunted by the king, she is driven from the palace and must fight for survival, alone in the cold streets of Anaskar. There, she crosses paths with Notch, a bitter mercenary with problems of his own. Accused of murder, Notch is trying to clear his name while being hunted by the city's robed assassins, the very people who are now searching for Sofia.

To take back their city and cast down the tyrant on the throne, Sofia and Notch must face the blades of Anaskar's assassins, the rage of a mighty sea beast, and the mysterious Lupo, a man with a Greatmask of his own, who has masterminded vicious terrorist attacks on the city that spurned him.

Their struggle threatens to tear the city – and the kingdom - into shreds.

Whisper of Witches By Nikita Rogers

Trying to carve a new career for herself at ‘The City Herald’ newspaper, journalist Ana Davenport is tasked with writing a trivial article about the local witches who live in the countryside. As she reluctantly takes the job, convinced her career is doomed to failure, she instead finds herself embarking on a thrilling quest with the charming occult historian, Ezra Sullivan.

The recent discovery of a mysterious witch box, found at the excavation of an ancient monument and burial ground, launches the pair on a journey of revelation, exposing the mysteries of the box, solving its hidden secrets, and uncovering magical relics.

Suddenly, Ana’s article has taken a ground-breaking new spin, but there is betrayal and danger ahead. Together, they soon find there is much more than meets the eye with their discovery, and when people who are connected to them and the excavation are brutally murdered, they must race to finish what they started before they become the murderer's next victims.

Dragons Don't Eat Meat By Kim McDougall

A brewing otherworldly conflict. A lost baby beast. Can she return a foundling before all madness breaks loose?

Kyra Greene is a sucker for a vulnerable critter. The exiled Valkyrie pest controller shares her chaotic home with a banshee roommate, a pygmy kraken, and a basilisk who thinks he’s a turkey. But when she rescues a little dragon that swallowed a dangerous artifact, she’s stuck working with a mysterious gargoyle who kissed her a year ago and then ghosted.

With a rogue fae prince after the relic gurgling around in the tiny wyrm’s tummy, Kyra and her irritating companion venture into the magical and lawless Inbetween to find the babe’s elders. And as attraction brews and enemies converge, she fears they might not make it out alive without triggering a supernatural civil war.

Can she get the hatchling to safety, or will her world descend into disaster?

Dragons Don't Eat Meat is the laugh-out-loud first book in the Valkyrie Bestiary urban fantasy series. If you like feisty female leads, smart snark, and romance that’s just right, then you’ll love Kim McDougall’s action-packed adventure.


Of Secrets and Beginnings By Ashlyn B. Rudd

In the outskirt villages of Irropia, twenty-one-year-old Atallia has only ever glimpsed bits of magic on her slowly dying world. Outcasted and shunned, she longs to be left alone and live her life in peace, but as fate would have it a mysterious disease has begun to spread across the land, cursing those who fell ill to a slow, cruel death.

In but a single night her world is shattered and reshaped, lies and truths blending together as her destiny is laid out before her in a blaze of light and destruction. Attacked and nearly killed, power that had simmered beneath her skin her entire life tears free and shakes the world.

Saved by a magical people long thought lost, Atallia’s life would never be the same. Especially after meeting Kanan, the military might and revered champion of his kind. Everything about him may have drawn her in and made her heart beat faster, but the darkness in his eyes—the secrets—had her wondering whether he could be trusted, or if he was just another name to add to the long list of those who sought to pacify her. To control her.

With visions of war chasing her in her dreams, and more questions than answers, Atallia would soon find out if secrets really did run as thick as blood; and if so would anyone make it out unscathed?

Or would she have to burn the world down to find out the truth…?


The Cursed Witch By R.L. Perez

She’s a witch with no powers. He’s a shape-shifting vampire. Trusting him could save her... or cost her everything.


Brielle Gerrick can’t access her magic. To awaken her powers, she gets sucked into a time portal—to a castle in Spain in the year 1735.

The castle is attacked by demons. Their leader is a shape-shifting vampire named Leo Serrano, an arrogant creep who enjoys taunting Brielle.

When Brielle’s dark powers awaken, the others in the castle turn on her. They try to capture her and uncover the source of her magic before it unleashes itself.

Desperate to escape, Brielle must put her trust in Leo and his coven of vampires. She'll do anything to master her powers and get back home.


Even if it means surrendering herself to her enemy.


P.S. Want to send me a book on my Wish List go here...Thank you!

The Fathomless Caves | The Witches of Eileanan: Book 6


 This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.

This book is currently on Amazon KindlePaperback, and Audiobook.

By: Kate Forsyth

Genre: Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Romance

Publication Date: March 31, 2020

Rate: ♥♥♥♥

Read on: Audiobook

Book Summary:

In Eileanan, victory has finally been won, and those of faery kind - from the mighty dragons to the mysterious nyx - have sworn their friendship and aid. Only the sea-dwelling Fairgean have refused to sign the Pact of Peace. Driven by ancient hatreds, they have devoted themselves to destroying all who dwell upon the land.

Troubled by the darkness that may lie ahead, Lachlan agrees to release his beloved Iseult from the sacred oath that binds them together. It will then be for Iseult to decide whether she will remain in the mountains to resume life with her own kin or return to the man who let her go.

To help bring peace to Eileanan, Iseult’s flame-haired twin, Isabeau must also face her most difficult challenge yet. But before she can prove herself worthy of both the scar of the Soul-Sage and the ring of the sorceress, she must first find a way to heal her own wounded spirit.


My Thoughts:

I loved this book as much as the other 5. The world-building was incredible and I could truly enjoy all of the characters. This book focuses mainly on Isabeau and everything she had to go through to be a powerful sorceress. I loved everything she went through and the feeling that went along with it. Oh and did I mention that there are dragons? And that Isabeau can change forms. Pretty cool!

I listened to this on Audible. The narrator Elle Newlands did a fantastic job. If you haven't listened to any of her narrations I highly recommend it. I love this entire series and highly recommend it. It's not an overnight read but well worth it. 

P.S. If you love a love story, war-torn, epic fantasy series I highly recommend this one. Oh and don't forget there are dragons!




Feuding with the Fashion Princess | The Remington Royals: Book 3

 


This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.
This book is currently on Amazon Kindle and Paperback.

By: Siena Trap

Genre: Fiction, Romance, BDSM

Publication Date: January 19, 2024

Rate: ♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle (ARC Read)

Book Summary:

I love the way I hate her.

Pushing Lucy Remington’s buttons is my favorite pastime and has been since we were kids. Watching as her brilliant blue eyes darken in anger when I mockingly call her Princess—even though she is one—fills me with immense satisfaction.

She’s the last woman on Earth I would want to take as my wife, yet that’s exactly what her grandfather—my King—asks of me.

Babysitting Lucy for the rest of my life is worse than a nightmare, and she feels the same way, so you’d think it would be simple to turn down the request of our monarch.

Wrong.

Lucy is offered an escape from royal life to pursue her increasingly successful fashion career if she marries a man of her grandfather’s choosing—me—so here I am. She loves fashion more than she hates me.

Surprisingly, she discovers a loophole to get both her freedom and out of our arrangement. The only problem? It comes with my disgrace as being the one to go back on my word to our King.

She’s delusional if she thinks that’s going to happen.

I’m willing to bet I can break her before she breaks me.

If she wants to play, then play we shall. Feuding with the fashion princess has never been more fun.

*Feuding with the Fashion Princess is the third book in the Remington Royals series and can be read as a standalone.

My Thoughts:


You have to love Lucy she is a spitfire for sure. She doesn't take shit and isn't afraid to give it back. Since childhood Preston has been her enemy. Pulling her braid and causing her grief. Typical boy stuff. Little did she know that hair-pulling would be a part of who she is in her adult life and that Preston is just the partner she needs. 


I also enjoyed the other characters' appearances from the first two books in the series. I can't imagine being a royal and having my whole life watched. I loved the story and it kept me reading. Can't wait to read Hannah's story next.


P.S. If you like a princess romance with light BDSM this could be the book for you. If you haven't read the first two books in this series I highly recommend them along with this one. 




Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Blossom in Winter | Book 1

 


This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I make a small commission for referring you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.
This book is currently on Amazon Kindle and Paperback.

By: Melanie Martins

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Dark Erotica, BDSM

Publication Date: October 28, 2019

Rate: ♥♥

Read on: Kindle Unlimited

Book Summary:

Immerse yourself in this utterly addictive forbidden love story that has captivated tens of thousands of readers around the world.

"We are not meant to be together. I should've known better. And yet..."

Petra, a seventeen-year-old Dutch-American and the only heir of finance tycoon Roy Van Gatt, has always had her life rigorously planned and supervised by her strict father.

From her internship at his hedge fund firm on Wall Street to her degree in economics at Columbia University, Petra is all set for a bright future in finance.

But everything falls apart when she develops a dangerous relationship with her father’s business partner and utmost confidant, Alexander Van Dieren. A Dutch nobleman, known as an unrepentant heartbreaker, twenty-three years her senior, and who is, above all else, her beloved godfather.

A twisted obsession for some, unconditional love for others, but one thing is sure: it’s a relationship that might cost them everything...

This book is for mature audiences.


My Thoughts:


I picked this up because of all the rave on Tik Tok. I got sucked into the hype.
Well, I don't see what all the hype is about. It was not that spicy. Sure it had its share of sexy scenes, but they always left me thinking did the MFC Petra get off? What does Petra see in this guy? The scenes are not that well written and the storyline was all right. Of course, the story ended on a cliffhanger because there are 7 other books. About what exactly? I hate not finishing a storyline but I can't justify buying 7 more books for a story that was all right.

P.S. I wouldn't bother.