Tome Thursday: Love Ghost On

 

Hello everyone!

 

This week we're taking a look at a very cute, wholesome short story, that you can get if you join this specific author's newsletter, and I'm telling you it's totally worth it.

 

If nothing else, you get a very cute doggo, a funny ghost cat, and some great poetry to boot!

 

I accidentally found Dina Marie on BookSirens when I thought the cover of her first book looked cute and well done, featuring a red-headed heroine, a ghostly hero, and a dog and cat.

 

It seemed to be drawn rather than a realistic photoshoot, and that's definitely something that's appealing to me in today's day and age of AI covers and whatnot!

 

Overall, her cozy mysteries series has definitely carved its place in my heart, even if I don't necessarily enjoy every single page of what's written.

 

So without further ado, let's hop straight into this novella that takes place between books one and two, and gives us a little more insight into both the heroes, as well as what's possibly to come in the series as a whole!

 

Love Ghost On, everybody.

 

Tome Thursday: Addie and the AI Boyfriend

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the blog for another interesting ride tonight.

 

I first stumbled over this author on BookSirens when I randomly chose a book of theirs that talked about vampires - I know, cliche, right?

 

But I ended up liking their writing style so I figured, when I got the notification that they had another ARC up to choose from, I could take a second look.

 

Turns out, their contemporary stuff is even better than their historic fiction one!

 

And I'm not even joking.

 

You might look at the title and think to yourself: oh this is some Avengers stuff. You'd be right, too, BUT it's still a fun thing to read through and you have tons of fun while trying to figure out what's going on.

 

So without further ado, let's hop right in and see what exactly Sarah Saponiara has to say in Addie and the AI Boyfriend.

 

Tome Thursday: Fated Salvation

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back one last time to this trilogy.

 

I say 'this' because, I'm fairly sure that Ms Hefner isn't going to leave us hanging, but she'll make certain that she returns to writing dystopia which she does SO amazingly well.

 

As I've said before, I couldn't for the life of me get into the vampire stories she writes for some odd reason, because I do enjoy her writing style. But these, her dystopian trilogies? Oh sign me UP and sign me up AGAIN.

 

I'm actually kind of sad that this one's now over, it's a rather unique take and could really be pulled right out from our own world somehow, as well.

 

But enough about me and my mind processes.

 

We need to figure out whether the world as we know it is actually saved, or if it falls to the hands of an evil dictator.

 

Fated Salvation solves all those mysteries, and leaves us thirsty for more!

 

Tome Thursday: A Wingless Hope

 

Hello everyone!

 

And if you're tempted to start singing and dancing the conga ... be my guest.

 

There aren't really any toads along for this one BUT, that doesn't mean we can't have fun, eh?

 

In any event, I picked the book off BookSirens, like I do with so many of my other choices, naturally.

 

Why?

 

Well, because it was a Thumbelina re-telling, of course!

 

I'm a sucker for Thumbelina. It's a lovely tale and it's been adapted into probably one of my favourite cartoons of all time, with just the right amount of comedy and romance to make it amazing.

 

So naturally, when I randomly stumbled over the copy of this book on BookSirens, I had to grab it.

 

Make sure to shake off all that fairy dust from your wings, then, as we take flight and learn all about secret heritage and family manipulation in A Wingless Hope!

 

Tome Thursday: Scottish Witches Mysteries

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back to the weekly blog post in which we take a look at different books or book series that I happen to be enjoying at the time.

 

Or, alternately, occasionally - and this is VERY occasionally - I run into something I don't like as much as I had hoped I would when initially picking something up.

 

Tonight is such a night, aka, the second option.

 

I had such high hopes for the series that I grabbed off BookSirens, like you wouldn't believe.

 

Then the more I read through it, the less I ended up liking it.

 

It's a crying shame really, because all the foundations for a great book series are right there! I don't really know what exactly went wrong, yet here we are.

 

We'll be talking about the Scottish Witches Mysteries, by Felicity Green.

 

Tome Thursday: Scorched Redemption

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to another interesting book we're reviewing tonight.

Well, in all fairness, I've read and reviewed it on other platforms a while ago but, I had some others lined up that REALLY needed to be put up for viewing first so, here we are!

Sometimes, you just need to juggle a whole bunch of lemons altogether, and hope that you get either a lemonade or a martini out of it by the end, not just some lemon splat on the floor.

Rebecca Hefner is one of those authors I stumbled on completely by accident, and yet I've now managed to keep tabs on her for quite some time.

I'm not all that into her vampiric series BUT when she writes dystopia?

HOO BOY! She writes it BUT GOOD.

So here we go one more time, for the second book in the current dystopian tale, Scorched Redemption.

Tome Thursday: Blood of the Dragon

 

Hello everyone!

 

As promised, here we are with our next contestant in the blogging world!

 

And boy oh boy is it a good one.

 

Listen, I've said this before and I'll say it again, but some authors just knock it right out of the park, not to mention right into our hearts.

 

Retellings, particularly of fairy tales, usually come with warnings or they tend to lack something or other when all is said and done.

 

But not this one, oh ho ho, no.

 

This one's pretty much grand from start to finish, with little sprinklets of what-who-where throughout.

 

Without further ado, let's stop with my rambling, and jump right into the story, shall we?

 

The story that is NOT ASOIAF related, but is still titled Blood of the Dragon.

 

Tome Thursday: The Broken Sands

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to what's probably going to make my top 5 list of books for 2024, because, SERIOUSLY.

 

I mean, I know BookSirens is a hub for amazing authors and whatnot, and I've definitely stumbled across more than one fantastic read since joining, but every once in a while I also latch onto positive GEMS of books, tonight's choice being one of them.

 

There's only so many ways to tell the story of people in the desert, but Iren Adams managed to do so.

 

To think, I sat on the book for ages because I didn't have the time to read it.

 

HA.

 

Well, I made time very recently, and I think I gobbled it up in one or two sittings. There's just no way to put it down once you begin and realize that it's going to be absolutely stunning.

 

So without further ado, let's stop with my babbling and get right to it, shall we? The desert sun waits for no one, especially not in The Broken Sands.

 

Tome Thursday: Abducting Artemis

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to the first installment (or is it prequel?) of a new series that I randomly picked off of BookSirens a little while ago.

 

Oh yes, BookSirens, remember them?

 

That fancy-schmancy online nexus where authors upload their ARCs for readers to then peruse at their leisure and leave free reviews in return?

 

Yes, that BookSirens.

 

Honestly, if you haven't checked it out yet, you totally should. If you're a voracious reader like I am, this is SO going to make your life easier, I can guarantee it.

 

But back to tonight's story, which is all about, er ... Greek Gods.

 

In space.

 

Buckle up, Buttercups, because Abducting Artemis boldly goes where no one has gone before.

 

Tome Thursday: Runt of the Pack

 

Hello everyone!

 

And this week, I welcome you to something slightly different in terms of books, at least for me, since I usually DON'T read these.

 

But when BookSirens suggests something, who am I to disagree with it?

 

Especially as it hasn't steered me wrong yet!

 

Thus far, I think I've thoroughly enjoyed every single book I've picked up, or maybe there were a few that slipped through the cracks of enjoyment, but, overall I'd say the success rate has been pretty high here.

 

So when I grabbed this one, I wasn't overly worried, although I WAS thinking it would maybe be a little bit longer even.

 

No matter.

 

Because the fate of a pack is in our hands. As depicted in Runt of the Pack.

 

Tome Thursday: Repressed Echoes

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the weekly musings on books which tend to happen whenever I have too much time on my hands and figure out reading something's the best way to kill said time LOL.

 

Or, in other words, the weekly book blog!

 

This week we're returning to an author that I got to know via BookSirens, and actually got an email from them about another ARC being listed, something I squealed about.

 

Why?

 

Because it's another post-apocalyptic story, which I LOVED in Prevent the Past, but this one hits a little bit closer to home in that it, one: mentions the pandemic that happened, and two: it's about gratuitous drug use and more.

 

So it comes with a bunch of warnings but, it's honestly really, really awesome, and explores some pretty interesting (dangerous) concepts.

 

Let's dive right into Repressed Echoes, shall we?

 

Tome Thursday: Frozen Flowers Fallen

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome, yet again, to ANOTHER story which happens in our favourite post-apocalyptic world, Sziveria!

 

Yes, yes, I know, you're probably asking yourself 'does this woman read anything else?!' and I promise that I do.

 

In fact I have like, five other books lined up from BookSirens right now that I have to chew through at some point, not to mention Sarah J. Maas and her Crescent City series, or even J. R. Ward with her Black Dagger Brotherhood and other spin-offs, really.

 

BUT.

 

When I got the email that Sarah Westill listed a new ARC on my favourite ARC site? I just had to look. It turned out to be of a novella I've been DYING to get my hands on, but that can be tricky given that they were originally only published through Amazon.

 

Now I had the chance. I JUMPED. Duh. Because it's a prequel to Guardians of Sziveria and is called Frozen Flowers Fallen.

 

Tome Thursday: Wolvenguard

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back.

 

As you can see, we're more on track this week with the blog posts and everything, so hopefully I don't derail again in the coming weeks as work gets busier.

 

But that aside, do I have a treat for you!

 

BookSirens just remains the gift that keeps on giving, and it keeps supplying me with absolutely wonderful stories to read, or in this case, continuations to the series that I started on there.

 

Sarah Westill, as well, is an author I never would have picked up otherwise, yet here we are, seven or eight books in, and I'm still just as much on the edge of my seat now as I was when I picked up Wintersfall way back when at this point.

And the story keeps getting better with each new book in the series!

Guardians of Sziveria is a really, really riveting read, and I highly recommend it, which is why tonight we're taking a look at its newest installment: Wolvenguard.

Tome Thursday: The Witch of Faymeria Wood

 

Hello everyone!

 

Tonight I bring you something a little different.

 

You know I enjoy a good retelling, don't you? Of course you do, you've seen me gush about it on here plenty of times, and will probably see me do it again in the very near future, not to mention more.

 

Well, it's a retelling tonight.

 

What's better is it's a REVERSE retelling, aka the roles of the fantasy tale were telling are going to be reversed for our reading pleasure.

 

I picked the book up on a whim on BookSirens - you remember, the online service providing free ARCs so you leave reviews on your preferred site of choice for upcoming authors? Yes, that service.

 

Anyway, I picked it up because it sounded intriguing, and I've always wanted a good representation of Sleeping Beauty. I absolutely got it in this one. Hypathia Rae might be an author worth watching now with this debut novel of hers!

 

The Witch of Faymeria Wood, ladies and gentlemen.

 

Tome Thursday: The Enchanted Bird

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back to the realm of Calatini, where magic is used openly, balls are inspired by Regency, and love flourishes.

 

Isn't that a poetic kind of introduction?

 

But as I stated last week, I'm going to be making my way through the books written by Katherine Dotterer as I'm enjoying the world-building she's investing into.

 

Some of the characters could potentially sometimes use a bit of additional work, but that aside, it's actually an enjoyable investment.

 

As always, a huge thanks to BookSirens for allowing me to grab these ARCs to begin with, as I'm reasonably sure there would have been no other option for me to find this particular series otherwise. I didn't even know I was looking before the site sent me an email with one of the books in there for a suggestion!

 

So without further ado, let's slip into our best attire and shake off the dancing cobwebs.

 

The Enchanted Bird is here.

 

Tome Thursday: The Spellbinding Courtship

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to the beginning of what will hopefully be a full series review, if I can make it happen.

 

I do know there's three books after this opening novella out right now, and a fourth one on the way, so I'm thinking this can very much become reality!

 

As you know, if I have nothing better to read, it's to BookSirens I go. The online service that connects authors with reviewers is really, really good for people who may not have the funds to be able to support their reading at the moment, because you get books for absolutely free - all you have to do  is read them within the time frame the author asks for, and leave a review.

 

Easy, right?

 

Right!

 

So that's how I bumped into this particular series. And honestly, I wouldn't have even read this prequel if not for the fact I'm organized enough that I don't want to just start a series in the middle. Since I really want to get to the third book, I had to start at the beginning, first.

 

Which is how we ended up with the review of The Spellbinding Courtship.

 

Tome Thursday: Survaine

 

Hello everyone!

 

Back to the inhospitable lands of Sziveria we go!

 

Honestly, I'm SO stoked, and so excited to be reviewing this book. I didn't anticipate to enjoy the series as much as I am, because originally when I picked up the first book I totally expected it to just be a sort of easy-read, mind-numbing romance where the main characters do the deed more than there's substance to plot.

 

Turns out, there's plenty of that to go around AND the plot is even better!

 

I'm all for espionage and grand conspiracies, and the theories are thickening now more than ever, the further we go into the universe at large.

 

We started in a pretty self-contained group, but it's expanded SO. FREAKING. MUCH.

 

And I'm totally here for it, particularly with what I can see coming in the not-so-far future.

 

Before I get carried away, though, let's just sit down and review the latest installment in this riveting series, shall we? Survaine, if it pleases the audience.

 

Tome Thursday: Tides of Torment

 

Hello everyone!

 

I come bearing gifts.

 

Or at least, a sequel to a book we read a little bit back, and which will conclude with the third part coming in early 2024.

Yep, yep indeed this is a slated trilogy, and I'm here for it, because one of my personal pet peeves is when you think you have it down pat - you've blocked out reading time, you know how and when and why - and then all of a sudden it's not a trilogy but it's ballooned into eight books.

I'm sorry, what now?

I mean OKAY I do get it, sometimes stories happen that way and you don't really see where it's going until you're on book three and you haven't told even half the story yet, but most of the time lately it just feels like expansion for expansion's sake not for plot's sake.

This one will hopefully stay a trilogy, it's definitely sounding like it.

So let's get our goggles and our best Ariel voice, because Tides of Torment are taking us both above and under water!

Tome Thursday: The Silent Son

 

Hello everyone!

 

Time to dive into Norse lore again tonight.

 

It feels like I've planned this, reading so many books lately that take inspiration or are directly linked to our northern neighbours somehow, but I promise that's not the case.

 

I actually didn't even figure it out until I already had the books and was reading through them.

 

But it's definitely obvious I have a bit of a type, right?

 

All these books happen to be retellings, and this one tonight is no different either.

 

Remember that bit about the world ending, and each religion in the world having its own version?

 

Well, the Norse have one, too.

 

And Alexis L. Menard chose to interpret it her own way in her duology of books under the title The Last Daughter.

 

So come with us while we try to fight it off, in The Silent Son.

 

Tome Thursday: King of Tricksters

 

Hello everyone!

 

I return with a very readable book even as I mentally gear up to read something I've been putting off for ... well over a year now. 

 

Oh I have books like THAT, don't you worry about it.

 

But the one I'll be talking about tonight isn't one of them.

 

See, Booksirens is the amazing online service that connects reviewers and authors, and I for one always thoroughly enjoy the books I pick from there.

 

This one was no exception in the reading department, though I'll admit that it leaves a bit to be desired when it comes to plot points.

 

HOWEVER.

 

You can pretty much read it in one or two sittings, and it's just a duology, combined with the first one, so why not give it a go, right?

 

The conclusion gets all concluded in King of Tricksters.