At the end there was you: a novella by Wendy Heiss

About the Book

The world will end in seven days.

Winter is a Priestess, her life is simple and uncomplicated, but shortly takes a turn when she is appointed as an aide for a Mage who intends to stop the God of Death from spreading a plague that would end their world. Both of them begin searching the Urvalis library for answers and find more than they had bargained for.

And as the end approaches, the questions begin vaguing.

Review

One word to describe this book is haunting. I think that word completely describes the vibe of this story. The world is set to end in seven days, and the writing feels that the end is near. I found that aspect of the story one of the strongest points. Everything else I struggled with. 

There is rarely world-building in this story. As interesting as the concept is, I would have preferred if the author spent more time explaining the world and how everything works. I had a lot of questions that were left unanswered. As for the characters, Winter and Azrael, unfortunately, I found them to be simply fine until the latter half of the book. Then, I really learned to appreciate them. 

Final Thoughts

At the end there was you had writing that set the mood for the story that was being told. Unfortunately, often the story itself felt short and underdeveloped. At the end is when the story begun to shine. 

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Review: Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson

About the Book

Valentine’s Day becomes a Roman holiday for a princess in disguise in a dizzyingly romantic short story about making wishes come true by the USA Today bestselling author of The Chemistry of Love.

Princess Ilaria has had it up to her tiara with the paparazzi, her own wild reputation, and the public eye. Trading places with her assistant, Ilaria wants just one blissfully ordinary weekend. Then a handsome photographer with a sexy Scottish burr offers to be her guide. Sparks fly, but how long can they last? Ilaria’s secret has to come out—and it could ruin a perfectly serendipitous romance.

Sariah Wilson’s Royal Valentine is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.

Review

Unfortunately, Royal Valentine was a miss for me. Almost every aspect of this story felt forced. Ilaria is a princess who yearns to live a normal life for a few days, so she switches places with her assistant. While pretending to be an American tourist, she meets Callum, and the two of them explore Rome together. 

The book is fairly short; however, I’ve seen other novellas with the same number of pages be successful where this book failed. Ilaria and Callum lacked chemistry. There was no spark between them, and their entire story felt rushed. Callum’s reaction to finding out the truth about Ilaria was frustrating when he also had a secret of his own. This book has an unnecessary third-act break-up scene. 

Final Thoughts 

Royal Valentine felt extremely bland. Everything felt forced. The MMC appeared almost disgusted when he found out Ilaria’s secret, and that was a big turn-off. 

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Review: The Wild Lavender Bookshop by Jodi Thomas

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas is back with the second book in her heartwarming Someday Valley series, The Lavender Bookshop. The series, a spinoff of her Honey Creek series, will charm you as the preceding book, reconnect with some old friends and make room in your heart for some more.

Returning to Someday Valley, we are greeted by it's southern charm and rustic beauty. The Lavender Bookshop sets in roots in the heart of this town, bringing comfort to the folks and a sense of home for owner Noah O'Brien. Leaving his life behind with dreams and uncertainty, he finds himself right in the heart of a town that has claimed others such as him. Unsure of what's to come or where he's headed, he finds himself getting everything that he could ever want unexpectedly including the heart of a sweet school teacher, Cora Lee Buchanan.

Cora Lee, not only in love with his bookstore but finds herself enamored by his subtle charm and kindness. As their budding friendship blossoms, they find themselves creating their own story, searching for their happy ending and hea. These two bring joy and innocence to the book that you can't help but root for them.

Cora wasn't the only Buchanan in search of their hea. Bear, her father, known for his toughness and grumpy stature finds that tough exterior crumbling. Don't let the outside fool you because beyond that tough exterior is a big softie inside. Every town has their secrets and with him, the longing and desire for a secret love has crippled his life. When a friend needs help that puts his secret life in jeopardy, it forces a new chapter that leads to everything his he thought his heart couldn't have. Decisions are made that change his life in ways he couldn't imagine.

As we left off in the first book, the search was on for the siblings of Rusty. In storms Andi Delane, a tough gal who needs and counts on no one. While hiding low from some folks after her for a case she is on, she comes to town in search of the brothers she never knew. When she unexpectedly finds out that a deputy has been assigned to protect her, she finds herself struggling to let him in. As she lowers her guard, she finds herself not only trying to survive but fighting a losing battle that is trying to get her to stop running from the one thing she is trying to stay away from. There's something in the air in this town and as she finds out, there's something that pulls you in and doesn't let go.

This book was a slow burn romance with characters that simmered beautifully to the end. Another wonderful book in this series introducing characters that were in search of something and found a second chance of love, hope and renewed assurance that they were meant to be where they were in this wonderful place. What I love about this series and characters, especially in this book is that no matter who you are or what hardships that seem to block your blessings, you deserve to be loved.

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Review: Falling for Alaska by Belle Calhoune

Belle Calhoune sets the beautiful stage of Moose Falls, Alaska with her latest, Falling for Alaska. With all the charm and beauty of this small town romance, she pens a captivating novel of love, forgiveness and second chances that will leave you feeling good.

Former pro-football player Xavier Stone returns to his hometown reluctantly, tasked with helping his grandmother's cider company and gastro pub. Yet, he finds himself facing not only the challenges of running the family business but also confronting his past and strained relationships with his family. Enter True Everett, the determined and spirited owner of the restaurant managed by Xavier's grandmother. Sparks fly between Xavier and True, but their initial animosity threatens to derail any chance of romance.

As the book progresses with this enemies to lovers theme, they tread through their differences and confront their own insecurities, leading us towards a beautiful journey filled with heartwarming moments and swoon-worthy romance hea..

There are so many things to love about this book but most striking is the imagery throughout the book that places the reader right in this beautiful town. The setting that is created adds to the charm and character of not only the book but is giving you such a comforting feeling throughout. 

Beyond the beautiful setting are the wonderful characters. There is such depth and richness to them, the obstacles that have weighed down their lives brought them together but their vulnerability and insecurities make them relatable. Xavier's struggle to reconcile with his past dealing with a father who abandoned him and a his ex that left him at the worst of his life made it hard for him to trust. True, who after losing her parents sacrificed her life to raise her brother, is doing everything to protect what she has built for them with fear that she will lose everything. 

These two independent struggles give you something to root for. Not just the journey for them finding their destiny but the second chance to find the joy and happiness that they seemed to have been robbed from. 

In addition to them, we are blessed with the wonderful relationship between Xavier and his brothers.The fun banter and their loving relationship adds to the charm. His grandmother creates some sassy moments that will make you smile. And the cute moments between Tru and her brother will make you laugh and your heart smile for the love she has for him. 

Overall, this is another wonderful book to add to the small town romance pile that you plan to read if you haven’t already. This has all the charm of a great storyline, wonderful characters that will love, and a gorgeous setting. Not sure about the details about the second book other than it looks like it will be out in the fall.

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Review: Winter Gods & Serpents – The Auran Chronicles by Wendy Heiss

About the Book

In a god blessed realm where greed is the faith of rulers, Snowlin’s existence was perhaps the greediest act of all.

Born the forbidden child of two Aura, magical beings possessing god-gifted powers, she carries a burden of title. Prized a weapon of destruction by her father and hunted as a monster of carnage by others. The odds knew no favour to the wicked or kind in Numengarth, but Snowlin turned human, powerless, and a disappointment to the creator who intended to wield her in his claim for power over the continent.

After twelve years disparaged into exile, she sets to return and claim what the realm owed her: revenge on both her father and the night king who hunted to take more than her life.

Take and destroy were her plans.

Use and bargain were his.

She returns to find the rapacity of serpents lingering in the air and at her expense once again. Snowlin, now arranged to wed her nightmare for a political agreement, begins adjusting plans.

While caught in a game of crowns, what would she choose to become? Pawn to the winter king or queen to the night king?

Review

I adored this book. The beginning was a bit rocky as most fantasy books seem to be. I’m so glad that I stuck with it because, within a few chapters, I was quickly sucked in. All I wanted to do was read this book. I finished this book in two days and immediately picked up the second one and finished it within one day. 

The Auran Chronicles is a series about Snowlin and her dedication to destroying everything that belongs to her father. I found her to be an extremely strong main character, who also is flawed. She’s not the typical FMC. She sees herself as the villain and is prepared to be cruel and harsh. Not once did it feel overkill or off-putting. This was a character who had suffered countless years of abuse. Her heart is dark and she’s unsure how to let people in or be trusting. I thought the author portrayed her internal battles and her attitudes/actions beautifully. I loved Snowlin, and I can’t wait to get my hand on the third book within this series to see how her journey ends. 

This is very much a series about Snowlin’s journey; however, the supporting characters are delightful as well. I loved Kilian and the big reveal that happened in the last few chapters of the first book. I think the second book has utilized him well. He has a great romance with Snowlin, and I’m happy that his character has been explored more outside of that romance. 

The author promised a happy ending. I’m clinging to that because this is a dark and emotional story. The stakes are high, and with the way that the second book –Season Warriors & Wolves (The Auran Chronicles), ended I’m a tad bit nervous. 

Final Thoughts 

So far, I’ve read two books of The Auran Chronicles, and I’m living and breathing it. I’ve gotten used to the world and the characters, and it’s going to be tough to let them go in that final book. As much as I love this series, there are constant flaws I’m finding. The writing can seem confusing at times. I find myself having to reread something multiple times because the sentence structure is different than I’m used to. there are a few noticeable grammatical errors. These two things didn’t hinder my experience. They were just things that I found myself noting. 

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Review: Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

About the Book

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new steamy, STEMinist novella…

It will take the frosty terrain of the Arctic to show these rival scientists that their chemistry burns hot.

Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…

Hannah’s got a bad feeling about this. Not only has the NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station—but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival.

Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams…but he’s never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?

Review

Below Zero was a book where I quickly fell in love with the romance. Hannah and Ian were opposite, and from their first interaction, I was sold. The easiest way to describe them is to say that Hannah is a black cat archetype, and Ian is a cinnamon roll. 

This book has several time jumps, which don’t bother me—especially since it was weaved perfectly into the story. Hannah and Ian met years ago and prior to the major event in this story, there was a misunderstanding and Hannah is quite upset with him. Hannah can’t be faulted for her reaction because, in the context of the story, it made sense. Regardless, Ian was determined to ensure that she didn’t get hurt. I was begging for more from them. Unfortunately, this is a novella. The story moves quickly. Although the Ian and Hannah shine there’s so much of their story that felt untouched. 

Final Thoughts

Below Zero has several high points for me. I giggled to myself and truly loved Hannah and Ian. The space terminology went over my head several times, however, it was easy to overlook. The only real problem I had was that the book felt like only the beginning for these characters, and there was much that could still be explored. 

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