Book Review: Cipher by Larissa Ione

 

In the war between good and evil, sometimes the biggest battles take place inside the soul…and the heart.

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Larissa Ione, comes CIPHER, a passionate and spellbinding novella from the Demonica Underworld Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure you grab your copy today!

Author: Larissa Ione
Series: Demonica Underworld #8, Demonica #19
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: April 9th 2019
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Larissa Ione comes a new story in her Demonica Underworld series…

It’s been seven months since Cipher, an Unfallen angel who straddled a razor thin line between good and evil, woke up in hell with a new set of wings, a wicked pair of fangs, and a handler who’s as beautiful as she is dangerous. As a laid-back cyber-specialist who once assisted guardian angels, he’d been in a prime position to earn back his halo. But now, as a True Fallen forced to use his talents for malevolence, he must fight not only his captors and his sexy handler, but the growing corruption inside him…before the friends searching for him become his enemies and he becomes his own worst nightmare.

Lyre is a fallen angel with a heart full of hate. When she’s assigned to ensure that Cipher carries out their boss’s orders, she sees an opportunity to take revenge on those who wronged her. All she has to do is appeal to Cipher’s burgeoning dark side. But the devastatingly handsome fellow True Fallen has other ideas — sexy ideas that threaten to derail all Lyre’s plans and put them in the path of an approaching hell storm.

Danger and desire explode, even as Cipher and Lyre unravel a sinister plot that will fracture the underworld and send shockwaves into Heaven itself…

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do. **

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

Finally we get to learn what happened to Cipher after being dragged in Sheoul, and guys... GUYS. It is a glorious story.

Blog Tour Book Review: Repeat by Kylie Scott

 

From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes REPEAT, a sexy, standalone contemporary romance! REPEAT is now available! Grab your copy today!

Author: Kylie Scott
Series: N/A
Audience: Adults
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 7th 2019
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes an irresistible new romance.

When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she's forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did - which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.

Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can't seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As such, my review may contain references to content intended for a mature audience only.

Do your memories make you who you are? Does losing your memories make you a different person? Are we our memories, or are we the same person even without them? These are things Clem has to find out for herself when she wakes up in the hospital after being attacked. While her sister tries to take care of her and protect her from bad memories and heartbreak, Clem ends up meeting someone she should know, and sparks fly.

Book Review: From Breath and Ruin by Carrie Ann Ryan

Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Series: Elements of Five #1
Audience: YA
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 19th 2019
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

In her YA debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan dives into a world with magic and sacrifice with the Elements of Five.

Five hundred years ago, the Maison Realm was shattered, divided into warring kingdoms of elemental Wielders with fate and truth shadowed and uncertain. Now, factions of both the light and dark venture into the human realm in search of the prophesied Spirit Priestess who is said to Wield the Elements of Five and bring the two fractured kingdoms together.

Lyric has no idea that there’s a realm outside the human one she lives in. When fate and circumstances are pulled from her hands after an accident, and she finds out that nothing is at it seems.

There is a war surrounding her and when Lyric realizes that they are searching for her, she must rely on those she once trusted: a boy who isn’t who she thought, and a new realm of warriors who have come to protect her as she trains.
For the darkness is coming, and the Queen of Obscurité wants to ensure that the King of Lumière can’t get his hands on Lyric. And the only way to ensure that is if Lyric herself is no more…no matter the cost to prophecy.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

Having been a fan of Carrie Ann Ryan's works for a few years now, I'm always ready to try out anything she writes. I was excited to hear about her upcoming venture in the YA genre, so when I got the opportunity to do so, I jumped at the occasion to read an advance copy of her book. I am happy to say that this book was just as good as I imagined.

Blog Tour Book review: Lady Derring Takes A Lover by Julie Anne Long

Author: Julie Anne Long
Series: The Palace of Rogues #1
Audience: Over 18
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 26th 2019
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Harper Collins
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A mistress. A mountain of debt. A mysterious wreck of a building.

Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring, learns the hard way that her husband, “Dear Dull Derring,” is a lot more interesting—and perfidious—dead than alive. It’s a devil of an inheritance, but in the grand ruins of the one building Derring left her, are the seeds of her liberation. And she vows never again to place herself at the mercy of a man.

But battle-hardened Captain Tristan Hardy is nothing if not merciless. When the charismatic naval hero tracks a notorious smuggler to a London boarding house known as the Rogue’s Palace, seducing the beautiful, blue-blooded proprietress to get his man seems like a small sacrifice.

They both believe love is a myth. But a desire beyond reason threatens to destroy the armor around their hearts. Now a shattering decision looms: Will Tristan betray his own code of honor…or choose a love that might be the truest thing he’s ever known?

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

My journey in the land of Historical Romance continues this time with one of Julie Anne Long's books. She's been another author I've seen everywhere in this genre, and many have loved her books, and I can understand why. This was my first book by JAL, but I can tell you that I'll try delving into her backlist soon.

Blog Tour Book Review: Pure Bliss by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Nights in Bliss, Colorado #6
Audience: Over 18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Release Date: March 5th 2019
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Re-released in a second edition with new content.

The town of Bliss, Colorado, offered Hope McLean a second chance at life, a gift she cherishes every day. Her past was dominated by dark secrets and regret, most of which centered on a man named Christian Grady. All of that was behind her now, years of horror distilled down into the occasional nightmare or a random feeling of being watched. Surrounded by new friends, she tried hard to leave the past where it belonged—in the rearview mirror.

Raised together, James Glen and Noah Bennett were the best of friends. They dreamed of growing up in Bliss, finding love, and settling down to share their lives on the Circle G ranch. James would manage the day-to-day operations of the ranch while Noah served the town as the resident veterinarian. Everything was perfectly planned out, until a woman came between them and their future shattered. Noah left Bliss for New York City and James was left to struggle to keep the Circle G alive on his own.

Noah returns to Bliss on a mission to rebuild his life. When he sees Hope, he knows his return home was meant to be. Hope’s kindness shines like a beacon calling him to her. Unfortunately, he isn’t the only man interested in Hope. James is also interested in the beautiful girl with a mysterious past. He can’t be forced to choose between the woman of his dreams and his best friend again.

As romance begins to bloom, a dark specter from Hope’s past returns to claim her. To save Hope, and themselves, James and Noah will have to rebuild the relationship they lost and fight for their future with Hope together.

Every new story that takes me back to the town of Bliss makes me a very, very happy reader. I always expect the craziest of stories, the most intense and heartbreaking backstories, as well as very hot sex scenes. I expect it all, and Lexi Blake delivers each and every time.

Book Review: Lost and Found by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Masters & Mercenaries: The Forgotten #2
Audience: Adult (+18)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Release Date:February 26th 2019
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Owen Shaw and his “brothers” lost everything, their entire existence erased. Science had robbed he and all the Lost Boys of their memories and their past, but not their future. Hunted by every intelligence agency in the world, they are focused on two goals: find a cure for what was done to them and ensure that the technology that ruined their lives doesn’t get out into the world. Rebecca Walsh might be the key to achieving both. Owen has been studying her closely, living in her building, and he cannot resolve how such a beautiful, giving woman could have helped design the evil process that destroyed his past.

Dr. Rebecca Walsh has dedicated her life to researching the secrets of the mind. Her atmospheric rise in her field was fueled by the horror of watching her mother’s agonizing journey into madness at the hands of a disease with no cure. She vowed to never rest until she finds it. But obsession takes a heavy toll, and when Owen moves into her building she realizes how much of her life she has missed out on. Owen opens her eyes to a whole new world, filled with joy, laughter, and possibly love.

Owen and Rebecca grow closer, unraveling more about each other and the mysteries surrounding her connection to Hope McDonald. As the sinister forces working against the Lost Boys descend on Toronto, secrets long buried are uncovered that could shatter the bonds holding the Lost Boys together and cost Rebecca her life.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This odes not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As such my review will contain references to material intended for mature readers.

Lexi Blake has done it again, ladies and gentlemen! She has written the perfect story, as I've come to expect from her, even more so actually than what I initially suspected.

Book Review: Jagged Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

Author: Carrie Ann Ryan

Series: Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs #3, Montgomery Ink #11
Audience:  Adult (+18)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: 19th 2019
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs series continues with a couple fighting to keep what they thought they had and gain what they didn’t know they needed.

Roxie Montgomery met her soul mate when she least expected it. When he asked her to marry her, she thought her happily ever after was only just beginning. Then, she found that walking into the sunset was much harder than her favorite books made it out to be. After a crushing loss, she feels as though she doesn’t know her husband anymore, or rather…she doesn’t know herself.

Carter Marshall has loved Roxie since the first time he saw her. But as the days pass between them, so does the distance. He doesn’t know how to show her that he’s all in, and honestly doesn’t know if she’s in at all. When an accident changes everything, they’ll have to decide if what they have can be salvaged, or if starting over is the answer. Or even possible.

Without fighting, without a true new beginning, sometimes, the remnants of what was lost can leave anyone jagged, shells of what they were before. It will take more than the idea of forever for Roxie and Carter to find themselves again, but as the Montgomerys know, nothing worth fighting for is easy.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As such my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

My love of Carrie Ann Ryan's books is well known by now, and I'm happy to say the newest installment in the world of the big Montgomery clan did not disappoint.

Book Review: Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

Author: Laura Sebastian

Series: Ash Princess Trilogy #2
Audience:  Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: February 5th 2019
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Publisher
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that was "made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir" ( Bustle ), Lady Smoke is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.

The Kaiser murdered Theodosia's mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo's country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess--a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn't realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.

Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage--Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser's rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.

To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.

Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.

"A darkly enchanting page-turner you won't be able to put down." --Bustle on Ash Princess, Book 1 in the Ash Princess series

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains graphic scenes of violence and death.

I read this book during January's edition of 24in48 readathon. This has sort of become a tradition for me, since I also read Ash Princess during last year's 24in48 readathon. I was very surprised by this book, if I'm honest. I don't know what I was expecting, but I definitely wasn't expecting what went down in this book.

Blog Tour Book Review: Stroke of Luck by B.J. Daniels

 

From New York Times bestselling author B.J. Daniels, comes STROKE OF LUCK—the stunning first novel in her brand new Western-set romantic suspense Sterling’s Montana Series!

STROKE OF LUCK is now available! Grab your copy today!

Author: B.J. Daniels
Series: Sterling's Montana #1
Audience: +18
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: HQN
Release Date: February 19th 2019
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

He’s hoping to bury the past. She’s ready to settle the score.

The Sterling Ranch’s season opening isn’t going so smoothly. With the ranch’s lodge full of guests and a Montana blizzard threatening, Will Sterling needs help—and he needs it fast. So when his childhood friend Poppy Carmichael agrees to lend a hand, he’s grateful for a second chance…and more enticed by the woman she’s become than he cares to admit.

For Poppy, it was supposed to be a retreat full of horse rides and hoedowns—with a side of showing Will what he’s been missing all these years. But as the snow deepens outside, the guests’ suspicion and mistrust turn sinister inside, catching Will and Poppy in the crosshairs.

Weathering the storm in each other’s arms is all too easy for Will and Poppy, but will a confrontation with a killer mean their reunion is short-lived?

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author B.J. Daniels starts her Sterling’s Ranch series off with a bang in this suspenseful story of romance and revenge.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

This was my first B.J. Daniels book and let me tell you, I quite enjoyed it.

Blog Tour Book Review: Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

Author: Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Ravenels #5
Audience: +18
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 19th 2019
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Publisher
Blurb (from Goodreads):

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas delivers a scintillating tale of a beautiful, young widow who finds passion with the one man she shouldn't...

Although beautiful young widow Phoebe, Lady Clare, has never met West Ravenel, she knows one thing for certain: he's a mean, rotten bully. Back in boarding school, he made her late husband's life a misery, and she'll never forgive him for it. But when Phoebe attends a family wedding, she encounters a dashing and impossibly charming stranger who sends a fire-and-ice jolt of attraction through her. And then he introduces himself...as none other than West Ravenel.

West is a man with a tarnished past. No apologies, no excuses. However, from the moment he meets Phoebe, West is consumed by irresistible desire...not to mention the bitter awareness that a woman like her is far out of his reach. What West doesn't bargain on is that Phoebe is no straitlaced aristocratic lady. She's the daughter of a strong-willed wallflower who long ago eloped with Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent—the most devilishly wicked rake in England.

Before long, Phoebe sets out to seduce the man who has awakened her fiery nature and shown her unimaginable pleasure. Will their overwhelming passion be enough to overcome the obstacles of the past?

Only the devil's daughter knows...

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

If there's one author I've been told to try out more times than I can count over the years is Lisa Kleypas. Which is probably why I was so scared of picking up one of her books, because my expectations are so high. When the opportunity came to read one of her books I decided to take advantage of it, and let me tell you friends, it was the best decision ever. I now understand why readers kept recommending me her books.

Release Day Launch & Book Review : Ensnared by Elisabeth Naughton

 

From New York Times Bestselling author Elisabeth Naughton, comes ENSNARED, a new novella in her Eternal Guardians Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today!

Author: Elisabeth Naughton
Series: Eternal Guardians
Audience:  +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: February 12th 2019
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elisabeth Naughton comes a new story in her Eternal Guardians series…

RYDER–Mysterious, powerful, every woman’s fantasy come true.

For thousands of years, Ryder has reveled in his role as an immortal messenger—a dream weaver sent to seduce and manipulate. Until he’s ordered to deceive a fantasy of his own.

Zakara, the daughter of one of the mightiest Eternal Guardians, is his perfect woman. But she’s impervious to Ryder’s advances. Each attempt to sway her to his will pushes him deeper into a dreamscape she seems to be controlling. To survive, Ryder will need to find a way to master his sexy new prey. Because if he can’t, he risks forever condemning himself and the woman he’s grown to love to a never-ending nightmare drawn straight from the twisted depths of hell. 

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

The more stories I read in this world, the more I fall in love with it. This time Naughton explores the world of dreams, and I loved it.

Book Review: Playing For Keeps by Jill Shalvis

Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #7
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: January 22nd 2019
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: Publisher
Blurb (from Goodreads):

If you’re planning on falling in love…

When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

you’d better be sure…

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

… someone is there to catch you.

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

Trigger Warning: This book includes mentions of self-harm.

It's not secret that I adore the Heartbreaker Bay series, so when I found out there was a new book coming out in the series I may have released a few happy, pterodactyl-like screeches. I am so happy to say that this book was just as good as I had hoped.

Blog Tour Book Review: Ashes to Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Series: Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs #2.5
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: January 22nd 2019
My Rating: 3.5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

About ASHES TO INK

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan comes a new story in her Montgomery Ink series…

Back in Denver, Abby lost everything she ever loved, except for her daughter, the one memory she has left of the man she loved and lost. Now, she’s moved next to the Montgomerys in Colorado Springs, leaving her past behind to start her new life.

One step at a time

Ryan is the newest tattoo artist at Montgomery Ink Too and knows the others are curious about his secrets. But he’s not ready to tell them. Not yet. That is…until he meets Abby.

Abby and Ryan thought they had their own paths, ones that had nothing to do with one another. Then…they took a chance.

On each other.

One night at a time.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

Every time I step into the world of the Montgomery clan and their friends, I get this happy feeling, almost like being among really close friends, and this book is no different. Although it is a short story, Ashes To Ink packs a punch that I didn't expect.

Blog Tour Book Review: Evidence Of Desire by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Courting Justice #2
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 8th 2019
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A fast-paced contemporary romance that sizzles from the New York Times bestselling author of Order of Protection where passion for the aw isn't the only thing heating up the courtroom.

Isla Shayne knows she's in over her head. As former all-star linebacker Trey Adams's personal lawyer, she's used to handling his business dealings and private financial matters, not murder charges. She needs to find an experienced criminal attorney who speaks her client's language. David Cormack of Garrison, Cormack and Lawless is exactly what she needs in the courtroom—and the only man she wants in the bedroom.

For David, taking on the Adams case means diving back into a world he thought he'd left behind and colliding head on with tragic possibilities he's in no mood to face. There's a reason professional football is in his past and no matter how close Isla gets to the truth he intends to leave it there.

But long days working on the case together lead to hot nights in each other's arms. As their feelings grow, the case takes a deadly twist that could change the game between the two lovers forever.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

Book Review: 'Twas The Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

Author: Jacqueline Frost
Series: A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery #2
Audience: +18
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Release Date: November 13th 2018
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A Christmas delight, ’Twas the Knife Before Christmas will charm the stockings off readers of Joanne Fluke and Leslie Meier.

It’s out of the cupcake tin, into the fire for Holly White’s best friend, Caroline. Can Holly clear Caroline’s name in time to go caroling?

When a body turns up in the dumpster behind Caroline’s Cupcakes, Holly White is horrified to learn her best friend Caroline is the main suspect. Everyone in town, including Mistletoe, Maine’s sheriff, saw Caroline fighting with the victim on the night of his death. Worse, Caroline’s fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, a custom-designed marble rolling pin.

Now, just ten days before Christmas, Holly’s up to her jingle bells in holiday shenanigans and in desperate need of a miracle. Juggling extra shifts at her family’s Christmas tree farm and making enough gingerbread jewelry to satisfy the crowd is already more than she can handle—and now she has to find time to clear her best friend of murder. Add in her budding relationship with the sheriff, and run-ins with an ex-fiancé looking to make amends, and Holly’s ready to fly south until springtime.

But her Sherpa-lined mittens come off when Caroline is taken into custody. Can Holly wrap up the case in time for Christmas…even after she gains the true killer’s attention? Find out in ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas, Jacqueline Frost’s second pine-scented Christmas Tree Farm mystery.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

Blog Tour Book Review: The Darkest Captive by Gena Showalter

  

The demon possessed beast wants his beauty back, and he’ll do anything to win her. Even war with a god king.

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Gena Showalter, comes THE DARKEST CAPTIVE, a new novella in her addictive bestselling Lords of the Underworld Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today

Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Lords of the Underworld #14.5, 1001 Dark Nights #94
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal romance
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: December 4th 2018
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):
 

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a new story in her Lords of the Underworld series…

For centuries, Galen the Treacherous has been the most hated immortal in the Underworld. With good reason! This bad boy of bad boys has lied, stolen, cheated and killed with abandon. Possessed by the demons of Jealousy and False Hope, he has always lived for a single purpose: destroy everything. Then he met her.

Former demon turned human femme fatale — Legion Honey — sought to kill Galen, but ended up parting with her virginity instead. Afraid of their sizzling connection, she ran away…and ended up trapped in hell, tortured and abused in the worst of ways. Now she’s free, and a shell of herself, afraid of her own shadow.

Galen’s hunger for Legion has only grown. Now the warrior with nothing to lose must help her rekindle the fire that once burned inside her. But as desires blaze white-hot, will Legion run again? Or will the unlikely pair succumb to love at long last?

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only

Blog Tour Book Review: Outcast by Lexi Blake

 

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Hunter #4, Thieves #9
Audience: +18
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment LLC
Release Date: December 4th 2018
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: InkSklinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

On the hunt for a vicious killer, Kelsey discovers that the true threat lies closer than she could have ever imagined.

It’s been months since Trent Wilcox was sentenced to exile, but Kelsey hasn’t given up on finding a way to bring him home. Grayson Sloane doesn’t share her enthusiasm. Loving two men is challenging enough without them being at each other’s throats, and she is unwilling to compromise on the future she knows is meant for them.

Kelsey’s only hope for bringing them all together comes in the form of the Hell lord who insisted on Trent’s exile – Gray’s father. Lord Sloane is willing to acquiesce on Trent’s punishment if Kelsey will do one little job for him. A stray wolf is on a killing spree in Wyoming and he’s killed a number of witches in Lord Sloane’s service. The situation is made all the more complicated by the presence of a sinister werewolf cult in the area. Lupus Solum is known for being cruel to their own kind, and even worse to outsiders.

Caught between a craven wolf cult, a brutal killer, a Hell lord, and a mounting pile of bodies, Kelsey is going to have her work cut out for her. But if she can solve the case, she might have a chance to earn her happily ever after.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only

***Disclaimer: This book is part of an ongoing series. Although I try to make my reviews as spoiler-free as possible, this review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series. 

Blog Tour Book Review: It's A Wonderful Night by Jaimie Admans

Author: Jaimie Admans
Series: N/A
Audience: +18
Genre: Chick Lit, Holiday, Contemporary
Publisher: HQ Digital
Release Date: October 5th 2018
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Neverland Blog Tours
Blurb (from Goodreads):

One night will change their lives forever…

Georgia Bailey is closing up her little charity shop in Oakbarrow when she gets a mysterious late night call from a stranger, threatening to jump off the town’s bridge. Something about the man’s voice is faintly familiar but all she can do is stay on the line and, after talking for hours and losing sense of time passing, coax him back from the edge. The next morning, Georgia walks to work, buys a festive latte from Leo (who she’s had a crush on for months!) at the local coffee shop, and is shocked when she suddenly recognizes the voice from last night…

A heartwarming festive love story that reminds us that even in the darkest of times, hope is always just around the corner!

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this boon from Neverland Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: Trigger warning: mental health, suicidal tendencies

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Author: Markus Zusak
Series: N/A
Audience: +16
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Release Date: March 14th 2006
My Rating: 3.5 Cups
Source: Own Copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

Book Review: The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork

Author: Heather Dixon Wallwork
Series: N/A
Audience: +16
Genre: YA, Retelling
Publisher: The Wallworkshop
Release Date: October 23rd 2018
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!), and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker.

Whisked away to his world--an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince--Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells...and the future she thought she wanted.

"The Enchanted Sonata," a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, will captivate readers of all ages.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.