Reading Roundup

Time flies when life comes at you fast, doesn’t it? Here’s a quick roundup at some of the books I’ve read and enjoyed over the past few weeks :)

Along Torturous Paths by Vivian Moira Valentine – Amelia Temple harbors a cosmic being in her consciousness and is pursued and coveted for her parapsychological abilities, which are far greater than anything seen before in science or humankind. Amelia is an anomaly (a miracle?), but what she wants most is to be a good friend, a good girlfriend, and to do typical teenage girl things. She also wants nothing more than to learn her mother’s identity, but the people who know the truth have a pesky habit of dying before she can pry a name from them.

And the people trying to play God definitely have other plans for her.

Vivian Moira Valentine takes readers on a mind-bending journey from the fire into the frying pan, then straight back into the fire again. What’s real and what isn’t—maybe it’s all real; maybe none of it is—consumed my attention as much as wanting to see Amelia through this next level of danger and betrayal. ~ 4 Stars

The False Shaman by Jordan Castillo Price – Jordan Castillo Price has drifted into the depths of the Opposites Attract trope’s romantic potential in the Red Hand series. The Orcs and the humans they fall for have met few insurmountable obstacles.

Come hell or high water love finds a way, though the power imbalance in The False Shaman is not insignificant. Archie being enslaved by the Orcs presents its share of problems, Droko not being who he’s pretending to be makes for its own share of danger, but it’s the antagonism and loathing of an ambitious and corrupt guard that inadvertently draw Droko and Archie together to face whatever comes their way.

This is a fun fantasy series, cozy and sexy at the same time, with a few twists and hurdles but never a question that happiness will prevail. ~ 4 Stars

Murder Under Construction by Alex Henry – Alex Henry is the pen name of three long-time authors, JL Merrow, Ripley Hayes, and Sue Brown. It’s no wonder this book sucked me in, took me through my paces, and then left me wanting more of DI Leon Peterson and his DS, Jasmine Todd, at the end.

Leon and Jasmine get shafted out of a high profile investigation and ordered to investigate a dead body discovered at a construction site, a murder that, as it’s revealed, happened several decades ago. As the identity of the victim comes to light, the location of the body and the circumstances surrounding his death take on a tragic note beyond the loss of life.

This novel is a procedural, so don’t expect a romance to run alongside the mystery. The investigation into the murder leads Leon into unexpected territory, but it’s his inability to let his prior case go that proves the mettle of the man and the sharpness of his instincts. I want to follow him and Jasmine through many more crimes and investigations. ~ 4.5 Stars

A Pirate’s Life for Tea and Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne – Consider me thoroughly smitten. If this series isn’t reminding me of Robin Hood or Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s giving The Princess Bride vibes, and I’m just sitting here loving every minute of it. Now that Kianthe, the Mage of Ages, and Reyna, the once and formerly treasonous Queensguard, have made their home in Tawney, it doesn’t mean that their adventures have ended. What happens in Tawney doesn’t often stay there, in fact, taking these women on swashbuckling chases, even giving Reyna some time to matchmake, and eventually leading to matrimony. And don’t forget capturing and dethroning the Queen while they’re at it.

There is so much warmth and comfort in these books: deep friendships and found family, humor (such questionable puns, really), a cheeky pirate who is a real scene stealer, not to mention griffons and dragons whose heroics save the day.

The end of Tea You at the Altar leaves readers hanging on to the promise of much more adventure to come. What will happen to next is anybody’s guess. ~ 4.5 Stars