Review: All That We Are Together - Book #2 Let It Be Series - Alice Kellen - April 2019 I'll be honest—this book caught my eye purely because of its gorgeous cover. Sometimes I'm that reader who absolutely judges a book by its cover, and All That We Are Together had me completely smitten from the moment I spotted it. It's been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years, practically calling to me with its stunning design, and I finally decided it was time to dive in. As the second installment in Alice Kellen's Let It Be duology, this story picks up three years after the dramatic ending of book one. Axel and Leah's relationship was torn apart by well-meaning family and friends who couldn't see past the eleven-year age gap—he was thirty, she was nineteen—and believed Axel was taking advantage of her. Now, both are grappling with the aftermath of that painful separation and questioning whether everyone else was right about their relationship. When fate brings...

Review: A Tempest of Tea - Book #1 Blood and Tea Series - Hafsah Faizal - February 2024 A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal is a whirlwind of steampunk vibes, danger, and deceit, with a twist of romance and intrigue that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Set in the vibrant city of White Roaring, the story centers on Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind who runs a seemingly innocent tearoom by day, which secretly transforms into an underground bloodhouse catering to the city's feared vampires by night. When her empire is at risk, Arthie must forge an unlikely alliance with a dangerous adversary to protect her world—one that balances precariously between the living and the undead. Faizal’s world-building is exceptional. Picture the elegance and intrigue of The Parasol Protectorate series combined with the high-stakes action of Heist Royale, and you’ll get a glimpse into the dazzling yet perilous life of White Roaring. Arthie is a force to be reckoned with, balancing power, wi...

Review: Wildfire - Book #2 Maple Hills Series - Hannah Grace - October 2023 Have you ever read a series that you have been nervous about? One that you put off for a while as you were scared to read it? That was me with Wildfire as I loved Icebreaker - 5 stars and was in two minds with this one as I didn't want to be disappointed. I finally got around to reading it and though it wasn't as great storywise for me compared to Icebreaker, Russ on the other hand was way better as a book boyfriend and is now on my list compared to Nate. In the first book, we saw glimpses of Russ and he came across as a bad boy character but in Wildfire OMG he was shy, adorable, and such a genuine guy. I loved him to bits and now I am torn between being a Team Russ and a Team Henry as I fell for Henry in Icebreaker and can't wait for his book Daydream - I did love the scene with Henry's butt in the air when Russ pops home unexpectedly. Back to Wildfire, Russ ends up having a one-night stand wit...

Review: The Broken Elf King - Book #2 Kings of Avalier Series - Leia Stone - November 2022 Near the end of 2023, I started reading a little bit of fantasy again and found myself really enjoying it - of course, now there is a new term for the fantasy I do enjoy, once described as Urban Fantasy it is now called Romantasy which is fantasy with romance sprinkled throughout the story. It's great if you aren't a high and epic fantasy reader which is a bit more involved storylines and a bit drier plot. After really loving The Last Dragon King, I decided to continue the series and now in Book #2, we move over to the Elf Kingdom. In The Broken Elf King, we have our King Raife whose family was killed years ago by the Evil NightFall Queen who resides over the human world. She believes that all magic should be wiped out and humans be in power. In Nightfall lives Lani with her Aunt. Her Aunt has been sick, so Lani took a loan to buy medicine but she struggled to pay it back and has now been...

Review: Never Lie - Freida McFadden - September 2022 This author has been on my list for a while as I have read a couple of books prior and enjoyed them so I had aimed to read her backlist. This one was a prize from @bookiebron and it was such a great read and a fast-paced one too, I just didn't want to put it down. Never Lie starts with meeting Adrienne Hale who is a therapist. She runs her business from home and in the beginning we meet a couple of her clients. The book then jumps three years later and Tricia and Ethan are looking at buying a new house. The house happened to belong to Adrienne Hale who vanished without a trace three years ago. A snowstorm has braced and now Ethan and Tricia are stranded and stuck. Over the next few days, the couple will live in the house and during this time Tricia finds a hidden room where she will find recordings of tapes from the Doctors' sessions.  Never Lie flips between past/ present as we learn about what truly happened to the Docto...

Review: Love is Murder - Edited by Sandra Brown - Various Authors - May 2012 As I embarked on a long bus journey to Auckland over the weekend, I seized the opportunity to dive into the world of suspense and romance that had long been beckoning from my bookshelf. It's a well-known fact that I have a penchant for devouring books in one sitting, and what better occasion than a seemingly endless bus ride to delve into an anthology that had been patiently waiting for my attention since 2012 - "Love Is Murder," masterfully edited by Sandra Brown. This anthology promises a rollercoaster of heart-racing suspense and romance, and it does not disappoint. Featuring an impressive lineup of thirty of the genre's most celebrated authors and new, emerging voices, "Love Is Murder" takes readers on an exhilarating journey through tales of love, mystery, and danger. It's the perfect literary companion for those who crave both thrills and romance, skillfully weaving the tw...

Review: The Perfect Guests - Emma Rous - January 2021 Back in May, I decided to join an Instagram group where we aim to try and clear our bookshelves as most of us these days read on e-readers and our print books go unread and sit there for years. Well, that's what happened to me in the past couple of years as I left my job at the library and ended up becoming a 100% e-reader. For the past couple of months, I have tried to change that and started reading some books off my shelf. Some have been DNFs and some I have managed to finish and enjoy, like Emma Rous's book The Perfect Guests which I picked up at a secondhand book sale and in stunning condition. The Perfect Guests starts in 1988 when a young orphan girl Beth moves in with Lenora and Markus to become friends and companions with their daughter Nina who is around the same age. Beth likes this arrangement as it gets her out of the group home, things though take a strange turn when Nina ends up ill and Lenora and Markus ask...