#BookReview: Not Yours to Keep by Zelly Ruskin

Called a “sensational debut” by Rea Frey, this psychological thriller delves into themes of reproductive rights and healthcare, confronting the complexities that define family—or the risks that lose it all.

Billie Campbell, a Massachusetts adoption specialist grappling with fertility issues, dreams of adopting a baby, but not just any baby—her pregnant client’s baby. While her longing threatens to send her down a dark path, her husband, Tyler, is keeping he’s full of doubts about becoming a father, and he’s also trying to figure out who is sending him upsetting anonymous texts and photos. On the other side of town, Anne, a woman scarred by childhood abuse, obsesses with a second chance at becoming a family with the two people she regrets ever having let go the baby she gave up for adoption twenty years ago and the man of her dreams.

Their lives become entangled when the client’s newborn is abducted, and Billie becomes a prime suspect.

Amid the chaos unleashed by the abduction, Tyler uncovers a link between the person tormenting him and the abduction—but now Billie has disappeared too. The race to find both her and the baby is on; but will they find them before it’s too late?

#BookReview: Fatal Intrusion (Sanchez & Heron, #1) by Jeffery Deaver & Isabella Maldonado @AmazonPub

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

As a wave of murders grips Southern California, an unlikely pair must untangle the mysterious patterns of an elusive killer. A propulsive new series by New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Isabella Maldonado.

Carmen Sanchez is a tough Homeland Security agent who plays by the rules. But when her sister is attacked, revealing a connection to a series of murders across Southern California, she realizes a conventional investigation will not be enough to stop the ruthless perpetrator.

With nowhere else to turn, Sanchez enlists the aid of Professor Jake Heron, a brilliant and quirky private security expert who, unlike Sanchez, believes rules are merely suggestions. The two have a troubled past, but he owes her a favor and she’s cashing in. They team up to catch the assailant, who, mystifyingly, has no discernable motive and fits no classic criminal profile. All they have to go on is a distinctive tattoo and a singular obsession that gives this chillingly efficient tactician his nickname: Spider.

Over the next seventy-two hours, Sanchez and Heron find themselves in the midst of a lethal chess match with the killer as they race to stop the carnage. As the victims mount, so do the risks. Because this spider’s web of intrigue is more sinister—and goes far deeper—than anyone could possibly anticipate.

#BookReview: All the Way Gone (Detective Annalisa Vega, #4) by Joanna Schaffhausen @MinotaurBooks

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

The fourth installment in the beloved Detective Annalisa Vega series

Is there such a thing as a good sociopath? Newly minted private investigator Annalisa Vega is skeptical, but her first client, Mara Delaney, insists that some sociopaths are beneficial to society. Mara has even written a book titled The Good Sociopath that is centered around Chicago neurosurgeon Craig Canning. Dr. Canning has saved hundreds of lives so it shouldn’t matter that he doesn’t actually care about his patients, should it? But Mara has a more urgent problem, which is that she is now concerned that Canning might not be such a good sociopath after all. A young woman in Canning’s apartment building mysteriously plunged to her death from a balcony, and Mara fears Canning could be responsible. She needs to uncover the truth about Canning before the book comes out, so Annalisa has little time to search for answers.

Annalisa quickly discovers that more than one person wanted the young woman dead. Canning insists he didn’t do it. His charming, unflappable demeanor suggests that either he’s telling the truth or Mara is right and he’s cold-hearted to the core. The cops, including Annalisa’s husband, think the girl’s death was an accident. The more Annalisa probes, the more she becomes convinced it’s a fiendishly clever murder, one only a brilliant psychopath could pull off. She draws deeper into a battle of wits with Canning, so determined to prove his guilt that she forgets Mara’s most important warning―that sociopaths only care about winning at all costs. When Annalisa finally peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the horrifying truth of the girl’s death, she may be too late to save herself.

#AudioBookReview: Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood & Kelsey Navarro Foster (Narrator)

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Listening Length: 4 hours and 24 minutes

An enemies-to-lovers spicy romance set in the world of video gaming from the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis—available only in audio!

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, a.k.a. her arch-nemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her–and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.

#Review for: A Curse of Blood and Wolves (Wolf Brothers #1) by @melissamcternan @OneMoreChapter_

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'If you like forbidden romance, fantasy, fated mates, you will love this book’ NetGalley Reviewer 'Is that what you wanted, brave girl? You wandered through the woods hoping the big bad wolf would find you?' Is it possible to be drawn to someone you’ve never met? When Ruby feels the eyes of a stranger in the woods, she knows she should be scared, that she should run away, but she can’t. Instead, she feels a thrill, feels drawn to this stranger who follows her in the woods. Yearns for his eyes on her every night as she walks home, hoping to hear the crunch of leaves under his feet that signals he’s there. Will he ever reveal himself? After all, fate doesn’t make mistakes . . . 'Ruby is my favorite character. I loved her and Rafe's hot romance… a perfect paranormal romance novel ’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is the perfect retelling for anyone who likes spicy paranormal romances . I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys books by Jennifer L Armentrout, Raven Kennedy, and J Bree’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I loved this retelling of Red Riding Hood with a fantasy twist involving werewolves, witches and other magical creatures!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Plenty of slow burn romance rife with tension … I did not want to put this book down once I started’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This dark and steamy rendition took me on a thrilling journey, weaving together elements of fantasy and romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Finished this in a couple of hours and I loved it ! It has Witches, Werewolves, Seers, and Nymphs’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ' I was sucked into this story and couldn’t tear myself away . I laughed, cried, I was happy, angry… so many emotions. Rafe is… swoon. And Ruby is a phenomenal female force’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#Review for: Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons #4) by Julia Quinn

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

On the sixth of April, in the year 1812 - precisely two days before her sixteenth birthday - Penelope Featherington fell in love. But Colin Bridgerton certainly didn't fall in love with her in 1812 (and not in 1813, 1814, 1815, or - oh blast, not in all the years 1816-1822, either, and certainly not in 1823, when he was out of the country the whole time, anyway). Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret and fears she doesn't know him at all.
Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought of as nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same - especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide is she his biggest threat - or his promise of a happy ending?

#Review for: Uncanny: The Origins of Fear by Junji Ito , Jocelyne Allen (translator)

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Why are we drawn to fear?

Horror manga legend Junji Ito has fascinated the world with his beautiful and strange tales, starting with his debut story “Tomie,” and followed by Uzumaki, Gyo, and many other famous works.

In this memoir/horror manga analysis, he tells all and digs into dark recesses—reflections on influences from his childhood, thoughts on manga, next-level idea generation techniques, character design, craftmanship, and more. Chock-full of never-before-told insider anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories, this is a must-have book for fans to immerse themselves completely in the world of Junji Ito.　

#Review for: Cinnamon Bun Bookstore (Dream Harbor #2) by @GilmoreLau27606 @0neMoreChapter_

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

From the author of the Sunday Times bestseller and viral TikTok phenomenon, The Pumpkin Spice Café, comes a brand new spicy romance set in Dream Harbor!

When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just need someone to help her out.

Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!

Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store is a cozy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:

• opposites attract
• small town
• forced proximity
• he falls first

#BookReview: My Darling Girl by @AuthorJmcm @GalleryBooks

A spine-tingling psychological thriller about a woman who, after taking in her dying, alcoholic mother, begins to suspect demonic possession is haunting her family.

Alison has never been a fan of Christmas. But with it right around the corner and her husband busily decorating their cozy Vermont home, she has no choice but to face it. Then she gets the call.

Mavis, Alison’s estranged mother, has been diagnosed with cancer and has only weeks to live. She wants to spend her remaining days with her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. But Alison grew up with her mother’s alcoholism and violent abuse and is reluctant to unearth these traumatic memories. Still, she eventually agrees to take in Mavis, hoping that she and her mother could finally heal and have the relationship she’s always dreamed of.

But when mysterious and otherworldly things start happening upon Mavis’s arrival, Alison begins to suspect her mother is not quite who she seems. And as the holiday festivities turn into a nightmare, she must confront just how far she is willing to go to protect her family.

#BookReview: The Lost Portal (Mirror Realm #2) by Lenore Borja

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

For fans of Kendare Blake’s Goddess War series comes this second installment in a gripping YA fantasy series that follows a band of huntresses taking on a world of demons and gods.

For years, Hadley Caldwell kept humanity safe by hunting demons. But that came to an end when the Mirror Realm disappeared. Now her life is filled with bridesmaid dresses, family pressures, and—oh yeah—hosting ancient deities in her sleep. It’s not world-saving work, but if dream-hosting is all it takes to keep the gods happy, she’s willing to play along and leave her huntress days behind her. That is, until the gods demand something the Portal of Osiris.

The Portal was part of the Realm. It shouldn’t exist anymore. But the gods believe it does, and claim it holds the key to their salvation. The quest for the Portal takes Hadley and her band of huntress sisters on an enigmatic adventure to the sands of Egypt and beyond. But chasing a portal isn’t as easy as outrunning your past, and soon the only things Hadley knows for certain are that the gods can’t be trusted . . . and some portals should never be found.

Join Hadley, Alice, Olivia, and Soxie in this electrifying second book of the Mirror Realm series as they traverse the globe on an ancient scavenger hunt full of mystery, magic, intrigue, and sisterhood.

#BookReview: Punished for Dreaming by Bettina L. Love

“I am an eighties baby who grew to hate school. I never fully understood why. Until now. Until Bettina Love unapologetically and painstakingly chronicled the last forty years of education ‘reform’ in this landmark book. I hated school because it warred on me. I hated school because I loved to dream.”
―Ibram X. Kendi, New York Times bestselling author of How to be an Antiracist

In the tradition of Michelle Alexander, an unflinching reckoning with the impact of 40 years of racist public school policy on generations of Black lives

In Punished for Dreaming Dr. Bettina Love argues forcefully that Reagan’s presidency ushered in a War on Black Children, pathologizing and penalizing them in concert with the War on Drugs. New policies punished schools with policing, closure, and loss of funding in the name of reform, as white savior, egalitarian efforts increasingly allowed private interests to infiltrate the system. These changes implicated children of color, and Black children in particular, as low performing, making it all too easy to turn a blind eye to their disproportionate conviction and incarceration. Today, there is little national conversation about a structural overhaul of American schools; cosmetic changes, rooted in anti-Blackness, are now passed off as justice.

It is time to put a price tag on the miseducation of Black children. In this prequel to The New Jim Crow , Dr. Love serves up a blistering account of four decades of educational reform through the lens of the people who lived it. Punished for Dreaming lays bare the devastating effect on 25 Black Americans caught in the intersection of economic gain and racist ideology. Then, with input from leading U.S. economists , Dr. Love offers a road map for repair, arguing for reparations with transformation for all children at its core.

#BookReview: The Last Huntress (Mirror Realm #1) by Lenore Borja

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Alice Daniels has a problem. Her reflection keeps misbehaving when she looks in the mirror--and the longer she ignores it, the harder it tries to get her attention. On her eighteenth birthday, she learns why: she is a huntress, someone gifted with the power to enter mirrors and the magical world that exists beyond. But with this power comes immense responsibility, for in the Mirror Realm lurks an evil that has infected the human race for centuries: demons. It is up to her and her three huntress sisters--with the help of one handsome and overbearing protector--to hunt and banish this evil one demon at a time, thereby keeping the chaos in check. But when an ancient god pays Alice a visit that turns deadly, it is clear the Mirror Realm is more than it seems, and she soon finds herself in a race against time to save the life--and soul--of the one man the gods are determined to never let her have.

The Last Huntress is a story of redemption and sacrifice, the bonds of true sisterhood, and the impossible, sometimes frightening, things we'll do for love.

#BookReview: The House On Sun Street by @MojganGhazirad @BlairPublisher

A young girl grows up in a family uprooted by the terror of an Islamic Revolution, where her culture, her gender, and her education are in peril.

For the curious and imaginative Moji, there is no better place to grow up than the lush garden of her grandparents in Tehran. However, as she sits with her sister underneath the grapevines, listening to their grandfather recount the enchanting stories of One Thousand and One Nights, revolution is brewing in her homeland. Soon, the last monarch of Iran will leave the country, and her home and her family will never be the same.

From Moji’s house on Sun Street, readers experience the 1979 Iranian revolution through the eyes of a young girl and her family members during a time of concussive political and social change. Moji must endure the harrowing first days of the violent revolution, a fraught passage to the US where there is only hostility from her classmates during the Iranian hostage crisis, her father’s detainment by the Islamic Revolutionary Army, and finally, the massive change in the status of women in post-revolution Iran. 
Along with these seismic shifts, for Moji, there are also the universal perils of love, sexuality, and adolescence. However, since Moji’s school is centered on political indoctrination, even a young girl’s innocent crush can mean catastrophe. Is Moji able to pull through? Will her family come to her rescue? And just like Scheherazade, will the power of stories help her prevail?

#BookReview: A Child for the Reich by @AndieNewton

They’ve stolen her child
And she’ll do anything to get her back

Rumours of the Reich’s dreaded Brown Sisters coming for Czech children swept through the villages like a breeze through the trees, but the story was always the same. The Reich wanted our Aryan looking children to raise as their own.

Since her husband, Josef, joined the Czech resistance three years ago, Anna Dankova has done everything possible to keep her daughter, Ema, safe. But when blonde haired, blue-eyed Ema is ripped from her mother’s arms in the local marketplace by a Brown Sister, Anna is forced to go to new extremes to take back what the Nazis have stolen from her.

Going undercover as a devoted German subject eager to prove her worth to the Reich, the former actress takes on a role of a lifetime to find and save her daughter. But getting close to Ema is one thing. Convincing her that the Germans are lying when they claim Anna stole her from her true parents is another…

#BookReview: Hunted by Wolves and Shadow by Jo Holloway

*He's a monster in need of redemption.
*She's the granddaughter of a witch, out for revenge.
*Their paths might lead to each other... but a wolf and a witch were never meant to be.

Emi has visited Grandma’s cottage often before, but this time the Mist is thicker, the beasts are too close . . . And the handsome stranger who answers her frantic knock is definitely NOT her Grandma Ruby.

Wolf had one job. Kill the witch and end the curse plaguing his found family. Instead, the forest feels more menacing than ever when a fiery redhead comes screaming out of the Mist.

Trapped together by the dangers outside the door, Emi and Wolf find unexpected chemistry sparking between them. But when explosive secrets come out, their bond shatters.

While Emi struggles to face her family's sordid truth, Wolf fights to keep his protective instincts under control. He needs to figure out what went wrong, not deal with this fiesty new problem who gets under his skin. Neither trusts the other, but if they hope to break free from the Mist, they'll have to learn to trust their hearts. Because the fate of every lost soul in these cursed woods depends on it...

______________________________________
HUNTED BY WOLVES AND SHADOW is one of ten books in the Enemies Ever After series, a collection of standalone short novels featuring enemies-to-lovers fairy tale retellings with a touch of steam.

#BookReview: All's Fair in Love and War (Miss Prentice's Protegees #1) by Virginia Heath

A new Regency romp of a series, about governess who believes in cultivating joy in her charges, clashes with the children's uncle who hired her, only to find herself falling in love.

When the flighty older sister of former naval captain, Henry Kincaid, decides on a whim to accompany her explorer husband on an expedition to Egypt, he finds himself unwittingly left in the lurch with her three unruly children and her giant, mad dog. With no clue how to manage the little rascals, a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all of his attention, and no idea when his sister is coming back, Harry has to hire an emergency governess to ensure that everything in his ordered house continues to run shipshape. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Girls prepared to pay whatever it takes to get a governess quick sharp to bring order to the chaos.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything that hers wasn’t, filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational ethos. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely…

#BookReview: If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.

With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me…

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.

In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told from several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The story cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

#BookReview: American Queen (New Camelot #1) by Sierra Simone

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

He wants me to be his queen...

Warned as a girl to keep her kisses to herself, Greer Galloway wants nothing to do with kisses--or love. Twice she's ignored the childhood warning and kissed a man, and both times ended in gutting, miserable heartbreak. Now she's sworn off all romance forever, determined to teach her classes and do her research and live out the rest of her days alone.

I want to be his everything.

But Ash Colchester hasn't sworn off Greer--not at all.  Still in love with the girl he once kissed in a circle of broken glass, this soldier-turned-President has never forgotten the taste of her lips or the sound of her whispered, yes, please against his mouth.  He's never forgotten the promises he wanted to make her and couldn't, because she was too young for him then, and far too innocent for the things he needs.  But he can't wait any longer . . .

But can this modern-day fairy tale have a happily ever after for three people?

Desperate to have her, Ash sends his best friend Embry to bring Greer to him, not knowing they have their own secrets, their own tragedies together.  Their own cravings . . .

Soon, Greer finds herself caught between past and present, pleasure and pain--and the two men who long for each other as much as they long for her. And as war and betrayal press ever closer, they tumble headlong into a passionate love affair that will change the world.

From the USA Today bestselling author of Priest and Misadventures of a Curvy Girl comes a contemporary reimagining of the legend of King Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot--elegant, carnal, and unforgettable.

#BookReview: If We Were Perfect (If Love, #4) by Ana Huang

AMAZON

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Two exes, one house. What could go wrong?

Olivia had a plan: MBA, Wall Street VP by thirty-two, marriage and two children (preferably twins because #efficiency).

Not in her plan? Losing half her belongings in an apartment flood and being forced to turn to her ex for help.

Definitely not in her plan? Moving into said ex’s house and watching him walk around shirtless, bake her cupcakes, and look at her with those smoldering—

Wait, what was she talking about again?

***

Between his bakery and meddling family, Sammy had enough on his plate without bringing the ex he’d never been able to forget into the mix. 

But when Olivia asks for his help, he couldn’t say no. He could, however, make her regret breaking his heart—as long as he doesn’t do anything foolish, like sneak into her room and kiss her senseless… 

As passion slowly replaces their dislike for each other, Sammy and Olivia discover their past isn’t what it seems and their future is anything but certain. Can they overcome their pride and give love a second chance, or is history doomed to repeat itself?

If We Were Perfect is a steamy second chance/roommate romance. It's book four of the If Love series but can be read as a complete standalone.

Recommended for 18+ due to explicit content and adult language.