Narrated by JE Whittaker
Duration: 3 hours 27 minutes
Listen to a Sample
One touch. One look from Morgan’s hypnotic eyes and Skye can’t deny the magnetic pull.
High school senior, Morgan Raines was used to change, whether it was transferring to a new school or shifting into a were-jaguar under the full moon. Starting over didn’t bother him, but finding his mate pinned to her locker by her loser ex-boyfriend does.
Will turning furry during the full moon send Skye running scared or into his arms?
Release Date: November 18, 2020
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Death isn’t the end for eighteen-year-old Avery Williams, and her final resting place isn’t beyond the Golden Gates. No, the Queen of the Damned has plans for her and, unbeknownst to Avery, fought hard to gain possession of her soul.
As Hell’s newest succubus, Avery is expected to siphon life from the living. It only takes a long, meaningful kiss, but for a virgin like Avery, kissing guys she barely knows isn’t something she’s comfortable doing. Avery focuses on the upside of her fate—she’ll be returning home, or so she thinks. When the Queen of the Damned cuts her off from her old life, Avery is determined to find a way back to her family and friends, even if it means facing Hell’s fury if she’s caught.
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MY REVIEW:
5-stars!
Demons, Nephilim, and so much more… If you’re looking for your next paranormal read, you can’t go wrong with Damned When I Didn’t!
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I rather like the cover for Damned When I Didn’t. In fact, it’s a large part of what made me want to read this particular title. I saw it and needed to know more. But when it comes to people, what you see isn’t always what you get. It’s a lesson Avery has to learn, especially when it comes to her mentor, Cole. It never occurred to Avery that just as she didn’t earn her way to hell, and her new position as a succubus, that perhaps the super hot Cole didn’t earn his place there either.
I loved seeing the push and pull between Avery and Cole. Both drawn to one another, yet not willing to accept their attraction. Not only does their budding romance draw the reader in, but the banter between them, and the mix of other awesome characters, makes Damnmed When I Didn’t a page-turning read you won’t want to put down. A half-demon, a Nephilim, and another incubus are just some of the charming characters you’ll find in this intriguing, must-read book. I truly hope we’ll get to see more of them in the future.
Damned If I Didn’t is the perfect mix of romance, drama, and friendship. You won’t be disappointed!
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review above is only my opinion.
Being a mermaid brings a new depth to ‘it’s complicated.’
High school teen Mariah’s life is anything but simple. Between a crush on her best friend and a rivalry brewing with the swim team star, her powers awaken early.
When Mariah’s guardian meddles in her life with magic, she causes more harm than good. The soul reapers are coming and there’s a werewolf hungry for merblood. All secrets wash ashore sooner or later, and Mariah’s about to discover hers.
Mixing a messy love life with deadly powers will whip up a storm of trouble. Can Mariah contain it or will she be swept up in its wake?
A gripping story about a mermaid, self acceptance, and romance that literally sparks.
*****
Please note the MC is 15 years old, there is a love triangle, and sweet romance scenes (no sex).
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MY REVIEW
3.5 stars
Mermaid books are few and far between, so I was eager to read this one. Toss in some drama and romance, and it made for a good read.
This would have been a four or five-star book for me, but there were areas that were glossed over or just left unfinished. Too many things were thrown in for seemingly no reason. The beginning was a bit slow for me, and I struggled to really dig into the story, but by around chapter three, I didn’t want to put it down. The romance threaded into the story was well done and had me turning the pages. I’m a romantic at heart and couldn’t wait to see what happened. Would Mariah end up with Murray or Jace?
The secondary characters kept things interesting, even if there were parts I felt were needlessly added, particularly where Mariah’s “mum” was concerned and Jace’s mother. We see quite a bit of Murray’s sister, but part of her storyline seemed to have come out of nowhere and was left unresolved. Much like the soul reapers who are mentioned and supposedly feared, and yet they take up very little of the story and are almost an afterthought by the end. A surprise character, related to Mariah, makes an appearance but her role in the book seems almost forced. I think if the author had focused more on Mariah, Jace, and Murray, and threw in fewer random bits of drama, it would have streamlined the story more.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I really hope we’ll get to see more of these characters in future stories. I won’t spoil the book and tell you who Mariah ends up with, but their romance was both sweet and fiery. What’s not to love about fated mates?
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book and the review above is only my opinion.
Ocean Heart
Ally Aldridge
(The Soul Heart Series, #1)
Publication date: December 1st 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Being a mermaid brings a new depth to ‘it’s complicated.’
High school teen Mariah’s life is anything but simple. Between a crush on her best friend and a rivalry brewing with the swim team star, her powers awaken early.
When Mariah’s guardian meddles in her life with magic, she causes more harm than good. The soul reapers are coming and there’s a werewolf hungry for merblood. All secrets wash ashore sooner or later, and Mariah’s about to discover hers.
Mixing a messy love life with deadly powers will whip up a storm of trouble. Can Mariah contain it or will she be swept up in its wake?
A gripping story about a mermaid, self acceptance, and romance that literally sparks.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
—
EXCERPT:
My blood began to boil… except the bubbling felt more like a tingling. Didn’t he have any compassion for what he was doing to Jace and I? The angry current coursed through my veins. So charged, I felt a need to defuse. I threw my hands in the air and screamed.
“Mariah-,” Mum began but stopped.
Dramatically, the sky lit up like a stormy backdrop to my anger. Lightning pitched down from the sky and hit the lorry, cutting the engine out. The black cloud moved in to darken the before clear sky. The first plop of rain sent a chill through my cotton t-shirt. In no time, the sky was emptying buckets of rain.
“Temper, temper,” Jace teased.
“Quick!” Mum yelled over the rumbling sky as it began to chuck it down, “Everyone inside.”
We ran in. Denny invited the removal men to take shelter in our home with the promise of sampling their famous Sparkle Cakes and a brew.
As Jace and I were about to run up the stairs, Mum pulled me to one side.
“Are you okay, Mariah?”
“What do you think?” I snapped at her stupid question.
She tugged on my sleeve. “You must stay in control of your emotions.”
I shrugged her off me and hurried up the stairs with Jace. In my room, we revelled in the storm’s blessing of extra time together. I grinned, pleased with myself as if I had caused the storm.
Author Bio:
Ally was born in London but grew up in Suffolk which is where most of her YA Fantasy novels are based.
She is happily married to her high school sweetheart, and together they are raising two cats, their son and daughter.
When Ally is not writing (or at her day job), she loves spending time with her family at the local beach, in the forest or watching way too much Netflix.
Ally loves a cup of tea and has been known to order one on a night out.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Soul Heart Readers FB Group / Twitter / Instagram
GIVEAWAY!
To thank everyone who orders Ocean Heart between 1 Oct and 30 Nov, they author would like to offer them the chance to win a bookish prize of goodies.
There is a UK prize and an International prize. The winner will be announced live on 1 Dec at 8pm GMT, during her launch party on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ho6J-PQTvvI
—
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Title: Dragon Adventures
Series: Supernatural Consultant, Book Six
Author: Mell Eight
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: October 26, 2020
Heat Level: 1 – No Sex
Pairing: No Romance
Length: 24800
Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, YA, shifters, magic-users, kidnapping/abduction, travel, soul mates, road trip
Aqua and Rios are bored, which is always a recipe for disaster. Going on a trip might not solve the cause of the boredom, but they know it will distract them for a while. Except, Rios runs into a nix trying to save his river from drug smugglers and Aqua is kidnapped by a bunch of angry fire salamanders. Their fun adventure quickly turns into a desperate fight for survival, and they’re not certain they’ll be able get back home ever again.
Dragon Adventures
Mell Eight © 2020
All Rights Reserved
“Ugh.”
“Blarg.”
“Pbtth.”
“Frrpth.”
“That’s enough, boys.” Uncle Willy’s frown of displeasure was pronounced. Rios shut his mouth on another fart noise and Aqua did the same at his side. The long table was quiet, Rios realized, and they were all staring at him and at Aqua. Uncle Dane, with his shiny blond hair, was easily recognizable sitting farther down. He was hiding a smile, but the rest of the people didn’t look happy at all.
“Really, William. This is an important meeting. Send the children away,” Ming said sharply. She was the tiny Asian woman who controlled everything west of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains. The entire table was full of territory leaders, and Uncle Willy had explained who each one was and the territory they controlled before they’d arrived for the North American Territory Leaders Conference that occurred every ten years. The last conference had been in Mexico, and the next two or three were going to be in the US before it went back to Mexico. Uncle Willy controlled Canada, and he always hosted the conference after Mexico.
Uncle Willy had been very stern with the boys about the conference. He had been teaching them all about his duties as territory leader and wanted them to sit quietly so they could listen and learn. But that was boring!
Rios opened his mouth to explain how bored he was, but Uncle Willy’s frown grew even sterner, so he shut his mouth again. Uncle Willy was his and Aqua’s caretaker. He had found them making a mess in a river and had ended up adopting them instead of punishing them. Living with Uncle Willy was fun. He played games with them and taught them magic. Even though they had to do chores, it was much better than living in the wild. Uncle Willy had even lost a lot of weight over the years so he could go swimming with them; he wasn’t skinny, of course, but he could keep up now, at least. But then he had said that being fifteen years old signified that they could now take on some responsibility. Well, if responsibility meant sitting in boring meetings while people did a lot of useless talking, then responsibility was awful.
Both Aqua and Rios hated being bored, and Uncle Willy knew that. Rios hoped his answering pout at Uncle Willy explained his reasoning.
“Go on, then,” Uncle Willy finally said with a sigh. Rios refrained from cheering happily as he jumped down from his seat and scampered out of the room after Aqua.
It took them ten minutes to realize there was nothing to do outside of the meeting either.
“Nickel should have come,” Aqua grumbled into the pillow that he used for a face-plant. His blue hair was spread around his head like a wave.
He should have. Rios couldn’t agree more. Nickel was awesome. He was an older water dragon, about twenty-two, and Aqua and Rios had been playing with him for ten years. He had taught them so much about their shared magic and was happy to see them whenever they could convince Uncle Willy that they should go visit. Except, the last four years of their friendship hadn’t been nearly as fun. Nickel had a new playmate: an air dragon named Platinum. Instead of coming to the territory leaders’ meeting with Dane like Nickel should have, he was home playing with his new best friend. It wasn’t fair.
Aqua rolled onto his side so his face wasn’t being smushed by the pillow. He growled under his breath and then let out a heavy sigh. They were both brothers, and the fact that they had definitely hatched from the same clutch was obvious in their shared brow line and rounded chins. Aqua’s nose was a little longer than Rios’s, his eyes a smidge wider, and he was about four inches taller, but they were clearly brothers. They hadn’t been entirely certain of that fact when they were younger and had been confused for twins more times than Rios could count. When they had been kits covered in identical blue dragon scales with identically colored hair, no one could tell them apart. Only as they grew had their differences become apparent, but as far as the issue of being bored and being abandoned by Nickel, they were of the same mind.
“We should go tell Nickel how sad we are that he couldn’t come,” Rios whined, knowing he was speaking what Aqua was also thinking.
“Not on the phone,” Aqua grumbled in reply immediately. The phone number for Nickel’s new house that he was sharing with Platinum was written in a little book kept next to the phone in the kitchen, but a phone call wouldn’t convey just how upset they were with Nickel. It had to be done in person.
“Uncle Willy won’t take us there when he’s still in the middle of a meeting,” Rios mused aloud, “and Uncle Dane isn’t going back home until the meeting is over, so we can’t tag along with him.”
“So we’ll have to travel on our own,” Aqua said insistently.
That made sense to Rios. They weren’t too far away from Dane’s territory, or at least Rios didn’t think so. Uncle Willy owned big houses all over Canada. He didn’t want to use his main house—where they lived most of the time—for the meeting, so he had brought them all to his house in Ontario instead.
“Wasn’t there a map on the wall of Uncle Willy’s office?” Rios asked. They didn’t spend too much time in Ontario, but they had made sure to thoroughly explore the house.
They ran out of the living room eagerly, up the stairs, and down the hall to the office. Since Uncle Willy was downstairs in the meeting, they didn’t knock. Aqua threw the door open and they piled inside.
It wasn’t hard to find the map on the wall. It was only about five feet by five feet long, and Rios could easily grip the wooden frame and take it off the hook. Some of the lines were a bit different than Rios thought he remembered, but it was definitely a map of North America. Although, only the right half of the US portion of the map had the lines that denoted the States. The rest of the map was mostly blank. It definitely looked weird, but they could still pinpoint where Uncle Willy’s house was in Canada and Uncle Dane’s house was in Massachusetts.
“There is a river, see!” Aqua ran his finger down the big lake that Rios knew was called after a big bird. Lake Seagull didn’t sound right—maybe it started with an H, but it wasn’t Hawk. The big lake connected to another slightly smaller lake via a river, which then connected to a third lake that was close to where Dane lived.
It looked like it would be faster and much more direct to walk on land, but they were water dragons and could traverse through the lakes and rivers at much greater speed. Once they got to the last big lake, they could find smaller rivers to get to Nickel’s house.
Aqua held his finger over the distance from the third lake to Massachusetts and grinned at Rios. “It’s only a few inches long. With our water magic, we can get there in a few hours.”
Something didn’t seem quite right—weren’t they supposed to measure with a ruler or something a little more accurate?—but it sounded like too much fun not to go anyway. Rios glanced at the clock, which read eleven in the morning.
“We had better pack lunch,” he said with his own grin.
When Mell Eight was in high school, she discovered dragons. Beautiful, wondrous creatures that took her on epic adventures both to faraway lands and on journeys of the heart. Mell wanted to create dragons of her own, so she put pen to paper. Mell Eight is now known for her own soaring dragons, as well as for other wonderful characters dancing across the pages of her books. While she mostly writes paranormal or fantasy stories, she has been seen exploring the real world once or twice.
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A Young Adult Dark Fantasy from Hell. Crowned A Traitor is like no fantasy you have come across.
Heir to Hell and the Dark Forest of Malum, Klara has been called upon to take her place as High Queen of Malum. Though Klara has no intention of ruling, her guardians want her head on a spike. Klara’s only option – escape to Kalos, Fae ruled lands free from Dark Magic. To survive the perilous journey, she needs help…
A Leprechaun with a talent for smuggling.
A mischievous Demon with swaying loyalties.
The soul of a greying Warlock.
Lycaon siblings with a talent for deception.
Destiny has an awful habit of catching up with those who run.
My Review:
5 stars!
Crowned a Traitor is a fabulous, action-packed fantasy that pulls you in from page one.
I found Klara to be a strong heroine. She wasn’t perfect, but her imperfections are what made her so wonderful. In battle, she was fearless, yet she also showed mercy. It was a trait many thought made her weak, but was one of her greatest assests.
There were multiple twists I didn’t see coming, and a plethora of supernatural beings, which made the book all that more amazing. Demons, fae, witches, lycaons, and Lucifer himself… just to name a few.
If you enjoy paranormal tales of intrigue, suspense, action, and a bit of romance, you can’t go wrong with Crowned a Traitor.
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review posted above is merely my opinion.
Centuries ago, there was a beauty who did not live happily ever after. She fled her vampire Ottoman Prince, who now rules the Primati supernatural on earth with his half-brother Alaric, the terrifying Enforcer. The runaway beauty’s only living descendant, seventeen-year-old Stella Avery, is juggling the care of her ailing grandfather with the discovery that life is not what it seems in Portland, Oregon.
Stella’s Romany family shadow her every move and she discovers that an ancient enemy wants her dead. Her best friend, Amanda, reveals herself to be an actual witch and Stella must uncover the truth about the curse that has killed every woman in her family before their twenty-first birthday—or suffer the same fate.
For Alaric, his role as Primati Enforcer means utter loyalty to his brother. Half-angel, half-demon, he has no place in his heart for a mortal. Feared in his own right, Alaric finds himself torn between the law he has protected for hundreds of years and a young girl who cannot be loved without bringing about her own death.
My Review:
4 stars
I have to admit, I don’t often get pulled in by a book cover, but I did this time. I saw it and had to know more. Paranormal YA is right up my alley, and Everwish didn’t disappoint. Vampires, witches, demons, and more. If you love the supernatural and romance, Everwish is an excellent choice.
I did feel that while the world-building was relatively great, it felt like the author was cramming in so much that it could have easily filled at least another seventy pages, if not an entire second book. The book description kept me reading, even though the beginning didn’t really hook me. It wasn’t until Stella met Alaric that I became truly invested in the story.
I found the storyline to be somewhat unique and compelling. In all honesty, I’m hoping there will be more books set in this universe. For some, her “engagement” while still in high school might be pushing the line a bit, but in the world Ms. Oz created, it fit well with the story. Besides, fairy tales (and certain animated movies most of us loved as kids) have been marrying off teenagers for a really, really long time.
Not only do I want to find out whether or not Stella breaks the curse and can be with Alaric, but I want to know if Lila and Murad get their happily-ever-after. Do the M&Ms get a chance to find love and happiness to soften those hard edges? And what will become of Tess? I hope I get the chance to find out!
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC for an honest review through NetGalley. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Everwish. The review above is merely my opinion.
ABOUT THE BOOK
According to the family curse, Tessa has until her next birthday to select her future husband. However, choosing would mean his premature death. Unwilling to condemn any man to that fate, Tessa searches for an explanation behind the curse and the rules that dictate her life. What she learns is more terrifying than she could have imagined.
A demon brokered a deal with her ancestor in exchange for a companion, and he’s come to collect. Tessa has a choice to make. Pay the debt or condemn a man to death. Her time to decide is running out, and as she’s learned, breaking the family rules always has consequences.
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My Review:
5-stars!
This was my first time reading anything by Melissa Haag, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Mystery. Suspense. Romance. All wrapped up in a paranormal package with demons. What’s not to love?
It was an intriguing tale that gripped me from the first page.
Tessa knows her family is far from what most would consider normal, although she doesn’t understand why she must abide by special rules. Like being home before nightfall. When she meets the being called Morik, she’s scared and reluctant to trust him. But he knows far more about her family than anyone else, and she’s ready to end the nightmarish cycle that’s befallen her family — cursed to lose the men they love at an early age. The question is WHY does it happen? Only Morik can answer that for her.
Watching the two of them learn about one another, grow closer as friends, and then as something more, kept me engaged and eager to flip the next page. Their relationship was a slow build, and I started to wonder if Tessa would ever realize she was in love with the demon. The more we got to know Morik, the more I wanted a hunky demon of my own.
The only downside to this story is that it’s a stand-alone, which means we don’t get to find out what happens with the other demons in the book. I hope one day Ms. Haag might sit down and write about the other two. I’d love to know more.
*Disclaimer: The author did not request a review of this title. I downloaded a free copy from Amazon and the review above is merely my opinion.
If The Broom Fits
Sarah Sutton
Publication date: October 6th 2020
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Halloween really is the worst.
Blaire’s got to be the only person on the planet who hates Halloween. At least the only person in her small town, which practically worships the holiday. Ugh. And it doesn’t help that her super-hot ex-boyfriend, Lucas, is determined to convince her otherwise by making her take part in “festive activities.” Apparently carving pumpkins and watching scary movies is going to magically change her mind about the holiday? Yeah, right.
But Blaire has never told anyone the truth of why she hates Halloween or the truth about why she broke up with Lucas. She’s definitely never told anyone about how much she second-guesses that decision. Being around him is so much harder than she thought, especially when it looks like he’s starting to move on.
And when she gets a letter in the mail from someone who broke her heart, can Blaire overcome the negativity drowning her? Or will her bitterness and secrets push everyone she loves away?
With scary movies and pumpkin spice, If the Broom Fits is a sweet and heartfelt autumn romance that will put you in the spirit of Halloween.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
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EXCERPT:
“You look like a dork.”
Donnie didn’t even glance down at himself as I spoke to him, his expression self-assured. “I do not.”
I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from smiling. “You definitely do. Why are you dressed like a shark?”
Or, at least, that’s what I thought he was supposed to be. The silvery-blue material covered his entire body, accented with a hood and a face hole. It didn’t quite reach his ankles since he was so tall, which made the whole thing look a little silly. An extra bunching of material gathered at his armpits, so his arms stuck out a little at his sides.
A tiny little fin was even attached to his back, and it flapped with each movement he made.
“It’s sea-life dress-up day,” Donnie said in a cheerful voice. “I thought this was pretty clever.”
Author Bio:
Sarah Sutton is a YA Romance author, bringing you stories about teenagers falling in love (sometimes with magic)She spends her days dreaming up ideas with her two adorable puppies by her side being cheerleaders (and mega distractions).
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About the book:
Samantha Mather knew her family’s connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials might pose obstacles to an active social life. But having survived one curse, she never thought she’d find herself at the center of a new one.
This time, Sam is having recurring dreams about the Titanic . . . where she’s been walking the deck with first-class passengers, like her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, in Sam’s waking life, strange missives from the Titanic have been finding their way to her, along with haunting visions of people who went down with the ship.
Ultimately, Sam and the Descendants, along with some help from heartthrob Elijah, must unravel who is behind the spell that is drawing her ever further into the dream ship . . . and closer to sharing the same grim fate as its ghostly passengers.
My review…
5 stars
This has been an amazing series and I’m hoping there will be a third installment.
I’ve always been fascinated by the story of the Titanic, and I really enjoyed Ms. Mather’s spin on it. The mix of paranormal elements and historical events was intriguing. Ghosts, a spell, and a mystery to be solved… once I started reading, I couldn’t stop!