#BookReview: The Christmas Fix (Fixer, #2) by Lucy Score @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: From the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Things We Never Got Over

 She'll save Christmas just to spite him… There's only one thing standing in the way of Cat King saving Merry, Connecticut's Christmas Grumpy town manager Noah Yates. Single dad Noah takes his responsibilities seriously. When a late season hurricane turns his town into a disaster, he's left scrambling to pick up the pieces of the town he loves. At least, until home renovation expert and reality TV star Catalina King arrives with a camera crew and a budget big enough to put the town back together again. But Noah doesn't want a celebrity diva capitalizing on their tragedy or filling his young daughter's head with visions of glitz and glam. Blonde bombshell Cat is used to being underestimated, but Noah has an uncanny knack for getting under her skin. They can't be in a room together without rubbing each other the wrong way…except that time in the dark alley where the rubbing was just right. Can these enemies work together to pull off a Christmas miracle or will their fighting leave them both on the naughty list? 

Author's These enemies-to-lovers deliver the holiday feels with a dirty-talking hero, ballsy blonde who never backs down, steamy hot break-the-dining-room-table sexy times, and a small town that still believes in the magic of Christmas.

#BookReview: Fireheart (Fireheart #1) by @vanessalanang @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: Kaliyah is sworn to slay the dragon that took her mother’s life. But, even with the skills of generations of slayers coursing through her veins, she’s not prepared for Ryu, the one boy who can make her question everything she believes. When the Dragon Akademie orders an unwarranted execution of two slayers, Kaliyah is shocked by the revelation of their corrupt rule. Seeking vengeance for her mother, she forges an alliance with Ryu. With dangerous lies uncovered at every turn, Kaliyah and Ryu’s worlds converge, stoking the flames between them. But one dark secret they both share could rip them apart…if it doesn’t destroy Kaliyah first.

#BookReview: Saving the Dragon (Penelope's Dragon #1) by @shcleveland @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: Princess Penelope wants nothing more than to study at the Academy of Mages. Despite her natural talent, her father refuses to even entertain the idea. So when the opportunity arises to visit her mysterious wizard godfather, Penelope leaps at the chance. She never expects to find a different kind of magic in the arms of her godfather’s reclusive nephew, Stefan.

When an unexpected enemy uses Stefan’s secrets against them, Penelope’s magic and courage are put to the test. Can she rescue the man she loves? Or will she fall Saving the Dragon?

#BookReview: Embracing My Submission (The Doms of Genesis #1) by Jenna Jacob

Synopsis: Haunted for years by dreams of a savage, amber eyed Dominant with lips so enticing my soul ached in frustration and lust. None of the Dominants at Genesis, my local BDSM club ever stirred me in such blistering ways. While I tried to fill my submissive desires vicariously through interactions at the club, I attempted to convince myself it was enough. But it wasn’t. My dream Dom made certain I hungered for more. Forced beyond what I could bear, my passion and frustration exploded. I threw in the towel, determined to stop chasing a dream and gave up completely on finding submissive surrender. But fate intervened when two gunshots split the night. Forced to confront my desires and insecurities, I was shocked to realize that my dreams may have held a deeper meaning. Were they compelling me to finally embrace my submission?

#BookReview: Sugar Plum Tea by @SCarnelianBooks @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: Humanity needed the Tahli to chase the invading Borie from Earth. The Tahli needed Earth since their dying sun was giving off radiation that sterilized most of their women. They can either make it work, or both go extinct.

At the age of seven, Winnie was pulled from the rubble of a dying world by Tahli soldiers. She became their reason to fight to protect the women and girls of Earth, even if it meant going against their people’s desperation to save their species.

In her adult years, Winnie wanted nothing more than to marry and have children after starting her successful tea and sweet shop in the colonies set up by the Tahli. Backstabbers, terrorists, and hate that still filled the rebuilding world always seemed to get in the way. That is until she has a chance meeting with a newly relocated Tahli on Kinship Day.

#BookReview: Bared Magic by @shcleveland @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: A Goldilocks-inspired fantasy romance with just a hint of spice.

The girl with the golden hair... Siphons are rare creatures, supposedly born of the union of human and fae blood. How she got her ability doesn’t much matter to Wynne; all she knows is it’s a death sentence or worse if the wrong people find out about her gift. It’s too bad she was never very good at minding her own business. ... and the bear who stole her heart An old curse grows stronger, leaving Callum Bertram sleepless and desperate. He thinks he’s found a temporary solution until a pretty young woman accidentally uses up his sleeping charm. Now, this werebear suddenly finds himself craving something more than a good night’s sleep.

#BookReview: Due North (The Kara Mason Story, #1) by Jill N. Davies @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: We’re leaving. Right now.Upstairs, grab your things then be back here in ten minutes! Do you hear me?I jump at the harshness of dad’s words, but nod, along with my brothers before scurrying up to my room. Bruce said that nobody could pass the test on the first try, but we did. Now we have to run.Fourteen year old Kara Mason used to live at a fusion energy generator on the outskirts of a major city. She used to travel with her brothers every week to attend classes inside the safety of the city, surrounded by force fields that were meant to keep everything else out. Until she and her twin brother Hank passed the test and were summoned to attend the prestigious but mysterious Institute in preparation for their positions as a scientists at the Northern Laboratories, that is.The problem is, Kara doesn’t understand why they weren’t meant to pass the tests, or why that means they have to run. All she does know is that she’s terrified of what’s on the other side of the force field. She’ll have to face more than just the diseased monsters order to get the answers she needs.Due North is an exciting post apocalyptic thriller, set in a world recovering from a horrific disease. The government keeps people safe, but it comes at a cost. Does Kara have what it takes to navigate the outside world or will she lose herself in the halls of the frozen laboratories?Praise for Due North from Early Readers: “I hardly know what to do with myself now that it’s over. I can’t wait to push it on all my friends!”“I want more. LIKE NOW!”“Due North was so immersive I walked into a hedge while reading it, fought the hedge, assessed damages, and continued walking and reading into the night. I was slapped in the face by a tree later but I was left with a deep need to finish!”

#BookReview: New Life by the Full Moon by Trisha Jones @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: Ann Smith is a twenty-three-year-old computer tech working in a small town in Illinois. Everything seemed normal in her tiny town until one day a group of researchers confirmed Werecreatures and vampires were lurking amongst the population. The new ‘research” was considered a hoax, and Ann was also a nonbeliever, until one day her life was changed forever.She was working in her garden while a giant unknown beast stalked her from the woods. Suddenly, it attacked, and once bitten, Ann found herself immersed in a super natural world full of mythical creatures including Werecreatures, vampires, pixies, and much more. After recovering from the attack, Ann realized the Werecreature who bit her was after blood, and has its sights set on killing her. With her life in danger, Ann discovers a secret supernatural world just behind her home and must now seek the help of her fellow Werecreatures, to keep her safe from the creature hungry for her blood. Along the way, Ann finds love and discovers the true meaning of loyalty in a magical world that forces her to uncover her strengths and fight for her life.

#BookReview: New Witch in Town by @mikegreg85 @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: In Forestdale, a new girl has arrived. She carries a dark secret. There is a darkness attached to her that follows her wherever she goes. She made a pact, a promise she could not keep.

Mark, a town outcast has taken notice of the mystery girl and is infatuated with her. The locals are fascinated by her for all the wrong reasons. There is a magical magnetism she presents that is unexplainable.

Mark and the rest of the town have no idea what mayhem and chaos follows behind their newest resident. Unfortunately for them, they are soon to find out…

#BookReview: Pawn (The Abled Chronicles #1) by R.G. Hurley @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: A pandemic. Solar flares. Climate change. Famine. War. Death. Humankind would have been doomed if it wasn’t for the rise of the Ableds– the common term for people with uncommon abilities. Canary is driven. She is fearless. She has a robust sense of self-preservation that she readily ignores if saving herself means putting others in danger. She leads a rag-tag team who are the only family that she’s ever known. A dying Earth was saved by the first generation of Ableds long before Canary was born, but now a new crisis is Abled children are being kidnapped, never to be seen again. No one knows who is behind the abductions, and the children’s non-Abled family members are never left alive, proving that the kidnappers are as violent as they are heartless. The mission of Canary and her team is to find out who is behind the kidnappings and murders and prevent any more from occurring. As they begin to unravel the truth, a shattering betrayal comes from within, and it is up to Canary to decide if she would rather fade into obscurity, or step up and prove that she is more than a pawn.

#BookReview: Ringed by Silver (My Lady Palladium, #1) by Becky Puff @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: A despised prince. A failed witch. Can two damaged souls combine to make a whole? Or will their friction set the world on fire? Senri has lived with guilt for almost a century. Shunned for being half-blood and blamed for his father’s death, he is granted one hundred years to find aid in winning the elvish war holding his people captive. With his time nearly up and little sign of hope, he’s thrilled when a lonely girl with the power to sway the tide of battle stumbles into the fairy forest. Imogen worries she will amount to nothing. Given the potential to be the most powerful sorceress in a millennium, the antisocial orphan is humiliated when she can’t figure out how to use her powers. So when her vicious classmates chase her into the woods, she agrees in desperation to a strange boy’s supernatural help. As Senri struggles to guide his new friend in mastering her sorcery, his growing feelings for the unscrupulous girl threaten to destroy all his plans. And as Imogen vows to deliver justice to her tormentors, she’s torn between her increasing love for Senri and allowing her budding powers to unleash an uncontrollable evil.
Ringed By Silver is the first book in the intriguing My Lady Palladium YA romantic dark fantasy series. If you like fascinating characters, moral complexity, and page-turning tension, then you’ll love Becky Puff’s compelling tale.
 

#BookReview: Blood Magic and Brandy by @EmiMiWriter @BookBrewBistro

Synopsis: A Snow White Retelling

Princess Not-So-Charming rescues a lordling in distress, turning the classic story of Snow White on its head with warrior women, cunning men, and a fearsome fairy godmother in this adult fantasy romance.

Crown Princess Ranunculus doesn’t like being a princess. Too many people tell her what to do, how to act, and who to be. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, so do new responsibilities on her father’s council and the search for a royal consort, a marriage that will prioritize the good of her kingdom over the preferences of her own heart. 

Lord Nevar should be the acting Baron of Otero. His father has been sick for years, yet his stepmother governs. He’s been posing as a wastrel ever since, but now has a chance to prove himself. If he plays his cards right as ambassador, he can reclaim his birthright. Though intrigued by the outlandish princess, Nevar is too far below her in rank to make a good match, and he has a barony to put to rights after much neglect. 

The two flirt shamelessly, knowing their destinies lie elsewhere. When Nevar is framed for murder, Rane comes to his rescue and sends him to her friends in the forest. Proving his innocence is harder than she thought, and time is running out. Nevar wants to leave, Rane wants him to stay, and someone wants him dead.

#BookReview: The Fourth Piece by E. Ardell

Synopsis: Admitting what you are will end everything you know. Embracing who you are will start a war...

Life is great when you’re good-looking and popular…so long as no one knows you’re a vulatto. Being half-alien gets you labeled “loser” quicker than being a full vader. So it’s a good thing Devon, Lyle, and Lawrence can easily pass for human—until the night of the party. Nothing kills a good time faster than three brothers sharing a psychic vision of a fourth brother who’s off-world and going to die unless they do something. But when your brother’s emergency happens off-planet, calling 9-1-1 really isn’t an option. 

In their attempt to save a brother they barely remember, Devon, Lyle and Lawrence expose themselves to mortal danger and inherit a destiny that killed the last four guys cursed with it. In 2022, there are humans and aliens, heroes and monsters, choices and prophecies—and four brothers with the power to choose what’s left when the gods decide they’re through playing games.

Book I in the Order's Last Play series

#BookReview: The Hollywood Jinx by @sariahwilson @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: When Hollywood comes to small-town Ohio, the scene is set for an unpredictable romance in a fun and flirty novel by Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of The Chemistry of Love . The small town of Patience needs a financial boost. Temporary librarian and aspiring film-score composer Jane Wagner’s plan? Invite movie star Nick Haddon to the town’s harvest festival and stand back for the tourist surge. No one thought he’d say yes―much less that he’d bring a documentary crew to stream his visit. Given Nick’s affinity for trouble, his reputation and films are tanking. Patience is the perfect stopover on a journey of self-improvement and his chance to put good karma out in the universe. Spending time with a sweet and lovely guide like Jane is a bonus. But Jane’s heartbroken past keeps her on guard against men. Especially when they’re jinxed. The truth is, Jane’s falling hard. But she can’t ignore the differences between them. He’s famous. She isn’t. He’s here for two weeks. This is her home. Where can it possibly lead? She’ll see. Because day after blissful day, Nick’s encouraging Jane to trust again and, best of all, to dream beyond Patience.

This title will be released on July 25, 2023.

#BookReview: Kezia by T.J. Velliquette @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: Spirits exist all around us. The Maravillas de Madera Circus attracts many because my Abuela can hear them. She uses that ability to read palms and tarot cards. The ones that stay behind usually have two motives. Spending time watching over the family they lost or hurting the living they despise.
The women in my line bear the responsibility to communicate with them. It is a gift that is passed from mother to daughter when we are of age to be trained.
It is now my time, and I am scared. Because I have seen what it does to my Abuela, she is one of the strongest. Soon Abuela will give her magic to me. But I do not think she is ready to let it go.

#BookReview: Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall @quicunquevult @penguinusa

Synopsis: A young noblewoman must pair up with a rumoured witch to ward off a curse.

It is the year 1814 and life for a young lady of good breeding has many difficulties. There are balls to attend, fashions to follow, marriages to consider and, of course, the tiny complication of existing in a world swarming with fairy spirits, interfering deities, and actual straight-up sorcerers.

Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into high society hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at a high-profile ball, a scandal she narrowly manages to escape.

However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, Miss Mitchelmore must seek out aid, even if it means mixing with undesirable company. And there are few less desirable than Lady Georgianna Landrake—a brooding, alluring young woman sardonically nicknamed “the Duke of Annadale”—who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune. If one is to believe the gossip, she might be some kind of malign enchantress. Then again, a malign enchantress might be exactly what Miss Mitchelmore needs.

With the Duke’s help, Miss Mitchelmore delves into a world of angry gods and vindictive magic, keen to unmask the perpetrator of these otherworldly attacks. But Miss Mitchelmore’s reputation is not the only thing at risk in spending time with her new ally. For the rumoured witch has her own secrets that may prove dangerous to Miss Mitchelmore’s heart—not to mention her life.

This title will be released on June 6, 2023.

#BookReview: Delevan House by Natasha Sinclair & Ruthann Jagge @bookbrewbistro

Synopsis: Delevan House is a brazenly executed contemporary story that brings fresh blood to the genres and timelines it crosses; breathing life into folklore and horror fantasy. 

Set in the village of Badb, the hulking majesty of Delevan House has eyes everywhere, reflecting secrets of the old ways that are a necessary evil for survival.

This seductive and sophisticated gothic tale is rooted in Scottish folklore, dark history, and what we all desire – freedom.

Delevan House is where literal worlds collide. 

Lady Lenore Delevan is waiting. 
Do you dare enter under the eyes of her menacing stone beast and obsidian flock?

#BookReview: The Insatiable Hunger of Trees by Samantha Eaton

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Cara Hughes doesn’t have time to believe in monsters.

When Cara’s older sister, Shelby, returns home after a year-long disappearance, unable to say what happened or where she went, Cara’s family is thrown into turmoil—again. As it is, Cara’s barely juggling her job, school, and volunteer work, and she’s desperate to be chosen for a corporate internship—something that would guarantee a two-year degree she could never afford without relying on the same loans that left her parents struggling.

At first, Cara is just worried about Shelby’s odd behavior and unpredictable moods, then she discovers the body of a teenager, viciously attacked, in the very woods where Shelby vanished. And the teen is just the first victim. Cara clings to the belief that an animal is responsible for the deaths until she realizes she’s being stalked by a strange creature in the woods—and it’s no animal.

Plagued by strange visions and with her carefully-balanced life falling apart around her, Cara reaches out to the only person who can help her, Lucas Powell, a self-proclaimed monster hunter. His theories are outrageous, and Cara hopes her decision to trust him isn’t a mistake, but the only way to know is by putting his theories to the test. Cara must face the woods herself, where the creatures she’s tried so hard to deny lurk in the dark.

**CONTENT WARNINGS: This book contains graphic depictions of victims killed by a supernatural creature, as well as the act of the creature hunting. There is graphic depiction of body horror including severe injury, physical mutation, self harm, and gore. The main character’s depression and disordered eating are depicted heavily. Drug and alcohol use, as well as addiction are mentioned on occasion. There are animal characters in this book, none of which are harmed or killed. Please proceed with caution if any of the aforementioned subjects may cause distress.

#BookReview: Courting Fate by A.R. Kaufer @BookBrewBistro

Synopsis: When she’s not working at the bank or playing video games with her best friend, Ana’s nose is in a book. She is comfortable with her simple life until one night, on her way home from work, she is mugged and left for dead. Fate or luck, army medic Rafe was passing by and saves her life.

Grateful as she is, she can't shake the feeling she knows him from somewhere. Their lives become intertwined as she learns more about him and more about herself.

Is she ready to face the truth? Will it answer her questions or break her in the process? Ana must find her strength and become who she was born to be, before it’s too late.