Tag Archives: 4 star review

Review – Mermaids Marry In Green by Alice Renaud @alicerauthor

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Mermaids Marry In Green by Alice Renaud is Book III of the Sea of Love series. If you are a lover of the mer world, this is one series that is a must read.

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Once I started reading Mermaids Marry in Green by Alice Renaud, I couldn’t stop. I forgot how fantastic the series is and I won’t put off reading any of her work again.

The afane had awakened, only to find out he was the last of his kind. He desperately struggles to find someone he can communicate with.

Calitha is on of the strongest mermaids in the western seas, but she struggles to fulfill her destiny. She wished she had had more time with her mother, more time to prepare for her role as the leader of the three mer clans. Whenever she was in doubt, she thought, “What would my mother do.” She never found time for herself, for a love life, for romance.

When Jonty, a warlock, entered her life, all bets were off. He came to her requesting her help in dealing with the afane, a water monster in England, and she was eager to go. The attraction was immediate, but Calitha is a leader, not to be mated to a human. Even though it was forbidden, the heart wants what the heart wants. It surely will not be an easy road, but I have a feeling…Sexual tension follows them, but they put it aside to deal with the problem at hand.

She surrendered, thinking she would have one night of pleasure before she returned to her duties, but that one night told her the truth – he was her mate. Of course, we know that is coming, but I do love all the push/pull that keeps them from making a commitment. It’s how the romance will come about that becomes one of the most interesting aspects of the story.

They both had a past, a mistake made, guilt weighing them down. Of course their love will have a rocky road filled with danger, but the sex is sweet…and HOT.

I love mer stories, but all too often I don’t finish a series. I am so glad I had all three of the Sea of Love series, because once I started it, I didn’t want to quit. Now that the story is told, what do I do? Where do I go from here. Any suggestions Alice?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Mermaids Marry in Green by Alice Renaud.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Caltha Dooran is the toughest, fiercest shape-shifting mermaid in the western seas. She has three Clans to rule, and no time for romance. But when a warlock, Jonty, turns up and asks her to come with him to London to capture a water monster, she can’t say no. In London, away from her duties, her attraction for Jonty grows… and they soon fall under each other’s spell. But will his past and her responsibilities pull them apart, or can they find the only true magic, the one that binds two souls together?

ABOUT ALICE RENAUD

Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she’s a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now and the third, “Mermaids Marry in Green,” will be released on 1 November. Alice has also written a short story, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” included in the BVS “Mystic Desire” anthology, out now. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested!

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Review: The Third Note by Virginia King @selkiemoonbooks

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This year I have finished more series than usual and am proud of that. A lot of times, I start a series, read the first book, and never continue. Not so here and I am happy I took the time to get the entire story of Selkie Moon.

The Third Note (Selkie Moon Mystery, #3)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Third Note by Virginia King picks up where The Second Path, Book II, left off. I highly recommend reading this series in order.

A package arrives from Selkie’s long dead grandmother. It was supposed to be delivered on her eighteenth birthday, but it was seventeen years late. Stella, her step mother begs her not to open it and it just makes Selkie more curious about what’s inside. I knowsecrets have been kept and I want her to find them out.

“What if you could heal the past?” That is what Selkie has been trying to do since her move to Hawaii.

Soooooo, it’s off to Ireland with Davina, who believes Selkie is a psychic detective. They both have pasts that will confront while there. She’s on a mission to discover what happened to her twin relatives. Supposedly, one was murdered and the other sent away.

Psychic visions, myths and legends, fairies, ghosts, magic, superstitions, secrets, and Selkie is determined to unveil them.

The Third Note is heavy on the mystery and the suspense is subtle, yet there are urgent and dangerous moments as Selkie and Davina visit their roots in Ireland. So many pieces to the puzzle, it took Selkie spelling it out for me, piece by piece, to see how the puzzle came together. The romance is sweet and develops over time.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of the Third Note by Virginia King.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A mysterious parcel. An unsolved crime. A spell from beyond the grave.

After returning from her last strange quest, Selkie Moon is more than ready to settle down. So when she receives a parcel from her great grandmother 35 years after her death, opening it seems like such a bad idea.

But curiosity wins and the objects it contains plunge Selkie into long-buried family secrets. Suddenly an old mystery begins to echo with the present and she’s wrapped in a spell that won’t let go: frightening visions, deadly encounters and a pull from the past that she can’t ignore. What happened down by the old stone well in 1896 – and why does it matter to Selkie after more than a hundred years? Armed with only her wits and psychic twinges that are hardly reliable, Selkie is drawn into a web of cryptic clues that delve deep into the folklore of Ireland where superstition still weaves a powerful – and fatal – spell.

If you love mysteries with lightning pace, twists and turns you never see coming, quirky clues and a sprinkling of the supernatural, then you’ll love The Third Note.

Join Selkie Moon on a quest that will threaten not only her sanity, but her life.

ABOUT VIRGINIA KING

Virginia King

When a voice wakes you up in the middle of the night and tells you to write a mystery series, what’s a writer to do? That’s how I came to create Selkie Moon, after a massage from a strange woman with gifted hands was followed by this nocturnal message. I sat down at the keyboard until Selkie Moon turned up — a modern woman with a mythical name. Soon I was hooked, exploring far-flung places full of secrets where Selkie delves into psychological clues tangled up in the local mythology.

Before Selkie Moon invaded my life, I’d been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, the author of over 50 children’s books, an audio-book producer, a workshop presenter and a prize-winning publisher. These days I live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with my husband, where I disappear each day into Selkie Moon’s latest mystery. Bliss.

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Labyrinth of the Dolls by Craig Wallwork @craigwallwork

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Labyrinth of the Dolls is book two in Craig Wallwork’s Tom Nolan series. I loved the first one, so it was a no brainer grabbing this one when Craig asked me if I would like a copy.

Labyrinth of the Dolls (Tom Nolan #2)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I loved the first book of the Tom Nolan series, Bad People, by Craig Wallwork, so when I got the chance to get my hands on Labyrinth of the Dolls, Book II, there was no hesitation.

Pam Bollen was in a great mood as she set off to work. Every Wednesday, at 6:00 AM, she headed to the home of Joanna Harcourt to clean her house. The grisly sight awaiting her was the macabre body of Joanna.

Enter MIT, the Murder Investigation Team, and Tom Nolan. He had joined the team with the specific purpose of chasing down his nemesis.

The past converges with the present as Tom Nolan hunts for what the media has labeled the Dollmaker. Tom has a knack for finding serial killers and it will take all his resources to put the past to bed once and for all.

I love that Tom is not a GQ kind of guy, though there is nothing wrong with that. LOL In fact, I love them too. But Tom feels like a realistic character. He’s a bit on the chunky side with an overbite, but there is someone for everyone, isn’t there? Will we have a little romance on the side?

The Ragman is his boogieman, that comes in the dark doing evil things. Only he knows why he does what he does, but Tom is pretty darn good at getting into his head.

The Tom Nolan series is one of those that keeps on giving. In fact, I think it got better with Labyrinth of the Dolls. As I sit, watching Criminal Minds, I feel as if Craig Wallwork could have been one of the writers. His books are filled with human evils, frailties, weaknesses and strength.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Labyrinth of the Dolls by Craig Wallwork.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

EVIL HAS A NEW FACE

It’s been one year since the horrific murders of Stormer Hill, and the events of that time continue to resonate with Detective Constable Tom Nolan. In an attempt to find the second killer, known only as the Ragman, Nolan joins West Yorkshire’s Murder Investigation Team.

Partnered with Jennifer Morrison, a straight-talking detective with her eye on promotion, the two officers are assigned to track down a new killer whose victims are all found dressed like human dolls. As the investigation progresses, Nolan becomes an intricate piece in the killer’s grand vision that puts his life in danger.

But with the body count rising daily and the pressure to find who the media is labelling the Doll Maker increasing, Nolan discovers more than just a series of grisly murders…

Within the human dolls, the answers he has sought for nearly a year may finally be found.

ABOUT CRAIG WALLWORK

Craig Wallwork is the author of the novels, Bad People, and The Sound of Loneliness, as well as the short story collections, Quintessence of Dust, and Gory Hole. His stories have been nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize, many of which feature in various anthologies and magazines both in the U.K. and U.S. He currently lives in England.

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Gingerman: In Search of the Toymaker by Tony Bertauski @tonybertauski

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I have been reading the Claus series by Tony Bertauski since the first one, Claus, Legend of the Fat Man. I have missed one or two, and hope to catch up on them. The series is unique and fun to read.

Gingerman: In Search of the Toymaker (Claus #8)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Gingerman is not my first foray into the world of Claus by Tony Bertauski and it won’t be my last. I have been loving this quirky series since the beginning, with Claus, Legend of the Fat Man.

Christmas White Blizzard, better known as Chris, is off to school. His mother loved Christmas so much, she names him and his sister, Yuletide. He is terrified of going off to school, but his desire to learn overrides his fears.

The Institute of Creative Minds is the ultimate dichotomy:

“Be creative and free. But follow the rules or go home.”

The Institute is unlike any school I have ever heard of before. It is Christmas all the time.

When he meets Joli, she decides to be his introduction to the school. I love her feisty, independent personality. She’s a rebel.

Gingerman….well, I don’t want to spoil your introduction to him, so you will need to discover everything about him yourself. I will tell you…he is…unusual. Whether he is good or bad, we will have to wait and see. The verdict is still out, but I do have my thoughts.

The magic of Christmas comes alive through Tony Bertauski’s descriptive words. So, come along with me, Chris, and the Gingerman to solve the mystery of the Institute. It is a wild ride and I think you may enjoy it. It is delightful, unique and mysterious.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Gingerman by Tony Bertauski.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

His real name is Christmas. It’s embarrassing.

He’s been accepted into the Institute of Creative Mind, a prestigious institute for eccentrics, outliers, and gifted students. A school located in the middle of nowhere with two-hundred-year-old castles and a formidable stone wall. A school where Christmas is celebrated the entire year.

Christmas trees, ornaments, and lights decorate the castles. Presents are given out every month, and students are pitted against each other in creative challenges. Chris soon finds out, however, the stakes are high.

The losers are expelled.

He spends sleepless nights keeping up with his homework to not disappoint his parents and to keep a cruel guidance counsellor off his back. But this place is more than a demanding school for gifted students. Chris finds a clue in a textbook his first night, written in code.

Run, run as fast as you can.

When he’s presented with an impossibility that defies all laws of physics and biology, anything becomes possible. Chris discovers students aren’t chosen for their artistic abilities but because of a DNA test. He doesn’t know what the school is really after. If he doesn’t stop them, Christmas will end forever. Everything depends on his courage.

And a strange little friend.

ABOUT TONY BERTAUSKI

Tony Bertauski

Get my books FREE. Tell me where to send them at http://bertauski.com

My grandpa never graduated high school. He retired from a steel mill in the mid-70s. He was uneducated, but he was a voracious reader. I remember going through his bookshelves of paperback sci-fi novels, smelling musty old paper, pulling Piers Anthony and Isaac Asimov off shelf and promising to bring them back. I was fascinated by robots that could think and act like people. What happened when they died?

I’ve written textbooks on landscape design, but that was straightforward, informational writing; the kind of stuff that helps most people get to sleep. I’ve also been writing a gardening column with a humorous slant. That takes a little more finesse, but still informational for the most part.

I’m a cynical reader. I demand the writer sweep me into his/her story and carry me to the end. I’d rather sail a boat than climb a mountain. That’s the sort of stuff I wanted to write, not the assigned reading we used to get in high school. I wanted to create stories that kept you up late.

Fiction, GOOD fiction, is hard to write. Having a story unfold inside your head is an experience different than reading. You connect with characters in a deeper, more meaningful way. You feel them, empathize with them, cheer for them and even mourn. The challenge is to get the reader to experience the same thing, even if it’s only a fraction of what the writer feels. Not so easy.

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One Sentence Review – City of Ghosts by J H Moncrieff @JH_Moncrieff

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City of Ghosts

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MY REVIEW

City of Ghosts by J H Moncrieff is a predictable, at times realistic, horror story that had me rapidly flipping the pages as Jackson Stone was chosen to tell a ghostly tale of pain, anger and vengeance.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Winner of the 2018 Kindle Book Review Award for best Horror/Suspense.

On the day the villagers were forced to flee Hensu, not everyone got out alive.

Jackson Stone is touring the abandoned Chinese city when he slips away from the group to spend the night, determined to publish an account of his ghostly experiences there.

Then he meets Yuèhai, a strange, soft-spoken woman who can tell him the city’s secrets—secrets the Chinese government would kill to keep hidden.

As Jackson uncovers the truth about Yuèhai and the ghost city, he’s drawn into a web of conspiracy, betrayal, and murder. He must risk everything to save himself and bring honor back to Yuèhai and her family.

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Review – Below Dark Waters by Katie Zaber @Zaberbooks

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Below Dark Waters

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Dalya series by Katie Zaber needs to be read in order.

Below Dark Waters is told by three points of view.

Princess Mega is on the run, with her friends by her side, running from her father, who wants her dead. Does it get much worse that that?

Carmia is a free spirit, an adventurer. She felt the call of the sea and had Octavia built so she could take to the sea, where she felt at home. A woman pirate, gotta love it. She is on the hunt for treasure, leaving her family behind, though they didn’t miss her much.

Lily…love her. She is a master of disguise.

Seeing this is Book II, I don’t want to spoil the wonder of Princess Megan’s world. I want to be at her side, saving children, being taken to an underwater world where evil is afoot, growing, changing, evolving into the leader she never asked or wanted to be. She has devoted, loyal friends and gathers more, as they see her for who she is, a warrior, a fair and determined woman who knows right from wrong. She grabs what moments of happiness and love that are at her fingertips, knowing she may have to sacrifice her own desires and do the right thing for their worlds to survive and prosper.

The end is not here and I can hardly wait to see where we go to next.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Below Dark Waters by Katie Zaber.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Princess Megan, who never had a reason to assume she was anything but human, has been on the run, protected by her friends. With each step toward the city of Delmont, she hopes they will have time to regroup before setting sail to the Ka’Pamau Islands, their final destination. Instead, her bad luck shadows her and chaos continues to ensue everywhere she goes—including a new part of the world that most air breathers have yet to explore.

Confronted with another royal family and a smitten prince whose advances turn cold, she faces another life-altering decision with ramifications she can’t possibly begin to guess at.

Back on land, Lilly reveals more of her secrets, her story, and her goals. Monumental changes and challenges are headed her way as she embraces her new role in life.

On the sea, Aunt Carmia is stirring up trouble while continuing her hunt for the treasure she most desires. She experiences upheavals, but she is always prepared for the unknown.

As their stories unfold, they remain unaware how fate connects them in the world of Dalya

ABOUT KATIE ZABER

Katie Zaber

Katie Zaber is originally from Southern New Jersey. Her childhood home is just minutes from the Long Beach Island Bridge. When not writing, Katie can be found at wine tastings, sun bathing at the beach, going for hikes, screaming at Six Flags, reading, or in her favorite place, her kitchen, baking desserts and breads. She currently lives in Morris County, New Jersey with her boyfriend.

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Ghostly Happenings & The Haunting of Hacket House by Astrid Addams #AstridAddams

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The Haunting of Hacket House

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“When the shit hits the fan, that’s when having a God to pray to or curse is really satisfying…”

No Hacket House or the town of Bramley showed up on the internet when Jane researched the offer for a live in caregiver, but the lucrative paycheck had her packing and moving. Maybe the lack of information should have been a warning?

There are clocks of every variety cluttering the house. What’s up with that? It made me think of my father in law. He loves tinkering with clocks and has them all over his house, but, they are not like these clocks.

The house sounds more like a mansion or museum, with twisting, turning hallways and hundreds of rooms.

Jane is running from someone and thought Hacket House would be a great place to hide. If she can’t find anything about the house and town, maybe nobody else could either. The reason she is running is even sadder than I anticipated.

The man she is there to take care of is in dire straits, uncommunicative. He has dementia (?), with hands like claws and his body stuck in the fetal position. Is it dementia? Is he being tormented? Haunted? And who…or what…is Nark?

As the secrets are revealed, I wonder about Jane and what will become of her. Looming clocks that seem to move on their own, shadows running from clock to clock, people in robes…

The Haunting of Hacket House is a creepy, deliciously spooky tale that kept getting creepier and creepier as I read. It would make a fantastic movie.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Haunting of Hacket House by Astrid Addams.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Some places don’t let go….

Offered a lucrative job at the mysterious Hacket House, Jane agrees to travel across country to live at the mansion. After all, a fresh start is just what she needs. Besides, the remote house is a long way from the past she is still running from.

Arriving at her new home, she finds a strange red house set in a wood of red, gnarled trees. The same trees used to build the house and the grandfather clocks that haunt every room and dark corridor.

Jane quickly realises that there is something very wrong at Hacket House and the village of Bramley.

Why is there a graveyard in the garden of Hacket House? Who are the people in hoods who haunt the house at night? What are they doing with the old man in the bed? Why is somebody moving the grandfather clocks? Who is the strange woman no one will admit exists? What are the shadows that scoot across the walls like cockroaches? Who is Erazmus Nark whose grave nothing will touch?

As the sinister behaviour of the village escalates and her own past closes in around her, Jane learns that just because something is dead, doesn’t mean that it’s gone.

MY ASTRID ADDAMS REVIEWS

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