Tag: bookblog

Book Review: The Thief of Lanwyn Manor

featheredfables
In Regency England an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner and very eligible bachelor, is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can’t she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac?
Cornwall, England, 1818
Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her cousin invites her to Lanwyn Manor, Julia eagerly accepts. The manor is located at the heart of Cornwall’s mining industry, and as a guest Julia is swept into its intricate world. It’s not long, though, before she realizes something dark lurks within the home’s ancient halls.
As a respected mine owner’s younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father’s legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother’s careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood—and that of the people around them—the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to bolster the floundering local industry. Isaac can’t deny his attraction to the man’s charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.
When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren’t so keen to surrender.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series by Sarah Ladd. The covers are always stunning! You definitely need to read the first book in this series before diving into this one. These books CAN be read as stand alones, but I always recommend reading the first one. It is easy to get sucked into these because Sarah Ladd’s writing is just simply divine. 

The story does move a little slow, and the plot is very character driven. This is a good thing for these stories. This book is a good suspenseful read and I really enjoyed it a lot! One thing I love about Ladd’s writing is even though it takes a few chapters to get invested, once you do you just HAVE to finish them to see what happens. She has this way of hooking you in and making you care about her characters that you do not see in a lot of authors. 

I really cannot wait until the next book in this series comes out. I cannot wait to see whose story we get to dive into next! I want to thank the author Sarah Ladd, the Publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.
The Thief of Lanwyn Manor is ready to be added to your preorder cart today!! Order it today and be ready for that release date on January 7th!!

Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Lady Hotspur

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STRIKE FAST, LOVE HARD, LIVE FOREVER
This is the motto of the Lady Knights—sworn to fealty under a struggling kingdom, promised to defend the prospective heir, Banna Mora.
But when a fearsome rebellion overthrows the throne, Mora is faced with an agonizing choice: give up everything she’s been raised to love, and allow a king-killer to be rewarded—or retake the throne, and take up arms against the newest heir, Hal Bolingbrooke, Mora’s own childhood best friend and sworn head of the Lady Knights.
Hal loathes being a Prince; she’s much more comfortable instated on the Throne of Misrule, a raucous underground nether-court where passion rules all. She yearns to live up to the wishes of everyone she loves best—but that means sacrificing her own heart, and so she will disappoint everyone until the moment she can rise to prove those expectations wrong.
And between these two fierce Princes is the woman who will decide all their fates—Lady Hotspur Persy, the fiery and bold knight whose support will turn the tides of the coming war.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me way longer than I had anticipated to get into this book. I really expected to be drawn in from page one, but it took me several chapters to really get into the story. Once I got past the first few chapters, I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t put it down. 

I especially loved the world building the author did! It was so intricate. The magic system was sooo well thought out. You can tell the author really understood what she was trying to establish on the page. 

One thing I didn’t like was the amount of characters that were in the book. It was a lot of people to keep up with and to keep track of. It almost felt like there were too many main characters. I feel you definitely need to read the prequel before you dive into this one. It will help you get your bearings before jumping in. 

This is a very female dominant story, and those are usually my favorite. Overall, a good read! Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title. 

Lady Hotspur hits shelves on January 7th! Get yours preordered today!

Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Everafter Song

featheredfables
There’s a price on Everley Donovan’s head. Fleeing from the queen’s false accusation of murder and sorcery, the girl with the clock heart knows there’s only one way to prove her innocence. Everley must catch Killian Markham, the fugitive prince guilty of the crimes for which she’s been condemned. To do that, Everley must follow him into the towering realm of the Silver-Clouded Plain. It’s where flesh-eating Behemoths thrive, long-lost gods hide, and an artifact of destructive force awaits the death grip of the immortal prince.
Haunted by visions of burning Everwoods and bloody battlefields, Everley’s fears are rising. Because the elusive relic threatens more than the very power that drives her clock heart. In Killian’s hands, it can lead to the dismantling of the seven worlds. With everything—and everyone—Everley loves at stake, she must depend on Killian’s one weakness to outwit him: in his mad ambitions, Killian has underestimated her once again. For Everley is the Time Bearer. This is her destiny. The time of reckoning is at hand.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before I start with this review.. I want to just take a moment to discuss this BEAUTIFUL COVER ART. It is absolutely stunning! The colors and the instrument just are eye catching and ultimately made me more excited to read this than any other book this month. Just mesmerising!

I didn’t know about this series until I got this arc, so I immediately had to go read the other books. Boy…. I did not expect how these books turned out at all! The story is great, the characters are great, everything about this book is great!

This is one of those books I truly feel you find the moment you need to find it. Evie is one of the best heroines that I have ever embarked on a journey with. Emily R. King did such a fantastic job of creating her characters as well as story arc. 

This was a great ending to the Evermore Chronicles, I only wish I would have found these books sooner! Thank you so much to Emily R. King, Skyscape Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Traces of Evil

featheredfables
There’s something wicked in Burning Lake…
Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in Burning Lake, New York, an isolated town known for its dark past. Tasked with uncovering the whereabouts of nine missing transients who have disappeared over the years, Natalie wrestles with the town’s troubled history – and the scars left by her sister’s unsolved murder years ago.
Then Daisy Buckner, a beloved schoolteacher, is found dead on her kitchen floor, and a suspect immediately comes to mind. But it’s not that simple. The suspect is in a coma, collapsed only hours after the teacher’s death, and it turns out Daisy had secrets of her own. Natalie knows there is more to the case, but as the investigation deepens, even she cannot predict the far-reaching consequences – for the victim, for the missing of Burning Lake, and for herself.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is not my usual genre, but I really enjoyed it! From the very first page I was drawn in. I loved the female lead and it left me on the edge of my seat after every turn of the page. 

I really enjoyed Natalie’s character. She was super persistent! I loved her fearless attitude and how she was ready to just jump in wherever she needed to.

This book was an amazing thriller. I love how compelling the authors writing style is and how it just sucks you in. This book wasn’t slow starting at all and kept its quick pacing all the way through. This book was definitely written to be continued! This world was too well worded to be a single book!

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: We Still Live

featheredfables
Running from a scandal that ruined his life, Isaac Twain accepts a teaching position at Hambden University where, three months prior, Professor John Conlon stopped a campus nightmare by stepping in front of an active shooter.
When John and Isaac become faculty advisors for the school’s literary magazine, their professional relationship evolves. Despite the strict code of conduct forbidding faculty fraternization, they delve into a secret affair—until Simon arrives.
Isaac’s violent ex threatens not only their careers, but also John’s life. His PTSD triggered, John must come to terms with that bloody day on College Green while Isaac must accept the heartbreak his secrets have wrought.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story more than I was anticipating. I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. The characters were beautifully written. They were so realistic that I felt like I was reading about real people instead of just characters. This author has a flare for character development. 

I really fell in love with this book and I hope that there will be more in the future. The romantic tropes in this book are so realistic! They grew so naturally and organically that it just felt so real, not to mention that a big portion of this book is centered around an LGBTQIA romance!

This is one of those books you can reread over and over. It does deal with a lot of heavy topics (such as mental health and shootings) but they are so well written that it is not as triggering as some other books I have read that also tackle these topics. 

Thank you so much to Sara Dobie Bauer, Ninestar Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: The Lies We Hide

featheredfables
The truth can set you free, or make you a prisoner…
Thirty years ago, Nicola Watson lived with her parents and older brother in a respectable suburb. At ten years old, she didn’t yet understand why her stomach tightened when she heard her father’s heavy tread as he returned home late at night, or why it made her brother Graham’s stammer get worse, or why one night her mother Carol woke them both, wide-eyed and whispering, and took them out of their home and into the unknown.
Now a successful lawyer in the city, with a life poles apart from her dark beginnings, Nicola has returned home for her mother’s funeral. But as she stands in her mother’s house, remembering the woman who sacrificed everything for her children, Nicola has to confront the guilt that she feels for leaving her family behind. And the belief that she played a part in the events that led to her brother going to prison for murder.
All Carol wanted was to protect her children, but escaping her husband was only the beginning of the story. And when Nicola learns the truth of what her mother did, it will change everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a read! I could not put this book down. I binged this book cover to cover and I am pretty sure I didn’t breath the whole time. It was one of the most gripping and emotional reads I have experienced in a long time. 

The abuse and despite in this book is heart wrenching. I cried so much hoping that the mother and her children would escape this hell. This was my first book by S.E. Lynes and I really need to add them to my list of future authors to look out for. I spent so much of this book in absolute tears and terrified. 

There really should be a disclaimer on this book about the abuse. It can be really hard to get through and very very triggering. The way it is written is so raw and real it is like you experience it yourself.  

I love that the dual perspectives in this novel are past and present. It makes you see how a family really can rebuild after years of domestic abuse. 

Thank you so much to S.E. Lynes, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. It was such a suspenseful ride and I look forward to learning more about this author.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Legacy of Light

featheredfables
If only they knew us as more than accursed.
The Holy Empire hates the People of Light. Maripes, arriving in its capital, seeks to save his people from certain destruction. The Inquisition seeks theocratic justice, and it will stop at nothing to rid the world of those it considers evil.
Still, Maripes must try. For if he fails, doom will certainly befall his people. Standing in his way? The High Inquisitor, the Empress, and a million subjects all indoctrinated to believe he is evil incarnate.
Should be an easy task.
Otherwise, his son Mono, a soldier in the legions of their people, will face the fight of his life . .

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Despite the fast pace of this book, I got bored quickly. It felt a smidge repetitive, but for the first book in a new series.. It was okay. I will continue with the next book in hopes it is a bit more action packed. 

I am not saying this is a bad book. It’s not… it has serious potential. I found the world building very interesting and I think the author has created a nice base for the next books in the series to really be something special. I love how in depth the religion is explained and how much it pertains to the story. 

This is another LGBTQ friendly book and I absolutely love seeing a queer relationship without all the mess of “coming out.” It is refreshing to see it as accepted without it having to be announced.

I want to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Runemaker

featheredfables
The end is here.

Tenn thought the spirits wanted him to find his fellow Hunter, Aidan, to win the war against the undead. But with Aidan on the brink of self-destruction and Tenn reeling from his lover’s spite, their fated convergence seems far from promising.

Especially because Aidan no longer appears to be fighting for the living.

With the Dark Lady whispering commands and Tom‡s guiding his hand, Aidan slips deeper into darkness. And while the world rallies for its final battle against the Dark Lady’s minions, Tenn finds himself torn between saving the boy who’s slipping away and fulfilling a prophecy he can’t understand—one that will require him to harness the most powerful magic the world has ever seen: the Sphere of Maya.

And depending on who unleashes its power, that magic could either save humanity…or erase it.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

This book was good, but it wasn’t a book that could really hold my attention. I found myself getting distracted easily and it took me wayyyy longer than usual to finish. The writing style seemed kind of slow.. I almost would figure out what would happen prior to it actually happening in the story. 

I love the idea of this story. It has a great story line, but I do not think it was executed as well as it could have been. I get frustrated with the “chosen one” kind of books. So the fact that this one was more “deciding to take action” really had me hopeful. 

I think I might have just been too old to enjoy this book. It definitely was not targeted towards people my age as it is a YA novel. All things considered it was a good book and I enjoyed it. 

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.


Book Review: The Camera Never Lies

featheredfables
Daniel, Kelly, and Milly appear to be the perfect family. But an old camera will expose secrets no one wants developed. 
Daniel Whitely is a successful marriage counselor and bestselling author, yet his own marriage is in crisis and his daughter is drifting further away each day. To make matters worse, the deadline for his second book has come and gone, and he still hasn’t written a single word. 
When Daniel inherits an old camera from his grandfather, he notices an inscription on the bottom: “No matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies.” 
Daniel begins using the camera, but every time he develops his photos, they threaten to reveal secrets that could sabotage both his marriage and his career—exposing him as a fraud and destroying the life he has worked so hard to build. 
He’s faced with a choice: keep his secrets and save his career or come clean and possibly save his family. Which will he choose? Which would you choose? 

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read! I really enjoyed the story line and it kept me interested. I felt it was super thought provoking and just keeps you enamored into this creative world that the author has built. 

The characters are really wonderful too. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I genuinely enjoyed it. The book itself felt very busy.. Almost too busy at times. I did find this book easily predictable. 

I am not usually one to pick up books about faith, but it was a good read. I enjoyed it. Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.


Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.

Book Review: Just Watch Me

featheredfables
A masterful thief plots an impossible crime—stealing the Iranian Crown Jewels.
 
From the author of the wildly successful Dexter series comes a new, mesmerizing bad guy we can root for: Riley Wolfe. He’s a master thief, expert at disguise, and not averse to violence when it’s needed. It’s no accident, though, that Riley targets the wealthiest 0.1 percent and is willing to kill them when they’re in his way: he despises the degenerate and immoral rich and loves stealing their undeserved and unearned valuables.
 
In this series launch, Riley aims for an extraordinary target in a heist that will make history. Riley will try to steal the Crown Jewels of Iran. Yes, these jewels are worth billions, but the true attraction for grabbing them comes down to one simple fact: it can’t be done. Stealing these jewels is absolutely impossible. The collection is guarded by space-age electronics and two teams of heavily armed mercenaries. No one could even think of getting past the airtight security and hope to get away alive, let alone with even a single diamond from the Imperial Collection.
 
No one but Riley Wolfe. He’s always liked a challenge.
 
But this challenge may be more than even he can handle. Aside from the impenetrable security, Riley is also pursued by a brilliant and relentless cop who is barely a step behind him.
 
With the aid of his sometime ally, a beautiful woman who is a master art forger, Riley Wolfe goes for the prize that will either make him a legend—or, more likely, leave him dead.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

When I had requested this book, I had no idea the author of Dexter wrote this..but about 40 pages in it just felt super familiar. I knew I had read something by this author before. After searching the authors name, I was so excited! I FLEW thought this novel in a few hours. I could not put it down at all. It was just SOOOOOOOOO GOOD. 

I don’t need to dive too much into writing style because if you have seen Dexter then you know this is absolute gold. The characters were flawed flawlessly. I cannot wait for the rest of this series. I cannot wait to see the rest of Riley’s journey. I love it so much. 

Riley is just as ruthless as Dexter. I feel this type of story and character aren’t really seen in stories today. We need more Ruthless Riley’s!!!

Thank you so much to Jeff Lindsay, Penguin Group: Dutton, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.
Cover art and synopsis taken from NetGalley.