Library Cats

 I just had to post this cute picture of two of our cats in the library. 

My Lady Mage (Warriors of the Mist #1) by Alexis Morgan

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Content: Some pretty detailed sex

A cursed destiny. A band of warriors. And one troubled kingdom.

It is whispered in Agathia that the legendary warriors of the mist-cursed by the gods-can be summoned only when a champion is needed and the cause is just. Gideon, their captain, knows this to be the one path that will lead his men to redemption-lest they face an eternity of damnation.

Years have passed since anyone has journeyed to the river's edge, but times are desperate. Oppressed by a cruel guardian whose dark magic threatens to destroy her people, the beautiful and courageous Merewen calls upon the bespelled warriors. In Gideon she finds more than a champion, and in his arms, more than protection. However, their enemies are fighting with a power darker than anything than they imagined, and should Gideon fail, she will lose everything she holds dear-including her heart.

 

I've had this book for many years and always put off reading it for something else. This was mainly due to the fact that it had such mixed reviews on Goodreads. I finally decided that I needed to just go ahead and read it. 

In the beginning I was pulled into the story very quickly and I liked the characters and the overall plot a lot. However this is a fantasy-romance, and those can be really hit or miss with me. If the book happens to swerve into the romance novel lane too much then it usually doesn't work out so well for me. What I mean by that is, there are fantasy-romances that are fantasy that is romantic. Amy Harmon's fantasy stories come to mind here. Then there are fantasy-romances that are fantasy stories written to support a romance. Some of which feel like they are constructed solely to prop up love making scenes. This one felt more like the latter, which is a shame because the fantasy elements of this story were very compelling and I loved the idea behind the river warriors. 

This could have been a really good fantasy series had the focus been more on that aspect of the book and less on romance novel stuff. Unfortunately instalove and too much description in the sex scenes kind of ruined this book for me, although I still enjoyed the fantasy elements enough to give it 3 stars. I've decided not to continue on with the series.

Whispers By the Window by Jennifer Loy

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery
Content:

Grace Sullivan has already had the worst day of her life: the day she lost her parents, but this is a close second. She’s lost her job on the same day she finds out a secret about her boyfriend. The only positive thing about her day is an envelope that Mr. Bloomer, Grace’s boss, gave her before she left. After she opens it, she wonders if its contents are a blessing or a curse. A piece of property is in her future that she has no idea how to take care of. When she gets to the front window of the home, a voice in her head says, “Well, go inside.” Startled, she turns to look around but no one is there. She finds a letter under the upstairs window seat that opens up a new world of discovery for her. Man or ghost? Or just Whispers By The Window?

 

This was a sweet, romantic, paranormal mystery with some Ghost and Mrs. Muir vibes. I was entranced by this book right from the beginning and breezed right through it. I enjoyed the relationship between Grace and the ghost and the way it developed. I did find a few things about the house maybe a little inconsistent with the time period it was supposed to be built in, but I was able to overlook that. I've read one other book by this author, Shoreline, that I've reviewed here on my blog, and I liked this one much better. I thought this one was much better written and overall just a better story.

 

 

 

The Watcher Girl by Minka Kent

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content:Strong Language,

 

Eight years ago, Grace McMullen broke Sutton Whitlock’s heart when she walked away. But it was only to save him from the baggage of her own troubled past. Now all she wants is to make sure he’s okay.

Only everything she learns about him online says otherwise. According to his social media accounts, he placed roots in her hometown, married a look-alike, and even named his daughter Grace. He clearly hasn’t moved on. In fact, it’s creepy. So Grace does what any concerned ex-girlfriend would do: she moves home…and watches him.

But when Grace crosses paths with Sutton’s wife, Campbell, an unexpected friendship develops. Campbell has no idea whom she’s inviting into her life. As the women grow closer, it becomes clear to Grace that Sutton is not the sentimental man she once knew. He seems controlling, unstable, and threatening. And what a broken man like Sutton is capable of, Grace can only imagine. It’s up to her to save Campbell and her baby now—but while she’s been watching them, who’s been watching her? 

 

I found this book quite compelling and the main character, Grace was interesting, although not real likable at times. I especially thought her job was interesting, but it may have been a little too convenient, considering it came in really handy and allowed her to do things most people wouldn't have been able to do.

One thing I didn't know when I read this was that it is tied to one of the author's other books, The Memory Watcher, but you don't have to read that one to enjoy this one. I would call this a companion novel to the other one because they both are stand-alones. 

This is the third book I've read by Minka Kent and I've liked all three. I like the author's writing style and of course the twists and turns. I have to admit that I did see the twist coming in this one, but I still enjoyed the book. If you like psychological suspense then I recommend this author. 

The Sworn Saga by Kate Avery Ellison: Red Rider, Silver Wolf, Black Veil, White Mask, and Crimson Heart

It has been a long time since I've read anything by Kate Avery Ellison. She was one of the first indie authors I ever read and for the most part, I liked her Frost series and her Secrets of Itlantis series. I had forgotten how easily I get sucked into her books, until I picked up Red Rider, and holy cow! I could hardly put it down. That isn't to say that I thought it was without flaws though. In fact, there was something really frustrating about the fact that I found this so compelling but also pretty flawed.

I'll start with the things I liked. I like the easy, compelling writing style the author has. When I saw that she had written a Red Riding Hood retelling I had to try it, because I love Red Riding Hood retellings. I enjoyed certain aspects of the story because of that, and I liked that this put a bit of a different spin on Red Riding Hood as well. I liked the main character a lot, and also absolutely loved Vixor Rae. Also, I liked that there was one twist later in the series that I didn't see coming at all, and I always appreciate when a book surprises me.

One of the things I didn't like so much was the constant back and forth between Red and Vixor. They go in circles with their relationship constantly throughout the series and it drove me crazy! I expected this to be resolved in the second book, certainly by the third, but no, it is still going on 5 books in! Overall, there is too much repetition in the series, and I don't think the series needed to be as many books as it is. I also thought that the Wolves didn't do enough as wolves in the series. They rarely change into werewolf form and they didn't feel as threatening or sinister as they should have. I felt like they were kind of upstaged by the tree crawlers, and I'm not really sure why the tree crawlers were included in the first place. There are also some things that I would like more of an explanation for. Why are there werewolves and tree crawlers? What happened to our world to make all this happen? Instead of focusing on answering these questions, the back and forth relationship was focused on too much. 

So normally this stuff would be enough for me to abandon a series after a couple of books, but this one is so compelling that I am loving it despite myself and it's kind of infuriating! So, hats off the Kate Avery Ellison for writing such a compelling series. There is one final book to be released later this year and honestly, I can't wait to read it, flaws and all.

 

Category: Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling

Content: Off page sex between a married couple, some steamy kissing scenes.

 

Below are the descriptions for each book and my ratings for them.  

 

  

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In a land where a werewolf army called the Sworn rule over the humans and walking corpses called treecrawlers roam the wilderness between settlements, orphaned Red has a secret that she and her grandmother have been hiding for years. She's one of the Chosen, the despised young women selected to bear children in the stead of barren female werewolves.

Red keeps her identifying mark hidden, and she doesn't take advantage of the luxuries available to the future mothers of the Sworn. But her secret is discovered when she rescues her rebel boyfriend from execution for treason, and she can hide the truth no longer.

Red is intercepted by a dangerous young Sworn named Vixor Rae, a prince among the werewolves, and taken through the dangerous wilderness to serve her fate in the capital.

Vixor intrigues Red against her will, but he is her enemy, and she wants nothing more than to see him dead.

But when treecrawlers attack the Sworn caravan headed for the capital, and only Red and Vixor survive, the two must rely on each other to make it out of the perilous wilderness alive.

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Meredith Rider, known as Red, has been captured once more by Sworn soldiers and taken to the capital of the werewolf empire. There, she is forced to train with a group of other captive girls in the arts and graces of the Chosen, the unlucky human girls whose DNA is compatible with that of werewolves.

In other words--breeders.

Red isn't about have babies for the enemy. She's going to escape or die trying.

And her conflicted feelings for the darkly handsome, cruelly cunning Vixor Rae, the Sworn champion of the Alpha who goes by the nickname Silver Wolf, are only going to get in her way.

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

 

Red never intended to be the mate of a Sworn.

She never intended to stay in the capital.

She never intended to fall in love with the enemy.

Now, she has to decide what she's going to do about it, and where her loyalties lie. 

 

 

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

Red Rider has escaped the Sworn capital, and now, she rescues Chosen girls under the code name Red Riding Hood and takes them through the wilderness to a secret city run by the Order of the Crimson. She leaves behind her calling card, a white mask, after every rescue.

Her alias, Red Riding Hood, is growing infamous across the land.

But Red longs for Kassian, who has either forgotten their love or is pretending he no longer loves her for her own protection.

When a Huntsman shows up looking to kill the Silver Wolf, Red finds herself torn between loyalty to helping the Chosen girls and her love for the one she can never have.

 

 

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

Red Rider has been many things. A Chosen girl. A veiled mate of a Sworn officer. A runaway. The fabled White Mask.

Now, she's simply... alone. Abandoned by family and allies.

And Kassian, who traded his life for hers, is imprisoned somewhere she cannot find and awaiting execution.

Red is determined to find a way to rescue her captured mate. She must convince someone from her past to help her find the Red City, and she's desperate enough to strike a deal with an old enemy.

Can Red save Kassian without selling her soul?