The Fae Ring-C.A. Szarek

 

Book Two in the time travel, fantasy romance trilogy, Highland Secrets!

She’s always been a dutiful daughter…

Janet MacLeod has spent the last ten years dedicated to her clan, acting as the Lady of the castle—at the cost of her own happiness.

She aches every time she looks at her brothers, both happy with their wives, and wants nothing more than a love of her own.

He’s a broken soldier…

Xander, a former Fae Warrior, sacrificed his wings and magic to live in the Human Realm and became a traitor to his people.

When he finds Janet forlorn on the beach, Xander gives her a ring he’s had since childhood, not realizing it’ll reveal her as his fated mate.

The ring’s magic activates the Faery Stones, and Janet is sucked into the Fae Realm. Her life is in immediate danger, for the Fae sense—and seek to destroy—any human who dares step into their world.

Xander is the only one who can retrieve her, but he too, wears a target.

Can he rescue his soul-mate and return with her to the Human Realm or will temptation of great magic and the rebirth of his wings force him to abandon their destiny?



As I have not read the first book in this series, I was a little worried that I would have some trouble following the story. I was very wrong. This is a great story of romance and the paranormal and I enjoyed it very much.

Dead of Night: Dancers in the Dark/The Devil's Footprints- Charlaine Harris and Amanda Stevens

 

From bestselling author Charlaine Harris and rising star Amanda Stevens come two otherworldly tales sure to haunt readers well after the last page is turned.

Dancers in the Dark

#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris

Layla Rue Le May is no ordinary dancer—her partner, Sean McClendon, is a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. When Layla Rue acquires a stalker, she's forced to face the music…and wonder if this will finally be her last dance. 

Dancers in the Dark was a great quick read. I have never had a complaint about anything written by Charlaine Harris and this tale is no exception. In meeting a new cast of vampires, I was a little worried that I wouldn't like them as much as the ones from the Sookie Stackhouse traditional tale. How wrong I was. The characters are great and the story is fantastic. One again a great book.  



The Devil's Footprints

Award-winning author Amanda Stevens

Years after her sister's unsolved murder, Sarah DeLaune is haunted by the mysteries of her past when two mutilated bodies are found near Sarah's New Orleans home, the crime scene desecrated by cloven footprints. Sarah has always believed that her sister was killed by a man named Ashe Cain. But no one else has ever seen Ashe. Until now.


The Devil's Footprint was a huge surprise to me. I LOVED IT. Once I started reading it I didn't stop until I was finished. That is a sign of a very good read for me. Great job. I can't wait to read more from this author. 

Razing The Dead-Sheila Connolly

 

Once again Nell Pratt has to dig into the past to solve a murder in the present...

Between the challenges of her position as president of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society in Philadelphia and of taking her relationship with FBI agent James Morrison to the next level, Nell Pratt has got her hands full. Nevertheless, when a powerful developer approaches the Society to make sure the old dairy farm he wants to level is not hiding any archaeological or historical surprises that could derail the project he’s planning, Nell decides to make time to personally accompany him to the proposed site.

But when they get to the property, they stumble upon a startling discovery—a body floating facedown in a pond. The dead man turns out to be an amateur history enthusiast, who may have uncovered secrets about the farm that got him killed. Now it’s up to Nell and James to get to the bottom of things before there are more deadly developments..

I, honestly, think this series is getting better as it goes along. Nell finds herself in another pickle when she is with a client when he finds a dead body. Another great story and mystery ensues and Nell once again saves the day. I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Tempest in a Teapot-Amanda Cooper

 

 Tucked away in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York is the charming town of Gracious Grove, where time moves slowly, gossip spreads quickly, and the scones are to die for…

When her fashionable Manhattan restaurant goes under, Sophie Taylor retreats to her grandmother’s cozy shop, Auntie Rose’s Victorian Teahouse, where serenity is steeped to perfection in one of her many antique teapots. The last thing Sophie expects is a bustling calendar of teahouse events, like her old friend Cissy Peterson’s upcoming bridal shower.

Not everyone is pleased with the bride-to-be’s choice of venue—like Cissy’s grandmother, who owns a competing establishment, La Belle Epoque, and has held a long-simmering grudge against Rose for stealing her beau sixty years ago. Tensions reach a boiling point when Cissy’s fiancé’s mother dies while sampling scones at La Belle Epoque. Now, to help her friend, Sophie will have to bag a killer before more of the guest list becomes a hit list.

This is a great start to a new series. Sophie is a great character and she has a wonderful supporting cast. Moving to Gracious Grove was not quite what Sophie expected when she is caught in the midst of a murder mystery. I loved everything about this book and really love when I don't know who done it until the very end. Great job. 

Death of a Country Fried Redneck-Lee Hollis

 

Local food and drink writer Haley Powell thinks she’s done solving murders in scenic Bar Harbor, Maine. But when a taste of the South comes to New England, Haley’s following another recipe for disaster…

As a single mom, Hayley Powell already has a full plate—she’s got deadlines to make and a teenage daughter with eyes for an aspiring singer-songwriter. But when country music superstar Wade Springer rolls into town, Hayley spies an irresistible side gig: personal chef to her all-American idol. After he tries her home cooking, Wade’s so impressed that he hires her on the spot—and invites her to dine with him alone.

Hayley and Wade are hitting all the right notes…until a body turns up. Wade’s tour bus was torched overnight and a roadie named Mickey Pritchett came out well-done. But the real cause of death isn’t barbecue: Mickey was shot, his mouth stuffed with one of Hayley’s trademark chicken legs. An ornery drunk, Mickey had already made plenty of enemies in town, but Wade’s reputation is on the rocks. Hayley reckons it’s up to her to settle this mess—a charbroiled mystery with all the fixin’s.


This was a great second book in this series. I read it in one night if that tells you anything. Haley is a very likeable main character and I love how she works to solve this mystery. I am onto book 3. 

The Truth About Leo-Katie MacAlister

The much-anticipated, brand-new Regency romance from New York Times bestselling author Katie MacAlister.
Can Dagmar flee Denmark

Dagmar Marie Sophie is a poverty-stricken Danish princess whose annoying royal cousin is about to have her stuffed away in a convent. When she finds a wounded man unconscious in her garden, she sees a way out of her desperate situation.
By Lying to Leo?

Leopold Ernst George Mortimer, seventh earl of March, and spy in the service of the king, finds himself on the wrong end of a saber and left for dead. He wakes up not remembering what happened...in the care of a beautiful woman who says she is his wife.
Back in London, Leo-with the help of his old friends the eccentric Britton family-sets out to unravel what he's forgotten... Is Dagmar truly the wonderful, irrepressible woman who makes his heart sing, or is she a dangerous enigma bent on his destruction?


 All in all this was a really good book. The main character was both head strong and quit funny. A delightful book.

Hot Fudge Frame Up-Christine DeSmet

Ava is gearing up for the First Annual Arts Festival—a huge celebration that could draw national attention to her old-fashioned fudge shop in Door County, Wisconsin. She’s invited two celebrity chefs to go head-to-head with her in a fudge contest. Everyone is having a tasty time…until a judge for the festival is found dead.

To her shock, he’d been complaining around town that her Fairy Tale fudge flavors were…well, fudged. Now the sheriff is wondering if Ava fits the mold for a murder suspect. As Ava tries to square her reputation and find the real killer, she’s in for a whole batch of trouble….


I really enjoy this series. This is the second book and I am hooked. Once again, Ava finds herself smack dab in the middle of a murder. She looks in the most unexpected places to find the killer. Just an all around great book. I can't wait for 2015 to read the next adventure. 

Sisters of Treason-Elizabeth Fremantle

 From the author of Queen’s Gambit, which People magazine called, “A must-read for Philippa Gregory fans,” a gripping historical novel about two sisters who tread as dangerously close to the crown as their tragic sister, Lady Jane Grey, executed after just nine days on the throne.

Early in Mary Tudor’s turbulent reign, Lady Catherine and Lady Mary Grey are reeling after the brutal execution of their elder seventeen-year-old sister, Lady Jane Grey, and the succession is by no means stable. In Sisters of Treason, Elizabeth Freemantle brings these young women to life in a spellbinding Tudor tale of love and politics.

Neither sister is well suited to a dangerous life at court. Flirtatious Lady Catherine, thought to be the true heir, cannot control her compulsion to love and be loved. Her sister, clever Lady Mary, has a crooked spine and a tiny stature in an age when physical perfection equates to goodness—and both girls have inherited the Tudor blood that is more curse than blessing. For either girl to marry without royal permission would be a potentially fatal political act. It is the royal portrait painter, Levina Teerlinc, who helps the girls survive these troubled times. She becomes their mentor and confidante, but when the Queen’s sister, the hot-headed Elizabeth, inherits the crown, life at court becomes increasingly treacherous for the surviving Grey sisters. Ultimately each young woman must decide how far she will go to defy her Queen, risk her life, and find the safety and love she longs for.

From “a brilliant new player in the court of royal fiction,” (People) Sisters of Treason brings to vivid life the perilous and romantic lives of two little known young women who played a major role in the complex politics of their day

Wow. I am such a huge fan of anything having to do with English History. This book did not disappoint. I felt like I was right there with the characters living with the Tudors. Kudos on a fantastic book.

 

A Kiss of Ashen Twilight-Rae Lori

Haunted by dreams of a mysterious yet seductive figure, Ariya awakens to a more dangerous nightmare: a vicious elemental creature nearly wiping out her entire family outside her bedroom doors. Her parents urge her to cross over into the mortal realm and there she is saved from another attack against strange shifter wolves. Her rescuer is Jace Archane, an immortal Nightwalker from the House of Blood within the Ashen Twilight House. The very same man from her dreams. Now the race is on to find out the origins of the elemental creature and stop the horrific killing spree. As they dig deeper into the mystery, they will uncover a truth that ties the elemental's origins to a forgotten ally with plans to overthrow the Archane legacy and obtain Ariya's fairy blood fueling an immortal thirst for power.

 This is the first book I have read from Rae Lori and I will be coming back for more. I loved this story. It had so many things that I liked that I'm afraid I would have a mile long review. It had romance, vampires, faeries, werewolves, and just a great story all around. Great job. I cannot wait to read more. 

Boiled Over-Barbara Ross

For Julia Snowden, the Founder’s Day summer celebration in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, means helping her family’s clambake company to prepare an authentic taste of New England seafood. Any Mainer will tell you that a real clambake needs wood for the fire . . . so why is there a foot sticking out of the oven?

The townspeople want to pin the murder of the RV park owner on Cabe Stone, a new employee of the Snowden Family Clambake Company–who bolted from the crime scene and disappeared.

Julia knows having another murder associated with her family’s business is a recipe for disaster . . . but who is the killer? Cooking up a proper investigation doesn’t leave much time for the rest of Julia’s life, and this is one killer who’ll do anything to stop her from digging up clues .

	I love any book that is set in Maine, typically. However, I had a very hard time reading this book. I found that the plot jumped around too much for my taste.

Engaged in Murder-Nancy J. Parra

Event planner Pepper Pomeroy is making the most of her current unemployment by arranging a surprise for her sister, Felicity. Warren, Felicity’s boyfriend, plans to lure his lovely lady into a private jet, propose, and whisk her away on a romantic vacation. He just needs Pepper to handle all the fine details in order to make it the perfect proposal—and it is. Everything goes so well when Warren pops the question that he suggests Pepper do this sort of thing professionally.

But before she can get her new business off the ground, there are some disturbing questions. Like who’s the dead guy Pepper finds in the ladies’ room of the jet hangar? Is it possible Felicity’s high-flying fiancé has been hiding more than the engagement ring? Pepper’s not married to the idea of having a criminal in the family, so in order to protect her sister, she takes off in pursuit of a killer

 This is another great series by Nancy J. Parra. Pepper is a very likeable character and you can't help but get caught up in her plans. I can't wait to see where she goes from here. I, quite simply, loved this book.

Help ideas

Good morning, everyone. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to how I could make my blog more appealing. It is sooooooo boring right now. Please let me know. I am up to just about anything.

Thanks,
Jenni

No Worst, There is None-Eve McBride

In extravagant mid-eighties Toronto, the privileged Waites family is victimized when their talented and artistic eleven-year-old daughter Lizbett is murdered by a sexual predator. How can the family learn to cope with such horror?

In an intimate exploration of grief, the surviving family members go through their grieving process. An abused rescue dog, itself in need of healing, becomes part of their journey back to normalcy.

Meanwhile, the police search in vain for the murderer, Melvyn Searle, who is on his own journey, feeling invincible and hatching new plans as he draws closer to the family and stalks the Waites's younger daughter, Darcy.

A work that challenges our reason, our emotions, and our spirit, No Worst, There Is None is a novel inspired by real-life events.

 This story is based on real events. I don't know if is what makes it such a terrifying read or not, but it was wonderfully gripping and haunting at the same time.

Thin Ice-Nick Wilkshire

urtis Ritchie is the only news in town when Ottawa takes the young hockey sensation first overall in the annual spring draft. But the media frenzy over the signing and the controversial trades made to secure the team's marquee player is eclipsed by news of his murder on the eve of Ritchie's rookie season. As Ottawa Major Crimes Unit investigator Jack Smith reassembles Ritchie's life, he is surprised at how much it differs from the fledgling star's clean-cut image and a list of suspects soon emerges, any one of whom had good reasons to want Ritchie dead. But there's something else about the young phenom — a secret so profound that its revelation to the wrong person could only mean Ritchie's end.

This was an all around great mystery. I love books that make me wonder until the very end who this villain is. Great read. 

Lord St. Claire's Angel-Donna Simpson

Celestine Simons was past the age when a woman could hope to marry. Still, she counted herself blessed, for she held a good position as governess in the household of tine Marquess of Ladymead. But when the Marquess's brother, the handsome Lord Justin St. Claire, arrived for the Christmas season, Celestine's lonely heart caught fire. He was so sweet and understanding. Yet, a marriage proposal from a pleasure-seeking aristocrat had to be merely cruel joke, if not pity for a poor spinster...

Love was a game for the devil-may-care Lord Justin St. Claire -- until he met Miss Celestine Simons. Justin never thought he could be felled by cheerful good sense and intelligent conversation. He'd set out to give the plain, timid miss an innocent thrill under the kissing bough -- becoming smitten with the gray-eyed beauty was the least of his intentions. But the more he denied his aching heart, the more he yearned to make Celestine his.

I love Regency romances. This is a perfect example of a governess and the lord of the manor finding love. I found this to be wonderful story about love and happy endings. 

The Last Stratiote-Leann Neil Reilly

A stunning dark urban fantasy reimagining Charles Dickens' classic novel A Tale of Two Cities in which the age-old struggle between revenge and love plays out on the modern international stage but ultimately finds resolution in the heart of one tortured woman.

Blood Law. It's the foundation of all human relationships, as old as humanity itself. In the Balkans, it’s been enshrined in written code since the Middle Ages.

For Elira Dukagjini, a stratiote, an Albanian mercenary who loves Shakespeare and composes blood haiku, it's what drives her—at least until she meets James Goodman, an ICE agent pursuing the same trio of sex traffickers one explosive March night. For James, a Special Forces veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who earned a degree in philosophy on his career path, it's not just about bringing criminals to justice. The sex traffickers have kidnapped Mirjeta Gjakova, the woman he loves, at the behest of a man he burns to pay back. For Mirjeta, a concert violinist who escaped her Balkan homeland as an orphaned teen, the strict accounting of Blood Law threatens to collect a heavy debt: her life.

When Elira's blood hunt collides with James's pursuit of the kidnappers, the resulting trial forces her out of her predatory myopia. What Elira decides will change the entire course of their three lives, setting a precedent in the law governing human behavior.

Complex, gritty, and brutally human, The Last Stratiote alternates between dramatic action and a challenging, richly symbolic exploration of life, religion, and philosophy. It is a story informed by the intrinsic motives underlying our desire for love, lust, revenge, healing, and redemption.


This was an all around great read. I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys religion and history. That said it can sometimes be hard to follow. But all in all a wonderful story. 

The Whole Cat and Caboodle-Sofie Ryan

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES

Sarah Grayson is the happy proprietor of Second Chance, a charming shop in the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine. At the shop, she sells used items that she has lovingly refurbished and repurposed. But her favorite pet project so far has been adopting a stray cat she names Elvis.

Elvis has seen nine lives—and then some. The big black cat with a scar across his nose turned up at a local bar when the band was playing the King of Rock and Roll’s music and hopped in Sarah’s truck. Since then, he’s been her constant companion and the furry favorite of everyone who comes into the store.

But when Sarah’s elderly friend Maddie is found with the body of a dead man in her garden, the kindly old lady becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Even Sarah’s old high school flame, investigator Nick Elliot, seems convinced that Maddie was up to no good. So it’s up to Sarah and Elvis to clear her friend’s name and make sure the real murderer doesn’t get a second chance.

This is a great start to a new series. The characters were both funny and entertaining and the mystery was fantastic. I look forward to more from Ms. Ryan. 

Shadow's Claim-Kresley Cole

#1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole introduces The Dacians: Realm of Blood and Mist, a new paranormal series following the royal bloodline of Dacia, a vampire kingdom hidden within the Lore of the Immortals After Dark. Shadow’s Claim features Prince Trehan, a ruthless master assassin who will do anything to possess Bettina, his beautiful sorceress mate, even compete for her hand in a blood-sport tournament— to the death.

HE WON’T BE DENIED

Trehan Daciano, known as the Prince of Shadows, has spent his life serving his people—striking in the night, quietly executing any threat to their realm. The coldly disciplined swordsman has never desired anything for himself—until he beholds Bettina, the sheltered ward of two of the Lore’s most fearsome villains.

SHE’S BOUND TO ANOTHER

Desperate to earn her guardians’ approval after a life-shattering mistake, young Bettina has no choice but to marry whichever suitor prevails—even though she’s lost her heart to another. Yet one lethal competitor, a mysterious cloaked swordsman, invades her dreams, tempting her with forbidden pleasure.

A BATTLE FOR HER BODY AND SOUL

Even if Trehan can survive the punishing contests to claim her as his wife, the true battle for Bettina’s heart is yet to come. And unleashing a millennium’s worth of savage need will either frighten his Bride away—or stoke Bettina’s own desires to a fever pitch 1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole introduces The Dacians: Realm of Blood and Mist, a new paranormal series following the royal bloodline of Dacia, a vampire kingdom hidden within the Lore of the Immortals After Dark. Shadow’s Claim features Prince Trehan, a ruthless master assassin who will do anything to possess Bettina, his beautiful sorceress mate, even compete for her hand in a blood-sport tournament— to the death.

HE WON’T BE DENIED

Trehan Daciano, known as the Prince of Shadows, has spent his life serving his people—striking in the night, quietly executing any threat to their realm. The coldly disciplined swordsman has never desired anything for himself—until he beholds Bettina, the sheltered ward of two of the Lore’s most fearsome villains.

SHE’S BOUND TO ANOTHER

Desperate to earn her guardians’ approval after a life-shattering mistake, young Bettina has no choice but to marry whichever suitor prevails—even though she’s lost her heart to another. Yet one lethal competitor, a mysterious cloaked swordsman, invades her dreams, tempting her with forbidden pleasure.

A BATTLE FOR HER BODY AND SOUL

Even if Trehan can survive the punishing contests to claim her as his wife, the true battle for Bettina’s heart is yet to come. And unleashing a millennium’s worth of savage need will either frighten his Bride away—or stoke Bettina’s own desires to a fever pitch

I can't believe that it has taken me this long to read a book by Kresley Cole. I was not disappointed. This book was fantastic. I loved the characters, the romance, the amazingly vivid story telling, just all of it. I look forward to reading a lot more of Ms. Cole's books. 

Bride of a Scottish Warrior-Adrienne Basso

A union born of duty...

Newly knighted Sir Ewan Gilroy needs a dowry and a wife, in that order. Though the widowed Lady Grace plans to enter a convent, squandering so much lush beauty—and such a fortune—would surely be its own sin. Grace will not be easily wooed, despite her family's urging and Ewan's famed charm. She challenges him as no woman ever dared, proving his equal in spirit and in passions...

Forged by desire...

To atone for her past, Grace vows to never remarry—least of all a brash and reckless warrior. Yet whether defending her honor or stoking desires she hardly knew she possessed, Ewan is a man beyond compare. And as their fragile trust is threatened by treachery, Grace must decide whether to reach for the happiness within her grasp—and fight for the love of her bold Highlander.

This book is romance at it's best. Despite a rocky start, Ewan and Grace, find a love like no other. The characters were great, the romance was fantastic, and you can't go wrong with Scotland. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Basso.