Tag Archives: Paranormal

Playing the Witch Card by KJ Dell’Antonia – a Review

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Playing the Witch Card by KJ Dell’Antonia – a Review

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Description:
She gave up on magic. But magic didn’t give up on her.

Two exes. One misbehaving mother. Surprising magic. The perfect recipe for Halloween chaos.

Flair Hardwicke knows the deal: Magic is real, love isn’t, and relying on either ends in disaster. She’s seen the havoc romance and witchcraft wreaked on her mother’s life, and Flair swore off all of it long ago, after the boy she thought was her destiny ditched her. But then her strictly no-magic life falls apart, and Flair inherits her grandmother’s home and bakery in Rattleboro, Kansas.

When the cookies Flair decorates as Tarot cards unleash the magic of the family deck she stole as a child, luring Flair’s mother to town, tempting Flair’s magic-obsessed daughter, ensnaring Flair’s ex in a curse she can’t break, and bringing Flair’s first love back to town, Flair has to accept that while she may have given up on magic, it refuses to give up on her.

As Flair’s attempts to control the Tarot cards play into the hands of a powerful witch, Flair must find a way to accept her magical heritage in order to save those she loves from a danger she’d never anticipated.

 

 

Review:

Playing the Witch Card by K.J. Dell’Antonia is a stand-alone paranormal novel revolving around magic and witches. Flair Hardwicke, our heroine, returns home to Rattleboro, Kansas after many years away; taking her 13-year-old daughter, and leaving her husband who cheated on her for the last time. Flair left home all those years ago because she did not want to be part of the magic from her grandmother and mother. Her decease grandmother left her the house and bakery, but she is determined not to accept the family’s legacy of magic, including a special deck of tarot cards, which she hides. Flair also has issues with her daughter, who wants to go back home where her father is; not knowing the truth of why Flair left.

With business poor at the bakery, Flair is asked to make cookies for Halloween, and as she makes them, she doesn’t remember how she made them, as they were wonderful tarot card cookies. Immediately, her bakery becomes a hit, with business blooming, and even when asked by customers what do some of the cookies mean, Flair finds herself automatically telling each of the customers.  Is Flair finding that even though she does not want magic, it seems magic wants her.

To make matters worse, Flair’s mother, a famous author who writes about magic, comes to visit, and brings Flair’s husband to town, as he has been bespelled by the mother.  What is Flair to do? She needs to hide him from the daughter, since Flair does not want the daughter to go with the father. 

Rattleboro was founded by a coven of witches years ago, and Halloween always has a meaning; with all the shops decorated, scary, fun, treats all through the night; helping to raise money for charity. Loretta and her daughter, Renee are witches, and Loretta with Flair’s friend, Josie, will try to find a way to break the spell; but Loretta convinces Flair that she has to be part of the annual Halloween Trail, and she needs to create more of the magical tarot cookies. They will all gather near the end of the trail and free the spell.

What follows is an exciting mind-blowing last third of the book, as the characters get together to stop the spell and solve the issue with Flair’s husband.   But a plot twist that no one expected changes everything, and despite Flair’s wanting to burn the tarot cards, she knows she needs to use the magical cards to help save everyone; especially dealing with a powerful witch. Who will survive?

I did enjoy Flair meeting her childhood boyfriend, Jude (his mother is Loretta and sister, Renee), and really rooted for them to be together.  I also loved Josie, who was a great friend to Flair, always helping her.  The daughter Lucie was a bit annoying, but that was due to Flair not telling her all the truths. Flair’s mother was not a great mother, but as we move toward the end, she does get better.

Playing the Witch Card was an entertaining, fun and exciting read, that deals with magic, romance, family, tarot cards, and witches in a small town.  I did enjoy this book, which was very well written by K.J. Dell’Antonia.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland – a Review

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Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.
 
Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.

What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.

With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.

 

 

Review:

Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a fun, interesting and romantic stand-alone novel, about a family of female witches, with a paranormal element. Sage Flores, our heroine, left home 8 years ago, after her youngest sister died in an accident. She has recently lost her job, and now returns to Cranberry Rose to live with her aunt Nadia and estranged sister, Teal. Each of the family women have different magic abilities, as they are witches; Sage is a plant whisperer; able to communicate with the plant’s souls; Teal, when angry, can create havoc on the weather/storms; Aunt Nadia has the ability to know things.  Both Sage and Teal do not get along, mostly due to the sister’s death.

Sage gets a job working where she used to work, at the Cranberry Rose Company to help find new plants and help increase the farm’s sales. She is shocked to find her high school crush (who broke her heart), Tennessee (Ten) Reyes is also going to work there, and now they have been teamed up to search for elite special plants.  At first, Sage was a bit sarcastic with Ten, but in a short time, the sparks between them sizzle, as they are both extremely attracted to one another. Ten went out of his way to work closely with Sage, also learning more about her plant whisperer abilities.  Working side by side, brought back memories of the past, and strong new feelings bringing them closer together.

Sage tries hard to solve her family issues, especially the past when Sky died. Sage, also has another secret, that she has not revealed to her family.  Seems her dead sister, Sky, appears quite often (she is a ghost), giving her advice or coffee. When she and Sky (who no one sees) visit another witch older witch, to find out why Sky cannot move on, which will bring them back to Aunt Nadia to use her knowledge to find an amazing and magical discovery.

Witch of Wild Things was a very good story with many things, such as dysfunctional family, romance, sisterhood, friendship, trauma and magical witches.  I loved Sage and Tenn together, as they were a great couple.  By the end, I loved all of the family and female witches, with their individual magical ability. Most of all, I loved the wonderful happy ever after ending.  Witch of Wild Things was very well written by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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THE GRAVE ROBBER (Charley Davidson) by Darynda Jones-review tour

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THE GRAVE ROBBER (Charley Davidson 13.8) by Darynda Jones-review & excerpt tour

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September5, 2023

Eric Vause is done.

Done with ghosts. Done with hellhounds. And definitely done with asshole demons, mostly because he’d been possessed by one. Even now, five years later, the rage he absorbed from the creature has yet to wane, so he decides a road trip is in order. Surely some cool air, great scenery, and a case of Dos Equis will shake things loose. Unfortunately, supernatural events happen everywhere. When he meets up with a friend whose partner’s daughter needs help with a pest problem—aka, a ghost—Eric takes that as his cue to leave.

Until he sees her.

He can tell Halle’s house isn’t the only thing that is haunted. The hopelessness behind her eyes tugs at something deep inside him. Something all too familiar. The fact that she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen has nothing to do with his change of heart. And he vows to leave her in his rearview the minute he takes care of the poltergeist. Then again, vows were never his strong suit.

•••••

REVIEW: THE GRAVE ROBBER is instalment 13.8 in Darynda Jones’ contemporary, adult CHARLEY DAVIDSON paranormal series, and a part of the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is Eric Vause, and twenty-nine year old Halle Nordstrom’s story line. THE GRAVE ROBBER can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and back story I recommend reading book thirteen SUMMONED TO THE THIRTEENTH GRAVE where Eric’s life change.

Told from first person perspective (Eric Vause) THE GRAVE ROBBER follows Eric Vause as he is tasked with hunting down a ghost haunting our story line heroine. All of his life Eric has had the ability to know if something is going to happen but five years earlier, Eric was possessed by a demon during Charley and Reyes war to save their daughter, and in the ensuing time Eric’s ability to see the future also allows his to talk to the dead. Halle Nordstrom believes she is haunted by a ghost, a ghost that came into her life at twelve years of age, when something catastrophic happened in her life but Eric is about to discover there is more to the ‘ghost’ than he could have imagined, something more tangible and deadly for our story line heroine. What ensues is the search for the truth, and the potential fall-out when our couple are targeted by a ‘ghost’ from the past.

The relationship between Halle and Eric begins when Eric is asked to ‘exorcise’ the ghost from Halle’s life but Eric suspects there is more to the story than anyone has revealed. Halle and Eric’s sexual attraction is palpable, but Eric believes his time with Halle is about to come to a violent close. The $ex scene is limited but passionate and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters include bar manager and Eric’s friend Jason Vigil, as well as Halle’s father, Charley’s late Aunt Lil, and her father’s head of security Paul.

THE GRAVE ROBBER is a fast paced, character driven story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, acceptance and love. The premise is intriguing and captivating ; the characters are energetic, sassy and determined.

Reading Order and previous reviews
First Grave on the Right
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Straight Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Fifth Grave Past The Light
Sixth Grave on the Edge
Seventh Grave and No Body
Eighth Grave After Dark
Brighter Than the Sun (novella)
The Dirt on Ninth Grave
The Curse on Tenth Grave
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
Trouble with Twelfth Grave
Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave
The Graveyard Shift
The Gravedigger’s Son
The Graveside Bar and Grill

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

 

“What do the notes say?”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, stalling. She stalled some more when she said, “I can’t always read them.”
“Halle,” I warned.
Her shoulders deflated as she released a surrendering sigh. “At first, they were just numbers. They started right after my mom died. The number twelve kept popping up. But a month later, it changed to an eleven. Then a ten. Then a nine.”
“A countdown.”
“Yes. Every month for the last year, he’s been counting down. And now we’re at number two.” She leveled an accusing gaze on me. “And you’ve known since the first time you laid eyes on me.”
“Not the first time,” I said, slightly offended. “What makes you think they’re death threats? They could mean anything.”
“Because the other note he leaves is pretty explicit. It’s just one word. Payback.”
Ah. Now we were getting somewhere. “Halle, what happened seventeen years ago? What changed your life so dramatically? And who wants payback?”
She shook her head and looked away, tears shimmering in her eyes.
I leaned onto my elbows and put a hand over hers. “Halle, I know this is hard, but please trust me.”
“It’s not that. It’s not that I don’t trust you. You’ve earned that and then some. But if I tell you what happened, what I did, you won’t want to have sex with me anymore.”
I almost snorted. Clearly, she didn’t understand the male thought process.
But I needed to chill. I was pushing her too hard. I wanted her to bend. Not break.
The furball started whimpering at her feet. Halle picked her up, nuzzled her, then set her in the box she’d brought along with a dry towel from the bathroom. With a full belly, the furball settled immediately and went to sleep.
Halle straightened and walked over to stand in front of me. “Is that a yes?”
“No,” I said, taking in every curve she had to offer. She smelled sweet, like jasmine. “It’s a hell yes.” I put a hand on her hip, the heat from her body soaking into my skin as she straddled me.
With hesitant fingers, she tested the abrasion on my jaw. “Are you sure this is okay? You were hit by a truck yesterday.”
“I was sideswiped by a truck. Huge difference.”
She nodded and grew thoughtful as though making calculations in her head. Now was not the time for math.
“I’m pretty sure you’re a supernatural being,” she said, completely serious. “That you’re not real and will disappear as soon as all of this is over.”
“I have several friends who are supernaturally inclined. I am not one of them. And I’m not going anywhere.”
She buried her fingers in my hair and covered my mouth with hers. I’d never welcomed a kiss more in my life.


 

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NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at www.daryndajones.com.

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Darius (Blackdagger Brotherhood-Prequel) by JR Ward-review

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Darius (Blackdagger Brotherhood) by JR Ward-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 5, 2023

Darius, son of Marklon, isn’t looking for love the night destiny comes to claim him. He’s also not interested in crashing his new car. But when a human woman runs out into the road and he must swerve to avoid killing her…everything goes off course.

Disillusioned by his King’s lack of leadership and the losses in the war against the Lessening Society, Darius finds purpose in protecting a woman he cannot make his own. Love finds a way, however—until the truth of what he is comes out and she leaves him in horror.

Unbeknownst to them both, Anne is carrying his young, a female who is destined to be Queen—and after a tragic reunion, he vows to protect their daughter. Resigned to perpetual sadness, he is determined to serve the memory of his beloved no matter the cost…unless by some miracle, fate sees fit to once again bring them together.

••••••••

REVIEW:DARIUS is the prequel storyline in JR Ward’s contemporary, adult BLACKDAGGER BROTHERHOOD paranormal romance series focusing on a group of warrior vampires known as the Blackdagger Brotherhood. This is the story of Darius and Anne, Beth’s parents. DARIUS can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion, I recommend reading or having some knowledge of book one DARK LOVER.

DARIUS was first released in audio format in July 2022.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including domestic assault, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person (Darius), and third person perspective DARIUS  follows the short lived relationship between Beth’s parents Darius and Anne, and the resulting birth of the vampire’s Queen.

ON the night they met, Darius, son of Marklon, rescued and saved the woman with whom he would fall in love but as a member of the vampire species, and the Blackdagger Brotherhood, Darius is unable to reveal the truth, or claim the woman who would give birth to his only young. As Darius and Anne’s relationship began to grow, Anne’s past would seek vengeance, revealing the truth about the who and what of the man with whom she was falling in love. Twenty years would pass before Anne would once again come face to face with Darius, twenty years in which Darius watched from afar as his daughter grew into the woman who would control the King’s heart.

Several of the series characters make cameo appearances: Fritz, Vishous, Zsadist, Phury, Havers, Xhex and JM, Beth and Wrath.

DARIUS is a revealing, emotional, action packed and heart breaking story of love, betrayal, acceptance and loss. The premise is edgy, haunting and tragic; the romance is tender and fated ; the characters are animated but doomed.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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J.R. Ward is the author of over thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. There are more than 15 million copies of Ward’s novels in print worldwide and they have been published in 25 different countries around the world.

After graduating from law school, Ward began working in healthcare in Boston and spent many years as Chief of Staff of one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. She lives in the south with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. Writing has always been her passion and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot.

Visit the JRWard Facebook Page

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WITCHES GET STUFF DONE (Starfall Point 1) by Molly Harper-review

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WITCHES GET STUFF DONE (Starfall Point 1) by Molly Harper

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 5, 2023

Juggling newfound witchy powers, a house full of ghosts, and verbal battles with the handsome local librarian is almost too much for a new witch to manage. A new witch with a coven, however, can get so much more done…

From the moment Riley Everett set foot in Starfall Point, magic bubbled inside of her. But with only her late aunt’s journals and a cantankerous live-in ghost butler to instruct her on all things witchy—including her newly inherited Victorian haunted house—Riley seeks out a coven for sisterhood and support. The last person she expects to be drawn to is the town’s frustrating, yet ridiculously attractive head librarian.

Edison Held knows almost everything there is to know about Starfall Point, but Shaddow House was always off-limits, thanks to its elusive owner. If he can convince the new owner, Riley, to let him take a peek inside, there’s so much he could learn. But as he gets closer to Riley, he’s fascinated by her dazzling wit and fiery spirit. Edison will do whatever he can to help Riley keep her family legacy alive, especially if it means spending more time with the captivating new witch in town.

•••••••

REVIEW: WITCHES GET STUFF DONE is the first instalment in Molly Harper’s contemporary, adult STARFALL POINT paranormal, mystery/suspense series focusing on Riley Everett, librarian Edison Held, and the newly formed witch’s coven of Starfall Point.

Told from omniscient dual third person perspectives (Riley and Edison) WITCHES GET STUFF DONE sets the tone for the Starfall Point Series. An invite from her aunt Nora, sends Riley Everett to the Upper Peninsula in Northern Michigan where our heroine will discover her aunt has passed, and she is the sole heir to a haunted mansion known as Shaddow House. Riley Everett will learn she comes from a long line of powerful witches, and each successive generation is tasked with housing/collecting and locking down an assortment of items attached or possessed by its’ late user but Riley is unaware of her heritage, and is about to be thrown to the proverbial wolves as she encounters a house full of objects, each with an attachment to someone dead and gone. Meanwhile, a chance and sickly encounter on the ferry to Starfall Point with a stranger is the beginning of a new relationship when said stranger is the man with whom Riley will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Riley and Edison; the introduction of Shaddow House ghost butler and Riley’s mentor Plover; Riley’s new coven members- Caroline, Natalie and Alice; and the potential fall-out as someone is targeting Riley, and the house in which she will come to love.

The world building reveals some of the background of Shaddow House: its’ purpose, its’ inhabitants; and Riley’s job to oversee the attachment objects and the ghosts to which each belongs, and to free the ghosts who wish to move on. As the story unfolds, Riley will be tasked with locating nine ‘locks’, locks that someone else is desperate to find.

The relationship between Riley and Edison begins acrimoniously. Riley struggled with severe motion sickness, and the ferry ride to Starfall Point leaves much to be desired but someone else has occupied the lone bathroom stall, and Riley is about to come face to face with her future in the guise of Edison Held. Edison has loved and lost but struggles to move forward from the ghost of his own past. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Riley’s coven: Caroline and Alice; ghost mentor and house butler Plover; ghost Natalie; library employees Margaret and Kyle; attorney Clark, and an assortment of townies and ghosts who come in and out of Riley’s life.

WITCHES GET STUFF DONE is a story of ghosts and magic, secrets and revelations; obsession, determination, greed and power. The slow building premise is intriguing, entertaining and engaging but dragged in spots as the author set the stage for future story lines; the characters are energetic, sassy, determined and interesting; the romance is a bit of an issue. I didn’t feel any palpable attraction, sexual or otherwise. There was no longing, yearning or desirous actions-the relationship went from zero to ten at the turn of the page. WITCHES GET STUFF DONE ends on a bit of a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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How to Fake Date a Vampire by Linsey Hall-review tour

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HOW TO FAKE DATE A VAMPIRE (Charming Cove 2) by Linsey Hall-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 31, 2023

Faking it with a vampire duke should be simple, right?
I’ve got one chance to prove to my coven that I’m worth my wand. But to do it, I’m going to have to make a deal with a vampire duke. I get to use his gorgeous estate in Cornwall to host the Beltane Ball–and in exchange, I’ll pretend to be his girlfriend. But it’s all a show for his grandmother.
The rules of our fake relationship are simple:
No flirting. No emotion. No sex. Simple, right?

Except I can’t seem to ignore the allure of the infuriating and devastatingly sexy vampire. Falling for a duke isn’t an option, though. I would lose the anonymity that protects me and my coven, and that would ruin my life. And the lives of those in my coven.

So yeah, totally simple, right?

•••••

REVIEW: Messy, disorganised and a total calamity meets, cool, calm and sophisticated, what could go wrong?

New to the area Emma (well if your not born there, you’re still new!) is a witch (not really a good one at that!) who is given the task of organising a main event. Eager to do her best, she decides on trying to get the owner of the large estate to let her use his home, except the Duke doesn’t like his home being invaded!

First encounter doesn’t go too well either! Emma has given up all hope of hosting the Beltane Ball, that is until Alaric suggests a deal… be his fake girlfriend and she can use his estate! Simple…. Well no actually all it does is complicate matters, chaos and mayhem ensues! Will the Ball ever get off the ground?

This is a lighthearted story, it will have you chuckling one moment, and then face palming the next as both Emma and her Duke blunder through romantic moments and you wonder how these two will ever get it together!

Main characters Alaric and Emma are just great. I liked they are opposites, I liked the fact it’s a slow burn, not your usual fated mates or destined to be together genre.

The writing is fast paced and really well put together, I finished it in one day, couldn’t put it down. And although it’s the second book in the Charming Cove series, it’s not required to read book one first, I haven’t read book one yet, so I didn’t feel like I’d missed anything. Although I’ll definitely pop back and read that one at some point.

So for a lighthearted vampire/witch romance, I’d highly suggest you grab this one.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

Author Bio:
Before becoming a writer, Linsey was an archaeologist who studied shipwrecks in all kinds of water, from the tropics to muddy rivers (and she has a distinct preference for one over the other). After a decade of tromping around in search of old bits of stuff, she settled down to start penning her own adventure novels and is freaking delighted that people seem to like them. Since life is better with a little (or a lot of) magic, she writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Author Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DLQHh5
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8588556.Linsey_Hall
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linseyhallauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LinseyHallAuthor
Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/648041092023853
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linsey-hall
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HiLinseyHall/
Newsletter: http://linseyhall.com/subscribe
Website: http://linseyhall.com/

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My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine-review & excerpt

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My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine-review & excerpt

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 29, 2023

True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy.

Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.

Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean…

Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.

••••

REVIEW:MY ROOMMATE IS A VAMPIRE by Jenna Levine is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, paranormal romance story line focusing on three hundred year old vampire Frederick J Fitzwilliam, and artist Cassie Greenberg.

Told from first person perspective (Cassie) and journal entries /letters from Frederick, MY ROOMMATE IS A VAMPIRE follows the building relationship between Frederick and Cassie. Cassie needs a place to stay: she is being evicted and is surprised when a room in a well to do Chicago neighborhood is available at a very low price. Meeting her potential roommate and landlord Frederick J Fitzwilliam, Cassie knows immediately that something is different as the man seems to be living in a different era but Cassie is unaware that her new roommate’s idiosyncrasies are part and parcel of what and who he is. Frederick Fitzwilliam has awoken in a time and place he knows nothing about, and his only friend has suggested advertising for a roommate, someone to help Frederick acclimate into the twenty-first century but all is not well in Frederick’s life when the past demands more than he is willing to deliver. What ensues is the building relationship between Frederick and Cassie, and the potential fall-out as Frederick finds himself a victim of the old ways, and the people he thought he left behind.

The world building focuses on Frederick’s desperate need to fit in. Cassie is the woman with whom Frederick will fall in love but Cassie had been kept in the dark, unaware that she was to become Frederick’s teacher, companion and friend. As Cassie struggles to come to terms with the who and what of Frederick J. Fitzwilliam, Frederick must come to terms with a world that is nothing like the one he left behind.

The relationship between Cassie and Frederick begins as roommates but Frederick struggled to reveal his true nature and what he was. Cassie will discover Frederick’s secrets but Frederick has already fallen for the woman who will set him free in the modern world. Frederick Fitzwilliam is slightly awkward, stilted and confused but his love for Cassie is what keeps him alive. The lone $ex scene is passionate.

We are introduced to Frederick’s questionable friend and twenty-first century guide Reginald, as well as Cassie’s best friends Sam and Scott.

MY ROOMMATE IS A VAMPIRE is an engaging and quirky story line. The characters are flirty, spirited and animated but we needed Frederick’s first person perspective to completely understand his struggles and fears; the romance is fated, intimate and tender. I am hoping the author has plans for Cassie and Frederick’s continuing story-MY ROOMMATE IS A VAMPIRE ends on a happily ever after-for now.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

OneRoommate Wanted to Share Spacious Third-Floor Brownstone Apartment in Lincoln Park

Hello. I seek a roommate with whom to share my apartment. It is a spacious unit by modern standards with two large bedrooms, an open sitting area, and a semiprofessional eat-in kitchen. Large windows flank the eastern side of the apartment and provide a striking view of the lake. The unit is fully furnished in a tasteful, classical style. I am seldom home after sundown, so if you work a traditional schedule, you will usually have the apartment to yourself.

Rent: $200 per month. No pets, please. Kindly direct all serious inquiries to fjfitzwilliam@gmail.com.

“There has to be something wrong with this place.”

“Cassie, listen, this is a really good deal-”

“Forget it, Sam.” That last part came out more forcefully than I’d intended-though not by much. Even though I needed his help, my embarrassment over being in this situation in the first place made accepting that help difficult. Sam meant well, but his insistence on involving himself in every part of my current situation was getting on my very last nerve.

To his credit, Sam-my oldest friend, who’d long ago acclimated to how snippy I sometimes got when I was stressed-said nothing. He simply folded his arms across his chest, waiting for me to be ready to say more.

I only needed a few moments to pull myself together and start feeling badly for snapping at him. “Sorry,” I muttered under my breath. “I know you’re only trying to help.”

“It’s all right,” he said, sympathetic. “You have a lot going on. But it’s okay to believe that things can get better.”

I had no reason to believe that things could get better, but now wasn’t the time to get into it. I simply sighed and turned my attention back to the Craigslist ad on my laptop.

“Anything that sounds too good to be true usually is.”

Sam peered over my shoulder at my screen. “Not always. And you have to admit this apartment sounds great.”

It did sound great. He was right about that. But . . .

“It’s only two hundred a month, Sam.”

 


 

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By day, Jenna Levine works to increase access to affordable housing in the American South. By night, she writes romance novels where ridiculous things happen to beautiful people. When Jenna isn’t writing she can usually be found crying over k-dramas, starting knitting projects she won’t finish, or spending time with her family and small army of cats.

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Praying for Lightning (RBMC: Wilmington NC 2) by India R Adams-review tour

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Praying for Lightning (RBMC: Wilmington NC 2) by India R Adams-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 22, 2023

I am a son of many.

With every kill, I serve vengeance. I protect.

But all the weight of my responsibilities disappears when she’s near.

I want her. I need her.

She brings me back to life.

My one and only, my little Goddess.

We both belonged to families that had other plans for us, but we are fighters. Now we will choose our own family.

In the aftermath of taking down the Hell’s Titans MC, there are many trying to keep us apart, but, there are more trying to hold us together.

Being the youngest president of a Royal Bastards Chapter, I will try to right the wrongs of my father and earn my cut amongst these Gods.

As more secrets are revealed, it is my mother who will have the final say.

•••••

REVIEW:PRAYING FOR LIGHTNING is the second instalment in India R Adams’ adult RBMC: WILMINGTON NC dark, erotic, fantasy/paranormal duet focusing on RBMC: Wilmington MC president Thunder DiAni Semloh and Ryannon aka Rya Stannon. PRAYING FOR LIGHTNING should not be read as a stand alone. I recommend reading PRAYING FOR THUNDER for cohesion.

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

Told in two parts, and several first person perspectives (Rhea, Onus, Thunder, Rya) PRAYING FOR LIGHTNING is a story focusing on deities, fallen angels and demons, power and madness, abuse and killing, hatred and love. The reader is told, and is shown the harrowing lives of Rya and Thunder’s parents-deities and gods, abusers and human traffickers as well as the H/h violent conceptions, and a lack love in a world determined to strike them down. Part two picks up a few years after the end of PRAYING FOR THUNDER in which Thunder has claimed Rya as his ol’ lady, an ol’ lady that has been used and abused in her younger life. As Thunder must determine his direction in life, a path towards his destiny reveals the mother he never knew, and the father that destroyed it all.

PRAYING FOR LIGHTNING is a dark, complex, gritty and heart breaking story line of dysfunctional families, power and control, death and destruction, and the unconventional relationships and love between partners, demons, angels, gods and the underworld. PRAYING FOR LIGHTNING is a haunting, twisted and tragic story rich in details, some spirituality and the evils of humanity.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book ONE-PRAYING FOR THUNDER

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

From the author’s website: For me, life as a child had so many downs that I assumed it was normal. I thought all children lived this way. Not until I was a teenager (still living in darkness) did I realize my circumstances were far from a healthy way to be raised.

Was it all for nothing? No, and that’s my point. Tragedy doesn’t have to end in loss! We can grow! Help others! Understand not to judge because you NEVER know what is going on behind closed doors, even when the doors portray a perfect family image.

Sometimes both

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