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Review: Dawn in Damnation by Clark Casey
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. I had to knock a star off my rating for this book because it ended in a cliffhanger and didn’t answer any of the major narrative questions presented in the book. Which is a shame, because…
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Review: Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs Aliens edited by Patricia Bray & Joshua Palmatier
This was a fun anthology that I easily read over the course of a weekend of airplane flights. The stories were dissimilar enough that they were easily distinguishable, despite the thematic elements that tied them all together. I especially enjoyed that the stories did not all take place in England or even Europe, and that…
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Review: All Saints (Murder Ballads and Whiskey #4) by Jason Jack Miller
Disclaimer: I received an electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I am friends with the author and we shared a publisher. The flow and style of the language in this novel took me on a trip around the world that I’m not sure I wanted to come back from. Whether…
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Review: For a Good Time, Call… (Bluewater Bay #17) by Anne Tenino & E.J. Russell
There were moments while reading this book that I forgot it was a romance novel. It’s just that the romantic element felt like a subplot to all the craziness going on regarding Seth’s familial estate, but we happened to also spend a lot of time in Nate’s brain as he angsted about Seth.
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Review: No Small Parts (Bluewater Bay #16) by Ally Blue
While there were some elements to enjoy in this book, I’m actually much more impressed that I got over halfway through the available books in this series before I got to one that I vaguely enjoyed rather than devoured.
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Review: Bluewater Blues (Bluewater Bay #15) by G.B. Gordon
I started this book in the afternoon and finished it before I went to bed that evening. In fact, I devoured it so quickly that I didn’t even take a few notes in my phone while reading, like I usually do to make writing reviews easier. I couldn’t bear to tear myself away from the…
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Review: Wedding Favors (Bluewater Bay #7) by Anne Tenino
Though I wasn’t a huge fan of the short story that featured these characters in the Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day collection, I’m very glad I went back to read Lucas and Gabe’s novel when I realized I’d missed it. I didn’t have the patience for either character when they were teenagers. As adults, I still…
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Review: A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1) by Madeleine L’Engle
I read this novel for my 2018 Resolution Project over at Speculative Chic, the other blog I contribute to. This year, I resolved to fill a gap in my knowledge of the science-fiction classics and read the book before the film comes out in March. I succeeded! You can find my full review at Speculative…
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Review: Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay #10) by L.A. Witt
One of the things I love most about this series is the diversity of characters. This doesn’t refer to just skin color, or occupation, or whether the character is famous or “normal,” but also in terms of personal history. In this case, Scott is a guy who hasn’t had a serious relationship in decades, and…
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Review: City Ash and Desert Bones by Laurel Myler
Disclaimer: This book was produced by the publishing company that also publishes my current series of novels; however, I purchased a hardcopy version of this novel for full price. The mystery about Reesa, one of the narrators and main characters of this novel, hooks you from the very first line of the book. As reminders…
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Review: ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times by Andrew MacLean
A post-apocalyptic story starring a strong female character and her adorable pet cat? This should have been right up my alley. But despite the art being streamlined and stunning, the story never quite grabbed me. Though the internal narration conceit was very cool, it seems the author erred on the side of “less is more”…
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Review: The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay #8) by Amy Lane
I was thrilled to see that the next book in this series was by the same author (and featured the same characters) as my favorite story in the Valentine’s Day anthology, “Nascha.” In fact, that story takes place over the same time period as this novel, and it was fun to see what was going…
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Review: Lights, Camera, Cupid! (Bluewater Bay #6)
“Just Another Day” by L.A. Witt: I loved this quick check-in with our first Bluewater Bay couple, actors Carter and Levi. Levi is his usual cantankerous and loveable self, Carter is still too perfect for words, and I’d be jealous of those cats if I didn’t own three ridiculous Siamese of my own. Also, those…
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Review: Intraterrestrial by Nicholas Conley
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is one of those speculative fiction books whose actually genre is hard to pin down. Though the medical issues lend a realistic air to the story, the adventure Adam embarks on feels more like science-fantasy…
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Review: The Burnt Toast B&B (Bluewater Bay #5) by Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz
First, the elephant in the room. One of the heroes of this tale is a transgender (female-to-male) character. I’m actually glad that this is not hinted at in the back-cover blurb, and that I found it out naturally (very early on in the book). It put a different slant on the relationship, but only by…
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Review: Hell on Wheels (Bluewater Bay #3) by Z.A. Maxfield
Characters can make or break any book, but especially romances, and the characters in this book shined. Though both of them come from worlds far from my experience, Nash and Spencer were guys I could relate to, guys I could cheer for. And even better, neither of them existed in a vacuum. Their decisions regarding…
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Review: The Weapon of a Jedi (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens) by Jason Fry
This book boiled down to “Just how did Luke get so good at using a lightsaber, anyway?” Which is an important question to ask, in the continuity between the films A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Unfortunately, the reality of the the limitations established in the Star Wars universe at that point in…
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Review: “Christmas Past” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor
Though this review won’t get posted until after the holiday itself, this story was easily one of my favorite Christmas presents this year. Taylor blows me away with her ability to weave humor and heartbreak into the same passages. Though this story didn’t have quite as much of the usual St. Mary’s shenanigans, it was…
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Review: Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by L.A. Witt
This is an excellent introduction to the Bluewater Bay shared-universe romance series, giving us just enough information about the town of Bluewater Bay and the television show Wolf’s Landing to provide a taste for more. This book also does a great job of showing how major Hollywood stars are human just like anybody else, with very…
