Monday, December 09, 2024

#BookReview: An Island Strange and Wild (Lost Garden, #1) by Lisa Amowitz

Live for today, before the island eats you alive…When her fellow climate activist and secret crush dies unexpectedly, 18-year-old science prodigy Rosalie Gatell ditches her prestigious summer program for the remote, uncharted island where he was born. There, she discovers shocking secrets about her own past—and an island that defies the laws of nature, complete with a vanishing walled garden, a miraculous healing plant, and an unknown aunt trapped in a tree. But nothing confounds Rosalie as much as the enigmatic Liam, a reckless and beautiful island boy with a supernatural green thumb.Falling for Liam is the worst idea imaginable, especially...

#BookReview: Rebel Rose (Queen's Council, #1) by @eltheriault

Happily ever after is only the beginning as Belle takes on the responsibility of becoming queen and learns to balance duty, love, and sacrifice, all while navigating dark political intrigue—and a touch of magic.It’s 1789 and France is on the brink of revolution. Belle has finally broken the Enchantress’s curse, restoring the Beast to his human form and bringing life back to their castle in the province of Aveyon. But in Paris, the fires of change are burning, and it’s only a matter of time before the rebellion arrives on their doorstep.Not so very long ago, Belle dreamed of leaving her provincial home for a life of adventure. But now...

#BookReview: Still the Sun by @CNHolmberg

An ancient machine holds the secrets of a distant world’s past for two intimate strangers in the latest romantic fantasy adventure by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.Pell is an engineer and digger by trade—unearthing and repairing the fascinating artifacts left behind by the mysterious Ancients who once inhabited the sunbaked planet of Tampere. She’ll do anything to help the people of her village survive and to better understand the secrets of what came before.Heartwood and Moseus are keepers of a forbidding tower near the village of Emgarden. Inside are the remnants of complex machines the likes of which...

#BookReview: The Rumble and the Glory (Sacred Trinity #1) by @JAHuss

Collin Creed is a killer. But he's Lowyn's killer. And after a twelve-year separation, she wants him back.Deep in the hills of West Virginia, three small towns have found a way to flourish in the face of extreme poverty. Disciple runs a side-show tent revival that brings in millions of dollars a year. Bishop flaunts traditional ways in the vein of Colonial Williamsburg, luring weary city people to the slow-living lifestyle. And Revenant offers them an experience of sin filled with tattooed bikers and live-music dive bars.It’s a sacred trinity that worships the almighty dollar and everyone plays their role like a well-trained Broadway...

#BookReview: Beyond the Ruby Veil (Beyond the Ruby Veil, #1) by Mara Fitzgerald

A dark, queer YA fantasy that's perfect for fans of the Three Dark Crowns series. After Emanuela Ragno kills the one person in Occhia who can create water, she must find a way to save her city from dying of thirst.Cunning and unapologetic, Emanuela Ragno is a socialite who plays by her own rules. In her most ambitious move yet, she’s about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn’t care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn’t want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she’ll have it all.But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter...