Kitten’s Bunny by Wanda Violet O.

August 5, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Kitten’s Bunny by Wanda Violet O.
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

I’ve never been happier in my life than I am since I’ve come to live with Max. Then I meet Kitten and my world changes again. She’s kind and sweet and, oh, so sensual.

I’m about to find out what it’s like to be Kitten’s Bunny.

Bunny has been very happy with her Dom Daddy, Max. Safe inside the house they share with other like-minded friends Bunny is particularly close to Kitten, Daddy Jacob’s wife. When Kitten suggests she and Bunny have a bit of fun playing together, Bunny is initially skittish. Can the four of them find a way to explore some new possibilities between them?

I enjoyed this quick short story. The foursome were clearly already acquainted enough to make the speed within which they all got down to it did not feel like an overly fast process. All four parties were intimate with each other – so I do feel that readers who don’t enjoy F/F action might not find this story quite suits their tastes. That said the two men were heavily involved in all the action, so the story read to me more like a foursome and not just the two ladies as the main sexual characters.

As the title expresses – there is also a bit of alternative lifestyle portrayed here, but again I felt this wasn’t really the main focus of the story. I feel readers who might not enjoy that side of BDSM/alternative lifestyles too much really might want to still give this story a try as I found the main focus to be on the two couples/four individuals exploring their sexuality. This might be a good way for some readers to ease into other genres in a quick and simple way and have a “taste” and see if it might appeal to them.

I found this to be a super-hot, enjoyably short story that had a few different aspects to the usual foursome scene. Readers looking for something quick and different might find this fits the bill.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

August 4, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway changed her life—until a convicted killer tells her that four of his victims were never found, drawing her back to the place she left behind.

Everything has changed for Ruth Galloway. She has a new job, home, and partner, and she is no longer north Norfolk police’s resident forensic archaeologist. That is, until convicted murderer Ivor March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal. Nelson was always sure that March killed more women than he was charged with. Now March confirms this and offers to show Nelson where the other bodies are buried—but only if Ruth will do the digging.

Curious, but wary, Ruth agrees. March tells Ruth that he killed four more women and that their bodies are buried near a village bordering the fens, said to be haunted by the Lantern Men, mysterious figures holding lights that lure travelers to their deaths.

Is Ivor March himself a lantern man, luring Ruth back to Norfolk? What is his plan, and why is she so crucial to it? And are the killings really over?

Convicted murderer Ivor March offers DCI Nelson a deal he can’t refuse. March will tell Nelson where the bodies are buried of two young women the DCI is convinced March has murdered – but only on the condition Dr Ruth Galloway is brought back from Cambridge to oversee the excavation. Nelson quickly discusses this with Ruth, and she agrees – wanting to help bring closure to the two grieving families. Only when Ruth begins the excavations it’s three female bodies she finds buried where March said they were – not two. Can Ruth and Nelson piece together what really happened?

I’ve been greatly enjoying this series and was pleased with this book. While there is plenty of history between Ruth and Nelson, I do feel readers should be able to fairly easily pick up this book by itself. Readers looking for something heavy on the Archaeology might find this story a little light in that respect. Usually, I’ve found books in this series are fairly evenly weighted between the history/archaeology plotline and the murder/mystery plotline. This time, however, there is very little archaeology and almost no real history – more a few folklore and regional tales – and a far more intense and well woven police procedural murder mystery. I really enjoyed this plotline, and the greater time spent on it – but must admit readers keener on the history aspects usually present in this series might find this story lacks a bit of oomph in that area.

I really enjoyed the characters of a few new team members. One of the new guys in particular I’m hoping will become a regular and get a bit more time in the coming few books. I was also pleased that many of the regular returning characters were given a fair bit of screen time and found their progress was really well written. I also was very relieved that there was a fair bit of time and progress between Ruth and Nelson. Theirs has been a very off/on fluctuating relationship and a few books ago I was really getting sick of the apparent lack of momentum. While it is absolutely still slow going, I have to admit some progress is definitely being made and I am hoping this keeps up until it resolves once and for all.

Readers looking for a slightly different murder mystery – one that usually involves quite a bit of history and archaeology but also a few different viewpoints – should find this an excellent series and I was quite happy with this book as a whole. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham

August 4, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham
Publisher: Sphere
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A series of brutal gangland slayings — each victim found with an X gouged into his back — has Thorne plunging into the fires of a deadly turf war, as he attempts to tie together the threads of perplexing crimes separated by decades. But time is rapidly running out in his search for a copycat who revels in blood and pain — because the body count keeps rising . . . and someone has carved an X into Tom Thorne’s front door.

A particularly vicious killer is making an inter-gang war become a lot harsher than is usual. And soon the revenge tit-for-tat acts between the gangs bleed over into the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. DI Tom Thorne and his team are trying to work with the organized crime group to mitigate the fall out. To make matters harder a killer long imprisoned and related to one of these gangs has suddenly changed his tune – insisting the burning of a young girl, the act he’s been put away so very long for – wasn’t actually him, but someone else. And when another young girl is very nearly killed in the exact same manner, Tom and his superiors suddenly can’t ignore this killer might be telling the truth for a change.

I found this to be a busy and interesting British police procedural novel. It was a little different to previous books in this series in that there were two strong cases in this book, both given quite a lot of time in the forefront, so I was sometimes a little confused as to which story was leading, and which was following. There is quite a bit of overlap and that muddied the waters for me a fair bit too.

Similar to other books in this series I found the writing to be quite gritty and the characters realistic but a little harsh and lean. Readers who prefer softer police thrillers or a more country or rural feel to their crimes definitely might not find this story hits the spot with them. I will admit though that some of the darker aspects and internal questioning from DI Thorne didn’t strike me in this book as quite as heavy as I’ve felt it was in previous books. The feel and tone of this book was still gritty and very urban, but I didn’t feel it was as bleak in this book as I’ve thought it was in the previous few books.

I could believe that having two different, but equally strong plotlines might not sit well with some readers – in some respects this felt like Tom and the team had their attention divided between the two big cases. While I can empathize with this, and agree I usually don’t enjoy this style of writing, in this book I felt having the two cases didn’t feel like padding but more felt as if Tom and his team had their plates full and it helped solidify the image throughout the story that there were multiple balls in the air and everything was quite hectic and tilting out of control. Which is how you’d think life might feel for a police officer when rival gangs were virtually in a turf war and everything was spiraling.

Gritty and realistic, this was an excellent although slightly uncomfortable read. With plenty of plot and action this isn’t a gentle murder mystery but a lean and hard British police procedural. I enjoyed it and am eager for the next in the series.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Singularity Minus Twelve by Karl Hörnell

August 1, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Singularity Minus Twelve by Karl Hörnell
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In a near future where artificial general intelligence has been achieved, AIs that develop self-awareness are becoming a problem. Difficult to contain, they are often hunted and destroyed, but a team of exceptional ones has been spared to take down the most dangerous rogue AI of all time.

Singularity Minus Twelve is a sci-fi thriller that delves into the near-term philosophical and societal implications of artificial intelligence, while having some fun playing with characters inspired by popular fictional AIs.

Intelligence isn’t always a good thing.

I liked reading about the societal changes that had taken place as people adjusted to spending time with robots that had feelings and could think independently. With humans being what we are, there were a wide variety of reactions to artificial intelligence, not all of which were necessarily positive. While I’ll leave it up to others readers to discover exactly what those reactions were, I thought they rang true to how people have responded to other big adjustments in our various cultures over time.

Having such a large cast of characters made it tricky for me to get to know any of them well. While this was a fast-paced, plot-driven piece and I wouldn’t expect anyone to spend too much time talking about themselves, it would have been easier for this reader to connect with the characters if I had more information about simple things like their personalities and interests. Knowing their occupations was certainly important, but there is so much more to any person than what they do for a living. I needed more details in this area in order to feel comfortable choosing a higher rating.

Some of the most interesting scenes were the ones that explored what it means for a robot to be intelligent and sentient. Given how many different definitions can exist for both of those terms, there was plenty of space here to ask the audience and the characters to be more specific about what we mean when we talk about those ideas and how human understandings of them might not always translate well when we’re talking about machines instead.

Singularity Minus Twelve was a wild ride.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , ,

Ride ‘Em Cowboy by Anne Kane

July 28, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Ride ‘Em Cowboy by Anne Kane
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When Fiona sees a gorgeous cowboy ride up on his Harley, she figures it’s her lucky day. Bikers don’t do forever, right? Her perfect match!

She really isn’t in the market for a lover, or a partner, or some guy to give her a sappy-sweet happily ever after. Been there, done that, got the scars to prove it. They can tell each other a few lies, scratch each other’s itches, then go their separate ways.

The last thing she needs is to hook up with some guy she’ll smack headlong into at church tomorrow. She just wants a nice one-night stand. She plans to be long gone come breakfast time.

Simple, right? So how did it all go so very wrong?

Fiona is not in the market for happily ever after. What she wants is a one-night stand, a quick time to scratch an itch or two then never see them again is what she’s after. Seeing them again is not part of her very simple plan – so how did it all go so wrong?

I found this to be an enjoyable short story. This was a well written story with strongly believable, relatable characters and a fun, lighthearted tone. The chemistry between Fiona and Wyatt sizzled off the page and the heat between them was scorching. That also helped make Fiona’s lack of discipline when Wyatt turned up in her orbit again understandable.

I enjoyed the attraction and chemistry between the two main characters and found their back-story and reasons for being so firmly in the no-strings-attached category should be something most readers can relate to.

Modern and fast-paced, this an enjoyable and quick read. I was pleased that the story really revolved mostly around Fiona and Wyatt, so I feel that none of the previous Rooster stories need to be read to thoroughly enjoy this story. A quick and good read, I’d be happy to read more by this author.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Innocent & Sweet by Megan Slayer

July 22, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Innocent & Sweet by Megan Slayer
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Anissa Dunn wants one man — Kameron. He’s got looks, brains and a boatload of attitude… and all that muscle. A girl can only take so much, and he’s her heart’s desire. She’s not afraid to give as good as she gets and she wants him to be her teacher in all things carnal.

There’s only one catch — he’s her bodyguard and the rules state she can’t date the staff.

But rules are meant to be broken…

Anissa knew she wasn’t meant to want her bodyguard, Kam, but she couldn’t help herself. She might be a virgin, but she was certain what she wanted – now if only she could capture Kam’s attention. When her plan didn’t go exactly to plan Anissa figured she’d missed her chance, only Kam has finally caught on and now he’s being offered everything he wants he can’t deny either of them their chance to be happy.

This is a steamy and fun short story. In some respects, this book is a little cliched – but the author made both Anissa and Kam modern and relatable. With an understandable set of mutual goals – both the lusty and safety kind – this quick read had a solid plot and plenty of steam to capture most readers’ attention. Readers might not find this story as unique as they would hope, but the tone was light and fun – and just a little tongue in cheek in places – and the chemistry between Anissa and Kam was intense and satisfying.

Find yourself a nice cool drink and disengage your brain. Readers can just sit back, relax and enjoy being carried away by this short story and the shenanigans these two come up with together. The book is flirty and fun and just a little spicy, exactly what you’d want in a quick, short story.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

A Kiss In The Dark by Shelby Morgen

July 16, 2025 By Leave a Comment


A Kiss In The Dark by Shelby Morgen
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Stranded. Nothing to warm her but the heat of his body. A stranger, holding her in the dark.

She wanted things she had no right to even imagine. Ever since she’d taken The Purity Test online the questions have been nagging her.

Have you ever:

* Had sex on the first date?
* Had sex with someone whose name you did not know?
* Had sex with someone whose face you never saw?
* Had sex with someone where there was an age difference of more than 20 years?

No. Not her. She hadn’t done anything. Ever. Until the storm of the century dropped her in the arms of a stranger. Now she can’t get him out of her mind…

Ever since a good friend showed her The Purity Test, Jen has struggled to get it – and her abnormally high score – out of her mind. So when a freak storm has her briefly stranded in the dark with a very warm stranger, Jen throws caution to the wind. Can a kiss in the dark between two strangers change everything for the both of them?

I really enjoyed this short story. While it began along a well-worn line I was pleased there were a few differences that set this story apart from many of its similar tales. The fact that neither of the main characters were young was an added bonus for me, and I found myself quickly and eagerly reading along to see how the rest of the tale would unfold.

While the Purity Test has been around for a very long time, I found this hint of nostalgia refreshing and quite an enjoyable vehicle to move the plot along. Readers looking for a comfortable but still sexy and fun quick read should find this absolutely fits the bill. I found the attraction between Jen and Tom believable – even with the speed with which they connected – and while it did feel a little like insta-lust to me I thought the author handled the plot very well and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

A quick and steamy story, this is a fun and lighthearted read.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Black Summer by M.W. Craven

July 14, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Black Summer by M.W. Craven
Publisher: Constable
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Jared Keaton, chef to the stars. Charming. Charismatic. Psychopath . . . He’s currently serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his daughter, Elizabeth. Her body was never found and Keaton was convicted largely on the testimony of Detective Sergeant Washington Poe.

So when a young woman staggers into a remote police station with irrefutable evidence that she is Elizabeth Keaton, Poe finds himself on the wrong end of an investigation, one that could cost him much more than his career.

Helped by the only person he trusts, the brilliant but socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw, Poe races to answer the only question that matters: how can someone be both dead and alive at the same time?

And then Elizabeth goes missing again – and all paths of investigation lead back to Poe.

A number of years ago, DS Washington Poe was instrumental in getting Jared Keaton – renown celebrity chef – put away for life for murdering his daughter, Elizabeth. So when a young woman staggers into a remote police station and all the blood work confirms that she’s the six years missing Elizabeth, no one is under more scrutiny than Poe. Racing against time before he’s railroaded with internal investigations, Poe and Tilly have to find answers for some critical questions.

This is the second book in the Washington Poe series, and I found it just as well plotted and well-paced as the first. Tilly is still hands down my favourite character – I don’t know how the author manages to get her to be so relatable and enjoyable while being so very different, but I find Tilly refreshing, delightful and just a joy to read. Obviously, I quite enjoy Poe as well, but I have to admit the first few chapters were very Poe-centric and while I found them good reading and I was happily sucked into the story, I noticed a real shift and heightening of my enthusiasm of the book when Tilly came more onto the stage.

I really felt this book had some solid twists and turns in the plot. While I could foresee a few of them, quite a few of the twists took me by surprise and this absolutely delighted me. I’ve read a huge number of mysteries and so I often don’t expect to be really taken by surprise by a plot twist. There were a few I didn’t catch in this book and that was lovely and refreshing to me.

While I did find this book slightly grittier than the more usual British police procedural style of mystery, I definitely didn’t find the pace to be action riddled. I thought this was certainly more of a step-by-step investigation – and those are the style of books I usually prefer – but the subject and the general air of Poe and his working methods were a little on the edgier and grittier side than many British books that I read, so I do feel that’s something readers should be conscious of before setting out in this series.

I thought this book stood very well by itself – as the second in the series there isn’t an enormous history or past to these characters and the mystery plot absolutely is well encased in this book alone and doesn’t have any lurking connections to other books. Readers should feel quite comfortable picking this up by itself and enjoying it in full. A solid mystery and I’m eager for the next in the series.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Lazybones by Mark Billingham

July 10, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Lazybones by Mark Billingham
Publisher: Sphere
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

The first corpse was found hooded, bound, and naked, kneeling on a bare mattress in a seedy hotel room. This was no ordinary murder but rather the work of a killer driven by something special, something spectacular. The fact that the dead man was a convicted rapist recently released from prison only increases the bizarre nature of the gruesome crime … and the police’s reluctance to apprehend the perpetrator. It’s the body count that troubles Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, as brutal slaying follows brutal slaying, each victim more deserving than the last. Though he has no sympathy for the dead, Thorne knows he must put an end to a cruelly calculating vigilante’s bloody justice before time runs out — and a horrifically efficient serial killer targets a life worth fighting for.

DI Tom Thorne and his team are pulled into a new investigation when a recently released convicted rapist is brutally murdered. While plenty of his colleagues feel this was simply justice being meted out, Thorne knows they still have a job to do. And when a second recently released rapist is killing in a nearly identical manner, Thorne knows things will only get more difficult from here on in.

I’ve been enjoying this slightly darker, gritty British police procedural series. I’m pleased that the main character isn’t some perfect hero – he’s a fairly regular guy and has his share of flaws. I also am enjoying getting to know Holland, Thorne’s colleague, and delve a little more into the complications of his personal life as Holland and Thorne become more friendly with each other.

I could understand if this won’t be every reader’s cup of tea. British crime novels often have a slightly different tone, and this series is no exception. A little grittier, a little harder in some respects I personally find this sort of story well worth the effort of reading. I admit that I guessed a few aspects to this mystery about halfway through the book, though I was wrong about a few of the other points that I missed so there was still plenty in this book that did keep me in the dark. I thoroughly enjoyed the complications and twists in the plot and ended up very happy with the final few chapters and everything untangling itself.

Readers looking for a different style of murder mystery book and who don’t mind the different British style of writing should give this series a try.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Murder In The Village by Faith Martin

July 8, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Murder In The Village by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A would-be politician is found battered to death in the kitchen of his expensive home in a lovely Oxfordshire village. His wife’s alibi is full of holes and there’s another woman in the background. And what about his seemingly mild-mannered political rival?

DI Hillary Greene tries to get to the bottom of this perplexing murder. She certainly doesn’t think the prime suspect is as guilty as everyone thinks.

Just as she’s about to make a breakthrough, everything is turned upside down by a fatal development in another case she is working on . . .

Can Hillary find the murderer and will she survive a brush with one of Oxford’s most dangerous criminals?

DI Hillary Greene and her team is called in to investigate when a would-be politician is found battered to death in his own home. The complications arise almost immediately and Hillary is determined to get to the bottom of everything. But just as she gets traction in this case her world is upturned when events surrounding a different case take a deadly turn and soon Hillary has far more than one murder on her plate.

I have been really enjoying this series, and I felt this book was an excellent addition. Hillary is a character I really love – forty-something, logical and tenacious – I feel there’s plenty for many readers to enjoy. With a strong cast of interesting secondary characters lending Hillary support and a few intriguing across-the-series plotlines slowly gathering steam I am beginning to buy the subsequent books in this series more quickly as I eagerly read my way through.

I was particularly pleased that a few of the longer-running story arcs not only made headway, but a few even got some resolution which was very satisfying to read. I do admit there seemed to be two main plotlines to this story – Hillary’s murdered politician, but also a secondary investigation Hillary is drawn into. Between these two plots the book has a decent pace and a bit more action than I’m used to reading in a British police procedural style of book, but I found it exciting and well written so am eager to jump into the next book in the series.

Readers looking for an interesting and well plotted murder mystery series should enjoy this book, though I do recommend readers going back to book 1 and starting this series fresh.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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