Coming Up For Air by Tom Daley

February 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Coming Up For Air by Tom Daley
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary, Memoir
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

A deeply personal and inspiring memoir from the celebrated Olympic gold medal diver and LGBTQ+ advocate

Tom Daley is one of the most beloved athletes of our time, having competed as a diver in four Olympics, garnering medals and finally, in 2021 in Tokyo, winning gold. But few people know the realities of his life beyond the pool—his struggles, his secret triumphs and the mindset he needed to cultivate to become a champion.

In this deeply personal book, Tom explores the experiences that have shaped him and the qualities that brought him success and joy—from the resilience he developed competing at a world-class level, to the courage he discovered while reclaiming the narrative around his sexuality, to the perspective that family life has brought him.

Inspiring, candid and compulsively readable, Coming Up for Air offers an intimate window into the life and mindset of an athlete and advocate who has left an indelible imprint on sports.

A diver, a career and a long journey.

Tom Daley is well known for his time in the pool. He’s a professional diver and he’s competed at the highest levels. If you watched him in London in 2012, then there was some fantastic diving. This book is about that, but it’s also about him as a person. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill autobiography. It’s almost like a conversation with friends and a self-therapy session. The writing flows well, again like a conversation among friends, and kept me engaged throughout.

Daley talks about his struggles in the pool. It’s not always great and sometimes it’s bad. He talks about how he got through those times and honestly, it was helpful to see how he dealt with his struggles. He’s relatable. I liked learning about his journey to meeting and marrying his husband as well as his struggles in and out of the pool. Not because I wanted to see his faults, but it humanized him. He talks about his father being not the average sport parent, but just being a parent. When he’d struggle, his father wasn’t pushing him to the point of being terrible, but rather he pushed by not pushing. He let his son figure things out on his own. Reading about his father’s struggle with cancer and passing added a dimension to the story and again humanized them all.

If you’re looking for a sweet, funny at times, sad at times, but wholly engrossing, then this might be the book for you.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Finding Happiness by Susan Warner

February 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Finding Happiness by Susan Warner
Hidden Treasures Book 4
Publisher: EG Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

A treasure worth having is a treasure worth facing your past for.

When Olivia came to Markarava she found a place that gave her a voice and she didn’t’ have to hide herself or her ideas behind another person. Her insecurities shrunk but her loneliness grew. Growing up in a traditional family she was always told family or work. When she went to work her family didn’t understand why an attractive woman would turn away from the men who wanted to take care of her. As the town gets ready to celebrate the resilience of towns and families she tries to leave only to find she’s been volunteered because she’s so good at organizer the whole event.

Jeremy Collins can’t believe he’s working on the families are strong event. If it wasn’t for the fact that he needs the money to pay for a father in a home he wouldn’t’ even consider it. Jeremy knows he’s not good at relationships or families. Then when he’s teamed up with Livia from a nearby project he’s sure he’ll be stuck with Ms. Bubbles. Instead he finds a kindred soul.

As they organize the event, hear the stories that started the event they find the past doesn’t look bleak and maybe they can do the family and relationship thing, if they have the right person. Will they have the courage to trust and open their hearts to one another?

If a reader likes stories set in small towns, where the communities watch out for their own and like to play matchmakers, then this book might appeal. Both Olivia and Jeremy have friends in town who are trying to watch their backs for them, but at the same time believe they’re good for one another and try to guide Olivia and Jeremy towards their own happy-ever-after. Easier said than done.

Both the hero and heroine have noble traits in their personalities – they both believe in keeping promises, fulfilling obligations and won’t quit until there’s no option. That means stubbornness is a strong component in the story. Jeremy wants to take care of his aging father, and Olivia is searching for her missing baby sister. For some reason, one main character thinks they can work it out and be together, and the other believes those kinds of commitments preclude having a healthy long-term relationship. Those are some serious hurdles they both have to overcome and are one of the major plot points.

The dialogue was good, the sense of community was strong, the sub-romance between Caroline and Mark was appealing but it wrapped up in a quick disjointed manner. But I’m coming from not having read any of the previous books in the series. Perhaps it’ll be clearer for fans since they know the backstory. Parts of Finding Happiness were confusing at times but not enough to pull me out of the story. It was nice to have a solid HEA though because Finding Happiness has more of a ‘happy for now’ tone to it for the main characters. Perhaps I need to read book 5 in the series for the full effect. I’m pretty sure that’s the case because there’s a dangling plot thread that belongs to Olivia that has to be tied up. It’s mentioned in this story and progress is made, but for Olivia to be 100% happy, she needs closure. It makes sense that the last book in the series will dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s.

This was a good read, fine for passing the time in at a doctor’s appointment, or getting your oil changed. It’s a story about personal conflicts that need to be overcome before Olivia and Jeremy can move on towards their future together. It was engrossing and entertaining, and I enjoyed reading the book. It’s obvious to me that I’m going to have to read the final book in the series. Nothing like a little closure to make my day.

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

Borderlands by LJ Ross

February 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Borderlands by LJ Ross
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When the gods made man, they made a weapon…

After uncovering a fresh wave of corruption within the ranks of Northumbria CID, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan was looking forward to an uneventful summer. But, when a young woman is shot dead on the remote army ranges of the Northumberland National Park, Ryan is called in to investigate.

Meanwhile, violent crimes are being committed across sites of historic importance in the North East, the perpetrator leaving only a graffitied symbol as their calling card. As the body count rises, Ryan and his team must unravel the mystery behind its meaning – before it’s too late…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

DCI Ryan is called out to a tragic accident in the remote army ranges inside the Northumberland National Park. A woman has been shot during the night-time training sessions and they need to work out who she is and how she came to be so far out in the countryside. Meanwhile Jack and the newly promoted Mel remain back in town struggling to discover the group responsible for a series of arson attacks that appear to be motivated only to stir up hatred and fear. Can they solve both these cases before more people are killed?

I found this to be an interesting and well-paced mystery story. While there are two separate main plotlines running, I felt the author did a good job handling them equally and not letting one of the other take over too much of the story. I was also pleased we got a little bit more insight and movement in Ryan and Anna’s personal relationship which I felt was well-needed after the last few books where the plot – and Frank and Denise’s relationship – has taken more of the front seat.

Readers who haven’t read any of the previous book in this series should still be able to enjoy the two main murder plotlines. I feel they might struggle a little more with all the history and friendship between the main characters – as that has been well established over the last 14 books and so there’s that ease and familiarity that exists between them. That said, the plot and mystery is very well explained and unique to this book – so there’s no prior history needed for that. But readers might not have quite the emotional attachment to the characters if this is the first book they’re trying in this series.

Readers looking for an enjoyable British police procedural style of mystery novel should find this hits the spot. While there’s not a super fast plotline – more of a ‘who done it’ type of mystery and not an action or thriller with a fast pace – this is a solid story and I found it enjoyable.

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

A Halloween Tale by Stephanie Burke

February 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment


A Halloween Tale by Stephanie Burke
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Erotic Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Crawling across a wasteland, clutching her only salvation to her chest, she is battered, torn, and in need of tender loving care. She’s almost ready to give in to the darkness when an angel of mercy with a body made for sin comes to her aid.

But things aren’t always what they appear, and by the end of this Halloween tale, there’ll be hell to pay — even if she does get her way.

Determination will take her anywhere.

What can I say? I was thrilled with Ms. Burke’s creativity here and how quickly it answered all of the questions I had that I worried might be left as plot holes. There are so many things I wish I could say about the plot twist, but it’s one of those things that works best if new readers have no idea what to expect. She couldn’t have done a better job of tying up all of her loose ends, and she did so in less than 20 pages which makes it even more admirable.

I will admit to being a little skeptical of how quickly the two characters decided to add a sexual element to their relationship. It felt way too fast even for a short story, and I wondered why the author made that decision when the opening scene was such a bleak one. If you have the same reaction, hold onto that emotion but keep reading. This reaction is normal, and there are reasons why it was written this way.

The last paragraph surprisingly turned out to be my favorite one of them all. Not only did it match the themes of the tale nicely in general, but it also made me wonder if there might be a sequel in the works. I’d happily read one if it is ever published, and in the meantime, I will think about how well that final scene reinforced what was happening when I first met the main character.

A Halloween Tale was perfect.

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

Cupid Gone Weird by Stephanie Burke

February 17, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Cupid Gone Weird by Stephanie Burke
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Cupid only wants a little revenge on Chris Cringle, master of North Pole Industries and the bane of the Holidays’ existence. When he cracks open a bottle of stolen wassail, will one spilled drop give him everything he ever desired or will it be a tool for Chris to gain more control over the wayward Cupid? No one can really tell what will happen when Cupid Goes Weird.

Holy moly…what can happen when the holidays decide to play!

I love the work of Stephanie Burke. Her stories are always so inventive and fresh. They’re also hot. This one was no different. Valentine, aka Cupid, wants his holiday to have some prominence so he decides to stick it to Santa, aka Chris Kringle. How? By stealing some of his wassail.

This is a hot story, no doubt. There are moments where it almost tips into dubious consent, but I went into the story with the mentality that Rose was meant for Val. With that in mind, it’s hot. He pushes, which if one wants erotica heat, then this one fits the bill.

If you’re looking for something that’s hot, sizzles the page and is perfect for an afternoon read, then this one is for you.

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

Destined Prize by Bailey Bradford

February 17, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Destined Prize by Bailey Bradford
Publisher: Pride Publishing, Totally Entwined
Genre: Paranormal, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Sam’s imagination was never this wild.

Coywolf shifter Emil Akers is still trying to find his own place in their world, with his dominant tendencies making him butt heads with his big brother and alpha, Casey. After trying to strike out on his own, Emil’s back, farming his own ranch, the Lone Pine, and taking care of his sexual needs with one-nighters, usually far from the small town his pack lives in.

Sensing a story in the accounts of unearthly wild creatures in a small Wyoming town, aspiring reporter Sam Brannigan comes to Britton to research, not have a one-night stand. But after a few drinks and a dark promise from tall, dark and buff in cowboy boots, he happily submits. Submits totally, in fact.

The problem is that the one-nighter proves the two of them are destined mates. Another snag is that both Emil and Sam, two men from two very different backgrounds, are keeping secrets—and Emil’s could shatter Sam’s world.

And when someone seems determined to make the existence of shifters known, Emil and Sam are caught in the crossfire. All hell’s breaking loose, and what they both have to do to ensure the other survives could make their relationship one of the casualties.

All his life, people told Sam he was too imaginative. But he could never have imagined anything this wild…

A one night stand leading to forever? It just might happen.

I love the books of Bailey Bradford. As soon as I saw this one, I had to read it and I’m glad I did. The plot moves along swiftly, it’s hot and ticks all the right boxes. The writing is good, and I couldn’t get enough.

I liked Emil and Sam. They’re good together. I liked their dynamic, too. I love a good, destined mates story and this one fit the bill. Stories like this prove true love can happen and fast, if the conditions are right.

The mystery was good, and I liked how I wasn’t able to figure it right out. That’s always a plus for me. Now add in the steam and it’s a winner.

If you’re looking for something hot for a chilly night, then this might be the one for you.

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

If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura

February 17, 2023 By Leave a Comment


If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

The young postman’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family and living alone with only his cat, Cabbage, to keep him company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can tackle his bucket list, the devil shows up to make him an offer: In exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, the postman will be granted one extra day of life. And so begins a very strange week that brings the young postman and his beloved cat to the brink of existence.

With each object that disappears, the postman reflects on the life he’s lived, his joys and regrets, and the people he’s loved and lost.

This timeless tale from Genki Kawamura (producer of the Japanese blockbuster animated movie Your Name) is a moving story of loss and reconciliation, and of one man’s journey to discover what really matters most in life.

A young postman is facing his early death, and the devil visits him with an intriguing proposition. The young man will die within 24 hours unless… He will get one more day on earth is he agrees to the disappearance of one thing worldwide. This can go on indefinitely.

As the man makes one thing disappear after another, he sees the results of the world and people’s lives without that item. He does a lot of reflection on society and his life. Realizations hit him such as the truth about his relationships.

Some things are easy to make disappear, and then the idea of making cats disappear comes up. This young postman has a loyal feline companion named Cabbage. Cabbage adds some humor to this situation.

Now things have become a bit too tricky for the protagonist.

This is a thoughtful book, one with an interesting premise. It is not a fast mover, but readers will be curious to see what happens along the way and in the end.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Syndicate Rising by Amy Craig

February 16, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Syndicate Rising by Amy Craig
Publisher: Totally Entwined
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

A one-night stand turns serious…

Nina’s neighbor sets her up on a blind date with a handsome insurance salesman. After a candlelit dinner, Nina hooks up with him in a posh New York hotel room, but she writes off the date as a one-night stand. Returning home, she discovers her neighbor’s death, her dog’s abduction and the salesman’s possible involvement.

Traipsing across the city with her date in tow, she realizes he’s a quarrelsome billionaire and that her dog may never return. Grieving her losses, she accompanies her date to a ‘billionaire summer camp’ in Sun Valley, Idaho, but the idyllic setting revolves around his whims—and the person who took her dog follows them.

Suspenseful and intense.

It seems I’ve found the motherlode of suspense and intense stories of late. This one is no different. It’s steamy, but there’s a good mystery and fascinating characters. The writing plugs along well and kept me interested throughout. I needed to know what would happen next.

Nina goes on a blind date and ends up with Alessio. It’s not what either expects and that’s what I liked about it. It was not the normal blind date trope. The mystery is compelling. I wanted to know more. This is a fast paced story, too. I didn’t mind the pacing, but it did cause me to go back and reread a few times to be sure I caught everything.

It’s a hot story and I would’ve liked to have known what happened after the story, but that’s a testament to the author’s ability to make me care about the characters. I wanted more and it’s a good thing.

If you’re looking for a story with heat, heart and a mystery, then this might be the book for you.

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

Five Fortunes by Barbara Venkataraman

February 16, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Five Fortunes by Barbara Venkataraman
Publisher: Next Chapter
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Romance, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When five fourteen-year-old girls get their fortunes from an arcade machine just for kicks, it turns their world upside-down and their close-knit group of friends starts to fall apart.

Misunderstandings abound as allegiances shift and outsiders start to come between them. The fortunes seem to be self-fulfilling prophecies – whether the girls believe in them or not.

Do our beliefs color our perception of the world? Do we ever see ourselves the way others see us, and why is change so hard?

Budding romance, angry bees, teenage fashion influencers, and parents who just don’t get it make Barbara Venkataraman’s ‘Five Fortunes’ a fun story you won’t soon forget.

Fourteen is such a confusing age.

This was exactly the emotional rollercoaster I was hoping it would be! Not only are young teenagers dealing with the many changes that puberty brings, they’re also learning how to have friendships that are closer to the mature and complex relationships adults have than the ones little kids tend to have. It takes a lot of trial and error to make this transition, and the author captured that perfectly. I nodded along as the characters worked on their emotional regulation and figured out how to have more nuanced reactions to friends who disappointed or angered them.

I loved this story and all five of the main characters. My only criticism of them is how little time each character had to shine. This would have been a five-star read for me if it had either focused on only one character or been expanded into a full-length novel that could devote more time to developing all five protagonists and diving more deeply into their personalities, interests, and character development. There were delightful references to all of these things in this novella, but they didn’t have the space to show the audience enough of themselves for me to feel comfortable giving a higher rating even though I yearned to.

One of the other things I thought Ms. Venkataraman captured beautifully is how contradictory the expectations of teachers and parents can be of girls this age. Some of the characters were expected to look after their siblings or take on other adult responsibilities without also being given the freedom that generally comes with all of that extra work for the average adult. I remember feeling frustrated by that sometimes when I was their age, so it was nice to see it acknowledged and explored here. The author had some sensible things to say about the balance between responsibility and autonomy that I think some parents and teachers should take note of just as much and maybe even a little more than young teens should.

Five Fortunes was heartwarming.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dead And Buried by John Carson

February 15, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Dead And Buried by John Carson
Publisher: Vellum
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sometimes, the past is better left behind…

Detective Chief Inspector Harry McNeil had found himself back in CID after a leave of absence saw his team disbanded. Now he’s been temporarily assigned to an existing Major Investigation team, working alongside his old friend, Detective Inspector Frank Miller, after Miller’s DCI dies suddenly.

A body is found in the city centre, torn to pieces. It’s reminiscent of a cold case from years ago and the victim is quickly identified, bringing the old murder enquiry back front and centre.

There’s new management in the Edinburgh police division, and old friends have been replaced by new enemies. Not everybody wants to see Harry McNeil succeed.

But that’s not going to stop him and Frank Miller from tackling the cold case head on, with help from a couple of Glasgow detectives.

But nothing is what it seems. Starting with the death of Miller’s DCI.

Harry and the team find out that some cold cases were meant to be left alone, and that sometimes the past should be left dead and buried…

It’s been months since DCI Harry McNeil lost his wife Alex, and while he’s recovered from some time away to get over the initial shock, things haven’t settled down too much just yet. His old team has been disbanded and Harry has been temporarily assigned to an existing Major Investigations team. When one of DI Frank Miller’s CIs dies unexpectedly Frank and Harry find themselves working together to solve a new case. But they find that some old friends have been replaced by new enemies and not everyone wants to see Harry – or Frank – succeed in finding justice.

I was pleased to find this book was quite a bit longer than a number of others in this series. With the cast of well-known secondary characters growing and the world of both Harry and Frank growing larger I was glad to see the length of the story has equally grown in size. I felt quite a bit of sympathy for Harry – he’s had a pretty rough time of it in the last few months and with his team disbanded – and the loss of the emotional and working comforts that provided – added to the loss of his wife and previous professional partner there’s been some major upheavals for Harry and getting his new rhythm hasn’t been easy. In some respects, this has to have added to Harry’s burden, but I found it also cleared the slate a lot for readers who might not have read all (or many) of the previous books. Harry is starting out with a bunch of new colleagues and the crimes and criminals are all quite new – so much of the backstory and weight of the previous books in the series isn’t there and won’t be a deterrent to readers new to the series.

That said there are still plenty of friendly faces and characters the readers should know and there’s plenty of support for Harry as well. I found these new cases were well plotted and interesting enough to keep me eagerly turning the pages trying to solve what was going on before Harry and his team could. Readers who enjoy a lot of banter and wit along with their Scottish Police procedural style of crime novels should definitely find this an enjoyable and well-paced story.

A solid book with plenty of twists and turns and a stack of interesting characters (both good and bad) this is a fun and enjoyable Scottish police procedural style of mystery/suspense story and well worth a read. Recommended.

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