Mad as Birds by M.C. Schmidt


Mad as Birds by M.C. Schmidt
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Moving to an intentional community is supposed to be a fresh start for Milo. No Internet or television. Complete isolation from the outside world. He doesn’t love the idea of moving, but his brother has been in charge since their parents’ accident, and Milo knows better than to question him. Besides, it’s not like there’s anything to stay for, not after the recent incident that got him expelled from school and made him a social pariah.

Milo is intrigued when he learns their new home was once a retreat for famous artists. He’s a talented painter himself. So, when a spectral woman begins to show up whenever he’s at his easel, he initially takes her for a muse. Seduced by the quality of the work they’re making, he doesn’t notice the control she’s gaining over him. By the time he learns her true intentions, it might be too late for him to overpower her—but if he can’t find a way soon, she’s going to force him to slaughter every resident of the community.

The past can never be forgotten.

Milo was a wonderfully nuanced character. The incident that got him expelled from school was a serious one, and I was intrigued by the fact that so many different versions of that story were floating around. Other readers should decide for themselves which version of it they believe as they’re reading, of course, but I enjoyed the contradictions between them as I tried to figure out if the protagonist’s recollection of it was the full truth or maybe something else entirely.

It would have been helpful to have deeper plot development. I noticed a few plot holes related to how the residents of the intentional community ended up living in an old, abandoned mansion that I wished had been explained in greater detail as that aspect was quickly brushed over. There were so many excellent reasons why the average person would not want to live in such an isolated and run-down place where using a cellphone or laptop was forbidden that this reader needed some stronger counterarguments for why this was the best option for all of them. This is something I’m saying as someone who was otherwise excited to check this tale out and really wanted to give it a higher rating.

With that being said, I did enjoy the plot twists involving the paranormal elements of the storyline. They aren’t that commonly used in this genre these days from what I’ve observed, so I was curious to find out how they would play out in this universe as the same patterns played out over and over again as the characters attempted to break the cycle. This is the sort of theme I love reading about in this genre, and it makes me curious to check out more stories from the author in the future.

Mad as Birds was a wild ride.

The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien


The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

A young man comes of age and crosses continents in search of an identity—and a cause—at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War in a thrilling, timely, and emotional historical saga.

New York City, 1929. Young Theo Sterling’s world begins to unravel as the Great Depression exerts its icy grip. He finds it hard to relate to his parents: His father, a Jewish self-made businessman, refuses to give up on the American dream, and his mother, a refugee from religious persecution in Mexico, holds fast to her Catholic faith. When disaster strikes the family, Theo must learn who he is. A charismatic school friend and a firebrand girl inspire him to believe he can fight Fascism and change the world, but each rebellion comes at a higher price, forcing Theo to question these ideologies too.

From New York’s Lower East Side to an English boarding school to an Andalusian village in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Theo’s harrowing journey from boy to man is set against a backdrop of societies torn apart from within, teetering on the edge of a terrible war to which Theo is compulsively drawn like a moth to a flame.

Simon Tolkien’s “The Palace at the End of the Sea” promises a sweeping historical saga centered on a young man’s coming-of-age during the tumultuous lead-up to the Spanish Civil War. The synopsis paints a compelling picture of Theo Sterling, a young New Yorker grappling with identity and purpose as the Great Depression reshapes the world around him. Caught between his father’s unwavering belief in the American dream and his mother’s devout Catholic faith rooted in Mexican refugee experience, Theo’s foundation crumbles when personal tragedy strikes. The promise of a journey spanning continents, fueled by youthful idealism and a desire to combat Fascism, certainly piques interest.

Tolkien’s strength lies in his prose. The writing is well-done, suggesting a level of sophistication and craftsmanship that should appeal to readers who appreciate beautifully written historical fiction. The historical setting seems well-researched and convincingly rendered. The grounding in real-world events of the late 1920s and 1930s in New York and Spain provides a solid backdrop for Theo’s personal narrative. The novel captures the clash of cultures in the late 1930s and the pervasive uncertainty surrounding the looming war in Spain.

However, the novel’s potential weaknesses also warrant consideration. The characters could perhaps have a little more depth, particularly the protagonist, and their motivations could at times be more precise.

Also, sometimes the story’s pace could be quickened. A sprawling historical narrative needs a strong narrative drive to keep the reader invested.

Overall, the book is worth the read, a well-written historical tale.

Cowboy for Annabell by Jovie Grace


Cowboy for Annabell by Jovie Grace
Mail-Order Brides on the Run series, Book One
Publisher: JG Press
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

To dodge a group of ruthless debt collectors, an impoverished southern belle agrees to become the mail-order bride of a rugged cowboy in this sweetly suspenseful historical romance!
After refusing to marry the cruel new owner of her childhood home, Annabelle Lane finds herself on the run from the scoundrels he hires to change her mind. In desperation, she signs a mail-order bride contract and hops on the next train, praying the groom she is matched with is a man worth running toward.

The most sought-after range rider in the west, Ethan Vasquez is highly skilled at protecting livestock from bears, wolves, and rustlers. But it’s a job that leaves no time for courting, no matter how determined he is to have a family of his own someday. When a dare from friends has him scrambling to send off for a mail-order bride, he never imagines how quickly she will arrive or how much trouble will follow. It’s a good thing he knows a thing or two about handling predators. He can only hope she finds his heavily scarred hands worth joining with hers in holy matrimony after the first wave of danger is past.

An engaging, faith-rooted romance with heart and hope.

I’ll be honest—I can’t imagine being desperate enough to sign a mail-order bride contract, but for Annabelle, the heroine in this story, there truly was no other option. After losing her family, her home, and her way of life, she’d endured more than most, and the pressure of Mr. Featherfall’s vile behavior left her with a single escape route. Thank goodness she had her dear friends—Penelope, Olivia, Magnolia, Emmaline, and Eliza Jane—who had also suffered during the war. Their fierce loyalty and resourcefulness helped her survive long enough to board that life-changing train.

This is where the plot really takes off. The author masterfully paints Mr. Featherfall as the kind of villain you love to hate, and I found myself flipping pages anxiously, just waiting for Annabelle to meet her prospective groom. I was praying right alongside her and her friends that this cowboy would be kind, stable, and capable of rescuing her from her dire situation.

Enter Ethan Vasquez—and wow, what an entrance! Like Annabelle, my eyes went wide at their first meeting. He made an unforgettable impression, and I quickly grew fond of his tight knit, loving family. Their warm, protective embrace of Annabelle was a highlight of the story for me.

Despite the hopeful new beginning, Annabelle’s troubles didn’t instantly vanish. The plot held strong with tension, conflict, and well-paced twists that kept me deeply invested. I had full faith in Ethan’s unwavering desire to keep Annabelle safe—his strength and protective nature were truly admirable.

The romance between Ethan and Annabelle is sweet, respectful, and gently passionate. While their chemistry is clear, the intimacy is implied rather than explicit, which I appreciated. Their emotional connection is built on kindness, honesty, and patience. Watching them slowly open up to one another was both satisfying and heartwarming.

As someone who enjoys faith-based romance, I was comfortable with the light inspirational thread woven throughout. However, there is one particular scene with a strong spiritual tone that felt a bit jarring compared to the rest of the book’s more subtly integrated messages. Even as someone who values scripture, the shift in tone caught me off guard, though the story soon returned to its original flow.

The author did a fantastic job establishing a core group of characters with rich backstories, and I’m already tempted to dive into book two, which focuses on Penelope and one of Ethan’s brothers (yes, I read the sneak peek!). Ethan’s family and Annabelle’s circle of friends are sure to bring more heartwarming moments in the next installment.

Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight


Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

There are no female publishing CEOs in 1960’s New York. And that is exactly what savvy, ambitious Bernadette Swift plans to change.

Bernadette Swift, a young copyeditor at Lenox & Park Publishing, is determined to become the first female CEO in the publishing industry. But first she needs to take the next step up that ladder with a promotion that her boorish and sexist boss wants to thwart. Seeking a base of support, Bernadette joins a feminist women’s book club at the New York Public Library, and soon, she’s inspiring her fellow members to challenge the male gatekeepers and decades of ingrained sexism in their workplaces and pursue their personal and professional dreams.

And that is precisely what Bernadette does on a daily basis: keeps her eye on the prize―equality for women in the workplace, and a promotion―while fending off the ire of her boss and the sabotaging efforts of a jealous coworker. With the support of her book club buddies and a certain charismatic editor at Lenox & Park who has completely fallen for her, maybe, just maybe, Bernadette will prove able to claim victory for herself and the young women coming after her.

She’s not about to be left at a desk to be a secretary.

This is a new twist on the romance genre because this character, Bernadette, isn’t a shrinking violet. She’s determined to get what she wants and I loved that.

This was a quick read and fun. I’m glad I read it. I will say the chapters from the dog’s perspective, while funny, didn’t always add to the narrative. I would’ve liked to have had Bernadette’s perspective all the way through. I do like the innovation in adding the dog and seeing things from his perspective, but it would’ve been more dynamic from just Bernadette’s POV.

Still, I liked her pluckiness. She’s not about to be bullied or shrink to the background. I loved her pushiness and know this is the kind of book readers of all genre-preferences would enjoy.

If you want a book that’s a good throwback to the ’60s and a fun beach read, then this might be the book for you. Give it a try!

Missing in Miskatonic by JP Behrens


Missing in Miskatonic by JP Behrens
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Step into the shadowed streets of 1928 Arkham, where Miskatonic University holds secrets darker than the night.

In this supernatural thriller reminiscent of Raymond Chandler and H.P. Lovecraft, Private Detective Travis Daniels is thrust into a harrowing investigation when a young woman disappears without a trace. As Daniels delves deeper into the labyrinthine mysteries of the storied New England city, he uncovers a web of sinister cults, ancient rituals, and eldritch horrors that threaten not only his own sanity but the fabric of reality itself.

Set against a city steeped in occult lore and clandestine experiments, Missing in Miskatonic blends elements of hard-boiled detective fiction with chilling supernatural encounters. Daniels navigates treacherous alliances and confronts malevolent entities lurking in the shadows, all while racing against time to unravel the truth behind the girl’s disappearance.

With a narrative that grips from the first page, this novella combines suspense, mystery, and cosmic terror in a gripping tale where every clue leads deeper into the abyss. From the enigmatic corridors of Miskatonic to the eerie gatherings of the Silver Twilight Lodge, Daniels must confront his own demons as he battles forces beyond human comprehension.

Mercy isn’t guaranteed.

Travis was an intelligent protagonist who made it impossible for me to stop rooting for him. I enjoyed seeing him push the boundaries of where he was supposed to go while he attempted to find out what happened to the missing girl. Every time someone thwarted his investigation, he doubled back and looked for a different way to gather clues, often while making others believe he might give up this time. He teetered on the edge of making risky decisions but never went so far that I thought he was overstepping or revealing his plan too early. This was a delicate balance to maintain at times, but it kept this cautious reader interested from beginning to end.

It would have been helpful to have stronger plot development in this piece. The setting was deliciously scary, but there wasn’t enough conflict to keep my interest levels high despite the fact that I was excited to read something inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s work. There was plenty of space here to add more details and flesh out the plot twists that were already included, and I would have happily gone for a higher rating if that had occurred. This was a world I didn’t want to stop reading about.

I enjoyed the dream-like qualities of many of the scenes whether they were subtle or overt. For example, the university was open for business and yet scarcely any students could be seen on campus. This was something that unnerved Travis – and honestly this reader as well – and yet the other characters behaved as if it were perfectly normal for a campus to be almost completely empty at what should have been one of its busiest times of the year. Later scenes at a local sanitarium were much more blatantly the stuff of nightmares, especially in the areas of that building that most visitors would not be allowed to explore, and I thought it was interesting to compare Travis’ reactions to them after seeing what he thought of the quieter signs that something was wrong with that community earlier on.

Missing in Miskatonic was moody and atmospheric in a good way. I look forward to reading any sequels to it that may be released in the future.

Here, Now, and Forever by J.S. Frankel


Here, Now, and Forever by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Extasy Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A flight into danger. A portal to another world. Adventures, danger, a new beginning, and a romance that spans forever.

Carl Goodman, a Merchant Marine sailor during World War Two, is shipwrecked off the coast of China and a temporary visitor at an American airfield, finally scores a ride to India to ship out on another vessel. Accompanying him is Ruby Matthews, a black nurse with her own set of problems.

Bad weather forces their plane to crash on an escarpment high in the Himalayas. As the only survivors with minimal supplies, they take refuge inside a cave where they discover a portal that leads them into an almost Eden-like garden.

After starting at odds, Carl and Ruby come to an understanding, and romance builds over time. However, their peace is interrupted by the arrival of an alien called Norlok, who has an agenda of his own. Defeating him is only part of the problem.

When rescue finally arrives, they find that eighty-five years have passed, yet they’ve retained their youth—until they return to the US, where they begin to rapidly age. Getting back to their garden is of prime importance, but will they be in time?

Anything can happen during a war.

Mr. Frankel’s plot twists are one of the reasons why I have consistently requested his books over the years. He knows exactly how many hints to hide away in his stories to give his readers a taste of what is to come without making it too easy to figure out where he’s going next. This makes the reading and reviewing process effortless because I am always confident that he’s going to keep me on my toes and throw a few curve balls my way as the plot spins off in a new direction. As always, this was such a fun combination of genres, and I loved seeing how he used World War II to leap off into times and places I never would have otherwise associated with that era. Without giving away too many details, there is a peaceful garden in this book that I found especially surprising and relaxing.

I would have liked to see more time spent developing the military subplot. Their reaction to Carl and Ruby’s existence was intriguing at first but didn’t quite make sense to me later on. Having more information about why they responded the way that they did and how willing they were to go along with almost anything the protagonists wanted would have made this a stronger book in my opinion. It is a minor criticism of something I otherwise enjoyed reading quite a bit.

Some of the most memorable scenes for me were the ones that explored what it feels like to be part of a minority group, whether that’s related to race, gender, religion, or other factors. Not everyone who is part of one or more of these groups has the same experiences, of course, but there is overlap between them that I think is helpful for everyone to take note of. The more compassion we feel for each other as human beings, the better if you ask me! While I can’t go into details about exactly what these characters went through without sharing spoilers, it was well worth my time and is something I think readers from every background should explore.

Here, Now, and Forever was adventurous.

The Female Hypnotist: Stories from the Victorian and Edwardian Eras Edited by Donald K Hartman


The Female Hypnotist: Stories from the Victorian and Edwardian Eras Edited by Donald K Hartman
Publisher: Themes & Settings in Fiction Press
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rated: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

A collection of twelve short stories and two novelettes from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, organized around the theme of the female hypnotist. The book also contains an extensive annotated bibliography of 19th and early 20th century novels, dimes novels, and short stories having female hypnotists/mesmerists as characters.

To capture a phrase from one of the stories herein: These collected works generate a ‘curious fascination’ in the reader. Are they thrillers? I would say, more chillers: These are clever, unpredictable tales, with varying levels of a creepiness factor.

The first is both eerie and intriguing, as well as beautifully written–by Louisa May Alcott in fact, although this story might not quite fit what we expect from her. We begin ‘A Pair of Eyes; or Modern Magic,’ with misgiving, as from the opening paragraph we hear mention of Lady Macbeth, and quite a fascination with her eyes…

‘The Facts of the Ratcliff Case,’ by Edward Page Mitchell likewise fascinates, as we immediately begin to speculate that our main character was hypnotized, purposefully, at the start. At first it seems quite a friendly event…but then, we begin to suspect purpose…

From revenge to mystery, scandal to outrage, each has its strange appeal. I was startled to find more than one Arthur Conan Doyle work here – and yet, they fit. They do indeed fit.

The pace of these stories, along with their presentation of mood, all are well suited to one another. They seem indeed to draw the reader into them, until we feel the ‘haunting’ of each, far more than simply reading it. They share a cleverness of language, situation, and are utterly unpredictable.

I recommend this work to anyone looking for the unpredictable, or readers who enjoy the paranormal.

For Love’s Sake by Kelli A. Wilkins


For Love’s Sake by Kelli A. Wilkins
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

She left everything behind to be with him.
He risked losing everything to stay with her.
They were willing to sacrifice everything… for love’s sake

Through a case of mistaken identity, Prince Kevan of Alborg narrowly avoids an assassination attempt and wakes to find himself trapped in mad King Torok’s rat-infested dungeon. Just when he is about to give up hope, he is rescued by an unlikely ally—Torok’s daughter, Princess Adrianna.

Adrianna is desperate to flee her father’s kingdom and agrees to help the handsome stranger escape, but only if he takes her with him when he leaves. Although Kevan knows bringing Adrianna home will not sit well with his father and lead to other complications, he agrees.

They make their way to a waiting ship captained by Kevan’s brother, Mikhael, and set sail for Alborg. Along the way they are lost at sea during a ferocious storm, battle a murderous mercenary sent by Adrianna’s father, and try to deny their intense romantic feelings for each other.

When they arrive in Alborg, Kevan’s father, King Lenard, disapproves of Adrianna and drops the bombshell that Kevan is already engaged to be married. While Kevan tries to get out of the arranged marriage, Mikhael introduces Adrianna to members of the nobility in an effort to win over the king.

At his engagement ball, Kevan is forced to choose between his duty to his father and his loyalty to Adrianna. Soon after, Adrianna is kidnapped and Kevan and Mikhael band together to hunt down her abductors and rescue her before it’s too late.

Yes, it’s true that the heroine, Adrianna, left everything behind to be with the hero, Kevan—but the reality is, she didn’t have much to leave behind. Her father certainly wasn’t winning any “Father of the Year” awards. On the other hand, Kevan risked everything, including his life, to be with Adrianna—and that kind of sacrifice was utterly swoon-worthy. Since both of them were putting so much on the line, I felt compelled to put my own life on hold and read For Love’s Sake uninterrupted.

Kelli A. Wilkins is one of my favorite authors, and this book is another perfect example of why. Her writing is fast-paced, vivid, and always emotionally gripping. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! With a whirlwind of mistaken identity, being lost at sea, abduction, and a steamy romance, there was never a dull moment. I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen next—and I loved every second of it.

In fact, I feel like I need to read this book a second time just to savor it properly. I devoured it the first time, rushing to the next scene because I couldn’t wait to see what came next. If you enjoy historical romance filled with drama, danger, and a deeply satisfying happily-ever-after, I highly recommend For Love’s Sake.

Wolf of the Nordic Sea by Jennifer Ivy Walker


Wolf of the Nordic Sea by Jennifer Ivy Walker
Genre: Historical Fiction, Paranormal Romance
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

Named after the Norse God of the Sea, Njörd grew up sailing, swimming, and fishing the fjords of Norway. Endowed with extraordinary senses, speed, and strength, he became known as Wolf of the Nordic Seas, leading lucrative Viking raids from the Baltic shores to the Black and Caspian Seas. When a Viking völva foretells his future through a seidr vision, Njörd learns that his fate and his mate—the siren with the sea goddess eyes—lie on the alabaster coast of Normandy in the distant Land of the White Chalk Cliffs.

Elfi Thorfinnsdóttir is a skilled shieldmaiden who seeks vengeance against the ruthless Frankish count who killed her brother and abducted her father in an attempt to seize her clifftop castle. But rather that submit to the count’s relentless demand for her hand in marriage, Elfi allies with Richard the Fearless—the Viking Duke of Normandy— and the Danish Jarl of Ribe known as the Wolf of the Nordic Seas.

As Elfi and Njörd discover startling secrets about their respective pasts, they find that the three Norns have entwined the threads of their fates not just as political allies, but as mates destined to fulfill a divine prophecy.

Wolf of the Nordic Seas— book 2 of the Valiant Vikings series set in tenth century Normandy— is a sizzling, scintillating blend of historical fiction, Norse mythology, paranormal fantasy, and steamy Viking romance!

This is the second book of Jennifer Ivy Walker’s Valiant Vikings series but can completely stand on its own. The characters in the first book make an appearance but this is very much Njörd and Elfi’s story.

I really enjoyed the first book (you can see that review here,) but I think I enjoy this one even more! I especially loved the addition of sjóvættir and Úlfhéðnar, akin to the mermaids and werewolves. The similarities and the differences were quite enjoyable.

This book, however, does leave us with a bit of a cliffhanger as Elvi and Njörd’s story does not come to a complete resolution, but don’t let that put you off. The third book of the series should be out soon… and I can’t wait, because it features one of my favorite couples from book one. I’m so excited!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead


The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Publisher: Anchor
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Review by Snowdrop

When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.

The Nickel Boys is historical fiction. However, it is based on a true story of a reform school for boys located in Florida. The Dozier School for Boys was opened in 1900. Even with its rumors of abuse and cruelty as well as periodic investigations, this school changed the lives of or ended the lives of many boys throughout 111 years. The main character is a young black kid named Elwood. His journey through his time there made this seem very real. Sometimes it was hard to separate fact from fiction.

This brings up my need to say this is a hard book to read. It’s difficult to think such things could live in our society in front of our faces for so long. Whitehead is called a storyteller and there can be no question it’s the perfect description.

I think you could spend a long time mulling over whether this was a good or a bad book. I don’t think you will ever wonder if it is well-written because every page demonstrates what a talent this author has. In my mind it was a good book and one I needed to read; one everyone should read. A Pulitzer Prize book that needs to be added to the mandatory school reading list as a classic.

Difficult as some of this might be to face, don’t miss out on such an overwhelming yet special 5 star read.