Books, Books, Books, and a Cat

 I loved this book!  It had it all from strong characters, action, adventure, magic, and romance!  5 Stars!! This novel is told from two different points of view. The first was my favorite and that of the theif Rinley. She comes back to her homeland  Feronia after running away after a deadly massacre occured thirteen years before.  She is determined to steal the sword that only a true Feronia queen can wield from the Caligans who currently hold the throne.  The other point of view is that of Zoren.  His father was also killed in the massacre trying to defend the Feronia queen and since that day he has been trying to prove his loyalty to the Caligans.   Both Rinely and Zoren are drawn to each other but they are on opposite sides.  Zoren is used and abused for his power as he constantly has to prove that he is nothing like his father and a true Caligan. Rinely still feels remorse that she was not able to save the future queen Avonlea on th...

  An absolutely moving story about a boy forced from a loving home into an institution.  The fact that these places existed is horrible.  This story if fictional but I feel like I understand so much more about what these children went through and how that would have affected them in later life.  Thomas was adopted after being born to a mother who is only 15 years old.  His adopted mother died of cancer when he is only 9 years old.  He is sent to an institution run by brothers who woefully mistreat him.  Thomas survives but is has an adverse affect on his adult life.  Fast forward to the future and his daughter is having twins.  He must find his birth mother to help her with her pregnancy.   Kate has been fighting for kids who were left in institutions.  She is on the search for her own son that she was forced to give up.  She thinks she may have found him but has she or is this man only using her for what she has? I really...

This book was definitely different.  There was a curse that all of the Pierce women are affected by.  Emma turns 29 and refuses to believe that she will die before she is 30.  However bad things start happening to her.  Her boyfriend's brother disapears.  Her sister is suffering from blackouts and she has a weird infection that seems to be turning her into a tree.   I usually like a book that has some kind of twist or paranormal aspect.  However this one was slow for me and I just did not connect with Emma or the different flashbacks.  I also did not care for the ending or the epilogue.  The novel felt a little unfinished and did not leave me with the best of feelings when I was done reading it.   There was a mystery that was well done.  No one knows what happened to Parker and the author did a great job with surprising the reader as to what actually happened. Overall, this book was just not for me.  It had the right ...

  This is exactly the book I needed in my life right now.  It has been way too long since I have read a novel featuring vampire hunters.  I was completely sucked into this world and I want more!!! 5 Stars!! Faith is a college student who comes from a family who really didn't want her.  One night she is walking back to campus with her friend when they are brutally attacked. Faith's friend is killed but not by an ordinary person. Faith discovers that the world she knows has big secrets.  She meets Corbin who is interested in her friends death.  Together they team up to try and make things safer and find out what is really going on in Ashbourne. I am so excited  for this new series.  Faith is the perfect main character.  She is strong and there is something special about her.  Corbin is a perfect love interest and he has a great back story.  I also loved the twists in this novel that kept me wanting more.  As a huge reader of urba...

  This was a "Survivor" style second chance romance and I was here for it!  5 Stars Willa and Bernie are identical twins who decide to switch places when Bernie gets injured and can no longer compete on a reality show for a million dollar prize.  Both sister want to win that money for their mother and their failing board game cafe.  The only problem is Willa has always been the more introvert and less popular twin.  She does not think that she can pull this off even though it is for a great cause.  She ends up traveling to Fiji to compete but ends up running into the guy who broke her heart 8 years ago.  Now she has to pretend that she doesn't know him but she still has lingering feelings for him.  She must figure out not only how to win this reality competition, keep her identity a secret, and somehow not fall in love with Noel again.  This book was straight up fun.  Willa was smart and strategic but not over her ex.  This added gr...

A dual timeline mystery that will have you wondering until the very end who did it! Jane is an 84 year old woman who has many, many secrets.  When her granddaughters find bones on her property those secrets might just come out.  This story is told from Jane's perspective in present day and in the 1950s.  We also see the story from the cop, Clair Mundy, sent to investigate, The uncovered bones lead to more questions and possible more murder victims than just the bones uncovered. I really enjoyed the suspense of this novel and trying to unravel all the threads of who was involved with what.  Reading about teenage Jane and elderly Jane brought together both timelines in way that kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next.  There was a lot going on in both timelines from family dynamics, young love, and scandals.   I also enjoyed the deep friendship between Jane and Grace as well as the need for some characters to try and set things right.  ...

  Historical fiction with a twist of fantasy makes this a heart pounding read.   This novel features a mother and a daughter.  Each possess an incredible ability.  Alice, the mother, is featured in 1915 during WWI.  Her story takes us through her career as a woman doctor and then her transition into motherhood.  Beatrice, the daughter, is at a crossroads in 1940.  WWII is going on and she has spent most of her life at home due to an illness.  She makes the decision to get involved in the war effort to be near her sister but her actions could have far reaching consequences.   Both Alice and Beatrice's stories are incredible and left me wanting to know more.  The writing was superb.  This book gave me all the feels.  I think we all have wanted to rewind time especially when something major happens.  Alice's perspective really shed light on just how hard it is to want your own dreams but yet also want to be the best...

  An enemies to lovers novel but set in a world with love potions and magic.   Rosemary is driven to save her potion shop but there is a huge cost.  She has to convince Bowen, a guy who hates her to love her.  To make matters worse, she is pretty sure he is saying horrible things about her and trying to ruin her business.  As Rosemary attempts to do the impossible, she just may find out that she doesn't hate Bowen as much as she thought.  She also starts to understand what is truly important.  This novel was cute.  I enjoyed the world building.  Magic was an important part of their every day life but it involved different potions and seers.  This book just felt different from typical books where characters have magic.  At first I really hated Bowen.  I like Rosemary a lot and her quirky ways. but I was frustrated with her growing attraction to Bowen. He really seemed beneath her.  As the story went on he did grow on m...

 I am so sad that this is the last book in this series.  This book was a wonderful addition and I am going to miss these characters.  This is a wonderful mystery series!  In "Last Resort at Haven's Rock" one of their residents, Jamie, has been found dead while he was fishing.  It is soon discovered that he was murdered.  There was a stranger who had been camping nearby and he becomes the primary suspect.  However once the stranger is located it turns out that there is so much more to this story than what they originally thought.  An absolutely outstanding mystery.  There was some excellent twists and turns.  Lots of drama, secrets, and emtions to unpack.  I loved the addition of their toddler daughter to the story.  She added another dimension and anyone who has ever had a toddler can completely relate.    Kelley Armstrong is a fantastic writer and I truly love everything she writes.  This book and this enti...