Two Witches and a Whiskey - Book Review

Two Witches and a Whiskey (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #3)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
Three months ago, I landed a job as a bartender. But not at a bar—at a guild. Yeah, the magic kind.

I'm not a badass mage like my three smokin' hot best friends. I'm not a sorcerer or an alchemist, or even a wussy witch. I'm just a human, slinging drinks like a pro and keeping my non-magical nose out of mythic business. Seriously, I know my limits.

So why am I currently standing in a black-magic ritual circle across from a fae lord?

Somewhere behind me, my three mage friends are battling for their lives. Somewhere near my feet is the rogue witch I just knocked out with a stolen spell. And I have about five seconds to convince this very angry sea god not to shmoosh me like a bug.

I'm pretty sure this wasn't part of the job description.

--
Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

What did I think of it:
I loved the first two books in this series and very much enjoyed the two novellas, so I got my eager trotters on this book not long after it was released.

And this yet again a great read.

I love Tori, she is impulsive, but always means well. That's how she gets involved with the two witches mentioned in the title. Tori also manages to make friends in unusual places, although her past makes her slow to trust that those friends actually stay around and don't ditch her when the going gets tough.

And there's Kai, Aaron and Ezra of course. I love all three mages, but I'll confess that Ezra is my favorite. In this book he is once again great and we learn a little bit more about him. We also get to see Tori's brother again and I'm very eager to see how things will develop with him. And then there's Twiggy, Tori's roommate. I absolutely love him!

The story is action-packed, suspenseful, and I finished this book almost in one sitting (This was in stark contrast with the book I tried to read before this one and that I finally DNFed at 25%). Tori gets in over her head and at times it seemed impossible that things would turn out well. Tori's trust issues also lead her to do some reckless things that upped the stakes, but luckily her friends can be trusted a lot more than she thinks, and they are there to help her.

All in all this is a really fun and cool read and you bet I'll be impatiently waiting for the next book to release!

Why should you read it:
It's a really entertaining and fun UF read.


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Teaser Tuesdays - Phoenix Falling

In darkness, he walked along the bank of the creek that widened into an underground river. He needed no light to see by.

(page 42, Phoenix Falling by Laura Bickle)


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Double Annette Marie Novella Review

Four Shifters and a Stranger (The Guild Codex: Spellbound 0.1)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
When a bounty hunting job goes wrong, a mysterious aeromage saves Aaron's life...

What did I think of it:
This is a fun short story (36 pages) about how the three mages Aaron, Kai and Ezra meet. Lots of questions are raised and I'm looking forward to finding out the answers in future books in the series.

Free when you sign up for Annette Marie's newsletter.



A Damsel and a Demigod (The Guild Codex: Spellbound 0.5)
by Annette Marie
Published in Love Potion: A Valentine's Day Charity Anthology

What is it about:
Kai, Aaron and Ezra are on a job guarding a secret meeting when an important relic gets stolen. Kai has to work together with a mysterious stranger to get the relic back.

What did I think of it:
I really enjoyed this novella.

Usually Kai gets the least amount of screen time of the three mages, but here he gets to shine. I loved getting to learn more about him. I also really liked Izzah, the woman he has to team up with. They make a good pair once they stop bickering. And this story being part of a Valentine's Day anthology there are sparks between these two Mythics of course.

All in all a fun and action-packed novella.

Why should you read these stories:
If you love the The Guild Codex: Spellbound series these novellas are a must.

Buy Love Potion: A Valentine's Day Charity Anthology here

The Extinction Trials: Rebel - Book Review

Rebel (The Extinction Trials #3)
by S.M. Wilson

What is it about:
Betrayal. Sacrifice. Survival. Welcome to The Extinction Trials

Storm and Lincoln's city is burning. The people are starving. The only place left to run is Piloria, the continent of monsters. It's up to Storm and Lincoln to keep their people alive as they colonize this lethal paradise. But will the biggest threat to their survival be the monsters in the jungle...or the ones inside the encampment with them?

What did I think of it:
If you've read my reviews of the previous books you might know I've been rooting for the dinosaurs.

In this last book the humans are fleeing their dying continent and try to set up a new life on Piloria, the dinosaur continent. And of course there are lots of them who think the dinosaurs should be killed.

I kept rooting for the dinosaurs to have a huge feast in which they get rid of the little pests called humans, even though I knew it was pointless. But really: most of the humans were so annoying! Only Storm seems to realize that the dinosaurs are cool and deserve to be left alone by the humans. Luckily she is doing her best to show other people that they can live in harmony with most dinosaurs.

Once again not enough people end up as dinosaur snacks, but at least there is some feasting and snacking and the book ended in a way that I could live with how things turned out (although there would have been a totally different ending if I had a say in it).

All in all this is a very entertaining ending to this trilogy and it even leaves itself open for a possible continuation. Hopefully with lots of food for the dinosaurs!

Why should you read it:
It's an entertaining YA read about dino snacks


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Reading Update - Podcast

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy - Book Review by Olivia

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy (Reluctant Royals #2.5)
by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:
While her boss the prince was busy wooing his betrothed, Likotsi had her own love affair after swiping right on a dating app. But her romance had ended in heartbreak, and now, back in NYC again, she’s determined to rediscover her joy—so of course she runs into the woman who broke her heart.

When Likotsi and Fabiola meet again on a stalled subway train months later, Fab asks for just one cup of tea. Likotsi, hoping to know why she was unceremoniously dumped, agrees. Tea and food soon leads to them exploring the city together, and their past, with Fab slowly revealing why she let Likotsi go, and both of them wondering if they can turn this second chance into a happily ever after.

What did Olivia think of it:
We loved the first two books in the Reluctant Royals series, so I had to get my trotters on this novella about Likotsi.

And this is a beautiful and sweet story about second chances.

The story is told switching between the present and the past. Slowly we learn about the passionate few days Likotsi and Fabiola shared in the past, what drove them apart, and how they try to discover if they can fix the broken pieces.

I already loved Likotsi after reading A Princess in Theory and I soon fell for Fabiola as well. I could understand the hurt Likotsi felt, but learning more about Fabiola I could also understand why Fabiola ghosted Likotsi as she did. I rooted for the both of them to find the way back to each other and to be able to build a future together.

All in all this is a lovely and sweet novella. I read it as an ebook, but must most certainly get hold of a print copy to add it to our collection.

Why should you read it:
It's a sweet second chance romance



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Teaser Tuesdays - Hunted

The warrior looked grimly down at me. 'I'm going to move fast. Remember to trust me.'

(page 160, Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast)


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Dear Adam - Release Day Book Review

Dear Adam
by Kelsie Stelting

What is it about:
What happens when the bad boy takes over the school advice column?

The last thing Emerick should be doing is giving anyone advice. His dad’s in prison. His mom’s buried under credit card debt. And he’s one step from failing. After everything his mom’s been through, she can’t take another disappointment. So when the guidance counselor gives him a choice, anonymously write the school’s advice column or drop out, what choice does he really have?

Student body president Nora Wilson has the perfect life. At least, that’s what everyone thinks. And with her dad running for governor . . . reputation is everything. She can’t let anyone know she’s drowning under the pressure. Except for an anonymous advice columnist.

Nora and Emerick can’t stand each other in real life. But online? They may have more in common than they ever thought possible.

What did I think of it:
This sounded like a really fun read, so when I had the opportunity to read an Advance Reader Copy I jumped at it.

And this is a fun read indeed.

Emerick seems like a bad boy: missing classes, barely getting passing grades, and nobody really looks further to see the reasons. When he is offered the choice to write the advice column or drop out he sees it as just one more burden on his already overloaded plate, but soon he discovers that the column just might be a blessing.

Nora on the other hand is seen as the perfect student. Nobody sees how she is trying to handle more than she can and is steering towards a burn out. When she writes to the anonymous columnist Adam for advice a conversation between the two starts up. Neither of them knows who they're really talking to, but both enjoy the emails they send each other.

I loved seeing Emerick and Nora connect in their emails and to see the two of them find someone they can talk to about their problems. Their interactions in real life are very different, but it just might be that their emails might lead them to see the world and each other differently.

This is a sweet story about two teens connecting and finding out that they have more in common than is clear on the outside. But it's not all sweetness. There are hard truths to deal with, jealousy, and difficult choices have to made. All in all this is a really engaging read. I can advice it to anyone who loves a good Contemporary YA read.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and sweet YA read.


Find buy links here

Strands of Bronze and Gold - Book Review

Strands of Bronze and Gold
by Jane Nickerson

What is it about:
The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

What did I think of it:
I love the story of Bluebeard, so when I won this book in a giveaway back in 2013 I was very happy with it. Still it ended up forgotten until I was rearranging my shelves recently.

This is a very decent retelling. I loved the atmosphere that Nickerson created, loathed the slick and slimy de Cressac, and even though I didn't particularly warmed to Sophia I was eager to find out when she would start to suspect that de Cressac isn't as charming as he seems to be.

The story is slow, but it fits the stifling atmosphere of the old abbey and the hot Mississippi weather. I liked the writing and the slowly developing mystery and drama. What I liked less is how the slaves are portrayed and how Sophia is a bit of a White Savior. I would have liked it more if the relationship Sophia develops with the slaves around her had been a bit more equal instead of her being the one to tell them how to save themselves. Or if Nickerson had made one of them more important to the story instead of them mostly being there to make Sophia look good and de Cressac bad.

That aside this was a very intriguing and atmospheric read. I might look into what other books Nickerson has written.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable YA fairytale retelling.



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Seventh Grave and No Body - Book Review

Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson #7)
by Darynda Jones

What is it about:
Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out the jugular of Charley Davidson and serve her lifeless, mangled body to Satan for dinner. So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and the more she retraces his last steps, the more she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life.

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it.

What did I think of it:
I must confess that at times I want to kick Charley. Not only did she not do nearly enough groveling in the last book, in this one she is contemplating doing the same thing that made me so mad at her.

That aside: this is yet another fun read. There's a lot of suspense, snark, and humor. Charley may not always act wise or cautious when needed, but the situations she gets into are very entertaining. Next to Cookie, Ubie and Osh are becoming favorite characters of mine as well. I hope the three of them gets lots of screentime in the upcoming books in this series.

All in all another fun read. I'll be picking up book 8 soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun, enjoyable UF read.


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Update and Mail Fail - Podcast

Taken by the Rake - Release Day Review by Voodoo Bride

Taken by the Rake (The Scarlet Chronicles #3)
by Shana Galen

What is it about:
Sometimes beauty…
Honoria Blake knows she must have had a moment of madness when she accepted a summons by the Scarlet Pimpernel to travel to revolutionary Paris and help his League. She’s an expert forger and glad her services can be of use, but the violence of the Reign of Terror has her longing for her quiet, unobtrusive life in London. Then a bloody man staggers to the door of the house where she’s hiding, claiming he was sent by the Pimpernel. Recently escaped from La Force prison, the former Marquis de Montagne is sinfully handsome and charming. He’s also desperate enough to kidnap Honoria. So much for her return to the quiet life.

Can be a beast…
Laurent is a consummate rake, but even he is captivated by the beautiful Honoria. Laurent cares almost nothing for his own life, but he was always close to the royal family and the little princess was like a sister to him. He will risk everything to save her from a life of imprisonment and possible execution. His plan is risky and surely doomed, but if he can convince Honoria and the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel to help him, it just might succeed. The only question is how far he’s willing to go and whether he’s willing to risk the life of the only woman he’s ever loved to save a doomed princess.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This is a delicious read.

Laurent is set on saving the French princess, but can't do it alone. When the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel refuses to help and is threatening to send him to England he kidnaps Honoria in an attempt to get them to help him anyway.

I loved Honoria and Laurent together. They're antagonistic a first, but there's a clear attraction. I was eager to see them realize their feelings and act on them. Laurent is stubborn and focused on the princess, so it sure takes him some time to open his eyes, while Honoria slowly learns she might be braver than she ever thought.

Next to their well paced romance there is a very suspenseful action storyline that had me on the edge of my sea. I finished this story in one sitting.

All in all a delicious and suspenseful romance. I will most certainly try to get hold of the next book.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable Historical Romance


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Teasing on a Monday - The Extinction Trials: Rebel

The raptors. They'd heard them. Or caught their scent.

(page 31, The Extinction Trials: Rebel by S.M. Wilson)



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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Shrill Dusk - Book Review

Shrill Dusk (City of Magic #1)
by Helen Harper

What is it about:
Charley is a cleaner by day and a professional gambler by night. She might be haunted by her tragic past but she's never thought of herself as anything or anyone special. Until, that is, things start to go terribly wrong all across the city of Manchester.

Between plagues of rats, firestorms and the gleaming blue eyes of a sexy Scottish werewolf, she might just have landed herself in the middle of a magical apocalypse. She might also be the only person who has the ability to bring order to an utterly chaotic new world.

What did I think of it:
I will confess I totally fell in love with the cover of this book. Then a friend mentioned there was a pink elephant in the story and I couldn't resist giving it a try.

This book is weird, fun, and very entertaining.

I will confess I had my doubts when reading the prologue, but once the story actually started I was soon hooked. Strange things are happening in Manchester, and Charley soon finds herself in the middle of weirdness, danger, and magic. As she and her roommate try to stay alive danger keeps finding them, and not only because Charley has a serious savior complex.

I couldn't stop reading: I had to find out why these strange things were happening and what was going on with Charley. Enter a Scottish werewolf and I was completely sold.

This book is an almost non-stop ride of action, absurd situations, and suspense. I loved Charley and her roommate Lizzy, and many more interesting and cool characters and monsters made an appearance, including a tentacled beastie and the pink elepant.

All in all this is a really fun read, so you bet I'll get my trotters on book 2 when it releases. I also discovered this series is a spin-off from another series, so I'll most certainly give that series a try as well.

Why should you read it:
It's a very entertaining and fun UF read


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Podcast Thursday

How to Save an Undead Life - Book Review

How to Save an Undead Life (The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy #1)
by Hailey Edwards

What is it about:
Grier Woolworth spends her nights weaving spooky tales of lost souls and tragedies for tourists on the streets of downtown Savannah. Hoop skirt and parasol aside, it's not a bad gig. The pay is crap, but the tips keep the lights on in her personal haunted mansion and her pantry stocked with ramen.

Life is about as normal as it gets for an ex-necromancer hiding among humans. Until the society that excommunicated Grier offers her a second chance at being more than ordinary. Too bad no one warned her the trouble with being extraordinary is it can get you killed.

What did I think of it:
This book was recommended to me by Melliane, and let me tell you: I'm glad I listened to her and picked it up.

This is such a cool read.

Grier has spend the last five year in a supernatural prison, accused of murder. When she gets out she is broke and is just trying to get by and leave the past behind her. Then other supernaturals show up, clearly interested in her. She will have to figure out why she suddenly seems to be the most interesting necromancer in town or she might not enjoy her freedom for long.

I loved Grier and her immediate circle of friends. Especially Neely, the make-up artist at her job is an absolute sweetheart and hope he'll be in other books in this series as well.

The worldbuilding and the creatures that populate this world were very intriguing, and Edwards gave her own interesting spin to some old favorites. I can't wait to find out more. The story is fun, suspenseful, and gripped me from the start and didn't let me go until I finished the book, leaving me eager for more.

You bet I'll get my trotters on other books in this series soon!

Why should you read it:
It's a cool UF with Necromancers!


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Teaser Tuesdays - Last Star Burning

It started happening more and more, until I was almost too frightened to go to sleep. Then came the daydreams, dark twisted versions of reality, like the monster at the Aihu Bridge.

(page 106, Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster)


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---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Haunting the Deep - Book Review

Haunting the Deep (How to Hang a Witch #2)
by Adriana Mather

What is it about:
Samantha Mather knew her family’s connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials might pose obstacles to an active social life. But having survived one curse, she never thought she’d find herself at the center of a new one.

This time, Sam is having recurring dreams about the Titanic . . . where she’s been walking the deck with first-class passengers, like her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, in Sam’s waking life, strange missives from the Titanic have been finding their way to her, along with haunting visions of people who went down with the ship.

Ultimately, Sam and the Descendants, along with some help from heartthrob Elijah, must unravel who is behind the spell that is drawing her ever further into the dream ship . . . and closer to sharing the same grim fate as its ghostly passengers.

What did I think of it:
I saw this book in the bookstore and immediately bought it when I saw the Titanic mentioned. Only later did I discover it's the second book in a series. I must say this book can be read on its own though. Yes: there are mentions to things that happened in the first book, but I wasn't confused.

This was a really intriguing read. Samantha sees ghosts from passengers of the Titanic and at night she dreams she's on board of the doomed ship. The more she tries to find out what's going on the more her own fate seems to become intertwined with that of the Titanic.

I was hooked from the start and wanted to find out what was going on just as much as Samantha. There was one point in the story where I feared Mather would take a certain and often used route where it comes to the Titanic, but luckily I was wrong. Mather used the Titanic in an intriguing and original way to tell a very suspenseful and spooky story.

All in all I very much enjoyed this book and the mentions of things that happened in the first book make me curious enough that I just might decide to get my trotters on it one of these days, even though there will be no Titanic in that one.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool and spooky Paranormal YA read


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Sixth Grave on the Edge - Book Review

Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson #6)
by Darynda Jones

What is it about:
Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that Reyes Farrow has asked for her hand, Charley Davidson feels it's time to learn more about his past, but Reyes is reluctant to open up. When the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap, Charley decides to go behind her mysterious beau’s back and conduct her own investigation. Because what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn't come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear.

Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she's used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.

What did I think of it:
This series keeps being fun, which is a good thing as I have all the books except for the last one.

I will confess that Charley could have done a lot more groveling towards a character she slighted in the previous book, and that the character in question seems to be way too forgiving.

That aside this is yet another story full of suspense, silly situations and lots of humor. My favorite character is still Cookie and I was satisfied with her amount of screen time. There was another character who's background was revealed in this book who I think is very cool as well.

The cases Charley got to deal with were fun and with the right amount of danger and suspense, there are also some very interesting developments in the overall storyline. You bet I'll be grabbing the next book soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a very entertaining UF read.


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