My Three Warlocks by Robert H Cherny – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book My Three Warlocks by Robert H Cherny to review. You may find out more about the author on his website.

Here is the book blurb.

Three Warlocks, brothers, triplets, run a ranch where they train horses for cowboys and cattle ranchers. They use their special powers to keep their ranch solvent and, despite the recent death of their adoptive mother, are content with their lives. All that changes when a pre-teen equestrian shows up with her father to buy a horse. On the same day, triplet witches and their mother are directed to the ranch by a mysterious stranger.

The witch’s mother and the girl’s father have a history, and only he knows that none of this is a coincidence. Within two days, the warlocks, the witches, their mother, the girl, her father, and some friends and family use their powers to fight a forest fire. They are then recruited by the mysterious stranger, an ancient wizard, to protect a rape victim. The woman was raped by a magical being who intends to steal the baby and kill her. This wholesale rape of indigenous populations has been going on for a long time, and the wizard believes he finally has the team to stop it. The wizard quickly loses control of the team, and it completes the mission without him.

The team takes on missions without the wizard, relegating him to advisor status. After several missions on their own, the team emerges far more powerful than anything the wizard could have imagined. Even though he created the team, he does not control them, and, in some ways, the “battle group” he created controls him.

I read all of this story but I really struggled with it. Set in modern day American ranching / rodeo with plenty of fantasy elements thrown in, it just did nothing for me. I liked the characters and a few bits of the storyline, but certainly not enough overall to draw me in. Even the cover is off-putting.

It also mentioned a legend of Paul Bunyan with a blue ox who I had never heard of, so I looked him up on Wikipedia. Apparently he is a giant lumberjack who features in American and Canadian folklore.

My Three Warlocks is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. An unusual fantasy read, targeted at young adult readers. Not a book for me, but maybe others will enjoy more.

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Laird of Longing by Tammy Andresen – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Laird of Longing by Tammy Andresen to review.

Here is the book blurb.

Laird McLaren is as large as he is annoying…

Lady Sophie Everclear doesn’t regret fleeing the rake who attempted to trap her into marriage, But perhaps she should not have stowed away on a ship bound for Scotland. The problems? There are too many to count. But the largest, most annoying one is Captain Ewan McLaren. The tall and brawny Scot says exactly what he thinks and he doesn’t think much of Sophie. Still. He’s all she’s got and fortunately for her his heart is even bigger than his lectures. Which makes her wonder. What else, beside talking, might his mouth be good at?

The woman has got to be daft…

Any woman as beautiful as Lady Sophie ought to know better than to attempt to hide out on a ship full of men. If Ewan were smart, he’d drop her at the nearest port because having a woman like her on board is nothing but trouble. But one look into her large blue eyes and he knows he can’t. He’s always had a soft heart for a woman in need and Sophie manages to be as endearing as she is annoying. And then there’s the fact that she steals his breath with every wayward glance. He doesn’t want a woman in life but the longer he’s with her, the more he wonders if Sophie might just be the one who makes him break all the rules.

This is book 15 in the Lords of Scandal series. I’ve read and reviewed all the titles and was expecting this to be the final book, but no it is not. A breadcrumb has been placed in the epilogue for another round of titles to commence next year.

The story starts with Lady Sophie stowing away on a ship to avoid being forced to marry the obnoxious Maxwell Hughes who had compromised her at a ball. This particular ship belongs to the Carrington Shipping business and is captained by Laird Ewan McLaren, Scottish cousin of the Carrington sisters who have featured in earlier titles.

When Sophie is discovered aboard in her ballgown, rather than throwing her overboard, the usual method of dealing with stowaways, Ewan looks after her. He plans to take her to his cousin-in-law, the Duke of Devonhall to ask him to find her an appropriate husband.

But he begins to have other ideas. Plus he certainly intends to make Maxwell Hughes pay for his unspeakable actions. And what about Sophie? Will she skip ship? What will happen as the story unfolds?

Laird of Longing is available on Amazon in both Kindle format and paperback. Another nice light short romantic story from Tammy.

However I do have one small quibble. I am pretty sure that there is no such word as lairdess which is used a few times in the book.

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About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

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The Refuge by John A Heldt – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

Time for a review of the latest installment in John Heldt’s Time Box series. And to find out more about the author you may visit his website.

Here is the book blurb.

From the author of THE LANE BETRAYAL, THE FAIR, and SEA SPRAY comes the fourth novel in the Time Box saga.

Months after stealing two time machines, the Lanes, a modern family of seven, make a stand against the unhinged software mogul who wants them back. They travel to 1941 Oahu to eliminate the billionaire’s mercenary, an assassin who has chased them through time.

While son Jordan, a former intelligence officer, stalks his unknowing foe in the streets of Honolulu, his parents, younger siblings, and pregnant wife settle in the village of Laie, where love, friendship, and opportunity await. All seek refuge from the perils of time travel.

Hit man Silas Bain has his own agenda. He hopes to alter the events of December 7, 1941, and indirectly save a brilliant German physicist, his employer’s grandfather, from certain death. He has prepared for every contingency, except the charms of a beautiful heiress.

Filled with romance, suspense, and intrigue, THE REFUGE takes readers on a thrilling and memorable ride through the colorful, magical, and dangerous world of pre-Pearl Harbor Hawaii.

Readers’ Advisory: The Refuge is the fourth novel in a five-part family saga that spans several decades. While some storylines are resolved, others are not. They will be addressed in subsequent books.

The Refuge is the fourth book in the Time Box series.

Here are my reviews of the previous titles in the Time Box Series.
The Lane Betrayal
The Fair
Sea Spray

The story starts with the Lane family time-traveling to 1941 Hawaii. This particular time and destination have been chosen because they still have a link to modern day through close friend Randy Taylor.

And Randy has provided information indicating that this is where Mark Lane’s crazy ex-business partner billionaire Robert Devereaux has sent his hitman Silas Bain. For once not after the Lanes, but instead with a mad plan to alter the course of history at Pearl Harbour.

Just imagine the ramifications and repercussions if history is changed. So the Lanes step in to see if they can turn the tables and take out Bain.

The Lanes rent two cottages from Leilani in the small village of Laie, making firm friends with Leilani and family, whilst Jordan searches for Bain in Honolulu on the opposite side of the island. Will he be able to find him in such a large city?

Meanwhile they discover that Leilani is also a midwife (very useful with a new addition to the family due) and Jeremy makes a new friend, Sarah. But Sarah, a history student researching Ivy Trudeau, has spotted a connection. (Ivy was a character in an earlier book).

And of course it is not the only coincidence. I love how so many similar chances are woven into the story. Plus once again we get a surprise visit from Randy. And this time there are chapters set in Germany, featuring Max Roth, Robert Devereaux’s grandfather.

Death, danger, romance and a breadcrumb trail all feature in this brilliant page turner with plenty of twists and turns, right to the end.

The Refuge is available on Amazon, in Kindle format and paperback. Once again another epic read from John Heldt which I highly recommend. I can’t wait for the next book to be published which will be set in 1963.

And you may be interested to see my reviews of some of John Heldt’s other titles.
Firstly all of The Carson Chronicles series.
River Rising
The Memory Tree
Indian Paintbrush
Caitlin’s Song
Camp Lake

Plus some of his earlier titles.
The Mine
Indiana Belle
Hannah’s Moon

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Earl of Infamy by Tammy Andresen – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Earl of Infamy by Tammy Andresen to review.

Here is the book blurb.

He’s been given a mission…

The Earl of Infamy must escort one mourning lady out of London and hide her away in the country. Should be easy. But from the moment he steps into her life things get…complicated. Not only is she far too pretty for his liking but she’s got a knack for telling him no.

“No, I don’t want to go to the country with you.”
“No, I won’t share your room.”
“No, I won’t marry you, I don’t care that we’ve been alone.”

Is the woman daft? What lady in her positions turns down an offer liked his? He’s an earl and she’s all but ruined?

Still, the more she resists, the more, he has to confess, he’s intrigued. How can he get her to say…YES.

This is book 14 in the ongoing Lords of Scandal series.

We’ve met all the Carrington sisters in earlier titles and this time we focus on their cousin Miss Avery Bright, who, still in mourning, has been staying with her cousin Isabella and husband since her father died.

However now they all need to leave London separately for safety and Noah, the Earl of Infamy has been sent to escort Avery, who he has never met previously, to his country estate.

But there’s a catch. If a young lady travels alone with a gentleman, her reputation will be ruined.

No problem. She doesn’t know yet, but he has already agreed to marry her.

So how will this pan out? Why would Noah agree to marry a lady he has never seen? What will Avery’s position be once she realises?

Earl of Infamy is available on Amazon in both Kindle format and paperback. Once again a nice light short romantic story from Tammy.

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About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

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Crusade by Elizabeth Laird – book review

My latest personal choice of read, rather than a requested book review is Crusade by Elizabeth Laird. To find out more about the author you may visit her website.

Here is the book blurb.

Two boys. Two faiths. One unholy war . . .

When Adam’s mother dies unconfessed, he pledges to save her soul with dust from the Holy Land. Employed as a dog-boy for the local knight, Adam grabs the chance to join the Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem. He burns with determination to strike down the infidel enemy . . .

Salim, a merchant’s son, is leading an uneventful life in the port of Acre – until news arrives that a Crusader attack is imminent. To keep Salim safe, his father buys him an apprenticeship with an esteemed, travelling doctor. But Salim’s employment leads him to the heart of Sultan Saladin’s camp – and into battle against the barbaric and unholy invaders . . .

This adventure story is set about 1000 years ago in the times of the Crusaders.

Chapters alternate between the stories of two boys starting with 13 year old Salim, a Muslim boy in Acre. He is upset because his father is sending him away from home to be apprenticed to Jewish Dr Musa, as the Frankish army is expected to arrive imminently. The plan is to travel to Damascus, but instead they end up in Saladin’s camp, outside the walls of Acre.

In chapter two we are introduced to 14 year old English peasant boy Adam on the day his mother is buried. He is saved from destitution by Lord Guy, who employs him to help look after his hounds. But Adam also wants to save his mother’s soul, as she died unconfessed. He needs dust from Jerusalem, so he leaps at the chance to go too when Lord Guy joins the Holy Crusade.

We follow the tales of the two boys until eventually their paths cross.

Crusade is an excellent book, targeted at YA readers from about age 11+. A great historical read.

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Earl of Darling by Katherine Ann Madison and Maggie Dallen – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Earl of Darling by Katherine Ann Madison and Maggie Dallen to review.

Here is the book blurb.

Is she making a deal with the devil or a saint in disguise?

A murderer, they call him. A beast. All Miss Rathmore knows is he’s the man who saved her while running away from her horrid fiancé. The least she can do is help Darling and his sisters adapt to good society. After all, the earl has gone so far as to offer his own hand in marriage to save her reputation. But that is merely an act of charity. And those stolen kisses? Those are sheer folly. For only a fool would fall for such a scandalous rogue…

Society is more dangerous than a battlefield for this soldier who was never meant to be an earl. Luckily for him, his new saviour is every bit the lady.

Give him a battle any day. Those were rules he understood. But the insipid whisperings of the ton? He hadn’t the faintest idea how to fight them. Until he meets Miss Rathmore. Now he’s found himself slaying her dragons when he ought to be fighting for his own good name. And proposing marriage? What was he thinking? His three sisters would say that he’d lost his senses, of course. Or, at the very least…his heart.

Katherine Ann Madison is a pseudonym of Tammy Andresen, who is a very prolific author. I have read lots of Tammy’s titles, but this is the first time I’ve read one under this name. I’ve also read a few others in the Wicked Earl’s Club series, but found this one to only have a very tenuous connection to the Club, with the Earl of Darling being invited to join. Perhaps that is why it has subsequently been repackaged as The Earl’s Runaway Bride, a sweet Regency romance.

The story starts with Miss Evelyn Rathmore climbing out an upstairs window as a way to end her betrothal to the awful cad Mr Stallworth, whilst her father’s attention is on their dinner guests. But one of the guests, Darius, the new Earl of Darling has just stepped out for some air, hating how society blames him for the bad luck which befell previous heirs to the title, directly below where Evelyn is climbing down. What a bizarre encounter.

Darius immediately realises she is running away and draws the tale out of her, offering to assist. In return Evelyn offers to help Darius introduce his three sisters Tabetha, Clarissa and Mariah to society.

Darius originally planned to find another man to offer for Evelyn’s hand via the Wicked Earls Club that he has just been invited to join, but he soon decided none of them deserved her. Were they just as bad as Mr Stallworth? So he offers to marry her himself, but Evelyn refuses. She doesn’t want him to marry her out of charity.

Darius assumes she has said no because of all the rumours regarding how he inherited the title. But he continues to fight Evelyn’s battles. How will Stallworth react to his interference? And what of Darius and Evelyn themselves?

The Earl of Darling is available on Amazon in Kindle format. A short light romantic read from Katherine Ann Madison and Maggie Dallen.

Tammy did team up with Maggie Dallen previously to write the prologue for the Wicked Earls Club which I reviewed here.

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The Power of the Pearl by William Edmonds – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book The Power of the Pearl by William Edmonds to review. You may find out more about the author on his website.

Here is the book blurb.

Thirteen-year-old Alaric Swift lives a tough, lonely life. He’s never known his parents, nor had any friends.
However, everything changes after his adoptive parents attempt to eat him, and he’s taken to live on the magical island of Harramore. The reason? Alaric is the son of the most powerful being to have ever existed—the King Guardian, Rei.
So begins a magical adventure as Alaric learns to master hidden extraordinary powers, meets creatures beyond his imagination, and gets caught up in a plot to steal the world’s most dangerous object, the Golden Pearl.
The Power of the Pearl is a captivating opening to the Miracle Prince series and a page-turning debut..

This debut novel by William Edmonds is the first title in The Miracle Prince series.

The story starts with Mr Solomon taking 13 year old Alaric to John and Sue, another set of foster parents in a long line. Alaric always seems to end up doing something which makes things go wrong with each foster family, but this time it is the other way round. John and Sue transform and try to eat him. Alaric is rescued in the nick of time by Mr Solomon and magically transported to Harramore, Land of the Nephilim.

Turns out Alaric is one of the Nephilim, in fact he is the Miracle Prince, son of assassinated King Guardian Rei. He fits in much better with his next foster family, the Trolleys and soon is on the Rei basketball team at school, which in Harramore is a totally different experience to what Alaric and you and I are used to.

Lots of magical mythical adventures then follow for Alaric, along with his friends Laurence and Lucy.

The Power of the Pearl is available on Amazon, in paperback and Kindle formats. A great adventure which will certainly appeal to fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Suitable for older children and teens.

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If She Dies by Erik Therme – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an ebook I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book If She Dies by Erik Therme to review. You may find out more about the author on his website.

Here is the book blurb.

How far would you go to right a wrong?

Nine months ago, Tess’s five-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident. The driver, Brady Becker, was sentenced to two years in prison. It didn’t make Tess’s pain go away.

Brady also has a daughter: A twelve-year-old named Eve who walks to Chandler Middle School every day. Tess knows this because she’s been watching Eve for the last three weeks. It isn’t fair that Brady’s daughter gets to live, while Tess’s daughter does not.

When Eve goes missing, all eyes turn to Tess, who doesn’t have an alibi. But Tess isn’t guilty.

Or so she believes.

The story starts creepily with Tess stalking a 12 year old girl Eve, persuading the reader to think the worst of her. Eve is the step-daughter of the driver responsible for killing Lily, Tess and Josh’s five year old daughter in a car accident, which Tess cannot come to terms with.

Meanwhile who is sending Tess anonymous mail? Who has desecrated Lily’s grave? Who is spying on her? And who is snooping around outside their house? Why is she lying to Josh? Has he moved on? Is he hiding something from her? Is Tess getting paranoid about everything?

This book is very much a slow burner as we gradually get introduced to other characters integral to the story. And then Eve disappears…….

If She Dies is available on Amazon in hardback, paperback, audiobook and kindle formats. A compelling read indeed..

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An Unexpected Exploit by Kandi J Wyatt – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book An Unexpected Exploit by Kandi J Wyatt to review. You may find out more about the author on her website.

Here is the book blurb.

Protect a mythical realm or his family? Sixteen-year-old Franklin follows a Sasquatch through a portal to the realm of Shinwano and discovers a world full of mythical creatures he never expected to actually exist. Upon returning to Myrtle Beach, Oregon, he vows to protect the land, not realizing how difficult it will be to keep his promise, especially when a poacher, a NSA agent, and his friends are interested in the portal—and all for different reasons. When the poacher threatens his family, Franklin must reconsider his vow to protect this new world to keep his family safe. The consequences of his decision reach further than just a rift in the space-time continuum. Can Franklin live up to the trust placed on him and save this new world from an even greater danger?

This is the third title in the Myth Coast Adventures trilogy, set in the small town of Myrtle Beach in Oregon. They can be read as stand alone reads, but I found them better to read in sequence as they do refer to happenings in earlier books. However the main protagonist Franklin is a new character.

Here are the links to my reviews of the first two titles.
An Unexpected Adventure
An Unexpected Escapade

The story starts with Franklin out hunting in the forest when he spots a creature larger than a bear but with a human-like face, which almost immediately disappears. Could it be a sasquatch, bigfoot or yeti? Franklin investigates and discovers a portal. Throwing caution to the wind, he steps through but Ladaku is waiting and knocks him out. When he awakes he finds he is in an alternate world Shinwano full of mythological creatures.

Whilst the dhoka (portal) is closed, Franklin agrees to train as a keta-manisa to protect the dhoka from other humans. Meanwhile back in our world he has been declared missing and teams including Will, Ana, Harley, Cherise and Winston from earlier books, are out searching for him, worried because bad guy poacher Jack Collins is hanging round town again.

When the dhoka finally reopens, Franklin reluctantly leaves his new friends to come back home. But soon he faces a difficult situation when he discovers Jack Collins has tied up his mum and brother Jeremy and is giving them electric shocks.

How will Franklin react and what will ensue? Certainly a page turner and my only small complaint is that the series titles are too similar.

The book also contains a glossary of Shinwano words.

An Unexpected Exploit is available on Amazon in Kindle format or paperback. A great adventure fantasy read for older children and teens.

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Screamcatcher: Web World by Christy Breedlove – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book Screamcatcher: Web World by Christy J Breedlove to review. You may find out more about the author on her website.

Here is the book blurb.

When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent’s deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she’s half blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Indian lore is so yesterday, but she’s willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory’s most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They’re in an alternate universe-locked inside of an insane web world. How can they find the center of the web, where all good things are allowed to pass?

I’m doing things in reverse here, as last year I read and reviewed book 2 in the Screamcatcher YA series. Having enjoyed that, I’ve now gone back to read the first title.

The story starts in the normal everyday world where we are introduced to four teenage friends Jory, Choice, Lander and Darcy, all aged 16-18, along with Jory’s Chippewa grandfather Albert. Choice has purchased the most ancient dreamcatcher from Albert’s shop as a gift for Jory. This is believed to have been passed down the generations since the dawn of time filtering good dreams from nightmares which get caught in it.

Jory’s parents had died a few months earlier in a car crash and her friends are staying for a sleepover so she is not alone overnight, but her inevitable nightmare of the car falling into the canyon causes the dreamcatcher to implode and the four teens are dragged into the web world which is full of trapped nightmares that they have to navigate.

Are they able to work as a team to reach the centre to escape? Can Jory draw on her Chippewa folklore to help? Will they all make it? Many challenges, scary creatures and a riddle.

A gripping read indeed, which you never know may include your own worst nightmare too.

Screamcatcher: Web World is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. A good dystopian fantasy read, targeted at young adult readers. Highly recommended.

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