Tag Archives: Paranormal

Extinguishing Shadows by Heather Beal-review

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Extinguishing Shadows by Heather Beal-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 28,2023

Vampires and Viajante have tolerated each other’s existence for centuries, but not without exceptions. When Mara was six, her Viajante family was murdered by vampires without provocation. Not only did her future change, so did she, a secret hidden even from her own people.

No longer a child, and no longer confined to Sanctuary, Mara’s headed into vampire territory in search of answers behind the attack, and to the mysterious prophesy she’s been linked to. She expected danger, and quite possibly getting her butt kicked a time or two before avenging her family. The last thing she expected: an alliance with a powerful and sexy vampire bent on making her his own.

Can Mara and her new family unravel the mystery and bring the truth to light, or will those responsible for the death of her family, and the attempts to silence her, remain forever in shadow?

Extinguishing Shadows is a paranormal fantasy that questions everything you think you might know about enemies and friends. Heather Beal spins a beautiful web of magic layered with intrigue and surprise into a breathtakingly high-stakes story that will leave you wondering, just how deep does the darkness go?

••••

REVIEW: There are trigger warnings to this book, so please read the warnings before grabbing this book.

Mara is a Viajante (an immortal traveller “gypsy” who can read minds) her bloodline hold a dark secret, which may have caused her to lose her family at a young age!
She wants answers and revenge, so sets out to find both!

Terrill Is a vampire. He’s been a warrior for his people for many years. Coming across Mara should have been a happy occasion, but when your soul is a bitter enemy, he’s torn. But fate wins out in the end, and Terrill can’t do anything but fall for his enemy! But there is a twist in that part that had me totally surprised!

It made me think of Romeo and Juliet with a little of those paranormal films thrown in for good measure (underworld I think they were called) it’s not quite a slow burn romance, (more of a medium burn) but what drew me in and had me reading the whole book in a day was the action, it’s fast paced and really well written.

On this journey Mara’s mind reading ability comes in handy, well it did until she meets Terrill…..

I liked the concept of “the soul” linking one person to another, it’s a little like “fated mates” where a predetermined person is the one who makes you complete.

The dub con (dubious consent) comes into play in this book, and although not really explained it doesn’t stop me from reading the book.

Being linked to a deadly enemy is proving to be a challenge, it’s causing her to question the link. But it’s also gaining her enemies from the vampires and her own people!

We get to see other beings in this book as well as us mere mortals (some aline themselves with vampires in the hopes of gaining power)

So if you like your vampire/paranormal stories with lots of action and a dollop of romance then grab this book. It’s full of betrayal, double dealings and a few twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting the next book.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B?

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Bad Luck Vampire (Argeneau 36) by Lynsay Sands-review

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Bad Luck Vampire (Argeneau 36) by Lynsay Sands-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 26, 2023

Alasdair MacKenzie has never once considered himself unlucky in all the centuries he’s been an immortal rogue enforcer. Not until he meets Sophie. Finding the beautiful, smart, and funny woman who is his life mate is great luck, actually. But meeting her at a wedding full of Argeneaus, not to mention his own busybody uncles determined to “help him claim his woman,” is bad luck. And the fact that Sophie is someone else’s date? Well that’s just the next level of unlucky.

From the way her gaze travels over his body like a caress to the electric zing whenever they innocently touch…he wants her for all eternity! He’ll keep his hands off Sophie until her date is over. After that all bets are off and he’ll pull out all the stops to win her. Great plan—until he gets hit by a car. And then he’s poisoned. Is his luck that bad, or is someone out to stop this immortal from claiming Sophie as his life mate?

•••••••••

REVIEW: Bad Luck Vampire begins with Sophie Ferguson realizing within a few minutes that her blind date with Carl was not going well. She knew there was no reason to continue and told him she was leaving. Carl would not take no for an answer and followed her outside. Sophie defended herself and was trying to make it to her car when she noticed Carl was no longer following her. Carl, in fact, was being “detained” by two huge men who came to her aid.

Tybo and Valerian take “care” of Carl for her, which she is immensely grateful for. What she doesn’t expect is for Tybo to ask for her number. Since they had saved her from more of Carl’s antics, she gave it to him. What she doesn’t know is that Tybo and Valerian are not quite human.

When she sees Tybo again, he invites her to be his date at an upcoming family wedding. She accepts the offer. Once they arrive at the wedding, she realizes she has never seen so many beautiful people in one place. What she doesn’t understand is her attraction to another guest, Alasdair MacKenzie. She chastises herself and tries to settle in and just enjoy the festivities. She also doesn’t understand why a certain guest, whom she just met, is suddenly, subtly, pushing her to sit by Alasdair. That certain guest is none other than Marguerite Argeneau. If you know, you know!

Once the wedding is over, Alasdair starts to court Sophie, only to have so many bad things happen to him. Talk about unlucky. However, it doesn’t take long for him to figure out that someone is either trying to kill him or he is indeed has the worst bad luck of any vampire.

Bad Luck Vampire is another great addition to the series. Sophie and Alasdair are a great couple. As always, there is a huge presence of secondary beloved characters, but it is his Scottish uncles who steal the show. They are hysterical in trying to help Alasdair “woo” his life mate. Sands has always written with humor, but this one made me laugh out loud. I can only hope one of the uncles gets a story soon. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll certainly enjoy this one. If you’ve not read the series, what are you waiting for? Well done, Lynsay Sands! Very, very well done!

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Vickie

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The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn -review

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The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn -review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 26, 2023

Cordelia Bone’s meticulously crafted life and career in Dallas are crashing down around her thanks to a philandering husband with criminal debts. When her older, carefree sister, Eustace—a cannabis grower in Boulder—calls to inform her that the great aunt they never met has died and they must travel to a small town in Connecticut to deal with the estate, she sees an opportunity to unload the house and save herself.

But once there, the sisters learn they are getting much more than they bargained for. The Victorian mansion they stand to inherit is bound in a dynasty trust controlled by their late aunt’s aging attorney, who insists they retain and inhabit the house but keeps them in the dark about the peculiar rituals of their ancestors. Not to mention a sexy, tattooed groundskeeper with a shrouded past who refuses to leave the carriage house and a crypt full of dead relatives looming at the property line.

As both women grapple with their current predicament, they come face to face with a haunting family secret, the truth of what happened to their mother, and the enemy that’s been stalking them from the shadows for generations. In a twisting torrent of terror and blood, the sisters must uncover the power within them to heal their fractured relationship, reverse their mysteriously declining health, and claim the lineage they wanted to escape but now must embrace if they are to survive at Bone Hill.

•••••

REVIEW:THE WITCHES OF BONES HILL by Ava Morgyn is a contemporary, adult, paranormal, murder/mystery thriller focusing on the Bone sisters Cordelia and Eustace.

Told from omniscient third person (Cordelia) THE WITCHES OF BONE HILL follow sisters Cordelia and Eustace Bone as they struggle with the direction of their lives. Estranged for five years, the death of their distant great aunt Augusta would bring the sisters together, in an effort to claim their rightful past. For years, the Bone sisters had heard the rumors of witches and magic but their arrival at the Victorian mansion, once owned by Augusta and centuries of heirs, would elicit a well of magic within Cordelia and Eustace, magic that placed a target on the sisters’ lives. Meeting groundskeeper Gordon Jablonski, revealed a familial connection to the house on Bone Hill but a connection that was dark and dangerous for everyone concerned. Dealing with the locals was going to be difficult but dealing with their great aunt’s attorney would prove deadly and wrong.

THE WTICHES OF BONE HILL is a slow building story of family and secrets, power and lies, magic and witchcraft, greed and murder. Cordelia and Eustace Bone would discover a family history of clairvoyance and necromancers, beast riding and magic, obsession and murder; and an oath that would require bone for bone, blood for blood. The premise is suspenseful, intriguing and thrilling-bordering on horror; there is a slight romance developing between Cordelia and Gordon; the sisters are determined and desperate; the secondary and supporting characters are questionable and powerful.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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SPIDER AND FROST (Elemental Assassin) by Jennifer Estep-dual review

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SPIDER AND FROST (Elemental Assassin/ Mythos Academy) by Jennifer Estep-dual review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 26, 2023

WHEN AN ASSASSIN . . .

My name is Gin Blanco, and I’m on vacation. Sort of. As the assassin the Spider, it’s hard for me to completely relax, but I’m determined to enjoy a scenic train ride and a nice, quiet lunch before heading back home to Ashland.

My plans change when Gwen Frost boards the train. The girl says she’s heading back to Mythos Academy, the fancy private boarding school, but I can’t shake the feeling that Gwen is hiding something—and is in far more trouble than she realizes.

. . . MEETS A CHAMPION

My name is Gwen Frost. I might have saved the world from Loki, the evil Norse god of chaos, but I’m still chasing down Reaper villains. It’s all part of being the Champion of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

I’ve been assigned to protect some mythological artifacts that are being transported via train to Mythos Academy, but some Reapers are hot on my trail, and they’ll do anything to recover the artifacts—and kill me.

Also on the train is Gin Blanco, who claims to be the owner of the Pork Pit barbecue restaurant. My psychometry magic keeps whispering that there’s more to her than meets the eye, although I can’t tell if Gin is a friend, an enemy, or something else entirely.

Note: Spider and Frost is a 28,000-word crossover novella between the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and the Mythos Academy young adult series. It is told from the points of view of Gin Blanco and Gwen Frost.

Spider and Frost takes place after the events of Last Strand, book 19 in the Elemental Assassin series.

•••••

Sandy’s REVIEW: SPIDER AND FROST by Jennifer Estep is a cross over instalment in both of the author’s Elemental Assassin and Mythos Academy series focusing on elemental assassin Gin Blanco, and Oracle Gwen Frost.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Gin and Gwen) SPIDER AND FROST follows in the aftermath of a rockslide that separates Gin and Gwen from family and friends . Gin, Owen, Fin and Bria were taking a well-deserved scenic train vacation in the wake of the war between Ashland and The Circle but all does not go according to plan when a rockslide separated Gin from her loved ones. With a push from her friends, Gin continues on with the tour wherein she will me an eighteen year old Gwen Frost, a young woman who reminds Gin of herself. From the outset, Gin and Gwen suspect one another but it is Gwen’s enemies, The Reapers, who are determined to take back what they claim as their own. Several attacks, a talking sword, and a young woman who can ‘see’ the past, finds Gwen and Gin on the defensive to protect one another’s backs.

SPIDER AND FROST is a quick read; a fast paced, short story that revisits Gwen Frost and some of the Mythos Academy characters, as well as Gin Blanco, and the family she loves. There is plenty of action, swords and knives, magic and mayhem, and just enough love and friendship to keep everybody happy. The premise is captivating and engaging; the characters are familiar and tenacious.

 

Barb’s Review: Spider and Frost by Jennifer Estep is a novella set in our two wonderful series, Elemental Assassin and Mythos Academy. I really got a kick out of Gin and Gwen getting to know each other, and learning what each can do.  It was lots of fun.

At the start, Gin Blanco (the Spider) is waiting at the train station, for her friends, Owen, Fin and Bria, as they are on vacation; but a rockslide has caused the others to be late; they tell Gin to take the scenic train ride anyway, and enjoy the ride. 

Gwen Frost is also watching out for her friends (Logan, Daphne, and others), who have also been slowed down by the rockslide.  Gwen has been assigned to protect a number of mythological artifacts, which are on the train, on the way to Mythos Academy.

Gin sees Gwen on the train, and gets vibes that she is possibly in danger, and decides to go into her section, just in case she may need help. When the train starts off, Gwen notices some of her Reaper enemies, who are determined to steal back the artifacts. In a short period, Gin and Gwen do become friends, knowing they will help each other.  When the Reapers attack, Gin is injured, with Gwen thinking she is dead; and is captured by the Reapers.

What follows is a wild, exciting, battle with both Gwen and Gin fighting together to defeat the enemy. I really loved Gwen trying to save herself, using Gin’s special knife and Gin using Vic (Gwen’s magical sword).  Gwen also used her psychometry magic to learn more about the amazing Gin Branco. They really made a great team, and I would love to see more of them working together. 

Spider and Frost was a fun, exciting, action-filled, fast read and very well written by Jennifer Estep.  I really enjoyed seeing Gin and her friends, as well as Gwen and her own friends. They did make a great team, and should be fun if they ever meet again (Jennnifer-?) to fight all enemies. If you are fans of either series, you should read this novella.

 

Copy supplied for Review

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Marked in Flames (Aspen Pack 5) by Carrie Ann Ryan-review tour

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Marked in Flames (Aspen Pack 5) by Carrie Ann Ryan-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 25, 2023

My mate rejected me, leaving me broken. I refuse to let that happen again—even if Steele is the one for me.

I hold the power of flame and future in my hands, but I know the world is watching. Waiting for us to fall.

The truth and lies that bind the Aspen Pack together are crumbling and I am to bear witness to its fate.

I know the Enforcer of the Aspens is my mate.

Yet neither of us want what fate decrees.

So, we’ll fight side by side and ignore the burning attraction between us.

Only when a traitor rocks the foundation of all we know, we might not have a choice to who we cling to in despair.

The vampires were only the pawns in this war.

The demons are on their way.

And if we’re not careful, the Aspen Pack could lose someone that breaks them.

And I could lose my mate.

Again.

•••

REVIEW: I can’t believe this is the end of the Aspen Pack series! It made me both super excited and sad when I got my hands on Marked In Flames. As always, I recommend reading a series in order, Marked really is one that you should read the previous books, not only for the back story, but because the characters are often in most of the books and they are so much fun to read.

Jade and Steele, they are so similar to one another, I think that is why they bump heads so much. Both of them have their own reasons for not wanting the mate bond, but as they saw, you can’t change your fate. As the book progresses we get more of Jade’s past before she befriends Dara and Sawyer, and I think that was really needed to give reason for the way she is. And even more so, why Steele is the way he is.

Jade is a fire witch, Steele is the Aspen Pack Enforcer, this doesn’t make for a happily ever after…or does it? Marked In Flames is definitely a slow burn romance, but one that makes it so worth it in the end. The connections between each of the couples in the series, and the pack as well, really make the series one to come back to. When Jade and Steele finally give in to one another, the meaning behind it makes the entire wait of the slow burn book oh so worth it.

C.A.R will forever be a Queen in the author world, no one will ever be able to tell me otherwise. I very much hope to see more of this world, even if it’s just in a spin off series.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Etched in Honor
Hunted in Darkness
Mated in Chaos
Harbored in Silence

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

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Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Fractured Connections, and Elements of Five series, which have sold over 3.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over seventy-five novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.

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The Tithing by A. Zavarelli / Natasha Knight-review tour

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The Tithing (The Sacrifice #1) by A Zavarelli / Natasha Knight-review tour

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Add to your Goodreads TBR ➩ https://bit.ly/46eEnBF

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September

An ancient curse. Two families bound. A forbidden love.

When the Wildbloods presented their daughters to me on the night of the Tithing, they knew what was to come for the chosen girl.

The crescent moon that marked Willow made her mine. I had no choice but to take her.

Destiny determined our fates long before we were born, laying our roles out for us.

A Sacrifice would be made. A Tithe paid. Only then would our families be free, at least until the next payment came due.

I would have done my duty as Penitent. I tried.

But no one counted on the lion falling in love with the lamb.

And loving Willow could cost me everything.

•••••

REVIEW:THE TITHING is the first instalment in the contemporary, adult THE SACRIFICE dark, thriller duet co-authored by A. Zavarelli and Natasha Knight focusing on Willow Wildblood, and Azrael Delacroix. THE SACRIFICE DUET is set in the author’s THE SOCIETY world aka Imperium Valens Invictum IVI.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Azrael and Willow) THE TITHING follows an ancient curse presumably directed at the Delacroix descendants, and hundreds of years of vengeance is about to claim Willow Wildblood on her twenty-second birthday. Knowing her life may be forfeit at any moment, Willow is subject to the taunts of Delacroix matriarch, and a town of ‘Disciples’ taking down anyone they believe to be possessed by magic but all is not well in the Delacroix house, and unable to help those who need it the most, Willow is forced to make a decision that will affect her life going forward. What ensues is the acrimonious and forced relationship between Azrael and Willow, and the fall-out as Willow suspects her time may be coming to an end.

The world building introduces the history of the Wildblood and Delacroix families. Hundreds of years of history, abuse, murder and repercussions that comes to fruition with the birth of a new Wildblood, marked at an early age. As Azrael struggles between head and heart, someone else is going to ensure Willow and the Wildblood family pay for the sins of the past.

The relationship between Azrael and Willow is a forced marriage; an abusive, questionable marriage meant to destroy our heroine, ensuring a rite of passage to avenge the family believed to be cursed. Azrael is determined to break his new wife, while someone else is determined to shed blood in the name of revenge. The $ex scenes are aggressive and intense, and not without some scenes of questionable consent.

The secondary and supporting characters includes Azrael’s long suffering and ill sister Rebecca, their brother Emmanuel, and evil grandmother Salome, as well as Willow’s sisters Raven, Winter, Aurora and Cordelia, and their struggling, weak-willed parents.

THE TITHING is a dramatic and tense story of murder and vengeance, power and control, secrets and lies, madness and legend. The premise is dark, twisted and heart breaking; the characters are desperate, delirious, and mad. THE TITHING ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

About A. Zavarelli:

Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.

When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.

She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.

Website: https://www.azavarelli.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AZavarelli
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AZavarellibooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azavarelli/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-zavarelli
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13549895.A_Zavarelli
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2S3zrKS
Newsletter Signup: http://www.azavarelli.com/#!mailing-list/c46c

•••••••••••

About Natasha Knight:

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, Natasha Knight specializes in dark, tortured heroes. Happily-Ever-Afters are guaranteed, but she likes to put her characters through hell to get them there. She’s evil like that.

Website: https://natasha-knight.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashaknightauthor
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheKnightSpot
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NatashaKnight13
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashaknight13/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/natashaknight13/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6478732.Natasha_Knight
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/natasha-knight
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DWdlEu
NL Signup:https://natasha-knight.com

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Cry of the Banshee by Heather Graham – review tour

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Cry of the Banshee (Krewe of Hunters/ 1001 Dark Nights) by Heather Graham – Review Tour

 

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Description:
Strange things are happening at Castle Darien, the legendary home of Angela Hawkins Crow’s family just outside of Dublin, Ireland.

People are dying in the most unusual drowning where there’s no water, falling from heights that don’t exist…

But before every death, the banshee lets out a cry, warning that loved ones are in danger. The Irish death ghost’s haunting shrieks and sobs echo within the ancient stone walls and travel up and down the hillsides.

Terrified and broken after the death of a friend, Moira Hawkins, Angela’s second cousin, turns to her family for help, convinced that evil is at work and sure the Krewe of Hunters can determine what is happening and put an end to the strange and deadly haunting.

Angela is mystified and stricken, but she and Jackson travel to the Emerald Isle to investigate, certain that someone very much alive is behind whatever is going on.

But she and the Krewe just might need the dead to uncover the truth.

 

 

Review:

Cry of the Banshee by Heather Graham is a novella from her wonderful Krewe of Hunters series. I am a big fan of Heather Graham, and always enjoy her books.

The story begins in Ireland, where strange things are happening at Castle Darien, such as strange mysterious deaths. Moira Hawkins, who owns the Castle, wakes up during the night, hearing a warning cry that someone is in danger; Moira can hear a banshee giving warning shrieks that only she can hear. That evening, during the castle’s tour, a woman is found dead. Moira is in a panic, worried that she is losing her mind. She makes a call to her cousin in the States for help, since her cousin is a member of the Krewe of Hunters. 

Angela Hawkins Crow is Moira’s cousin, and she convinces her husband, Jackson to take time off and go to Ireland to help her terrified cousin.  Angela and Jackson are the leaders of the Krewe of Hunters, and together they decide to take time off to travel to Ireland to try and discover what evil is happening at Castle Darien. 

When they arrive at the Castle, they are greeted happily by Moira, who was thrilled to have them come help discover what strange and deadly hauntings are happening.  Angela and Jackson get to meet all the staff in the Castle, as well as the guards and the tour director. Irish Inspector McCrae joins them in the investigations, with the Inspector noting that the dead woman died of a heart attack. Both Angela and Jackson look around the bathroom where the woman died, and found nothing; but trying again the following morning they do find a small clue.  When visiting the morgue, both notice some tiny marks on the woman hairline, and the Inspector returns with the clue they had found to note that it was found to be a unique poison.

What follows is an exciting, tense story that opens up the investigation on everyone from the tour visitors and the staff.  Angela, who has some psychic ability hears the cry of the banshee, and follows the sound outside; a woman who is a banshee ghost, trying to stop the evil in the castle. Angela learns that there is someone who is evil causing the deaths, and the banshee will warn them the next time.  Moira is thrilled that Angela was able to see the women, and hopeful this would give them help to find the culprit.  The last third of the book was very exciting, with surprise twists.

Cry of the Banshee was another great story so very well written by Heather Graham.  I was happy to see Angela and Jackson get their own story again.  If you are a fan of Krewe of Hunters, you need to read this book. If you are new to Graham, you should start reading her books.  Always very good.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

At first, Moira Hawkins thought she might be imagining the sound. It was so soft at first, like a sigh on the wind or a whisper through the trees.
Except she wasn’t in the woods. She was lying in bed in the private wing of Castle Darien, her family’s nearly ancient stronghold.
But the windows were open. That had to be it. The temperature was cool but pleasant, and she didn’t need to use the heat or air-conditioning systems. Which was good since they would never be great in such an old stone fortress.
Moira had promised her grandmother she wouldn’t let the castle, built at the end of the thirteenth century, go to ruin. She said she would do everything needed to bring it up to the standards so many others used to save the structure and turn it into a hotel.
She was partway there. While she worked on getting the necessary loans and finding contractors to undertake such an epic restructuring, she hired a tour company to bring visitors through. There were even a few Haunted Ireland tours put on by historians, who talked about some of the dire events of the Emerald Isle’s bloody past.
She figured anything around for over eight-hundred years must have some nightmarish events to relay.
And her ancestral home was in the Republic of Ireland, which had suffered a great deal of bloodshed to get where it was today.
Yet…
It occurred to her that she had heard—or at least imagined—the soft, mournful sobs before.
The night Granny had died.
Imagination. Had to be.
But she’d heard the sound the night before they found the old man drowned in the river that ran alongside the castle’s western wall, too.
And the time the would-be thief fell to his death from the wall.
They’d learned the elderly gentleman, visiting family in the area, had been suffering from cancer. Moira wondered if he had chosen his end.
And while the thief shouldn’t have been trying to climb the wall, he hadn’t deserved death.
As she thought back, she realized the sound had preceded all those events.
She shook her head. She had to be imagining it. She might have spent the last few years of Granny’s illness working in the States, but she’d grown up with all the tales of leprechauns, pixies, fairies, and banshees. Granny had been so good at telling them, holding her cousins and her spellbound as she wove her magical tales.
The crying grew louder. She wasn’t imagining it. She could definitely hear it.
It wasn’t a frightened cry. It was mournful, heartfelt. Yet Moira was afraid.
Where is it coming from?
She glanced at the clock on her bedside table—just past midnight.
The last ghost tour had ended by now, but she wasn’t alone in the castle. Stewart McKenna, her grandmother’s longtime castle steward, slept down the hall with his wife. Their son’s bedroom was next door to theirs. Nellie Antrim, the head housekeeper, was on this floor, as well. And while the tour of the two unoccupied towers had just ended, Mark Meadows, the tour agency’s director, often stayed behind to answer any questions the guests might have regarding the castle or Ireland’s history. Because, of course, Mark wasn’t just a businessman, though he was a good one. He truly loved history and didn’t mind working late. He was…wonderful.
The sobbing continued.
Moira’s mind went to something her granny had told her.
Banshee. Banshees are the remains of the Tuatha dé Danann, the gods of Ireland, driven underground when the Milesians arrived—Gaels who traveled the Earth, seeking a home. And there, in Éire, they claimed the land while the Tuatha dé Danann settled the underworld. Once, keeners had been on hand at funerals, sobbing mournfully for those who had left the earthly world. The banshees fulfilled that tradition now, warning of someone’s death…
Get a grip! she told herself. Seriously, she’d spent enough time in the United States to learn all about all kinds of myths and legends from around the world.
There are no such things as banshees.
Still…

For More Information about Heather Graham, visit her website:

https://www.theoriginalheathergraham.com/

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels. She’s a winner of the RWA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers’ Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. For more information, check out her websites: TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com, eHeatherGraham.com
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Heart of Glass (Skye Druids 3) by Donna Grant-review & excerpt

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Heart of Glass (Skye Druids 3) by Donna Grant-review & excerpt

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 12, 2023

A desire that won’t be denied.

Ferne Crawford is a Seer with unique abilities that set her apart from other Druids. She once ignored her magic with tragic results. So, when she’s bombarded with visions of a great evil that call her to a place she’s been warned never to go, she’s powerless to resist. Her life takes a drastic turn the moment she arrives on Skye and encounters a handsome, valiant stranger. Theo makes her ache for his touch. Their meeting stirs an explosive passion, awakening a yearning that only he can satisfy. However, there’s more than the malice which brought her to the isle that intends her harm.

Detective Inspector Theo Frasier carries the weight of the isle and his people on his shoulders. With more Druid murders and no leads on who’s controlling the killing mist, he’s beginning to feel the strain. The last thing he needs is anything—or anyone—distracting him. But once he meets Ferne, he can’t get her out of his head. Or his heart. She fills his every thought, day and night. His need for her consumes him, pushing everything else aside. But will his love be enough to save them from the growing threat?

••••••

REVIEW:HEART OF GLASS is the third instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult SKYE DRUIDS paranormal/fantasy romance series-a spin off from the author’s REAPER series which in turn is a spin off from the author’s many interconnected series and stories. This is Druids Detective Inspector Theo Frasier, and Ferne Crawford’s story line. HEART OF GLASS should not be read as a stand alone- I recommend reading the series in order, as well as DARK ALPHA’S COMMAND (Reaper 15) for back story and cohesion as many of the events of the current time line are as of a direct result of the events in Dark Alpha’s Command. Several characters from the other series including Reaper Balladyn and Druid Rhona (Dark Alpha’s Command) and some of the original Dragon Kings (Nikolai) and Reaper characters appear as secondary and supporting characters.

SOME BACKGROUND: Months earlier, betrayal and vengeance forced a take-over of power on the Isle of Skye but someone or something is killing the Druids, not only on the Isle of Skye, but around the world including Edinburgh Scotland. With the focus on the death of the Druids on the Isle of Skye, Balladyn and Rhona (Dark Alpha’s Command/Reaper 15) begin an investigation that reveals a danger targeting the Druids and the MacLean family, in particular.

Told from third person perspective HEART OF GLASS continues to focus on the mist that is slowly killing the Druids on the Isle of Skye. Ferne Crawford is a London Druid but something or someone is calling Ferne to Skye. Years earlier, the Druids separated, and those in opposition left for London, vowing never to return to the Isle of Skye. Ferne’s need to leave is met with resistance from her brother Mason, and in its’ wake, Ferne learns she is on her own. Meeting Detective Inspector Theo Frasier pulls Ferne into a world she knew nothing about, a world of dragons and Reapers, and a mist that is calling our heroine for help. As Ferne and the Skye Druids work together to stop the person in charge, someone else is controlling the mist behind the scenes. What ensues is the quick building relationship between Ferne and Theo, and the potential fall-out as Ferne is caught between realms in an effort to help the people with whom she is falling in love.

The world building continues to focus on stopping the mist that is threatening and killing the Druids on the Isle of Skye. Someone is seeking vengeance against the Druids, someone is controlling the mist, and someone else is about to pay the price.

The relationship between Theo and Ferne is one of immediate attraction. Ferne’s arrival on Skye piques Theo’s interest, strengthens his magic, and pulls our couple towards their destiny. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters many of whom cross over from the author’s numerous interconnected series including Druids, Reapers and Dragons. We are reintroduced to the TruthSeeker Esther and her mate Nikolai (Heat/Dark Kings 12); Elodie and Scott, Edie and Trevor; Rhona and Balladyn, as well as the Knights: Sabryn, Carlyle, and Finn, as well as the introduction of Ferne’s brother Mason, and well as Druids Kirsi, and Callum.

HEART OF GLASS is another multi-layered story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, following several plot lines, several building stories, and possible relationships deceptions. The fast paced, character driven premise is dramatic and intense; the romance is seductive yet subtle; the characters are energetic, captivating and powerful.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Iron Ember
Shoulder the Skye

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

After her parents and the London Druids told Ferne relentlessly never to set foot on the Isle of Skye, and that the Druids who called the isle home were not to be trusted, she ignored them all to follow an instinct she continued to question.
The closer she got to Skye, the more her stomach churned. She could turn back. She had yet to reach the isle. Sure, her brother knew where she was going, but Mason would accept if she returned before going farther. Yet she didn’t turn her car around. She kept driving.
The bridge that connected mainland Scotland to the Isle of Skye came into view. There was still time. All she had to do was pull over and turn around to head back to England and Mason. Generations of Druids knew never to come to Skye. It meant immediate banishment by family, though Mason would never do that to her. He supported her. Always. Still, she felt a gnawing uncertainty that made her want to retch.
“Last chance,” she whispered as she came upon the bridge.
Her foot lifted from the accelerator, but she kept driving. Her heart slammed erratically against her ribs when she reached the top of the structure, and then she was on the descent. Before she knew it, her tires rolled onto the Isle of Skye.
She shook so badly she thought she would have to pull off the road, but as quickly as the shaking had begun, it slowed and then stopped altogether when she was on Skye. Ferne’s gaze swept around her, taking in the shops, houses, cars, and people, not to mention the unimaginable beauty everywhere. The navigation system directed her toward the cottage she had rented, but she ignored it and just drove. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Not only because it had been ingrained in her from her earliest memories but because there was a really good chance the Skye Druids would force her out as soon as they learned who she was. Ferne would take whatever time she had to see Skye while she could.


 

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

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