Book Reviews Archives

August 25, 2022August 25, 2022

Small Town Big Magic-Beck-Romance-Available Now

Straight up – I loved Small Town Big Magic, the first in a new genre-busting series from Hazel Beck. The publisher has labeled it romance, but to me, it was more straight fiction with romance and paranormal overtones.

And there are witches. Lots of them.

Emerson Wilde lives in St. Cyprian, a small town at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. It is a normal small town. Until you learn that it was established by witches who fled the persecution in Salem, Massachusetts.

It’s quite the setup.

I don’t want to get into details of Emerson’s journey. It is best to experience with her. I was enthralled with her story and how the storyline progressed.

I want to repeat, that I love this book. However, there are a few things that I hope change in the next book.

Emerson’s brand of “fight the patriarchy feminism” is annoying at times. We get it. She is independent, used to being alone, and doesn’t need a man to succeed. Until she does. I understand that she needed to come to the realization about it for her own progress, but honestly if she just would have paid closer attention a couple of times….

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The whole plot line with Skip seemed unfinished. I know it essentially was wrapped up, but I expected more out of it, especially as he was the catalyst for the event that kicks everything off. There are also some unanswered questions there.

The big climax was exciting, but I would have liked a little bit more description of what they were fighting. Why was it building? What is the significance of it? Who is responsible for it? These were hinted at but never really described.

I mean, in a town full of witches, the paranormal should be a bit more pronounced and detailed. Same for the romance aspect – yes, it builds to fruition, but how does it affect the characters more?

Cleverly, the book ends on a cliffhanger, so there is at least one more in the series. But honestly, I hope that there are more books though because would be happy to visit St. Cyprian a few more times.

So, disclosure also. One of my all-time favorite series is The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith. It’s a series about a teenage girl who finds out that she’s a witch, and how she and her friends fight off evil. I still read this series at least once a year.

Small Town Big Magic gives me the same vibe. Hazel Beck has captured all of the fun aspects of a paranormal romance and created a new location for witches. Sort of like if the characters from The Secret Circle had grown up and moved.

I’m here for any and all of the next books in the series. Can’t wait!

HAZEL BECK is the magical partnership of a river witch and an earth witch. Together, they have collected two husbands, three familiars, two children, five degrees, and written around 200 books. As one, their books will delight with breathtaking magic, emotional romance, and stories of witches you won’t soon forget. You can find them at www. Hazel-Beck.com

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August 24, 2022August 24, 2022

The Favorite Child-Grant-Psych Thriller-Available Now

Sometimes I pick up a book expecting one thing but getting something totally different. That is the case with The Favorite Child, a new psych thriller from Cathryn Grant.

A common trope in psych thriller books is that a child is at the center of the story – one way or another. In this case, the favorite child is actually an adult. That was one of the first differences. But to be fair, that’s obvious from the blurb.

Second, the story is strong, but the characters are weak. More on that in a minute.

Annie is spending a few weeks with her family. She knows something feels off. But she chalks it up to being pregnant. When one of her sisters goes missing, Annie seems to be the only one who cares.

And therein is part of my issue with the book.

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There is good tension. The first half drags a little bit but then picks up as events start to fall into place and Annie gets closer to discovering the truth. It is the very definition of a slow-burn psych thriller.

The problem is that Annie isn’t very likable, and her family is absolutely horrid. Nobody else seems to care that Sunday (the sister) is missing. And they’re not very nice to Annie either.

Honestly, the “hysterical pregnant woman” attitude was extremely off-putting. I’m sure it is meant to be. But I just couldn’t find anything redeeming about, well…any of them. It is kind of strange to actively root against characters that I think I am supposed to be rooting for.

At any rate, as I mentioned, the second half of the book picks up, and the last quarter especially is good. The author really saved the best for last in this one.

I’ve liked other books by Cathryn Grant better than The Favorite Child. This one was okay. But I will still look for the next psych thriller from her.

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Author Bio
Cathryn Grant writes psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, and ghost stories. She’s the author of twenty-three novels. She’s loved crime fiction all her life and is endlessly fascinated by the twists and turns, and the dark corners of the human mind.
When she’s not writing, Cathryn reads fiction, eavesdrops, and tries to play golf without hitting her ball into the sand or the water. She lives on the Central California coast with her husband and two cats.

August 20, 2022August 21, 2022

Button Box-Enright-YA Fantasy-Available Now

Button Box by Ruth Enright is a different kind of YA Fantasy novel. The way I read it was more of a primer on Victorian England.

Those are the sections that really come alive in this novel.

Susan is a young girl who is quite unhappy that her father is remarrying, especially since her new siblings are less than nice to her. She has an old button box that she likes to play with.

Little does she know that it actually gives her access to 1850s London. There, she becomes the de facto sister of Baxter, a street urchin straight out of a Charles Dickens novel.

For me, the segments where Susan is in London with Baxter were much more alive than those in her modern life. It sort of felt like, yeah, she’s getting a bad deal out of her dad’s remarriage and her siblings are awful.

There is not a lot of new ground to be broken here.

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But in London with Baxter, there is a world of characters and experiences that let Susan escape her “regular” life. The world that the author creates here is encompassing and engaging.

I felt like the author preferred to stay in that era, as more of the book occurs there. Susan’s current home life is simply a vehicle to get her to the past. I suppose the book could have been written set solely in London.

But then I would have been missing the time travel aspect, which does lend a bit of “coolness.” I think that time travel is necessary also because it gives the feeling of escape.

Readers at any age will be able to relate to the need to go somewhere else to get away from everyday life.

Button Box is a very clever YA fantasy novel. Ruth Enright has presented Victorian London (in all its good and bad) in a way that will enchant young readers.

August 19, 2022December 4, 2022

Perfect Parents-Davis-Psych Thriller-Available Now

If you read enough psych thriller novels, you know that the title of a book usually means the exact opposite of what the story will reveal. That is certainly the case in The Perfect Parents by L.G. Davis.

NOTE: This book was previously published in 2021 as The Surrogate’s Gift. So, if anything sounds familiar, that’s probably why.

The main character, Grace, is carrying extreme guilt. That is well-established at the beginning of the story. The reader gets glimpses as to why in flashbacks that are distributed evenly throughout the book.

No spoilers, and no need for details, but it is pretty obvious to see why Grace holds the guilt that causes her to make a decision to help another family.

However, is that family really what they are portraying? Are they really going to be the perfect parents?

The premise of the story is interesting, and the storytelling mostly succeeds. There are plenty of twists. Things you think are happening may or may not be accurate. I pride myself on figuring out twists, and there are a few in The Perfect Parents that took me by surprise.

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However, Grace’s behavior is confusing. There are several times that she says one thing and then does the exact opposite. For example, she feels smothered by the attention she is getting from the Thorpes, so she decides she wants a couple of days away.

But then she allows Marcia to make all of the arrangements, including spa time, picking the hotel, etc. I get that it can be due to her exhaustion and her determination to do right by her commitment. But it happens often, and it is jarring.

Additionally, there are a couple of characters who do not seem to add much to the plot. I think one character from the past is supposed to add tension and mystery to Grace’s guilt. But I didn’t make that connection until two days after I finished the story. So, that kind of didn’t work for me.

There are two other characters in the present timeline who only seem to serve as vehicles for another event. There’s nothing much to them otherwise. And the epilogue felt disjointed. But, I will say that I did not connect the prologue with the story initially.

I had to go back and read the prologue again to figure it out. I enjoyed the fact that I was clueless about that.

The Perfect Parents isn’t a perfect psych thriller, but there are enough moments to still make it a good read. Also, check out Liar, Liar by L.G. Davis.

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Author Bio:

Liz’s story began in a refugee camp in Angola, where she spent the first eight years of her life. After that, she spent some years in Namibia (her home country), South Africa, and Germany. She now lives in Vienna, Austria, with her husband and two children. Liz wrote her first full-length novel at eighteen and hid it in a box under her bed. Several others soon followed it. Her passion lies in writing edge-of-the-seat psychological thrillers that give readers the same rush they would get on a rollercoaster.

August 18, 2022August 19, 2022

My Big Fake Wedding-Hatch-Rom Com-Available Now

My Big Fake Wedding by Jessica Hatch is a rom com that has great bones but suffers from having a fairly unlikeable main character. That makes it difficult for the reader to get behind Bea in her quest. However, there are some good things to mention as well.

Let’s start with the good.

I liked the premise. Who hasn’t gotten caught up in a “dream wedding” scenario, thinking about the future with the person they think could be “the one?” And who hasn’t suffered when they found out that the person most definitely was NOT the one?

It just so happens that Bea goes through this cycle in spectacular fashion, because she actually wins that dream wedding scenario. But has no potential groom in her life. So, she does what any logical woman would do, right?

No, she doesn’t say no to the wedding so that some other person who may actually HAVE a fiancé could benefit. She keeps it and decides to find a fiancé. That does resolve itself, but I’m not going to say how.

In writing this review, I realize that this is why I had a hard time with Bea. Although the plot line could be great, Bea makes it seem like a selfish choice. Again, making it difficult to get behind her decisions.

I don’t know if the author intended it, but I got a very “Bridget Jones’ Diary” from the story. No spoilers, but in the quest to find who she thinks is the perfect partner, she overlooks the person right in front of her who is, in fact, her better match.

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The root of everything that makes this less successful than it should be is that the reader doesn’t get much opportunity to see interactions between Bea and her “rightful partner.” The scenes that do involve them spark, so it is easy to see who she should be with.

Unfortunately, there are far too few of those scenes, which makes the inevitable (you know it’s going to happen) still seem very abrupt. The same goes for the person who Bea picks as her target. He’s tolerant and goes along with her crazy plan…until he doesn’t.

Bea also doesn’t seem to have a lot of regard for the people around her. This is off-putting. I so very much wanted to root for her. But it was hard. The comedy part of the rom com is apparently from Bea trying to make everything happen. Okay.

I know this review sounds like I didn’t like My Big Fake Wedding, which isn’t true. It was fine – I just think it could have been better with a few different choices. Jessica Hatch created some moments that really worked (the to-do lists at the ends of chapters were a nice touch).

But Bea needed to make more of a connection to the pertinent characters. That would have made My Big Fake Wedding a winning rom com.

Twitter: JessicaNHatch
Website: jessicahatch.com
Instagram: jessicanhatch/

August 15, 2022August 24, 2022

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor-Marais-Fantasy Fiction-Available Now

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais is fantasy fiction (how can it not be with “witches” in the title?) wrapped up with some modern-day feminism. And it is a mostly enjoyable read.

Fair warning: you do have to get through the first few chapters of setup first, and those are a little slow-going. Additionally, the focus of the introductions and the sisters’ personalities is also not how the rest of the story goes. So, don’t let those initial few chapters fool you.

And one last thing – don’t let the “witches” or “magic” aspect turn you off either. I mean, if you’re totally anti that stuff, yeah, you’ll have a hard time. But, if just isn’t your usual thing, give Witches of Moonshyne Manor a try, because there are a lot of “real world” aspects that would work in a “normal” setting as well.

Let me try to explain.

At the heart of the story are “sisters” who aren’t so by blood, but by fate (fortune, circumstances, karma…whatever you want to call it). Over time, they have gravitated together and formed a family.

Each sister has their role in the family. And it works well for them, usually. But families fight and sometimes there is distance between members. That is certainly the case in the Witches of Moonshyne Manor.

Oh, and while they’re trying to get their family unit back on an even keel, they also have to deal with townspeople who want their land. That’s simplifying the plot line, but hey…read the book for yourself to find out the details! 😉

For me, I enjoy the “witchy stuff” so I thought those details added fun and whimsy to the main plot line. I also liked that the sisters are older, so they have wisdom learned from experience on their side.

Personal preference, I wasn’t so much a fan of Persephone. The naming of her character is genius, especially given the role that she plays. But the whole “fight the patriarchy” attitude didn’t jibe with a story that focuses on the strength of women as a bonded unit.

At any rate, The Witches of Moonshyne Manor is a solid story. Bianca Marais adds the mystical to get some fiction points across, and the fantasy is fairly evenly distributed. But the message she imparts about women would be loud and clear in any genre.

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About the Author:

Bianca Marais cohosts the popular podcast The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing, aimed at emerging writers. She is the author of two novels, Hum If You Don’t Know the Words and If You Want to Make God Laugh, as well as the Audible Original The Prynne Viper. Bianca lives in Toronto with her husband and fur babies.

August 12, 2022August 11, 2022

The Ex Between Us-Marsh-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I am a fan of Nicola Marsh, as she can write a good psych thriller. While The Ex Between Us has good bones, however, there are a few things that keep it from being one of her better books.

First the good.

The story unfolds from both Jo and Abi’s points of view, so we get two different perspectives of the action. It also unfolds in the present and in the past, as some chapters reflect the characters’ actions when they were still in school together.

I like the setup. The friendship between Abi and Jo is long-lasting even through all of their ups and downs. There is a testament to girl power in here somewhere – even as the reader learns that not everything is as it appears.

Abi’s profession is unique, although I wish there had been more of it. It was interesting and unique and would have been fun to explore it.

Mostly, I like that I was off-balance throughout the entire book. I was never quite sure where the author was going with anything and had several theories that changed each time new information was revealed. I never got it quite right.

That being said, the book does suffer in a few places.

Abi and Jo both consistently refer to the drama that they see other people bringing to them. They even laugh at old schoolmates as being stuck in high school “mean girl” mode. Yet the two of them often engage in the same behaviors.

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There is a lot of repetition, especially from Jo. I thought that her memories of being younger would have a bigger impact on the current time. As it turns out, they end up being largely filler. There are opportunities in Jo’s unhappy past that could have made great psych thriller material. But they do not end up being relevant.

There is a strange, uneven tone to some parts of the story. Abi knows what is going on, but she doesn’t, but she has suspicions, so she takes steps to prove things, but she still doesn’t know…her actions are inconsistent.

I can’t say much about Jo without giving away major plot points. But she is unreliable as a narrator. Come to think of it, so is Abi for that matter. There are characters that appear briefly but never do much.

I guessed a couple of the plot twists early on, so I wasn’t surprised by some of the “big reveals.” However, the depths of the relationship that come to light, in the end, are interesting.

On a side note, I believe the author is Australian? There are several references using Australian terms (singlet for tank top, crisps for potato chips, turf you out instead of toss you out, etc). I question why the author chose to set the story in America.

There is nothing that particularly screams California in the setting, so it might have been easier to just set the action in Australia. Then these things wouldn’t jump out. However, the wording is distracting which does tend to take me out of the action of a book.

As I mentioned at the outset, I did not guess all of the twists. The author did have a few surprises that I did not expect. But the Australian terms used by characters from California and the uneven, even childish, behaviors of the main characters keep it from being truly amazing – which it had the potential to be.

The Ex Between Us was still interesting enough that I will eagerly await the next psych thriller from Nicola Marsh.

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Author Bio

USA TODAY bestselling & multi-award winning author Nicola Marsh writes page-turning fiction to keep you up all night.

She has published 80 books, sold over 8 million copies worldwide and been translated into 25 languages.

She currently writes contemporary romance and domestic suspense. You can find some of her series romance under the pseudonym Nikki North.

A physiotherapist for 13 years, she now adores writing full time, raising her two dashing young heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, barracking loudly for her beloved North Melbourne Kangaroos footy team, and her favourite, curling up with a good book!

August 6, 2022August 6, 2022

The Insomniac-Rijks-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I have read several psych thriller novels by Miranda Rijks and I am pleased to say that The Insomniac ranks up as one of her best.

I’ll be honest upfront; I’m going to have to be cagey in this review because there are a few twists that I definitely don’t want to give away. So, forgive that if it gets a little convoluted.

The premise is straightforward. Daisy suffers from insomnia. It’s so bad that she can’t concentrate and is in danger of losing her job. Then the opportunity to participate in a new treatment at a boutique spa presents itself.

And that’s where the psych thriller part kicks in.

While everything appears normal on the surface, the reader soon learns that Amity – the owner of the spa retreat – is not all that she seems. And that can mean trouble for Daisy.

But why? What is causing Daisy’s insomnia? Who is Amity really? And what’s the deal with the prologue?

Obviously, all of those questions are answered as the plot rolls along.

There are times when the psych thriller aspect is strong, especially when the author starts weaving in a few chapters from Amity’s perspective. The reader slowly learns some things…but not all.

The author ratchets up the tension through the middle of the book. There are some “locked room” qualities (in some cases literally) that add to the uncertainty that Daisy has. The reader shares those doubts.

I’d say the last third of the book is where all the really interesting stuff happens. I did correctly guess Amity’s motivation. But the author still has plenty of twists in store. In fact, some of it kind of came out of nowhere, which borders on the “suspension of disbelief.”

Fortunately, the author also walks a fine enough line that it remains a credible psych thriller. However, I will say that both the climax and the ending are very abrupt. It is almost like the author spent so much time building the tension that she had to hurry to wrap it up.

I wish there had been more build-up and the end plot line had started a bit earlier.

That being said, The Insomniac is a solid psych thriller. If you are looking for another from Miranda Rijks, I highly recommend The Influencer.

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Author Bio

Miranda Rijks is a writer of psychological thrillers and suspense novels. She has an eclectic background ranging from law to running a garden centre. She’s been writing all of her life and has a Masters in writing. A couple of years ago she decided to ditch the business plans and press releases and now she’s living the dream, writing suspense novels full time. She lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband, musician daughter and black Labrador.

August 5, 2022August 5, 2022

The Water Witch-Thorne-Fantasy-Available Now

Fantasy is not my usual go-to genre, but there are some authors who I will read. Jessica Thorne writes approachable fantasy romance. The Water Witch is the third of her books that I have read, and while it doesn’t quite reach the enchantment of the first two, there is still plenty to recommend it.

I was instantly taken by the fantasy part of the story. The setup of the wreckless princess and how the alleged curse occurs is a good hook. There was a bit of mystery as to the origins or history of the lost city, which also caught my interest.

Honestly, I found myself wishing I could spend more time in Ys. I know that’s not how the author plotted it out, but there were times that I wish we had gotten more background on the city and its people.

This became more pressing (for me anyway) when the dots began to be connected in the present time. I love a good archeological mystery. Who doesn’t have an inner Indiana Jones who needs feeding every so often).

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But I feel like the present would have been more believable if we had more details from the past. The fantasy romance part didn’t exactly work for me either.

I can’t say much more than that without giving things away.

There wasn’t much of a connection to any of the characters in the present. They were fine but didn’t do anything to really stand out to me. And there were times that each of them was downright annoying.

I’ll also say that the big reveal of the two worlds merging did not work for me at all. That is definitely a place where there could have been more build-up. Unfortunately, it sort of comes out of the blue. I’m still scratching my head about it.

It is a decent story, if a bit uneven. For my favorite Jessica Thorne fantasy romance, I still choose The Bookbinder’s Daughter. But I’ll eagerly await her next one.

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About the author of The Water Witch

Jessica Thorne saw Star Wars at an impressionable age and life was never the same. She loves fantasy, romance, and science fiction, and spends her time looking for adventure – in the pages of her books.

Sometimes she is Ruth Frances Long and won the European Science Fiction Society Spirit of Dedication Award for Best Author of Children’s Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2015.

July 30, 2022August 1, 2022

For Butter or Worse-La Rosa-Rom Com-Available Now

Sometimes in the midst of psych thrillers and historical fiction novels, a bright little rom com pops up to act as a palate cleanser. That is the case with For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa.

How fitting, then, that the setting is restaurants and the world of celebrity chefs.

As with most rom com plots, you know that the two main characters are going to be together by the end of it. The fun is in how they get there.

In this case, Nina and Leo are co-hosts of a Master Chef/Top Chef-style cooking show. They each have their connection to cooking and restaurants, but they can’t quite seem to meet in the middle to like each other.

Could be that Leo alluded to Nina in a “not-so-nice” way that causes friction on social media. Yes, there is a heavy dose of that as well.

But any reader who is paying attention can tell that the sparks between them are really sexual tension – even as they don’t realize it immediately.

I, for one, found the tension to be entertaining. My family is huge fans of cooking competitions, and it was fun to imagine various hosts and how their relationships on and off the screen differ.

Paul Hollywood, I’m lookin’ at you!

Anyway, there are the usual pitfalls and stumbling blocks, as well as a healthy dose of supporting characters who could use their own books (Jasmine is especially intriguing).

I did like how there was a bit of a flip in that one character seemed to be more invested at first – or at least woke up to the reality of their relationship earlier.

Really, there is not a lot to say without going into the details of the plot. And I don’t do those types of reviews.

For Butter or Worse is thoroughly enjoyable and has everything a person could want in a rom com novel. I will certainly look forward to reading more from Erin La Rosa.