Company of Strangers by Melissa McShane

A New Fantasy Series! One of my favorite authors, Melissa McShane, has started a new fantasy series. What I like about all of her books is that there is a strong female protagonist. Although this book follows the adventures of an unlikely crew of characters, we definitely see things from Sienne’s perspective. As a fledgling wizard who has left her nobility status behind to become a scrapper, Sienne joins a four others in an exquisitely written fantasy quest adventure. What did I think? I love […]

December 11, 2018 | 0 Comments

Promises and Primroses by Josi S. Kilpack

Heartbreak, Resentment, Forgiveness, and Redemption I know I say this every time I review a Josi S. Kilpack book, but I love her stories. They are so character-driven, and include themes that speak to all ages and time periods. Promises and Primroses is the start of the Mayfield Family series. Years ago, Elliott inherited the family estate. Ashamed of the behaviors of his family members, he made it his mission to improve both the estate and the members of the family—breaking a heart in the […]

September 5, 2018 | 0 Comments

The Waiting Room by Emily Bleeker

I love Emily Bleeker! I have all of her books. And even though I got a copy of The Waiting Room in return for a review, as soon as I finished reading it I pre-ordered it for my permanent library. This is one of those twisty-turny psychological suspense type stories that happens inside the head of Veronica Shelton. Her husband is dead, her daughter is missing, and weird stuff keeps happening. I spent a good portion of this book trying to determine if she was […]

August 22, 2018 | 0 Comments

The Kitty Committee by Kathryn Berla

Dark & Twisty Amazon needs to add a new genre category: dark and twisty. I generally like twisty. I love it when I can’t figure things out until the very end. Dark, I have a love/hate relationship, depending on what exactly makes it dark. Told in first person, Grace goes back and forth between memories of “something” that happened during her high school years to the results of that event that follow her to college and beyond. Sometimes when a story does that, it becomes […]

August 1, 2018 | 0 Comments

Review + Giveaway: Veins of Gold by Charlie N. Holmberg

A Mixed-Genre Novel Veins of Gold doesn’t fit neatly into one unique genre. It’s set in Utah during the Gold Rush Era (1848–1855). The details are clear enough that it could be labeled a Historical novel, or even an alternate history. As such, the reader gets a great look into what that time and place was like—the mountains, the desert, small Utah town, and even a peek at Mormon culture (but there is no preaching in this book). It also contains magic—a mix of earth […]

July 16, 2018 | 0 Comments

Miss Wilton’s Waltz by Josi S. Kilpack

So Much More Than Two People Falling in Love! I’ve followed Josi Kilpack through her Women’s Fiction, her Cozy Mysteries (I miss Sadie), and even though I’m not a huge Historical Romance fan, her writing compels me to read those as well. I am never disappointed. Josi’s romances have so much more to them than two people falling in love. There is always something of depth to them—a social issue or personal trial that must be overcome—and her characters are very relatable. Miss Wilton’s Waltz is […]

April 12, 2018 | 1 Comment

The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King

This is book three in a series, and unfortunately, I have not reviewed the first two books. But here is a quick summary of the first two. If you don’t care about this, skip down to the section titled “Great Characters, Great Plot!” [br] The Hundredth Queen (#1): As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood in the ancient Tarachand Empire, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s […]

February 14, 2018 | 0 Comments

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale

Ridiculously, Hilariously Awesome! I am not familiar with the Marvel universe, but if Squirrel Girl isn’t a recognized superhero, she should be! Doreen is 14 years old, and was born with a tail. She and her parents have recently moved, and Doreen just wants to make some friends. There are three cliques in her school and none of them really want her to join them: the Skunk Club (juvenile delinquents), Somebodies (the popular girls), and LARPers (Live action role players). Fortunately, Doreen makes friends with […]

January 25, 2018 | 0 Comments

Cover Reveal: Veins of Gold by Charlie N. Holmberg

I love this cover! I don’t usually do cover reveals, but I make exceptions for my favorite authors. I have read everything Charlie N. Holmberg has published. Of course there are some books I liked more than others, but I’ve liked all of them enough that she’s one of my pre-order authors. I see a new book by her… one-click. I don’t even read the description. She wrote it, I want it. Boom! This one isn’t coming out until July of this year, but I’ve […]

January 16, 2018 | 0 Comments

Potion Masters: The Eternity Elixir by Frank L. Cole

Good Enough to Fight Over! I won a copy of THE ETERNITY ELIXIR in a Facebook Giveaway. Which is awesome because I follow a lot of authors and I try to win books all the time, but I rarely do. The book just happened to arrive in the mail on a day I was tending two grandsons—one is 10 and the exact target audience. Here’s a photo of the two of them fighting over who gets to read it first. When the 6 year old […]

January 8, 2018 | 0 Comments

Mind Games by Stephanie Black

A Twisty-Turner Psychological Thriller MIND GAMES is book 2 in a new series featuring psychologist Natalie Marsh. The first book is NOT A WORD, which I haven’t reviewed here, but which was great. We’re introduced to Natalie and her personal story in that book. You don’t have to read that one to enjoy MIND GAMES, but it helps you to understand some of Natalie’s motivations and reactions. In MIND GAMES, Natalie is once again swept up in a mystery, where it soon becomes apparent that […]

October 12, 2017 | 0 Comments

The Wrong Side of Magic by Janette Rallison

I am a HUGE fan of Janette Rallison! I love Janette Rallison as an author. I have loved every book that she’s written. So when I was contacted about doing a review for the release of The Wrong Side of Magic, of course I said YES! But. Then my day job went nuts and I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, which makes me sad. So instead of a review, I’m going to post a short excerpt from the book. And also tell […]

November 17, 2016 | 0 Comments

Reading Challenge: Summer Book Trek 2016

The Summer Book Trek is a fun reading challenge. I participate every year. It’s so fun. I love reading the reviews by other readers. It helps me find good books to read throughout the rest of the year. This reading challenge is really easy. You pick as many or as few books as you like—then enter to win lots of prizes. The only caveat is—the books must be novels by LDS authors. Just hop on over and enter at NewLDSFiction.com. Even though I can’t win […]

June 26, 2016 | 0 Comments

Between the Lines by Annette Lyon

Sweet 1920s Romance Novella Set in 1926, extremely shy Jane Martin is a member of the local Aid and Cultural Society. As part of a cultural exchange, the group decides to write to members of a similar society in Canada, becoming “letter friends” (or as we would call it, pen pals). When they are short a few names, Thomas (a member of Jane’s group) agrees to secretly become Jane’s letter friend—creating a new identity to spare her feelings. As the weeks go by, Jane shares […]

June 15, 2016 | 0 Comments

Parrish by Shannen Crane Camp

A Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance Mystery Story! I loved every bit of this story about this ghost-hunting foursome. Parrish, Sadie, Brighton, and Deacon are awesome in their quirky uniqueness. Seriously, these are characters that I loved hanging out with, even if they weren’t doing anything but sitting around shooting the breeze. (Although, they do plenty.) There’s quite a bit of genre-mixing in this story, which for me just added to the enjoyment. First, this is a supernatural story because GHOSTS! And there are plenty […]

April 28, 2016 | 0 Comments