Love in the Roses (Love Through the Ages Book 1) by TL Clark

 

Love in the Roses by T.L. Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Set in the 15th century England, Isabel is learning the ways of being a wife as she learns that her parents have chosen her suitor. Sir William is her betrothed and they meet at the altar. Their wedding brings about much pomp and circumstance and it's obvious that the author put a lot of time researching the customs and language of the times. The rest of the book focuses on the relationship that they have with each other and those around them.

I found this to be a very enjoyable read! I appreciate the historical accuracy woven within this story. I look forward to more stories by this author!

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Paige and the Reluctant Artist by Darci Garcia

 

Paige and the Reluctant Artist by Darci Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paige is a New York art curator who comes across this beautiful painting and she just has to know the artist. Her boss is able to locate the artist and sends Paige to the beautiful scenery of Montana to convince him to showcase in their gallery. Paige meets up with Mark who makes no qualms in telling her that he is not interested in any way, shape, or form of being an artist in their gallery. He doesn't, however, hide his immediate interest in Paige.

I loved this super quick read and would recommend this author. It's the first book I've read of hers but her characters are loveable and relatable. The writing style has a great flow to it and is believable. I look forward to more of her work!

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On Viking Seas (The Forerunner Saga Series Book 3) by Jay Veloso Batista

 

On Viking Seas by Jay Veloso Batista
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Each book in this series gets better and better!!
The family is all over the place, completely spread out. Kara and her family are staying in her mother's hometown with family but they aren't as welcoming as one would suspect. Kara also finds out that she will be married soon. Doesn't she get a say in this?
Sorven is going to Jorvik to see what, if anything, can be recovered from recent adventures. Oh the things that he runs into along the way.
Cub is working like a dog in the camp that he's been committed to. Will he ever find his way out and back to a life of freedom?
Finn and Karl are still on the seas battling all sorts of strange creatures. It takes Karl awhile to warm up to Finn's new way of life but once he does, things start improving somewhat. My favorite part of this book was Finn's pet!
Again, very well written and chocked full of adventure! I'm looking forward to book 4 and more of Kara's story!

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The Vardoger Boy (The Forerunner Saga Book 2) by Jay Veloso Batista

 

The Vardoger Boy by Jay Veloso Batista
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book picks up about two weeks after the first one ends. As with the other book, there are multiple stories being told at once. Sometimes, it's hard for me to keep it all straight but these books are SOOO GOOD!!!
So, Willa is now married but not without some drama on her wedding night. Men come to exact their revenge on Karl but they are not successful. However, it will find the Kara and her family being on the run to save their lives while Karl takes Finn out on the ship with him. Cub goes with this dad to fight against Alfred the Great. Let's just say that things don't go as planned for any of these characters! Between the bears, trolls, mermen, wolves, elves....it's all up in the air as to how things will develop. I suspect things may not be as they immediately seem though either. I have a feeling the author has something up his sleeve for book three!!
While the first book was difficult for me to get into, I'm so thankful I didn't give up! I'm really enjoying this series to far and look forward to learning more about Finn and his family!

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Thorfinn and the Witch's Curse (The Forerunner Saga Book 1) by Jay Veloso Batista

 

Thorfinn and the Witch's Curse by Jay Veloso Batista
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.75 stars on this one.

I hate to admit but it took me quite awhile to get into this one. Around 100 pages or so as a matter of fact. I kept getting lost in the multitude of characters. However, had I noticed the family tree at the back of the book before I started reading, it would have helped me to keep things a little straighter.

I enjoyed learning about Thorfinn (Finn for short) and his family. They are in the midst of planning a wedding for Finn's sister when a dark being comes to their family homestead and attacks one of Finn's brothers. Finn starts to research and try to find this being and in the end, runs into a witch. We all know they generally aren't good for anything. When he gets tangles up with her, he finds himself in a whole new world of mystical beings.

Once I got the hang of the story, I found this to be a very enjoyable book! There is a lot of Norse and Viking history covered, of which I'm not super familiar with but I am learning! I'll be covering this series through book 3 here shortly!

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Amber Waves of Grace by Jessica Berg

 

Amber Waves of Grace by Jessica Berg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Corrie has her work cut out for her. After an accident leaves her father unable to carry on the daily duties of caring for and running a farm, Corrie leaves her reporter job and comes back home. She's out on the combine daily bringing in the harvest and when it's planting season, she's back planting in the fields. Tragedy seems to come naturally to Corrie though, not that she's asking for it! Whether it's firing her farmhand, running into an old love, the drama that comes with running a business, Corrie has her fair share of excitement, and it's not all good. However, there are several facets of this story that do bring about good. Tragedy brings good to those who look for it!! Corrie has a beautiful heart and the love she has for people is the kind of love this world needs more of!!

I LOVED this book!!!! It is definitely in my top three reads so far this year and I'm pretty sure it's number one! What Northern raised farm girl wouldn't love a book about a girl running a huge farm!?!?! This book was so refreshing and different from the romances I've been reading lately. There are so many elements of this book....love, grace, peace, forgiveness along with tragedy, shame, and pain. This book seemed so real to me and the author weaves this story so beautifully. There are "christian" elements in this book but it's not the sole focus of the story. I will be looking for more books by this author as I really enjoyed her storytelling and the style in which she writes!

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Caged Fire (The Vigilant Book 1) by LM Preston

 

Caged Fire by L.M. Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

EmVee is going through some changes and she's not sure she completely understands it all. Then she seems Kayson, someone from her past, who doesn't quite belong in this present day picture but she's going to have to learn to deal with him. So much has changed since her dad made a decision to move the family to "Rhode Island" and there are more and more questions with each passing day. Friendships become strained, new ones are formed, and an alliance that is bonding takes place too!

I loved this book and thoroughly enjoyed the adventure! There is a lot of action in this read and I look forward to more of this story. There are several story lines that I'm hoping will be covered in this series. I will say, this book took some twists that I wasn't quite expecting but they all turned out well!

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This Time Around by Jane Suen

 

This Time Around by Jane Suen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katie made a choice when she was 18 that would change her life forever. She was madly in love with Chase and he her. However, Katie desired the city life, the big career, and all that comes with it. She made her choice but for the past ten years has wondered what might have been. When an invitation to attend a wedding in her hometown arrives, Katie isn't sure she'll go to the wedding, but she'll go home to visit her mom and sister. Afterall, she wasn't there for her dad and she regrets that too! Now that her mom is becoming more frail, it's a great excuse to get away for the weekend.

Katie's boss is a real piece of work! She is extremely demanding of Katie's time and this is the first chance she's had to get away. After a day with her sister preparing for the wedding that she's now suckered into attending, she realizes just how much she's missed life. Can she be the plus one to Chase at this wedding though? It's been ten long, arduous years.

I was able to read this entire story in about two hours time. I couldn't put it down! This is a new-to-me author but one that I will be looking for more of her work! I loved the characters and could identify with Katie on the level of being a workaholic. It's a good thing when you can finally walk away from that life!


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Insatiable Darkness (The Vigilant Book 0) by LM Preston

 

Insatiable Darkness by L.M. Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

EmVee has just moved to a new town with her family. Her parents own a gym, which caters to those of the MMA world. EmVee is training to be a MMA fighter. Everything about this town seems all cool at first, until school starts. There is a lot of suspicion, EmVee learns, about the house that her parents have chosen for them to live in. Some very sinister things have apparently taken place here. Oh, and this school is full of some hot boys but EmVee has sworn off dating. Guys don't like her once they find out she's a fighter. EmVee is trying her hardest to change her hardcore image but this girl at school is draining her social battery faster than she can handle. Can she shake her off while keeping this new image?

This is a prequel and a super short, one sitting read. I enjoyed the characters, the storyline, and the action that takes place. I look forward to reading more of this series!

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Murder in the Lightning Room by A.D. Brazeau

 

Murder in the Lightning Room by A.D. Brazeau
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cora is a 17 year old young lady who is about to finish up high school in Colorado Springs. Her instructor is giving her an opportunity of a lifetime...to work with Nikola Tesla! Cora is very excited about it but her mother really is not. After all, her mother is mourning the loss of a friend, that friend being the last assistant that Nikola Tesla had in his laboratory! Papers are missing, the lab is a mess, and Cora is put to tasks that she wasn't expecting. She wanted in on all the excitement of conducting experiments but instead finds herself typing up reports and organizing receipts. It's when Cora and her schoolmate Harrison start seeing that things aren't adding up that they begin amateur sleuthing. A dinner party will change everything, including how Cora views some things in life.

This was an enjoyable book. It was a moderately fast read for me and I enjoyed the suspense of the mystery. I did figure out pretty early on who I thought the murderer was but did still have a few surprises along the way.

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Between Darkness & Light (War of Destiny Book 3) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Between Darkness & Light by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's been five years since Julia made a horrible choice and betrayed those she loved the most. They aren't getting over it anytime too soon it seems but there are Hunters on the prowl and some of Valentino's minions moving in on them. If this group can't get it together, the ka-tet will fall apart and they will all lose their lives!!

Julia can't seem to apologize enough for what she has done. It's not until a young human comes and encourages Julia to do the hard things to see if she can get back in the good graces of her group. Will they accept her back? What about all these nighttime revelations she's having? These Hunters....they are haunting Julia too. So many questions and not a lot of time for answers!

I enjoyed this book and read it fairly quickly. This one contains a lot of action, more so than the first two books in this series. We learn more about Matthew's background, as well as Samuel's. I'm really hoping to learn more about Mary Anne's abilities....she's got something very special! I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!

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Pursuit into Darkness (War of Destiny Book 2) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Pursuit into Darkness by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been 70 years since Samuel and Julia met. 70 years since Julia's life and destiny changed for eternity. She's now part of the Resistance and she's building up her strength, honing her skills and abilities through training, and she's gearing up to take on the Vampire King. She's a part of the ka-tet and together they can work to strengthen each other, communicate, and so much more. Things are becoming more heated and there is a lot of unrest happening around them. Julia will also get a fledgling of her own that she's trying to train while still learning herself how to live in this paranormal universe.

I enjoyed the continuation of this story but there were a few parts of it that I felt dragged along. While this book can be read as a stand-alone, I would highly recommend reading in order to keep all the characters straight. It would also be very beneficial to know Julia's back story prior to reading this one.

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Lost Soul (War of Destiny Book 1) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Lost Soul by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Imagine you live back in the 1500's and your lifestyle is pretty lavish. Julia is a young, 15 year old girl, who is "living the life" of a girl back then. She's in love with her best friend, Adam, but he's only the son of the household servant. He has no formality about him in the way that Julia's parents expect. One day, Julia's dad informs her that she is to marry Gregory. Julia is crushed! Gregory is not the kindhearted man that one would expect in a husband. He's actually quite the contrary! During a very difficult time in Julia's life, she is rescued by a boy named Samuel. Her life will change...but is it really for the better?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has some very deep, dark moments within it that will make you wish you could reach through the book and exact some revenge yourself. It also have some very moving moments. This is just the beginning of Julia's story with much more to come!


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Love is Worth Fighting for (The Meraki Series Book 3) by Effie Kammenou

 

Love is Worth Fighting for by Effie Kammenou
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever read a book and wished you could smack some sense into the characters? That's how I feel about this one! I've been anxiously awaiting this story about Krystina and Loukas as they've been mentioned many times in the first two books of this series. There is so much chemistry between them but neither want to really acknowledge it to the other for fear of ruining their friendship. Loukas has grown up next to Krystina and they have been friends since birth. Their mothers were best friends before the unfortunate passing of Loukas's mother.

All Krystina wants to do is travel and take pictures....and stay as far away from Loukas as possible. However, he's going through a lot right now and really needs a friend. Krystina has always been that friend but she wants nothing more than that.

Nicholas, who is Krystina's soon-to-be brother-in-law, arranges a trip to Greece for the siblings. It's time for them to see if Panos will have anything to do with them. Hopefully he'll come home to his beloved, Yiayia and all will be right with the world.

The dreaded lockdown of 2020 happens and Krystina and Loukas find themselves in the house with just Yiayia. The rest of the family was in Loukas's house after finding out that Yiayia, Krystina, and Loukas have all tested positive for the virus. Krystina and Loukas see to Yiayia as her health starts declining rapidly, but are they starting to see each other in a different light too?

This book was the most emotional of this series by far!! I was frustrated with Krystina and Loukas and their teenage antics, and I was trying to get an understanding of decisions made by Panos. The mystery finally comes to an end but it was not one that expected at all.

I'm excited to read book 4 and learn more about what Theo has been up to. I'm sure it will be just as entertaining as the rest of the family!

Fight for love....it's worth it!

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Love by Design (The Meraki Series Book 2) by Effie Kammenou

 

Love by Design by Effie Kammenou
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was super excited to read this next book which focuses on the story of Mia and Nicholas! I got to know Mia a little bit in the first book of this series so I was happy to see that she got her own story.

Mia has just landed her dream job at a luxury magazine. She loves doing photo layouts and travelling around to see the sites for her job. Her boss sure is one hottie though...but looks to be attached at the hip to someone else. Little does Mia know, Nicholas and his sister run the company together and often make public appearances side by side.

Nicholas is, let's say, rough around the edges and makes it nearly impossible for Mia to work with him. She quits her job several times only to have Penelope, Nicholas's sister, beg her to come back. They need her in order for this magazine to get the attention that it deserves.

This book further explores the mystery of Yiayia and Panos and is starting to really heat up. The fact that Nicholas is intrigued helps the family out in ways that they never dreamed could come about. We learn slightly more about Kallye and Max too!

I don't know a lot about Greek culture but this book has had me intrigued. I do enjoy Greek food and I love that there are recipes scattered throughout. Reading this book, like the first one, I felt a part of the family. Let's just say Nicholas better be glad Mia isn't my sister in real life or we'd be having some words with each other!

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Love is What You Bake of It (The Meraki Series Book 1) by Effie Kammenou

 

Love is What You Bake of it by Effie Kammenou
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Meraki: Doing something with soul, passion, creativity, and love.

Kallie is a pastry chef running a little café where she features some of her family favorite pastries. Coming from a Greek family, there is plenty to choose from! She's had a very traumatic experience that has her guarding her heart. Her family is super supportive but they think that she works entirely too much.

Max has returned to his hometown and is settling in as the newest beat cop on the street. He and his partner, Leo, are called the café that Kallie owns to pick up a license plate for identification. Electrical currents immediately start flying between Kallie and Max but neither are up for anything relationship-wise. Max is still trying to recover from his former wife's antics on their relationship.

This book is full of romance, mystery, recipes, and second chances. This is my first read by this author but she is now on my favorites list! I very much enjoyed these characters and well as the suspense surrounding Yiayia (LOVE this woman!) and Panos. I felt like I was part of the family as I was reading this story! I'm excited to learn more about other members of the family and how things progress with each of them!



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Mermaid and the Water Magnifying Glass (Mermaid Science Series) by Lois Wickstrom

 

The Mermaid and the Water Magnifying Glass by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maia, Fig, and Trezzie are teaching science again! This trio does a great job in such a simple way. However, Fig isn't able to see Trezzie so things just seem to happen in front of her. Trezzie brings them a treasure that has a pattern on it but they can't see it. With the help of a plastic box, they finally discovered that they had a trilobite, which is a fossil. The plastic box, along with some water, acted as a magnifying glass to help them see what they were holding.

I love this series and how it's teaching simple lessons about science!! These are great books to share with your kids and grandkids. They would be great in a homeschooling environment as well.

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Levi (The Brothers of Creekside Ranch Book 1) by Edith Mackenzie

 

Levi by Edith Mackenzie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Levi Delaney is one of three triplets who is an ex-Navy Seal suffering from PTSD. He's agreed to hide Bella from her tormentor, Dmitri, on his Creekside Ranch under the guise of a nanny to his kid sister, Allie. While on the ranch, Bella is known as Nanny Becc, a name she totally hates. Becc has never been a nanny, a housekeeper, or a rancher but she finds a way to fit in for her safety. Levi and her are like oil and vinegar on most days! His brothers Amos and Elijah are pretty drawn to the pretty Becc right away but Levi feels something a little different when he realizes that.
When Becc breaks a major rule, things get a little suspenseful and scary for everyone involved, especially for little Allie. Can Levi ever forgive those who've wronged him?

I loved this book! The characters are immediately loveable and relatable. There is a good mix of suspense, humor, and romance. This is a very clean romance novel that I would be comfortable with my teenage daughter reading. I am excited to read future stories about Elijah and Amos! This being my second book by Edith Mackenzie, she is now a favorite author to me!

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The Vilification of Aqua Marine by Megan Mackie

 

The Vilification of Aqua Marine by Megan Mackie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine what it must be like to be the daughter of both a villain and a superhero! Insert Rhiannon, aka Aqua Marine. Her super trait is managing a cup of water at a time. Sounds pretty easy, right? It is until she uses it in a nefarious way and blows someone's heart out. Where does that leave her now? Her mom, Black Fox, is excited to hear this new development and is hoping she can turn her daughter in a super villainess like she is. Will she succeed?

This book is a lot of fun! I kept equating parts of this book to one of my favorite movies, "Sky High", where they are assigning superheroes versus sidekicks. Rhiannon would likely be more of a sidekick. My favorite character in this book though....hands down....no equals....is Overlord of the Dance. Every scene he was in had me laughing, hysterically at times, at the mental images that I was getting of him. I'd like to see him get his own story soon!



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