-
Book Review: Secret Service by Tal Bauer
Bauer is one of those authors whose stunning use of language elevates the work from general storytelling to a genuine art form. I’d probably have loved this book all on its own based on the excellent characterization and intricate plotline, but luckily, I got to read this amazing bit of literature instead. The action starts…
-
Book Review: Diviner’s Game Series by Jennifer Cody
This post includes reviews of the books in the Diviner’s Game series: Bishop to Knight One (Diviner’s Game #1) When I tried to read an earlier edition of this book, I didn’t get very far. A few months later, I read other books by this author and fell in love with her creativity and writing…
-
Book Review: Play by Nikki Markham
This book is not officially part of the series, per the author, and it works very well as a stand-alone. But, both main characters here are featured in Impact, and the overall friendship connections involved in the larger cast of characters are more interesting and carry a bit more weight if you have read the…
-
Book Review: Pieces of Silver (Starian Tale) by Iris Foxglove
This novella works best if you’ve read the main Starian Cycle series of novels, mostly for the identities and relationships between all of the secondary characters who make up the Starian royal family, their consorts, and their important officials. However, the narrators for this particular story are the palace guard captain and royal tailor, which…
-
Book Review: Rebound by Kate Hawthorne
A bit of a long-running joke in this author’s social media groups is that she can’t write a stand-alone novel. This book, however, definitely stands alone, and whether she wrote it that way on purpose or not is irrelevant, because it still includes everything I love about her writing and storytelling. Ben and Thomas are…
-
August Wrap-Up & September Goals
I have no idea how many words I wrote this month on the first draft of Steel Legacy, but I know I wrote the most important two: Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are. As shown in the picture above, the final total for what is currently a total mess is 120,560 words.…
-
Book Review: Lunatic (Necessary Evils #6) by Onley James
Read my reviews of the previous books in the Necessary Evils series: Unhinged (#1) Psycho (#2) Moonstruck (#3) Damaged (#3.5) Headcase (#4) Mad Man (#5) Every time I can’t possibly love this series more, James ups the ante on us again. I knew going in that this book would cross over with another series by the same author, and that it…
-
Book Review: Prepared (Auctioned #6) by Cara Dee
Read my reviews of the previous books in the Auctioned series. What I expected with this book: Total fan service of Gray and Darius’ happily ever after, featuring bachelor party shenanigans, a ceremony and reception I’d cry my way through, and familiar, beloved characters showing up from other series. Had that been all this book…
-
Book Review: Breaking Points by Chelsea Stickle
I bought this debut chapbook to support my friend in some small fragment of the way she has supported my writing for years. It then took me an embarrassingly long time to read. Then, when I meant to treat myself to these bits of flash in between working on another project, I found myself devouring…
-
Book Review: Sworn Enemy (Wild Heart Ranch #1) by Kelly Fox
This book is the first in a brand-new series, but it is also set in Fox’s sprawling and delightfully interconnected world and features plenty of familiar characters. In particular, the two heroes are featured in previous books – one as a solid sort of hero and another as a specific type of villain. Even before…
-
Book Review: Breakaway (Sin Bin: West Coast #1) by E.M. Lindsey
I enjoyed the two original entries in Lindsey’s cowritten foray into hockey romance, and while I have no idea when or whether that series will continue, I already knew I’d also be invested in the Western Conference version written by Lindsey alone. This book includes all of what I enjoyed about that series but with…
-
Book Review: Paper Girls Volumes 1-2
Paper Girls Vol. 1 Brian K. Vaughan (writer); Cliff Chiang (artist); Matt Wilson (colors); Jared K. Fletcher (letters) I’ve had the first two volumes of this series sitting on my shelf for ages, and I promise it is a sheer coincidence that I finally decided to read them now that the first episodes of the…
-
Book Review: A Date to Impress Him (Magi Accounts #2.5) by Michele Notaro
Read my reviews of the previous books in the Magi Accounts series: Our Hearts That Tie Us (Magi Accounts #0.5) The Scars That Bind Us (Magi Accounts #1) A Kiss to Revive Me (Magi Accounts #1.5) The Shackles That Hold Us (Magi Accounts #2) Notaro has developed a wonderful storytelling pattern with this series by including “slice of life”…
-
Book Review: Husband Material (London Calling #2) by Alexis Hall
Read my review of the first book in the London Calling series, Boyfriend Material The structural premise of this book, four weddings and a funeral, is spelled out in the blurb. Between that setup, genre expectations over how a second story about an established relationship will play out, and the title itself, we go in…
-
Book Review: Sin Deep by Jody Payne & B.A. Tortuga
I’m a total sucker for the Payne/Tortuga “East meets West with a side of kink” books, and I knew I’d be reading this one even before I found out it was set in the same world as their The Cowboy and The Dom series. One of the things that most impresses me about this author…
-
Book Review: Ashes of Regret by Searby Gray
Quick caveat for this review: I read this book after another set in this same world that will be released a month after this review goes live. This means I have some pretty significant backstory about this world and some of these characters that fresh readers will not. As always, I do my best to…
-
Book Review: Meet Me There by K.M. Neuhold
Since I follow this author on social media, I have the pleasure of knowing that the plot of this book sprung from a chance encounter she had with a model while on vacation in New Orleans. The finished product is a lovely, slow-burn romance that I have no problem imagining could be real. The way…
-
Book Review: Vortex Conundrum (Ghostly Guardians #2) by Louisa Masters
Read my review of the first book in the Ghostly Guardians series, Spirited Situation Haunted houses tend to fall under the purview of New England when such stories are set in the United States, so I’m having fun with this slightly random but exceedingly haunted Midwest attraction. This time, one of our heroes is the…
-
July Wrap-Up & August Goals
Before starting this write-up I hit send on my part of a massive freelance project I’ve been working on all summer. One of my favorite aspects of medical editing is knowing that my work has a measurable positive effect on the world. I was thrilled to participate in a small way in making a chapter…
-
Book Review: Deceiver of Minds (SPECTR #3.5) by Jordan L. Hawk
Read my reviews of the previous books in the SPECTR series: SPECTR: The Complete First Series SPECTR: The Complete Second Series Stalker of Shadows (#3.1) Bringer of Night (#3.2) Seeker of Truth (#3.3) Harvest of Bones (#3.4) If Hawk continues the pattern from previous SPECTR collections, this novella is the penultimate installment of this particular adventure. A mystery about John’s…
