Book Review: THE ORCHID THRONE by Jeffe Kennedy

The Orchid Throne
Forgotten Empires Book 1
Jeffe Kennedy
September 24, 2019
St. Martin's Paperbacks
eBook, Paperback, 384 pages

BLURB
"The Orchid Throne is a captivating and sensual fantasy romance you won’t want to miss! High stakes. Remarkable worldbuilding. Unique and compelling characters. A slow-burn romance that’ll make you combust.” — Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles

"The Orchid Throne captures from the first page and doesn't let go as Jeffe Kennedy weaves a timeless tale of love and survival amidst a lush backdrop teeming greed and deceit. You will fall for Lia and Con and root for them with every breath you take. This is a book that will linger in your thoughts for a very long time."- Darynda Jones, New York Times bestselling author

Welcome to the world of Forgotten Empires from award winning author Jeffe Kennedy that begins with The Orchid Throne.

A PRISONER OF FATE

As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Euthalia will do anything to keep her people free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…

A PRINCE AMONG MEN

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Euthalia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?

My Review:

This is my first time reading this author but it definitely won't be the last. I loved the world building, it was so rich with depth. 

The reader will experience a myriad of feels while reading The Orchid Throne - rage at the tyrant, sad for his victims, and conflicted over a queen whose feelings are often masked behind a cold facade - which to me shows excellent plot development and writing to cause me to have such different emotions during the course of the story. The characters are well developed and you feel their feelings, their triumphs and hardships, their passion... oh boy the passion. 

Overall I loved this book and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

4.5 of 5 Stars!

I Can't Wait For...The Widow of Rose House

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

I found out about this book when the publisher emailed me a sign up for the blog tour. Unfortunately I've taken on more ARCs than I can handle at the moment but I added it to my TBR when I get the chance...

The Widow of Rose House

By Diana Biller
Historical Fiction
eBook, Paperback, audiobook, 352 Pages
October 8, 2019 by St. Martin's Griffin 


Blurb

A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel
It's 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. However, fresh starts aren't as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn't believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor, Samuel Moore, appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn't need any more complications in her life―especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam.

Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva's new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva's history―and her heart.

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers.

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What do you think? Will you be checking this one out? 

Book Review: Broken Promise by Tara Thomas

Broken Promise (Sons of Broad #3) by Tara Thomas

Blurb:

SHE SWORE TO KEEP HER PROMISES. 

BUT CAN SHE KEEP THEM SAFE…AND PROTECT HER HEART?

Charleston Police Officer Alyssa Adams made a promise years ago to protect innocent women from harm. Now, she won’t rest until she can reunite every lost daughter with her family.Bring closure to every grieving husband. And, most of all, find out what happened the night her own sister disappeared, more than ten years ago…

As the eldest of the Benedict brothers, Kipling will stop at nothing to protect his family from a threat that aims to destroy them once and for all. But when a long-lost sibling is kidnapped by a powerful adversary, Alyssa is the only one he can turn to to get her back.

As Alyssa and Kipling band together to find their lost siblings, a powerful attraction builds between them that they can’t ignore. As the truth comes to light, will one broken promise tear them apart?

My Review:

Broken Promise is the third book in the Sons of Broad Trilogy by Tara Thomas and focuses on eldest son, Kipling Benedict and Officer Alyssa Adams.

Years ago, a tragedy shaped Alyssa Adams' future, turning her from her dream of pursing a degree in history to a career in law enforcement. She made a promise to protect women from harm and to find out who murdered her sister. What she never planned on was Kipling Benedict or the shocking connection between her family and his.

Kipling Benedict's family has been through a lot. First his brother Keaton and his fiancé were targeted and the family housekeeper was shot, then his brother Knox's wife was attacked and the man they hired as a bodyguard for Bea turned out to be that attacker, evidence uncovered that the plane crash that killed his parents years earlier was no accident, and now the madman orchestrating all of these plots against the Benedict family and their nearest and dearest has kidnapped Jade, the sister Kipling didn't know he had until recently. He'll have to work closely with Officer Alyssa Adams to uncover the identity of the man targeting his family before it's too late. But will he and Alyssa be able to ignore their undeniable connection? Or will they give into one another?

Of the three main books in this series, Broken Promise was the most predictable and anti-climactic book in my opinion. It also felt shorter than the other two, but that might be my imagination. I had an inkling of who The Gentleman was in Darkest Night but I wasn't positive until his identity was revealed in Broken Promise. His motivation for attacking the Benedict family was a bit of a disappointment. I expected a better - or maybe juicer is the better word - motive than what his reasoning turned out to be. It was unoriginal. 

Thankfully, all unanswered questions from past books seem to be wrapped up in Broken Promise which is a huge relief as the reader sees everything come together. 

Overall, this book is a quick, enjoyable read and a must if you've read the first two books and the novellas that come with the series but in my opinion it's more predictable and not quite as good as the first two books. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟1/2

3.5 of 5 Stars!

Book Review: Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

Song of Blood and Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1) by L. Penelope

Blurb:

A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers. 

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart. 

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it's people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps. 

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation. 

The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

My Review:

I really tried to like this book, honest I did. The cover is nice but initially this book had points against it from the get go - the blurb didn't appeal to me and neither did the first chapter and I almost DNF'd it right there but I'd been sent a Netgalley widget from the publisher so I forced myself to give it a chance (I did not request this book, someone from the publisher sent me the widget because I've read/reviewed other books published by them). 

I may be completely oblivious but until I read other reviews I didn't really get that one of the themes in this book was supposed to be racial issues. I mean I see a colored girl on the cover,  so I assumed Jasminda was supposed to colored but hey - the last time I heard that name was in Bend It Like Beckham and she was of Indian descent! When the author went into the hatred between Elsira and Lagramiri people I thought it was a distinction of magic-people and non-magic-people, but okay - I guess it was supposed to be a black-vs-white thing. And Jack is apparently white so it's an interracial couple so again, I guess great for diversity, but I don't really care about that stuff. In my opinion if two people love each other then who cares what their skin colors are. It's 2018 people, we shouldn't have to have books saying its okay to have interracial relationships, it should just be accepted at this point, but I digress. My point all along was saying that I didn't know Jasminda was supposed to be black and Jack was supposed to be white because I thought they were kind of one-dimentionally described. Even now I have no idea what Jack was supposed to look like, I can't picture him at all and all I got out of Jasminda was she had dark hair, dark eyes, and was darker than her mother and brothers. Darker could have meant tanned for all the reader knows. 

As for the world-building and plot, I was able to get into the first 11-12 chapters before the story lost me again. Girl helps guy who thinks he's still in a different country, guy is recaptured by enemy forces, girl somehow races back to her cabin to beat the enemy forces there, reluctantly lets them stay there so she can help the guy who she's finding herself attracted to... some other stuff happens and then when they got to the cornerstone or counterpoint or whatever the story lost me again. I didn't understand what Earthsong was because it really wasn't well described (like most things in this book it's kind of vague). I assume it was magic, but what kind of magic? Jasminda healed Jack so was it a healing magic or did she have like a fix all, do all kind of magic? Either way, from what I read she wasn't very powerful but she kept having "bad feelings" when she came in contact with other magic. 

Then there's the "True King" and the "Queen who Sleeps" which was almost laughable to me. Since I didn't finish this book I can only assume they were some sort of magical beings and not truly rulers or Elsira and Lagramiri. Just the names were enough to get me. 

Overall throughout what I read (and I even skimmed to the end, which was what pushed me to finally DNF) it seemed like the author was trying to create a unique world, characters, story idea - the whole bit, but it was just your typical fantasy novel and not a very interesting one at that. Everything was just a little... underdeveloped for my taste. You have a female character who is your special snowflake - she has "powers", she's in debt, she's trying to save her home and then she meets the guy. The male character is protective of the heroine whom he barely knows but he's immediately attracted to her and together they go on a journey to save their world. Yawn. I feel like I've read this all before and I just could not positively connect with this story. 

My Rating:

DNF

Book Review: Darkest Night by Tara Thomas

Darkest Night (Sons of Broad #1) by Tara Thomas

Blurb:

In this first novel in the explosive, brand-new romantic suspense Sons of Broad series from Tara Thomas comes a novel of deadly secrets and hidden danger. In the sultry streets of Charleston, one family, ruled by its powerful, take-no-prisoners sons, has risen to the top. But a merciless killer is out to destroy them…and everyone they hold close…

Keaton Benedict is the notorious playboy of Charleston’s streets. The youngest brother in the ruthless clan of men that run the biggest shipping industry in the South, he’s got money to burn and time to play. But there’s one woman for whom Keaton would give up everything he has just to kiss her one more time—the beautiful girl he loved when he was just a teenager. And when he finds her waitressing at an upscale gentlemen’s club the same night as a gruesome murder of one of the dancers, Keaton knows he must do everything he can to protect her.

Tilly Brock has learned the hard way to take care of herself. Once the daughter of a wealthy, well-bred Southern family, her life fell apart when her father was accused of embezzling money from Benedict Industries—an accusation that left her family destitute, and ripped Tilly away from the only boy she knew she would ever love. But just as she slowly reenters Keaton’s world of wealth and status, an enemy of Benedict industries is out there, biding his time, waiting to make his next move…

As the killer draws Tillly and Keaton closer into his dark web, they must uncover the threat that hunts them, before it’s too late.

My Review:

A week after Tilly Brock's first kiss with her childhood best friend Keaton Benedict, her father was accused of embezzling from Keaton's father's powerful shipping industry and her family's standing in Charleston was ruined. Now back in Charleston and working as a waitress in a gentlemen's club Tilly fantasizes that one day the boy she left behind will come walking through the door - and then he does.

Keaton Benedict never forgot about Tilly Brock nor did he ever quite believe what he father was accused of. Now years later when he reconnects with her by chance and realizes their old attraction is still there and stronger than ever he knows that he doesn't want to lose her from his life again. 

But someone in the shadows has an old grudge against the Benedict family and he's targeting the Benedicts through the people they care for the most and when bodies begin dropping at their door Keaton and Tilly will have to rely on each other and the strength of the Benedict family to stop a killer before it's too late.

I really liked Darkest Night. The story draws you in, told in multiple perspectives including the mysterious "The Gentleman." Who is the Gentleman? Why does he hate the Benedict family so much?

I liked the pacing of the book although it felt too fast in places... I swear there were two or three deaths in three days. I would have drawn it out a little more. The suspense was gripping and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen, but this book doesn't give a true resolution but a lead into the second book. I'm not sure we'll get an answer as to who The Gentleman is until the third book, but I'm sure it will keep me reading the series until I find out! I loved the Benedict brothers and Tilly's relationship with Keaton, although at times some of the things he said to her were a little cheesy. 

The one thing I didn't like in this book was the Elise subplot. There's a killer after Tilly but hey, let's add in someone blackmailing Keaton into marriage just for the hell of it. It should have been one or the other or maybe Elise as the killer in my opinion. I also didn't feel like I got a true handle on Tilly's father's embezzlement. Did he do it or not? Will the answer be revealed in a future book?

Overall, I really liked this book. It reminded me of an early Carly Phillips crossed with Lisa Jackson and I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to read the next two books!

My Rating

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 of 5 Stars!