Tag: Book Review

Book Review: Cotswolds Holiday (Christmas Escapes #7) by Kasey Stockton

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 350 pages
Author: Kasey Stockton
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 30th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Some people face their problems head-on, other people run . . .

When my ex-boyfriend sends me his wedding invitation eight months after breaking up with me, and the bride expects me to be in the wedding party, it’s time for my tried-and-tested party trick: disappearing.

And nowhere is better to escape to than the cozy English Cotswolds in the middle of December.

Everything goes according to plan until I arrive in the Cotswolds. Snow is more slippery than I expected, my room is nothing like the listing described, and my pub owner landlord—well, he steps directly from my lumberjack fantasies and into my heart.

The only problem? I can’t fall for an Englishman who lives on the other side of the world from me. Not even one who has Dr Pepper on tap and kisses like it’s an Olympic sport. It’s much harder to run across the pond, and all good things must come to an end . . . but what if I can’t say goodbye?

Part of the Christmas Escape series, Cotswolds Holiday is a clean Christmas romance where an American girl runs off to England and tries not to fall in love.

SO I LOVED THIS?

And I’m so glad I did! I did go back and forth A LOT on a few aspects so lets get into those.

There is soooo much drama involving ex’s. And at times it felt like too much, yet in the same breath, I was reveling in the drama of Luna and Rhys finding there path to be together. I know it’ll be a polarizing type of read for that. I’m just reallll dang happy it worked for me (though it is the reason I took off 1/2 star).

Rhys was SWOONY. Every near touch, stolen kiss, and whispered endearments had me glued to the page. I loved his character. I enjoyed Luna as well. She’s a runner (meh), but I do think it was handled well enough for me to roll with. There was pretty solid communication between them and I loooove a get your girl moment and I was squealing when it happened.

The setting is perfect. A quaint pub in the countryside. I loved the side characters and the shenanigans that went down. Plenty of holiday cheer and perfect for the season.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorce, cheating (off page)

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Book Review: The Siren by Katherine St. John

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Thriller/Mystery
Length: 416 pages
Author: Katherine St. John
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: May 4th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From Katherine St. John, author of The Lion’s Den, comes another sublimely escapist thriller: When dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power hires his ex-wife, Stella Rivers, to act in his son’s film, he sparks a firestorm on an isolated island that will unearth long-buried secrets — and unravel years of lies.

In the midst of a sizzling hot summer, some of Hollywood’s most notorious faces are assembled on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Genesius to film The Siren, starring dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power playing opposite his ex-wife, Stella Rivers. The surefire blockbuster promises to entice audiences with its sultry storyline and intimately connected cast.

Three very different women arrive on set, each with her own motive. Stella, an infamously unstable actress, is struggling to reclaim the career she lost in the wake of multiple, very public breakdowns. Taylor, a fledgling producer, is anxious to work on a film she hopes will turn her career around after her last job ended in scandal. And Felicity, Stella’s mysterious new assistant, harbors designs of her own that threaten to upend everyone’s plans.

With a hurricane brewing offshore, each woman finds herself trapped on the island, united against a common enemy. But as deceptions come to light, misplaced trust may prove more perilous than the storm itself.

WILD RIDE.

Goodness this book took me in so many directions I could hardly keep a handle on everything happening. Which definitely kept the pages turning.

What I did realize though is that this type of thriller isn’t my favorite? The writing is great, the story is intense and disturbing, but something about it just didn’t click for me in the end. Maybe some of the subject matter was a bit too much. I can’t quite pinpoint the vibe.

I liked that this kept me guessing at every turn. The flashback scenes added to the history and built up to the reveals well. As the hurricane rocked the island and crap really started to hit the fan I HAD to know where things were going.

I’m glad everything worked out in the end and that there was an epilogue. This kind of story had to have that closure. An intense tale for sure.

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller/Mystery
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: multiple brief open door
  • Violence: mild-strong
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: suicide, murder, physical altercations, gun violence, kidnapping, drug use, rape, forced miscarriage, substance abuse, nonconsensual drugging

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Book Review: Shattered Sea (Tattered & Torn #4) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 316 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: Pagesmith LLC
Release Date: September 13th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I’ve known every kind of pain. Of the heart. Of the body. Of the soul. All I want now is the freedom that comes from making my art.

The last thing I expected was Hollywood royalty to waltz into my gallery in a small town in the middle of nowhere and see me.

A man like Boden Cavanaugh shouldn’t understand me. Shouldn’t be able to soothe my most ragged edges. Even worse, he makes me want the one thing I can’t have. Him.

All it takes is one spark, and friendship catches flame. But as our attraction burns bright, there are forces desperate to send us back into the darkness. And they’ve already killed before.

LOVED.

Catherine Cowles owns me when it comes to romantic suspense. The way I binge read this would astound some, I could NOT put it down.

I loooove these characters. And that the love interest was new and got added into the mix. Boden was so dang sweet and I am always here for a protective hero and yet never forces Laiken into any sort of a box. I love watching two people get to be.

The plot got intense?! I naively thought I had everything nailed down and didn’t see the blindside. The darkness leaking out from Wolf Gap was palpable and seeing these friends and family come together to help one of their own is my favorite.

It was a touch too insta-y love for me. Luckily Laiken and Boden’s relationship grew on me and I found myself begging the pages to turn quicker so we could get to their HEA.

Another great read, READY FOR THE NEXT.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Language: some
  • Romance: 2 brief open; medium explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, murder, kidnapping, physical violence, loss of loved one from a car wreck, depictions of grief and depression, loss of a loved one from drug overdose

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Book Review: Nightwing (The Starchaser Saga #3) by Renee Dugan

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy + Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Renee Dugan
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: December 1st, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Princess Cistine Novacek is a prisoner of Valgard.

Facing unbearable grief and the revelation of her own formidable power, Cistine battles her captor’s cruel games in a fight to escape. Her only hope for survival lies in her own cunning, a surly guard, an imprisoned beast with his own reasons for seeking freedom, and an unexpected ally who will risk everything to bring her home.

Tatiana and Quill are on the hunt. Far from the familiar, they search the shadowy corners of Valgard for their lost princess. But to rescue Cistine, they may be forced to pay a higher cost than either of them bargained for—a choice that unearths an old darkness lurking at the door of their kingdom, waiting to be let inside.

Banished for betrayal, Asheila Kovar hatches a daring plan to find the princess she’s sworn to protect. But a pair of unlikely companions will guide her on a journey she never expected, with enemies she never foresaw and revelations that will change her understanding of Talheim’s past – and the course of all their futures.

Lines must be crossed. Lives must be given. Answers must be unveiled. And in order to thwart a tyrant’s madness, sacrifices are demanded of the cabal…a price that will alter the fate of the Three Kingdoms forever.

AMAZING.

I am sincerely hooked on this series and hopefully these reviews are convincing y’all to pick these books up. They need more love.

This will be a more vague review to keep away from spoilers, but know I LOVED IT.

I love this entire cast. There’s so many fantastic people. All with unique personalities, common goals, strengths and weaknesses. It’s all there. I love that they don’t always make the exact right choice. They’re flawed and growing and it’s my favorite.

There’s a few romance sub plots that got a little more speed this time and I ADORE them. Seeing some of those kiss scenes finally happen, HECK YEAH.

The ending hurt. Oh it did. I love the flow of story with rises and falls and how Dugan always leaves me wanting more.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses; an implied closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of rape and sexual assault, PTSD, sexual assault and harassment , physical and weapons violence, abuse, torture, war themes

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