Friday, February 28, 2020

Love Overboard by Rachelle Paige Campbell #LovOverPrism #Giveaway

 On Tour with Prism Book Tours


Love Overboard
By Rachelle Paige Campbell
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 202 Pages
February 24th 2020 by Wild Rose Press

Forced to share a stateroom with her ex-fiancé, Caitlyn fakes amnesia to stay on board her dream Alaskan cruise. Torn over deciding his future, Cruise Director Gregory tumbles into helping her. As they grow closer, unspoken secrets threaten to rip them apart, for good.

My thoughts:  I thought this was a cute and fun book to read.  I liked the idea of the characters who both are hiding pieces of themselves to protect themselves from hurt.  Imperfect characters are the ones that I relate to the most.

This book has many moments that made me chuckle.  Caitlyn is either one of the klutziest people or luckiest.  Her misfortune brings her into the radar of Gregory.  There is some serious chemistry between the two of them.

This is a wonderful escape book to read.  I loved "going" on an Alaskan Cruise with them.  I hope to be able to see some of the places described in the book.  I could picture them in my mind.  I love it when a book helps me envision the characters and setting.

I received a complimentary copy.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars





(Affiliate links included.)

About the Author


I write contemporary romance novels filled with heart and hope. I believe love and laughter can change lives and every story needs a happily ever after.

Check out my blog for updates on my current projects. My published stories are listed by series name on the menu at the top.


Tour Schedule


Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a $10 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
Ends March 11, 2020

Grab Our Button!

Monday, February 24, 2020

The Thief of Lanwyn Manor by Sarah E. Ladd

The Thief of Lanwyn Manor (Cornwall, #2)The Thief of Lanwyn Manor by Sarah E. Ladd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Netgally
Genre: Regency Christian Fiction

Book Description:  In Regency England, an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner, and very eligible bachelor is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can’t she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac?

Cornwall, England, 1818

Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her cousin invites her to Lanwyn Manor, Julia eagerly accepts. The manor is located at the heart of Cornwall’s mining industry, and as a guest, Julia is swept into its intricate world. It’s not long, though, before she realizes something dark lurks within the home’s ancient halls.

As a respected mine owner’s younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father’s legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother’s careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood—and that of the people around them—the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to bolster the floundering local industry. Isaac can’t deny his attraction to the man’s charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.

When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren’t so keen to surrender.

Sweet Regency Romance
A full-length novel, approximately 90,000 words
Second in the Cornwall series, but can be read alone

Perfect for fans of Poldark, Sarah Ladd’s latest Regency romance, The Thief of Lanwyn Manor, explores Cornwall, England, and the secrets within one of its historic manor houses
. 


My thoughts: This is the second book in a series, but they can be read alone. One book is not dependant on the other. The beginning of the book moved a little slow for me, but by the middle, I was hooked and had a hard time putting it down.

Julia has come to live with her aunt and uncle in a small mining town in Cornwall. She is running from heartbreak and hoping to make a new start where everyone doesn't know of her situation. She looks forward to helping her cousin who is sick and in bed with her first pregnancy.

At the very beginning of the book, she is held at gunpoint because the villain wants her uncle. This starts the intrigue. Who are the bad guys and what do they want with her uncle?

She is saved by the very dashing Isaac Blake. He is one of the mine owners and puts his life on the line to save hers. Isaac wants answers on who the perpetrator is and hopes to diffuse things before they get out of hand. Isaac has a twin brother who is just minutes older than he is. Julia is pushed to the brother, Matthe, by her aunt. Thinking he would be a favorable match.

The beginning of the book lays the groundwork for what is to come. There is always the mystery of the masked man with the gun. There are problems with the mines. One of them is that Julia's uncle owns one that he recently closed. The condition of the families working in the mines is described and there are two handsome men that Julia is unsure of.

I honestly loved Julia and Isaac. They are both good people who are trying to help the people around them. They see people as individuals and not for their station in life. There are several other people who you don't get to know as well in the book. They each have their part to play which makes the story richer and more interesting.

This is a sweet romance with Christian undertones.




Online Purchase Links:


Sarah E. LaddAbout the Author: (Taken from goodreads)  I would love to connect with you on Facebook and talk about all things Regency! Be sure to like my page for updates: http://www.facebook.com/SarahLaddAuthor

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Fall From Trace Blog Tour Banner
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Fall From Trace by Rebecca Connolly hosted by SLB Tours!

Fall from TraceSeries: London League

  Genre: Adult, Historical, Regency, Romance 

Publisher: Phase Publishing 

Publication date: February 1, 2020 


Fall from Trace by Rebecca Connolly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Recived to Review

Book Description:  Gone, but not forgotten... 

 Alex Sommerville should have been dead. To the world, he had been dead for almost five years, and with him, the secrets he had carried as Trace, the most elusive member of the London League. When a chance to escape finally comes, Alex finds just enough life left in him to take it, and races off to return to the woman he loves. ...

Back, but at what cost?

The last person Poppy Edgewood ever expected to see suddenly falls into her life again - literally. Alex is a shell of the man he once was, and on the brink of the death she thought him already lost to. What answers will he have for her when he recovers, and can she even bear to hear them?



My thoughts:  I swear I have been waiting for this book for forever. Well... you get what I mean.

Trace has been mentioned since the first book in the series. He was the league's regret. He was their banner call to do better and be better. They never stopped hoping and looking for clues about him even though he was presumed dead. He has been part of every book while not being present. When I saw this book was coming I quickly read the fourth and anxiously anticipated the release of Fall from Trace. The wait was worth it!

The hard part about waiting and then finally reading a book is when you have a hard time putting it down and devour it quickly. I didn't take the time to savor. This may constitute a re-read sometime in the near future. I may want to start with book one and continue so I can be reminded of all the little details that brought this book to publication. (They are all fun to read so it wouldn't be a burden.)

Trace was broken at the beginning of the book. He was sorely abused during the five years he was missing. He immediately finds the one person who can ground him and bring him back from the brink of PTSD, Poppy, the woman that he loves. There are so many obstacles for him and for them as a couple to overcome. Their story is heartbreaking but satisfying. This book is one of hope.

It looks like there is another book coming in the series. (Happy Dance)

The book contains non-graphic violence, physical and mental abuse, and a little bit of romance

I received a complimentary eBook copy.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.





About the Author

rebecca-connolly-headshot
Rebecca Connolly writes romances, both period and contemporary, because she absolutely loves a good love story. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She started writing them down in elementary school and has never looked back. She currently lives in the Midwest, spends every spare moment away from her day job absorbed in her writing, and is a hot cocoa addict.

Snippet

Loneliness is a creeping creature, and its pangs were deep and ravaging. In the evenings, when work was completed and she had so much to tell, there was no one to listen. When she missed her sister or her brothers, her parents, or her life, there was no one to commiserate with. When she cried in the night because Alex was gone and no one cared but her, there was no relief. When she felt more alone than anyone ought to feel, there was no one to take away the darkness.

No one to share her burdens with. 

  The only person she had in her life with any sort of regularity was Stanton, and he would not take kindly at all to her sharing such personal and emotional thoughts with him. It would have made him uncomfortable and gruff, and he probably would have told her to focus on her work and the farm and forget everything else. He had once told her emotions were a nuisance, after all, and that the past was only good for lessons.

Not for visiting and staying for a time.

Poppy was only too prone to spend an extended period of time in her past these days, though she knew it wouldn’t do her any good.

The trouble was that it was too easy.

She scrubbed at the pot harder, her brow furrowing with the effort, and when she stopped, she looked at her hands. Once these hands had been delicate and soft, protected by gloves more often than not, fair and without blemish but for the occasional pricking of an embroidery needle. Her nails had been clean and manicured, the perfect embodiment of a fine lady. Every now and again, there might be a scratch on the skin from getting into mischief with Alex by climbing a tree or racing across their properties, but her hands had been fairly perfect.

Now, they were rough and worn, weathered by hard work and aggressive labor. She had callouses on her palm, on every fingertip, and along the edges of each finger. Her knuckles were often inflamed, and her skin cracked and peeled regularly. Lines and scars and dry patches dotted every surface of her hands, and her nails were almost brutally short, uneven, and usually had something under them, be it dirt or food or feed for the animals. 

  These hands were not those of a young lady.

Then again, Poppy could hardly be considered young anymore. Twenty-seven was not particularly old, but in those twenty-seven years, she had lived a lifetime, and she was decades older than anyone of her age. Her life did not even remotely resemble what she had thought out for herself, what she had planned, or anything like it once had.

She closed her eyes and set the pot aside, knowing it was far cleaner now than it had ever been with her excessive scrubbing.

This was what her life amounted to now. Scrubbing the pots and plates from her own meals, feeding the chickens and pigs, currying the horses, farming with whatever help she could afford to pay, even grinding her own flour to make her own bread, at times.

Oh, how far she had fallen.

Lonely and cast out, working for every morsel of bread, sweating her days away in the sun, and mourning a man who had never promised her anything.

Poppy’s hands curled into fists and hot tears filled her eyes. It was wrong to resent a dead man, she knew, but resent him she did. If he hadn’t have died, if that was what had truly happened, she would not be in this situation. He could have just broken off their impending engagement, and she would have been with her family now. She should have been wiser, not giving her heart so freely without the official connection between them.

Never mind that they had been in love since she was fourteen and he sixteen. Never mind that they had been planning to marry for years. Never mind that she was so utterly and completely his that she hadn’t been whole in almost five years.

She should have been wiser.

And it was his fault she was so destitute, despairing, and dismal.

It was his fault she had grown so attached.

It was his fault she still felt the ache within her at the thought of him.

It was his fault that when she looked out of her kitchen window and could see the shadows of Parkerton Lodge in the distance, she still looked for a light in any window.

As she did now.

But there were no lights within, and no lights without, and the crumbling estate looked as foreboding and desolate as it had the day the servants had departed it.

Poppy exhaled slowly, wiping her hands on dry toweling. She couldn’t do this anymore. Couldn’t watch for him, wait for him, ache for him. He wasn’t coming back, and this was the life she had chosen for herself. This was her future, and looking back would not make it any brighter.

She was done.

She had to be.

A knock on her door brought her head around, and she waited for Stanton to enter. When he didn’t, and the knock came again, more firmly, she rolled her eyes as she moved to the door.

"Honestly, Stanton," she moaned loudly. "It’s not so cold that you had to fill your arms to the brim with wood."

She reached for the door handle and pulled the door open, fixing her expression into one of mocking amusement.

The man who stood there stared at her with his dark, sunken eyes, leaning both forearms against the doorframe, his chest heaving wildly, and her amusement faded at once.

She knew that face. She knew the line of that jaw, the dark eyes that were endless in their depths, the nose with a slight crook in the bridge from where her brother had walloped him with a tree branch ten years ago. He was thinner, terrifyingly so, and his face was hollow and gaunt, sickly in color despite being tanned, and covered with a sheen of perspiration. His dark hair was cut brutally short, but it, and the scruff on the lower half of his face, were as dark as his eyes, if not darker still.

All changes aside, she knew that man better than any person on this earth.

"Alex…" she breathed, her voice catching on his name.

His corded throat worked on a swallow. "Poppy."

Her hand lashed out and struck him hard across the face, a weak yet harsh cry ripping from her throat. He stumbled sideways, surprising her with his unsteadiness, and a tremor ran across his once broad shoulders and down to his legs. Slowly, he looked back at her, pressing his left arm against the doorframe again and almost sagging against the wood.

"Please," he whispered, his voice fading with shocking rapidity as his eyes widened.

Then they rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground at her feet.


Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon GC + an ecopy of Falling for Trace.
Falling for Trace tour giveaway
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Link to full tour schedule below. Giveaway will begin at midnight February 10, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on February 23, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Giveaway open internationally. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Tour Schedule

Follow along at SLB Tours for a full list of stops!

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Her Quiet Revolution: A Novel of Martha Hughes Cannon by Marianne Monson

Her Quiet Revolution: A Novel of Martha Hughes Cannon: Frontier Doctor and First Female State SenatorHer Quiet Revolution: A Novel of Martha Hughes Cannon: Frontier Doctor and First Female State Senator by Marianne Monson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:  A novel based on the life of Martha Hughes Cannon, a pioneer woman who overcame tremendous odds.

When her baby sister and her father die on the pioneer trail to Salt Lake City, Mattie is determined to become a healer. But her chosen road isn’t an easy one as she faces roadblocks common to Victorian women. Fighting gender bias, geographic location, and mountains of self-doubt, Mattie pushed herself to become more than the world would have her be, only to have everything she’s accomplished called into question when she meets the love of her life: Angus Cannon, a prominent Mormon leader and polygamist.

From the American Frontier to European coasts, Martha’s path takes her on a life journey that is almost stranger than fiction as she learns to navigate a world run by men. But heartache isn’t far behind, and she learns that knowing who you are and being willing to stand up for what you believe in is what truly defines a person.

Her Quiet Revolution is the story of one woman’s determination to change her world, and the path she forged for others to follow.


My thoughts:  Her Quiet Revolution is a novel based on a historical figure. Marth Hughes Cannon was an extraordinary woman who forged a path leading women to education and the right to vote. She quietly went about doing the things that she felt were right, even though it was forward-thinking for her time period.

There are times when I find history to be as interesting as fiction. This was that book for me. The book begins with her family emigrating to the United States from Wales. It then focuses on her education. She became a Doctor of Medicine during the nineteenth century. The story then described her years as the wife of a polygamist who she ran against for office in the Utah State Senate. She really lived a full life in spite of the opposition that surrounded her.

This book gave me a lot to think about. It made me think of some of my ancestors who may have been faced in similar circumstances. I am even more grateful for them and the sacrifices they made so that I can have the advantages I have now. I am more convinced than ever that I would never want to live with polygamy. I am VERY grateful that the practice was abolished. Most of all I am grateful for the education I have received and that women are encouraged to broaden their minds and seek an education.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is loves reading about a fascinating person from history.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.




Online Purchase Links:


Marianne MonsonAbout the Author:  (Copied from Goodreads)  Marianne Monson has worked with books her whole life, as an editor, a passionate reader, and an author. She is the author of nine books and counting, including historical fiction, children's books, and young adult novels. She teaches at Portland Community College, and her two children love writing almost as much as she does.
Visit her WEBPAGE!

Monday, February 17, 2020

The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey

The Hummingbird DaggerThe Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Regency Romance/Suspense


Book Description:  1833. After young Lord James Ellerby witnesses a near-fatal carriage accident on the outskirts of his estate, he doesn't think twice about bringing the young woman injured in the wreck to his family's manor to recuperate. But then she finally regains consciousness only to find that she has no memory of who she is or where she belongs.

Beth, as she takes to calling herself, is an enigma even to herself. She has the rough hands of a servant, but the bearing and apparent education of a lady. Her only clue to her identity is a gruesome recurring nightmare about a hummingbird dripping blood from its steel beak.

With the help of James and his sister, Caroline, Beth slowly begins to unravel the mystery behind her identity and the sinister circumstances that brought her to their door. But the dangerous secrets they discover in doing so could have deadly ramifications reaching the highest tiers of London society
. 


My thoughts: This was a very interesting book. It has a goth vibe to it. It was dark with intrigue, suspense, and murder.

I have to admit that I didn't connect with the characters very much. The story moved for me because of the plot. A young woman is involved in a carriage accident due to the recklessness of a teenage boy.
She is taken in by the teen's older brother and it is discovered that she is suffering amnesia. The name she decides to go by is Beth. From this point on, bad things start to happen around and to her.
She is targeted for murder, her maid is killed, she is stalked by men with malicious intent. The only question is why? The only clue is the nightmare she has every night about blood dripping from a hummingbird dagger.

If you like good suspense and the search for a bad guy before he can inflict more harm, you should give this book a try. It has a little bit of romance and non-graphic violence.


Online Purchase Links:

About the Author:  (Taken from Goodreads)  Whenever she is not sitting at the computer, painting, gardening or reading, Cindy can be found--actually, not found--adventuring around the province with her hubby.

She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her yard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals and enjoyed the jazz of Beale St.

Cindy loves history, mystery and... a chocolate Labrador called Chester. The Hummingbird Dagger, her first YA mystery, was released April 2019; her second, Deadly Curious, will be released in April 2020.
Cindy Anstey


Friday, February 14, 2020

Coming Soon ~ Heart of Africa ~ watch the trailer & enter the #giveaway

Coming To Theaters March 2020



Gabriel Ngandu is a young Congolese revolutionary running from the terrible mistakes of his past. His journey of escape leads him to new experiences and even a new religion that challenges long-held beliefs about his destiny and world around him. He find himself torn between the influences and expectations of two very different father figures- Mwabila, his revolutionary leader, and President Kabasubabu, his new religious leader. Called to serve as a missionary, he is sent back to his native village to build an orphanage with Jason Martin, an American who also has a tragic and secret past. Together, they struggle to understand and overcome their histories, cultures, and prejudices to serve the people around them.
Caught between enmity and reconciliation, revenge or forgiveness, intolerance or understanding, they begin to see the potential for a better; more peaceful future for themselves and for the Congo. Worlds finally collide when explosions rock the new orphanage and Kabasubabu is kidnapped by Mwabila's revolutionaries. Gabriel is faced with choosing between the two different worlds of these father figures... or finding his own path toward a new world inspired by understanding and redemption



Enter the Giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to learn more?  Visit http://heartofafricafilm.com/about/.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

A Stranger Watches by Kathi Oram Peterson

A Stranger WatchesA Stranger Watches by Kathi Oram Peterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Suspense

Book Description:  Something is wrong. Despite the fact that Kyra Fletcher hasn’t seen her estranged father in five years, the peculiar birthday card he sends in the mail is out of character—and alarming.
Determined to put her mind at ease and mend their relationship in person, Kyra travels to her father’s Wyoming lodge. She finds it well kept but vacant, and according to the people in town, her father has been gone for months. Kyra is certain something has happened to him and turns to local Sheriff Shane McQuire for help. As the pair works together to investigate her father’s whereabouts, Kyra finds herself becoming more and more comfortable with the town—and its sheriff. But she is unaware of one deadly detail: someone is watching her, and as she draws ever closer to the answers she seeks, that person will do anything to ensure her silence.



My thoughts: Oooohhhhh! This book starts off with a bang (literally) and the momentum speeds up until the end of the book.

Kyra and her father have been estranged for five years. He leaves a message on her phone saying that he is coming to see her and make amends, but he never shows up. Kyra, not wanting to let it go, shows up and finds that her father is missing and the circumstances are very suspicious. Right from the beginning, the book is full of suspense and mystery. Kyra teams up with the local sheriff and tries to locate her father.

This book started off at a little slower for me. It quickly picked up the pace and became a book that I could not put down. I could not figure out who the bad guy was. There were so many options. Just when I thought I knew, it became apparent that I did not know.

I loved the setting and the characters. The book contains a little bit of romance, but it is not the focus. What little there was, I appreciated and wholeheartedly approved.

I love Kathi Oram Peterson's books and I look forward to each and every one. This book contains non-graphic violence.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.




Online Purchase Links:


Get a copy for your Kindle or Nook for $5.99!

Kathi Oram Peterson
About the Author: (Taken from Goodreads) Kathi Oram Peterson is the Whitney Award winning author of A FAMILIAR FEAR, released in 2018.


Kathi's heart-pounding suspense novels make readers double check door locks and sleep with a flashlight. Her YA Time Travels bring readers to historical events as if they are there. Her novels have richly-drawn characters and plots that hook readers and make setting the book down nearly impossible.

Keep connected with Kathi--and stay informed about special deals, new released, and other reader perks--by signing up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cE52Y1
Visit her WEBPAGE!

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Promised by Leah Garriott (Book Review)





PromisedPromised by Leah Garriott
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Regency Romance
Book Release Date:  February 18, 2020

Book Description:  Margaret Brinton keeps her promises, and the one she is most determined to keep is the promise to protect her heart.

Warwickshire, England, 1812

Fooled by love once before, Margaret vows never to be played the fool again. To keep her vow, she attends a notorious matchmaking party intent on securing the perfect marital match: a union of convenience to someone who could never affect her heart. She discovers a man who exceeds all her hopes in the handsome and obliging rake Mr. Northam.

There’s only one problem. His meddling cousin, Lord Williams, won’t leave Margaret alone. Condescending and high-handed, Lord Williams lectures and insults her. When she refuses to give heed to his counsel, he single-handedly ruins Margaret’s chances for making a good match—to his cousin or anyone else. With no reason to remain at the party, Margaret returns home to discover her father has promised her hand in marriage—to Lord Williams.

Under no condition will Margaret consent to marrying such an odious man. Yet as Lord Williams inserts himself into her everyday life, interrupting her family games and following her on morning walks, winning the good opinion of her siblings and proving himself intelligent and even kind, Margaret is forced to realize that Lord Williams is exactly the type of man she’d hoped to marry before she’d learned how much love hurt. When paths diverge and her time with Lord Williams ends, Margaret is faced with her ultimate choice: keep the promises that protect her or break free of them for one more chance at love. Either way, she fears her heart will lose.


My thoughtsSigh. I love and hate when a good book comes to an end.

This book starts out with a matchmaking party. Margaret is drawn to a known rake because she knows that she won't love him and he will not break her heart. To make things interesting his cousin, Gregory (Lord Williams), is continually warning her away from him. A quote from a well-known poem comes to mind. "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry." (Robert Burns)

The book gets really interesting at this point. Margaret is called home early from the party to find that she is engaged! To Lord Williams. (I am chuckling as I write this.) It's pure and total goodness for a reader. The banter is well done. They have a volatile relationship, to say the least.

I really couldn't help falling in love with the story and most of the characters. This book is well written and very entertaining.



Pre-order your copy today!
Online Purchase Links:



Leah Garriott
About the Author Though she earned degrees in math and statistics, Leah Garriott lives for a good love story. She has resided in Hawaii and Italy, has walked the countryside of England, and owns every mainstream movie version of Pride and Prejudice. She’s currently living her own happily ever after in Utah with her husband and three kids. Leah is represented by Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.


Visit the author at www.LeahGarriott.com



Praise for this book!

“Garriott’s impressive debut distinguishes itself with its expertly evoked Regency setting, a cast of realistically flawed yet eminently relatable characters, and a sweetly satisfying love story. Teen fans of Austen-era love stories will fall hard for this impeccably crafted romance.”
-Booklist

“Promising Regency-set debut. Vivid period details and the hero’s grand romantic efforts will please fans of historical romance.”
-Publishers Weekly

Friday, February 7, 2020

Book Blitz ~ Shadow and Stone by Melissa Wright #giveaway #ShadStoPrism

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

***SPECIAL SALE***


Go to Smashwords HERE and enter QU46N at checkout to grab the first three books for only 99¢!

Shadow and Stone
(Frey Saga #5)
By Melissa Wright
New Adult, YA Fantasy
Paperback & ebook
February 4th 2020

No bargains unpaid.

After a perilous clash with the fey, the changeling who betrayed the paramount of their laws--and threatens the safety of both realms--has gone into hiding. As Frey and her Seven recover, concealed plans and furtive bargains begin to unravel, putting in danger their old guard and new.

They’re on unsteady ground.

Scattered and healing, those sworn to protect the North and its lord work to secure their footing. They are running out of time to cure the darkness poisoning the fey lands, before it overflows into the rest of the realm. But Ruby has gone missing, and this time it seems of her own accord.

They’re out of time.

If they don’t stop her, she’ll face the deadly changeling alone. But more forces are at play than it seems, and the fey lord confined on his lands by treachery and two half-human elves has made a bargain of his own.

(Affiliate link included.)

Guest Post: What You Need to Know About the Frey Saga

New to The Frey Saga? Check out what you need to know to jump into this world of magic, elves, and fey. (Warning: this post containers spoilers for the first three books.)

Types of magic

Magical energies are divided into light, dark, and that of the fey. These energies to do not play well together (and neither do their owners).

What makes Frey special?

Freya, Lord of the North and the Dark Elves’ Kingdom, is a halfbreed. She’s not only able to use the magic of both the light and dark energies, but she’s also half human--a weakness as far as any of the North are concerned. She’s managed to keep her throne despite that though, in no small part due to her rare ability to control animals. She’s been known to use birds of prey, wolves, and mountain cats, and readers can expect a few larger beasts as her talent grows.

Who’s the villain?

It depends on who you ask. Light elves oppose the methods of the dark and dark elves the light, but both hate the fey. The fey court is headed by the fey lord Veil, whose power is strong enough to shift the seasons. Veil—like all fey—engages in dangerous games and relies heavily on deceit and trickery.

Cast of characters
Frey’s high guard is known as the Seven, a once ragtag band of elves turned warriors including a halfblood fey, her horse trader brother, the strongarm, the wizards, the quick one, and the brooding hero/love interest: Chevelle.

The story so far

After meddling with powers and making deals with the fey, Frey’s predecessor was removed as Lord of the North. A great many lives were lost in the battles that followed, including Frey’s mother, and as heir to the throne Frey has much work ahead of her to set things to right. She’s finally settled into her place as ruler and her Seven and guard are loyal and true, but a darkness was set free during that meddling that threatens not only her people, but all elves and fey.

What’s next

In The Frey Saga Book V: Shadow and Stone, Frey faces her biggest challenge yet. A deadening of magic is spreading through the kingdoms and one of her Seven has gone missing. As fey treacheries and past secrets unravel, Frey’s duty as Lord might force her into a bargain that could destroy them all.

Other Books in the Series


About the Author

Melissa is the author of the Frey Saga, Descendants Series, and Shattered Realms. She is currently working on the next book, but when not writing can be spotted collecting the things she loves at Goodreads and Pinterest. Contact her through the web at www.melissa-wright.com.


Bookstagram Tour


Follow the tour here! Get extra entries in the giveaway
below when you follow and comment on each stop!

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Thursday, February 6, 2020

The Wish and The Peacock by Wendy S. Swore


The Wish and the Peacock by Wendy S. SworeThe Wish and the Peacock by Wendy S. Swore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Middle Grade/Tween Fiction

Book Description:  Paige’s favorite family tradition on the farm is the annual bonfire where everyone tosses in a stone and makes a wish. This time, Paige’s specific wish is one she’s not sure can come true: Don’t let Mom and Grandpa sell the farm.

When Paige’s younger brother finds a wounded peacock in the barn, Paige is sure it’s a sign that if she can keep the bird safe, she’ll keep the farm safe too. Peacocks, after all, are known to be fierce protectors of territory and family.

With determination and hard work, Paige tries to prove she can save the farm on her own, but when a real estate agent stakes a “For Sale” sign at the end of the driveway and threatens everything Paige loves, she calls on her younger brother and her best friends, Mateo and Kimana, to help battle this new menace. They may not have street smarts, but they have plenty of farm smarts, and some city lady who’s scared of spiders should be easy enough to drive away.

But even as the peacock gets healthier, the strain of holding all the pieces of Paige’s world together gets harder. Faced with a choice between home and family, she risks everything to make her wish come true, including the one thing that scares her the most: letting the farm go.
 



My thoughts: Change is hard. It is particularly hard for Paige.

Paige is twelve and has lived on the family farm all of her life. She is a hard worker and her dad trained her to do the chores, take care of the equipment, land, and animals. The farm is part of her legacy, until everything changes.

Paige enlists her younger brother, Scotty, to sabotage the sale of the farm. Some of the things they come up with are pretty ingenious. I really enjoyed her antics, but I am sure that it will be more fun for the tween/middle-grade reader. She shows a firm resolve and a lot of creativity.

Paige has some wonderful friends who are there for her to the point of helping her sabotage the open-house. They have helped her through the tough times she has had that year. Part of the reason why she takes the sale of the farm so hard is that her father recently died in a car accident.

The book has some sad situations but focuses more on the good things in life and the importance of family. Paige learns that with a little bit of creativity, she can find a happy ending, or in this case a beginning.



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Praise for the Book!

The Wish and the Peacock is a thoughtful novel about love, loss, and the hope of a new beginning.”
-Foreword Reviews

“Heartfelt and funny, the story captures the lives of often underrepresented farming families. An impressive tale carrying universal themes of grief, change, and letting go.”
-Kirkus


Wendy S. SworeAbout the Author: Wendy S. Swore and her family are farmers. She writes part-time, particularly in winter when her farming chores give her time to plant seeds in her imagination. She is a member of SCBWI. She was named the Idaho Farm Bureau District 1 Woman of the Year in 2018.

Visit the author at WendySwore.com