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Thursday, January 31, 2019

Books I Didn't Finish - January Edition




White Hot Kiss: I gave this book about 15% and then gave up.  I didn't like the characters. The world building was non-existent.  It had one of my least favorite tropes...a Love triangle.  I knew I wasn't going to like it, so I put it aside.

The Night Market:  I actually made it through 75% of this book before I stopped reading.  Honestly, I didn't get the book I thought I was getting.  Instead of a sci-fi book with a weird substance and a government conspiracy, I got a boring detective story with forgettable characters.  Along with being bored, I was confused at times as to what was going on.  I don't get all of the rave reviews for this one.

The Last Academy:  I think this would have been a great read had the main character not been so annoying. The "twist" was not hard to figure out.  I quit at about 40% but I peeked at the end and I was right. I am also perplexed as to why an author would use mythological analogies for a YA book.  Most of teens probably would not pick up on that.

Rugged Texas Cowboy:  This is a book with 2 novellas.  I was so turned off early on in the first one, Cowboy and the Captive.  I didn't even bother trying the second one.  I will not ever understand why any hint of forced sex is Ok in any book. That one scene right after Jardin kidnaps Melina was gross. No matter who he thought she was or what type of person she was, that was not OK. Nope, not for me.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

January Mini Musings



Wife of the Gods: This was recommended to me by a good friend.  I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I enjoyed the main character, Darko Dawson. He was a great detective and a character I want to read more about.  The mystery was good and had a surprise ending.  I also loved the descriptions of the country and culture.  This is the first in a series and I will definitely be reading the next one.


My Best Friend's Exorcism:  This was an interesting and unique read.  It takes place in the 80 and is filled with pop culture references.  I'm not sure I would say its really a horror book.  It's more of a thriller.  I spent the majority of the book wondering if Gretchen really was possessed.  It was much better than Horrostor, which was also written by this author and one I didn't like at all.


Killer Within:  This is the follow up to Killer Instinct.  Definitely avoid reading this one if you haven't read the first book.  There are major spoilers here.  I didn't like this one as much as the first one.  I I was able to figure out the twist in the end.  I think I would have been better off leaving Lane where she was at the end of the first book.


Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Review: Little Comfort by Edwin Hill

Author: Edwin Hill
Publisher: Kensington
Date of publication: August 2018

Harvard librarian Hester Thursby knows that even in the digital age, people still need help finding things. Using her research skills, Hester runs a side business tracking down the lost. Usually, she’s hired to find long-ago prom dates or to reunite adopted children and birth parents. Her new case is finding the handsome and charismatic Sam Blaine.

Sam has no desire to be found. As a teenager, he fled his small New Hampshire town with his friend, Gabe, after a haunting incident. For a dozen years, Sam and Gabe have traveled the country, reinventing themselves as they move from one mark to another. Sam has learned how trusting wealthy people can be—especially the lonely ones—as he expertly manipulates his way into their lives and homes. In Wendy Richards, the beautiful, fabulously rich daughter of one of Boston’s most influential families, he’s found the perfect way to infiltrate the milieu in which he knows he belongs—a world of Brooks Brothers suits, Nantucket summers, and effortless glamour.

As Hester’s investigation closes in on their brutal truth, the bond between Sam and Gabe is tested and Hester unknowingly jeopardizes her own safety. While Gabe has pinned all his desperate hopes of a normal life on Hester, Sam wants her out of the way for good. And Gabe has always done what Sam asks...


I'm always on the hunt for good mysteries that have strong female detectives. I had high hopes for Little Comfort and was pleasantly surprised with the book.  It's the first book in a series featuring Hester Thursby who is a Harvard librarian who uses old fashioned research to find lost people.  As the story opens, she is on leave to help take care of her boyfriend's niece.  She decides to take a missing person case that seems pretty straight forward.


I enjoyed this one.  I really liked Hester's character.  I loved her relationship with her boyfriend as well as his niece.  She was pretty cute.  Hester is short in stature, but really tough.  Many people mistake her for a teenager.  She's kind of kick ass in a librarian sort of way.  I liked the way her mind worked and enjoyed watching her solve the case. She is definitely a character I want to read about in the future.


 The mystery was good.  The story is told through Hester perspective as well as Sam's and Gabe's. Sam and Gabe are the missing men.  They have spent their life grifting.  Even though we know who and where they are, the real mystery is why they ended up being grifters.  There are a couple of twists and their story is pretty disturbing.  I don't want to give anything away.  I do recommend this one and I look forward to the next book in the series.


Monday, January 28, 2019

Blog Tour: Review of Pretty in Punxsutawney by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Author: Laurie Boyle Crompton
Publisher: Blink
Date of publication: January 2019

Groundhog Day meets Pretty in Pink mashup from author Laurie Boyle Crompton, Pretty in Punxsutawney tells the tale of a girl willing to look beneath the surface to see people for who they really are.
Andie is the type of girl who always comes up with the perfect thing to say…after it’s too late to say it. She’s addicted to romance movies—okay, all movies—but has yet to experience her first kiss. After a move to Punxsutawney, PA, for her senior year, she gets caught in an endless loop of her first day at her new school, reliving those 24 hours again and again.
Convinced the curse will be broken when she meets her true love, Andie embarks on a mission: infiltrating the various cliques to find the one boy who can break the spell. What she discovers along the way is that people who seem completely different can often share the very same hopes, dreams, and hang-ups. And that even a day that has been lived over and over can be filled with unexpected connections and plenty of happy endings.
Pretty in Punxsutawny is a YA novel that is kind of a cross between Groundhog Day and every John Hughes movie from the 80s.  It features Andie who moves to a new town and ends up reliving her first day the the new high school over and over.  Until she can figure out to break the curse, she is doomed.

I really enjoyed this book.  It was a very nostalgic for me since I was a highschooler in the mid to late 80s.  I loved that Andie, who is narrating, gives background on the pop culture references because kids today reading this may not know the movies that are references.  But for me, it brought back so many memories.

At the heart of this story is a lesson in not judging people for what they wear or how they look on the outside. Too often, we make assumptions about others based on our own biases and experiences.  I loved Andie and her journey to not only figure this out, but to finally get her first real kiss. She has some funny very awkward moments that made me laugh.  I think everyone will be able to see a little of themselves in her.

I highly recommend this one to any middle grade and up YA reader. It's a really cute story and a fun read. There is a great lesson for all of us (even adults) to learn here. 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble


About the author:

Laurie Boyle Crompton is the author of several YA books, including Adrenaline Crush and Love and Vandalism. Laurie graduated first in her class from St. John’s University with a BA in English and Journalism. She has written for national magazines like Allure, survived a teaching stint at an all-boy high school, and appeared onGood Day New York several times as a toy expert. And yes, “toy expert” is an actual profession. She grew up in a small town in western PA and now lives near NYC with her family and one enormous and very fuzzy “dog toy expert” named Baxter Bear.


Connect with Laurie



Laurie Boyle Crompton’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, January 14th: Bookmark Lit
Monday, January 14th: @bookish_nel
Tuesday, January 15th: Books Before Bedtime and @booksbeforebedtime
Wednesday, January 16th: A Bookish Way of Life
Thursday, January 17th: @the_readers_nook
Friday, January 18th: Rockin’ Book Reviews
Monday, January 21st: Run Wright
Tuesday, January 22nd: 100 Pages a Day
Wednesday, January 23rd: Book Fidelity
Thursday, January 24th: Blooming with Books
Friday, January 25th: @katielmae
Monday, January 28th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, January 30th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Thursday, January 31st: Kahakai Kitchen
Friday, February 1st: Books a la Mode
Saturday, February 2nd: @love_my_dane_dolly
Monday, February 4th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
Tuesday, February 5th: Write Read Life
Wednesday, February 6th: Helen’s Book Blog

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Review: Take Me Again by Carly Phillips

Author: Carly Philllips
Publisher: CP Publishing
Date of publication: January 29, 2019

He's used to getting what he wants... but she’s going to make him work for it.

Sebastian Knight is a closer. Be it a real estate deal or the woman of his choice, everything he wants is his for the taking.

Sexy and irresistible, a wink, a smile, or a handshake always seals the deal. 
Until everything unravels around him.

After Ashley Easton’s social climbing mother married into the Knight family, Ashley knew better than to get involved with sexy, trouble making Sebastian Knight but their attraction is undeniable, their chemistry intense, and in a moment of weakness, she turns to him, a mistake that cost her her home and her family. After she was sent away, she swore she’d never come back.

Sebastian never expected to see Ashley, the one woman he’s never been able to get over, again.

When she walks back into his life at the worst possible time, more beautiful than ever, he’s ready for a second chance. She’s sassy and sexy everything he’s ever desired. And she’s back for good. Except Ashley wants nothing to do with the playboy who broke her heart. Too bad his sex appeal makes it harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length.

Sebastian Knight might have a talent for sealing the deal but this is one game he’s going to have to work to win.


Take Me Again is the first in a new series about the Knight family.  This one is Ashley and Sebastian's story.  It's a quick second chance love story.  Ashley and Sebastian have a history.  They were friends once and tried to ignore the attraction between them because Ashley was only 16 at the time.  When they are caught kissing, Ashley is sent to boarding school and never came back.  Now she is back in town for Sebastian's sister-in-law's funeral.  The attraction is still there.

I enjoyed the book.  I really liked Ashley and Sebastian together.  I was worried that Ashley would hold the errors of youth over his head for far too long.  But she wisely forgave and let things go.  I ended up really rooting for them.  Sebastian had a need to want to please his family and show he could be trusted.  I felt like he had a lot of growth by the end of the book.  There is a little mystery that the two have to solve in regards to a big company account.  It wasn't ahrd to fiugure out, but it added a lot to the story. I am looking forward to reading about the other siblings in the series.  Patrick's story is up next.  I do recommend this one.  It was a great first in a new series.








Saturday, January 26, 2019

Review: Bad Moon Rising by Jonathan Maberry

Author: Jonathan Maberry
Publisher:Pinnacle Books
Date of publication: May 2008

FROM A FUNFEST...
Each year, the residents of Pine Deep host the Halloween Festival, drawing tourists and celebrities from across the country to enjoy the deliciously creepy fun. Those who visit the small Pennsylvania town are out for a good time, but those who live there are desperately trying to survive...

TO A BLOODFEST
For a monstrous evil lives among them, a savage presence whose malicious power has grown too powerful even for death to hold it back. Only a handful of brave souls stand against the King of the Dead and a red wave of destruction. Daylight is fading and a bad moon is rising over Pine Deep. Keep watching the shadows...


Bad Moon Rising is the conclusion to the Pine Deep trilogy. Picking up soon after the second book ends, this is the  heroes from the first two books find themselves  in the ultimate battle for their lives and humankind.  This books doesn't work well as a stand alone as it assumes you have read the rest of the series before this one.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.  It was gory, creepy, and good old fashioned horror.  There was one particular scene in the cellar that was just disturbing.  The story had everything that I wanted in a final battle between good and evil.  It was just the right length and not everyone was safe.  Yes, one of my favorite characters didn't survive the battle.  The rest of the book leading up to the Red wave was equally as enjoyable and fast paced.  I loved learning more about the mythology behind the werewolves and vampires. It's a unique take on the genre.

The final book was the best out of the trilogy.  Looking back, I still think that the first book could have been shortened a bit.  But it's a horror trilogy worth reading.  There are a few short stories that take place in Pine Deep and I will be seeking those out.  


Friday, January 25, 2019

Spotlight: Excerpt of My Kind of Forever by Tracy Brogan


Author: Tracy Brogan
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Date of publication: January 2019

As the youngest mayor Trillium Bay has ever elected, Brooke Callaghan wants to prove she’s up to the challenge. She’s stepping out of her practical teacher flats and into her sister’s treacherously high heels…with disastrous results. But if she’s going to (literally) stumble her first day on the job, why not fall into the arms of a handsome stranger?

Leo Walker is a rarity on Wenniway Island. Not only handsome, he’s also single, funny, and—most importantly—interested in Brooke. Unfortunately, his reasons for being on the island are temporary, so in spite of the undeniable chemistry between them, he’s not a forever kind of guy.

When a private investigator arrives with news of a jewel thief hiding on the island, Brooke finds herself dealing with one kerfuffle after another, and Leo proves to be a delicious distraction. What does she really 
know about him, though? And the biggest question of all? Does this short-term romance hold the possibility of long-term love?


Enjoy this excerpt:



“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Leo said after everyone else had left and I remained seated in the small meeting room holding my aching head in my hands. “But it sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”

Wow. Did I ever. I’d just spent the past two hours listening to so-called adults bickering about a litany of arbitrary topics. Should Polly’s Popcorn Shop be allowed to sell day-old products? Could the street sweepers add five minutes to their afternoon break? Who was going to play Santa during the Christmas Parade if Harry didn’t come back in time? And the biggest topic of the day? Did everyone see the awnings Tasty Pastries had put up, and who on earth had approved that?

“It’s like they couldn’t even hear me talking,” I said, looking up at him for a response, just to reassure myself that I was, in fact, speaking out loud.

He picked up an empty glass with one hand while wiping a ring of condensation off the table with a damp rag. “I’m not sure they could hear each other talking. Seemed like a lot of monologuing without any listening.”

“But I had an agenda.” I shook my paper at him, now covered in notes that I’d scribbled in the margins about all the other things I wanted to discuss. Things I would have discussed if I could have gotten a word in edgewise. The only one who didn’t interrupt me was my own father, but that’s because he didn’t say anything the entire time. Not unusual for him, but I had hoped to demonstrate a little more power over that cluster of clucking hens. “They were worse than teenagers. I have so many great ideas, but all they care about is the awnings.”

Leo wiped another spot off the table. “What ideas?” He gazed down at me, and I noted how dark blue his eyes were. Depths-of-the-ocean kind of blue. The kind of eyes that made every glance feel significant, even if it meant nothing at all. A flutter of something long-forgotten tickled inside my veins. Attraction. Followed by an immediate need to ignore it.

“Oh, all kinds of ideas.” I smiled tiredly and pushed myself up, because it was nearly five thirty and the Palomino Pub would start filling up with the evening crew pretty soon. “I’ll get out of the way now so you can have the room for dinner guests.”

“Speaking of dinner,” he said, “I’m new around here, so I was wondering, what restaurants do you like?”

“Oh, we have lots of great places to eat. All price ranges. The Windemere Grill is right down on the corner. There’s the Imperial Hotel dining room if you want something elegant. The Feast Well Bistro, Carmen’s Café, and Tate’s Tavern on the Bluff are good, too. At the tavern, you can watch the sun set behind Petoskey Bridge. It’s a great view. And for breakfast, I recommend Link & Patty’s Breakfast Buffet. The pink piggy décor is a little much, but the pancakes are the best.”

“Are you suggesting we have dinner and breakfast?” His dark eyebrow arched just as the corner of his mouth quirked in a ridiculously endearing fashion.

I pushed in my chair with an abrupt scrape. “Excuse me?”

“I was inviting you to dinner. You were inviting me to breakfast.”

That flutter of attraction multiplied even as my mouth fell open for a second. I’m sure it was a great look on me. “I wasn’t. And you weren’t. Were you?”

He laughed, and even though it might have been at my expense, the sound of it sent a flush over my skin and a tingle to places that hadn’t tingled for a very long time.

“I was inviting you to dinner, but not very well, apparently. I’ve been on the island a few days, but I don’t know anyone here, so would you like to have dinner with me?”

I was starving. And he was handsome. And new in town. And looked to be roughly my age. There was no history, no baggage, no reason to say no. But it had been so long since anyone had asked me out, it nearly felt improper. Everyone knew me around here. Everyone would know that we’d had dinner, and certainly everyone would have an opinion about it. And it’s not as if we could go someplace private because there was no place private on the entire island. And there was that issue of the flutter. I didn’t want to be fluttering. Fluttering led to heartbreak.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Author Biography


Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Brogan is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist for her Bell Harbor series. She writes fun, funny stories about ordinary people finding extraordinary love, and she lives in Michigan with her two brilliant daughters and their two intellectually challenged dogs. She loves to hear from readers, so check out her website at www.tracybrogan.com. You can also follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tracybroganwriter.

Social Media Links



Thursday, January 24, 2019

Cover Reveal: Desert Rose by K. Moore



Today we have the cover reveal of DESERT ROSE by K. Moore! I am so excited to share this new romantic suspense with you—check it out and pre-order today!

Title: Desert Rose

Author: K. Moore

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Day: February 28th

About Desert Rose:

In an instant, Jennifer’s life is forever altered. When her ten-year-old daughter, Sarah, is abducted in Dubai, expats Jennifer and her husband Kevin are thrown into an unimaginable nightmare. With very little help provided by the local authorities and the US Embassy, Jennifer watches her life erode away and the tension in her marriage increase. Driven by rage and desperation, she is forced to make decisions she never thought possible. An investigation without answers. A cover-up. A conspiracy. A betrayal. There is no turning back. What would you do if your child was taken? Desert Rose was named ‘Most Promising Manuscript’ at the 2018 Alaskan Writers Guild Conference.

Pre-Order Your Copy Today:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Other Retailers | Goodreads

Exclusive Excerpt:

I stand completely still and close my eyes as my life, my world, flashes before me. My blood turns to ice, and my breath hitches at the end of the increased ragged inhale. Trembling hands clasp in front of my stomach as my body rocks slightly. Dread, the feeling I was momentarily keeping at bay, returns in full-force. I’m in a void of nothingness that constricts my entire being. Opening my eyes, I flinch and stumble as the overly bright fluorescent lighting blinds me. I struggle to inhale as my body becomes weightless, and everything turns black.

About K. Moore:

K. Moore is an Australian braving the sub-zero Alaskan temperatures with her husband and two sons while battling agitated moose, nosey brown bears, and a Karelian bear dog named Hathor. She’s an avid reader, hiker, and CrossFit enthusiast. If you manage to locate a decent bottle of gin and a chair at the bar, she might be convinced to regale you with tales of her global travels. Without the gin, you’ll have to find the evidence within the pages of her stories and poetry.

Connect with K.:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter

Enter K.’s giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Author: Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of publicaiton: January 2019

Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave.

Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?

But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking… and what she’s hiding.

Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?

As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime?

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new novel about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone.


I really enjoyed The Wife Between Us last year.  The twist at the end was a surprise and gave me high hopes for An Anonymous Girl.  Unfortunately, I was fairly disappointed in the book.  The story told through Jessica's POV and through Dr. Shields diary installments.  Jessica lies her way into a psych study to make some extra money.  As the study goes on, she finds herself doing and saying things that are questionable.

There are a few things that  I didn't like about this book.  It was really slow.  The pacing alone made me almost DNF it.  I was bored for a lot of the book.  I kept waiting for something exciting or surprising to happen.  It was too predictable.  All of the twists I called  fairly early on, even the one toward the end. If you pay attention, you will as well.

 None of the characters were likable, especially Jessica.  She kept making dumb decisions.  She never asks enough questions about what Dr. Shields wants from her.  In any type of study, you have to sign an informed consent.    It lays out what will be required of you and what will happen to the data.  She never asks for any of this information until she is in way too deep.  And in the end, she was exactly as she was in the beginning.  She didn't grow at all from the experience.  I never felt like she was in any real danger throughout the entire book. 

I'm not really sure I would call this one a thriller.  I'll probably check out the next book by this duo.  This one has received a lot of good reviews, so try it and decide for yourself.





Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Spotlight: On the Same Page by N. D. Galland

Author: N. D. Galland
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Date of publication: December 2018


From the critically acclaimed author of Stepdog and The Fool’s Tale comes a romantic comedy that tells the story of one journalist secretly juggling two bylines for competing newspapers on a small island.

One island, two newspapers, and the reporter who played them both

Joanna Howes is a Martha’s Vineyard native who left the Island at eighteen and moved to New York City to become a writer. Now in her thirties, she reluctantly returns to care for her cranky, injured uncle. Needing income, she freelances for one island newspaper (the one Uncle Hank likes). But that doesn’t cover her bills, so she creates an alter ego to write for the rival paper (the one Uncle Hank doesn’t like).

The Vineyard has a split personality – part elite summer resort, part working-class small town. The Island’s two papers –the Journal and the Newes – are famously at odds with each other and reflect the seasonal schism in their reporting. Everybody’s shoulder seems to have a chip on it.

Joanna gets personally ensnared in a messy situation she’s assigned to write about for both papers: a wealthy seasonal resident sues the town for the right to use his private helicopter. When Johanna agrees to a cup of coffee with the witty, handsome stranger she meets at a zoning board meeting, she has no idea she’s made a date with Orion Smith, helicopter owner. Orion, meanwhile, doesn’t realize Joanna is the niece of his political nemesis, Henry Holmes.

Joanna scrambles to keep her disparate identities separate from each other in the tiny off-season community, but everything she does just gets her into deeper trouble…and further complicates her budding romance with the exasperating charmer she’s doing her best not to fall for.

A story about the half-truths we tell ourselves – and others – especially when our hearts are on the line.

“The most exciting story of skullduggery, intrigue and drama on Martha’s Vineyard since the last time Alan Dershowitz was snubbed at a cocktail party.”
— Peter Sagal, Host of NPR’s “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” and author of The Incomplete Book of Running

“[A] gem of a novel. . . . this rollicking rom-com unfolds on Martha’s Vineyard, which has spun its own share of fables. Quick, somebody call Hollywood. This one is ready for the big screen.”
— Bob Drogin, author of Curveball: Spies, Lies and the Con Man Who Caused a War

Purchase Links

About N. D. Galland

N. D. Galland is the author of the historical novels GodivaI, IagoCrossedRevenge of the Rose, and The Fool’s Tale, as well as the contemporary romantic comedy Stepdog, and the New York Times bestselling near-future thriller The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (with Neal Stephenson). She lives on Martha’s Vineyard.

Find out more at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Instagram Features

Monday, December 31st: Instagram: @oddandbookish
Wednesday, January 2nd: Instagram: @laceybooklovers
Thursday, January 3rd: Instagram: @giuliland
Saturday, January 5th: Instagram: @sjwonderlandz
Sunday, January 6th: Instagram: @somekindofalibrary
Monday, January 7th: Instagram: @books.tea.quotes
Review Stops

Monday, December 31st: BookNAround
Wednesday, January 2nd: Tales of a Book Addict
Thursday, January 3rd: Instagram: @diaryofaclosetreader
Monday, January 7th: Ms. Nose in a Book
Tuesday, January 8th: Instagram: @megabunnyreads
Wednesday, January 9th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, January 15th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Wednesday, January 16th: Literary Quicksand
Wednesday, January 23rd: From the TBR Pile


Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Review: Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of publication: December 2018

They look like an everyday family living an ordinary life. But beyond the edges of this peaceful farm, unimaginable forces of light and dark have been unleashed.

Fallon Swift, approaching her thirteenth birthday, barely knows the world that existed before—the city where her parents lived, now in ruins and reclaimed by nature since the Doom sickened and killed billions. Traveling anywhere is a danger, as vicious gangs of Raiders and fanatics called Purity Warriors search for their next victim. Those like Fallon, in possession of gifts, are hunted—and the time is coming when her true nature, her identity as The One, can no longer be hidden.

In a mysterious shelter in the forest, her training is about to begin under the guidance of Mallick, whose skills have been honed over centuries. She will learn the old ways of healing; study and spar; encounter faeries and elves and shifters; and find powers within herself she never imagined. And when the time is right, she will take up the sword, and fight. For until she grows into the woman she was born to be, the world outside will never be whole again.


Of Blood and Bone is the second book in the Chronicles of The One trilogy.  This one focuses mainly on Fallon Swift.  She is the baby born to Lana at the end of Year One.  She is also the one from the prophecy who is supposed to save the world. While there are some recaps throughout the book, I would caution that this book does largely assume that you read the first book. 

 I ended up liking this one a bit more than the first book. The pacing was a lot better and it kept my interest. I never felt bored.  I really enjoyed watching Fallon grow up and into her magic.  A lot of times, we end up reading about a heroine destined to save the world, but we don't get to see her grow into herself.  I appreciated that the author took this book and gave us that glimpse.  We get to see her struggle with wanting to be a normal kid and realizing the fate of the world is basically up to her.  It made me genuinely care and root for Fallon.  I was also happy that while it is clear, Duncan is going to be her love interest in the next book, it wasn't a big focus here.  Fallon is only 17 at the end of this book.  I want to see her grow up a bit more before we give her a romance.

In addition to Fallon's story, we go back to the town of New Hope to see how the group from the first book has faired.  While those scenes were important to the story, I liked Fallon's scenes the most.  The one thing that disappointed me about the book was the battle toward the end.  It was a bit anti-climatic.  I'm hoping the battle in the last book is more exciting. The final book, The Rise of Magicks comes out in November 2019.  







Monday, January 21, 2019

Spotlight: Texas Legacy by Lorraine Heath





by Lorraine Heath
SeriesThe Texas Trilogy
GenreAdult
Historical Romance

PublisherAvon Impulse
Publication DateJanuary 15, 2019

 For as long as he can remember, Rawley Cooper has loved Faith Leigh. But the cruelty of his childhood haunts him and he knows he’s undeserving of Faith. When she comes to him on the night of her nineteenth birthday, they both give into temptation. But the searing kiss reaffirms what he’s always known: he can’t have a lifetime of her in his arms. To protect his heart, he packs his things and heads west.

Faith has always adored the boy her parents took in and raised. But she’s not certain she can ever forgive him for riding out of her life just when she needed him the most. When an urgent telegram forces him to return six years later, Rawley discovers Faith is now a woman to be reckoned with.
As old feelings are stirred back to life and new passions take hold, they both must confront secrets from their past or risk losing a legacy of love.


About Lorraine Heath

LORRAINE HEATH always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s prestigious RITA. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.
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