Blog Tour Review: The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

From the Back Cover:

It’s 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time.

However, fresh starts aren’t as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn’t believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor Samuel Moore appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn’t need any more complications in her life—especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam. Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva’s new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva’s history—and her heart.

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers.

My Thoughts:

The Widow of Rose House was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint! I'm not going to go much into plot so as not to spoil anything. I'm just going to tell you how I feel about it.

First, it's hard to believe this is a debut novel. The characters are fantastically drawn. While I may not have made the same decisions Alva did, I found her to be admirable. The poor thing tried so hard not to show vulnerability and not to rely on anyone else. To watch her seize control of her life and learn to trust again was very rewarding. You can't help but root for her happily ever after. And if you don't fall in love with Professor Sam Moore, well, there's no help for you! I certainly hope his siblings (including Henry) will be getting books of their own? Please? Pretty please? The banter among the boisterous Moore family is delightful, and I love their dynamic. They need their own books. Just sayin'. But seriously, Sam's a genius from a family of geniuses, and he's also a big old sweet potato. I love the way he thinks and the way he observes everything, including Alva, and how he can't help but want to find solutions to problems, often to humorous effect. But the story does have several very serious and tragic aspects, and it's all balanced together really well, hitting all the right notes in all the right places.

I'm very tempted to give this five stars just for the feels alone. My only real complaints are that it's a little wordy (and I found myself skimming a page here and there), and I do feel the ghost story could have been a bit more developed and played a larger role in the story. While it is the mechanism that brings Alva and Sam together, it's far into the book before they really start making any progress. The spook factor is rather tame, though surprisingly unpredictable. But when the meaning of the house's name and its purpose were revealed at the end, I shed a tear. I'm bumping it up a notch just because of my reading experience, alternating from having a goofy grin on my face to crying to needing a cold shower.

Blog Tour Review: To Catch a Rogue by Bec McMaster

From the Back Cover:

An impossible heist. A thief and a rogue. But will she steal his heart, instead?

The Company of Rogues finally knows the identity of the mastermind behind a plot against the queen—but their enemy is still one step ahead of them. When he kidnaps one of theirs, the Rogues plan a daring rescue mission that will lead them into the heart of the bloodthirsty Crimson Court.

It’s a job for a master thief, and there’s nothing Charlie Todd likes more than a challenge. To pull off the impossible, Charlie needs a crew, including the only thief who’s ever been able to outfox him.

He broke her heart. But now she must risk it all to save his life…

Lark’s spent years trying to forget her past, but the one thing she can’t ignore is the way a single smile from Charlie still sets her heart on fire. When he proposes they work together again, it feels just like old times, but she has one rule: this is strictly business.

It’s Charlie’s last chance to prove he can be trusted with her heart. But Lark’s keeping a deadly secret. And as passions are stirred and the stakes mount, it might be the kind of secret that could destroy them all…

Ocean’s 11 meets Dracula, in this sexy paranormal heist by USA Today Bestselling Author, Bec McMaster. If you like sexy paranormal romances, steampunk shenanigans, and plenty of action-adventure (vampires, dirigible flights, and steamy rooftop chases), then dive into this thrilling heist with Charlie and Lark.

My Thoughts:

So . . . that happened! I've been waiting for Charlie and Lark's story for years--YEARS! And it did not disappoint.

It's hard to review books in a series without spoiling the experience for new readers, and this is a series that you need to start from the beginning. It's one of my favorite things about Bec McMasters' series. Each book focuses on a particular couple, but there is a larger story arc running throughout all of the books, and many of the characters from previous books play integral roles. So if you don't start at the beginning, you don't get the full experience. And they're so good. Seriously, go get Kiss of Steel and binge away.

So in the interest of avoiding spoilers, I'll keep this short and sweet. Charlie and Lark both featured prominently as teenagers in the London Steampunk series as blue bloods, verwulfen, mechs, and humans teamed up to topple the Prince Consort's abusive reign of terror. They succeeded, but that doesn't mean everybody is happy with the new world order, and this spin-off series follows the Company of Rogues as they seek to destroy a shadowy enemy determined to wreak havoc on the tenuous peace that followed the revolution. In the previous book, You Only Love Twice, the identity of that villain was finally revealed, and the Duke of Malloryn, leader of the Company of Rogues, was kidnapped. Now the Rogues are heading to the Crimson Court in Russia to get him back.

Charlie and Lark have a complicated history, but when Charlie asks for Lark's help on the mission, she can't say no. As the pair work together to find the duke, they are reminded of how close they used to be but also of the tragedy that tore them apart. And they're both a little older and can't help but notice the changes in each other. Charlie is clear from the start that he misses his best friend and that he now believes they are destined to be more than friends, but Lark is holding back. She's hiding a big secret, and, unbeknownst to the rest of the Rogues, Russia is the most dangerous place for her to be. But Charlie needs her, and she's not going to let him get hurt, nor is he going to let her push him away this time. And as the Rogues are drawn into one trap after another, every day lessening their chance of finding the duke and getting out alive, Lark will have to decide how much she's willing to risk to save the man she loves.

Jenny Q's Best Books of 2017

Happy New Year, my reading friends! Err, wait...

Happy the Year is Half Over and I'm Just Now Posting My Best of 2017 List!

Better late than never, right?

2017 was one of my worst reading years, not only because I had far less time to read (only finishing 68 books out of my goal of 100, which was even less than 2016), but also in terms of the lack of books that blew me away. My average rating was 3.6. Only five books scored 4.5 or 5 stars. And I DNFed thirteen books, which I did not rate, nor did I count toward my reading goal.

Though this list is not as full as previous years, I did manage to find favorites in each category, and here they are with honorable mentions, in no particular order: (Click the pics for my reviews.)

Historical Fiction:

     

Honorable Mention: 

Review: The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen

From the Back Cover:

Three generations of Irish nobles face their family secrets in this spellbinding novel from the award-winning author of the Boleyn King trilogy.

The Gallagher family has called Deeprath Castle home for seven hundred years. Nestled in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland, the estate is now slated to become a public trust, and book lover and scholar Carragh Ryan is hired to take inventory of its historic library. But after meeting Aidan, the current Viscount Gallagher, and his enigmatic family, Carragh knows that her task will be more challenging than she’d thought.

Two decades before, Aidan’s parents died violently at Deeprath. The case, which was never closed, has recently been taken up by a new detective determined to find the truth. The couple’s unusual deaths harken back a century, when twenty-three-year-old Lady Jenny Gallagher also died at Deeprath under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind an infant son and her husband, a renowned writer who never published again. These incidents only fueled fantastical theories about the Darkling Bride, a local legend of a sultry and dangerous woman from long ago whose wrath continues to haunt the castle.

The past catches up to the present, and odd clues in the house soon have Carragh wondering if there are unseen forces stalking the Gallagher family. As secrets emerge from the shadows and Carragh gets closer to answers—and to Aidan—could she be the Darkling Bride’s next victim? 

My Thoughts:

I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw the description. A haunted castle? Irish folklore? A giant library? A dark and brooding viscount? Yes, please!

When Carragh Ryan interviews for a job inventorying an ancient family library, she has no idea what lies before her. From the snooty matriarch, Nessa, to the frosty heir, Aiden, and his bitter sister, Kyla, the Gallagher family seems anything but welcoming. Carragh determines to enjoy her time in the magnificent stained-glass window-lined library, get the job done, and get out. But the re-opening of the investigation into the murder of Aiden's parents two decades earlier stirs up family secrets and appears to provoke the Darkling Bride. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn of the legend of the Darkling Bride, the tragic tale of Jenny Gallagher and Evan Chase, and the details of the fateful summer leading up to Lily and Cillian Gallagher's deaths. When unexplained happenings begin occurring in the castle, and Carragh finds herself at the mercy of two spirits--one that seems to want to help her solve the mystery of what happened to Aiden's parents and one that seems to want her gone--Carragh determines to find the clues she is sure are hidden in the library. But as she gets closer to the truth, someone--or something--will stop at nothing to keep the truth from coming to light.

This book and I got off to a rocky start. After seeing so many good reviews for the author's Tudor series, the contemporary romance style of writing was not what I was expecting, nor were the characters. But the mystery of the Darkling Bride and the castle's murders soon had me hooked. Then I was thrown again by the numerous points of view that kept popping up and the fact that we had three timelines to keep track of. But I soon saw how these could all work together. But then I was thrown again by a plot twist. I got to the point where I wondered how much more the author was going to throw into this story and how it could possibly be satisfying beneath the weight of so many elements. But it worked . . . mostly.

Blog Tour Review: The Innkeeper's Sister by Linda Goodnight

From the Back Cover:

Welcome to Honey Ridge, Tennessee, where Southern hospitality and sweet peach tea beckon, and where long-buried secrets lead to some startling realizations

Grayson Blake always has a purpose and never a moment to lose. He's come home to Honey Ridge to convert a historic gristmill into a restaurant, but his plans crumble like Tennessee clay when the excavation of a skeleton unearths a Civil War mystery and leads him back to a beautiful and familiar stranger.

Once a ballet dancer, now co-owner of the Peach Orchard Inn, Valery Carter harbors pain as deep as the secrets buried beneath the mill. A bright facade can't erase her regrets any more than a glass of bourbon can restore what she's lost. But spending time with Grayson offers Valery a chance to let go of her past and imagine a happier future. And with the discovery of hidden messages in aged sheet music, both their hearts begin to open. Bound by attraction, and compelled to resolve an old crime that links the inn and the mill, Grayson and Valery encounter a song of hurt, truth, and hope. 

My Thoughts:

The Honey Ridge trilogy revolves around an old Tennessee farmhouse that has been converted into an inn and two families that have inhabited it: the Portlands in the nineteenth century and the Carters in the present day. Each book is presented in dual timeline format. The Portlands are presented during and after the Civil War, when the house was used as a Union hospital, and then as the South tried to put itself back together only to fall on hard times again with the crash of 1873. The Carters are a family still reeling from the disappearance of Julia's son, Mikey, from divorce, and from another dark secret that Valery, Julia's sister, has been holding close for many years. Each family copes with similar events--tragedy, hardship, relationship drama--and while their stories don't mirror each other completely, there are enough similarities and lasting consequences to form a connection. However, the Carters have a little help in dealing with their troubles since the spirits of the Portlands still inhabit the Peach Orchard Inn. They are friendly spirits whose calming influence helps ease heavy hearts and whose little nudges help the Carters piece together the history of the inn and find true love.

This final book focuses on Valery, the youngest Carter sister. Over the years she has earned a reputation as a party girl. She struggles with inner demons that drive her to drink away her pain, though in the process she ends up letting herself and her family down. When a boy from her youth returns to Honey Ridge, all grown up and ready to renovate the old gristmill across the road into a fancy restaurant, Valery discovers that there are still good men in the world, and though Grayson Blake is her polar opposite, she's never wanted to be so worthy of someone. Grayson had a crush on Valery as a teenager, but an illness robbed him of his youthful innocence and put him on the path of strictly regimented projects and timelines, both in business and in his personal life. But Valery turns his carefully constructed world upside down, and he finds himself wanting to live a little, to let go a little, and wonder if the future has something far different in mind for him than he'd imagined--if only Valery would open up to him and let him help her.

When excavation at the mill uncovers a skeleton dating to the Civil War, while at the same time Grayson discovers secret codes in sheet music composed by Patience Portland, one of the inn's earlier inhabitants, a mystery ensues, one that Valery and Grayson enjoy solving together with the help of a mysterious old man who seems to know much more than should be humanly possible. Back in 1875, Ben Portland, the new owner of the inn, is seeking to correct an old injustice, and in the process uncovers a dark family secret, one that could mean the ruination of his beloved aunt--and one that still has repercussions in the present day. As Valery realizes the similarities between her own story and that of Patience, she must come to terms with her own dark secret and find the strength to let it go if she ever wants a chance at happiness.

Review: The Mech Who Loved Me by Bec McMaster

From the Back Cover:

Ava McLaren is tired of being both a virgin and a mere laboratory assistant for the Company of Rogues. When a baffling mystery rears its head, it presents her with the opportunity to work a real case...and perhaps get a taste of the passion that eludes her.

Blue bloods are dying from a mysterious disease, which should be impossible. Ava suspects there's more to the case than meets the eye and wants a chance to prove herself. There’s just one catch—she’s ordered to partner with the sexy mech Kincaid, who's a constant thorn in her side. Kincaid thinks the only good blue blood is a dead one. He's also the very last man she would ever give her heart to…which makes him the perfect candidate for an affair.

The only rule? It ends when the case does.

But when an attempt on her life proves that Ava might be on to something, the only one who can protect her is Kincaid. Suddenly the greatest risk is not to their hearts, but whether they can survive a diabolical plot that threatens to destroy every blue blood in London—including Ava. 

My Thoughts:

I've grown a bit tired of the same old, same old in historical romance. Regencies and Highland stories just aren't doing it for me anymore, so I'm finding myself drawn to more unique settings and a little something extra, like a mystery or paranormal/supernatural elements. Bec McMaster's London Steampunk story world is one of my favorites because it features all of the above, and this latest installment, second in the Blue Blood Conspiracy spinoff series, does not disappoint.

What I love about this series is that there is a well-developed and complex plot running throughout, and though the love story is central to each book, the overall series arc and each couple's role in it is a fantastic backdrop. With each book, more puzzle pieces fall into place while tantalizing possibilities for future stories and the series conclusion pop up. But that also makes it hard to recap plots for these books without giving away spoilers from previous books, so forgive me if I seem a little vague.

The Mech Who Loved Me picks up right where Mission Improper left off. The Company of Rogues solved one case only to discover it's but a piece of a much larger conspiracy, one that endangers everyone in London. Three years after the revolution that toppled the Echelon that ruled the lower classes of humans, mechs, and verwulfen with an iron thumb, someone is fomenting rebellion again, and the fragile peace that thousands lived and died for is in danger of shattering. Add to that the discovery of a deadly new virus that kills the unkillable--blue bloods--a virus that could wipe out an entire species if it falls into the wrong hands, and the stakes have never been higher for the Rogues. Anxious to prove herself, Ava McLaren is thrilled when she is assigned to study the virus and track down its origins, but in order to do so she has to put up with bodyguard Liam Kincaid, the gruff mech who has never disguised his dislike of Ava's kind. But as the two work together and stumble upon one deadly discovery after another, the attraction that simmers between them boils over. And besides, what's a little fun on the side going to hurt? But as their investigation grows more dangerous, they suddenly find themselves in danger of losing much more than their hearts.

Review: The Sinner by Amanda Stevens

From the Back Cover:

I am a living ghost, a wanderer in search of my purpose and place…

I'm a cemetery restorer by trade, but my calling has evolved from that of ghost seer to death walker to detective of lost souls. I solve the riddles of the dead so the dead will leave me alone.

I've come to Seven Gates Cemetery nursing a broken heart, but peace is hard to come by…for the ghosts here and for me. When the body of a young woman is discovered in a caged grave, I know that I've been summoned for a reason. Only I can unmask her killer. I want to trust the detective assigned to the case for he is a ghost seer like me. But how can I put my faith in anyone when supernatural forces are manipulating my every thought? When reality is ever-changing? And when the one person I thought I could trust above all others has turned into a diabolical stranger?

My Thoughts:

She's baaack!

If you read my review of the previous book in this series, you know I was a little disappointed in it, especially after such a long hiatus between books. It was with trepidation that I went into this one, hoping for a return to the level of excellence set by the first three books. I am so happy to say that Amanda Stevens is back on top of her game! It's hard to review a mystery, let alone the fifth book in a series, without giving things away for those who have yet to discover the deliciousness that is the Graveyard Queen series, so my review will be brief and limited to my overall thoughts rather than a detailed plot recap.

While restoring another South Carolina cemetery, this one in a small, off-the-beaten path location, Amelia discovers a ring of caged graves outside hallowed ground, and there's a fresh body in one of them. When the ghost of the murdered young woman begins to haunt her, Amelia has no choice but to figure out who killed her and why if she ever wants any peace. And this brings a new man into Amelia's life, the sexy and mysterious investigator Lucien Kendrick, who seems to have a mystical connection to Amelia. Is he hiding the same secret she is, the ability to commune with spirits? Add to that the gruesome history of the house she's renting for the summer, mistrustful locals, and a horrifying darkness worse than any spirit Amelia has ever encountered before, not to mention that she's starting to have difficulty determining what's all in her head and what's real, who is manipulating her and who can she trust, and Amelia is in for one hell of a summer.

Plus Amelia is still missing John Devlin, whom she hasn't been with in over a year . . . or has she? She gets an emotional punch in the gut where he is concerned that I felt right along with Amelia. There are a lot of little clues dropped about Devlin here that I did not see coming, and if my suspicions are proved correct in the next book, I am going to be one happy camper, giving mad props to Amanda Stevens. But if they are not, I'm going to be one sad camper. Amelia deserves some happiness.

I could not put this down for the last quarter of the book. I don't know where Amanda Stevens finds all of this stuff, but it is fascinating. Caged graves, witch doctors, a cult devoted to resurrection, a secret society devoted to stamping out the supernatural, and all of it taking place amid the old world charm and haunting, Gothic beauty of the Low Country. I don't do horror, but Amanda Stevens manages to craft spine-tingling, macabre thrillers without the gore, and I just can't get enough of them. But alas, the next book is the final book in the series. And it is with a heavy yet hopeful heart that I am about to embark on the last chapter in Amelia Gray's story.

My Rating:  4.5 Stars out of 5

*Please Note: This review references an advance digital copy received from the publisher via NetGalley, and therefore the final published copy may differ. Though I received this book from the publisher, my review is voluntary and these are my honest and unbiased thoughts. I was not compensated in any other way for reviewing this book.

Review: The Visitor by Amanda Stevens

From the Back Cover:

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm the Graveyard Queen.

Restoring lost and abandoned cemeteries is my profession, but I'm starting to believe that my true calling is deciphering the riddles of the dead. Legend has it that Kroll Cemetery is a puzzle no one has ever been able to solve. For over half a century, the answer has remained hidden within the strange headstone inscriptions and intricate engravings. Because uncovering the mystery of that tiny, remote graveyard may come at a terrible price.

Years after their mass death, Ezra Kroll's disciples lie unquiet, their tormented souls trapped within the walls of Kroll Cemetery, waiting to be released by someone strong and clever enough to solve the puzzle. For whatever reason, I'm being summoned to that graveyard by both the living and the dead. Every lead I follow, every clue I unravel brings me closer to an unlikely killer and to a destiny that will threaten my sanity and a future with my love, John Devlin.

My Thoughts:

I am such a fan of the first three book in this series for several reasons: I love Charleston. It's my favorite city in the US. I love old cemeteries, and whenever I visit Charleston or any other old town on the East Coast, you bet I'm going to spend some time exploring their cemeteries. And finally, I love me some Southern Gothic. Add a smart heroine, a brooding hero, some sexy times, some history, and lots of spooky chills, and it all adds up to reading perfection for me. It's hard to review books in a series without revealing spoilers from earlier books, and it's doubly hard to review a mystery without accidentally revealing a little nugget a reader would have rather found on their own, so I'm going to skip the plot recap and just tell you how I felt about this book: I waited three long years for this fourth installment, and while I wish I could say it was well worth the wait, I did not find it as satisfying as earlier books.

While I have loved the undeniable chemistry between Amelia and John Devlin in previous books, I thought this one focused too much on Amelia's insecurities where Devlin is concerned. Now that they are finally a couple, I began to notice little things that bothered me, not the least of which is Devlin's refusal to acknowledge Amelia's true nature in spite of everything that's happened (FYI: she sees dead people), and they don't seem to have much in common outside of the bedroom. All of this leads up to what happens at the end of the book (and if you haven't read this book yet, don't read the blurb for book five, which includes a spoiler), so it definitely serves a purpose, but I found her inner worries to be repetitive, and they also made her look a little weaker in my eyes.

Another thing that contributed to my lower rating of this installment is that Amelia doesn't even get to a cemetery until halfway through the book. The pace was incredibly slow. Who would have thought it would take me two weeks to finish this book when I devoured the others in two days. And lastly, this book should have been published sooner. Three years is really too long to go between books in a series with an ongoing plot. I'm very glad that it reminded me of so much I'd forgotten, but I'd imagine those reading it right on the heels of The Prophet might be annoyed at the backstory info dumps. However, book five is already out, and book six releases next month, so we don't have to wait any longer to see where this thing is going.

Jenny Q's Best Books of 2016

Happy New Year, my reading friends!

It's time for my annual list of the best books I read last year.

2016 could probably be called The Year of Books That Disappointed Me. This was one of my worst reading years, not only because I had far less time to read (only finishing 74 books out of my goal of 100), but also in terms of the lack of books that blew me away. My average rating was 3.6. Several sequels and final books in series I adored did not live up to my expectations, and the overwhelming majority of the books I took on for review ended up as 3-star reads. Not to mention all the books I DNFed, which I did not rate, nor did I count toward my reading goal.

Only eight books scored 4.5 or 5 stars for me last year, and here they are with  five 4-star honorable mentions and one indie standout, in no particular order:

(Click the pics for my reviews.)

Historical Fiction:

     

Honorable Mentions:

     

Review: Mission: Improper by Bec McMaster

From the Back Cover:

Three years ago, London society changed forever, with a revolution placing the widowed Queen firmly on the throne her blue blood husband tried to take from her. Humans, verwulfen and mechs are no longer considered the lesser classes, but not everybody is happy with the new order…

Entire families have gone missing in the East End. When Caleb Byrnes receives an invitation to join the Company of Rogues as an undercover agent pledged to protect the crown, he jumps at the chance to find out who, or what, is behind the disappearances. Hunting criminals is what the darkly driven blue blood does best, and though he prefers to work alone, the opportunity is too good to resist.

The problem? He’s partnered with Ingrid Miller, the fiery and passionate verwulfen woman who won a private bet against him a year ago. Byrnes has a score to settle, but one stolen kiss and suddenly the killer is not the only thing Byrnes is interested in hunting.

Soon they’re chasing whispered rumors of a secret project gone wrong, and a monster that just might be more dangerous than either of them combined. The only way to find out more is to go undercover among the blue blood elite… But when their hunt uncovers a mysterious conspiracy, Byrnes and Ingrid must set aside their age-old rivalry if they have any chance at surviving a treacherous plot. 

My Thoughts:

As a huge fan of Bec McMaster's London Steampunk series, I was sorry to see it come to an end, especially since I felt a certain pair of characters had not yet had their story told (I'm looking at you, Charlie and Lark), and the story world was so rich with opportunities for more novels. My prayers were answered when Mission: Improper was announced, the first book in a spin-off series set in the same world with new leading characters and featuring appearances from some of our favorite characters from the previous series!

Mission: Improper begins with Nighthawk Caleb Byrnes--a member of the supernatural police force-- receiving a summons to a mysterious meeting. He arrives to find that himself, three other blue bloods (including Charlie Todd, yay!), a mech, and the only woman to truly ever get under his skin, Ingrid Miller, a verwulfen, have been carefully selected by the Duke of Malloryn to investigate a series of murders and disappearances that seem to be designed to incite a riot. It's been three years since the revolution that took down the blue blood elite and placed all supernaturals on equal footing, but a shadowy group has emerged that is bent on bringing down the new order and returning to the old ways. If that wasn't already enough, there are vampires on the loose, controlled by a new and deadly creature the likes of which none of them have encountered before. Begrudgingly partnered together, Caleb and Ingrid will have to use all of their skills to unearth the players in this new game, uncovering a conspiracy far more ambitious and deep-rooted than first suspected, while fighting an intense attraction to each other as they race the clock to stop a group of madmen from destroying the world as they know it.

Blog Tour Guest Post: Aphrodite's Choice by Christy English

Please join me in welcoming author Christy English to Let Them Read Books! Christy is touring the blogosphere with her brand new release, Aphrodite's Choice, first in the Goddess Diaries series, and I can't wait to read it! I'm thrilled to have Christy here today with an insightful guest post about her vision of Aphrodite and delving into the mind of a goddess. Read on and enter to win an ebook of Aphrodite's Choice!

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, still walks the modern world. No longer thronged by worshipers, Aphrodite heals the bodies and souls of the men she touches, one man, one night, at a time. But not everyone thinks of her as a long-dead myth. Someone is stalking her. The men who have hunted her kind as witches for centuries have passed their hatred on to their sons.

As she flees her enemies and tries to warn her sisters of the danger facing them once again, Aphrodite is followed by one of the members of the Brotherhood, a man who has been given the task of killing her, and any of her sisters who cross his path. But it does not take her long to discover that Steven Wharton is not a murderer, and his soul is one she has known before.

In this paranormal romance, a goddess’s past is brought to life, from the Greek city of Corinth to the shores of the island of Cyprus, at the court of Versailles to the burning city of Persepolis. But it is not until she meets Steve that Aphrodite falls in love for the first time. As she faces an ancient enemy, Aphrodite discovers that the love she feels, not the love she gives, is the root of her soul. And that love might even be the path to her freedom…

What Does a Goddess Want?

By Christy English

What does a goddess want? This was one of the questions I had to ask myself as I began writing my paranormal thriller, APHRODITE’S CHOICE. Why would a goddess come down to earth and deal with humans at all? Why would a powerful, immortal being risk her life over and over again for millennia to serve humanity?

As the book opens, we find Aphrodite living in modern Boston, calling herself Addy, working as a philanthropist by day. By night, she roams the bars and galleries of Boston, choosing a man to heal through sexual congress. It sounds sexy, right? But for Addy, a conduit of Divine Grace, sex is simply the modality in which she works, in which she gains the consent of the human she’s with, in order to open the door to healing from the Great Mother.  Once a man lies down with her to make love, he is healed of old wounds and the scars on his soul, waking in the morning with no memory of the goddess who spent time in his bed.

Of course, nothing is ever so simple, not even for a goddess, and Addy finds herself hunted by an old enemy once again before we even reach page fifty.

So our goddess wants to bring healing, but what does she want for herself?

Book Blast: Lakota Honor & Blood Curse by Kat Flannery

Lakota Honor (Branded Trilogy, Book 1) by Kat Flannery

Publication Date: May 26, 2013

Publisher: Imajin Books

eBook & Paperback; 182 Pages

Genre: Historical Romance/Paranormal/Western

Fate has brought them together, but will a promise tear them apart?

In the small town of Willow Creek, Colorado, Nora Rushton spends most of her days locked up in her home with a father who resents her and fighting off unwanted marriage proposals from the wealthy Elwood Calhoun. Marked as a witch, Nora must hide her healing powers from those who wish to destroy all the witkowin—crazy women. What she doesn't know is that a bounty hunter is hot on her trail.

Lakota native Otakatay has an obligation to fulfill. He has been hired to kill the witkowin. In a time when race and difference are a threat and innocence holds no ground, courage, love and honor will bring Nora and Otakatay together as they fight for their freedom. Will the desire to fulfill his promise drive Otakatay to kill Nora? Or will the kindness he sees in her blue eyes push him to be the man he once was?

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Review: Forevermore by Kristen Callihan

From the Back Cover:

Miss Layla Starling, the young, beautiful, and extremely wealthy heiress, is the talk of London. Until now, she's managed to evade the marriage noose. Despite the fact that she is unfortunately American, she's received a staggering number of offers. And turned down every one. 

St. John Evernight does not want to admit the relief he feels every time he hears that she has rejected one of her suitors. Which is unfair of him. Layla deserves to be happy. But he cannot offer her happiness. He will never be normal, never be anything but a freak in her world. So St. John resolves to keep his distance, until he is recruited by the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals to guard Layla. For she is in grave danger, and he is about to learn the full extent of his powers.

My Thoughts:

I have been a big fan of this series from the very beginning, and while I am sad to see it come to an end, Forevermore is one heck of a satisfying conclusion. It's hard to review the final book in a series without revealing what happened in previous books, or without confusing someone unfamiliar with the series, but if you're reading this review, I have to assume you've at least read some of them already, so here goes!

St. John Evernight, or Sin, as he's known to his friends, has been a familiar, if rather mysterious, figure throughout the series, and as the youngest member of the elemental family we've come to know and love, it seems only natural that the series would come to an end with him, and that he is poised to be the future of the SOS--the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals. A lot was revealed about Sin in book six, Soulbound, and you really do need to read that first to understand the demons Sin wrestles with. Layla, on the other hand, is a completely new addition to the series, unlike all of the other characters from previous books. She doesn't even know supernaturals or the SOS exist when the story begins. I wasn't sure how I felt about this at first, but it is soon revealed that she has very deep connections to the SOS, and she is, in fact, the one being who will determine their future. I won't spoil it, but I will say that her origins and her destiny make absolutely perfect, brilliant sense.

Sin and Layla were best friends as children on neighboring estates until Layla's guardian, Augustus, also known as the Father of the SOS, and also as a little thing called Divine Judgment, takes her away. Shortly thereafter, Sin meets the awful faerie queen, Mab, and his life becomes a living hell. But always thoughts of sweet, innocent Layla, living a comfortable and, most importantly, very safe life keep him going. Until she shows up in London, the toast of the Season. Sin watches her from afar, desperate to be with her but unwilling to let her see the person he's become. He's content just to be in her orbit again . . . until Augustus makes Sin an offer he can't refuse. Protect Layla from Damnation and save the world in the process.

Review: How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

From the Back Cover:

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials.

Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history is about to repeat itself.

My Thoughts:

I was instantly intrigued by the description of How to Hang a Witch, tying the past to the present through the Salem Witch Trials, and when I realized the author is a descendant of Cotton Mather, I had to read it.

Samantha Mather is newly arrived in Salem after her stepmother was forced to sell their NYC apartment to pay her father's extensive medical bills. He has been in a coma for months, and Sam and Vivian have moved into his childhood home, a huge old house with secret rooms, now vacant after the death of a grandmother Sam never had the chance to meet. It's a big change for Sam, and things quickly go from bad to worse when she starts school and discovers that her last name makes her a pariah. Cotton Mather played an integral role in fanning the hysteria that gripped the Puritan community in the 1690s, and no one in Salem has forgotten it.

The Descendants, an elite group of kids descended from the townspeople executed during the witch trials, rule the school, and Cotton Mather's newly arrived descendant is now public enemy number one. The one bright spot is the cute boy next door, Jaxon, whose mother was best friends with Sam's dad in childhood. Jaxon tries to smooth things over for her at school, but the Descendants are determined to pin the strange things that have started happening in Salem since Sam's arrival on Sam. And when people start dying, Sam starts having visions, and the Descendants seem to know things about Sam they couldn't possibly know, she begins to wonder whether Jaxon really is on her side, or if he's part of history repeating itself.

Review: The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

From the Back Cover:

Helen must make a choice: Save her reputation, or save the world.

London, 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation at the royal court of George III. Her life should revolve around gowns, dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family’s maids disappears, she is drawn into the shadows of Regency London.

There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few able to stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons that has infiltrated all levels of society. Carlston is not a man she should be anywhere near, especially with the taint of scandal that surrounds him. Yet he offers her help and the possibility of finally discovering the truth about the mysterious deaths of her parents.

Soon the two of them are investigating a terrifying conspiracy that threatens to plunge the newly Enlightened world back into darkness. But can Helen trust a man whose own life is built on lies? And does she have the strength to face the dangers of this hidden world and her family’s legacy?

My Thoughts:

I love historical fiction, paranormal romance, and YA, so when all three come together in one book, I'm all in, and I jumped at the chance to review The Dark Days Club.

But alas, it was not all I'd hoped it would be. It has a great premise and a strong heroine, but the pace is so slow, and the story gets bogged down by too much description, including entire scenes about shopping and other social activities that didn't impact the plot. If the book had been shortened by a hundred pages and some of those extraneous scenes replaced with ones that deepened some secondary characterization and advanced the plot quicker, this could have been awesome.

Lady Helen's character is the only one that is fully fleshed out, and I think readers will find much to admire in her bravery and in the decisions she grapples with, but not enough is revealed about Lord Carlston for me to really get in his corner. I love a dark and brooding hero, especially one who is the misunderstood subject of rumor and public disapproval, but he remains as aloof and mysterious at the end as he was at the beginning, and I needed to see a little more emotion from him to feel that Helen wasn't wasting her time thinking about him.

I give the story big props for smoothly incorporating the history of the time, including the assassination of the prime minister and the Luddite riots, and the author doesn't shy away from depicting the inequalities between men and women of the time, which apply to even the wealthy and highborn. But overall, the story just didn't grab me enough to overlook its problems, and I'm not sure that I'll be continuing on with the series.

My Rating:  3 Stars out of 5

*Please Note: This review references an advance copy received from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. These are my honest and unbiased opinions, and I was not compensated in any other way for reviewing this book.

Spotlight: The Children of Ankh Series by Kim Cormack

What if....
The things that go bump in the night that you thought were simply a figment of your wild imagination are in fact very real. 
Would you live your life differently if you knew that you were going to be corrected.....
Erased from this world sometime around your sixteenth birthday.
You and your twin sister were never meant to be born....
There will be no place to run....
No place to hide....
You won't even know they're coming.
Do you have what it takes to survive your Correction?
Do you have what it takes to leave your humanity behind?
If your answer is yes, then hold on tight...
It’s going to be one hell of a ride!

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As her vision flickered one last time, the man was gone. It was her mother looking into her eyes.
Her mother's eyes were filled with so much love that it seemed to release her from her pain and fear as it had when she was a small child. Her mother cradled her as a baby, rocking her back and forth. She was safe now in her mother's arms. She was at peace. Mommy, her heart sang, you're here to save me.

The warmth of her mother's love enveloped her tortured soul. She looked into her mother's eyes. She touched Kayn's face and started to sing a song that she had sung to her every night when she was very small.

Sleep, sweet sleep till the morning
Just dream away and close your eyes
My love you'll be safe until the morning
Sleeping in my heart, all through the night
Although bad dreams come to scare you
My love will scare them all away
My heart

The lights flickered, the pain went away, and her mother was holding her, singing "Sleep, sweet sleep."

Review: Of Silk and Steam by Bec McMaster

From the Back Cover:

Enemies. Allies. Lovers.

When her beloved father was assassinated, Lady Aramina swore revenge. The man responsible is well beyond her grasp, but his dangerously seductive heir, Leo Barrons, is fair game. When Mina obtains evidence proving that Leo is illegitimate, she has the means to destroy both the killer and his son, a man who troubles her heart and tempts her body.

A woman of mystery, Mina's long driven Leo crazy with glimpses of a fiery passion that lurks beneath her icy veneer. He knows she's hiding something, and he's determined to unravel her layer by silken layer. He just doesn't expect the beautiful liar to be the key to overthrowing the corrupt prince consort… or to saving his own carefully walled-off heart.

My Thoughts:

I love this series! And if you're a fan of smart, exciting, sexy historical romance with complex characters and a paranormal twist, you will too! Books one and two are fantastic, and there's a novella in between that's also great, books three and four are good--though the romance and excitement don't quite live up to the bar set by the first two, in my opinion--but this book, book number five, Of Silk and Steam, brings the series right back up to top-notch reading pleasure.

Bec McMaster has created a fantastic story world set in an alternate version of Victorian England where steam and clockwork are advancing technology and aristocratic blue bloods (pre-vampires) lord over the lower classes of humans and verwulfen, and the Echelon, the council of dukes, led by the wicked Prince Consort, rules over them all. But humans are tired of being used and abused by the blue bloods, and as unrest grows not only among the lower classes but among the upper class as well, the discontented are organizing. The humanist movement has formed and has been strategically taking shots at the Echelon wherever they can, and the moment they've been preparing for is finally upon them thanks to an unlikely pair of catalysts.

Spotlight: Haunted by Lynn Carthage

Publication Date: February 24, 2015

Kensington Books

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Pages: 288

Series: Book One, The Arnaud Legacy

Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Irving has traded life in San Francisco for her stepfather’s ancestral mansion in rural England. It’s supposed to be the new start her family needs. But from the moment she crosses the threshold into the ancient estate, Phoebe senses something ominous. Then again, she’s a little sensitive lately—not surprising when her parents are oblivious to her, her old life is six thousand miles away, and the only guy around is completely gorgeous but giving her mixed messages.

But at least Miles doesn’t laugh at Phoebe’s growing fears. And she can trust him…maybe. The locals whisper about the manor’s infamous original owner, Madame Arnaud, and tell grim stories of missing children and vengeful spirits. Phoebe is determined to protect her loved ones—especially her little sister, Tabby. But even amidst the manor’s dark shadows, the deepest mysteries may involve Phoebe herself...

Praise for Haunted

"If you like American Horror Story, you will love Lynn Carthage's Haunted. Carthage delivers a spooky, fun trip across the pond. Loved!" -Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die

"Lynn Carthage has crafted a remarkable neo-Gothic thriller with a twist you'll never see coming." -Michelle Gagnon, author of Don't Look Now

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Spotlight: The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose

Please join M.J. Rose as she tours with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for The Witch of Painted Sorrows, from February 16-April 30.

Publication Date: March 17, 2015
Publisher: Atria Books
Formats: Hardcover, Ebook
Pages: 384
Genre: Historical Mystery



READ AN EXCERPT.

Possession. Power. Passion. International bestselling novelist M.J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this erotic, gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris. Sandrine Salome runs away to her grandmother’s Parisian mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insits it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires. Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten – her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse. This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love and witchery.

Praise for the novels of M.J. Rose

The Witch of Painted Sorrows

“Rose's new series offers her specialty, a unique and captivating supernatural angle, set in an intriguing belle epoque Paris—a perfect match for the author's lush descriptions, intricate plot and mesmerizing storytelling. A cliffhanger ending will leave readers hungry for the next volume. Sensual, evocative, mysterious and haunting.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“A haunting tale of possession.” (Publishers Weekly)

Spotlight: Feel by Karen-Anne Stewart

Please join Karen-Anne Stewart as she tours the blogosphere with Book Junkie Promotions for her new romance, Feel, from December 15-19, and enter to win an autographed copy of Feel plus a $15 gift card!

Publication Date: December 15, 2014 | eBook, Paperback | ISBN-10: 1502757745

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance

The one whose emotions I can't feel is the one who makes me feel the most.

I was a sensitive, at least that's what I was told by the boy who saved me from the overwhelming emotions that consumed my soul, the boy who saved me from myself when my gift became stronger. Through the years, he was my redemption, my reason to take my next breath...then, he was gone.

Jensen always told me I was strong, but I didn't believe him until I was forced to be strong on my own, and I kept breathing without him. I've taken 42 million breaths since the moment he sent me away. Now, four years later, he's standing in front of me, and I can barely breathe.

This isn't just a story about the abilities I possess; it's a story about something much stronger...the love of the man who possesses every part of me.

***Disclaimer - Feel is intended for readers 18+ due to strong language, mature scenes, and some violence.

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