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Book Review: Sub Rosa (Valerius Mystery #1) by Jennifer Burke
In my experience, the best historical fiction involves stories that show the more things change, the more they stay the same. After all, people are people throughout history, just occasionally with better hygiene. Valerius is the highlight of this extended cast of characters for a story in which Burke effortlessly blends modern voice with a…
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Book Review: Unraveling the Threads of Fate by Alice Winters
This assumption is on me, but when I read the back cover description of this book, I assumed the main characters would be the action hero sort. Military, spies, etc. Imagine my surprise when, instead, Alex is a high school English teacher, and Bishop works for a company owned by his wealthy family. This shot…
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Review: What We May Be by Layla Reyne
I love a good poly romance, and I love a good mystery, so when this one came highly recommended by fellow readers, I knew I had to give it a shot. Reyne immediately upended my expectations of this story by weaving a second-chance element into the dynamic between her three extraordinary heroes rather than throwing…
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Review: Hell’s Bedroom Series by Tanya Chris
Kitchen Sink Dom (Book 1) Knowing some of the backstory of how this book developed made it even more entertaining: Chris asked for kink suggestions in a social media group and did her best to incorporate as many as possible. What might have been a disjointed connection of sex scenes held together by a plot…
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Steel Justice Available Now!
Happy Wednesday to everyone, and happy book birthday to me! Steel Justice (Steel Empires #6) is officially live and available for your reading pleasure in hardcopy and ebook form. Learn about the book below, including some fun graphics. I hope you enjoy the penultimate book to the Steel Empires series, while I’m hard at work…
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Review: Blood of the Sun (Path of Ra #3) by Dan Rabarts & Lee Murray
Read my review of the Path of Ra #1, Hounds of the Underworld Read my review of the Path of Ra #2, Teeth of the Wolf Disclaimer: I am friends with the authors; I read this book during the publication process. This stunning conclusion to the Path of Ra trilogy takes place over an action-packed…
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Review: Markham Hall Series by Sierra Simone
The Awakening of Ivy Leavold (Book 1) Here’s the old-school Gothic erotic romance I expected when I started Simone’s Thornchapel series! An innocent young woman finds herself helpless and adrift in a new home, at the mercy of a mysterious and figure who instantly captivates her attention. Despite Simone’s effortless narrative that elevates the interactions…
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Review: Hexworld Stories by Jordan L. Hawk
“A Christmas Hex” (Book 2.5) This is one of those stories that could have worked any time of year — but the fact that it occurred around Christmas made it all the sweeter. After reading the full-length novels in this series, it was easy to forget that witches and familiars in New York City did…
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Review: Dragon Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this book for full price. Once again, DeCandido has blown me away with his knowledge of genre tropes and how to bend them to his will to create a fantastic story. This time, he combines the magic of police procedurals with high fantasy (via table-top…
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Review: Midnight Riot (Rivers of London #1) by Ben Aaronovitch
I devoured this book so quickly, because it had me so absorbed, that I only took one note on my phone about it. “Great example of environment as character.” London itself comes alive in this combination urban fantasy and police procedural that the city is as much a character as Peter, his mentor Nightingale, or…
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Review: Thieves’ Honor (Wizards of London #1) by Jamaila Brinkley
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. I devoured this book so quickly, and with such enjoyment, that I forgot to take any notes for my review! Brinkley’s debut novel features romance, magic, and mystery set in historical London. She weaves together the tropes from multiple genres…
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Review: Gilded Cage (Lilywhite Boys #2) by K.J. Charles
I re-read the first Lilywhite Boys book right before starting this one, because I could and because it’s that good. This book concludes the short series admirably, though I highly recommend also making sure to read “The Ratcatcher’s Daughter” to get a better feel for the overall conflict. The first book is from a single…
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Review: The Portrait Problem (The Galipp Files #3) by Jamaila Brinkley
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I bought the ebook for full price. The Galipp Files are a solid trilogy chronicling the evolving relationship between Anastasia and her partner-turned-fiance Simon. Along the way, they solve magical crimes in their version of not overly-magical London. My biggest complaint about this series is how much…
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Review: The 5th Gender (Tinkered Stars Mystery) by G.L. Carriger
As someone who regularly speaks at writing and fandom conventions about the topic of “genre blending” or “genre blurring” in contemporary writing, I have some pretty strong opinions on the subject. Carriger’s science-fiction/romance/mystery is certainly one that I will now hold up as a great example of how to blend things right. This novel could…
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Review: The Mathematical Gambit (The Galipp Files #2) by Jamaila Brinkley
This story continues the adventures of a pair of professional spies — if only their income from the profession could support them. Instead, Simon works on his magical studies and Anastasia relies on the patronage of members of the peerage who know about her clandestine role. The partners reunite to solve another case involving rich…
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Review: The Star of Anatolia (The Galipp Files #1) by Jamaila Brinkley
When one reads a fantasy series, one expects the main character to be rather fantastical. But there’s something to be said for viewing the world through the eyes of a more “boring” person, with no magical ability of her own. However, Anastasia Galipp is far from normal. She is a smart, independent young woman making…
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Review: Diamond Fire (Hidden Legacy #3.5) by Ilona Andrews
This novella picks up where the last book in the Hidden Legacy series leaves off and features a surprise protagonist! As much as I adore Nevada, it was awesome to read a story from the perspective of another member of the Baylor family, and Catalina is fantastic.
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Review: “Remnant” (Caldwell & Feximal/Whyborne & Griffin Mystery) by K.J. Charles& Jordan L. Hawk
This short story is available as a free download from K.J. Charles’ website. It is best read after Stormhaven (Whyborne & Griffin #3) by Jordan L. Hawk and the full collection of The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by K.J. Charles because it contains significant spoilers for both.
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Review: Think of England by K.J. Charles
If you’ve ever watched Downton Abbey and thought, “This show could use more espionage, blackmail, and murder,” this is the book for you! What I especially enjoyed about this book is that it is primarily a mystery/thriller with an excellent romance subplot. But more importantly, the romance subplot informs and adds to the tension of the…
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Review: An Unnatural Vice (Sins of the Cities #2) by K.J. Charles
My favorite thing about this series is the overlapping mystery, in which each of the romances develop as a part of that plot. Charles’ talent for writing truly shows as each book in this trilogy feels complete even without the over-arching story yet solved.
