Review: Moonsworn

Moonsworn by Amber Renard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was totally unexpected. This had a lot of elements all together, which produced a completely surprising read.

Kel is an independent, tough as nails, heir-to-be of a neighboring pack. She's traveling incognito, with the reluctant blessing of the local pack, who has been told she can't be a mate. Acting as a local vet, as well as supernatural doctor to shifters, vampires, fae, and anything else that goes bump in the night, she is suddenly dragged into a whole mess of drama when the local heir brings a wounded shifter to her door.

Tavis, the heir of a relatively troubled pack, has no choice but to wander into Kel's life when hunters ramp up their actions against the supernatural community. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way, but ultimately Kel and Tavis end up needing each other to survive this tumultuous time. OK, the mystery wasn't exactly too hard to solve, but who cares? This book was so addictive that I couldn't put it down! This story is definitely standalone (no cliffhanger) but it is definitely the introduction to this new world. I'm sold! Give me more books, please!

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Review: Prisoner of Night

Prisoner of Night by J.R. Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm so confused as to why this is a Black Dagger Brotherhood book at all. I get that these are the BDB type of vampires in that world, but...c'mon, at least give us a cameo if this is at all related. This may as well have been any other book series for all the connections there are. We haven't met this girl before, we haven't met this guy before, and there wasn't even any Shadow crossover (which would have been possible!). All of that aside, it was a good read, forcibly jammed into this existing universe.

We start with Duran, who has a sole reason for living - to kill his father to avenge his mother. While in the final planning phase, he ends up getting dragged from his cult-life to become prisoner of warlord. Fast forward about 20 years and we see Ahmare dragged into this world as well. She's determined to pay her brother's ransom, but it seems there will always be one more thing. This latest task comes with a "weapon" in the form of Duran.

These two become reluctant allies along the way, and, of course, there is a lot of romance along the way. By the end of this short read we end up resolving Duran's revenge storyline, Ahmare's storyline, getting a bonus story of a Shadow, and seeing an overall HEA. I think anyone could read this book, since there is no reason needed to be familiar with the larger world that this supposedly takes place in.

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Review: The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels

The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels by Michael D. Watkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of a future leaders program. That being said, I was pretty thoroughly sucked in immediately. There are a lot of different scenarios that can apply to a lot of different people in transition. Some quotable moments really stuck with me, so I'm sure just about anyone can find something in here that resonates. If you are in transition, this can absolutely assist.

A little side note, I did this via audiobook. Usually the transition between book and audiobook is easy, but there were a lot of tables and figures that were left out. Based on that, I had to also pay for the paper book (after listening to the audiobook). I really think that these things should have been included as a PDF or something. Minor annoyance.

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Review: Gathering Storm

Gathering Storm by Victoria Danann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am so conflicted about this one. Is it my favorite? Or is it my least favorite? There are parts that I really loved, but then out of nowhere it would turn dark. I guess it's just too much of a mixed bag to decide, so I'll go with the higher rating here.

The story starts as normally as they all do, except for a freak accident that lands Storm in another dimension with no way home. Litha is obviously pissed at her demon father, who was transporting her husband at the time. Everyone offers to help search, but at the same time, there is the little matter of Storm's daughter. She's aging rapidly and is turning out to be just as exceptional as they expected.

This wouldn't be a Knights of the Black Swan book without another storyline and this one is a resurrection of one I thought we abandoned. Remember when soldiers from another dimension were trying to kill Elora? Well, they apparently still want to do that. They have gone to extremes to find "volunteers" that can make the trip and actually make a good attempt at killing Elora. While all of this is happening, for some reason that I don't quite understand, the knights are training an accidental replacement Storm to pretend to be Storm. Again, not really sure why, especially given his rather dark introduction. At the end of all this craziness, we do get a pretty good HEA with quite a few loose ends tied up (remember Kay? and Z team?). I'm still pretty conflicted, but the ending left me satisfied.

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Review: Legacies of Love: Six Seductive Stories to Steal Your Heart

Legacies of Love: Six Seductive Stories to Steal Your Heart by Tawdra Kandle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is only for Tawdra Kandle's story in this anthology

I've read most of the Crystal Cove stories, but this story can certainly be enjoyed on its own. While you will miss the history of these characters, we focus on two new friends and their love affair.

This story was a complete love story from start to finish. We join this couple of longtime friends and new lovers at the morning after. She may be eager to run away but he is 100% all-in. To prove his point, he runs across the country to show her what true romance looks like. There's a lot to overcome, but these two are definitely stubborn enough to stick it out! This was a fabulous standalone story that had me rooting for them the entire way.

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Review: It Was Always You: A Thrill of the Heart Anthology

It Was Always You: A Thrill of the Heart Anthology by L.E. Perez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is only for the Tawdra Kandle story in this collection.

While you'll undoubtedly enjoy this short read if you've read the Anti-Cinderella story before now, you can probably still enjoy this yummy little gem either way. This is a quick start to an unlikely romance. It starts with a former journalist turned handler for a soon-to-be royal. She's still proving herself amongst the other members of staff, but is finding it particularly hard to be professional around a very aggressive american journalist. Said american journalist might, however, end up being just what she wasn't looking for. This was not an all inclusive HEA romance story, but is instead a really hopeful start. I loved this one!

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Review: Jaguar's Mate

Jaguar's Mate by Katie Reus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This quick read is part of a larger series but can absolutely be read as a standalone novella. I’m not 100% sure I remember who anyone is most of the time, especially when there are a lot of side characters flying around in these worlds, and I didn’t lose anything from this book.

Sapphire has some baggage. Having dated a few people who, upon breaking up, immediately found their mates has left her with a bit of a complex. A byproduct of this is her determination to avoid long term relationships. Eli, unfortunately, has unfortunately had to suffer for Sapphire’s misgivings. After spending some time together that he thought was heading somewhere, she snuck out in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. She even used a fake name! After finally tracking her down, he is determined to make her acknowledge the fact that they are mates.

Sapphire has a bigger issue going on other than her love life, though. Her friend has a kid who has stumbled into an abusive relationship. After a lot of discussion and finally discovering she’s pregnant, they’re ready to make a break for it. Sapphire, being the tough chick and awesome friend that she is, offers to help them escape their pack. On her way out the door, imagine her surprise when she is saddled with a partner – Eli.

These two are great fun to watch as their relationship grew. I completely enjoy a self-contained short story that has a little bit of everything. There’s action, romance, adventure, and a HEA. If any of those thing interest you, why are you waiting? Pick this novella up today!


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