Night Prey

About the Book:

Night Prey: (Nighthawk Security Book 6) by [Susan Sleeman]

Title: Night Prey
Series: Nighthawk Security #6
Author: Susan Sleeman
Publisher: Edge of Your Seat Books, Inc
Release Date: October 15th, 2021
Genre: Suspense

She lived for upholding the law…
Defense attorney, Malone Rice, doesn’t want to go to her fifteen year class reunion. Attending means running into her former high school flame, now Portland police detective, Ian Blair. But when the committee decides to honor her for her pro-bono work with homeless teens, she knows it would be churlish not to attend. She will have to go and make the best of it.

But now the law won’t save her.
As expected, Ian attends the reunion, but what Malone doesn’t expect—could never expect—is that Ian would find her standing over their classmate’s dead body. Or that she would still have feelings for the once bad-boy of their high school. Ian’s struggling too, between arresting Malone for murder and his age-old attraction to her. He walks a tightrope, until evidence surfaces that the real killer’s still out there, and Malone becomes his prey. Can Ian overcome his feelings to focus and uncover the truth before the killer strikes again and Malone ends up dead?

Book Review:

Oh my goodness! We’ve reached the end of the Nighthawk series. All the Bryd brothers are happily in love, and now, Malone gets her own book! Malone is Sierra Byrd’s sister-in-law, but the Bryd and Veritas family have basically adopted her. Poor Malone and Ian had a lot to work through, but I loved watching them come together.

When an old classmate tells Malone her parent’s death wasn’t an accident, she has to find out what he knows. But she could have never expected being a witness to a murder. Police detective, Ian Blair, has had a crush on Malone since high school, but he’s not going to let his feelings get in the way of doing his job. When he finds Malone standing over a dead body, he’s forced to arrest her. But when the murderer comes for Malone, they’ll have to work together to find the real story among all the lies.

Wow! This was an exciting book with a lot of twists that I was not expecting. I kept thinking I knew who the villain was, but then someone else would pop into the scene. I was really happy that Malone and Ian worked together though. I think because I know the main characters aren’t evil it’s always a bit frustrating to me when the protagonists doubt each other. So I was very pleased that Malone and Ian didn’t have all that drama.

Malone’s character was so interesting to me! She was living in the past in a lot of ways, and she had to learn how to move on. She wasn’t willing to accept God’s plan for her life, but He was faithful even though she was a little bit bitter. One content warning is that Malone was assaulted by one of her classmate’s in high school. She never told anyone, and she doesn’t tell an authority or her brothers in the book.

Ian was such a sweet guy! He had saved Malone from rape when they were in high school, and he was still determined to protect her. He loved Malone, but he didn’t believe that he could be a good husband or father. His parents were not great, and he was worried he was going to turn into them. I felt like his growth was really realistic. It was slow because he had believed this lie his whole life, and it was hard to accept anything else.

This book was such a rollercoaster! The plot was fascinating, but there were some loose ends that I would have loved to get resolved. It was a clean read in the romance section, but like I said before, there was an attempted rape that was still negatively impacting Malone, but it was not described with a lot of detail. And there are mentions of sexual assault, and the characters witness murders. But again Ms. Sleeman does not give a lot of details which I appreciate. I had a bit of trouble staying into the story, but overall, it was still really interesting. I would recommend this to anyone who loves suspense books and has fallen in love with the Bryd brothers!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Night Moves

About the Book:

Night Moves: (Nighthawk Security Book 4) by [Susan Sleeman]

Title: Night Moves
Series: Nighthawk Security #4
Author: Susan Sleeman
Release Date: June 18th, 2021
Genre: Christian Suspense

If you’re in his sights…

County social worker, Natalie Dunn discovers a horrible secret about the father of her juvenile clients. The man not only killed one woman, but Natalie suspects he’s killed several others. She plans to go to the authorities, but before she can, the killer turns his sights on her. Fearing for the lives of this man’s children, she removes them from their home and calls in former U.S. Marshal, Drake Byrd of Nighthawk Security to protect her and the children and help her prove their father is a ruthless killer

You’re as good as dead.

As they investigate, Drake learns the father is a former elite sniper and assassin, and he has done a professional job of hiding any evidence of his wrong doing. Drake vows to protect Natalie and the three children—all of whom he has come to care for—putting everything on the line for them. When bullets start flying, can he save them all from a certain death?

Book Review:

Night Moves is the fourth book in the Nighthawk series by Susan Sleeman, and at least for me, the one with the most surprises! The Nighthawk series is about the five Bryd brothers, and the last one features their sister in law. They are all either former military or with police background, and they formed a protection and investigation agency. This book is about the fourth brother, Drake. I loved getting to see a bit of his softer side in this book. It was soo cute!

Natalie Dunn, a county social worker, had her suspicions about her newest case, the Gentry family. But she’s horrified to learn that the father of her clients is a serial killer who’s killed multiple women. She goes to her friend Malone Reed for help, and Malone points her to Nighthawk Security. Drake Bryd, a former U.S. Marshal, is determined to help this brave and beautiful woman. But will he be able to not only protect Natalie but also the three children in their care.

Natalie was such an interesting character to me. She had a lot of family issues in her past, and it pushed her to help these kids who were like her. She was adorable with the Gentry kids, and they simply loved her. But she still didn’t let anyone get too close. She was trying so hard to keep all these walls around her, but the whole Byrd family wore her down especially Drake. I loved seeing the sweet side of Drake in this book!

In the other books, he has the role of the bad guy in the family. He said all of the things that no one else is willing to say. So it was cute to see how soft he was with Natalie. She helped him see how trying to get an adrenaline rush wasn’t the only way to truly live. Instead, it was through quiet moments that were packed with meaning, and the Gentry kids had a huge role in helping him see this. It was funny and sweet to see how awkward Drake was with them. He had no experience with kids, but they quickly wormed their way into his heart. And he’s going to need every skill and resource he has to protect them.

As usual I had no idea where this story was going! Though I was writing this review, I was trying to convince myself that I did in fact see the twists coming(but I totally did not). Of course there were the main twists in the suspense side of the story, but I definitely wasn’t expecting a lot of the other surprises. I try very hard not to do any spoilers, so you will need to read this wonderful book to find out what I’m talking about! I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves clean suspense novels.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

Poisoned Heart

About the Book:

Poisoned Heart: A Retelling of Snow White (The Emerald Realm Book 1) by [Abigail Manning]

Title: Poisoned Heart
Series: The Emerald Realm
Author: Abigail Manning
Release Date: November, 5th, 2021
Genre: Fairytale Retelling

Princess Arabella is truly the fairest in all the land, and she knows it. With her pretty face, elaborate ball gowns, and glorious castle, she truly lives the perfect royal life. That is, until she is forced out of her home by a mysterious assassin.
With only the clothes on her back and the tiara on her head, Arabella flees from her castle in the dead of winter. As a last resort for shelter, Arabella takes up work in a laundry mill with seven other women. The once adored princess is now subjected to sleeping in piles of dirty laundry, but at least she is hidden. Well, she hopes so…
In the midst of her deadly game of hide-and-seek, she discovers that her kingdom is endangered by her absence. With the help of a dashing captain, a quirky noble, and her seven new companions, she must protect both her life and her kingdom. Will Arabella learn what true beauty is as she navigates her new life as a nameless commoner? While evil builds and secrets unfold, there may be more than her heart that’s poisoned.

Book Review:

A fairytale retelling of Snow White, Poisoned Heart is the first in a series of retellings. Arabella, princess of Isalla, knows that she is beautiful and privileged. In fact, her father would always brag about her to anyone. But with his death, she is left with her mother, who she had never connected with. The arrival of a neighboring king and his son sets into motion changes for her kingdom and the rest of her life. She finds herself being hunted by a mysterious assassin and seeks shelter amongst a group of women working at a laundry mill. Suddenly forced to work and sleep amongst dirty laundry, she hopes that she is at least safe. However, when her kingdom is endangered, she must join forces with a dashing captain, a quirky noble, and her seven new companions to protect it

Will Arabella discover true beauty and the hidden secrets embedded within her land?

This is a new-to-me author who we connected with through Instagram. I love fairytale retellings and this one was really fun! Arabella definitely grew over this story. In the beginning, she was a bit spoiled and selfish, but it was very sweet to see her grow over the story. I appreciated how influential the people around her were in her growth. It is much easier to understand and be compassionate when you truly see what others are going through and connect to them. It was so sweet to read about how she built friendships with the other ladies at the laundry mill. Hazel in particular was such a sweetheart!

I also enjoyed how Arabella grew as she interacted with Aurelia and Peter. Aurelia was so fun and I loved her passion. She really sought to use her privilege for helping others. Hopefully, we get to see more of her story! Peter was also so swoony! He was kind and supportive, while being competent and strong.

There were points where I felt like things moved a bit quickly in the story, like with Arabella’s character development, but overall it was an engaging and interesting story. There were definitely some surprises in there too! This is the first in a series, so there were some hanging strings that I am sure will be picked up further along in the series. I am excited to read more! This is a clean fairytale retelling that I would recommend to teens and up. There are some mentions of death and assassins, but nothing darker than the original fairytale.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

The Queen’s Crown

About the Book:

The Queen's Crown: Magiford Supernatural City (Court of Midnight and Deception Book 3) by [K. M. Shea]

Title: The Queen’s Crown
Series: Court of Midnight and Deception
Author: K M Shea
Release Date: January 15th, 2021
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Since the day I was crowned Queen of the Night Court, someone has been trying to kill me. Yay, me!
Finding my would-be-killer has been last on my to do list for a long time—which should tell you what a dumpster fire my life has been. But I can’t ignore it anymore. Whoever is plotting against me is getting serious. If I don’t do something soon I might not survive their next attempt.
Normally, I’d count on Rigel—my consort, who also happens to be a deadly fae assassin—to have my back. But he’s been gone for two months, and when he finally returns he won’t say where he’s been. Great, that’s totally not sketchy.
To make matters worse, I love Rigel—and he doesn’t believe me when I tell him! How’s that for romance?
New to do list: catch my would-be killer and convince my own husband I love him. All in a day’s work for the Night Queen.
I knew I should have demanded a job description before I took on this queen gig…
Crown of Shadows is the final book in the Court of Midnight and Deception urban fantasy trilogy and is part of the Magiford Supernatural City world. It features fae, werewolves, vampires, and wizards. It’s packed with humor, adventure, and a sweet, slow burn romance between a reluctant fae queen and the assassin who tried to kill her.

Book Review:

After three months, all of the Leila books are finally out! I am incredibly grateful that Ms. Shea worked so hard to put all these books out in three months. They were completely amazing, and the ending was even better than I expected. And of course there were tons of plot twists I never saw coming. One in particular totally shocked me!

Leila’s life pretty much sucks. Someone is trying to kill her and they’re getting more and more serious. Normally, she would rely on her husband, Rigel. But he’s been gone for two weeks. And when Leila told him she loved him, he didn’t believe her. So now she has to figure out how to catch her killer and convince her husband she loves him. Just another day in the life of the Night Queen.

This book was completely amazing! I’m going to gush about Leila and Rigel in a second, but we need to talk about the other characters first. We got to see how much Leila had touched everyone, especially Chase and Chrys. And may I just say I totally ship them!! They were completely adorable. And of course Skye and Indigo were awesome per usual, and there are some hilarious scenes with Skye and Dione. But Leila’s circle is still missing two people: Rigel and Linus.

We were left on a major cliffhanger for Linus and Leila’s relationship, and while it takes awhile, it does get resolved. And for all you Linus fans it’s also clear he’s not as idiotic as he seems. Thankfully, Rigel comes back too, but he doesn’t understand that Leila loves him. Even though it takes them a while, they are adorable together. I love how Leila brings out the fun side of Rigel, and Rigel is the only one who Leila can break down to. They’re soooo cute!

Unfortunately, they don’t have a ton of time to figure their relationship out because of the killer. And let me just say you will not believe who it is! It was crazy, but at the same time, once I found out, I could see all the clues. But one thing I love about the K.M. Shea books is that they lack stress. I can actually enjoy reading her books instead of being worried all the time. The last thing I will say is try this series, and any of the K.M. Shea series because they are amazing!!

An Unexpected Love Story

Book Review:

An Unexpected Love Story: A sweet, heartwarming & uplifting romantic comedy (Falling into Happily Ever After Rom Com) by [Ellie Hall]

Title: An Unexpected Love Story
Series: Falling Into Happily Ever After Rom Com #1
Author: Ellie Hall
Release Date: January 15th, 2021
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Catherine + Kellan = forNEVER, or so I thought.

Let’s not talk about how I was let go from my job and had to take a position as coffee-girl at a publicity firm. We definitely won’t discuss their newest client and how he was the former love of my life. However, it’s fair to mention that Kellan Connelly is now my fiercest adversary.

I’ve spent the last decade playing it safe with book boyfriends—avoiding frustratingly attractive and three-dimensional guys like him.

When my roommate finds the Boyfriend Book, a silly relic leftover from my teens, it prompts a dare; go on five dates and pick one to be my Valentine. I can’t say no, especially if it means proving to myself and Kellan that I’ve moved on.

Despite braving the dating jungle, none of the guys comes close to being my one true love. Except Kellan. He’s infuriating, confusing, catnip…and it turns out he has a secret.

With a love letter and a plane ticket in hand, can I leave my baggage behind and decide between love, hate, and the lies I told to protect my fragile heart?

Book Review:

*Sigh* I love rom coms! I think they’re my favorite genre because they combine two of my favorite things: humor and adorable, swoonworthy romances. Ellie Hall’s An Unexpected Love Story is a perfect example of this! It features a second chance romance with sweet side characters and lots of hilarious dialogue and inner thoughts.

Catherine doesn’t think her life could get anything worse. She’s already been fired from her dream job, and she’s had more book boyfriends than real ones. But life just laughed in her face because that’s when Kellan walks back into her life. Catherine hates Kellan Connelly, and she’s not about to forgive him now. So when her roommate dares her to date five guys and pick one to be her Valentine, she reluctantly agrees. This way she can prove to herself and Kellan that she’s completely over him. But what happens when none of the guys come close to being her true love except Kellan.

As a fellow book lover, I understand some of Catherine’s obsession! I loved the scene where she was just going to read for a little bit, and then stayed up way too late and overslept. I could definitely relate to that feeling. I also felt for her as she finally dealt with some unresolved issues in her life. A lot of times in these types of books, I can get so frustrated at the characters because the answer is incredibly obvious. But in An Unexpected Love Story, I could actually feel and understand the hurt on both sides.

Catherine and Kellan were connected because he was her best friend, Claire’s brother. When they were in high school, Claire died in a car accident. Catherine and Claire weren’t speaking at the time of the accident, so Catherine has a ton of guilt over it. There’s a lot more to the story, but you have to read the book to find out the rest. Let’s just say Kellan made a lot of mistakes. But I felt like they were all realistic mistakes especially because his sister had just died.

Throughout the book, Kellan is adorable as he tries to earn Claire’s forgiveness and trust back. One thing that I thought was super cute was how he didn’t just want to “win” her, but he wanted what was best for her. He saw how the anger and guilt was ruining her life, and he wanted her to be free of that. Also, it was soo cute that he was the only one who called her Cat and Catnip. I thought that was adorable!

Kellan and Catherine had a long road towards their HEA, but it was sweet to watch them fall in love again. They had a lot of help from Catherine’s roommate, Hazel who has her own book too! It looks like a fun one with their neighbor, Maxwell. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes rom coms and is looking for a fun pick me up!

It’s Just Business

About the Book:

It's Just Business: A Romantic Comedy (The Wedding Business Series) by [Summer Dowell]

Title: It’s Just Business
Series: The Wedding Business Series #2
Author: Summer Dowell
Release Date: March 25th, 2021
Genre: Rom-Com

Growing up, Haley Lane’s mom had more boyfriends than flowers have petals. A fact that has given Haley zero hope for love. It doesn’t exist. But when a charming man with an annoyingly perfect smile and a habit of volunteering keeps running into her, she wonders if she was wrong all along.

That is until she realizes he’s the one that stole her flower shop.

Austin Ryder is one of the good guys, and as they say, ‘Nice guys finish last.’ But he’s determined to finally finish first, even if it injures a beautiful stranger. Good thing he’ll never see her again. Right?

Will Haley let things go and accept her feelings for Owen? Or will revenge be her only solution? In the end, it’s all just business, isn’t it?

Book Review:

With all the craziness going on in the world, I needed a little pick me up, and that is exactly what It’s Just Business is. It’s the second book in Summer Dowell’s, The Wedding Business series. I really enjoyed this book! It was a sweet lighthearted comedy that also had a lot of heart and some depth to it.

As I said before, this is the second book in The Wedding Business series, and I would recommend reading the first one before this. But, it’s not necessary. Hope, Avery, and Hayley, our main character, are all in the wedding business and close friends. Hayley is a florist, Hope is a cake designer, and Avery is a wedding planner. However, what Hayley really wants to do is open her own flower shop, and she’s on track to do that. Until Austin comes in and steals her shop away from her, so she decides to do some not so harmless revenge. But she starts to wonder whether she’s wrong especially when it gets harder and harder to fight the attraction or maybe even love for Austin.

Like I said before this was such a cute book! Hayley is definitely way overdramatic, but I can sympathize with a fellow drama queen. I loved seeing her passion in everything she does, but it definitely got out of hand in quite a few moments. She was so fun though, and how she made everything into a spy mission was hilarious. And even though a lot of tactics were juvenile, I could understand where she was coming from. Her mom had scarred her quite a bit, and it made Austin’s betrayal hurt even more.

I also adored her relationship with her sisters and friends. I felt like in Hope’s book you didn’t really get to see Hope, Avery, and Hayley’s interactions, and I loved that addition in this one! They are so supportive of each other, and while I don’t agree with everything they did, I really liked how they stood by Hayley. Additionally, Erin was amazing too! I have two sisters, so I really like getting to see sister relationships especially ones that aren’t strained or awkward. It was very refreshing to see a healthy, loving, funny sibling relationship.

I liked Austin, but there were a lot of times when I just wanted him to man up and tell her the truth. He had a good heart, but he was so focused on pleasing people that it was hard for him to do the right thing. But he and Hayley were cute together especially when they were volunteering with the kids. And Austin did try and reconcile, so that was a pretty big deal in my book. It’s Just Business is super clean, and it’s a wonderful, hilarious book that I would definitely recommend!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

The Friend Act

About the Book:

The Friend Act: An Austen-Inspired Romantic Comedy (Backstage Romance Book 4) by [Gigi Blume]

Title: The Friend Act
Series: Backstage Romance #4
Author: Gigi Blume
Release Date: August 30th, 2021
Genre: Closed-Door Rom-Com

Best friends don’t kiss. But under the stage lights, all bets are off.

When it comes to Edmund Bertram I’ll take what I can get.

Yes, THE Edmund Bertram. YouTube star and all-around popular guy, Edmund Bertram.

He also happens to be my childhood BFF.

Can I convince him the love I declare for him on stage is real, or will he think it’s all a song and dance?

Book Review:

The Friend Act is light-hearted, Mansfield Park-inspired story in the Backstage Romance series of Austen inspired rom-coms. This is a new-to-me author and honestly, I don’t usually go for a book in a series that I haven’t read the previous ones of, but I do love Austen retellings. With its musical theater setting and Lantinex spin, it has so many fun elements!

Francesca is in love with her best friend, Edmund Bertram, who happens to be YouTube famous. Will she be able to declare her love, not only onstage but for real? Coming in, I actually have not read Mansfield Park, but I have read a few other retellings and know the jist of the story. I think that the friends-to-more trope is so cute! I liked the relationship Francesca and Edmund had, though the mutual pining was at times a little frustrating. It was fun to see the character arcs, especially as Franscesca grows into herself more. I thought that it being set in a musical theater was really cool too! Having them work with the additional element of acting through a show gave both cute moments and points of conflict. I thought that Fransecsa’s family was also really fun, and I really enjoyed reading about them!

This was a bit more PG-13 than most of the books I have read. There are definitely innuendos, a few more crude jokes, and some more risque situations than in the books we normally read. If you are okay with that and enjoy romcoms, this is for you! There is banter, funny characters, a super fun setting, and an Austen-inspiration!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

Knight from the Ashes

About the Book:

Knight from the Ashes (Crown and Crest Book 1) by [Shari L. Tapscott, Jake Andrews]

Title: Knight from the Ashes
Series: Crown and Crest #1
Author: Shari L Tapscott, Jake Andrews
Release Date: July 23rd, 2021
Genre: Fantasy

With single-minded determination, Henrik has worked toward gaining his knighthood so he may rise above the lowly station in which he was born. But just when the coveted position is within his grasp, he’s tasked with a mission that proves to be far more difficult than expected—secretly keeping a watchful eye on Lady Clover, a nobleman’s daughter with a sharp tongue and a knack for starting fights.

Clover, too, has one goal in life, and it has nothing to do with joining dull and dry Henrik on his supply run to the northern guard post. Why the blacksmith’s son is so determined to keep her close, she has no idea. They bicker and fight, and if Clover were to find a troll pit, she would certainly dump Henrik into it.

By the time they reach their destination, they are more than ready to be rid of each other. Unfortunately, something is amiss in the northern mountains. The usually quiet aynauths are on the move, with a bloodthirsty agenda of killing the peaceful Woodmoor elves.

Putting their differences aside to work together, Henrik and Clover trek across the mountains to investigate. As they slowly unravel the mystery, uncovering clues that hint at a conspiracy against the crown, it quickly becomes apparent that what started as mutual distaste has morphed into something entirely different. Something dangerous, something they didn’t expect.

But neither Henrik nor Clover has room in their lives for love—especially when a sinister plot is already in the works that might not only tear them apart, but the entire kingdom as well…

Book Review:

I haven’t read a lot of Ms. Tapscott’s fairytale series, but I was very excited to read this one! She co-wrote it with her husband, and it is full of elves, knights, and magic. There were so many complex characters, and I’m excited to see them grow. I had some trouble understanding them, but hopefully, the rest of the series will clear things up. The story was really interesting, and I’m sensing some set up for the rest of the series.

All Henrik wants to do is gain his seal and become a knight. It’s the only way to finally be a part of the nobility. But when he’s forced to look out for the exasperating lady in waiting, Clover, he begins to wonder if it’s actually worth it. Clover drives him insane both with her tendency to pick fights and the fact that she’s stunningly beautiful. All Clover wants to do is be out of Princess Camellia’s thumb. She has no time for dull and dry Henrik, and she has no idea why he’s keeping her so close. But when strange and dark things start to happen during their supply run, they will have to work together to save their kingdom. If they can keep from killing each other first.

Henrik was a very complex character. He was a blacksmith’s son, and he wanted to rise above that. He was very noble, but he could be uncaring at times. I loved his relationship with his squire. He was incredibly kind to him even though he was frustrated with him most of the time too. I didn’t really like how he treated the princess though. He didn’t seem to understand how it was wrong to marry her if he didn’t love her. But it was a different time, and love had never been a part of his life. That’s why it was so hard for him when he started to have feelings for Clover. I loved how Clover pulled the fun side out of him, and it was cute how they joked around a little with each other. It always felt believable though for his more reserved personality.

I had a harder time understanding Clover’s character because she seemed quite selfish at times. She and Camellia did not get along, so she was understandably upset with her. But she didn’t seem to care about anything other than gaining control over Camellia. I think her character will develop as time goes on though because this is only the first book. Her spunk was a lot of fun, and she definitely had a lot of courage in her. I’m intrigued and interested to see how the authors will grow her.

The storyline was fascinating in this, and I loved how you could see the history of the land. I’m really excited to see more of these different races. The authors have done a fantastic job of creating a gorgeous fantasy world that also felt real. All the characters were believable, and some of the side characters were so fun! I’m interested to see how the different politics will play out, and I hope we will get to see more than the human’s perspective. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic fantasy, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series holds!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

A Royal Christmas for the Marine

About the Book:

A Royal Christmas for the Marine: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (First Comes Love Book 4) by [Jess Mastorakos] — 4

Title: A Royal Christmas for the Marine
Series: First Comes Love #4
Author: Jess Mastorakos
Release Date: December 15, 2021
Genre: Rom-Com

Surprise! I’m a prince.

As the heir to the throne of a small country, I was shocked when my younger sister decided to leave her royal life behind and move to America. Like any good big brother would, I started digging to see what she was up to.

Somewhere along the way, I found myself chatting with the woman of my dreams on a new dating app. She’s smart. She’s funny. And she’s about to get out of the Marines after serving for eight years.

The only problem is, she doesn’t know I’m a prince.

Now I’ve come to America to tell her, under the guise of visiting my sister for the holidays. Hopefully she doesn’t freak out.

Book Review:

I have been waiting for this book and it did not disappoint! A Royal Christmas for the Marine was such a fun Christmas romance. It is the fourth book in Jess Mastorakos’ rom-com series, First Comes Love series. It was a lovely sweet romance.

Maya and Theo were wonderful to read about. Maya was a Marine who was trying to figure out what to do with her life. She was trying to learn more about herself and be a person that could help others. Maya was so much fun to read about. I loved how she spoke her mind and didn’t shy away from hard things. But she could also be vulnerable and she was looking for a place to call her own. Maya had to figure out if she what she was willing to sacrifice to be with Theo

Theo was a prince but he was so much more than that. I liked how he understood that he was a prince but he was also trying to find the balance of being himself. He loved his people and he wanted to serve them well but he also was learning about himself. I adored his relationship with Zara and his assistant. Theo was so sweet and it was cute how he was able to be himself around Maya. However, Theo had to learn what it meant to love Maya and have her in his life.

I always love finding new royalty romance books to read and this one was a hit. The characters were so fun and I really enjoyed their banter. Theo was a great prince, and I loved how he communicated with Maya. Maya was a force to be reckoned with, I loved her fierceness and her fearlessness. Maya and Theo had a connection, their romance felt real and not rushed. I really like the way Mastorakos wrote about their relationship.

The side characters were a lot of fun and they really added to the book. One of my favorite things about this book was the conversations. The characters’ banter did not feel stilted, but instead full of life. I felt as if I was getting to know the characters as I read.The book was really interesting and I did not want to put it down. It didn’t feel slow or boring. The characters were facing everyday life and yet I was intrigued about how everything was going to turn out.

I loved this book! A Royal Christmas for the Marine is a must read, I think it may be my favorite from this series. I read it in one day, it was that good. A Royal Christmas for the Marine is a clean royalty romantic comedy.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

The Wolf Gate

About the Book:

The Wolf Gate: A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (Faerie Tale Romances) by [Hanna Sandvig]

Title: The Wolf Gate
Series: Faerie Tale Romances #2
Author: Hanna Sandvig
Release Date: January 13th, 2021
Genre: Fairytale Retelling

My…what big teeth you have…

Have you ever wondered if something was up with your boyfriend? Distant. Moody. Never texts you back. Turns into a wolf at nightfall?

No, just me?

When a wolf chased me through a faerie portal in the forest, the last person I expected to see on the other side was my ex-boyfriend Gavin. Turns out, he’s a fae, and everything I thought I knew about him was a lie. Now we’re on the run from his Alpha, the minion of the Unseelie Queen, through the mountains and forests of Faerie.

But our deadly pursuers may be the least of my worries.

Because the longer I stay in Faerie with Gavin, the harder it is to remember why I’m so mad. I can feel my defenses crumbling, but how can I give him another chance when he’s proven he can break my heart? Am I strong enough to discover if this is true love? And will I survive long enough to find out?

Book Review:

This is my first book by Hanna Sandvig, and I absolutely loved it. The Wolf Gate is the first book in the The Faerie Tale Romances. It is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, and it was so fun to read a book based on this fairy tale because there is not a lot. It’s set mainly in a world called Faerie, and there is a ton of cool stuff about this world on Ms. Sandvig’s website that I would definitely recommend. She’s done a great job of creating a colorful and interesting universe.

The Wolf Gate is about Audrey who gets chased through a portal into the world of Faerie by a wolf who turns out to be her ex-boyfriend, Gavin. Audrey learns that Gavin is fae, and the minion of the Unseelie Queen. But, the pair have bigger problems than their problematic history. Gavin’s alpha is trying to kill them, and Audrey will have to learn whether or not she’s willing to trust Gavin with not only her life but her heart again.

Audrey is hilarious! She has so much spunk, and I loved seeing all of her comments in her head. I mean who wouldn’t be upset if they found out their only hope of survival was their ex boyfriend who they hated or tried too. It was also nice to see the world through her eyes because you were able to get a glimpse of Faerie, and the creatures who live in it. She and Gavin were super cute, and I liked being able to see their backstory. The book does go back and forth from the present to the past when they were dating which I definitely appreciated. I would have liked to see a little bit more detail into why they liked each other, but it was still an adorable love story. They also had someone trying to kill them, so it put a bit of a damper on the whole romance thing.

I think that the storyline progressed well, and I loved all the subtle fairy tale nods that you got to see. I don’t read a lot of novellas, so it felt a bit fast for me, but I do realize that it is a novella. I just wanted more! And luckily for me, Ms. Sandvig has written two more novellas in this series. While it was stand-alone, she was setting up for more books and I cannot wait to read them! Especially the Beauty and the Beast one. I would definitely recommend this book, and I think that it’s suitable for teens. It was clean, but I would advise it to thirteen and up.