Book Review: A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson

 

 publication November 1, 2024

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The fate of a cursed nation depends on a princess who must outwit a mortal enemy and outlast the trials of a death-defying ritual in a thrilling adventure by USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson.

Lia is the princess of Locris, a dying desert nation cursed centuries ago by an earth goddess—one still worshipped by the thriving and adversarial nation of Ilion. Every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrifice: two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple. In a millennium, no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive. This year, Lia is one of the hunted.

An education in battle gives her a fighting chance, but the challenges are greater than she feared: Lia’s beloved but untrained sister Quynh has been put in the path of danger. The winding streets of Ilion itself have been transformed into a labyrinthine maze of countless choices and dead ends. And if the risks weren’t significant enough, Lia is reluctantly drawn to the commandingly attractive Jason, an Ilionian sailor she loathes to trust and desires like no man before.

The tribute game is on. It’s up to Lia to lift the goddess’s curse, restore Locris to its former glory, and change the fate of every young woman destined to follow in her path.

MY REVIEW:

A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first book of a new series. Starts out like a little bit of Hunger Games, where 2 girls names will be chosen ad they have to fight men to get the Eye of the Goddess.
Lia is a princess and she paid to have her name drawn so had a mentor teach her how to fight. She is also betrothed to a prince but doesn't want to marry him,
Lia meets up with Jason on a ship and he wants to help her. The chemistry s there between them. We meet him several more times throughout the book.
There was a twist at the end and I had a small feeling about it but figured I was wrong. but I wasn't.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ebook to review.

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Sariah Wilson

Blog Tour: Stuck Together by Lily Joseph

  

publication October 29, 2024

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The hate is real. So is the chemistry.




Annie is heading into the holidays alone. And as a confirmed singleton, she decides to open a shop selling the kind of treats every single woman would want to find under the tree. After all, who doesn’t like to get a ‘Premium Sensual Lifestyle Product’ for Christmas, right?




Penn is in a bind. He needs to come home for Christmas with a girl, or his parents will set him up with someone ‘suitable’. Nothing is too good for the Honourable Peregrine Burton-Edwards after all. But that’s not what Penn wants. He just wants to sell vintage records in his shop and meet a nice, normal girl.




The first time Annie and Penn meet, Annie feels a flutter in her chest – he’s tall, dark and handsome, with cheekbones you could sharpen a blade on. So when he offers to share the shop with her to save on rent, she gladly accepts.

Huge mistake… Annie and Penn are poles apart and butt heads at every turn. But with the holidays looming, Penn will soon need to ask for a big favour, and Annie, with no plans to speak of, is the only girl who can help. As the arguments get more heated, so do the sparks flying between them. Will they put their differences aside and come together? And could it be for more than just Christmas?




A completely addictive, utterly hilarious and totally swoon-worthy romantic comedy, Stuck Together will make you fall head over heels for Annie and Penn. The perfect holiday read for fans of Catherine Walsh, Emily Henry and Mhairi McFarlane.

MY REVIEW:

Stuck Together by Lily Joseph
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Annie and Penn were ridiculous sometimes but the banter was fun and getting to know the characters and their family dynamics was great,
Annie's mom would try all kind of schemes to sell things so she has a room in her house full of all kinds of products so Annie decides to open up a store.
Penn also wants to open up a viny, record, store and they end up looking at the store at the same time. Things get funny after that and decide to share the store. She has half and he has the other half.
Someone is out to destroy Annie and it wasn't who I thought it was at first.
Penn comes from money and his family wants him to settle down so he brings Annie as his girlfriend. I did not like his mother at all or his ex girlfriend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC to review.

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Lily Joseph

BornThe United Kingdom

Website

https://www.lilyjosephauthor.com/

Twitter

lilyjowriter

Genre

Romance, Humor and Comedy, Chick Lit

Lily Joseph is a romantic fiction writer from North East England, a setting which appears regularly in her writing. Her work has been shortlisted for the Lindisfarne Prize, an award for northern authors. She lives in North Yorkshire with her partner, two teens and two cats, none of whom are interested in books whatsoever. At least the cats have an excuse.

Book Review: What Courses Through Her Blood by Ashley R O'Donovan

 

publication October 29, 2024

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The future of the realms rests within her hands.

After her impressive victory, the threats Lyra faces only seem to mount. Darkness is spreading. Monsters roam freely. Old enemies resurface. The realms are on the brink of collapse, and a heart-wrenching decision between Colton and Nyx could decide the fate of it all. But the prophesied light to match her darkness is not as simple as it seems.

Even if a path exists to protect the people of Eguina and unite her with the man she loves, there's the little detail of her dark magic teetering on the edge of chaos. Will her untamed power forge a lasting peace or unleash total destruction?

Immerse yourself once again in the world of What Lies Beyond the Realms for this epic final installment.

Please This book contains sexually explicit content, mature language, and elements of violence. It is intended for mature audiences and is not suitable for readers under the age of 18. This is book three in a series.

MY REVIEW:

What Courses Through Her Blood by Ashley O'Donovan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The final book of this series and it did not disappoint.
Realms are on the brink of collapse and Lyra is trying to fix things. She is in love with Colton and Colton loves her but his brother Onyx is also in love with her. I liked getting to know these characters and if they could all work together for the greater good.
As I got nearer to the end I thought there was no way this book was going to be the last but Ashley ended up finishing it perfectly.
Thank you to the author for the ARC to review.

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Blog Tour: Snow Going Back by Emma Tallon

 

Published October 24, 2024

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Everyone is heading home for the holidays. Everyone except Kate. Having just run away her boyfriend Lance’s unexpected proposal (in front of her entire family), Kate was the only person in her office happy to take an unexpected last-minute work trip posting to Boston.

Arriving in the snow-covered, fairy-light-filled city, Kate feels immediately at home. That is until she meets Sam, a cross between a lumberjack and an Abercrombie model standing in the kitchen of her new place. Which also happens to be his home thanks to a work mix-up. Given that it’s Christmas and there is nowhere else to stay, they agree to make it work.

But pretty soon it’s clear that Sam is not the ideal house mate. From drinking all the milk, turning the hot water off whilst she’s showering, and insisting she stay in her room for the entirety of ‘game night’ with the boys, Kate thinks Sam is the absolute worst. And he thinks the same of her.

When Sam surprisingly comes to her rescue, his frosty exterior finally thaws and when they open up to each other, they realise they have more in common than they thought. But when Lance unexpectedly arrives, Kate’s heart is torn. Go home with Lance or spend the holidays with a man she hardly knows, but who could turn out to be the one…

Opposites attract in this heart-warming and truly laugh-out-loud, enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity book. If you enjoy Catherine Walsh, Emily Henry and Beth Moran, you will love Snow Going Back!

MY REVIEW:

Snow Going Back by Emma Tallon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute enemies to lovers romance. II am not used to reading a romance by Emma Tallon. She is one of my favorite authors and did not disappoint.
Kate's boyfriend proposed to her and she accidently accepted. Now she wants out of it but doesn't want to disappoint anyone. She is a lawyer and is told that she has to go and take care of an estate and only she can do it. She meets up with a grumpy guy letting her know that the house she is in is his. The banter between these 2 was funny and they act like teenagers at first trying to up one another.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC to read.

View all my reviews

Emma Tallon is a British author of gripping, gritty, organised crime thrillers. With a number of bestsellers published by Bookouture since early 2017, Emma continues to write full time and has many ideas in the pipeline for future novels.


For more information on Emma or to join her mailing list, please go to: www.emmatallon.com

Book Review: Saving Us by Krista Swanson

 

publication October 23, 2024

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Grumpy billionaire.

Sunshiny flower shop girl.

When their two worlds collide, sparks fly, but will love bloom?

Gage

Gage is too busy and power-hungry for love. Heir to a billion-dollar empire, he has a string of failed relationships in his past. With one divorce and another love triangle gone bad, finding love is not on his horizon. But when he literally runs into the flower shop girl before their meeting, something seems to change for him. He can’t get her, or her body, off his mind, and his days as a bachelor might be numbered.

Harper

Harper dreams of owning her own flower shop. But that and living in NYC takes more money than a shop girl can make, so she moonlights as a server in a fancy club. Her jobs are from completely different worlds and she likes it that way. When the grumpy client from the shop, the one she shared a steamy one-night stand with, finds her working at the club, things get messy. As she starts chipping away at his tough exterior, she realizes she is setting herself up for failure. And she can’t live with another.

But when their new relationship seems to be on the right track, it gets tested in the toughest of ways and they’re left fighting for each other.

Who will save who?

MY REVIEW:

Saving Us: The Billionaire Brothers of NY Duology Book One by Krista Swanson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book and could not get enough.
Harper works in a florist shop and loves making flower arrangements. Her dream is to open her own business. Gage is a billionaire who runs his family business with his brother.
The brothers end up going to the flower shop to look at arrangements for their office. You can feel the chemistry between Gage and Harper almost from the beginning.
Neither one was looking for anything and the banter between these 2 was a lot of fun.
Thank you to the publisher for a great book.

View all my reviews

Krista Swanson

BornThe United States

Website

https://www.kristaswansonauthor.com/

Genre

Romance

Krista Swanson lives in New Jersey with her husband. They have three children, but only one is left to get out of the nest. Once they do, travel across the US and Europe is in their plans. She loves the beach, mainly the Jersey beaches, which she feels don’t get the love they deserve.

When she’s not writing, she is most definitely reading. Her lifelong love of reading romances gave her all of the ideas busting to get out of her brain. While doing either, though, the mug in hand will not have coffee in it. The blasphemy—it will be tea!

She’s newish at the social media thing, but working hard at it. You can find her on TikTok and Instagram at kristareadsandwrites. Also hop on over and join her Facebook reader’s group, Krista Swanson’s Booklover’s Besties. You can also sign up for her newsletter on any of those platforms.

Book Review: If I stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens

 

published October 15, 2024

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An enemies to lovers romance with a spooky twist where two feuding writers end up on a writers retreat together at a haunted castle in Scotland

It's been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. But he was so infuriating, with his sparkling green eyes and his bestselling horror novels that claimed to break Native stereotypes. And now she’s a publishing pariah and hasn’t been able to write a word since. So when her friend invites her on a too-good-to-be-true writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, she seizes the opportunity. Of course, some things really are too good to be true.

Neil wants nothing less than to be trapped in a castle with the frustratingly adorable woman who threw a book at him. She drew blood! Worse still, she unleashed a serious case of self-doubt! Neil is terrified to write another bestselling “book without a soul,” as Pen called it. All Neil wants is to find inspiration, while completely avoiding her.

But as the retreat begins, Pen and Neil are stunned to find themselves trapped in a real-life ghost story. Even more horrifying, they’re stuck together and a truly shocking (extremely hot) almost-kiss has left them rethinking their feelings, and… maybe they shouldn’t have been enemies at all? But if they can’t stop the ghosts pursuing them, they may never have the chance to find out.

Full of spooky chills and even more sexy thrills, If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is the funny, fast-paced romp romance readers have been waiting for!

MY REVIEW:

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I started reading this book I almost DNFd it.
Penelope was so rude and such a bully that I could not stand her. She is an author and hates Neil, who she believes is writing garbage instead of what he should be writing.
We find out how the publishing companies had treated Neil. He is a Native American and had written a great story with Native Americans in it and set in that community but the publishing companies all said no. Penelope does not know that. They both suffered in their careers for a couple of years until they got to a writer's retreat at a haunted house.
I ended up enjoying this book and I really liked Neil. Penelope was still hard to warm up to.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ebook to review.

View all my reviews

Colby Wilkens

Website

Https://colbywilkens.com/

Twitter

colbywilkens

Genre

Romance, Horror, Young Adult

A white/Native and queer PNW author of YA and Adult romance and horror, Colby Wilkens lives for cozying up on the couch with her cats, tea, and a good book. She is an active bookstagrammer with a fondness for candles and dark stories.

Blog Tour: A Crown of Darkness by Jessica Thorne

 

Published

October 8, 2024 by Second Sky

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The enemy has her. And the man she loves seems intent on using her dark magic to destroy her kingdom…

In the chaos of the magical assault on Pelias, Wren has been swept far from home. She is now a prisoner, in the heart of enemy territory. At least she has the man she loves beside her, keeping their passion alive during the cold nights in this unfamiliar place.

Or so she thought…

Finn has changed since returning to his father’s kingdom. Instead of serving the princess he’s proven his loyalty to time and again, he is keeping her under guard in a tower. Desire still lights up his eyes when he looks at her. But is he enamoured by Wren, or her power?

With the unfamiliar castle calling to her dark magic, Wren is fighting every minute to keep her growing power in check. And she struggles to ignore the still-smouldering heat between her and Finn every time their fingers touch – even as he keeps her under lock and key…

Is everything she believed about Finn a lie? Or is he under the influence of the dark power here too? And will she have time to figure it out before she’s forced to turn her magic on her own kingdom?

You will not be able to put down this gripping and unputdownable romantic fantasy! Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Stacia Stark and Rebecca Yarros.

MY REVIEW;

A Crown of Darkness by Jessica Thorne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The last book of the series and oh so good. We are still foll0wing Wren, Finn, Elodie, and Roland.
Finn returns to his kingdom but is it really Finn? Elodie is missing and Roland is on a hunt for them.
Lots of emotions and a great ending to the series. It was a little slow at one point but well worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC to read,

View all my reviews

Jessica Thorne watched far too much sci-fi and read far too much fantasy at an impressionable age. And it was awesome. She writes fantasy and sci-fi romance with a steampunk edge and just refuses to face reality.

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessthornebooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessthornebooks

Website: http://www.rflong.com/jessicathorne/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ruthfranceslong?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessThorneBooks/

Blog Tour : Storm of Ink and Blood by Nisha J Tuli

 

Book: Storm of Ink and Blood

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Pub Day: Oct 4th 2024

Buy on Amazon

 

Dark magic courses through Zarya's veins-magic that could save countless lives... or doom her world.

Shattered by Rabin's betrayal, Zarya vows to leave all thoughts of him behind. In the dangerous city of Ishaan, she joins an ancient struggle for freedom.

Ishaan is a city of violent contrasts. Nobles and scholars live in golden luxury. But thousands of vanshaj workers are born into magical slavery-in punishment for a crime forgotten centuries ago.

Zarya is outraged, and certain that the fate of the vanshaj is linked to her own forbidden magic. She joins a band of rebels battling for their freedom, and with Yasen at her side she throws herself into the fight.

On a deadly raid, Zarya uncovers the key to freeing the vanshaj forever. But to use it, she must harness a power that could tear her apart.

Only one person can give Zarya the strength to reach her destiny. The one who ignited her magic. Who brings her more pleasure and more pain than any other. The last person she wants to see right now. Rabin.

The Nightfire Quartet is a fast-paced and addictive fantasy romance that's perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Carissa Broadbent, and Rebecca Yarros. If you love slow-burning passion and razor-sharp banter, dive in to discover your new fantasy obsession.

MY REVIEW:

Storm of Ink and Blood by Nisha J. Tuli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can not get enough of this series.
Zarya has dark magic and she wants to free vanshja. They have a special ink around their necks and they are slaves. The ink hids their magic.
Zarya is also getting over Rabin as she thought he had betrayed her. She is also in the city where her half siblings live and they don't know anything about her and they are royalty. She is finding out that she does not like her siblings and once wanted to know them and now she doesn't.
I love this world and the characters and how Zarya is growing as a person.
I can't wait for the next and last book of this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ebook to review.

View all my reviews

Nisha J. Tuli is an Amazon Top 50 and International Bestselling author of romantasy and contemporary romance.

Her novel Trial of the Sun Queen—the first in the Artefacts of Ouranos series—became a BookTok hit and has gone on to be published in over a dozen languages around the world.

Look for her debut romcom, NSFW (Not Suitable for Work), a workplace rivals to lovers romance publishing with Forever in May 2025.

When she’s not writing or reading, Nisha can be found enjoying travel, food, and camping with her partner, two kids, and their fluffy Samoyed, Mora.

She's also the author of Heart of Night and Fire, a South Asian-inspired fantasy romance and the first in a four-book series.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NishaJT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NishaJT

Website: https://nishajtuli.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nishajtwrites/

Second Sky email signup: www.secondskybooks.com/nisha-j-tuli