{Book Review} A TOUCH OF DARKNESS by Scarlett St. Clair

  

A Touch of Darkness

Hades & Persephone Book 1

Scarlett St. Clair

Released: May 23, 2019

299 Pages

Blurb:

A Modern Hades and Persephone Retelling

Persephone is the Goddess of Spring by title only. The truth is, since she was a little girl, flowers have shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hopes to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist.

Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible.

After a chance encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead and the terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever.

The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows—and it’s forbidden.

My Review:

I finally decided to pick up this book after seeing it so much on Bookstagram. I was afraid I wouldn't like it but I love the Hades and Persephone myth so much I had to give it a try. And I'm so glad I did!

It was interesting seeing this take on Persephone's relationship with her mother, Demeter. It's definitely unlike any other retelling I've read. This Persephone was kept really sheltered by her cruel, controlling mother until she left Olympus to attend college in New Athens in this awesome urban fantasy world where the Greek gods are modern day celebrities.

Persephone was warned by her mother to stay away from the gods, especially Hades, whom her mother hates. But when her friend gets on the list to go to Hades's club and she makes conversation with a handsome stranger Persephone finds herself face to face with the feared god himself. And in an iron-clad contract with Hades to create life in the Underworld. But Persephone is unable to grow anything and fears she will be stuck in the Underworld forever. 

I loved Hades and Persephone's chemistry, it was such a sexy read and I loved watching their relationship develop from Persephone hating and not trusting Hades to where they were at the end. I also really liked Hecate and the other characters we meet in the Underworld. 

I also really enjoyed the world building in this book and the modern spin on one of my favorite greek myths. 

I couldn't get enough of this book and I can't wait to see what will happen to my new favorite couple in book 2!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

{Book Review} GRAVEBRIAR by Casey L. Bond

  

Gravebriar

Standalone

Casey L. Bond

Released: March 19, 2021

Indy Pub

Blurb:

Sometimes witches hunt their own…

Someone knows my secret and they’re wielding it as the weapon of my execution. I stand accused of poisoning my Gravebriar coven mate. To my fatal regret, I can’t prove my innocence without revealing the truth I’ve long kept hidden: while every other Gravebriar witch are green witches and healers, my magic lies in poisons.

There is one witch who believes me – the same boy who was sent to kill me with instructions to pluck the briars that sprouted from my grave – the only cure for a Gravebriar witch. Forge Silverthorn will be my undoing… or my salvation.

He claims there is a malicious plot vining through the witch town of Cauldron that threatens to tighten around my throat in a deadly noose. Promising I can escape by seeking the help of a banished witch who hides our kind in plain sight, he leads me to a dark circus full of witches.

The ringmaster will only help us if we agree to join his circus of uncanny tricks and diabolical feats for two nights only, using our magic to thrill his patrons. In exchange for our participation under the big top, he’ll divulge the information I need to save my coven mate and clear my name.

But when dark secrets emerge from the shadows of this promised sanctuary, I’m forced to decide if I can truly trust anyone, especially Forge… my would-be executioner, my coven’s sworn enemy, and my could-be love.

My Review:

I'd been meaning to read this one since it first came out and now I wish I'd read it sooner!

I loved everything about this book. The town of Cauldron was fascinating, an entire city of witches. It was really interesting reading about the different types of witches in this world and the amazing things they could do. Everything was so vividly described so as to give the reader a perfect visual. I felt like I was right there in the story.

Castor was a character I could really connect with and I loved her chemistry with Forge. Anyone that likes enemies-to-lovers will really love watching them together. Their heat steams right off the page. 

I also really liked the carnival Castor and Forge end up at and the twist that is uncovered there. 

Overall, I couldn't stop reading this book. I literally was sneaking sections of it while I was at work because I had to see what was going to happen next. I would love to see something more in this world because I really hated leaving it when the book was finished. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

{Audiobook Review} FRESH BREWED MURDER by Emmeline Duncan

 

Fresh Brewed Murder

A Ground Rules Mystery Book 1

Emmeline Duncan

Cozy Mystery

240 Pages

Blurb:

Portland is famous for its rain, hipsters, craft beers . . . and coffee. Sage Caplin has high hopes for her coffee cart, Ground Rules, which she runs with her business partner, Harley—a genius at roasting beans and devising new blends. That’s essential in a city where locals have intensely strong opinions about cappuccino versus macchiato—especially in the case of one of Sage’s very first customers. . . .

Sage finds the man’s body in front of her cart, a fatal slash across his neck. There’s been plenty of anger in the air, from longtime vendors annoyed at Ground Rules taking a coveted spot in the food truck lot, to protesters demonstrating against a new high-rise. But who was mad enough to commit murder? Sage is already fending off trouble in the form of her estranged, con-artist mother, who’s trying to trickle back into her life. But when Sage’s very own box cutter is discovered to be the murder weapon, she needs to focus on finding the killer fast—before her business, and her life, come to a bitter end. . . .

My Review:

Usually I'm not a fan of cozy mysteries, but this didn't read like one. It was just a good mystery with a main character who was passionate about one of my favorite things - COFFEE! I love the complexity and difficulties of Sage's childhood and how she overcame her mother's reputation and history to become the fully-rounded person she is. 

Each of the cart owners had their own distinct three-dimensional personalities and I liked how each added to the story. I also loved Sage's coffee metaphors and learning the character's perspective/insight on making perfect coffee/lattes/espresso. 

There were a couple things I question, wondering if they'll come to light in future books but overall I really loved this book and I'm excited to see what Sage is going to get up to next!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

{Book Review} THE 2ND BEST HAUNTED HOTEL ON MERCER STREET

 

The Second-Best Haunted Hotel on Mercer Street

Standalone

Cory Putman Oakes

Middle Grade Paranormal

304 Pages

Blurb:

A family-run haunted hotel’s livelihood is threatened when a bigger haunted hotel opens nearby in this hilarious, spooky story

Twelve-year-old Willow Ivan’s family has run the Hotel Ivan for four hundred years. Through thick and thin, they’ve held on tight to their title as the Best Haunted Hotel on Mercer Street. That is, until the Hauntery—a corporate chain of haunted hotels—moves in down the street. As the Ivan’s business fades, so do their ghostly staff. And Willow begins to worry that The Ivan’s days are numbered.

Then Willow meets Evie, a Hauntery ghost who’s forced to play the part of a Spooky Little Girl even though she longs to be a Terrifying Phantasm. So when Willow offers her a job at The Ivan, Evie accepts—but she doesn’t tell Willow that she’s still working for The Ivan’s competition, for fear of losing her new job and friend.

Together, the girls come up with a plan to save The Ivan. But with The Ivan ghosts already fading and Evie’s secret threatening to come out, will it be too late?

My Review:

I don't read a lot of middle grade books but I couldn't resist this one after I saw it on bookstagram. I only wish I would have read it during the Halloween season.

Willow's family has run the Ivan Hotel on Mercer Street for 400 years. They've held tight to their title of best haunted hotel until The Hauntery, a corporate chain of haunted hotels moves in down the street - to a Victorian mansion that Willow swears wasn't there before. On top of that, the Ivan has seen better days, Willow's dad is locked in grief after the death of Willow's mother, and some of their resident ghosts are starting to fade and move on. Willow has to think of something before the Ivan is put out of business.

Enter Evie. Evie is a Hauntery ghost stuck forever in the role of "spooky little girl" even though she dreams of being a "terrifying phantasm." When she meets Willow she sees her chance to achieve her dream and help Willow in the process. But The Hauntery has driven other family-run establishments out of business in the past and it won't play fair in the battle of the haunted hotels. 

I loved everything about this book. It was interesting to see world-building where ghosts were the norm and even an essential part of big corporate industry. This book was cute, interesting, and shockingly emotional. Picture me, a 28-year-old woman tearing up over several of the ghosts Moving On. I was a blubbering mess! 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

{Blog Tour and Book Review} HE'LL BE WAITING by Liz Alterman

 

 

I'm thrilled to help spread the word about Liz Alterman's debut release,

HE'LL BE WAITING!

He'll Be Waiting is a standalone YA Thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat and up reading all night!

 

GoodReads ~ Amazon ~ Indiebound ~ Barnes&Noble

 

Synopsis:

 

What would you do to remember? What would you give to forget?

When Tess Porter agrees to pick up her boyfriend’s college pal at the airport on a snowy December night, she has no idea she’s about to embark on the most dangerous ride of her life.

Two days later, the 17-year-old wakes up in a hospital with broken bones, unable to remember how she got there. Her parents are acting strange, and neither James, her boyfriend, nor her best friend, Izzy, has visited. As she struggles to physically recover, Tess wrestles with haunting questions: What happened? Will her memory ever return? And what if she’s better off not recalling any of it?        

And check out Liz's He'll Be Waiting playlist to enhance your read!

Spotify Playlist

     

Excerpt:

“Tess! Tess!’ Mom pats my right arm gently. “Honey, wake up, you’re having a bad dream.”

I stare at her, confused. It was so real. I’d been tumbling, falling down beside a flat cement wall. I’d tried to stop myself, but there was nothing to grab on to, no banister or ledge. All I could smell was damp, wet earth. A man stood above me. I couldn’t see his face and had no idea who he was. But one thing was clear: He’d come to hurt me. Me specifically. 

In my nightmare and in real life, my mouth is dry, my tongue as sandpapery as Daffy’s. I can’t speak. My heart gallops, thumping hoofbeats pound in my ears.

“This is how it ends!” he shouted in the dream, his voice echoing as I plunged into total darkness and struggled to crawl out of sight. I couldn’t move. My legs wouldn’t work. 

I want to tell Mom everything, but I can’t catch my breath. Was it only a dream or does it have something to do with my accident? What if it’s one of the flashes Lydia talked about? Memories attempting to resurface? Is the man in the dream Nick? My head hurts thinking about it. For once, I'm actually grateful to be in this hospital bed. Safe.  

My Review:

I went into this book expecting a thriller but He'll Be Waiting is so much more. It's about Tess's journey through grief, remembering what happened to her, and learning to move on even when it seems unbearable.

Tess is 17, it's just before Christmas and she's waiting on her perfect boyfriend James to come home from college for the holidays. But James has a request, a friend of his is stranded at the airport. He's lost his phone, wallet, and luggage and he needs somewhere to stay for the night. Could Tess go pick him up? Wanting to do anything for James, Tess quickly agrees. Driving in the growing blizzard Tess picks up "Nick" from the airport. He seems to know all about her, even the layout of her house. He gives Tess the creeps... but just who is the person she picked up at the airport really? The answer to that will put Tess and James in the crosshairs of a deranged killer with a vendetta against Tess's family. And not everyone will make it out alive.

I couldn't stop once I started reading this book. It was tense and twisted but the further I read, as I watched Tess experience grief, loss, and reliving the events of that awful night I had all the feels, including more than a few tears. 

I really loved this book and I'll definitely read more by this author. 

My Rating: 

4.90 of 5 Stars!

Meet the author:

Liz Alterman lives in New Jersey with her husband and three sons. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Parents, McSweeney's, and other publications. He'll Be Waiting is her first young adult novel. When she isn't writing, she spends most days microwaving the same cup of coffee and looking up synonyms.    

Connect with Liz:

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

 

Bookish and Not So Bookish Thoughts - 1 August 2019

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts is a Weekly Meme hosted by Christine @ Bookishly  Boisterous.

1. My 27th birthday is coming up this Sunday. I've been feeling a range of emotions - excitement, depression, sadness, guilt. I feel like I should be making a better deal out of my birthday than I am but I've been on such a low lately I don't want to. 

2. I've taken a much needed break from fantasy novels, which is not unusual this time of year, and have picked up Making Up by Helena Hunting. I've been wanting to read her books for a while and this one has been calling my name since I picked it up a couple weeks ago and wow... I AM LOVING IT! It's so funny and sexy! I'll definitely check out her backlist.    

3. It's the beginning of a new month which means new headings on my bullet journal! I'm going to check out Pinterest later to see how I want to do it this month. 

4. I didn't stick to my July spending ban. I feel terrible. Okay, I feel slightly guilty. In my defense most of the books I received this month were ARCs or books I'd preordered/got in a book box. My splurges were on clothes and wireless headphones. Clothes are a necessity, right?

5. I'm not making a iron-clad TBR schedule for next month. I don't have any blog tours to stick to deadlines for so I'm going to wing it and read what appeals to me when it appeals to me.