*Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin

October 25, 2022 By Leave a Comment


*Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

When a cold case in Texas leads to a sinister string of disappearances, a newcomer to the small town helps a detective piece together the clues in this new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

Corporate lawyer Ava Burch has had enough of the big city and the daily grind. She grew up with her father, who raised search-and-rescue dogs, in rural Texas and has moved to the small town of Cuervo to spend time in the dry, rugged wilderness near Big Bend National Park. When she and her dog, Huck, discover an abandoned campsite on a volunteer search-and-rescue mission, she’s perplexed, but she carefully photographs it all the same.

All Grant Wycoff can see when he looks at Ava is a city slicker—with her designer jeans and shiny car—who has no business on a serious team made of seasoned outdoorsmen and retired cops. But when she tells him of her findings on the trail, he sees there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Ava’s discovery reminds Grant of the unsolved case of a young woman who went missing two years ago. As they look into the campsite further, another woman disappears under odd circumstances. With time running out, Ava and Grant must work against the brutal heat from both the Texas sun and their own electric chemistry to solve the case.

Vanishing Hour is an intense and exhilarating story filled with unforgettable characters, intricate plot weaving and intrigue. Laura Griffin is one of my favorite authors; she knows how to make romantic suspenseful stories come alive.

Ava is an attorney, and she is also a search and rescue volunteer. While Ava and her dog help to search for a young woman who is missing, she meets Grant. Grant and Ava have an immediate connection and they share tons of chemistry as they work together to try to find the woman.

I immediately connected with the two main characters, Grant and Ava and I enjoyed all of their interactions. They work tirelessly trying to uncover clues to solve the case they are working on and also try to find time to spend with each other. This spellbinding story kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this one.

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

Sweetwater and the Witch by Jayne Castle

October 24, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Sweetwater and the Witch by Jayne Castle (Author), Barbara Rosenblat (Narrator)
A Harmony Novel, #15
Publisher: Berkley (Print), Recorded Books (Audio Publisher)
Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

If there’s something Ravenna Chastain knows, it’s when to end things. And after she almost winds up the victim of a cult that believes she’s a witch, it’s easy to walk away from her dead-end career, ready for a new start. But where to find a job that would allow her to use her very specialized skill set? The answer is clear: she becomes a matchmaker.

But even a successful matchmaker can’t find someone for everyone, and Ravenna considers Ethan Sweetwater her first professional failure. After nine failed dates, Ravenna knows it’s time to cut Ethan loose. But Ethan refuses to be fired as a client—he needs one final date to a business function. Since Ravenna needs a date herself to a family event, they agree to a deal: she will be his (business) date if he will be her (fake) date to her grandparents’ anniversary celebration.

What Ethan fails to mention is that attending the business function is a cover for some industrial espionage that he’s doing as a favor to the new Illusion Town Guild boss. Ravenna is happy to help, but their relationship gets even more complicated when things heat up—the chemistry between them is explosive, as explosive as the danger that’s stalking Ravenna. Lucky for her, Ethan isn’t just an engineer—he’s also a Sweetwater, and Sweetwaters are known for hunting down monsters…

I’ve been a fan of the Harmony series, and the Dust Bunnies, for quite some time. This latest adventure delivered what I enjoy most about Ms. Castle’s writing. There’s of course, the romance, but there is laughter, intrigue, close calls and daring escapes, mystery and murder and fascinating secondary characters. The dialogue is fast paced, witty, and always provides great forward momentum to the plot. That is all a credit to the great writing talent of Jayne Castle. What brings this story over the top beyond the author’s skills, is the talent and incredible storytelling voice of the narrator, Barbara Rosenblat. Ms. Rosenblat brings the story to life in such an effective manner that it’s a delightful pleasure to listen to the story. In fact, I listed to the audiobook twice before I sat down to write this review. I know I missed things the first time around and when the story is as good as this one, it was an easy decision to give it another go-round to catch what I might have missed the first time. It’s actually a treat when I do find some missed words or descriptions because the added details make the book come alive for me again. It was an awesome experience.

What makes me crack up is Ethen Sweetwater and his return dialogue with Ravenna when she says something that once again makes it clear that she is completely oblivious to his attentions with regards to herself. The narrator’s perfect intonation gave me the giggles – Ethan has a dry wit so that when he responds to Ravenna’s clueless response in that certain way, I felt for the guy. A reader will know long before the heroine that the hero is smitten with her, and his dry responses just slayed me.

The cutest scene has something to do with Dust Bunny theater. Harriet, the Dust Bunny, stole quite a few scenes with her chortling and waving of pens. The newspaper headline gave me the snickers as well.

There are a few red herrings in the mystery and a few surprises too which ratcheted up my enjoyment. There was mild suspense and drama sprinkled throughout the book, keeping me riveted throughout the entire story. I couldn’t believe how fast time flew. I had such an awesome time reading and experiencing Sweetwater and the Witch. I was very happy with the happy ever after too. I suspect fans are going to have So much fun reading this story just like I did. This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

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

Vestige of Hope by Sara Blackard

October 19, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Vestige of Hope by Sara Blackard
Vestige in Time Series, Book 2
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Inspirational, Paranormal
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

A special ops soldier in a situation he’s untrained for. A woman struggling just to survive. When dangerous enemies won’t relent, will they find hope in each other and overcome the threats?

Thrown out of his element into a time not his own, Hunter must overcome his doubts to save the life he never knew he wanted.

Soldier, Hunter Bennet, is always in control…
…control of his missions.
…control of his life.
…control of his emotions.
Until he hesitates on a rescue mission, which leaves a child orphaned and his brothers-in-arms in peril. Chased by the demons of failure, he falls into a time and place where he has no control.

When her world begins to fall apart, Viola finds help in the most unexpected person.

Viola Thomas’s idyllic life in the new state of Colorado is in turmoil. Her father fails to return from winter trapping, and a stranger tumbles into her life from the future. When an unwanted suitor turns his advances into threats, everything she holds dear is at risk. Can she find hope in a man from a world far from her own?

Hunter must reach through the shadows of doubt to save his future, but will he fail in the most important mission of all?

Have you ever read a book because of another book? I read Discovering Rafe a while back and I mentioned in my review that I really needed to ‘meet’ Hunter, their fellow soldier who kept up their morale with biblical wisdoms during stressful missions. Well, I did it. I found Vestige of Hope and get this, it’s a time travel Christian romance series! Who ever heard of such a thing? Not me. Not until I started reading Ms. Blackard’s books. I’m not fond of time travel stories but the reason and methodology that accomplished the time travel simply blew my mind. Not only that, but it made sense. Like, it could happen, even now! Yeah, I sat back and blinked a few times when I read that section. The fact that I could conceive such a thing as possible, based on a couple of tiny sentences in the Bible, and add in the faith one would need to believe? That just sent my brain into a spin of wonder. So very cool.

Now that I got that amazing nugget out of way, I can get to the fun stuff – the romance. Hunter is about as good a hero as the books in the other series led me to believe. He’s honorable, smart, mostly in excellent physical condition, and he defines the word, hero. Now, I say mostly excellent health because he had a bit of a run-in with a wild cat. He’s at a disadvantage for a good portion of the book because of his injuries, but that made me like his character all the more. He’s not an over-the-top super man with Jackie Chan reflexes, a Chuck Norris attitude and a Captain America complex…although there was a scene or two that led me to believe he might have had the sculpted body of Captain America…that was a nice bit of info. But his drive to protect the women who save him, one being Viola, the heroine, is what I liked because Hunter wasn’t overbearing or demeaning. He didn’t talk down to them just because he was a soldier from the future, and they were backwoods women from the more primitive past in our country. In fact, Viola and her sister, Beatrice, were more than capable of taking care of themselves, and that includes hunting for food. Watching Hunter come to terms with the reality that he truly did travel back in time, was entertaining and interesting. It was kind of fun seeing Viola and Beatrice’s reactions when he respected their skills and the knowledge both women had. They didn’t expect that from a man; it was almost unheard of.

Like I said, the two sisters could take care of themselves, but they usually didn’t have to. They had their father and brother to help out. Except, something bad happened and they were left to handle things on their own. You know what that means, right? Plot conflict. A woman alone is considered “easy pickins’ and an onery villain has the clever idea that he can force Viola to marry him, thereby gaining the farm and all the land. What he didn’t expect to find was, Hunter. Ooh, the classic scenario, and very satisfying to read.

I did say this was an inspirational romance, too, right? Hunter’s relationship with God is a tangible thing. It’s important to him as a man, and actually pertains to a lot that goes on in the novel. It’s not preachy, it shows how strength can come from faith, even in the worst-case scenarios. Viola and Beatrice are of like mind, but they didn’t have quite the same level of experiences. Perhaps it’s because, as a soldier, Hunter has faced situations in the past that, without faith, would crush another man. There are no sparkly rainbows in this story. It’s gritty, realistic, and hard, yet at the same time, optimistic. There was the time, however, where I totally and completely understood Hunter’s reaction when Viola proceeded to ‘prepare’ the herbs for the poultice. I guess if it works… The other fun part is when, even in sleep, Hunter sought to protect Viola. That scene gave me the giggles. This is a clean romance, so nothing happened to change that, but like Beatrice said, “It’s kind of sweet.” There were a lot of delicious looks that bounced between Viola and Hunter, and plenty of blushes to go with them. The romance is simply delightful.

There is drama and a bit of suspense when the bad guys pay a visit. From that excitement, comes a revelation. Oh, and then there’s a complication with a friend of the family. He sure sounded interesting. I wouldn’t mind if there was a story about him!

There is so much that goes on in the book. It’s a character driven romance story with plenty of fun dialogue, action, secrets and an absolutely wonderful happy ever after wrap up in the epilogue. Vestige of Hope was an awesome read and I’m so very glad I looked up Hunter’s story. It was well worth it.

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

The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses) by Terri-Lynne DeFino

October 18, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses) by Terri-Lynne DeFino
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

A whimsical, moving novel about a retirement home for literary legends who spar, conjure up new stories, and almost magically change the lives of the people around them.

Alfonse Carducci was a literary giant who lived his life to excess—lovers, alcohol, parties, and literary rivalries. But now he’s come to the Bar Harbor Home for the Elderly to spend the remainder of his days among kindred spirits: the publishing industry’s nearly gone but never forgotten greats. Only now, at the end of his life, does he comprehend the price of appeasing every desire, and the consequences of forsaking love to pursue greatness. For Alfonse has an unshakeable case of writer’s block that distresses him much more than his precarious health.

Set on the water in one of New England’s most beautiful locales, the Bar Harbor Home was established specifically for elderly writers needing a place to live out their golden years—or final days—in understated luxury and surrounded by congenial literary company. A faithful staff of nurses and orderlies surround the writers, and are drawn into their orbit, as they are forced to reckon with their own life stories. Among them are Cecibel Bringer, a young woman who knows first-hand the cost of chasing excess. A terrible accident destroyed her face and her sister in a split-second decision that Cecibel can never forgive, though she has tried to forget. Living quietly as an orderly, refusing to risk again the cost of love, Cecibel never anticipated the impact of meeting her favorite writer, Alfonse Carducci—or the effect he would have on her existence. In Cecibel, Alfonse finds a muse who returns him to the passion he thought he lost. As the words flow from him, weaving a tale taken up by the other residents of the Pen, Cecibel is reawakened to the idea of love and forgiveness.

As the edges between story and reality blur, a world within a world is created. It’s a place where the old are made young, the damaged are made whole, and anything is possible….

My mind is blown by this novel. How do I even write this review? If you’ve read the synopsis – it’s the best synopsis I’ve seen in many a day. This last sentence, “As the edges between story and reality blur, a world within a world is created. It’s a place where the old are made young, the damaged are made whole, and anything is possible….” encapsulates the charm, the wit and wonder, and the romance of different levels of love a person can experience. Some loves make you smile, some leave you wistful, some leave you longing for days gone by, and some transcend the physical, making a person better, more content and fulfilled. Love is, or can be, healing. It can transform pain into joy, and can leave a lasting impression, a legacy if you will. This story with the rather long title, The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses), is an unexpected gem that I’m very pleased to have read.

The catalyst for the plot pivots on one person, Cecibel Bringer. She is the sun, and the other characters are the planets and moons who orbit her, and whose influences make the sun that is Cecibel shine brighter and warmer. I honestly can’t get the words out to describe the relationships between her, Olivia, Switch, Alphonse, Sal, Fin, Judi and Richard. The relationships between everyone were delightful, heartwarming and heartbreaking. This novel and the amazing personalities that flavor it kept me flipping the pages and marveling at the humanity of its characters. I cried. I felt. I experienced a myriad of emotions while reading this book. All of that thanks to the writing skills of Ms. DeFino. I mean, the last chapter turned me into a blubbering fool. It was bittersweet, beautiful, touching and a testimony to all the people in the story that worked their magic on Cecibel. It’s a happy ending in its own way. More realistic, I guess, and very well written.

There is romance of a sort within its pages. There’s a story within a story about a romance that was doomed but never died. There is romance from the past that flavors the present, and a gentle romance, like a flower growing in spring, that tender bud that eventually blooms from the love, care, and nurturing it’s given. Cecibel is the flower that blooms in this book.

I’d have to give this novel a spicy rating, not because it’s intended to be a romance in that vein, but because the views into the past showed the characters during some of their passionate interludes with those they loved. Some were wild, like the one between Alfonse and Cornelius – that was a desperate passion, especially since it happened sometime in the 1950s when those types of relationships were frowned upon – and gentler ones from … well, a reader has to make up their own mind whether it was real or imagined, and the kind one expects in a romance story. I didn’t expect to see those particular scenes because of what I’d read up to that point, but for a change, I didn’t find it gratuitous. It was a major plot shift for a certain character. Then there was the story within the story that had the trappings of a typical spicy romance in a Romeo and Juliet-esqe type fashion.

I’m very glad I happened upon this story, that the book blurb grabbed my interest and, although it’s a book I typically would not read, the synopsis had that special something that spoke to me and said give this story a chance. I’m glad I did. I read it in one day and re-read the final chapter at least four times.

If readers enjoy stories that focus on character relationships in all their fallibility, larger-than-life personalities with secrets to hide, wonderful dialogue and a nicely done wrap-up, then please do give The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses) a try. It’s a definite recommendation.

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

Dokkalfur and the Empty Shelf by Charles R Darner Jr

October 17, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Dokkalfur and the Empty Shelf by Charles R Darner Jr
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Holiday, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary, Comedy, Horror, Inspirational
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

A house party, a careless fire and a flash of the mystical create a supernatural force prone to seek revenge. As the bodies pile up, Chloe understands one of her playthings maybe behind the bizarre accidents her parent’s friends are experiencing. As no one believes her, she attempts to intercedes but to no avail. With help from the North Pole, can Chloe save her family who is now targeted.

If you are looking for a future New York Best seller then give his writing style a try. This is my third Charles R Darner Jr book that I’ve read and I find his writing to be original, creative and versatile. I don’t think there is any genre he couldn’t write. I look forward to following his literature work.

I’m not supposed to say how a book will make another reader feel, but only comment how the book made me feel in my reviews. However, I can’t help thinking out loud that Dokkalfur and the Empty Shelf will leave the expected readers feeling unexpected.

I’ve honestly read this book twice now because I loved it that much. It starts off introducing and developing the main cast of characters rather quickly in an eye-opening plot. I’m not exaggerating when I say the first chapter is literally ‘hot’.

The rest of the story progresses with a steady momentum that elaborates into an engaging narrative that is full of plot twists. Surprising twists that make it impossible to put the book down. I will share that there were some horrifying moments.

Dokkalfur and the Empty Shelf really resonated with me. It takes the concept of the classic story of the Elf on the Shelf, which is a Christmas tradition for many families, and spins a completely different holiday story with a mind-boggling inspirational ending.

It’s impossible to describe without giving away spoilers. All I can say is that I will not ask anyone if they have been naughty or nice this Christmas season, and I already donated our Elf on the Shelf to a new loving family since my children are old and grown. I just hope our elf doesn’t come alive and haunt us for giving him away. I’m not a fan of fire or ice. That will make sense after you read this book. It’s quite comical. I did laugh out loud a few times throughout the story.

This is where I’m going to end this review. I suggest buying this book for family and friends for Thanksgiving and Christmas gifts. The classic elf tradition is to put the elf on your shelf between November 24 through December 1st. After reading Dokkalfur and the Empty Shelf, I’ll never be able to look at an Elf on the Shelf and not have retrospection. I know I’m repenting for my naughty choices this year. This would be a great book to give to an adult with an elf as a joke gift. This story is destined to be listed on future Book Clubs to enjoy. I know I did.

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

Squishy Crushy Something by Kieran Frank

October 10, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Squishy Crushy Something by Kieran Frank
Publisher: Deep Hearts YA
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Jayden never expected he’d be the type to develop a squish on a boy, never mind a full-blown crush.

It started with Kail, a boy with looks and popularity and all-around awesomeness. Developing a squish on Kail might’ve been natural for Jayden, of course, as anyone could fall for that boy. But it’s now three years later, the summer before senior year, and Jayden’s squish on Kail has grown into a crush that he can no longer ignore. And this crush is leading Jayden to make decisions he knows he’ll regret later.

But Kail isn’t the only one Jayden is having squishy crushy troubles with.

He used to be friends with Ollie, but when Ollie got too deep into religion, it drove Jayden away. Now, Ollie is back and he seems much more open-minded—not to mention much more attractive—and Jayden can’t help but develop a squish. But could it turn into a crush?

Jayden is caught between two squishy crushes—the crush on the boy that he knows is toxic, and the potential crush that could make or break a friendship—and he doesn’t know what to do. The right choice could bring him happiness, but if he makes the wrong choice he could lose everything.

This was the first asexual and gay romance novel I’ve read, and it won’t be the last!

Small towns can be lonely and sometimes even dangerous places to grow up for kids who are LGBTQ, non-Caucasian, or a member of other minority groups. I enjoyed seeing how Jayden figured out who was safe to talk to and who would accept him unconditionally as not everyone who lives in a small town will be prejudiced against folks who are different from them by any means. There are wonderful people to be found in every corner of the globe, and I smiled with joy as the main character discovered who could be counted on in his community.

The ending suited the characters nicely, especially Jayden. People change quite a bit when they’re in high school, so it made a lot of sense to leave everything as open to interpretation as the author did. He left plenty of room for his characters to learn and grow as they finished high school and went off to college. That was exactly what this storyline needed, and it made me excited to read the sequel that was hinted to be in the works.

Some of the most memorable scenes were ones that showed members of the LGBTQ community loving and supporting each other. Some shared the same label while others did not, but what really mattered were their friendships and the common ground they found as members of various romantic and sexual minority groups. I never had stories like this when I was in high school, so it was heartwarming to see such a thing written for today’s teens. Solidarity makes for great storytelling and sends a powerful message of hope to readers who are still looking for a place to belong.

Squishy Crushy Something made me sigh with happiness.

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

Go With the Flow by Karen Schneemann & Lily Williams

October 5, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Go With the Flow by Karen Schneemann & Lily Williams
Publisher: First Second
Genre: Middle Grade, YA, Contemporary, Graphic Novel
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Good friends help you go with the flow.
Best friends help you start a revolution.

Sophomores Abby, Brit, Christine, and Sasha are fed up. Hazelton High never has enough tampons. Or pads. Or adults who will listen.

Sick of an administration that puts football before female health, the girls confront a world that shrugs―or worse, squirms―at the thought of a menstruation revolution. They band together to make a change. It’s no easy task, especially while grappling with everything from crushes to trig to JV track but they have each other’s backs. That is, until one of the girls goes rogue, testing the limits of their friendship and pushing the friends to question the power of their own voices.

Now they must learn to work together to raise each other up. But how to you stand your ground while raising bloody hell?

A guide to periods, but with friends and not a manual? I’m in.

I wish I’d have had this book when I was the age that I got my period. While I got the cursory explanation at school, this would’ve been a lot more helpful. Periods are normal. They’re something menstruating people deal with. It’s scary when periods show up the first time, but it shouldn’t be. This book helps get rid of the stigma.

Sasha is a younger student at the high school and one day she gets her period. Some make fun of her, but a few girls take her in, help her out and help her feel normal. It’s a common thing that happens at schools all over the place. Abby, one of the friends, realizes there are issues with getting period products at school. There is a bit of a political bend to this story, but it’s not so much to take away from the story. It showcases that there are issues some deal with and others won’t ever understand.

I liked this story of friendship, finding a place to belong, finding a cause and standing up for one’s self. It’s a cute tale and does take the stigma out of getting your period. If you’re looking for another way to talk about this topic, then this might be the right book for you.

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

Discovering Rafe by Sara Blackard

October 3, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Discovering Rafe by Sara Blackard
Stryker Security Force, Book 5
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Her brother’s best friend has always held her heart. Now that she has his attention, will her happily ever after be ripped away?

Piper Fields finds contentment in managing her cousin’s music career from the safety and anonymity of staying behind the scenes.
Since her parents’ death at barely thirteen, Piper’s fear of losing others has kept her focused on caring for those she loves. Meanwhile, her own dreams have been left backstage. Not that it really mattered anyway. Her dreams were out of reach and so was her brother’s friend, Rafe Malone.

Rafe Malone approached life with a firm desire to safeguard those who couldn’t protect themselves and have fun in the process. That all changed the day a mission for the Army turned south, forcing him to take the life of a child soldier. Now, the jokester mask he wears to hide his pain is put to the test when his best friend’s sister needs his help. No matter how hard he tries to convince himself he shouldn’t taint her with his tarnished soul, her nurturing presence tempts him to break the bro code of staying away from your friend’s sister.

Can Rafe keep Piper safe when the evasive threat turns deadly? Will Piper trust what she’s discovered in Rafe or is it just another childish daydream?

This is another awesome book sure to please romantic suspense readers. Rafe had a stronger role in the last story, Crashing into Jake, because it’s a tag-team setup for Discovering Rafe. In the last story, Chloe and Piper were cousins in trouble from a stalker. In the end, readers found out that Chloe wasn’t the target, Piper was. Discovering Rafe picks up from there. Interestingly enough, this book could still be read as a standalone because the first two chapters recaps what triggered book 4, but this time the hero is Rafe and it’s from his perspective. I really enjoyed the extra details that the author included this time around. It brings the enjoyment factor to a whole other level because I’m getting the whole picture. This time I got to see Piper’s point of view at my favorite bonfire scene from the previous book. It’s just as fun and yet it has a more robust feeling to it because now, I get to see inside Rafe’s head as he sees Piper for the first time in a style of clothes she’d never worn before. The password still is cute, but I got to see a tiny bit more backstory to it, which made me smile.

One of the conflicts is a well-known one – don’t break the bro-code and date or show more than brotherly interest towards your best friend’s little sister. That’s a major no-no, and it’s also one of the rules most fun to break – if done right. I believe Ms. Blackard did it right.

Like I mentioned above, the other conflict is external – the stalker that is after Piper. That’s the major mystery that causes stress, suspense and a great plot mover.

Another thing I liked about this novel, is reading all about Rafe and Piper’s childhood memories and their relationship. It made their romance that much more interesting and heartwarming. Until it wasn’t. Until the very thing Rafe worried about comes to pass. He broke the bro-code and has to face the music. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the stalker is even more tech-savvy than anyone gave him credit for. Readers are in for some intense scenes that, for me, made it almost impossible to put the book aside and go to bed at a decent time. Nope, I lost some serious zzz’s powering through this novel. I couldn’t leave myself with a cliffhanger. Who could sleep wondering if Piper would escape? Would she be rescued? Would they get to her time? Who WAS the stalker? How did he keep finding her? The answers amazed me, floored me and kept me wide awake.

As for whether I like the hero and heroine. Absolutely. Piper is loyal, caring, a bit of a worrywart and always puts other’s needs ahead of her own, including her cousin Chloe. Their relationship is more like best friends than merely cousins. Piper has a guardian-type personality and while that’s good, Rafe recognizes, eventually, that she deserved more. Who’s looking out for Piper? That’s when it solidified for me that they were perfect for each other, that their love was going to be a strong force which in turn brought out the best in each other, for the other. It’s wonderfully romantic, well, between the scenes of sheer terror, excitement, and the great climactic confrontation with the stalker.

I made light of the internal conflict of the bro-code regarding Rafe, but there is a darker issue that plagues the hero. His jokester persona has taken a hit and he’s now using it as a cover to hide behind. It is a serious conflict and I know for a fact that it’s a real thing, that it can haunt a soldier to the point of despair. It’s a bleak reality no matter that it happens in a time of war – it’s killed or be killed – but knowing that fact doesn’t make it any less painful. It’s another reason why I am so very happy that he gets his own happy ever after with Piper. If anyone can help him heal, it’s her. They are awesome together.

There’s a lot more that goes on in the story that I could go on and on about. I do have to mention secondary characters – Derrick. There’s a scene where he reminds Rafe about Hunter and his words of wisdom from the Bible. I haven’t read Hunter’s story but I’m going to. There are so many references to him throughout the series, I feel like I should know him too. Anyway, that scene with Derrick really made an impact on me. The way the author wrote it was powerful and Rafe’s response, even more so.

I simply can’t get enough of this series. Their romances are sweet, almost sensual, and the restraint the heroes and heroines practice even though passion rides them hard at times, shows amazing strength of character. It also makes a lot more sense to me than those other stories out there where, in the middle of do or die crisis situations, somehow the main characters always seem to dive into heavy-duty make out sessions. I don’t need that in my romantic suspense stories, and I’m so glad I discovered Sara Blackard’s books. They have top-notch writing, awesome heroes and heroines, and plots and stories I can really sink my teeth into. The pacing is always spot-on and never once, in any of the books I’ve read so far, have I been tempted to fast-forward. Every chapter, piece of dialogue, action scenes or passages of description and details, worked for me. Even the HEA was awesome. I am a very happy reader.

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

The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman

September 29, 2022 By 1 Comment


The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman
Publisher: Pantheon
Genre: YA, Graphic Novel, Historical, Ages 16+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

A brutally moving work of art—widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written—Maus recounts the chilling experiences of the author’s father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats.

Maus is a haunting tale within a tale, weaving the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father into an astonishing retelling of one of history’s most unspeakable tragedies. It is an unforgettable story of survival and a disarming look at the legacy of trauma.

Haunting, sad, but also educational.

I picked up this book because I was told it was a fantastic read. It was. The art is great and depicts the characters as mice, cats, dogs and some pigs. The characters might be animals, but the meaning shines through. The Holocaust was a terrible time in human history and should be dealt with. We should all learn about it so we’re not destined to repeat it.

I cried during this book. I didn’t think a graphic novel would make me so emotional, but I got invested in the characters. I wanted to see them survive. Art Spiegelman’s father is the main character in this book. The story is told through his stories to his son about his time in the war and concentration camps. The emotional fragility, the strength, and the colossal devastation are evident in this character, his situation and his future. It was painfully obvious this man saw stuff and it messed with him.

I wouldn’t recommend this to a younger read, but this is powerful stuff and would be better for an older YA reader. It’s hard to read, emotionally, in spots, but worth the read.

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

Capturing Sosimo by Sara Blackard

September 28, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Capturing Sosimo by Sara Blackard
Stryker Security Force, Book 2
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

A billionaire inventor hiding her identity. An ex-soldier determined to protect her. Will her lies compromise their chance at love?

There’s nothing Sosimo Rivas hates more than liars.

But in his new job with Stryker Security Force as private protection for the rich, he sees his fair share of them. Sosimo spends most of his time working on old engines and keeping their clients safe. The first he loves. The second he tolerates — until he meets June.

June’s made billions inventing gadgets for the military.

But the person in the spotlight is a fake, someone she created to hide behind. Her ruse was working perfectly — until her latest invention attracted the attention of the wrong kind of people. Now, she’s forced to hire a bodyguard who tempts her from her solitary life.

Will June be able to trust her protector when all she’s built is threatened? And will Sosimo stand by the only woman he’s ever loved when he discovers the truth?

This story was a surprise. For a change, the heroine is the one with a fortune and she’s an inventor of really cool gadgets. She’s got it all together and things are good. Until the emails come. Until one of her cool gadgets in development garners interest from a mysterious and suspicious person or persons and it’s freaking her out. How do the guys at Stryker Security Force get involved? June, a/k/a Reagan MacArthur, has a dad who can pull some strings that June wants nothing to do with. The compromise? Hire security.

I ‘met’ Sosimo Rivas in the first book, Falling for Zeke, and he intrigued me. Now I get to see what makes him tick. The hero has some personal issues that stem from when he was growing up. It left a lasting impression on his sense of self-worth. You wouldn’t think so since he was and is part of such an elite team of alpha men, but no one is as they seem. The author delves into his background a little bit and I was impressed with his protective instinct. He also had a deep love and respect for his family and his heritage. I totally felt empathy for Sosimo and completely agreed he needs his own happy ever after. But what a ride to get there!

This is an effective romantic suspense that has some teeth. Speaking of which, the scene when June bites into her juicy hamburger made me snort and giggle. The author used her descriptive words and brought the scene to life to hilarious effect. It goes on for a few more lighthearted moments, then the sensual action kicks in for the next chapter. Hot Tamales – I’m not the only one who likes the candy. The plot gets hot in other ways when gunfire breaks out. I was on my seat, scrolling/flipping those pages as fast as I could. The suspense and intensity of the moment was clearly described and tight – written for the most impact. The external conflict was fascinating. The internal conflicts though – those are what grab the heartstrings. They’re the kind that can break the relationship that is slowly building between the two. Building is an apt word. The sensual tension is palpable and June and Sosimo are strongly affected.

Just when I thought there was going to be a breather, a bomb threat rolls in. Yikes! Then Sosimo and June have to go on the run, and somehow, they’re tracked. How?!? That is one of the questions that kept me glued to the novel’s pages. The story turns into a who-done-it because someone is leaking info but who and from where? The suspense was tight. Good thing they picked up a Marine to help out along the way. He was a nice character addition.

I could go on and on about the great dialogue between characters, the depth of their development, how the author gives a reader a little lighthearted breather, like biting into an apple, before sending them down another rollercoaster dip of excitement and thrills. There is so much to recommend this story that I know I have to stop before I stumble and share a spoiler. I mean, there’s a secondary character named Lena who ties in with the beginning of the security force so that link fascinated me, and June’s relationship with her dad kept me guessing if it was good or not. Then came the shocker and I was blown away.

Seriously, Capturing Sosimo is another gem and has to go on my keeper shelf like the first book. So far, the re-readability factor is high and I’m so glad I discovered this series. But like potato chips, I can’t stop at two. I hear there’s another story waiting for me in the wings. I can’t wait to read it!

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