Where Fiction and Reality Meet
Title: A Circle of Stars Series: The Stardust Duology: Book One Author: Craig Montgomery Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 483 Pages Category: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, YA/Teen Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: A Circle of Stars is a political saga and comes with some content cautions, including homophobia and abuse. Craig Montgomery's writing is straightforward without being... Continue Reading →
Title: An Education in Malice Author: S.T. Gibson Publisher: Redhook Length: 346 Pages Category: Dark Fantasy, Historical Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: An Education in Malice is not meant to be light on drama. It foments darkness, steeps in a soup of its own secrets, complicates itself with a fixation on a decades-long separation... Continue Reading →
Title: Most Ardently Series: Remixed Classics: Book Nine Author: Gabe Cole Novoa Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Length: 304 Pages Category: Teen Fiction, Historical Fiction Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: This story is told with an abundance of heart, and while I do feel there could have been a deeper dive into the characterizations—Most Ardently... Continue Reading →
Title: Something Wicked Series: Black and Blue: Book Three Author: Lily Morton Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 340 Pages Category: Paranormal Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Overall, while I liked the horror and mystery elements of Something Wicked a great deal, I think the advancing of Blue and Levi’s relationship may have been better served in... Continue Reading →
Title: The Captain's Holiday Homecoming Series: Christmas Masquerade: Book Four Author: Meg Mardell Publisher: Self-Published Length: 97 Pages Category: Historical, Holiday Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: The heart of this story is also its appeal. Kindness and empathy are its hallmarks. That I wanted more isn't a criticism, merely a wish gone unfulfilled.... Continue Reading →
Title: Death by Silver Series: Lynes & Mathey: Book One Authors: Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold Publisher: Queen of Swords Press Length: 375 Pages Category: Historical Mystery, Fantasy Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: While I remain perplexed by all the accolades heaped up this book, if you like a good procedural mystery, Death by... Continue Reading →
Title: A Draft of Ash and Wine Series: Midnight Guardians: Book Two Author: Kristin Jacques Publisher: City Owl Press Length: 311 Pages Category: Historical, Paranormal Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: The egregious editing notwithstanding, I liked the continuation of what is shaping up to be a trilogy. I'd be lying, though, if I didn't... Continue Reading →
Title: This Is How You Lose the Time War Authors: Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press Length: 223 Pages Category: SciFi Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: There is an extravagant and dazing wordiness to this story, like gorging on mouthfuls of narrative where simplicity might have sufficed, though the end result... Continue Reading →
Title: Harley Quinn: Reckoning Series: DC Icons Series: Book One Author: Rachel Allen Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Length: 390 Pages Category: YA/Teen Fiction Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Reckoning is all about the Girl Power. Rachel Allen unapologetically instills this as the foundation of her plot, and embracing that is a... Continue Reading →
Title: Straight Author: Chuck Tingle Publisher: Self-Published Length: 84 Pages Category: Horror Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Straight is not for the sensitive reader. It's a bit spendy for its length, and it could have used a proofreader, but its goal was the happy ending for a group of queer friends, and in that,... Continue Reading →
Title: The Solstice Cabin Series: Flos Magicae Author: Arden Powell Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 95 Pages Category: Holiday Romance, Fantasy Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: If you're looking for something a little different and a bit fantastical this holiday season, a story that reunites two friends and gathers together their fears, strength, and courage... Continue Reading →
Title: The Rivals of Casper Road Series: Garnet Run: Book Four Author: Roan Parrish Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition Length: 258 Pages Category: Contemporary Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: There are so many cute little details Parrish throws into this book, including Zachary's address, and obviously Casper Road must be honored in ghosty Halloween... Continue Reading →
Title: Emerald Earth Series: The Witch Brothers Saga: Book One Author: Adam J. Ridley Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 200 Pages Category: Fantasy Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: There are no surprises or unexpected turns to this story, which makes it a sweet, low-drama read, predictable but still interesting for the inclusion of the... Continue Reading →
Title: The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry Series: Unnatural Magic: Book Two Author: C.M. Waggoner Publisher: Ace/Penguin Books Length: 383 Pages Category: Gaslamp Fantasy Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Delly Wells' unique elocution was such a fun novelty, and the opposite-side-of-the-tracks romance between Delly and Winn was terribly, irresistibly sweet. The pace was slow-going... Continue Reading →
Titles: Not So Fake, Not So Innocent & Not So Nice Series: The Real Thing: Books One thru Three Author: Emma Lyon Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 157 Pages, 156 Pages, 215 Pages Category: Contemporary Romance Ratings: 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars At a Glance: There are grand romantic declarations and gestures aplenty in the... Continue Reading →
Title: If This Gets Out Authors: Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich Publisher: Wednesday Books/Macmillan Length: 408 Pages Category: Young Adult, Contemporary Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: There's a lot to unpack in If This Gets Out, and I think Dietrich and Gonzales do a darn good job of addressing it all. I liked that... Continue Reading →
Title: Never Stay Gone Series: Big Bend Texas Rangers: Book One Author: Tal Bauer Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 361 Pages Category: Romantic Suspense, Murder Mystery Rating: 3.75 Stars At a Glance: The murder mystery in this book has some great shocks and surprises to keep tensions running high in the search for and revelation of... Continue Reading →
Title: Seeing Blind Author: Poppy Dale Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 293 Pages Category: Contemporary Romance Rating: 3.75 Stars At a Glance: Seeing Blind is not without its flaws, but in the end it's a sweet and uplifting and sometimes poignant debut romance. Reviewed By: Lisa Blurb: Jamie’s world is small. He likes it that way... Continue Reading →
Title: The Threefold Tie Author: Aster Glenn Gray Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 148 Pages Category: Historical Romance, Bisexual Romance, M/F/M Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: The Threefold Tie is a quiet story, not given to extremes of emotion or action. I found more to like in the book than not, but would've appreciated... Continue Reading →
Title: A Scot's Surrender Series: The Townsends: Book Three Author: Lily Maxton Publisher: Entangled: Scandalous Length: 242 Pages Category: Historical Romance Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: A Scot's Surrender is a sweet and tender bit of escapism, low on the conflict and high on some of my favorite romantic tropes. Reviewed By: Lisa Blurb:... Continue Reading →
Title: The Oak Wood Throne Series: San Amaro Investigations: Book Two Author: Kai Butler Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 333 Pages Category: Urban Fantasy Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: If my relationship with this book had a status, it would be: "it's complicated." There's a lot to love about the world Kai Butler has imagined... Continue Reading →
Title: The Bandalore Series: Pitch & Sickle: The Diabolus Chronicles: Book One Author: DK Girl Publisher: Self-Published Length: 236 Pages Category: Gaslamp Fantasy Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Despite some slow pacing to allow for the world-building, I found The Bandalore to be a deliciously compelling intro to a world that's far from mundane.... Continue Reading →
Title: Requiem Series: Fallen Fire: Book Two Author: Richard Amos Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 268 Pages Category: Urban Fantasy Rating: 3.75 Stars At a Glance: Requiem gets off to a bit of a slow start, but once Richard Amos escalates the chaos and intrigue, I was left nothing less than curious about where he's taking... Continue Reading →
Title: Reborn Series: Fallen Fire: Book One Author: Richard Amos Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited Length: 356 Pages Category: Urban Fantasy Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Reborn is some fun, if not groundbreaking, Urban Fantasy. I’m still warming up to these characters and their story, which is why I can’t go as far as to say... Continue Reading →
The Novel Approach Reviews 