Armored Hearts by Angela Knight

March 19, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Armored Hearts by Angela Knight
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Captivity makes the heart grow kinkier…

When interstellar mercenary Captain Nick Rand rescues a beautiful enemy from his own men, he thinks she’s the answer to his vampire prayers. On the verge of starvation thanks to the destruction of his hemosynther, he’s in desperate need of a female blood donor.

Lieutenant Zara Tahir needs Nick Rand as badly as he needs her. Without Nick’s blood, Zara’s overactive immune system will kill her.

But Zara has no intention of embracing captivity. While she’s willing to exchange blood for blood, maybe even play a kinky game or two with the handsome vampire dominant, he’s still the enemy. She can’t allow herself to see him as anything more.

Then Rand’s enemies make things a lot more complicated…

Interstellar mercenary Captain Nick Rand rescues a woman from his own crew, and he thinks this might be the answer to his vampire prayers – broken equipment meaning he’s quite literally starving to death. The tasty female blood donor could make all the difference. Only Lieutenant Zara Tahir has a few secrets of her own, and she’s not likely to admit she needs Rand as much as he needs her. Can these two enemies find some common ground when they each need what the other can provide?

I have enjoyed a number of Angela Knight’s previous books – though I do admit it’s been a while since I’ve caught up with anything from this author. I enjoyed this story, finding it reminded me of why I have previously enjoyed this authors work. Smoking hot with a good amount of kink, I found this to be an interesting and hot read.

White the growing emotional and sexual relationship between Rand and Zara is absolutely front and center in this erotic romance story, I was pleased that this wasn’t the only plot in the story. Readers who enjoy some light sci-fi should find this an enjoyable read. I’m not a big sci-fi reader and personally I was pleased that this side of the story while present didn’t overshadow the relationship and BDSM bedroom games between our two protagonists. But I did greatly appreciate that the sex wasn’t the only aspect to the book and this helped the whole story feel a lot better rounded to me.

Readers looking for a hot and heavy book with elements of space should find this a strong and good read. I’d definitely keep a cool drink on hand and give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the shenanigans.

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

Murder Never Retires by Faith Martin

March 16, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder Never Retires by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Hillary Greene returns to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.

Twenty years ago, mother-of-three Anna McRae was found beaten to death in her kitchen with a rolling pin. She’d been having an affair with her brother-in-law, so the prime suspect was Anna’s sister Debbie. But the evidence never added up.

However as Hillary digs deeper, more secrets and betrayals emerge. Who wanted Anna dead and can Hillary finally bring her justice?

Meanwhile, Hillary is distracted by an unknown admirer, who quickly seems to be going from suitor to stalker.

Can Hillary solve a fiendishly complex case from the past while fending off unwanted attention?

Retired DI Hillary Greene has spent the last year and a half enjoying her life, cruising the Oxford canals and taking life as it came. While Hillary wasn’t convinced she wanted to come back to her old job, solving crimes and doing her work still sang strongly in her blood. When she returns to Thames Valley Police HQ it’s only to look at the lay of the land, but she is immediately captured by a cold case and soon has to admit she might not be quite as ready for the quiet life as she’d assumed.

Hillary has somewhat returned from early retirement, and I found this a greatly enjoyable story. With a new section, new team and a bunch of new characters I thought this was an excellent way to continue the series but give it a new and fresh feel.

Readers should be aware the meat of the book – the cold case murder investigation Hillary and her team are given – runs along very similar lines to the earlier books in this series. The tone and style of the book is enjoyable and a British police procedural style of novel. Even though this book is well into the series the fact the mystery stands very well alone and virtually all the cast and characters are new and freshly introduced means I feel this book would be an excellent point for anyone to jump in if they had been curious or not discovered this author and series before.

With a solid plot and a few threads left hanging clearly for future books this is a great murder mystery and a series I strongly enjoy. Recommended.

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

Colton by Jenna Myles

March 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Colton by Jenna Myles
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Love men who fall first? Like strong curvy heroines? How about I throw in a high rise full of billionaires and a hero with some serious golden retriever energy?
Evie did the right thing, she saved a life, and it cost her almost everything. I’m going to make damn sure she’s made whole again.

So I’ve been carrying her picture around with me for a couple of months.
So I argued with the guy at the hardware store over glitter paint for her little girl’s bedroom, a bedroom in an apartment I want to give them.
So I’ve been checking on that empty apartment every night for months.

That doesn’t mean anything though. I’m not obsessed.

When I finally get the call she’s ready for our help, I hop in my jet and go get her.

I expected to find a worn-out, exhausted woman. And I did. But she also called me Conan (as in barbarian) and didn’t tolerate any of my bullshit. And that little girl, well she has me acting like an idiot just to make her smile.

Ok, so maybe I am obsessed.

Colton Brash has been focused on Evie and her toddler daughter Mia for months now. A nurse and good friend of his sister-in-law, Evie’s living situation is dire after she risked everything to help Holly out of her abusive relationship. Colton and his brothers desperately wanted Evie and little Mia in the safety of their apartment high rise, with a secure job and plenty of safety. Can Evie accept their help, and can Colton be patient enough to wait things out?

I picked this book up on a whim and found it an enjoyable romance. With a slow burn and Colton absolutely the first to fall in love, I found this a fun and enjoyable story. I loved the strong cast of secondary characters – mostly Colton’s eight brothers and the two partners (presumably from the two previous books in this series). Having not read anything prior to this I can absolutely state that this book stands well on its own and I found it a fun and steamy book.

I will admit towards the halfway point I was getting a bit tired of Evie’s distrust and her unwillingness to rock the boat or admit to her growing feelings for Colton. While a part of me understood I think some of her choices began to grate on me a bit. While in real life there is sense in being cautious and hedging your bets, and some of that needs to drip into books for reality’s sake – I personally feel there really comes a time when you need to just throw caution to the wind and go with the plotline and enjoy the fact it’s a book and not real life. Evie held out a bit too long for my personal tastes. And while Colton is not blameless here (he could have just as easily expressed his feelings more clearly to Evie) I’m willing to grant him the fact Evie was the vulnerable one here and so it was up to her to make the first move and show Colton she wanted more and allow him to take those steps.

When Evie finally pulled her head out and she and Colton finally admitted their feelings to each other the rest of the book moved well and I enjoyed it. The romance was spicy and fun, and the huge cast of family just made the whole read even more enjoyable to me.

Readers looking for a spicy romance with a slow burn and a seriously smitten hero should find this to be a fun and enjoyable read. I’ll be interested in some of these other brothers and books in the series. Recommended.

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

Secret Places by Heather Peck

March 6, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Secret Places by Heather Peck
Publisher: SilverWood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A body in a bunker: a secret buried for decades…

When a skeleton is discovered in a long-abandoned WWII bunker, goat farmer Tristan Smith’s quiet life on the Yorkshire moors shatters overnight.

DI Greg Geldard takes the case, uncovering a tangle of lies that reach far beyond the moors. Each clue draws him closer to a truth someone is still desperate to hide.

As another victim disappears, past and present collide in a deadly pattern. Will Geldard expose the killer before history repeats itself?

DI Greg Geldard and his team is called to investigate when a human skeleton is found among other sheep remains in an abandoned WW2 bunker. Very few people knew about the bunker – though the current farm owner had been told by the previous owner that the shaft was a waste disposal site used for normal deaths of the various farm animals. Who was responsible for the remains, and can DI Geldard and his team uncover what really occurred?

This was a new to me author and while I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and plot it was a refreshingly different manner of the story being told. The author regularly moved the perspective from the current investigation back to the previous owner and slowly pieced together what occurred in some of the lags as the investigators dug deeper into the story. I often find perspective shifts – and time shifts in particular – quite jarring but I have to admit I found the author did a smooth and excellent job with this. I do admit I don’t think this will suit all readers, and in particular the reader is exposed to some of the story that the detectives aren’t privy to – which I did find unusual.

I thought the characters were well drawn and interesting. I also found the setting of rural York gave a good atmosphere and was different to a lot of the more city or London based police procedural stories. The pace of the mystery was a little slow – but that was mostly as the investigation moved along actually trying to uncover what had happened. Readers eager for a fast-moving plot might not enjoy this book as much as I did, but I thought the writing and pacing was really quite good.

Fun and fresh, I found this an interesting book and a good first read – for me – of this author. A good story and a series I hope to continue with. Recommended.

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

Dirty Deal by Mira Lyn Kelly

March 4, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Dirty Deal by Mira Lyn Kelly
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

I’m not exactly “Daddy” material…

Fatherhood blindsided me.

There I am, working to get a rise out of my cranky little rule-following, fun-wrecking, soon-to-be ex-neighbor when my one-night stand from last season shows up… in labor.

Next thing, I’m a single-dad begging for a crash course in caring for this tiny miracle from the neighbor who loves to hate me.

Turns out, Nora raised half her siblings.

She knows things.

And I know my son needs her.

Unfortunately, she’s not impressed by my NHL career, my legendary charm, or the rumors surrounding the size of my stick (all true btw).

But I’m not trying to impress her. Not anymore. I can’t.

I’m asking her to help me out, because my son deserves better than some player who hasn’t even had a chance to read the manual yet.

Which means no matter how hot I find her spitfire mouth and those rules she doesn’t break… Nora is off-limits.

Axel is a star player on the Slayers Ice Hockey team and loves his carefree life. Until the day a one night stand from the previous season literally goes into labor on his front doorstep and Axel’s life is turned upside down. With a brand new son and zero knowledge, Axel turns to his neighbor Nora in desperation. The situation is far from idea for them both – but with tiny baby Otto acting as the glue, can these two find a way forwards?

Having never read anything previously by this author I was a little uncertain whether it would enjoy this first-for-me ice hockey romance novel. I was pleased that while Axel’s work on the hockey team has a good amount of time in the book – the sport and team itself doesn’t overshadow either the plot of Axel as a new father nor of the slow blossoming romance between Axel and Nora. I really felt the author did a good job with both the pacing and layout of the plot here and this made the book really enjoyable to me.

I found this book to be modern and somewhat light. I could easily see myself reading plenty more of them with a fun drink and a long weekend ahead of me. These are the story of steamy romance books where the relationship builds and grows at a logical, realistic and enjoyable slow pace and then finally culminates in a wonderful spicy series of sparks. More than the romance though I found this to be a strongly emotional and supportive book. Both Axel and Nora have their baggage and drama, and each have their own hang-ups and issues. Neither are perfect and I found them both so much more engaging and relatable because of this.

If you’re wanting an emotional and heartwarming slow build for a romance book, one with an adorable newborn baby front and center and a fun set of secondary characters in the side lines this is absolutely an excellent book. While it’s mid-way through the series I haven’t read anything previous to this and found it easily pick upable and I had no problems following along and I got strongly invested in Otto, Axel and Nora. A wonderful book and a great read. I’ll be looking into more of these.

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

Storm Stayed by Yvonne Rediger

March 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Storm Stayed by Yvonne Rediger
Publisher: Brown Wolf Publishing
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Review by Snowdrop

Welcome back to Musgrave Landing. Accessible by ferry across the Samsum Narrows, this island village is home to some quirky characters and some even odder visitors. Sometimes the visitors bring misfortune with them and other times the villagers supply their own brand of trouble. Whether the people are locals or from away, apparently a few are capable of murder.

Maisy Wyatt, is on loan from Jane’s Eats & Treats to Mrs. Roque. The housekeeper has a grand vision for the Highmere House Conference Centre. She has spared no expense with the food or service for the minor literary celebrities who will be their first guests. It won’t matter if the December weather turns bad, it takes a lot to faze Mrs. Roque.

The other new employee Tiffany Zach, will work alongside Maisy to care and feed a cantankerous group of authors from Dunn Wolf Publishing. The situation doesn’t improve when the lead author and owner of the publishing house, Ziola Nutt, announces she has a six-figure media contract with a video streaming company. This news causes shock, disappointment, and anger among the rest of the writers when they find out she will not give them credit for their work, nor any of the royalties.

Worse still, the electricity goes out during a nasty storm. Cell phones are going dead, roads are blocked by fallen trees, and ferry traffic is halted. No one can get off the island. Not even the murderer.

When you have a story set in a lovely, grand bed and breakfast full of authors as guests, you know there could be trouble. And the publisher, oh my, the publisher, has nothing but bad news to deliver. Most of it has to do with less money in people’s pockets, and then there are bragging rights they find out she has about her own new book. What a brewing tempest for trouble. But what is really blowing up is a terrible storm trapping them on an island with no electricity. Have I set you up for this? Good.

This is the first book I have read by Yvonne Rediger, and it is Book 4 in a series titled “Musgrave Landing Mysteries”. I will say there were just a few spots that I thought slowed down a bit. There are a lot of characters, all quite interesting, but a little difficult to keep track of now and then.  It’s still a very good plot and a fun book to read. Hope there are more.

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

Impulse Caught by Emily Carrington

March 2, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Impulse Caught by Emily Carrington
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Riku takes charge in bed, but will he have any control over the day-to-day decisions of a marriage?

Money and status differences challenge Riku and Theo to find a middle ground. Their passion is white-hot, but their ideas of living comfortably are at odds. As their wedding nears, driven forward by Theo’s parents’ sense of guilt, Riku feels the old urge to run.

Riku refuses to give into this impulse at first, but as the comparison between his emotional scars and the mountains of Theo’s familial expectations grow, Riku fears running will be the only less-than-honorable course left to him.

Theo isn’t blind to Riku’s struggles but he doesn’t understand what’s wrong. Each time he reaches out, Riku reaches back, yet they never quite connect. Will their need for each other overcome their differences, or will their passion be subsumed by a wave of conflicting desires?

Riku and Theo are passionately in love, planning their wedding. But money and status differences continue to challenge them both. While their love is strong, they still struggle to trust and connect with each other. Can they work through these conflicts and find each other again?

I found this to be an interesting and emotional love story. Riku and Theo both have a number of challenges – physical and emotional – and it was deeply interesting to see them try to navigate everything between them. While it was clear they loved each other, this didn’t immediately help them fix all the problems that came between them. I found this both realistic and interesting to read.

I admit I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series, so I did have to play a bit of catch-up on the history between the two men. While I found this fairly easy, I have to admit this might irritate some readers. I also didn’t enjoy the characters Theo’s parents too much. I found them a bit too controlling and overbearing and while I expect this was the point, a part of me doesn’t really understand why Theo didn’t limit his interaction with them more or be a bit firmer in setting boundaries. That irked me a bit with this book.

Overall, I found this a deeply interesting and refreshingly different story. While there is some very steamy sex between the men there is a huge amount of plot and conflict and that really helped carry the book to my mind. I’ll definitely be looking into other books by this author.

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

The Hematophages – Splatterings by Stephen Kozeniewski

February 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Hematophages – Splatterings by Stephen Kozeniewski
Publisher: French Press Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Historical, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In a galaxy riven by paranoid greed, profane forces marshal to consume humanity…

– On an abandoned ice moon, broadcasts from a long-dead civilization warp both body and soul.

– On a bizarre medical asteroid, a deranged physician discovers a gruesome “cure” for parasitic infection.

– On a deep space derelict, time becomes utterly meaningless and suffering transcends infinity.

– And on Earth itself, a lake transforms into pure blood and becomes infested with the hate-filled, eel-like aberrations known as…

The Hematophages.

With this quartet of short stories, Splatterpunk Award winner Stephen Kozeniewski is delighted to welcome newcomers to the brutal universe Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviewer calls “the gold standard for the Space Horror subgenre.”

Meanwhile, veteran ink surfers will find a treasure trove of new material to broaden their event horizons, including extensive background information from the author and a never-before-published tale of alien terror.

So, strap on your boom suit, ready your eye spoon, and try to prepare yourself for…

Splatterings.

They’re the same universes but with bigger problems this time.

The protagonist in “The Blood-Red Lake” was awoken from a nap by his daughter, Marina, after she noticed the lake near their home had changed in some alarming ways. I liked the nightmare-like qualities of this short story and thought it was spooky, but I also found myself wishing that there had been a stronger explanation for the strange things that were happening in and near the water.

“Derelictus” showed what happened in the distant future when some scavengers found an ancient spacecraft that was launched by the country formerly known as the United States but that didn’t appear in any of the formal records of previous space missions. The mystery elements of the plot were well done, and I would have happily dove even more deeply into them. I also liked the main character’s stubborn streak and how it influenced his decision to explore this vessel and report back on what he found there.

Anneka was desperate to get out of quarantine to see her wife and newborn twins in “Blackfish.” The reason why she was stuck in quarantine is best left for other readers to discover for themselves due to how important it was to the storyline later on, but as I slowly pieced together the clues I was intrigued by how my opinions of all of the characters had shifted. There is definitely something to be said for playing around with the reader’s expectations only to trust us to land on the best answer in the end. I would have happily read a full-length novel about Anneka if one were written.

Imagine building an old-fashioned castle in outer space. “Gerstein” explored a partially-completed version of this blueprint long after the original investors had run into problems. This was the goriest story in this collection, and I thought each plot twist that revealed another layer of horror only made the entire thing more frightening. Just like in “Blood-Red Lake,” I once again found myself wishing for a deeper explanation of what the antagonists were hoping to accomplish, although there was enough here for me to make some pretty educated guesses about their motives. These are minor criticisms of a collection I thought was otherwise well done and memorable, and I look forward to hopefully reading more of Mr. Kozeniewski’s work in the future.

The Hematophages – Splatterings was deliciously scary.

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

Box Of Chocolates by Sean Michael

February 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Box Of Chocolates by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

As a single guy, Dorian isn’t a fan of Valentine’s Day, but he loves chocolates and when someone brings in a box for the office to share, he falls in love with the heart-shaped truffles he tastes and decides to get himself a box or two at the new-to-him chocolatery before treating himself to a supper out.

Smoke owns Smoke’s Chocolates and Valentine’s Day is his busiest time of year, between making the chocolates and helping to sell them at the front counter, he’s putting in long hours. When the last minute rush slows down, though, Smoke goes out for dinner only to encounter the also flying solo Dorian. The two men get to talking and sharing appetizers and discover a mutual attraction.

Can they both come to love Valentine’s Day for a reason that has nothing to do with chocolate?

Dorian is buying some chocolates for himself as a treat for Valentine’s day and while his eye is caught by chocolatier Smoke, their interaction is brief and the shop is slammed. When they bump into each other later that evening at a bar, they’re able to sit and talk for a while, and both men realize there is attraction sizzling between them. Can they each have a very special Valentine’s day?

I enjoyed this fun and sexy short story. I liked that while Dorian and Smoke weren’t shy with each other, they didn’t jump immediately into bed. The author did a good job of balancing the sexy shenanigans with some semblance of “getting to know you” and reality. Readers should be aware this is an erotic short story – so there is not a complicated, in depth plot outside of the growing relationship between the two men. For a short, erotic story, it is a delightful and enticing quick read.

With two interesting and believable characters and a whole lot of sizzle, this is a fun and engaging read by an author I really enjoy. Recommended.

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

Stained With Blood by MS Morris

February 24, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Stained With Blood by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A battle. A killing. An echo of history.
Scarborough Castle, high on the headland, is the picturesque backdrop for an English Civil War re-enactment. But the day takes a sinister turn when the town’s MP is shot and killed in broad daylight. DCI Tom Raven is quickly on the scene, but the investigation is soon commandeered by a senior officer from Counter Terrorism, leaving Raven sidelined.

When cryptic letters are received, taunting the police, it becomes clear that democracy itself may be the target. The MP had received a number of credible death threats and suspicion quickly falls on a Russian tycoon with interests in the town. But the murdered man had many enemies, and the list of people wanting him dead quickly grows longer.

As more lives are claimed by a ruthless mastermind driving the narrative, only Raven stands between justice and an outcome stained with blood.

DCI Raven is at the end of a well earned week off when at a local Civil War re-enactment the local MP is brazenly shot and killed. With questions of potential terrorism hovering DCI Raven is fine when a Super is brought in to lead the investigation, confident that his team is up for the challenge. Can they work out what was really going on behind the scenes?

I have been enjoying this British police procedural mystery series and found this to be a strong addition. I like how these books have a good balance between the murder mystery plot and movement in the main character’s private lives. As the series has moved along I also have appreciated that the authors somewhat highlight different team members through each of the stories so over time we readers get a better feel and connection to the characters.

While I feel this book absolutely progressed a number of the team members’ personal story arcs I didn’t feel this detracted from the main mystery in any way – the killing of a local MP at a community civil war re-enactment. The various layers of a small town overlapping also added what I thought was an interesting context in how everyone’s lives interweave together and how normal it was for people to simply know each other and have shared histories.

I’m very much enjoying the fairly recent addition of DCI Raven’s daughter – Hannah – to the mix and absolutely am hoping that she sticks around for at least a while. Her character in itself interests me, but I also admit to really enjoying that she brings out some of Raven’s better qualities and makes him more relatable to his colleagues. I see this as a very positive aspect to the story as a whole.

With a solid murder mystery and a number of interesting sub-plots that are slowly moving along I thoroughly enjoy this series and am looking forward to the next one coming.

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