Dangerous Secret by Jessica Lauryn

 

Dangerous Secret is a romantic thriller and the first in the Pinnacles of Power Series created by Jessica Lauryn.

Abigail MacKenzie is a pretty, sweet, and hard-working young woman with her own share of pain and grief. All she wants is to put those pain behind her and be a great teacher. But when she learns about a murder that recently took place, everything comes back to her. And as if she is being shoved to a specific direction, a stranger with thick black hair and deep blue eyes leaves something that reminds her of the elusive justice her father is owed.

When the stranger, Ryan Newberry, turns out to be her new boss at the Washington Valley Hotel, things get tricky for Abigail. Then, tricky becomes chaotic, and then dangerous.    

This is an exciting and suspenseful romantic thriller that urges the readers to keep reading. The author successfully makes the readers to want to find out the who’s and the why’s. Details are dropped a little at a time making the story interesting and suspenseful. It is difficult to choose the most likeable character as there are many. Some readers may opt for the sweet, tough, and brave Abigail who is willing to do everything to get the justice she deserves, while others may cheer for the secretive and protective Ryan who is hell-bent on keeping Abigail safe. In general, this is one enjoyable romantic thriller.

However, other readers may find the romance part a bit cliché, especially the frequent arguments and the endless secrets between the male and female protagonists. Furthermore, the cliffhanger ending may be a bit of a put off for readers who prefer more palpable conclusion even for a book series.

Congratulations to Jessica Lauryn (@JessicaLauryn_) on a suspenseful and exciting book! For more books by the author, click HERE.

Order of Seven by Beth Teliho

Order of Seven is an intriguing, suspenseful and mind boggling ancient historical fiction book by Beth Teliho.

Devi has been having strange and recurrent dreams. Orphaned at a young age, Devi and her brother Nodin are adopted by kind and wonderful parents. However, despite the loving environment they grew up in, Devi and Nodin have special abilities that they would never understand unless they find out about their biological roots. While Nodin has empathic gifts, Devi has visions and an attachment to a particular tree.  

Now, at eighteen years old, Devi’s visions and dreams are getting more vivid and more detailed, and her need to connect with her tree is getting more frequent. With the help of a friend and a newly-met energy healer that makes her heart flutter, Devi takes a step, previously inconceivable to her, and discovers a shocking revelation not only about herself but also about the world.

This is a very interesting, intriguing, suspenseful and mind-boggling book that integrates myths, legends, and ancient history with modern and contemporary setting by featuring teenage characters and modern technological devices. Characters are well-developed with distinctive personalities. However, though the likely favorites are Devi and Baron, mine are Ben and Mapiya. They are my type of modern mystics. Quiet but powerful.

Congratulations to Beth Teliho (@beth_teliho) on such a very interesting and entertaining book. For more books by the author, click HERE.     

Life First by RJ Crayton

Life First is Book 1 of the Dystopian Series created by RJ Crayton.

Kelsey Reed just gets marked. She is found to be the best match for a man in Virginia with failing kidneys. According to the law of Federation of Surviving States (FoSS), what was left of the former United States after a pandemic that wiped out 80 percent of the population, the government is to take one of Kelsey’s kidneys and give it to the ailing man.

Kelsey has no problem sacrificing a part of her body, but, if she does, it must be on her own free will and not because it is mandated by law. So, she decides to escape. In order to do that, however, she needs to take out her life monitoring system.

Kelsey knows she cannot do it alone. She needs the help of her boyfriend, her best friend, a shady doctor, and other individuals who, unexpectedly, turn out to be on her side.

Told in the first-person perspective of Kelsey Reed, this is a fast-paced, exciting, and suspenseful dystopian thriller that will keep the readers on the edge of their seats. The plot is very unpredictable with plenty of surprising twists and unexpected turns of events. It is made more exciting and interesting by a combination of medical and court drama. Scenes are described in vivid detail and dialogues are fitting. In addition to the exciting plot, the author creates a set of interesting characters, some of them quite endearing. Though the obvious favorite is Kelsey, I find Luke Geary the ultimate hero while Susan Harper is the brave and devoted best friend.

Needless to say, I enjoyed the book immensely. I find it thought-provoking. It questions how much the readers value their freedom to decide over their own body. It is interesting, exciting, and suspenseful. It is a great first installment for a book series.  

Congratulations to RJ Crayton (@RJCrayton) on such an enjoyable book. For more books about the author, click HERE.  

Two Minutes to Midnight by Willow Salix

Two Minutes to Midnight is a titillating paranormal romance and the first in The Carpe Noctem Series created by Willow Salix.  

Topaz Thompson is a practicing Wiccan. She teaches Mythology and Folklore at Athena’s Academy, a school that specializes in things weird and wonderful. When she is sent to investigate a self-professed supernatural being, Topaz is more than willing to go. What she discovers, however, is more than she hopes for.

In addition to the proof of existence of the most elusive supernatural creatures, Topaz finds something else, something beautiful and magical, something that she has found difficult to come by as evident by the string of failed blind dates she has been recently.

This is a very interesting book that offers a different take on the legends of the night walkers. Though the subject is far from unique, the theme of true and undying love, in addition to a fair amount of unexpected twist and turn of events, is enough to keep the reader’s interest. Sex scenes are described in vivid detail and the characters range from fascinating, to intriguing, to endearing. Though the ending seems a bit anticlimactic, I find in necessary and understandable.

All in all, I enjoyed this book more than I expected I would. It is interesting and entertaining. It is also quite an easy read. However, other readers may find the sex scenes a bit too much, more, in fact, than the description and profile of the supernatural creatures being featured in the book. It seems like the author focused more on the erotic part of the story than the peculiarities of the night walkers, which I believe was part of the selling point of this book. Though this is not necessarily a bad thing, it may leave some readers a, somehow, dissatisfied feeling as far as the paranormal aspect of the book is concerned.

Still, this is an enjoyable book and is worth reading.

Congratulations to Willow Salix (@willowdragoncat) on such an entertaining and enjoyable book. To know more about the author, click HERE.

Jealous of the Way He Treats Her by Can'Di

Jealous of the Way He Treats Her: A Revenge Story is an erotic urban fiction written by Can’Di.

Jasmine is deeply in love with Derrick. After a painful break-up with her ex-boyfriend Marcus, Jasmine is determined to make her relationship with Derrick work. On his part, Derrick is just as in love with Jasmine as she is with him. However, he wants more which he can get from somewhere or someone else especially if that someone else is just around.

Jasmine’s best friend Lykeysha is more than what she is in Jasmine’s eyes. She is ambitious. She knows what she wants and she has what it takes to get it, even if what she wants belongs to someone else.

Marcus lost Jasmine because of one night of indiscretion. Now that Jasmine is with someone else, all he wants is for her to be happy. He loves her more than she knew and he is willing to be anything she needs him to be, a friend, a lover, a protector. However, there is something about his life that he could not tell her.

This is an intriguing and suspenseful book about envy, jealousy, revenge, and true love. The conflict is introduced early in the story which makes it a page-turner. Though the plot is not extraordinarily unique, the twists and turns of events make the book different from other stories with the same premise. Characters are well-developed and relatable and the readers would find it easy to connect with each of them. With her twisted way of looking at things, Lykeysha is every bit the villainess. She is despicable and, somehow, pitiful in her pathetic view of her self-importance.

Admittedly, I enjoyed this book more than I expected. It is interesting and unpredictable in that it is difficult to guess what would happen next. However, other readers, especially non-native English speakers, may find the use of the vernacular language a bit difficult to follow. Moreover, scenes of sex and violence may not be suitable for young readers.

Congratulations to Can’Di on such an enjoyable book!

Accidents Happen by Sharon Karaa

Accidents Happen is a sweet romantic comedy written by Sharon Karaa.

Tabitha Brownlee is getting married in a week. On her way to pick up the rings from the jeweller, the first in her list of errands for the day, Tabitha gets into a freaky accident and ends up trading places with a soul collector. Totally clueless on how to get back to her own body, which is on its way to the hospital with somebody else’s soul in it, Tabitha is taken by the ‘light’ and comes face to face with Death.

While Death is trying to sort out the ‘mistake,’ Tabitha is expected to perform the duties of the soul collector, Mort, she trades places with under the guidance of another soul collector, the steaming hot but downright rude Cooper, a former banker who is atoning for his sins.

Hoping to return to her normal life while performing soul collecting duties, Tabitha gets the chance to evaluate her life and the decisions that she is about to make and marrying a man she is not romantically in love with is the first in the long list of issues she has to deal with.

Told in the first-person perspective of Tabitha, this is a funny, relatable, and touching book about life, death, love, friendship, and fear among others. It is a story about a person’s life’s ‘worth’ as the author masterfully brings up the very important issue about the meaning of life. Though presented in consistently casual tone through hilarious scenes of mischief and chaos, the story is actually a profound examination of life. By giving Tabitha a chance to contemplate on a loveless marriage and showing the seemingly difficult choice Cooper had to make, the book seems to present a challenge to do the honorable thing.  

The author creates delightful characters and for some reason, Mort appeals to me the most. He is painfully honest and takes everything slow and easy. Most importantly, he is proven to be far more important in the story than he first appears to be.

Needless to say, I enjoy this book immensely. However, there are some characters and scenes that I find not too important which only made the book longer than it should be.

Congratulations to Sharon Karaa (@sharonkaraa) on such a lovely book! For more books by the author, click HERE.

Fighting to Win by Nicole Flockton

Fighting to Win is the first book in the Elite Book Series created by Nicole Flockton. 

What star swimmer Mitch Osborn and World Champion diver Julia Ashland have is the real thing. Then, a scandal turns Julia’s world upside down. Not only does she need to toughen up and prove her innocence but she also needs to protect the one she loves, even if it means breaking his heart and hers in the process.  

Now, it’s the Olympic Games and Julia comes face to face with Mitch. With the scandal still not far behind her, she is torn into several pieces. A piece wants to prove her worth in the diving team, another piece wants to protect Mitch at all cost, and still another longs for him and what they had.

With the backdrop of the 2016 Summer Olympics, commonly known as Rio 2016, this is an enjoyable book about love, for sports and for another person. The author describes the extreme workout and strenuous training that athletes undergo in the name of their beloved sports. Moreover, she portrays not only the hardships they have to face and the sacrifices they have to make but also the reward that awaits the winner.

The author did a good job in presenting the story by starting with the scandal already over. It makes the book so much more interesting in that a question hangs in every meaningful word, spiteful comment and hopeful thinking. In addition to the interesting premise, the author created a set of well-developed, admirable and endearing characters. Both Julia and Mitch are tough, passionate and dedicated athletes, but while Julia is selfless, Mitch proves himself to be understanding and forgiving, qualities that not all men possess.

However, I found the plot, somehow, predictable. With no shocking and unexpected revelations, the story seems too simple and traditional, which may be a good thing for a certain set of readers. Moreover, I noticed some errors within the entire book which are thankfully very few.

Congratulations Nicole Flockton (@NicoleFlockton) on such an enjoyable book! For more books by the author, you may visit www.nicoleflockton.com     

The Witchstone by Victoria Randall

The Witchstone is a romantic dark fantasy written by Victoria Randall.

Fenrulf is an orphan turned wizard planning on exacting revenge from the town that caused him too much pain. For years, and with the help of his loyal servant, he gathers the ingredients for the most powerful spell of destruction except for the last one that belongs to an exceptionally beautiful witch, the Witchstone of Sibele.    

This is a dark, chilling and suspenseful book about power, revenge, vanity, loyalty, love and self-redemption. Though the book lacks the conversational tone of the author’s most recent books, it is still an easy read. Scenes and scenery are vividly described while the dialogues between the male and female protagonists, though traditional, sound charming and sweet.

The author created well-developed and quite relatable characters and it has been difficult for me to choose my favorite between the loyal dwarf Orog and the reclusive wizard Fenrulf. While the former is ultimately faithful and loyal to his master which is indeed an admirable quality, I found the latter’s unyielding determination laudable and his seeming indifference endearing. Finally, though I prefer a more conclusive denouement, I found the ending of the book not at all surprising.   

While the best part of the story, for me, is the depiction of self-redemption, what I like most about the book is the unpredictability. It yields that frustrating feeling one gets from failing to guess what would happen next.  

This is a great book and I enjoyed it immensely. However, I found some loose ends and unanswered questions which left a, somehow, nagging feeling.

Congratulations to Victoria Randall (@Entlover27) on such an amazing book. For more books by the author, click HERE.

Maggie Elizabeth Harrington by D.J. Swykert

Maggie Elizabeth Harrington: I Live in TwoWorlds is the first in the Maggie Elizabeth Harrington Two Book Series created by D.J. Swykert.

Maggie Elizabeth is a sweet, loving and responsible thirteen year old girl who lives in two worlds, the real world and the dream world. She lives in the real world where her mother is dead and her father hardly talks to her. She lives in her dream world where everything is exactly how she wants it to be.

In an era when children are seen not heard; when girls learn to cook, sew and do household chores; and when wives wait for their husbands at home, Maggie Elizabeth questions the norm and struggles to break free by saving a pack of wolf cubs from a bounty hunter, with the help of Tommie Stetter, the love of her young life.

Told in the point of view of a thirteen year old girl in the 1890s, this is a poignant and memorable story of a motherless girl with only her grandmother to mentor her in womanly skills. The author successfully depicts the longing and confusion of a girl whose father prefers talking to God over talking to his daughter. Moreover, the story shows how Maggie Elizabeth, deprived of her father’s love but with her own heart full of love for others turns to a pack of wolf cubs, cares for them and does everything in her power to save them. Finally, the author realistically portrays the candor, audacity and intensity of young love. Anybody who has fallen in love at a young age could relate to Maggie Elizabeth: the power of a glimpse with unspoken promises, the weight of a smile that conveys everything the heart feels, the potency of first kiss and the prick of jealousy.

For such a relatively short book, the characters are remarkably well-developed that they almost seem real and living beings.

Congratulations to D. J. Swykert (@djswykert) on such an enjoyable book. To learn more abot Maggie Elizabeth and Tommie Stetter, check out Alpha Wolves.

My 2018 Book List

I have read 135 books in 2017. As a book reviewer, most of those books are by independent authors while a few are mainstream books which I read for fun an amusement. This year, I made a short list of only 10 books to give space for other and most likely books by indie authors. If you are a book author, you may want to add your book on this list. 

1. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

2. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

3. Gone by Michael Grant

4. The Girl on the Train by Tate Taylor

5. The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom

6. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

7. The 9th Life of Louis Drax

8. The Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

9. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray 

10. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Yes. There are two classic novels on my list and yes I seriously want to read them. 

Anyways, here is the list of books I read in 2017. You may click the title for the review of a particular book. Mainstream books, however, are not reviewed, basically because I do believe they don't need it.

1. The Key by Marianne Curley

2. Now I Know It's NotMy Fault by Laurie B. Levine

3. Beyond Acts by PaulR. Finch

4. Enchant: Beauty andthe Beast Retold by Demelza Carlton

5. Striking Blind byLonna Enox

6. Sapphire Ice byHallee Bridgeman

7. The Pharaoh'sBuilders by Heather Perrywinkle Smith

8. Get on Board LittleChildren by Victoria Randall

9. Faith, Grace andCancer by Stephanie Hoff Rodrigue

10. Winter by Marissa Meyer

11. EndSanity by JerryL. West

12. Strangers in AnotherCountry by G. Taylor

13. Agony of the Gods byTom Wolosz

14. Come on Home,Children by Victoria Randall

15. Whiteland King byAdrain G. Hilder

16. Stacked Case by AndyGruse

17. The Dark Companionsby M.A, Kassel

18. Ad Majorem by TomBeattie

19. Embellised by KarenGlista

20. Brainwalker by RobynMundell and Stephen Lacast

21. Betrayal of Faith byMark M. Bello

22. Yuri and the Legendof the Seventh Sea by Denis Boytsov

23. Bad War by SummerCooper

24. The Accelerating Worldby Emmanuel Cassimatis

25. City of HiddenChildren by Victoria Randall

26. Indeath by Cornelia Funke

27. Coffee-Drunk orBlind: An Alaskan Homesteading Adventure by Elle Knowles

28. The Seer by JDStanley

29. Alpha Wolves by JDSwykert

30. Me: AnecdotalEvidence that I Existed by Dan Reed

31. Bride of the Dragonsby Selina Cofey

32. Timmy, The FlyingMouse

33. The HackerChronicles by Patrick Oster

34. Lost Time by DLOrton

35. An Arabian Night byGaron Whited

36. He is With You byYnes Paulino Accilien

37. Dead Time by DLOrton

38. The Shadows of Olympus

39. Thrown Away bySheldon Newton

40. The Mark of theBeast Revelation 13 by Ezra Celestin

41. Nightlord Sunset by Garon Whited

42. Loss of Reason byMiles A. Maxwell

43. Deep Well of Time byMichael Dorer

44. Contingent UponMagenta by C. Drying

45. For All the CarolsOut There by Karyl Maier, M. Ed.

46. Lost and Forgottenby Maurice Barkley

47. Let No One WaitOutside Your Door by Lou Kief

48 Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

49. Hell Will Rise bySkyla Murphy

50. The Apostates Book Three: Lake of Fire by Lars Teeney

51. Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer

52. Blood Moon by JohnDavid Bethel

53. Chakaura by MicheleC. St. Amour

54. The Bordello Kid byKendall Hanson

55. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

56. The Necromancer by Michael Scott

57. There Was a LittleGirl by Edith Foote Carpenter

58. Justice by ScottHughes

59. The Dramen Lore by Mukta Sharma

60. Grey Areas by BradCarl

61. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

62. Role Reversal byIris Waichler, MSW, LCSW

63. 10 Step Plan to PromoteYour Book by Scott Hughes

64. The Old Guitar andOther Stories by KS Agustin

65. Science DeepensFaith by Thomas McAvoy

66. The Golden MapleTree by Marc Remus

67. The Afterlife:Hereafter and Here at Hand by Giulia Jeary Knap

68. Aaru by David Meredith

69. Domestic Violence in Lebanon: A Depth Psychological Perspective by Maysar Sarieddine

70. Ronaldo: TheReindeer Flying Academy by Maxine Sylvester

71. The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

72. Dear Maude by DeniseLeibig

73. The Power Experimentby Stephen Dimery, B. Sc.

74. _Shift by Brain Q.Webb

75. God Without Religion: An Alternative View of Life, the Universe and Everything by Dr. Michael Arnheim

76. Bullets and Babiesby Richard Ballo

77. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

78. Kitty Hawk and theCurse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

79. Madam Tulip: AnIrish Cozy Mystery by David Ahern

80. Furthermore by Tahere Mafiti

81. Neostoicism 2.0 byRobert Woolston

82. Ronald: The PhantomCarrot Snatcher by Maxine Sylvester

83. God is a Woman byMichael Tavon

84. Living in Light, Love and Truth by Kaye Iliopoulos

85. Washed Away by NikkiDuBose

86. Harry the Happy Mouse by ngk

87. The Last Child ofLeif by Chris Pridmore

88. Men, Wars and Sex ofthe 60s by Lowell Hamilton

89. 2020 by Casey Dorman

90. Forged in Fire byFraser Scott

91. Pluto's Ghost byB.C. Chase

92. Have Amber - WillTravel by Keith Vlasak

93. We Are the Ants by Shawn David Hutchinson

94. Redemption: TheAdvent by Kimon Alexander

95. Madam Tulip and theKnave of Hearts by David Ahern

96. Holding Hope in OurHands by Kristin Skenderi

97. Origins by Dan Brown

98. Refugees by R.A.Denny

99. A Burning in theDarkness by AP McGrath

100. Hunting Nora Stoneby Colin Weldon

101. The Adventures ofFawn: 'Til the Last Snowflake Falls by Al E. Boy

102. We Won't Forget YouMr. McGillicuddy by Ira L. White

103. Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern

104. Flames of Solsgardby Luke Manly

105. Brave and FunnyMemories of WWII by Lyndon Shubert

106. Kitty Hawk and theHunt for Hemingway's Ghost by Iain Reading

107. Johnny Quantum byTom Pawlik

108. The Hands of Ruinby Dylan Lee Peters

109. Frozen MomentsRevisited by Md Taslim

110. The Divinity Bureauby Tessa Clare

111. Midnite's Journeyby Dana Silkiss

112. My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

113. The Burgas Affairby Ellis Shuman

114. Programmed to Killby David J. Murray

115. Change; Become aWinner by George P. Boulden

116. SERIAL K by BrianGallagher 

117. Myth and Punishmentby Anoop Chandola

118. Seasons Change SoCan You by Alfreta Sailor            

119. Why We Crave Loveby Olympia Walker

120. The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom

121. A World WithoutColor by Bernard Jan

122. A Life Before byJulien Ayotte

123. The Yoke by DarrellDunham

124. Woman: The FailedMale by Dr. Geraldine Sharp

125. Hatching thePhoenix Egg by Joel Horn

126. Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin

127. Prayer Plus FaithEquals Miracles by Sharon Crittenden

128. Crossing the Lineby Elle Knowles

129. Superhighway by Alex Fayman

130. ImmaculateAssumptions by Cornelia Scott Cree

131. The Seduction ofReligion by Paul Singh

132. Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

133. The Golden Helm by VictoriaRandall

134. Da-Vid by StevenLancaster

135. The Bellringer byWilliam Timothy Murray