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A Tale of Two Kingdoms (Knights of Black Swan #6)
A Tale of Two Kingdoms (Knights of Black Swan #6)
Victoria Danann | 2014 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The story of star-crossed lovers has been around for a while and if asked, most people would say that Romeo & Juliet is the most famous one. Well think again because Duff and Aelsong are about to take that crown! This story has been a long time coming as we met Duff and Aelsong in Book 2 (The Witch's Dream) but it is well worth the wait. Duff has decided that he has waited long enough and makes a plan to ensure that he and Aelsong are together. He enlists the help of some friends, new and old and along the way you get a glimpse of what the royal lives are like for both the Fae and the Elves. Are they really that different? How do you fight prejudice that is so ingrained no one can actually remember why it all started in the first place?

This is a romance primarily but it also deals with issues like prejudice, history, war and even all of the above in one family! This book does not disappoint on any level and the standard of Victoria Danann's writing just keeps on getting better. No, this isn't as long as the others and NO this definitely doesn't affect the quality. It just meant that I was able to sit and read this in one sitting with no interfering habits, like sleeping, getting in the way!

This is part of a series and I would highly recommend that you read them in order. As a taster, the first book - The Familiar Stranger - is FREE. Get this one, take a deep breath, enter another dimension and never look back.
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
April 10, 2021
  
Hunted by a Jaguar (Eternal Mates #4)
Hunted by a Jaguar (Eternal Mates #4)
Felicity Heaton | 2015 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Iolanthe is a 3000-year-old elf with a brother who we know and love. She has escaped from the "confines of home" when told that she would be marrying a male of her parents' choosing after she reached her 1000th birthday but hadn't yet found her fated mate. She frequently goes on treasure hunts and also manages to get herself in - and out - of scrapes.

Kyter is the owner of Underworld, a nightclub in London where fae and 'other' are welcomed. He makes a journey back to the village of his birth due to tragic circumstances and finds himself on a path that will intersect with Iolanthe's. They are both after an artefact and neither of them is in it just for fun.

As this book unfolded, I was convinced it was a solid 4-star. After all, Vail is the one who has stolen my heart and I honestly thought that no one could compare! I have to say that Kyter came close though. He is a flawed male who reacts with instinct instead of sense when he realises that Iolanthe is his fated female. However, he is also man/jaguar enough to realise his mistake and work to put it right, even if it means laying himself on the line. Kyter was sneaky in weaving himself into my affections but I wouldn't want it any other way.

A fast-paced and well-written book that has enough action in it to keep you on the edge of your seat along with passion that flows off the page. Once again, I have no hesitation in recommending this to all fans of Paranormal Romance!
 
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
September 12, 2016
  
Eternal Bloodthirst (Blood Moon #1)
Eternal Bloodthirst (Blood Moon #1)
S.J. Blackrose | 2015 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
In a genre full of vampires, S.J. Blackrose has managed to carve out her own niche with a set of vampires different from any I have previously read. In this, there are two types of Vampire - one feeds from each other, and the other feeds from humans. They have soulmates but they are always from the opposite 'set'. They have a choice to become one or the other once they are together.

However, a twist is made to this within the story, and that is that a time limit is now imposed upon those who have found their mates. In an effort to show how important a bond is, and how respected it must be, Lilith creates a time limit of 100 years. If you have not bonded within that time, you will both die. Simple, but effective. Amongst this, you have a history of lies and manipulations, the return of an old enemy thought long vanquished, secrets amongst those who you thought you knew, and a mahoosive cliffhanger ending. Excellent.

This book is well-written and with a smooth pace. There were a couple of editing errors that I found but nothing to spoil the general flow of the story. Told from a multiple set of viewpoints, this makes for an in-depth and tantalising glimpse into any given situation and certainly helps to move the story onward.

Definitely recommended for fans of vampires out there, who like things with a twist and a dash of spice.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 5, 2016
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Feb 24, 2023  
You have to check out the awesome cover for the police procedural mystery novel BRUTAL SEASON by Maryann Miller! Visit my blog for a looksee, and enter the amazing giveaway for a chance to win signed copies of all three books in the Seasons Mystery Series and a $50 Amazon gift card.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2023/02/cover-reveal-pre-order-book-blitz-and_01323321514.html

**ABOUT THE BOOK**
Eighteen-year-old Jamel Frederickson is shot and killed by a white, rookie Dallas police officer. His crime? Being black and mentally ill.

Following that unwarranted death, anger, and violence erupts on the streets, leading to the murders of two protestors who were marching around the downtown federal building.

Detectives Sarah Kingsly and Angel Johnson are thrust into the investigation of those murders, while desperately clinging to the threads of their partnership.

The shootings also raise questions about whether the alt-right white supremacists that invaded the city with their guns and inflammatory rhetoric are responsible.

Will more people get killed?

Is there more than one person out there with an agenda?

When a member of the team, Ryan O’Donnell, is shot while attempting to prevent looting, the tension in the city, and the department, ratchets up even higher. And it deeply affects Angel who’s been pretending she really isn’t falling for this white man.

Angel joins the protests to take a stand against racism in the city and within the department; an action that puts her job, her relationship with Ryan, and her fragile partnership with Sarah at risk.

For her part, Sarah comes to realize that she is not as enlightened as she thought she was, and both women just hope they can come through the personal and professional challenges and end up with something that resembles a true partnership.

While catching the killers in the process.
     
Leviathan's Song (The Boundlands #1) by Elsie Winters
Leviathan's Song (The Boundlands #1) by Elsie Winters
Elsie Winters | 2021 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first in a series and I can't wait to see what happens next between Sidney and Jordan!
LEVIATHAN'S SONG is the first book in The Boundlands series, and we start off where two worlds combine. Elara is a golemancer and tinker. She is small in height but big in competency. She first meets Levi when she hears him busking and she can hear the lure in his voice. When her life gets complicated, Levi is the one who is there for her - along with friends both new and old.

I loved every word of this story! The world-building is fantastic, leaving you in no doubt about what it means to live in the Void. Each character could easily stand by itself, but they do so much better together.

I also loved the slow-burn build-up between Elara and Levi. Yes, the attraction is instant, but it takes them time to act on it, down to Levi's reluctance more than Elara's! You find out the reasons why, plus how difficult it is for both of them. Stressful circumstances make them realise just what it is they have, and from then on, it's full-steam ahead. I loved that they took that time and had a relationship built on more than s*x.

This is the first in a series and I can't wait to see what happens next between Sidney and Jordan! A fantastic start that I highly recommend.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa

Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
The Remembering Tree
The Remembering Tree
HR Mason | 2022 | Paranormal, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE REMEMBERING TREE tells a story of magical healing and a belief in God, although it is not overly religious. When Gemma's husband dies, she is left alone, with just her fifteen-year-old daughter. Shortly after, her grandma dies and she is left a home, plus money for renovations, so they move there. Once at Moonstone House, things fall into place and Gemma realises things are not always as they seem.

Although this is listed as supernatural suspense, I would also add romance to that. Whilst not the main part, it does help and support the story move along.

I found this to be a quick and easy read, with the story pretty much going in the direction I thought it would. There are a few coincidences that raised my eyebrows as it seemed rather too easy, but that may just be me.

I was also left with a couple of questions - the main one being why wasn't Gemma named after a jewel? She named her daughter one, and it's what her family was known for, but she wasn't and it never explained why. I wanted to know!

I am probably in the minority here but the last part - the final ending, if you like - didn't do anything for me. In fact, for me, it actually took away from the story. I had enjoyed it up to that point but then felt a little let down.

All in all, this was a great read that I enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending if you like cosy mysteries with a romantic element.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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Book
Blackbird Rising ( The Witch Kings Crown book )
By Keri Arthur
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A modern fantasy novel inspired by the King Arthur legend...

For hundreds of years, the Witch King’s sword has been buried in stone awaiting the next hand to draw it.

Many have tried. None have succeeded.

Gwen is the last in a long line of De Montfort witches whose duty it is to protect the sword of all power. But when she returns to King Island to perform the blessing, a mysterious pulse of blue light tells her that someone has attempted to draw the sword. Before she can investigate any further, demons attack. She only survives with the help of a mysterious stranger who disappears as quickly as he appears.

Gwen and her grandmother, Moscelyne, soon discover that minor gateways into Darkside—the traditional home of both demons and dark elves—are being forced open by magic. Even worse, someone is now sending demons after the Witch King’s heirs.

As vital artifacts are stolen by Darkside and the deaths draw altogether too close to home, Gwen and Mo—with the help of old gods and an ancient order of knights once thought dead—scramble to unravel the clues and stop the murderous would-be king from claiming the crown.

If they fail and the wrong hand draws the sword of power, he can unlock the main gateway into Darkside and unleash utter hell onto an unsuspecting and unprepared England....

Another of Keri Arthur’s books I just just loved. King Arthur inspired based in England with some brilliant characters. Finished it quite quickly and can’t wait to start the next! Although it’s been added to a very long tbr pile 😂
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 20, 2022  
Author Margie Seaman shares a lovely scrapbook page for her clean romance/women's fiction novel SOMEDAY BELONGS TO US on my blog. Check it out, and enter the giveaway for a chance to win an autographed limited edition hardback of the book - three winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-someday.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
It’s never too late to find love on the high seas.

Kate Caldwell is a 72-year-old romance novelist writing under the nom de plume, Desiree Desire. With more than thirty bestsellers to her credit, Kate is considered an authority on romance. Her personal life, however, has been lacking in the love department for a long time, and she has all but given up hope of finding a true, romantic connection. Her latest series, about a rakish eighteenth-century pirate, has been a struggle. Her struggle with her own creative processes boils over on a stormy night, when Captain Edward Peregrine, a pirate of the Caribbean during the year 1721, begins appearing to her as she sleeps. Convinced that Edward is a figment of her imagination, Kate happily accepts his return visits, and the two collaborate on the first two books of the series. Then, Edward suddenly stops appearing, and Kate is frustrated with her publisher’s demands for the next book.

In desperation, she decides to take a two-week cruise with her granddaughter, Ellie, hoping the chance to relax and watch the waves breaking in the beautiful waters of the Caribbean will reset her creative process. Little did Kate know that troubled waters lay ahead or that she’s in for the adventure of her life, and possibly, true love at long last.
     
Academy Arcanist (Astra Academy #1)
Academy Arcanist (Astra Academy #1)
Shami Stovall | 2022 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A great start to a series that returns me to a world I love.
ACADEMY ARCANIST is the first book in the Astra Academy series. If you have read the Frith Chronicles, then you will be familiar with this world of Arcanists and Eldrins. I loved that series, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one and I wasn't disappointed!

Gray and Sorin are fantastic characters; twins that are very different from each other but share a deep brotherly bond. At thirteen years old, Gray is attacked in his dreams but his parents don't believe him. A professor from Astra Academy saves him and he spends time with her in his dreams, learning about the Arcanists. When he is fifteen, he and Sorin head to the Academy, desperate to find an eldrin of their own. But when he meets Professor Helmith, Gray knows something is wrong. This isn't the same professor he met in his dreams.

I loved this story! It's a long one but I read it in one sitting as I was literally unable to move at the time. It took me all day but I loved every word and was swept away in the story. The supporting characters all have their own foibles and quirks, and I look forward to learning more about each of them as the series progresses. It is well-paced, giving you plenty of action as well as quiet times to process just what's going on.

A great start to a series that returns me to a world I love. I can't wait for more. Highly recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!