Natalina Reis's Blog, page 4

Holiday Getaway – Book Review

Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a perfect read for me, Christmas or no Christmas. It was funny and sweet with just a touch of angst. For such a short story, the characters were very well-developed, their personalities coming across loud and clear–even the dog’s personality had humpf. Not an easy task when you are looking at less than 40K words. But Mary Kay did it.
I truly enjoyed it and I think I will check the author’s other romances in the future.

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Cruel Winter With You – Book Review

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not her best but still awesome.

Hazelwood’s trademark humor, family dynamics (not necessarily good), and swoon-worthy MMCs makes this one-sitting novella a great, fun read for the holidays or really any other time of the year you need something sweet, spicy, and heartwarming.

Hazelwood is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance writers.

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Ruthless Vows – Book Review

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just like the first book in this duology, Ruthless Vows has that “vintage” feel of reality mixed with magic that makes it such an interesting read. Ross’s world building is excellent without being tediously cluttered with too many details, described instead through the characters’ acts, thoughts, and everyday lives.
This second installment is heavier on the romance, but the drama, adventure, and suspense don’t lose any of the first book’s intensity.
The characters (all of them, including the side characters) are very well developed and the whole story is sprinkled with the two main characters’ letters and articles which lends the prose a certain lyrical tone that is both lovely and refreshing.
I so loved this duology that I already ordered Ross’ earlier books.
Highly recommend it.

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Simon Sort of Says – Book Review

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven’t read a middle grade book in a long time, but I started reading this one because of the quirky title and got hooked as soon as I read the title for the first chapter, “In which we are driven out of Omaha by alpacas”. How could I resist reading it after that?
This book is fabulous. The author manages to write about an extremely serious and traumatic event with grace and humor while never allowing the reader to forget about the gravity of the event. The characters, from Simon himself to his parents (a funeral home owner and a Catholic deacon) and Simon’s new friends and their families, are well-developed, quirky, imperfect and lovable.
From a church incident with a rogue squirrel to the evil peacock that guards Simon’s yard everything stacks up to make this story just as funny as it is heartbreaking. It’s a story about survival and the power of friendships and family love.
Read it even if you are an adult way past your teens. It’s an amazingly well-written story.

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Where the Library Hides – Book Review

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, just like in the first in this duology Ibañez keeps the reader on their toes throughout the whole story. It’s a rollercoaster of events and emotions. This second book has a lot more romance (which I love) but without taking away from the adventure/mystery flow. I absolutely loved it and I smell a spin-off (hinted on the very unique and interesting epilogue) which I will be more than willing to read.
Prepare for some shocking revelations and to hold your heart in your hands throughout the story. Inez and Whit are still my favorite characters in the current fictional world. I’m very excited to read the other books by this very talented author.
Bien hecho, señora!

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The Bodyguard – Book Review

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lately I have found myself craving rom coms, both in print and on the screen. Unfortunately not all rom coms are created equal so when a friend suggested I read Katherine Center’s “The Romcomers” I was cautiously excited. I read it and absolutely loved it. As soon as I finished it, I bought this one and I wasn’t disappointed.
The story is bubbly without being cheesy, the writing is excellent but not stuffy, the characters are fantastic (I really want to be their friend) and very well developed. The handling of serious issues was perfectly balanced with humor. In summary: I LOVED IT!
My only and super tiny bone to pick with the author is that I felt the epilogue went on for far too long. I was more than satisfied with the ending and I didn’t feel the epilogue added much to the story. It’s just my personal opinion and I am certain others will totally disagree.
But I did love the author’s note at the end. Being an author myself, I so identified with the feeling of joy and freedom that writing a good story can bring, and how attached we can get to our fictional characters. Thank you for writing this, Ms. Center.
If you like rom coms, don’t miss this one.

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An Enchantment of Ravens – Book Review

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was not sure what to expect from this book. I bought it partly because I love the cover, and partly because I loved her Sorcery of Thorns novel. But I am so glad I did because I loved it.
Some of the things I loved the most about it:

1. It’s an unusual story that doesn’t follow the same type of plotline as many recent romantasies (both YA and adult).

2. Love the use of art as a type of weapon against the ugly side of things (and by ugly, I mean everything shallow and evil).

3. The fact that Isobel’s love interest is not perfect, in fact he is–in his true form–pretty unsightly.

4. LOVED her twin sisters (I won’t say why but these are two of the most unusual characters I have read in a long time).

5. Isobel’s intelligence and smarts (redundant? Maybe).

6. The writing is fabulous with such vivid descriptions that you feel you can see, hear and smell it.

But the end was the cherry on top. I really couldn’t imagine how it would end with all the odds stacked way up against a happy ending. But Rogerson came through with a surprising and satisfying ending to the story.

Highly recommend it to any fantasy with a side of romance fans.

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Golden Hills Haunting-Blog Tour

M.D. Neu has a new gay horror book out: Golden Hills Haunting.

After their daughter was bullied at school, Kyle and Alejandro decided to make a fresh start and move into a beautiful new cul-de-sac development. As they take up residence, the family enjoys seeing the community come to life. But when lights flicker, shadows lurk, and small objects disappear, they begin to doubt their sanity.

When Alejandro and many of their neighbors are struck down by a strange sickness that defies explanation, the family starts to question their recent life change. Feeling trapped they speak with their new neighbors, learning they aren’t alone in the haunted neighborhood.

Who do you turn to when the authorities can’t offer any assistance or protection? How do you fight against a sinister force that is older than time? Can Kyle, Alejandro and the rest of the occupants of Golden Hills Court survive or will this nightmarish ordeal destroy them?

Universal Buy Link

Excerpt

(from Chapter One)

When I decided to sit down and write our story, I wasn’t sure where to open, and I’m still not. Since things didn’t begin all bad, they kicked off slowly. Which makes finding the starting point difficult. I guess when we questioned what was happening in our neighborhood was the day Alejandro came home not feeling well. We’d been in our house for about four months, everything had been unpacked, and our new place felt like a home. Even Chloe, our daughter, had managed to make friends in the neighborhood. We’d had family and friends over and even managed to pull off a big party: our housewarming, which thinking back now should have been our first warning given what happened that day. I digress. Alejandro rarely came home from the office sick, but on that day, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him so ill.

We were lucky, of course. He was unwell, but he wasn’t as bad as some of our neighbors. By the time we got Alejandro settled in bed to rest, three different ambulances had shown up on our cul-de-sac dealing with numerous medical emergencies at various houses. By that evening, almost every home in our circle had been visited by emergency services. The media didn’t catch wind of the story for a few more days, not until the EPA showed up. Hell, everyone arrived, PG&E, San Jose Water, representatives from the housing development, the County, basically every government organization you might throw a rock at. The weeks that followed were only the beginning of our nightmare.

This new house had been our dream, one we had been working toward for years and we needed the change desperately. Our home was the second finished on our street and we were the second family to move in. Yes, we were going to be living around construction for a couple more weeks, but for this house, the daily construction would be worth it, especially at the price we paid. In this valley, these homes were an outright steal. Chloe, in theory, would be at school during the day or off with friends or at therapy. Alejandro and I both worked so we wouldn’t be around during the day when a majority of the construction commenced. Well, except for me. I still worked from home three days a week, but I could manage the noise; I had my music. The only real problem: the traffic as people were moving in and construction teams came and went. We imagined we’d be able to deal with the building and the neighborhood, but we were wrong.

The cause of the mystery illnesses. What a joke. It wasn’t a gas leak or anything in the water or the dirt. We were all looking for the wrong things. At the time, no one ever contemplated we were under attack from the supernatural or paranormal or whatever you want to call a bunch of pissed off spirits and a horde of Demons thrown in for good measure.

But is that when everything commenced?

I don’t think so.

We should have known something was off when we went to the sales center, about three months prior to our moving in. Let me start from before we moved in and go from there. Knowing how things began will help paint a full picture.

Our new neighborhood, our new home, was an infill neighborhood, one of those small groupings of houses that are built on a subdivided parcel of land. They do that a lot in San Jose, with housing being an issue. It’s funny, there wasn’t even a model home to look at. There was a portable sales office with floor plans and finishes to pick from. How we got the house didn’t matter to us; getting the house was what mattered. Chloe needed the change, especially with all she had been dealing with. So, when I found out they were building this infill community, I told Alejandro and we understood we would have to move promptly. After seeing the information, the next day we called out from work and drove to Evergreen to check the location.

The area had everything we were looking for. Chloe could walk to the school, Chaboya Middle School, and she would have to make new friends, but we understood she’d manage. Chloe was social despite the trouble she had when we first got her. There were parks and a creek, plus several trails for hiking and biking. Down Fowler Road at Ruby Avenue a quaint Evergreen Village had been established with shops, restaurants, and larger stores. We couldn’t have asked for a better neighborhood.

If we only knew.

Author Bio

M.D. Neu is an international award-winning inclusive queer Fiction Writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to Science Fiction and Paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.

Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.

When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a non-profit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric his husband of twenty plus years.

Website: http://www.mdneu.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Writer_MDNeu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mdneuauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormdneu/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-d-neu

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/66488958-md

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorMDNeu

QueerRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-neu/

Liminal Fiction: https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-neu/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-D-Neu/e/B076FK1S14

Chaos Kin – Cover Reveal

Sheryl R. Hayes has a new FF paranormal romance book coming out (bi, poly), Jordan Abbey book 3, and we have the cover reveal: Chaos Kin.

In the town of Rancho Robles, can one werewolf protect the Children of the Wolf and the Bat? Chaos Wolf Jordan Abbey has made friends among the Black Oak Pack even though she refuses to join it. The same can’t be said of the vampires, but her life has taken a turn for the better.

That is until Enya Blevins, sister to the werewolf who turned Jordan, arrives in Rancho Robles. She wants to know who killed her baby brother and is less than impressed by the Chaos Wolf. Enya wants revenge, starting with Jordan and ending with the vampires infesting the area.

Jordan is prepared to flee, but a technicality makes her an Alpha Werewolf. Now she must stand her ground to protect her nascent Pack and those she loves.

The past has come back to bite her. Does she have the fangs to bite back?

About the Series:

In the Northern California town of Rancho Robles where the Children of the Wolf and the Bat share an uneasy coexistence. One werewolf woman threatens to upset that balance.

Universal Buy Link | Liminal Fiction | Goodreads

Author Bio

Sheryl R. Hayes can be found untangling plot threads or the yarn her three cats have been playing with. She is equally likely to be shooing one of them off the keyboard as she is working on her novels and short stories. In addition to writing, she is a cosplayer focusing on knit and crochet costumes.

Author Website: https://www.sherylrhayes.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/sherylreneehayes

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/sherylrhayes

Author Mastodon: https://mastodon.online/@sherylrhayes

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherylrhayes/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16468770.Sheryl_R_Hayes

Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/sheryl-r-hayes/

Author Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/sherylrhayes

Rivers of London – Book Review

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up this book after an author’s recommendation at a writer’s conference panel. A few years ago I started having at least two books going at the same time: one physical or e-book and an audio book. I bought Rivers of London as an audio book.
I LOVED it! It had great voice, amazing world building where the fantasy flawlessly blended in with reality, awesome characters, intricate mystery, and a very healthy dose of humor.
The voice actor did an excellent job and I looked forward to my commute to and from work everyday just to listen to the story developing and evolving.
I already picked up book 2 in the series and I can only hope it’s just as good and that we can find out who exactly is the penis snatcher, lol.
Great read. Highly recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy or really any fantasy with mystery and action.

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