K.J. Simmill's Blog, page 11

Book review: Sallyann Phillips – Blood Vow (@_SallyannP)

[image error]

Dragged to the Elders, Tavi and her pack are uncovering things they never dreamed possible, enemies in the ranks, ancient prophecies, and of course, a coming war. Tavi must decide who she can trust. She is a hybrid, a child of bloodlines long forgotten, and now is the time to become all she must be. She must keep those she loves safe, bring justice and deliverance, or face a world born from darkness and despair.

Blood Vow by Sallyann Phillips is the third book in the Tavi Johns, Hybrid Novels, and one I have been eagerly awaiting. We are back with the Camden Falls Pack and trouble is never far behind. I really do enjoy this author’s work, the vibrancy of the characters makes picking up her books like returning home to Camden Falls with all your old friends. I loved watching the plot develop and the metamorphosis of Tavi. Filled with action, danger, and adventure truths are uncovered, traitors unearthed, and danger revealed in the moving and engaging plot with a conclusion every bit as epic as I anticipated.

Book link:

Book review: Across the Border – Mark Morey (@markmorey5)

[image error]

Sixteen year old Mei was thrilled to have met Long. They connected instantly. She had always hoped to find someone she could be with, someone who could make her happy. But little did she know he wasn’t who he said he was. Torn from her home and sold as a wife Mei is learning the harsh truth of the world. Isolated in a country where no one speaks her language she is forced to serve, and slave away under the hateful eyes of her new mother in law. Until she is thrust into further danger and she gets drawn unto the world of organised crime. Meanwhile detective-sergeant Nuam is undercover, investigating the local drug triad and in more danger than she could possibly fathom.

Across the border is a fast paced, gritty crime thriller delving into the world of six trafficking and organised crime. I enjoyed how the author gives the reader a real feel for the culture, settings and environment while spinning a harrowing tale of a young girl’s spiral into the world of organised crime, while presenting an alternative angle from the police’s undercover investigation side. Great settings and intense as you follow the story from the perspective of several key players.

Book link:

Book review: C.A. King – High Heels And Mistletoe (@PortalProphecy)

[image error]

Christmas. The season of joy. Sure if the meaning of joy has turned to being saddled with an ancient curse that made Christmas time unbearable. While the local shops blaring out Mistletoe and Wine wouldn’t cause Julietta Romero to break out in hives, the presence of mistletoe was a dangerous thing indeed. She’d got it managed, she’d avoided incidents for years, then some stupid idiot in the office decided it should be spruced up for the holidays and disaster struck. Worse still, some the desperate fool in the street witnessed her humiliation, and who would he be but the client her boss needs her to get signed. All she wanted to do was get away for Christmas, now she has to stay until he signs the deal. But he isn’t playing fair, he hasn’t even read the contract. He is everywhere, in her business, in her home, and haunting her dreams. She needs to get this playboy out of her mind, but it seems fate has other plans.

High Heels And Mistletoe is a wonderful Christmas themed romance by the talented C.A. King. I loved the characters in this book, you can’t help but root for them Julietta starts to learn the joy of Christmas while Luke believes he has found the one thing that has been missing all his life. But fate often throws a curve ball. I loved watching how these two danced around each other, building foundations of something more and watching them grow together. It really is a great Christmas read, full of the spirit and joys that make that time of year great while weaving a tale of romance and magic you can’t help but adore.

Book link:

Book review: Emily Stormbrook – Hel to Pay

[image error]

After witnessing the brutal murder of his parents, Marrok Lovel was enslaved by the alpha of the Woodroe Cluster in exchange for his sister’s freedom. Forced to grow up quickly he spends his life fighting, first in the rings, and then delivering punishments for unpaid debts. That was how his path crossed with Hel’s. Her parents had snorted, injected, and gambled until making repayments was impossible. Marrok had taken women as payment before, but none like her. He was broken, dead inside, and yet this feisty woman somehow stirred within him a promise of something else. She made him want to live again. But Woodroe has other plans, with a buyer secured He’s days are numbered, can Marrok find a way to overcome the will-binding to save a woman whose light is so bright it chases away his own darkness, or will he fail her, just like he failed his sister?

Emily Stormbrook’s Hel to Pay is the first book in the Elswyth Chase series, and oh my, what a read. I instantly fell in love with the vibrant characters and was whisked away on an exciting journey of danger, love, and passion. There were times I needed to catch my breath. From heart-pounding action and tragedy, to sex scenes that leave you gasping, this is one book that has it all to offer. It is everything it needs to be, emotional, deep, and a sensory delight. I can’t wait for the next book!

B ook link:

Book review: Kate Messick – Wizards And Wives’ Tales (@KateMessick)

[image error]

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Joe is certainly missing Sandy and Dillion. Alone in a new country he is trying, he has found a new table-top game, new people to play with, but it is all so different. Used to being the GM he must hand over the reins to Paula,  but her style is different, the system unfamiliar. But that’s not the only strange territory he is in, if there is one thing he struggles with its relationships. Friends, enemies, even lovers sit around that table, but can he learn to let go of the past and embrace what FATE has put before him, or will he play it safe and miss the opportunity of something great?

Kate Messick’s Wizards And Wives’ Tales Is a litRPG that flicks between reality and the game world. Having read the first book and really enjoyed it, I have been looking forward to seeing what life has in store for Joe next. Heartbroken and deflated, pining for a woman who will never be his, his mood is as dark and depressing as England’s winter weather. There is so much to enjoy about this book, the unique style continues, and I even got to learn about the FATE system, of table-top gaming, which isn’t one I was familiar with. It was great how the author gives you all the information you need so smoothly, whilst never info dumping or providing more than is needed. I really enjoyed watching the characters interact and how the group dynamics grow and alter as everyone grows closer. Vivid characters, epic journeys, and subtle manipulations fill the plot of both worlds. An entertaining read from start to finish

Book link:

Book review: Empire High: Betrayal Ivy Smoak (@IvySmoakAuthor )

[image error]

Brooklyn has every reason to fear for her life, Isabella has made it clear that she is not welcome, but she’s had enough of being pushed around. She belongs in Empire High as much as anyone, and she is going to prove it. She’s made mistakes, hurt people, but she’s going to fix everything. While lost in a world of insecurities and hatred it’s easy to forget that the stakes are higher than who gets to sit at what table and with whom, it’s life and death. Can she survive this world without losing herself and everyone she loves, or will she become what she’s always feared, a Pruitt.

Ivy Smoak’s Empire High: Betrayal takes you on an emotional rollercoaster of love, fear, and heartbreak. I was so excited when this book was released early and it was burning a hole in my kindle from release day but I knew I had to give it my full attention. This is yet another masterpiece by the woman who is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. This was such an amazing read. This gripping series will have you falling in love with the characters, and better yet, their lives don’t end here, each one has their own series or spin off. Now I have to wait for the final addition of this series and I’m on pins to see the conclusion of Matt’s story. An epic series with characters you can’t help but love.

Book link:

Book review: Simone Beaudelaire – Polar Heat (@ladychkara)

[image error]

The moment Russ’ path crossed with Riley’s he knew she was special. This shy, timid creature had captivated him from the moment she slipped into his plane, and she was all he could think about. But there was a danger with his pull to her. She was human, and while he was not accepted fully by his kind, he was not beyond their judgement. To claim her as his mate he must reveal their existence, but that is not the only obstacle. Riley fled here to escape her past, but it seems that dark history isn’t quite finished with her yet.

Polar Heat by Simone Beaudelaire is a shifter romance based in the icy climate of Alaska. This charming romance focuses on the growing pull between Russ and Riley as he tries to win her affection and coax the woman she is through the barriers of her insecurities. With a past that has haunted her for so long, Riley must learn to trust, to let herself be vulnerable. I enjoyed watching their growing bond strengthen and develop and loved the addition of lore and supernatural into the perfectly paced plot. Romance, passion, danger, and a past that won’t let go. It’s a good job it’s cold outside because things are getting steamy.

Book link:

Book review: Victoria Philips – Five Days in March (@LisaVProulx)

[image error]

From the moment he laid eyes on her Wren knew Sparky was his forever. He would never love more deeply or truly, and yet if there was one thing always missing, preventing this great romance that was written in the stars, it was timing. Too soon, too late, but never right. Even when the right time seemed upon them things had a way of changing. Littered with insecurities and obstacles the path of love is never simple, all one can truly hope is that in the end it was worth the hardship. Five Days in March is the story of Sparky’s life, as love orbits, and fate collides. Live the story through her eyes. You can have many loves, but you only have one forever.

Five Days in March by Victoria Philips is not my normal kind of read. I usually stay away from biographies and true stories, but this I had to read. I loved the author’s style, it was so far apart from my normal genres, a tale written in first person that spoke directly to the reader in an engaging manner as all life’s secrets are laid to bare. Sparky had lived, she has experienced highs, lows, loss, devastation and hardship. Life tempered her, made her strong, just as experience helped Wren to grow. This is a truly moving read, emotional, heartfelt, and yes, I’ll confess there were times I cried reading about the deep cutting tragedies within. I loved learning about Sparky’s life, and I have nothing but respect for the woman. An immersive read, a tale of love, loss, heart-break, strength, growth, and courage. What’s not to enjoy?

Book link:

Forgotten Legacies series is now complete

With the recent release of The Dream Walker I am pleased to announce the Forgotten Legacies series is now complete!

Check out the amazing trailer my very talented artist did for me. I am blown away by their amazing talent.

If you haven’t started this multi-award-winning series yet, pick up your copies today, or get them free on kindle unlimited

Darrienia:

The Severaine:

Remedy

The Dream Walker:

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this epic series as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Stay safe, keep dreaming

KS the Dreamer x

Book review: Empire High: Elite – Ivy Smoak (@IvySmoakAuthor)

[image error]

Her mother had kept Brooklyn’s father identity a secret, so had her uncle, and with just cause. The family was toxic, poison. Kidnapped from her uncle’s funeral Brooklyn is thrust into a world most girls could only dream about, except everything about her situation screams nightmare. Sure there’s money, but she never cared for that. She only ever wanted to be happy, and in the prison that has become her life such an emotion seems not only out of reach but a completely alien concept. She was never going to fit into this world and the one person she thought she could rely on seemed content to sit in silence with a front row seat to her suffering. Confused, grieving, and lonely, she seeks comfort only to find herself pushing people further away as her life crumbles around her. Can she survive the nest of vipers, and who in her life can be the antivenom, the rock, she so desperately needs?

Ivy Smoak’s Empire High, Elite, is out and last and I can’t believe I read it all in one sitting and now have to wait until January. January! It’s cruel and inhumane making us wait. I tried so hard not to read it, to give myself a chance to reduce the wait time, but Ivy really plays with temptation (and I don’t mean the book from her Hunted series) I swear, her books are the reason gags were invented, so let this be a warning to those unsuspecting fools who try to speak to anyone who is reading her work. I literally shut myself in the bedroom for the day and read none stop. I loved this latest edition to the series, it truly was a rollercoaster of emotion from frustration and sadness, to outrage and elation. I can’t say much more than if you haven’t read one of Ivy Smoak’s books, then you’re missing out. No one weaves a twisted tale wrought with emotion quite like Ivy.

Book link