May Peterson’s début novel, Lord of the Last Heartbeat, is an intricately constructed gothic fantasy with an intriguing storyline, set in a world that reminded me somewhat of eighteenth century Italy where dark secrets lurk behind the scenes, political backstabbing is rife and influential families jostle for power. Adding to that particular vibe is the…
When I first heard about Spellbound, I couldn’t wait to read it. Love. Magic. Queer. Paranormal. Suspense. Prohibition-era Manhattan. First in a series. Friends, the author had me at “Love”. I couldn’t ask our publisher for this book fast enough! Ms. Therin, in her published début, almost delivers on all this promise, and Spellbound…
When the land and the people are closely tied, political instability leads to literal instability; earthquakes, crop failures, fire, and storm. Mirasol’s job as Chalice is to support the Master of the estate, called Willowlands, in keeping the land peaceful and prosperous. However, the previous Master and Chalice left Willowlands in a disastrous state; the…
Phoenix Unbound is the first book in Grace Draven’s Fallen Empire series. It’s a lovely romance set in a fascinating world, and I’m so glad I picked it up. Gilene is a fire witch who is honor-bound to put the safety of her village above that of her own. Each year, every village in the…
This book. Oh my goodness. I was bewitched and captivated from the first page to the last, and I barely took any breaks in between. Magical. Romantic. Suspenseful. Mysterious. Sexy. It’s all of those things and a tremendously engaging story. It’s also Ms. Welch’s first full-length novel. Friends, Salt Magic Skin Magic will definitely find…
Paranormal plus historical. Yeah, I wasn’t sure what to think either, but I couldn’t resist the lure. Isabel Cooper creates a historical world based in fantasy with the elements of a more contemporary paranormal and kept me entertained for over 300 pages with it. It’s the fourteenth century, and Sophia Metzger seeks a dragon. Well,…
Preacher, Prophet, Beast is the seventh in Harper Fox’s wonderful Tyack and Frayne series of mysteries set in Cornwall, and it may be the best – or is it? Every time I finish a book in this series I say, ‘Oh, that was the best one’. I suspect every reader will have their favourite. We…
It’s no secret that my least favourite trope is the one in which the heroine passes herself off as a man. I find it too difficult to believe that nobody would notice she wasn’t one, even within the idealised setting of a romantic novel. That’s not to say that some authors haven’t managed to pull…
You know when you start a book, get about 25% into it and your spine starts to tingle and you KNOW it’s going to be big because it has already sucked you in to the point that you are oblivious to all of your surroundings? Yeah…début author Amanda Bouchet did that to me with her…
They say never judge a book by its cover, but the cover is why I picked out The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine. I love all things autumnal, and I can’t recall seeing another romance that focuses around Halloween. This collection of three novellas centers around Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast and its somewhat mystical…