en-US Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:01:39 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 211332278 For fans of Jordan Peele’s films, Stranger Things, and The Other Black Girl, Listen To Your Sister is a laugh-out-loud, deeply terrifying, and big-hearted speculative horror novel from electrifying debut talent Neena Viel.

Twenty-five year old Calla Williams is struggling since becoming guardian to her brother, Jamie. Calla is overwhelmed and tired of being the one who makes sacrifices to keep the family together. Jamie, full of good-natured sixteen-year-old recklessness, is usually off fighting for what matters to him or getting into mischief, often at the same time. Dre, their brother, promised he would help raise Jamie–but now the ink is dry on the paperwork and in classic middle-child fashion, he’s off doing his own thing. And through it all, The Nightmare never stops haunting Calla: recurring images of her brothers dying that she is powerless to stop.

When Jamie’s actions at a protest spiral out of control, the siblings must go on the run. Taking refuge in a remote cabin that looks like it belongs on a slasher movie poster rather than an AirBNB, the siblings now face a new threat where their lives–and reality–hang in the balance. Their sister always warned them about her nightmares. They really should have listened.]]> 343 Neena Viel 1250289149 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 february-2025-queue 3.28 2025
author: Neena Viel
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/28
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: february-2025-queue
review:

]]> 62703226 At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer�I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,� Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.]]> 383 Riley Sager 0593183223 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.12 2023
author: Riley Sager
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 65214080 Bestselling authors Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey have teamed up to deliver a dark new story with magic, monsters, and mayhem, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.

Julie Crews is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-something who packs a lot of magic into her small body. She’s been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she’ll work the most gruesome gigs to claw her way to the top.

Julie is desperate for a quick career boost to break the dead-end grind, but her pleas draw the attention of an eldritch god who is hungry for revenge. Her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts her closest friends � and the entire world � directly in the path of annihilation.

The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Khaw’s cosmic horror and Kadrey’s gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York’s magical underbelly.]]> 391 Cassandra Khaw 1250867029 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 currently-reading 3.58 2023
author: Cassandra Khaw
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 27827
Nabokov notes how translating rhymed poetry into unrhymed prose robs a poem of its 'bloom'. A huge work of scholarship, this enormous book illuminates Pushkin's great verse novel in obsessive detail & describes early 19th century Russia.
Nabokov's commentary consists of line-by-line notes on Pushkin's poem.]]> 309 Alexander Pushkin 0691019053 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.25 1833
author: Alexander Pushkin
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1833
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read, classic, russian-literature, to-buy-wish-list
review:

]]> 220239073 A clever and hilarious new mystery about a mother who thinks she has to do it all—even solve a murder—from the author of It's Elementary

After rage quitting her job, Mavis finally has time to get all the rest she’s been putting off. Or she should have the time. Hypothetically. Except she’s taken on a new ĚýSupermom. Her hours are filledĚýwith chauffeuring her daughter, Pearl, around toĚýher extracurricular activities, somehow ending up class mom, and…investigating another mystery?

When Coach Cole, the director ofĚýtheĚýkids’Ěýsoccer program, drops dead on a sunny Saturday morning, no one suspects foul play. However, the police soon discover something suspicious left on the field, making it clear that someone had it in for the coach. But who?ĚýSure, parents got mad when he made their precious star athletes sit on the bench, but not that mad.

Mavis is determined to find out, even if it takes her into the dark, dangerous underbelly of gentleĚýparents and MLM girlbosses. Plus, it’s an easy distraction from everything else going on. Like the panic attacks she keeps brushing off. Or the fact that she’s unemployed and totally lost as to what her purpose and path in life should be. And then there’s her ex-husband who’s back in town and doing everything she’s ever wanted, just as she’s beginning a new relationship. Mavis knows a murder investigation probably isn’t the self-care she needs right now. But how exactly are you supposed to take care of yourselfĚýwhen you don’t even know who you are anymore?]]> 368 Elise Bryant 0593640802 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.44 2025
author: Elise Bryant
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 202102044 A fast-paced, completely delightful new mystery about what happens when parents get a little too involved in their kids' schools, from NAACP Image Award nominee Elise Bryant.

Mavis Miller is not a PTA mom. She has enough on her plate with her feisty seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, an exhausting job at a nonprofit, and the complexities of a multigenerational household. So no one is more surprised than Mavis when she caves to Trisha Holbrook, the long-reigning, slightly terrifying PTA president, and finds herself in charge of the school’s brand-new DEI committee.
As one of the few Black parents at this California elementary school, Mavis tries to convince herself this is an opportunity for real change. But things go off the rails at the very first meeting, when the new principal's plans leave Trisha absolutely furious. Later that night, when Mavis spies Trisha in yellow rubber gloves and booties, lugging cleaning supplies and giant black trash bags to her waiting minivan, it’s only natural that her mind jumps to somewhere it surely wouldn’t in the light of day.
Except Principal Smith fails to show up for work the next morning, and has been MIA since the meeting. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Mavis, along with the school psychologist with the great forearms (look, it’s worth noting), launches an investigation that will challenge her views on parenting, friendship, and elementary school politics.

Brilliantly written, It's Elementary is aĚýquick-witted, escapist romp that perfectly captures just how far parents will go to give their kids the very best, all wrapped in a mystery that will leave you guessing to the very end.]]> 368 Elise Bryant 0593640780 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 It's Elementary is such an entertaining, well-written book. Timely themes for the current situation in the United States from the perspective of a black mom who just wants to be the best parent she can, Elise Bryant gives readers a great story with laugh-out-loud moments, memorable characters, and great plotting. Mavis is very relatable with her overflowing obligations that war with feeling like she has to work extra hard to excel at everything. Mavisâ€� daughter Pearl is absolutely adorable, her best friend Jasmine is a hoot, and the other moms at the school are memorable–at times hilarious and others highly annoying (especially Trisha). There is also a swoony romance with a handsome, very sweet guy who’s more than happy to be Watson to Mavisâ€� Sherlock. In short, the character development is excellent. The narrator Aure Nash was so good. She was very vibrant and perfectly embodied Mavis and all the characters in their varied personalities.

I had so much fun with this book! Looking forward to the next book with Mavis!

]]> 3.73 2024
author: Elise Bryant
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: 2025-fans-of-interracial-romance-ye, bwwm, 2025-reads, cozy-mystery, netgalley, arc, audiobook, library-checkout, favorites, first-in-series, black-african-american-author, black-african-or-aa-heroine, heroine-is-a-mom
review:
It's Elementary is such an entertaining, well-written book. Timely themes for the current situation in the United States from the perspective of a black mom who just wants to be the best parent she can, Elise Bryant gives readers a great story with laugh-out-loud moments, memorable characters, and great plotting. Mavis is very relatable with her overflowing obligations that war with feeling like she has to work extra hard to excel at everything. Mavis� daughter Pearl is absolutely adorable, her best friend Jasmine is a hoot, and the other moms at the school are memorable–at times hilarious and others highly annoying (especially Trisha). There is also a swoony romance with a handsome, very sweet guy who’s more than happy to be Watson to Mavis� Sherlock. In short, the character development is excellent. The narrator Aure Nash was so good. She was very vibrant and perfectly embodied Mavis and all the characters in their varied personalities.

I had so much fun with this book! Looking forward to the next book with Mavis!


]]> 36538793
In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life.

Learning to slayĚýdemons won’t be easy, and Tanjiro barely knows where to start. The surprise appearance of another boy named Giyu, who seems to know what’s going on, might provide some answers…but only if Tanjiro can stop Giyu from killing his sister first!]]> 192 Koyoharu Gotouge 1974700526 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.39 2016
author: Koyoharu Gotouge
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215364215 The Crimes of Rooker Flynn]]> 370 A.R. Witham Danielle The Book Huntress 4 The Crimes of Rooker Flynn and The Trial of Rooker Flynn definitely fit the bill. While I read very slowly lately because of a number of reasons, when I picked up my ereader or phone, I found myself immersed in the world of these stories. My emotions ran through the spectrum, and I was never bored. If you like adventure that calls to mind the classic novels, such as written by Jules Verne, then you should check these out. The magic is intriguing, and the characters are captivating, sometimes because you hate them so much. I read these as a bindup called, The Locke Institute from Netgalley, but they are available to buy separately. There is a third book coming out soon, The Execution of Rooker Flynn: Locke Institute Trilogy Book 3. And one of the characters, a teen named Jack, has his origin story in The Legend of Black Jack, which I still need to read. I definitely recommend reading these books!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley, courtesy of Nepenthe Press.]]> 4.64
author: A.R. Witham
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.64
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: arc, adc-reviews, netgalley-jan-2025-queue, favorites, new-to-me-author, alternate-dimension-or-world, portals, antihero, imprisoned-ex-convict, imposter, nerd-prof-scientist-genius-geek, fantasy, 2025-dhasg-yearly-challenge, 2025-reads
review:
It's great when you stumble across a brilliant book, especially when you read a lot and kind of get used to things been merely good to okay. I love books that suck me in and force me to feel all the feelings. Sometimes to the degree that I'm scared to keep reading. Well, these two books: The Crimes of Rooker Flynn and The Trial of Rooker Flynn definitely fit the bill. While I read very slowly lately because of a number of reasons, when I picked up my ereader or phone, I found myself immersed in the world of these stories. My emotions ran through the spectrum, and I was never bored. If you like adventure that calls to mind the classic novels, such as written by Jules Verne, then you should check these out. The magic is intriguing, and the characters are captivating, sometimes because you hate them so much. I read these as a bindup called, The Locke Institute from Netgalley, but they are available to buy separately. There is a third book coming out soon, The Execution of Rooker Flynn: Locke Institute Trilogy Book 3. And one of the characters, a teen named Jack, has his origin story in The Legend of Black Jack, which I still need to read. I definitely recommend reading these books!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley, courtesy of Nepenthe Press.
]]> 214229691 From an outstanding new voice in cozy fantasy comesĚýGreenteeth,Ěýa Ěýtale of fae, folklore, and found family, narrated by a charismatic lake-dwelling monster with a voice unlike any other, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher.

Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce.

Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she's worth saving. Temperance doesn't know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.

Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny's lake and Temperance's family, as well as the very soul of Britain.]]> 304 Molly O'Neill Danielle The Book Huntress 4 Greenteeth is a warm, engaging fantasy that makes a reader want to curl up and enjoy the journey. Jenny Greenteeth is thoughtfully and vividly personified from the British legends and in such an appealing way. The water hag faerie being who is often depicted as malevolent or at least predatory is brought to life as a character whose point of view is insightful, earthy and humorous at times, and melancholic in others. This book says a lot in a naturalistic manner, igniting joy in the reader along the way. Greenteeth is so enjoyable, with all the elements that fantasy readers would enjoy, great world building, a clash between evil and good, awe-inspiring magic and creatures of lore and legend, and eerie beings and places in faery lands. There is a bittersweet element in that this story recognizes that things always change with time, but there is also joy in looking forward. I recommend this for fans of faerie lore, legends and the creatures that inhabit those legends, and cozy fantasy lovers.

Overall rating: 4.5 stars/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley, courtesy of Orbit Books.]]> 3.98 2025
author: Molly O'Neill
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: cozy-fantasy, good-versus-evil, who-is-the-real-monster, water-theme, creatures-of-the-water, set-in-uk, british-myths-and-legends, witch-sorcereress-healer, faerie, mythical-beasties, mythical-lore, arthurian, goblins, favorites, new-to-me-author, adc-reviews, arc, march-2025-netgalley-queue
review:
Greenteeth is a warm, engaging fantasy that makes a reader want to curl up and enjoy the journey. Jenny Greenteeth is thoughtfully and vividly personified from the British legends and in such an appealing way. The water hag faerie being who is often depicted as malevolent or at least predatory is brought to life as a character whose point of view is insightful, earthy and humorous at times, and melancholic in others. This book says a lot in a naturalistic manner, igniting joy in the reader along the way. Greenteeth is so enjoyable, with all the elements that fantasy readers would enjoy, great world building, a clash between evil and good, awe-inspiring magic and creatures of lore and legend, and eerie beings and places in faery lands. There is a bittersweet element in that this story recognizes that things always change with time, but there is also joy in looking forward. I recommend this for fans of faerie lore, legends and the creatures that inhabit those legends, and cozy fantasy lovers.

Overall rating: 4.5 stars/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley, courtesy of Orbit Books.
]]> 215207321
The Locke Institute has only three rules:

1) Obey your betters.
2) Gather at sunrise.
3) Be inside by sundown.

But some men can't be told what to do.

Rooker Flynn is a rebellious, hot-tempered pirate who never met a rule he didn’t break. He wants his freedom, and he will stop at nothing to get it.

But the Headmistress is determined to crush Rooker's spirit; she will use bounty hunters, giant poisonous spiders, and an arsenal of dark secrets to keep her pupils in line.

Good thing Rooker knows one student who is smarter than all the rest put together; a kid genius who knows strange mysteries that are not of this world.

Working together, Rooker's bravado and the kid's brains might be enough to outwit their captor and stage a daring escape...or die trying.

__________

Perfect for those who loved Red Rising, A Deadly Education, and The Great Escape, you will lose yourself inside a suspenseful page-turner that you will not be able to put down until the very last word.]]> 373 A.R. Witham Danielle The Book Huntress 4 The Crimes of Rooker Flynn and The Trial of Rooker Flynn definitely fit the bill. While I read very slowly lately because of a number of reasons, when I picked up my ereader or phone, I found myself immersed in the world of these stories. My emotions ran through the spectrum, and I was never bored. If you like adventure that calls to mind the classic novels, such as written by Jules Verne, then you should check these out. The magic is intriguing, and the characters are captivating, sometimes because you hate them so much. I read these as a bindup called, The Locke Institute from Netgalley, but they are available to buy separately. There is a third book coming out soon, The Execution of Rooker Flynn: Locke Institute Trilogy Book 3. And one of the characters, a teen named Jack, has his origin story in The Legend of Black Jack, which I still need to read. I definitely recommend reading these books!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley, courtesy of Nepenthe Press.]]> 4.44
author: A.R. Witham
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: arc, adc-reviews, imprisoned-ex-convict, imposter, antihero, prison-setting, 2025-action-adventure-aficionados-c, magic, pirate, bad-boy-rake-or-rogue, favorites, new-to-me-author, part-of-a-series, alternate-dimension-or-world, netgalley-jan-2025-queue
review:
It's great when you stumble across a brilliant book, especially when you read a lot and kind of get used to things been merely good to okay. I love books that suck me in and force me to feel all the feelings. Sometimes to the degree that I'm scared to keep reading. Well, these two books: The Crimes of Rooker Flynn and The Trial of Rooker Flynn definitely fit the bill. While I read very slowly lately because of a number of reasons, when I picked up my ereader or phone, I found myself immersed in the world of these stories. My emotions ran through the spectrum, and I was never bored. If you like adventure that calls to mind the classic novels, such as written by Jules Verne, then you should check these out. The magic is intriguing, and the characters are captivating, sometimes because you hate them so much. I read these as a bindup called, The Locke Institute from Netgalley, but they are available to buy separately. There is a third book coming out soon, The Execution of Rooker Flynn: Locke Institute Trilogy Book 3. And one of the characters, a teen named Jack, has his origin story in The Legend of Black Jack, which I still need to read. I definitely recommend reading these books!

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley, courtesy of Nepenthe Press.
]]> 57840571 Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches...

In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.

But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.

When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her.

Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.

Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.]]> 352 Isabel Cañas Danielle The Book Huntress 0 currently-reading 3.83 2022
author: Isabel Cañas
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 219448962 She’s a walking scandal.
Clare Handleton was ruined ten years ago and has borne the consequences ever since. Branded as “Scandalton� by the ton, she has long since stopped caring about Society’s fickle rules. Now, at twenty-eight, she’s mastered the art of slipping past her mother’s scrutiny, appearing unfazed by it all. But when the dangerously handsome Marquess of Trentham crosses her path, he stirs something she thought long buried.

He’s a scandal magnet.
Ashford Drake, the Marquess of Trentham, is the very definition of devil-may-care. He’s made it known, even in the presence of the King, that marriage is off the table for him. Why would he want to continue his hated father’s legacy? So when his sister’s intriguing friend catches his eye, matrimony is the last thing on his mind.

Have they both met their match?
Thrown together during the London autumn season, Clare and Ash’s paths cross at a notorious pleasure club. They strike a no strings attached, no emotions involved. But what happens when breaking their own rules becomes inevitable?]]> 198 Valerie Bowman 196001529X Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.41 2025
author: Valerie Bowman
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 123008168 My fairy tale turned into a cautionary one.
Inked in tar and sealed in tears.

From Wall Street Journal bestsellers L.J. Shen and Parker S. Huntington comes an explosive marriage of inconvenience...between a tarnished Romeo and a reluctant Juliet.

It was supposed to be a harmless kiss at a lavish debutante ball.
A clandestine moment with a handsome stranger.

But unlike his namesake, my Romeo isn’t driven by love.
He’s fueled by revenge.

To him, I’m a chess piece. Leverage.
His rival’s betrothed.

To me, he is a man deserving of poison.
A dark prince I refuse to marry.

He thinks I’ll accept my fate.
Well, I plan to rewrite it.

And in my story, Juliet doesn’t die.
But Romeo? He perishes.

Authors� Notes: My Dark Romeo is a standalone reluctant arranged marriage romance between a cruel billionaire heir and a feisty heiress unafraid to fight back. It is set in the decadent Dark Prince Road world.]]> 366 Parker S. Huntington 1950209075 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.59 2023
author: Parker S. Huntington
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211003749 In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian� is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange � what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? � but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well�

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?]]> 304 Stephanie Burgis 1250359597 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 currently-reading 3.80 2025
author: Stephanie Burgis
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 223289093 the execution of Rooker Flynn.]]> A. R. Witham Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 0.0
author: A. R. Witham
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 7781699 “Lord Nicholas is a paragon of manhood. And his eyes, Dear Reader! So blue!� Pearls & Pelisses, June 1823

Since being named on of London’s “Lords to Land� by a popular ladies� magazine, Nicholas St. John has been relentlessly pursued by every matrimony-minded female in the ton. So when an opportunity to escape fashionable society presents itself, he eagerly jumps—only to land in the path of the most determined, damnably delicious woman he’s ever met!

The daughter of a titled wastrel, Lady Isabel Townsend has too many secrets and too little money. Though used to taking care of herself quite handily, her father’s recent passing has left Isabel at sea and in need of outside help to protect her young brother’s birthright. The sinfully handsome, eminently eligible Lord Nicholas could be the very salvation she seeks.

But the lady must be wary and not do anything reckless� like falling madly, passionately in love.]]> 357 Sarah MacLean 0061852066 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 3.87 2010
author: Sarah MacLean
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: historical-romance, 2023-dhasg-narrow-my-pile-challenge
review:

]]> 211399646 The caretaker at an isolated mountain hotel finds herself fighting for her life—and sanity—in this twisty, addictive thriller.

Kerry’s life is in shambles: Her husband has left her, her drinking habit has officially become a problem, and though the deadline for her big book deal—the one that was supposed to change everything—is looming, she can’t write a word. When she sees an ad for a caretaker position at a revitalized roadside motel in the Catskills, she jumps at the chance. It’s the perfect getaway to finish her book and start fresh.

But as she hunkers down in a blizzard, she spots something through the window: a pale arm peeking out from a heap of snow. Trapped in the mountains and alone with a dead, frozen body, Kerry must keep her head and make it out before the killer comes for her too. But is the deadly game of cat-and-mouse all in her mind? The body count begs to differ...]]> 333 Leah Konen 059371590X Danielle The Book Huntress 0 3.37 2025
author: Leah Konen
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: february-2025-queue, currently-reading
review:

]]> 61484887
Nothing’s more dangerous than a monster hunter with a mission.

Marius Grey hunts Monsters. He's not supposed to. He's only twelve and his job as a Cemetery Boy is to look after the ghosts in his family's graveyard. He should be tending these ghosts and–of course–going to school to learn how to live between worlds without getting into trouble.

But, Marius has an expensive goal. He wants to bring his mother back from the dead, and that takes a LOT of mystic coins, which means a LOT of Monster Hunting, and his mother’s window to return is closing.

If he wants her back, Marius is going to have to go after bigger and meaner monsters, decide if a certain flesh-eating mermaid is a friend or foe, and avoid meddling Demons and teachers along the way. Can Marius navigate New Orleans’s gritty monster bounty-hunting market, or will he have to say goodbye to his mother forever?]]> 256 M.R. Fournet 1250876028 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 currently-reading 3.95 2023
author: M.R. Fournet
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 529126
With a face scarred in battle and a heart broken in love, Thayer has no interest in marriage. But not even the Red Devil can break the promise his foster-father made years ago and soon finds himself married to a woman whose exquisite beauty and sweet innocence intrigue him. But can his new bride look beyond his scars to find a hidden passion and undying love locked deep inside him?]]> 336 Hannah Howell 0821780042 Danielle The Book Huntress 3 3.82
author: Hannah Howell
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.82
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 182871 Get The Inside Scoop - loads of specialist contributions by experts in Antarctica's history, ecology and scientific research.
Go Wild - know your albatross from your snow petrel with our comprehensive wildlife section.
Get There - choose the best tour, expedition or flyover with our detailed transportation chapter.
Find Your Way - 52 detailed maps to help you keep your bearings.
Talk The Talk - handy glossary of unique Antarctic slang and terminology.
]]> 328 Jeff Rubin 1740590945 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.89 1996
author: Jeff Rubin
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 7107036
Collection of 10 crime fiction stories, featuring women as gun-toting action protagonists. The treatment of these heroines is admiring and respectful. Stories included are: "Biker Angel," "Cops and Robbers," "The Falcon of Bitmesh," "The Capta and the Cop," "The Capta and the Cop, Part II," "Lights Out," "Sisters, Dark and Light," "An Afternoon at the Beach," "'Tis the Season," and "New Day at the Office."]]> 254 Thad Brown Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.56 2009
author: Thad Brown
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: short-story-collection, kickbutt-heroine, pulp-fiction, crime-fiction, to-buy-wish-list, currently-reading
review:

]]> 49655321
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we’re willing to go for the ones we love.]]> 428 Jordan Ifueko 1683357191 Danielle The Book Huntress 5
Raybearer is a unique concept and introduces a beautiful, rich mythology of the author's creation to the reader. Tarisai was created to achieve her mother's revenge, and raised with that goal in mind. She has strong abilities, but her life essentially belongs to her mother and she has to do what her mother tells her to. This makes her life complicated, even tragic as her mother's revenge requires her to infiltrate the heir of the emperor's court, where she finds friendship and belonging such as she's never known.

This book takes a while to get going, but it's needed and well-rewarded. There is so much to establish. At the same time, it doesn't feel boring as the writing is so richly detailed with descriptions of the magical world the characters inhabit, and the authentic-feeling cultures they operate in. I love how Ifueko handles magic, and the unique connect that forms between the characters in the royal court. There are some awe-inspiring set pieces and this book feels highly cinematic. And the payoff of everything is so satisfying.

Love is a huge theme of this novel. What is and isn't love. The endless depths of love and the diversity of its forms. When we believe obsession is love, but it isn't. Or when love is manipulated for selfish reasons. It's about what love makes one do, sacrifice and surrender. And it's also about how that feeling of love can be corrupted by bitterness and betrayal. Tarisai learns what true love is, and that she shouldn't have to demand love of others. The characterization is so good. Even though there are many characters, none of them are cardboard, but have depth even for their short times on screen.

This is a young adult book that treats its readers with respect and demands a lot of its readers. It doesn't dumb down the concepts, but presents very adult ideas (without graphic content that might be unsuitable to young adults). At the same time, there is fair amount of violence, and suggestions of sexual situation (not on screen) except for some passionate kisses. The plotting is immaculate and everything that is introduced has an important part of the narrative. Things build in a very satisfying way to the conclusion. And readers won't leave this book without having their emotions impacted in profound ways. It really challenges readers on the ideas around unconditional love and loyalty, and also touches on the inherent corruption of the so-called divine right to rule (and in a modern day concept how the populace concedes power to their rulers in an uncritical way.

I highly recommend this book. I think I do have to give this one five stars.]]> 4.45 2020
author: Jordan Ifueko
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: 2025-action-adventure-aficionados-c, 2025-fans-of-interracial-romance-ye, 2025-reads, african-inspired-fantasy, african-diaspora-based-folklore, fantasy, young-adult, royalty, the-lost-heir, friendship, family-legacy, found-family, favorites, first-in-series, netgalley, kindle-book, gods-and-goddesses, mythical-beasties, court-intrigue
review:
It may have taken me a long time to read this, but that's not a reflection on its quality. This is a first rate book. I have been intentional about reading more African diaspora speculative, science fiction and fantasy, and I am loving them so much. There are some amazing middle grade and young adult books out there in this arena.

Raybearer is a unique concept and introduces a beautiful, rich mythology of the author's creation to the reader. Tarisai was created to achieve her mother's revenge, and raised with that goal in mind. She has strong abilities, but her life essentially belongs to her mother and she has to do what her mother tells her to. This makes her life complicated, even tragic as her mother's revenge requires her to infiltrate the heir of the emperor's court, where she finds friendship and belonging such as she's never known.

This book takes a while to get going, but it's needed and well-rewarded. There is so much to establish. At the same time, it doesn't feel boring as the writing is so richly detailed with descriptions of the magical world the characters inhabit, and the authentic-feeling cultures they operate in. I love how Ifueko handles magic, and the unique connect that forms between the characters in the royal court. There are some awe-inspiring set pieces and this book feels highly cinematic. And the payoff of everything is so satisfying.

Love is a huge theme of this novel. What is and isn't love. The endless depths of love and the diversity of its forms. When we believe obsession is love, but it isn't. Or when love is manipulated for selfish reasons. It's about what love makes one do, sacrifice and surrender. And it's also about how that feeling of love can be corrupted by bitterness and betrayal. Tarisai learns what true love is, and that she shouldn't have to demand love of others. The characterization is so good. Even though there are many characters, none of them are cardboard, but have depth even for their short times on screen.

This is a young adult book that treats its readers with respect and demands a lot of its readers. It doesn't dumb down the concepts, but presents very adult ideas (without graphic content that might be unsuitable to young adults). At the same time, there is fair amount of violence, and suggestions of sexual situation (not on screen) except for some passionate kisses. The plotting is immaculate and everything that is introduced has an important part of the narrative. Things build in a very satisfying way to the conclusion. And readers won't leave this book without having their emotions impacted in profound ways. It really challenges readers on the ideas around unconditional love and loyalty, and also touches on the inherent corruption of the so-called divine right to rule (and in a modern day concept how the populace concedes power to their rulers in an uncritical way.

I highly recommend this book. I think I do have to give this one five stars.
]]> 321107 400 Teresa Medeiros 0553575015 Danielle The Book Huntress 5 3.99 1998
author: Teresa Medeiros
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: favorite-or-autobuy-author, historical-romance, owned-copy
review:

]]> 60159900
They say he talked to animals. They say he traveled between worlds. They say he killed a god, and they may be right. He prowled the border between light and dark. He beat the devil himself with a walking stick. He healed a thousand people in a single day and killed a dragon the same midnight.

They say there was a woman. They say he died for her. No one knows the truth.

Those are the legends about him.

If you want to know the truth I will tell you.

The Legend of Black Jack is a coming-of-age fantasy adventure complete with full-page illustrations, written by Emmy-winning writer A. R. Witham. It begins on a stormy night in Chicago but Jack Swift’s true destination lies far, far away. The skillful magic of A.R. Witham’s story whisks you away from your everyday world to an unbelievable journey with unexpected action and unforgettable characters.]]> 495 A.R. Witham 0578998092 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.32
author: A.R. Witham
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50702014 Stephen's god died on the longest day of the year�

Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind�

From the Hugo and Nebula Award winning author of Swordheart and The Twisted Ones comes a saga of murder, magic, and love on the far side of despair.]]> 366 T. Kingfisher Danielle The Book Huntress 5
One day he encounters Grace, a woman in trouble who seeks his help in an unconventional manner. He is captivated by Grace immediately, even though he knows he has nothing to offer her. And Grace has her own problems. She's not looking for a relationship. She fled her old life and is hoping to make a stable life for herself here in a new city. Her goals to establish herself as a perfumer (she has a rare ability with scents) are small and reachable. She's not asking for much more. But their paths continue to cross when Stephen has to investigate a series of grisly murders and they both get caught up in intrigue around a visiting monarch.

Sometimes, it's hard to find fantasy books that aren't so long and intricate that it takes a while to stay engaged (honestly, sometimes you just want to read a book and get in and out) and be committed for many hours until the end. There's a place for those kind of books, but it's also nice to read a shorter book that has the appealing elements you want in a fantasy, but doesn't require months to read. I used to be a fast reader, but my health issues and my busy life has made that difficult. Nowadays, I like a book under five hundred pages, but if it's well-written and can get everything I want in less pages, that's great. This book has a good length. Long enough to satisfy, but also shorter so I can have time to read more books. I love the pacing in this book and the nice mix of dialogue, internal monologue, action, intrigue and romance/sexual tension.

Kingfisher handles the angst beautifully. Both Stephen and Grace are tortured characters with their share of past trauma. Unique from each other, but equally soul-destroying in different ways. The good news is they can be there for each other. Stephen has to learn to forgive himself and trust that he is more than just a mindless killer. Grace needs to realize how wonderful she is (because her life before didn't teach her that lesson, and all she could focus is on survival). I love when the hero believes the heroine is the best thing in the world, especially in the case of a woman like Grace, who suffered emotional abuse and neglect since childhood. This one is a slow burn, will they/won't they kind of romance, but the payoff is awesome! It was more steamy than I expected!

Even though there is a lot of angst in this book, it's also laugh out loud funny. T. Kingfisher is such an incredible writer of humor, both over the top and more quiet and wry humor. The courtroom scenes had me cackling out loud. The characters Kingfisher brings to life are so unique and authentic, beautifully quirky. Even though some really scary stuff happens in their books, I almost want to live in that world just to interact and engage with them. I'm glad I can do that by reading their books.

I'm glad that T. Kingfisher writes book and that I started reading them. They bring so much joy to my life. Paladin's Grace is another example of the magic this author makes. And it's a series! ]]> 4.08 2020
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: 2025-action-adventure-aficionados-c, 2025-dhasg-yearly-challenge, scary-sexy-cool-dangerous-hero, berserker, knight-in-tarnished-armor, soldier-or-military, celibate-or-less-experienced-hero, orphan, post-traumatic-stress-disorder, unusual-profession, thirtysomething-lead, fantasy-romance, steam-level-sensual, favorite-couples, favorite-or-autobuy-author, favorites, audible-plus, audiobook, first-in-series, part-of-a-series
review:
T. Kingfisher has not missed with any of their books I've read. This is my first one by them that is romance-forward, and I loved what was accomplished. I instantly fell for Stephen and Grace as characters and their relationship. It's like if you have two friends you really like who end up together. This is the best of two worlds: a strong romance with strong world-building and fantasy elements. The concept of Stephen being the paladin (definition: a knight or champion) of a god who dies. Stephen was called into the service of The Saint of Steel, and the god empowers him with a "holy" type of rage that takes over his body in battle. When the god died, this made the paladins more prone to becoming berserkers and essentially raging out and going on killing sprees. Those were some really dark days, and only a handful survived. Fortunately, they have each other and are welcomed into the house of the Rat, who is a god whose servants are healers and lawyers. Stephen has lived day by day with the goal of atoning for his failing when his god died, and trying to stay in control of himself.

One day he encounters Grace, a woman in trouble who seeks his help in an unconventional manner. He is captivated by Grace immediately, even though he knows he has nothing to offer her. And Grace has her own problems. She's not looking for a relationship. She fled her old life and is hoping to make a stable life for herself here in a new city. Her goals to establish herself as a perfumer (she has a rare ability with scents) are small and reachable. She's not asking for much more. But their paths continue to cross when Stephen has to investigate a series of grisly murders and they both get caught up in intrigue around a visiting monarch.

Sometimes, it's hard to find fantasy books that aren't so long and intricate that it takes a while to stay engaged (honestly, sometimes you just want to read a book and get in and out) and be committed for many hours until the end. There's a place for those kind of books, but it's also nice to read a shorter book that has the appealing elements you want in a fantasy, but doesn't require months to read. I used to be a fast reader, but my health issues and my busy life has made that difficult. Nowadays, I like a book under five hundred pages, but if it's well-written and can get everything I want in less pages, that's great. This book has a good length. Long enough to satisfy, but also shorter so I can have time to read more books. I love the pacing in this book and the nice mix of dialogue, internal monologue, action, intrigue and romance/sexual tension.

Kingfisher handles the angst beautifully. Both Stephen and Grace are tortured characters with their share of past trauma. Unique from each other, but equally soul-destroying in different ways. The good news is they can be there for each other. Stephen has to learn to forgive himself and trust that he is more than just a mindless killer. Grace needs to realize how wonderful she is (because her life before didn't teach her that lesson, and all she could focus is on survival). I love when the hero believes the heroine is the best thing in the world, especially in the case of a woman like Grace, who suffered emotional abuse and neglect since childhood. This one is a slow burn, will they/won't they kind of romance, but the payoff is awesome! It was more steamy than I expected!

Even though there is a lot of angst in this book, it's also laugh out loud funny. T. Kingfisher is such an incredible writer of humor, both over the top and more quiet and wry humor. The courtroom scenes had me cackling out loud. The characters Kingfisher brings to life are so unique and authentic, beautifully quirky. Even though some really scary stuff happens in their books, I almost want to live in that world just to interact and engage with them. I'm glad I can do that by reading their books.

I'm glad that T. Kingfisher writes book and that I started reading them. They bring so much joy to my life. Paladin's Grace is another example of the magic this author makes. And it's a series!
]]> 55818283 How much would you risk to save the ones you love? Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate?

Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. If she is to locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she's never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage. Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Bolstered by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?]]> 320 Kalynn Bayron 1547610697 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.98 2022
author: Kalynn Bayron
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 43162900 From a New York Times bestseller, the second book in "an epic fantasy romance series [that] beautifully blends seduction and suspense" (Publishers Weekly).

From Gena Showalter, the New York Times-bestselling author of the Lords of the Underworld saga, comes Frost and Flame, the second book in the scorching paranormal romance series, Gods of War.

Bane of Adwaeweth is the most feared immortal warrior in All War history. Possessed by a bloodthirsty beast, he will stop at nothing to win. Then he meets irresistible Nola Lee. He hates the power she wields over him, but she alone can rain vengeance upon his wife's killer.

Unaware of her destiny to rule as queen of beasts, Nola battles illness, addiction and vulnerability. With Bane, however, she experiences pleasure for the first time, and only wants more. But being with him comes with a terrible price.

With enemies lurking around every corner, Bane and Nola must fight to survive. But time is running out, and neither can resist the sizzling attraction blazing between them. Will their romance save the beast and his beauty, or destroy everything they've come to love?

"I love this world . . . this is Gena Showalter at her best!" --J.R. Ward, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Children of the Gods series

"The Gods of War series is my new obsession." --Christine Feehan, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Leopard series

]]> 394 Gena Showalter 1488085919 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 currently-reading 4.07 2019
author: Gena Showalter
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 1611656 Bestselling author Kresley Cole continues her seductive Immortals After Dark series with this tale of a vampire shunned even by his own kind and a beautiful phantom, bound together by a passion they cannot resist.

A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK...

NĂ©omi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers -- until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than NĂ©omi herself.

A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS...

To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth's brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER?

Yet even if Conrad can win NĂ©omi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?]]> 368 Kresley Cole 141654707X Danielle The Book Huntress 5
Things only get better. We meet Conrad, the long-lost Wroth brother. In the first few books you always hear that there are four brothers alive still (or undead rather), but that Conrad ran off, angry that his brothers had turned him into a vampire. Finally we get to see him, and things aren't pretty. He has become a mercenary/assassin and a vampire killer. He kills by taking their blood, thus having given himself over to Bloodlust. He vows to kill his other brothers for what they have made him. Kill them and anyone they love.

But fortunately, Nikolai, Murdoch, and Sebastian have not given up on their brother. They manage to capture him and have decided to keep him imprisoned until the Bloodlust wears off. Well, they end up keeping him prisoner in the property owned by the deceased Neomi. Unbeknownst to them, her disembodied spirit is still in her beloved home.

Neomi has been alone for so long. There have been people who came and went from her home, leaving her alone again. But none have captivated her like Conrad. Despite his blood-red eyes and his insanity, Neomi is very attracted to the brawny and beautiful vampire. Conrad sees her, which is very unusual, since most of the people who have come through her house cannot.

Thus begins the seduction of Conrad by Neomi. Neomi is a sensualist, she loves beautiful men and their bodies. It's the worst sort of torture to be around a beautiful male like Conrad and not be able to touch him. Conrad is a virgin, never having loved or made love to a woman. He sees the beautiful ghost and believes she is part of his raving insanity. With each person he killed by draining them, he absorbed their memories. This drives a vampire insane. Since Conrad killed the worst of all kinds of demons and vampire, he is violently insane. But somehow the beautiful spirit manages to calm his raving madness. He falls for her very quickly, and determines to find a way for them to be together.

There are problems with this relationship from the start. He wants to feel the same intense desire for her that she feels for him, but because he is a vampire, he cannot feel desire until he is blooded. He feels in his heart that Neomi must be his bride. However, she's a spirit, so she cannot truly 'blood' him. And even if she could 'blood' him, since she's a ghost, they really couldn't get physical anyway.

This story really captivated me. I was so sucked into it, that I remember sitting at dinner trying to eat with one hand and reading the book held in the other. My mother was so curious about my fixation with the book, she ended up reading it herself.

I liked the way Ms. Cole turned the tables, making Conrad the innocent (sexually) virgin, and Neomi the seducer. I loved the glimpses into other aspects of the Immortals After Dark universe, the Lore, inhabited by all sorts of immortal creatures. Ms. Cole has a way of making these books laugh-out loud funny, but also intense and poignant. Conrad is the type of hero that gets under your skin and you feel for him. Although Neomi had some hardened aspects to her that I typically don't care for in a heroine, I ended up loving her as well. I loved her intense feelings for Conrad, almost from the start. They weren't just lust, but a sense of ownership like he was dear to her. I also appreciated her passion for life and culture, and how much she loved her home. She had a good heart and was kind to the good people who stopped through her home. So it was easier than I thought to come to like her as heroine. Even though Conrad was insane and technically a murderer (really just of bad creatures), I loved him from the start. Seeing his madness and his loneliness really opened my heart to him. Despite the outer wrappings, you could see a deep sort of innocence in him that was more than just sexual.

Even with the obvious issues in their relationship, Conrad and Neomi really came across as soulmates, and very early in this book. I really rooted for this unlikely couple to be together, and the way in which this comes to pass was very well done. I must say, my respect for Ms. Cole as an author went up another notch at how she brought Conrad and Neomi's happy ever after together.

Despite my misgivings when I first heard the storyline for this story, I came to love Dark Needs at Night's Edge with the same passion that I loved the prior stories (and possibly more). Conrad was a new favorite hero, at least until Cadeon and Rydstrom came around. ]]> 4.29 2008
author: Kresley Cole
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2008/07/01
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: bad-girl-heroine, bad-boy-rake-or-rogue, celebrity-in-the-limelight, scary-sexy-cool-dangerous-hero, favorite-or-autobuy-author, favorites, ghost, heroine-on-the-chase, hot-and-steamy-romance, owned-copy, paranormal-romance, part-of-a-series, virgin-hero, vampire, assassin, fated-to-be-mated, currently-reading
review:
I had to place my faith in Ms. Cole that this premise of a ghost falling in love with a vampire would work. I just couldn't see how this would go well at all. My faith was rewarded. I loved this book. It starts out so beautiful and even gothic. Neomi Laress is brutally murdered by a spurned lover in her house that she has just bought at a grand party she is throwing to celebrate her retirement from the ballet. She is a beautiful dancer in the early 20th century who has decided to leave her current beau. He stabs her in the heart and kills her. I was like, "Wow." This book already managed to stand out from the previous books, just with the prologue.

Things only get better. We meet Conrad, the long-lost Wroth brother. In the first few books you always hear that there are four brothers alive still (or undead rather), but that Conrad ran off, angry that his brothers had turned him into a vampire. Finally we get to see him, and things aren't pretty. He has become a mercenary/assassin and a vampire killer. He kills by taking their blood, thus having given himself over to Bloodlust. He vows to kill his other brothers for what they have made him. Kill them and anyone they love.

But fortunately, Nikolai, Murdoch, and Sebastian have not given up on their brother. They manage to capture him and have decided to keep him imprisoned until the Bloodlust wears off. Well, they end up keeping him prisoner in the property owned by the deceased Neomi. Unbeknownst to them, her disembodied spirit is still in her beloved home.

Neomi has been alone for so long. There have been people who came and went from her home, leaving her alone again. But none have captivated her like Conrad. Despite his blood-red eyes and his insanity, Neomi is very attracted to the brawny and beautiful vampire. Conrad sees her, which is very unusual, since most of the people who have come through her house cannot.

Thus begins the seduction of Conrad by Neomi. Neomi is a sensualist, she loves beautiful men and their bodies. It's the worst sort of torture to be around a beautiful male like Conrad and not be able to touch him. Conrad is a virgin, never having loved or made love to a woman. He sees the beautiful ghost and believes she is part of his raving insanity. With each person he killed by draining them, he absorbed their memories. This drives a vampire insane. Since Conrad killed the worst of all kinds of demons and vampire, he is violently insane. But somehow the beautiful spirit manages to calm his raving madness. He falls for her very quickly, and determines to find a way for them to be together.

There are problems with this relationship from the start. He wants to feel the same intense desire for her that she feels for him, but because he is a vampire, he cannot feel desire until he is blooded. He feels in his heart that Neomi must be his bride. However, she's a spirit, so she cannot truly 'blood' him. And even if she could 'blood' him, since she's a ghost, they really couldn't get physical anyway.

This story really captivated me. I was so sucked into it, that I remember sitting at dinner trying to eat with one hand and reading the book held in the other. My mother was so curious about my fixation with the book, she ended up reading it herself.

I liked the way Ms. Cole turned the tables, making Conrad the innocent (sexually) virgin, and Neomi the seducer. I loved the glimpses into other aspects of the Immortals After Dark universe, the Lore, inhabited by all sorts of immortal creatures. Ms. Cole has a way of making these books laugh-out loud funny, but also intense and poignant. Conrad is the type of hero that gets under your skin and you feel for him. Although Neomi had some hardened aspects to her that I typically don't care for in a heroine, I ended up loving her as well. I loved her intense feelings for Conrad, almost from the start. They weren't just lust, but a sense of ownership like he was dear to her. I also appreciated her passion for life and culture, and how much she loved her home. She had a good heart and was kind to the good people who stopped through her home. So it was easier than I thought to come to like her as heroine. Even though Conrad was insane and technically a murderer (really just of bad creatures), I loved him from the start. Seeing his madness and his loneliness really opened my heart to him. Despite the outer wrappings, you could see a deep sort of innocence in him that was more than just sexual.

Even with the obvious issues in their relationship, Conrad and Neomi really came across as soulmates, and very early in this book. I really rooted for this unlikely couple to be together, and the way in which this comes to pass was very well done. I must say, my respect for Ms. Cole as an author went up another notch at how she brought Conrad and Neomi's happy ever after together.

Despite my misgivings when I first heard the storyline for this story, I came to love Dark Needs at Night's Edge with the same passion that I loved the prior stories (and possibly more). Conrad was a new favorite hero, at least until Cadeon and Rydstrom came around.
]]> 139398877
But he can’t quite remember what. He wakes up to notes in his handwriting with messages like, “Prepare for battle!� � but what battle? � and his sister Apogee seems to grow angrier with him by the day. It’s not until he finds Apogee sneaking back into the horrible bag hidden away in their basement that all the dreadful details about GrahBhag resurface. The spiderlike Shlurps. The trio of foul mouths that hunger for blood. Eldritch horrors around every corner.

Desperate to save Apogee from her ill-planned attempt to right the wrongs of their last trip into the bag, Zenith is forced to follow her into the bizarre world that has certainly not forgotten them. Between old foes set on vengeance like Raggedy Albert and terrifying new ones like the haunting Wraith, Zenith will have to put things right with his sister without falling into the clutches of those who would do him harm. For if he is caught, Eternity Tower awaits...]]> 255 Rob Renzetti 0593519574 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things, was such a pleasant surprise, and this lived up to the promise of the first book. I dig the weirdness of this book series, and it's definitely dark fantasy on the edge of horror. This book doesn't take it easy on its young characters. There is violence against children and some scary scenes where the dark denizens of GrahBhag show how malignant they are. That is not to say the book doesn't have some funny moments. It is also quite laugh-out-loud funny.

I read the first book with my eyes in e-book form. For this book, I listened to the audiobook. The audiobook is a lot of fun. The narrator was great with different voices. I'm a sucker for British accents, so I did love that this was the main style of voice. Zenith's voice is very fitting for how I see his character.

Speaking of Zenith, I love this kid. He's a survivor and thinks on his feet. He is a great brother, wanting to look out for his sister Apogee, no matter what. He's tortured because he felt like he failed her, and knows he has to go back to GrahBhag, even though he is still not over the trauma that the wretched place caused. And now he has to go back. I'm a lot older than him and I would whimper if I faced a lot of the stuff he does in this book. Oh, and that tower would have ended me!

You get to know Apogee better in this book, and I do appreciate the way that she gets her moment. She is up to kid sister antics that make Zenith's life much more difficult, but also she's very clever and fearless. The secondary characters are delightfully weird and shudderingly horrible in turn. The place of GrahBhag is its own character, and it's not the place you want to add to your bucket list.

Rob Renzetti has such a good imagination. I happen to love middle grade books that go in the direction of horror/dark fantasy, and the face that he's doing something unique is pretty awesome. I am hooked and I want more. I already preordered the next book in this series. ]]> 4.08
author: Rob Renzetti
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: 2025-action-adventure-aficionados-c, 2025-reads, audiobook, horror-for-kids, horror-from-another-dimension, horror-in-disguise, middle-grade-juvenile, brothers-and-sisters, alternate-dimension-or-world, scarred, magic, favorites, hero-i-loved, imprisoned-ex-convict, audible-owned
review:
The first book in this series, The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things, was such a pleasant surprise, and this lived up to the promise of the first book. I dig the weirdness of this book series, and it's definitely dark fantasy on the edge of horror. This book doesn't take it easy on its young characters. There is violence against children and some scary scenes where the dark denizens of GrahBhag show how malignant they are. That is not to say the book doesn't have some funny moments. It is also quite laugh-out-loud funny.

I read the first book with my eyes in e-book form. For this book, I listened to the audiobook. The audiobook is a lot of fun. The narrator was great with different voices. I'm a sucker for British accents, so I did love that this was the main style of voice. Zenith's voice is very fitting for how I see his character.

Speaking of Zenith, I love this kid. He's a survivor and thinks on his feet. He is a great brother, wanting to look out for his sister Apogee, no matter what. He's tortured because he felt like he failed her, and knows he has to go back to GrahBhag, even though he is still not over the trauma that the wretched place caused. And now he has to go back. I'm a lot older than him and I would whimper if I faced a lot of the stuff he does in this book. Oh, and that tower would have ended me!

You get to know Apogee better in this book, and I do appreciate the way that she gets her moment. She is up to kid sister antics that make Zenith's life much more difficult, but also she's very clever and fearless. The secondary characters are delightfully weird and shudderingly horrible in turn. The place of GrahBhag is its own character, and it's not the place you want to add to your bucket list.

Rob Renzetti has such a good imagination. I happen to love middle grade books that go in the direction of horror/dark fantasy, and the face that he's doing something unique is pretty awesome. I am hooked and I want more. I already preordered the next book in this series.
]]> 57293343 Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling author Stacey Lee's modern reimagining of a classic Chinese folktale—replete with magic, boba, and lots of trash talking.

Twelve-year-old Winston Chu is supposed to learn impulse control at the cooking academy his mom enrolled him in. But learning to think before he acts won’t happen overnight.

While skateboarding home with a pie in hand, Winston inadvertently stops a robbery at Mr. Pang’s Whimsies, an oddities shop in Chinatown. As a reward, Mr. Pang invites Winston to choose any item in the store. But the strange old man warns Winston to browse carefully, for the first thing Winston touches will be the thing he gets. Before Winston can decide, a magpie flies under a shelf, and he impulsively grabs an old broom to sweep it out.

Mr. Pang hands him the broom, along with a dustpan. “Two for one. Congratulations.�

Deflated, Winston returns home, determined to put the broom incident behind him. Or at least in the closet. But when some of his most beloved possessions go missing, all Winston can think about are the broom and dustpan. Did they somehow take his stuff? And what—or who—will they dispose of next?

It’s time to break into Mr. Pang’s Whimsies, where clearly there’s more going on than meets the far-seeing eyeball. It’s time to fight magic with magic. And this time, Winston better have a plan.]]> 368 Stacey Lee 136807491X Danielle The Book Huntress 3
Winston is a nice kid with a lot on his plate. He doesn't always react perfectly or make the best decisions, although he is a caring kid who tries to help out his mom and take care of his sisters. Like most kids, he wants to hang out with his friends, play soccer, and is experiencing a crush on the new girl in his class. All this is upended by the weirdness that starts after he visits Mr. Pang's shop.

I had fun with this book. Winston's Chinese heritage is a beautiful and intrinsic aspect of the story, . I love how his American story incorporates cultural aspects, legends and spiritual practices passed down in his family. He comes to learn more about his father who passed away as he faces the increasingly bizarre impact of the Whimsies on himself and his family. His interactions with his older and young sister are heartwarming, and the portrayal of friendship and the reminders about how people are there in your life to help you, and you don't have to feel alone is great encouragement for both young and older readers. Another aspect I really enjoyed about this story is the San Francisco setting. I was able to visit San Francisco some years ago, and I loved being reminded of the beautiful city. It was fun to revisit as I listened to the book.

This reads more on the young side, but there's nothing wrong with that. It's very kid-friendly, as most middle grade books should be (even though I prefer the darker-edges ones). For younger tweens who enjoy books with folklore and myths, this will be a good recommendation. There are some silly jokes, but also some slightly more series moments, but nothing too intense here. Although there is definitely a content warning for death of a loved one. The legend of the cloud maiden and her cowherd husband was unknown to me when I read this book. They were fun characters in this book. I want to read more Chinese folklore, and I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

Overall rating: 3.25/5.00 stars]]> 3.74 2023
author: Stacey Lee
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: 2025-action-adventure-aficionados-c, 2025-reads, audiobook, library-checkout, asian-author, asian-culture, asian-folklore, asian-hero-or-heroine, set-in-san-francisco, character-grieving-loved-one, brothers-and-sisters
review:
12-year-old Winston Chu lives with his mother and two sisters in San Francisco, California. They are trying to recover a normal sense of life after the loss of their father. Winston loves to play soccer and spend time with his friends. When he and his friends discover a small oddities shop owned by an eccentric old man named Mr. Pang, he ends up going home with an enchanted broom and dust pan. Soon mysterious events happen that throw reality into question for Winston, especially when his baby sister starts acting very bizarrely.

Winston is a nice kid with a lot on his plate. He doesn't always react perfectly or make the best decisions, although he is a caring kid who tries to help out his mom and take care of his sisters. Like most kids, he wants to hang out with his friends, play soccer, and is experiencing a crush on the new girl in his class. All this is upended by the weirdness that starts after he visits Mr. Pang's shop.

I had fun with this book. Winston's Chinese heritage is a beautiful and intrinsic aspect of the story, . I love how his American story incorporates cultural aspects, legends and spiritual practices passed down in his family. He comes to learn more about his father who passed away as he faces the increasingly bizarre impact of the Whimsies on himself and his family. His interactions with his older and young sister are heartwarming, and the portrayal of friendship and the reminders about how people are there in your life to help you, and you don't have to feel alone is great encouragement for both young and older readers. Another aspect I really enjoyed about this story is the San Francisco setting. I was able to visit San Francisco some years ago, and I loved being reminded of the beautiful city. It was fun to revisit as I listened to the book.

This reads more on the young side, but there's nothing wrong with that. It's very kid-friendly, as most middle grade books should be (even though I prefer the darker-edges ones). For younger tweens who enjoy books with folklore and myths, this will be a good recommendation. There are some silly jokes, but also some slightly more series moments, but nothing too intense here. Although there is definitely a content warning for death of a loved one. The legend of the cloud maiden and her cowherd husband was unknown to me when I read this book. They were fun characters in this book. I want to read more Chinese folklore, and I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

Overall rating: 3.25/5.00 stars
]]> 176443703
A rural town finds itself under the authoritarian sway of a tree that punishes children. A pair of old friends navigate their fraught history as strange happenings escalate in a Mexican restaurant. A pair of narcissistic friends wreak havoc on an activist community. An aloof young man finds himself living through his lover’s memories. And a day of LARPing takes a cosmic turn.

In each of the seven stories in this collection, characters pursue their obsessions on paths to glory and destruction while around them their worlds twist and warp, oscillating between reality and impossibility. On display throughout is Cotman’s ability to reveal truths about the human experience—about friendship, love, betrayal, bitterness—through whimsy, horror, and fantasy. Elegiac in tone, imaginative and humorous in their execution, the character-driven stories in Weird Black Girls challenge, incite, and entertain.]]> 320 Elwin Cotman 1668018853 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.10 2024
author: Elwin Cotman
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.10
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217236095
When his father is abducted by a mysterious figure, twelve-year-old Georgie Summers is thrown into the adventure of a lifetime. Georgie’s journey takes him to Scatterplot, a hidden realm where Scribes record human memories to safeguard the truth. But when the evil Flint Eldritch threatens to corrupt those memories and plunge the world into chaos, Georgie must team up with an unlikely group of friends to stop him. As the journey grows increasingly dangerous, Georgie realizes that only he holds the key to defeating Eldritch and saving not just his father . . . but every mind on Earth.

Will Georgie be able to wield the power of the Aetherquill to save his father and protect everyone he loves, or will Eldritch rewrite history itself? In Georgie Summers and the Scribes of Scatterplot, author Isaac Rudansky spins an exhilarating tale of strength, determination, and the power of friendship to lift you from the depths of loneliness and despair.]]> 392 Isaac Rudansky Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.31 2025
author: Isaac Rudansky
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 215366272 A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school located deep within the Scottish moorlands after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.

ĚýPage Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion's halls--the only problem is, they're all keeping secrets from her.Ěý

Page doesn't know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots--roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.]]> 456 Lili Wilkinson 0593811003 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.57 2025
author: Lili Wilkinson
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204316920
The annual Shady Palms Corn Festival is one of the town’s biggest moneymakers, drawing crowds from all over the Midwest looking to partake in delicious treats, local crafts, and of course, the second largest corn maze in Illinois. Lila Macapagal and her Brew-ha Cafe crew, Adeena Awan and Elena Torres, are all too happy to participate in the event and even make a little wager on who can make it through the corn maze the fastest—but their fun is suddenly cut short when a dead body is found in the middle of the maze…and an unconscious Adeena lies next to it, clutching a bloody knife.

The body is discovered to be a local politician’s wife, and all signs—murder weapon included—point to Adeena as the culprit. But Lila knows her best friend couldn’t have done this, so she and her crew put on their sleuthing caps yet again to find the killer who framed Adeena and show them what happens when they mess with a Brew-ha…]]> 304 Mia P. Manansala 059354918X Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.58 2024
author: Mia P. Manansala
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 54860241
Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch.

When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage.

When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it . . . until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family.

From the bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes another inspiring and deeply compelling story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her.]]> 384 Kalynn Bayron 1547603909 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 currently-reading 4.10 2021
author: Kalynn Bayron
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 205064715 In this Southern gothic horror debut, a young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth. They’re under a curse, and they think she can break it.

In the fall of 1962, twenty-seven-year-old Jemma Barker is desperate to escape her life in Chicago—and the spirits she has always been able to see. When she receives an unexpected job offer from the Duchon family in New Orleans, she accepts, thinking it is her chance to start over.Ěý

But Jemma discovers that the Duchon family isn’t what it seems. Light enough to pass as white, the Black family members look down on brown-skinned Jemma. Their tenuous hold on reality extends to all the members of their eccentric clan, from haughty grandmother Honorine to beautiful yet inscrutable cousin Fosette.ĚýAnd soon the shocking truth comes The Duchons are under a curse. And they think Jemma has the power to break it.

As Jemma wrestles with the gift she’s run from all her life, she unravels deeper and more disturbing secrets about the mysterious Duchons. Secrets that stretch back over a century. Secrets that bind her to their fate if she fails.]]> 384 Del Sandeen 0593639529 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 This Cursed House is a bonafide Southern Gothic, an effective and chilling paranormal novel. From the New Orleans/bayou atmosphere that’s impeccably conveyed, to the family members who are afflicted with madness and despair that they cannot escape from the bondage to the past. Its main character, Jemma is both figuratively and literally haunted by the past. The house itself creaks and groans from the weight of the secrets it carries, and the sense of the uncanny drips from the narrative like Spanish moss on live oaks. The characters are walking wounded, bent down by the weight of their ancestral heritage. Sandeen unflinchingly deals with the topic of chattel slavery of black Americans� ancestors, and the dehumanization, cruelty and violence that was intrinsic to the practice. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope that there can be freedom from emotional and mental bondage to the past by bringing dark truths to light.

Reviewed by Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group.]]> 3.61 2024
author: Del Sandeen
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: 2025-reads, black-african-american-author, black-african-or-aa-heroine, black-history, dark-heritage, ghost-talker, haunted-house, curse, southern-gothic, southern-setting, southern-or-appalachian-horror, set-in-new-orleans, bayou-swamp-setting, arc, netgalley, netgalley-october-2024-queue
review:
This Cursed House is a bonafide Southern Gothic, an effective and chilling paranormal novel. From the New Orleans/bayou atmosphere that’s impeccably conveyed, to the family members who are afflicted with madness and despair that they cannot escape from the bondage to the past. Its main character, Jemma is both figuratively and literally haunted by the past. The house itself creaks and groans from the weight of the secrets it carries, and the sense of the uncanny drips from the narrative like Spanish moss on live oaks. The characters are walking wounded, bent down by the weight of their ancestral heritage. Sandeen unflinchingly deals with the topic of chattel slavery of black Americans� ancestors, and the dehumanization, cruelty and violence that was intrinsic to the practice. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope that there can be freedom from emotional and mental bondage to the past by bringing dark truths to light.

Reviewed by Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group.
]]> 199246937
He’s on edge while she’s en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.

Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they'll call it quits.]]> Bal Khabra Danielle The Book Huntress 4 4.5/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine..

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Berkley.
]]> 3.84 2025
author: Bal Khabra
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: 2025-fans-of-interracial-romance-ye, character-multi-ethnic-heritage, ballerina, dancer-or-ballerina, hockey, sportsperson-or-athlete, pretend-engagement, tortured-hero, broken-people-romance, steam-level-erotic, contemporary-romance, part-of-a-series, favorites, hero-to-die-for, brothers-and-sisters, found-family, character-raising-siblings, parent-issues, adc-reviews, arc, netgalley, netgalley-jan-2025-queue
review:
If you want to show your love to me, cook for me or bake for me. Yeah, so you can imagine how much I loved Elias. What an absolute dream of a guy. It was so easy to get drawn into the story and to want to keep reading. Books like this make me excited to read again. I love how the worlds of hockey and ballet intersect and the message about not giving up on your dreams. This book gets very steamy towards the end, but I loved the way things build, showing the authentic emotional connection between Sage and Elias. I gave it 4.5/5.0 stars.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine..

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Berkley.

]]> 13321913
COLLECTING: ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN 1-8]]> 272 Frank Miller 0785163565 Danielle The Book Huntress 4
Elektra was depicted as a whole lot of crazy in this book. It occurs after her death and is about her resurrection by the Hand. She becomes a killer designated in service of the Hand, indirectly the Beast (yeah that one). However, she slowly becomes aware of a conspiracy of the Beast to end the world through the use of political puppets and dedicates her exceedingly expert kills in the art of death-bringing to eliminate all involved. She leaves quite a body trail behind her.

The artwork is innovative and very stylish, with a use of multiple media to convey the visual message of and along with the narrative in this book. Elektra doesn't speak much. She retains this mystique that adds to her allure. Most of her narrative was thought processes conveyed on the page. Honestly, I found her psychopathic in some ways. I wasn't quite sure if what she was experiencing wasn't a psychopathic break, and didn't get clarity until the end.

I wasn't quite in love with the storyline. It was way more political than I would have liked. I think I would have preferred a more intimate storyline. I certainly didn't like some of the venues and the secondary players in this novel. Wasn't that in love with Garrett's character or his ex-partner who turns out to be all kinds of icktastic.

Would you like this one? It depends. If you like Sin City (by the same writer), then probably. If you find some aspects of Sin City repellent, you might be like me, where I do like some aspects and others not so much. Yes, you know you're in for violence and lots of it with Elektra. I think I was hoping for something a little different in the execution. However, I can't give it less than four stars, because it's quite a work of art overall, the parts that were a turnoff, not withstanding.

At the end of the day, I am still a big fan of Elektra. A guilty pleasure of mine (since at heart I am not a fan of unnecessary or gratuitous violence). Yes on one level, I know that's probably wrong of me, but she's a bad@$$ female Ninja assassin who knows her way around a katana and sais (any edged weapon although her whole body is lethal), and can wreak all kinds of havoc in unimaginable ways. And I have to love her for that!]]> 3.65
author: Frank Miller
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.65
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2013/07/07
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: graphic-novel-comic-book, genre-classic, ive-finally-read-it, heroine-i-adore, heroine-drop-dead-gorgeous, lethal-women, warrior-woman, ninja-samurai-martial-artist, girl-crush, mental-illness, conspiracies, supernatural-fiction, 2013-200s-club-challenge, yearly-reading-challenge-2013, action-adventure-challenge-2013, not-for-the-faint-of-heart, dark-heroine, psychopaths-and-serial-killers, robot-cyborg-artificial-enhanced-hu, back-from-the-dead, library-checkout, assassin, antihero
review:
Was thrilled to see this on the shelf at my library, since I've been wanting to read it for a while. Mostly enjoyed it, although there were some unpalatable aspects. A good dose of sex and violence cocktail. I am not a big fan of that combo. You may say a duh to that, since Elektra is a sexy assassin. I think it's all in the execution.

Elektra was depicted as a whole lot of crazy in this book. It occurs after her death and is about her resurrection by the Hand. She becomes a killer designated in service of the Hand, indirectly the Beast (yeah that one). However, she slowly becomes aware of a conspiracy of the Beast to end the world through the use of political puppets and dedicates her exceedingly expert kills in the art of death-bringing to eliminate all involved. She leaves quite a body trail behind her.

The artwork is innovative and very stylish, with a use of multiple media to convey the visual message of and along with the narrative in this book. Elektra doesn't speak much. She retains this mystique that adds to her allure. Most of her narrative was thought processes conveyed on the page. Honestly, I found her psychopathic in some ways. I wasn't quite sure if what she was experiencing wasn't a psychopathic break, and didn't get clarity until the end.

I wasn't quite in love with the storyline. It was way more political than I would have liked. I think I would have preferred a more intimate storyline. I certainly didn't like some of the venues and the secondary players in this novel. Wasn't that in love with Garrett's character or his ex-partner who turns out to be all kinds of icktastic.

Would you like this one? It depends. If you like Sin City (by the same writer), then probably. If you find some aspects of Sin City repellent, you might be like me, where I do like some aspects and others not so much. Yes, you know you're in for violence and lots of it with Elektra. I think I was hoping for something a little different in the execution. However, I can't give it less than four stars, because it's quite a work of art overall, the parts that were a turnoff, not withstanding.

At the end of the day, I am still a big fan of Elektra. A guilty pleasure of mine (since at heart I am not a fan of unnecessary or gratuitous violence). Yes on one level, I know that's probably wrong of me, but she's a bad@$$ female Ninja assassin who knows her way around a katana and sais (any edged weapon although her whole body is lethal), and can wreak all kinds of havoc in unimaginable ways. And I have to love her for that!
]]> 212276037 A brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey

Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.

Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.

Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side]]> 592 Joe Abercrombie 125088005X Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.45 2025
author: Joe Abercrombie
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214229274 From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed � and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

Blood once turned the wheels ofĚýempire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and theĚýEmpireĚýof the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await.

But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, theĚýEmpire’s proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse.Ěý

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days—the Great Silence.Ěý

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and theĚýEmpireĚýon the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save...Ěý]]> 529 Richard Swan Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.15 2025
author: Richard Swan
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59971 80 Frank Miller 0785108904 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.76
author: Frank Miller
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.76
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58067719 Stranger Things meets Sideways Stories from Wayside School in this quirky supernatural middle grade novel about a boy on an unlikely quest to uncover an enchanted book to defeat an unearthly nemesis—from New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël.

When he first started seeing ghosts, Max mistakenly assumed everyone else could see them, too. Now, after years of being blamed for the pranks of mischievous spirits, Max is determined to do whatever it takes to make himself normal. But when he’s sent to spend the summer with his eccentric grandfather, Ramhart, being normal becomes impossible.

Here in Glimmerville, bakeries sell enchanted pies, the lake is infested with mermaids, the town’s beloved ghosts roam free, and Ramhart himself is celebrated as the world’s most famous monster hunter. At first, all Max wants is to survive the summer, but the more time he spends in Glimmerville, the more he starts to wonder if he’s finally found a place where he can truly be himself.

But when a supernatural attack steals Ramhart’s soul, Max—with the help of a few new friends—must go on a quest to find his grandfather’s renowned Field Guide, an enchanted book that contains all the knowledge Ramhart has gathered about defeating unearthly nemeses. And if they don’t find the book fast, Glimmerville will crumble into chaos, and Max will lose the only person who’s ever made him feel at home.]]> 352 Alyson Noel 1534498230 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.51 2022
author: Alyson Noel
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60021307
For most kids, catching fireflies is a fun summer activity. For twelve-year-old Serwa Boateng, it's a matter of life and death.

That's because Serwa knows that some fireflies are really adze, shapeshifting vampires from the forests of Southeastern Ghana. Adze prey on the blood of innocents, possessing their minds and turning them into hulking monsters, and for generations, slayers like Serwa and her parents have protected an unknowing public from their threats.

Serwa is the best adze slayer her age, and she knew how to use a crossbow before she could even ride a bike. But when an obayifo (witch) destroys her childhood home while searching for a drum, do Serwa's parents take her with them on their quest to defeat her? No. Instead, they dump Serwa with her hippie aunt and cryptic-obsessed cousin in the middle of Nowheresville, Maryland "for her own safety." Now, instead of crossbows and battle armor, she's dealing with mean girls and algebra, and for the first time in her life she doesn't have to carry a staff everywhere she goes, which is . . . kind of nice, actually.

Just as Serwa starts to get the hang of this whole normal girl who doesn't punch vampires every day thing, an adze infiltrates her school. It's up to her to whip some of her classmates into monster-fighting shape before all of them become firefly food. And when she uncovers a secret that upends everything she thought she knew about her family's role in the slayer vs. adze war, Serwa will have to decide which side of herself--normal girl or slayer--is the right one.

After all, seventh grade is hard enough without adding vampires to the mix.

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.

Complete your middle grade action-adventure collection with these titles:
Rick Riordan Presents: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Rick Riordan Presents: The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
Rick Riordan Presents: Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Rick Riordan Presents: Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan]]> 400 Roseanne A. Brown 1368066364 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.20 2022
author: Roseanne A. Brown
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50607309 “All magic is beautiful,� she said, “and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.�

She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy.

She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man's place. He is chaos and violence and will stop at nothing to protect his people.

His magic answers hers with shadow for light. They need each other, but the cost of balance may be too high a price. Magic is dying and the only way to save it is to enlist mages who wield the forbidden power of death, mages cast out centuries ago in a brutal and bloody war.

Now, a new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion.

They must find a way to save their people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheel—but first, they will have to balance their own forbidden passion. His peace for her tempest, his restlessness for her calm�

Night and day, dusk and dawn, the end, and the beginning. ]]> 420 J.D. Evans 1951607015 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.17 2020
author: J.D. Evans
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59758348 What about a Highlander or four under your Christmas tree this year?

Spend the Festive Season in the beautiful Highlands with these four romantic, heart-warming tales of dashing Scotsmen and the bonny women who enchant them! All stories previously published as separate titles in the Lairds Most Likely series.

The Highlander’s Christmas Quest: The moment Kirsty Macbain sees strapping Dougal Drummond, she tumbles headlong into love, but he has no plans to stay on her island. Perhaps it’s time to try some sabotage! Will her scheming stop Dougal from sailing away to a life without her?

The Laird’s Christmas Kiss: For years, shy Elspeth Douglas has pined for Brody Girvan, Laird of Invermackie, but the rakish Highlander doesn’t even know she’s alive. This Christmas, she realizes that she’ll never be happy until she stops loving her brother’s handsome friend. But what is she to do when it turns out Brody has other ideas entirely?

The Highlander’s Christmas Lassie: After years of searching, Malcolm Innes, Laird of Dun Carron, finally finds his beloved Rhona and the son they had together. But their reunion is far from what he expected.

The Highlander’s Christmas Countess: Kit the stableboy has a secret! She’s actually Christabel Urquhart, Countess of Appin, running from her violent stepbrother. Gallant Quentin MacNab guesses Kit is no boy � she’s far too bonny. When a snowstorm traps Kit and Quentin together overnight, the discovery of her identity sparks a rushed marriage between these wary strangers.]]> 572 Anna Campbell Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.75
author: Anna Campbell
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61058915 The Return.
Ěý
All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation.ĚýĚý
Ěý
Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That’s how Sophie lives. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little afraid of her. And like, okay. There are some things. Sophie’s appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power…but she couldn’t be…could she?]]> 319 Rachel Harrison 0593202031 Danielle The Book Huntress 4
Let's talk about Sophie. I freaking loved her. I'm in a witchy character era, and she's just what the doctor ordered. Sophie is the cool friend that you always want. The one who hypes you up and will gladly beat up someone for you. Sophie is also a Renaissance woman with impeccable taste. I didn't doubt her for once.

I have to say that I'm glad that Harrison didn't go a way that I feared this story would go. Instead, she kept it focused on what I think the focal point should have been. There are some creepy aspects in this novel, but it doesn't take over and hijack the overall tone. There are parts that made me laugh, and others that made me a bit disturbed. I like books that have some creepy/weird/spooky aspects, so it totally worked for me. This book is such a good balance of fun, quirky, humorous, thoughtful, emotional, and even critiques misogyny in a way that is extremely timely. Maybe witches are evil because society forces them to be bad guys. Maybe witches just want to live their lives, but they don't fit into the partriarchal worldview, and as a result, they were shunned, harrassed and killed for those reasons. Sure, there are evil witches, just like they're are evil humans. But the witch doesn't have to be the bad guy. I'm glad this book came along when it did when I ready to read a story like this.

While not a five star book for me, because Annie's character was a bit on the frustrating side for me, this was really good. I loved the end. This would be a great movie, and I think fans of the Practical Magic movie would enjoy this book. I loved the audiobook, and I loved the narrator's distinctive voices for Annie and Sophie. I'd recommend it for readers who want some everyday kind of stories with real magic and supernatural thrown in for lovely spice and flavor.]]> 3.71 2021
author: Rachel Harrison
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: 2024-reads, witch-sorcereress-healer, friendship, women-s-issues, side-character-i-adored, animal-character-steals-the-show, small-town-slice-of-life, favorites, contemporary-fantasy, audiobook, library-checkout
review:
I'm glad my library finally had the audiobook available at this particular time, as I was in the mood for a book like this. Rachel Harrison writes stories about women that are dealing with everyday problems, but in a supernatural context or setting. This book is about being a woman and the demands that relationships put on women. It's also about friendship between women. Harrison has such a way with describing the way women interact with each other, and the internal dialogue that they have. Annie is a flawed, but understandably so, protagonist. At times, she was downright frustrating. She had a very negative soultie with Sam, and I just wanted her to move on, but if you spend ten years in a relationship, I realize that's not easy. That said, I loved her evolution over the course of the novel.

Let's talk about Sophie. I freaking loved her. I'm in a witchy character era, and she's just what the doctor ordered. Sophie is the cool friend that you always want. The one who hypes you up and will gladly beat up someone for you. Sophie is also a Renaissance woman with impeccable taste. I didn't doubt her for once.

I have to say that I'm glad that Harrison didn't go a way that I feared this story would go. Instead, she kept it focused on what I think the focal point should have been. There are some creepy aspects in this novel, but it doesn't take over and hijack the overall tone. There are parts that made me laugh, and others that made me a bit disturbed. I like books that have some creepy/weird/spooky aspects, so it totally worked for me. This book is such a good balance of fun, quirky, humorous, thoughtful, emotional, and even critiques misogyny in a way that is extremely timely. Maybe witches are evil because society forces them to be bad guys. Maybe witches just want to live their lives, but they don't fit into the partriarchal worldview, and as a result, they were shunned, harrassed and killed for those reasons. Sure, there are evil witches, just like they're are evil humans. But the witch doesn't have to be the bad guy. I'm glad this book came along when it did when I ready to read a story like this.

While not a five star book for me, because Annie's character was a bit on the frustrating side for me, this was really good. I loved the end. This would be a great movie, and I think fans of the Practical Magic movie would enjoy this book. I loved the audiobook, and I loved the narrator's distinctive voices for Annie and Sophie. I'd recommend it for readers who want some everyday kind of stories with real magic and supernatural thrown in for lovely spice and flavor.
]]> 59774021 Bad for the Boss. Christmas just got sexy�

"There's a beast inside of me. I keep it caged. You drive it wild.�

Cash Evans has come a long way since his troubled childhood, but all the wealth he's earned as a tattoo artist can't fix the hole in his heart. He knows that the sweet barista who haunts his dreams is off-limits... But life doesn't always go to plan.

”There isn’t a man on earth who could ruin me.�

Bailey Cooper is determined to learn from her mother's mistakes. She's seen how cruel love can be, and she's not about to sacrifice her self-respect for a relationship. But when a bad boy with a heart of gold comes to her rescue, she finds herself wondering if this beast might just be her Prince Charming.

Will these two lost souls find a happy ending under the tree this Christmas?

Or is their love doomed to wither with the mistletoe?

Merry Inkmas is a steamy Christmas romance starring a brooding, bad boy hero and a Black, BBW heroine. Be warned: this love is hot enough to melt any winter frost!]]> 190 Talia Hibbert Danielle The Book Huntress 4
I loved the resolution. There are some tough emotional moments in this book that hit home. It makes this Christmas romance even more meaningful, as this is a really special time of the year, where there seems to be as much pain and joy, especially (or those of us who have suffered loses and have family struggles.). As I said, I loved Cash's family and the circle of friends Cash and Bailey have. I would like to see the way that Cash's sister Monroe met and fell in love with George, her husband. They are a cute couple.

This was a good one. I recommend the audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.]]> 3.75 2017
author: Talia Hibbert
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: 2024-dhasg-winter-quarterly-challen, 2024-interracial-romance-challenge, 2024-reads, bwwm, black-african-or-aa-heroine, black-african-diaspora-author, set-in-uk, tattoo-artist, artistic-hero-or-heroine, nerd-prof-scientist-genius-geek, adult-student-character, favorites, steam-level-erotic, redhead, tortured-hero, tormented-heroine, parent-issues, bbw-heroine, commitment-shy, hero-falls-hard-for-heroine-fast, love-at-first-sight, employee-employer-relationship, audiobook, audible-owned, 2024-christmas-reads
review:
A quick and fulfilling Christmas romance read. It was super sexy, which took me by surprise (although it probably shouldn't have, since I've read other books by Talia Hibbert). There is some really frank sexual talk and spicy situations. I like Hibbert's sense of humor and down-to-earth characters. They aren't stereotypical, by any means. Bailey is both nerdy and very sensual and sexually forthright. She's kind and giving, but very cynical about men because of what her mother went through and what she saw in her mother's interactions with men. Bailey doesn't really want a relationship with men. She's attracted to Cash (and starts to have feelings for him, but she doesn't want the motional investment of a relationship with him). There's a whole dialogue about how she isn't a Disney princess but a real woman. That's real. And Cash is the big, tough, sexy guy who seems like a manhoe on the surface, but he has authentic reasons why he keeps his relationships with women short and physical. I'm not a big fan of the limited time affair theme, but the way it's written in the story worked out for me more than I thought. It helps that while there are some sexy encounters, they don't go all the way until there is an established emotional bond. The book really turns a corner when they go home to visit Cash's family. That part really went to my heart, because the soft heart of this man was revealed. I will always be a sucker for a marshmallow hero. Cash is a man who loves hard, but fears that strong emotion. But the way he cherishes his mother and sister, tells you everything you know. I love how he was so gone on Bailey from first sight, even if he didn't want to acknowledge it. (The part where Bailey sees all the sketches of her from when they first met was so sighworthy.)

I loved the resolution. There are some tough emotional moments in this book that hit home. It makes this Christmas romance even more meaningful, as this is a really special time of the year, where there seems to be as much pain and joy, especially (or those of us who have suffered loses and have family struggles.). As I said, I loved Cash's family and the circle of friends Cash and Bailey have. I would like to see the way that Cash's sister Monroe met and fell in love with George, her husband. They are a cute couple.

This was a good one. I recommend the audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.
]]> 71492840
*CCBC Jean Little First-Novel Award Finalist]]> 304 Emi Pinto 0063275724 Danielle The Book Huntress 3
My main issue with this book was how the main character Bee was written. Bee's internalized bigotry towards her own culture and her parents. She complained about spending time with her parents because they were 'weird.' She was embarrassed by them. She wanted them to eat normal food. She thought her mom dressed tacky and didn't like how her mom liked to go thrifting. She thought her dad was too loud and too over the top. She was disrespectful towards her parents and dismissive of their values. The food that her family made wasn't good enough for her, and she was ashamed of them and the things that made her who she was. It was sad and also frustrating. Essentially, she had started to view her own culture as distasteful because of being othered by her classmates and her so-called friend. There is a scene where her friend comes to dinner and tastes some of the food and frowns and says, "Do you have something else I can eat?" It made me cringe so hard! That was just plain rude, and someone who does that is the one with a problem, not the host. Bee had taken what her so-called friend thought and believed about her culture and family as "gospel," elevating this girl's superficial values over the family who loved and cared for her. It was genuinely frustrating.

Additionally, Bee is acting out, big time. She is angry at her parents that they made her go on a family vacation instead of letting her go to a convention for her favorite book series. I realize that this is the point of the story. For Bee to go on the journey of discovering that she doesn't have to fit in or be like everyone else. To spend time with her family and reconnect to them. But her reaction to everyone made her so unlikable. And when she meets a new girl who seems "cool" she starts doing things that are blatantly wrong. And this girl had a creepy vibe the whole time. I understand peer pressure and how susceptible kids are at that age. It just hit me in a very negative way and affected the way I viewed the whole book. I'm sure this message is very needed, because this is the lived experience for many children who are 1st or 2nd generation Americans. There is a huge tension when your family comes from another country and they are told that assimilation is the best way to achieve the American Dream. I think that's a very important and valid theme in middle grade fiction. I don't think it was optimally handled in this book though.

Outside of this issue, the storyline about the ghost was interesting and spooky in parts, thought I think it could have been more developed. Instead of this being a spooky/paranormal story with a character of South Asian descent dealing with her culture, it was instead about her coming to grip with her culture and a little bit of a spooky thrown in there. I liked the symbolism of the loons and the spiritual/paranormal/witchy aspects. I don't think these two concepts tied together very well. I get what the author was trying to do, with her message about "othering." I don't think the ultimately these two plots came together very well, in my opinion. I will say I loved Bee's parents, her grandma (such a sweet lady), and Lucas and his emotional support cat. While I was disappointed, it wasn't a bad book. For me, it's hard to feel as positive about a reading experience when I have such major issues with the main character. ]]> 3.76 2023
author: Emi Pinto
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: asian-hero-or-heroine, family, culture-clash, witch-sorcereress-healer, ghost, rural-country-setting, swamp-marsh-setting, heroine-hard-to-like, audiobook, library-checkout, dark-fantasy, 2024-reads, spooky-season-reading-2024
review:
I read this for spooky season, although it took me well into November before I finished the book. I felt disappointed with it overall.

My main issue with this book was how the main character Bee was written. Bee's internalized bigotry towards her own culture and her parents. She complained about spending time with her parents because they were 'weird.' She was embarrassed by them. She wanted them to eat normal food. She thought her mom dressed tacky and didn't like how her mom liked to go thrifting. She thought her dad was too loud and too over the top. She was disrespectful towards her parents and dismissive of their values. The food that her family made wasn't good enough for her, and she was ashamed of them and the things that made her who she was. It was sad and also frustrating. Essentially, she had started to view her own culture as distasteful because of being othered by her classmates and her so-called friend. There is a scene where her friend comes to dinner and tastes some of the food and frowns and says, "Do you have something else I can eat?" It made me cringe so hard! That was just plain rude, and someone who does that is the one with a problem, not the host. Bee had taken what her so-called friend thought and believed about her culture and family as "gospel," elevating this girl's superficial values over the family who loved and cared for her. It was genuinely frustrating.

Additionally, Bee is acting out, big time. She is angry at her parents that they made her go on a family vacation instead of letting her go to a convention for her favorite book series. I realize that this is the point of the story. For Bee to go on the journey of discovering that she doesn't have to fit in or be like everyone else. To spend time with her family and reconnect to them. But her reaction to everyone made her so unlikable. And when she meets a new girl who seems "cool" she starts doing things that are blatantly wrong. And this girl had a creepy vibe the whole time. I understand peer pressure and how susceptible kids are at that age. It just hit me in a very negative way and affected the way I viewed the whole book. I'm sure this message is very needed, because this is the lived experience for many children who are 1st or 2nd generation Americans. There is a huge tension when your family comes from another country and they are told that assimilation is the best way to achieve the American Dream. I think that's a very important and valid theme in middle grade fiction. I don't think it was optimally handled in this book though.

Outside of this issue, the storyline about the ghost was interesting and spooky in parts, thought I think it could have been more developed. Instead of this being a spooky/paranormal story with a character of South Asian descent dealing with her culture, it was instead about her coming to grip with her culture and a little bit of a spooky thrown in there. I liked the symbolism of the loons and the spiritual/paranormal/witchy aspects. I don't think these two concepts tied together very well. I get what the author was trying to do, with her message about "othering." I don't think the ultimately these two plots came together very well, in my opinion. I will say I loved Bee's parents, her grandma (such a sweet lady), and Lucas and his emotional support cat. While I was disappointed, it wasn't a bad book. For me, it's hard to feel as positive about a reading experience when I have such major issues with the main character.
]]> 207567816 From the author of The Magician's Daughter comes The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, a mythic, magical tale full of secret scholarship, faerie curses, and the deadliest spells of all—the ones that friends cast on each other.

All they needed to break the world was a door, and someone to open it.

Camford, 1920. Gilded and glittering, England's secret magical academy is no place for Clover, a commoner with neither connections nor magical blood. She tells herself she has fought her way there only to find a cure for her brother Matthew, one of the few survivors of a faerie attack on the battlefields of WWI which left the doors to faerie country sealed, the study of its magic banned, and its victims cursed.

But when Clover catches the eye of golden boy Alden Lennox-Fontaine and his friends, doors that were previously closed to her are flung wide open, and she soon finds herself enmeshed in the seductive world of the country's magical aristocrats. The summer she spends in Alden’s orbit leaves a fateful mark: months of joyous friendship and mutual study come crashing down when experiments go awry, and old secrets are unearthed.

Years later, when the faerie seals break, Clover knows it’s because of what they did. And she knows that she must seek the help of people she once called friends—and now doesn’t quite know what to call—if there’s any hope of saving the world as they know it.]]> 464 H.G. Parry 0316383902 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.15 2024
author: H.G. Parry
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: netgalley-october-2024-queue, currently-reading
review:

]]> 3143949
THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST

Covert operations are what Val Janos is all about. The man is mysterious and sinister, and lethally hot. Only Tamara can understand the strange intensity that drives him to win at all costs—and only she can match it.

Val has one weak spot : Imre, the frail old man who befriended him when he was a scared, hungry kid abandoned on the streets of Budapest. But Daddy Novak knows about Imre, and Imre’s head is on the block if Val doesn’t deliver Tam up to Novak’s tender mercies . . .

A white-hot passion explodes when Tam and Val get too close. They both have too much to be afraid of, too much to hide. And now, for the first time, too much to lose . . .]]> 426 Shannon McKenna 0758211899 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.15 2008
author: Shannon McKenna
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at: 2021/12/19
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: action-adventure, bad-girl-heroine, kickbutt-heroine, mainstream-contemporary-romance, very-dark-read, owned-copy, romantic-suspense, to-read, started-but-put-down
review:

]]> 41054560 No book can make you Sherlock. But this book can teach you his most practical tactics and introduce you to the building blocks of what it takes to be a famous detective. Sharpen your judgment and instincts for better decisions. Think Like Sherlock is as close as you’ll get to thinking like a sleuth. There are references and case studies sprinkled throughout to illustrate just how you can improve your thinking habits to not only solve the mysteries in your life, but approach life with analysis, care, and creativity. You’ll find a plethora of techniques and illustrative examples. No other book provides you with such a clear blueprint of the skills you need to think with clarity and understand what really matters. Learn everyday deductive reasoning to decipher the events in your life. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. Techniques from a wide range of disciplines to solve problems. � How to shift your perspective and open up a new world of thought. � The process of observation and deduction, and how to works on an everyday basis. � How altered states of consciousness contribute to clear thinking and how Einstein and Salvador Dali took advantage of this. How to systematically and consistently think outside the box. � Critical thinking and why you shouldn’t take things or people at face value. � How to invert, reverse, substitute, adapt, magnify, minimize, lateral, and distance (and more�) your thinking for flashes of genius. � Learn how to use reverse brainstorming and the Fishbone technique to solve the �crimes� in your life. Sherlock sees the world for what it is, underneath the mask and facade - and so can you. This book gives you a pair of glasses to finally view the world accurately and clearly. Imagine what you could do with this simple superpower. You can apply this to analyzing and reading people and situations to understand what is really happening. You can draw conclusions based on little to no information. You can become as creative as you are required to be to solve the problems in front of you. Let your newly-improved instincts lead the way. Solve problems and analyze people/situations with a single glance - by clicking the BUY NOW BUTTON at the top right of this page. This is the first book in the “Think Smarter, Not Harder� series as listed 1. Build a Better Using Everyday Neuroscience to Train Your Brain for Motivation, Discipline, Courage, and Mental Sharpness 2. Endless A Blueprint for Productivity, Focus, and Self-Discipline - for the Perpetually Tired and Lazy 3.]]> 231 Peter Hollins Danielle The Book Huntress 0 3.67 2018
author: Peter Hollins
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: started-but-put-down, self-development, nonfiction
review:

]]> 210100260
After twelve-year-old Charlie moves from New York City to sweaty, sticky Florida, she’ll do anything to get back home. Even if it involves ghosts. Winklevoss Manor, Charlie’s new house, is a towering Victorian mansion famous for one thing—it’s haunted. Three ghosts—Ada, Arthur, and Guff—live there, and not by choice. They’re trapped, cursed for stealing a dead man’s diamond. A diamond that, just like the ghosts, is still in the house. And this gets Charlie thinking. . . Maybe if she can find the diamond and sell it, Charlie’s family could have enough money to move back to the city. But lifting the curse isn’t that simple, especially when she’s pitted against the school bully and three unruly spirits. It’s frightening to think about, but what if the only way to get rid of the ghosts and curses is by doing what Charlie fears the most—confronting the past that haunts her?]]> 320 Christyne Morrell 0593707605 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 Charlie Hess is not happy that her dad moved them to small town Casaluna, Florida, their new home a decrepit Victorian mansion called Winklevoss Manor. To make things worse, their house is haunted, and there is a curse related to a long-lost diamond. Charlie is very homesick for New York City and doesn’t fit in with the local kids. Her goal is to convince her dad to move back, and if she can find that diamond, she’d have the money to achieve her goals. Maybe the three resident ghosts, Ada, Arthur and Gus, can lend a hand.

This is a fun ghost story with a heart. Charlie isn’t always sympathetic, with her single-minded goal to get out of Florida, but as the story unfolds, layers get peeled back and the reader gets to understand her motivations. Charlie starts to make friends with two other kids who are nicely quirky and who respect and like her for her uniqueness, and faces a peer with their own motivations to view Charlie as an enemy. While on the surface, this feels like a lighthearted ghost story, this book deals with heavy topics of grief, loss and regret, but in a very positive way. The author does a great job establishing atmosphere and setting. The reader will almost feel like they are in the hot, sticky environs of swampy Florida, or living in a worse for wear house that has resident ghosts. Music plays a huge role in the story, and ties in beautifully, as Charlie was very close to her grandmother who was an accomplished musician, and Charlie has to navigate her complicated emotions and rediscover her love of playing the piano over the course of this book. Packing a punch with a multi-layered storyline and plenty of insights into familial relationships, The Curse of the Dead Man’s Diamond has a lot to offer readers.

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press]]> 3.94 2024
author: Christyne Morrell
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: 2024-reads, netgalley-september, ebook, ghost, family-legacy, character-grieving-loved-one, awkward-misfit, musician, curse, set-in-florida, middle-grade-juvenile, paranormal-mystery, arc
review:

Charlie Hess is not happy that her dad moved them to small town Casaluna, Florida, their new home a decrepit Victorian mansion called Winklevoss Manor. To make things worse, their house is haunted, and there is a curse related to a long-lost diamond. Charlie is very homesick for New York City and doesn’t fit in with the local kids. Her goal is to convince her dad to move back, and if she can find that diamond, she’d have the money to achieve her goals. Maybe the three resident ghosts, Ada, Arthur and Gus, can lend a hand.

This is a fun ghost story with a heart. Charlie isn’t always sympathetic, with her single-minded goal to get out of Florida, but as the story unfolds, layers get peeled back and the reader gets to understand her motivations. Charlie starts to make friends with two other kids who are nicely quirky and who respect and like her for her uniqueness, and faces a peer with their own motivations to view Charlie as an enemy. While on the surface, this feels like a lighthearted ghost story, this book deals with heavy topics of grief, loss and regret, but in a very positive way. The author does a great job establishing atmosphere and setting. The reader will almost feel like they are in the hot, sticky environs of swampy Florida, or living in a worse for wear house that has resident ghosts. Music plays a huge role in the story, and ties in beautifully, as Charlie was very close to her grandmother who was an accomplished musician, and Charlie has to navigate her complicated emotions and rediscover her love of playing the piano over the course of this book. Packing a punch with a multi-layered storyline and plenty of insights into familial relationships, The Curse of the Dead Man’s Diamond has a lot to offer readers.

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press
]]> 60372359 The spooky summer adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottom twins continue in another gothic mystery: can Theo and Alexander solve the secret of the Sanguine Spa in the little Transylvania Mountains?

After leaving Fathoms of Fun, the kids are on their way to the next odd summer destination their aunt has chosen for them. This time, they find themselves dropped off at the Sanguine Spa in the "little Transylvania Mountains". There they meet the owners: Mina, her mysterious little sister, Lucy (who is extremely pale, can't go in the sunlight, and has an affinity for hanging upside down from the ceiling), and their intimidating guardian, the Count.

When the Count sends all the children in the spa on a scavenger hunt, the Sinister-Winterbottoms use the excuse to snoop around and discover that this spa may be more than just eerie--it might also hold clues to what happened to their parents. When Wil starts to show vampiric symptoms, the twins resolve to investigate what's really going on at the Sanguine Spa.

The second book in the Sinister Summer series continues the adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottoms and their aunt who never saw a discount vacation destination she didn't love.]]> 320 Kiersten White 059337908X Danielle The Book Huntress 3
As a fan of vampires in fiction/folklore/pop culture, I love how this story hits all those points, but not in the way some immediately think. If you like the book Dracula, this story will make you giggle and smile at the easter eggs, from the names and some of the story aspects. I do have to give it to Kiersten White. She writes some well plotted mysteries. As a huge fan of books for kids, I respect how much talent and skill goes into good quality writing. I liked how twisty and turning the plot feels with this book, although it did get a little chaotic near the conclusion. While there is a revelation, there are more questions that lay unanswered. I do adore the humor in these books as well.

I am excited to keep reading the series and see the trio's hijinks at their next destination.

It kind of hurts to give this 3.5 stars/5.0 stars, but it didn't measure up to the first book and it didn't bring me quite as much joy.
]]> 3.97 2022
author: Kiersten White
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: 2024-action-adventure-aficionados-g, 2024-action-heroine-challenge, 2024-reads, children-in-danger-harmed, mystery-for-kids, middle-grade-juvenile, part-of-a-series, twins, brothers-and-sisters, audiobook, library-checkout
review:
I liked this a lot, but I think I was a bit disappointed after loving the first book so much. I feel like it didn't draw me in quite as much. Having said that, I love the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings. They are good kids with unique personalities that I find very endearing. Alexander is so sweet. I identified with his anxieties and the ways he managed to cope with them. Theo is so action-oriented due to her ADHD, but she is described as having a very visceral reaction to her anxiety, which manifests as "bees in her stomach" that drives her to keep busy and active to dispel her excess energy. I felt that because I too have a very profound physical response to my emotions. I do wish that we got to see the older sister, Wil, a little more, although I know it's primarily about the twins.

As a fan of vampires in fiction/folklore/pop culture, I love how this story hits all those points, but not in the way some immediately think. If you like the book Dracula, this story will make you giggle and smile at the easter eggs, from the names and some of the story aspects. I do have to give it to Kiersten White. She writes some well plotted mysteries. As a huge fan of books for kids, I respect how much talent and skill goes into good quality writing. I liked how twisty and turning the plot feels with this book, although it did get a little chaotic near the conclusion. While there is a revelation, there are more questions that lay unanswered. I do adore the humor in these books as well.

I am excited to keep reading the series and see the trio's hijinks at their next destination.

It kind of hurts to give this 3.5 stars/5.0 stars, but it didn't measure up to the first book and it didn't bring me quite as much joy.

]]> 217442094 A widowed mother, ready to give love another chance, moves into her fiancé’s old family home with her teenage daughter. But as they try to build a future together, the past refuses to let go in this haunting short story from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.

When Jules first meets the handsome artist Kirin, she’s still mourning her husband’s death, but a fairytale romance soon sweeps her off her feet. Now she and her daughter Scout are moving out of the city and into Kirin’s once-lonely mansion. He’s thoughtfully updated and adapted the home to match their personalities. But Scout is determined to keep her father’s memory alive by rejecting the new life her mother and Kirin have spun for her.

Scout’s sullenness begins to fade, though, when she finds a beautiful handmade doll in one of the many empty rooms in the house. Kirin says that the doll belonged to his late sister and he’d like Scout to have it. Scout’s hopeful for a connection over their shared grief, but as she grows more curious about Kirin’s sister, she can’t escape the feeling that a danger lurks in the house…and its gaze is fixed on her mother.]]> 98 Lisa Unger 1662518323 Danielle The Book Huntress 3
Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 stars]]> 3.74
author: Lisa Unger
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: technothriller, artificial-intelligence-is-creepy, smart-home-horror, thriller-suspense, ghost, character-grieving-loved-one, doll-themed-horror, heroine-black-hair-blue-eyes, redhead, mother-daughter-relationship, audible-plus, audiobook, short-story, novelette, a-to-z-author-challenge-u
review:
I won't lie. I picked this up because it was short and because I needed a "U" for my A to Z challenge. It was available to read for free on Audible. Initially, I was a bit iffy about it. I wasn't liking the vibe of the story. However, I did get sucked in. I do feel like this could have been a longer story, perhaps a novella, because it started slow and then wound to the climax really rapidly. Having said that, I enjoyed how there was a ghosty vibe and also a creepy AI smart house. If I'm being honest. I'm more scared of the AI smart house. The characterization of Jules (mom) and Scout (daugher) was pretty good. If you're looking for a quick read that taps into that sweet spot between domestic thriller, paranormal suspense, and a bit of techno-thriller, this might work for you.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 stars
]]> 59645282
Cat Fisa isn't who she pretends to be. She's perfectly content disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus, avoiding the destiny the Gods—and her dangerous family—have saddled her with. As far as she's concerned, the magic humming within her blood can live and die with her. She won't be anyone’s pawn.

But then she locks eyes with an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south and her illusion of safety is shattered forever.

Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker—the woman able to divine truth through lies—and he wants her to be a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm. Kidnapping her off the street is simple enough, but keeping her by his side is infuriatingly tough. Cat fights him at every turn, showing a ferocity of spirit that burns hot...and leaves him desperate for more. But can he ever hope to prove to his once-captive that he wants her there by his side as his equal, his companion—and maybe someday, his Queen?

Discover the white-hot fantasy willing to break all the rules.]]> 445 Amanda Bouchet 1728251133 Danielle The Book Huntress 3
I was pleasantly surprised as I started reading that this is based on Greek mythology. If you like shoes like Hercules and Xena, you'll like that about this book, as the gods and goddess do involve themselves in the life of the lead character Cat. I think maybe it's closer to Percy Jackson in this case. In other words, maybe a grown up, sexier Percy Jackson type story. Cat has a very interesting and tragic backstory that really got me intrigued. Her background had almost a Game of Thrones vibe and explains why she is so cynical and mostly wants to be left alone (other than her found family in the traveling troupe. I liked Cat from the beginning, but Griffin had to grow on me. It depends on how you like your male main characters. He's pushy and demanding, and arrogant. He thinks he knows everything and expects others to fall in line. He decides to kidnap Cat because of her powers, and as the story goes along, he wants to keep her for romantic reasons. I did like how hard he fell for her and how fast, but he was way too bossy for my tastes. Having said that, they had good chemistry and I could see the love between them.

I really liked Cat and Griffin's gang. If I am honest, I liked Griffin's warriors more than him for most of the book. I know it's because he is established as the enforcer of his family and is used to making hard decisions and making enemies for his sister who is the leader of their people. His boys are more fun loving and they get along great with Cat from almost the beginning. I liked their dynamics. I appreciated their escapades as they traveled.

The action scenes were great. Cat's magical abilities are pretty awesome and make for some great set pieces. Those were some of my favorite parts in the book.

I liked the narrator a lot. She does a great job with the different characters, giving them distinct tones. I especially like how she embodied Cat.

While the end is a little abrupt and feels a little cliffhangery for me, I did enjoy this book. I didn't quite like how Cat wasn't completely honest about who she is with Griffin. It's extremely important information. I realize how hard it would be to tell him that, but it's completely necessary, and I am sure things are going to come to a head very soon. I think now that I understand that it's not fantasy romance, but moreso paranormal romance, I can go into the next book with that expectation.

I think this is sitting at about a 3.75/4.0 stars. I would probably have given it 4 stars had I gone into it knowing it wasn't a fantasy romance.]]> 3.83 2016
author: Amanda Bouchet
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: paranormal-romance, greek-mythology, royalty, the-lost-heir, audible-plus, audiobook, bossy-hero, tough-as-nails-heroine, tormented-heroine, found-family, firestarter, psychic, first-in-series, 2024-action-adventure-aficionados-g, 2024-action-heroine-challenge, 2024-reads, hot-and-steamy-romance, on-the-road, captive-kidnapped, brothers-and-sisters
review:
Whew, I finally finished this. I've been listening to this on and off on Audible, mostly at night and before bedtime, but occasionally on commutes. I thought this was more of a fantasy book, but it's really a paranormal romance. Nothing wrong with that. I love me some paranormal romance. But it's important to have the right expectations. For readers who want more world-building and expansive fantasy storytelling, you may not be fully satisfied with this book. But if you want a romance that has a very good fantasy/worldbuilding aspect, you'll like this one.

I was pleasantly surprised as I started reading that this is based on Greek mythology. If you like shoes like Hercules and Xena, you'll like that about this book, as the gods and goddess do involve themselves in the life of the lead character Cat. I think maybe it's closer to Percy Jackson in this case. In other words, maybe a grown up, sexier Percy Jackson type story. Cat has a very interesting and tragic backstory that really got me intrigued. Her background had almost a Game of Thrones vibe and explains why she is so cynical and mostly wants to be left alone (other than her found family in the traveling troupe. I liked Cat from the beginning, but Griffin had to grow on me. It depends on how you like your male main characters. He's pushy and demanding, and arrogant. He thinks he knows everything and expects others to fall in line. He decides to kidnap Cat because of her powers, and as the story goes along, he wants to keep her for romantic reasons. I did like how hard he fell for her and how fast, but he was way too bossy for my tastes. Having said that, they had good chemistry and I could see the love between them.

I really liked Cat and Griffin's gang. If I am honest, I liked Griffin's warriors more than him for most of the book. I know it's because he is established as the enforcer of his family and is used to making hard decisions and making enemies for his sister who is the leader of their people. His boys are more fun loving and they get along great with Cat from almost the beginning. I liked their dynamics. I appreciated their escapades as they traveled.

The action scenes were great. Cat's magical abilities are pretty awesome and make for some great set pieces. Those were some of my favorite parts in the book.

I liked the narrator a lot. She does a great job with the different characters, giving them distinct tones. I especially like how she embodied Cat.

While the end is a little abrupt and feels a little cliffhangery for me, I did enjoy this book. I didn't quite like how Cat wasn't completely honest about who she is with Griffin. It's extremely important information. I realize how hard it would be to tell him that, but it's completely necessary, and I am sure things are going to come to a head very soon. I think now that I understand that it's not fantasy romance, but moreso paranormal romance, I can go into the next book with that expectation.

I think this is sitting at about a 3.75/4.0 stars. I would probably have given it 4 stars had I gone into it knowing it wasn't a fantasy romance.
]]> 35522836
Darby Thorne is a college student stranded by a blizzard at a highway rest stop in the middle of nowhere. She’s on the way home to see her sick mother. She’ll have to spend the night in the rest stop with four complete strangers. Then she stumbles across a little girl locked inside one of their parked cars.

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, no way out because of the snow, and she doesn’t know which one of the other travelers is the kidnapper.

Who is the little girl? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?]]> 287 Taylor Adams 1912106760 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.98 2017
author: Taylor Adams
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63250712 The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve.

None of that is true. Yet.

In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.

But when their investigation brings them to a dinner party at Castle Angbar, and they meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble.

And that’s before the dead body is discovered.

Now everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among them. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last. . . .]]> 376 Christopher Healy 0062341944 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.97 2023
author: Christopher Healy
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 212025993
Someone I love did a truly terrible thing, and I’m working three jobs on top of my one as a showgirl at the Benton Las Vegas Grand to make up for it before anyone finds out—too late.

Cole Benton III, the ruthless CEO of the Benton Worldwide hotel empire, calls me into his glass office overlooking the Vegas skyline, demanding to know why I stole all the money from one of his grandmother’s charity funds.

I can’t tell him that

“You are aware that I could have you fired, arrested, or worse,� he asks, his voice like black ice. Clearly dangerous.

Gulp. There’s a reason everyone calls him Triple Ice behind his back, and it goes way beyond the three Roman numerals behind his name. Rumor has it that he’s BFFs with the leader of a local cartel and that’s he’s not afraid to call in favors.

But I can’t answer—not if it means throwing the real thief under his “or worse.�

I keep my mouth clamped closed.

And Triple Ice stares at me, his malevolent ice-chip eyes glittering with contempt.

Then he opens his desk drawer and pulls out�. a wedding ring???

Wait. What?!


This seriously spicy romantic comedy contains�

A suspicious Ice King of a CEO

A totally innocent showgirl Cinderella

Grandma blackmail (she’s ready for great-grandbabies)

A sexy contract with special terms and conditions,

Vegas level stakes, and�

A fake engagement that just might lead to real love]]> 358 Theodora Taylor 1959243195 Danielle The Book Huntress 4
Cole came off as an a-hole for a big part of the book. He legitimately did not care about others. He was single-minded in his goal to achieve control of his family's company. Control is actually the single motivator in his life. He didn't even mind backstabbing his grandmother for that. I will say that his evolution was believable. Time spent with Sunny is healing to him. In her own words, she helps him develop empathy. I can understand his control issues. He read very emotionally immature in that he had either no impulse control, or went right into shutdown mode.

I have a pet peeve. Why do sexy romance novels always have to bring in some kind of BDSM angle? This one is very light, but they establish that Sunny has an unrealized submissive side that Cole helps her to feel free to explore under his dominance. But then he makes a comment about we don't have to put labels on it. Okay, but aren't you putting labels on it when she establish her as a submissive and him as her dom? It's a YMMV scenario. I'm just not a fan of BDSM, and I think it's thrown in there to make a book more sexy. It doesn't need to be there for a book to be sexy, so maybe don't feel like it's arbitrary. Otherwise, I though their sexy times were well written, and you could definitely see their growing emotional bond. I love when the author can convey sensuality and strong tension without sacrificing tenderness. For Cole to be such a closed off person, he was surprisingly gentle and responsive and caring in the bedroom. My favorite parts were when they would just hold each other. I'm a sucker for that, especially for a person who's generally not very touchy feely at all. I think this showed what Cole was like on the inside under all that ice, and boy did he fight letting his true self come out. But Sunny is not someone that's easy to resist.

I started out not liking Cole and not wanting him to get a chance with Sunny, but by the end of the book, I was all in. I love his gestures that showed his love. It's one thing so say empty words, but another thing for your actions to reveal how your heart really feels.

As a lifelong romance reader, I have been sadly detached from the genre for the past few years. But it's so good to pick up a book where I am deeply drawn into the love story. While this story is on the lighter side and isn't life changing (I feel like most contemporary romance novels like the soul-searing intensity of older romance novels), I did enjoy reading this book, and it made me want to read even more of Theodora Taylor's books. She does such a good job with a love story. I hope she writes more on this level with the sensuality, because I'm personally not drawn into the more erotic romances. But it's nice to know that she has books for every taste.

I enjoyed the secondary characters very much, such as Nora, Cole's grandmother. She was such a character. I also loved all Sunny's friends. I really appreciated Sunny's friends who are a gay couple deeply in love (one of the pair is a drag queen). They weren't one dimensional characters but very layered and authentic. I also love all the easter eggs, Theodora Taylor puts in her stories that connect to other books by her. They make me want to track those books down.

Yeah, this was a good one. Overall rating: 4.25./5.0 stars.]]> 4.14
author: Theodora Taylor
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: 2024-interracial-romance-challenge, bwwm, set-in-las-vegas, contemporary-romance, fake-engagement, cold-or-forbidding-hero, black-african-or-aa-heroine, blackmail, favorite-or-autobuy-author, kindle-book, connected-books
review:
I enjoyed this. It was a bit less steamy than the other books I've read by her, but nothing wrong with that. It was definitely sexy, just not as descriptive. Sunny is very naive (kind of gives me a Marilyn Monroe in her movies vibe). She's not ditzy but just seems to take people at face value and expects way too much of others. I suppose in that sense, she's a good foil for Cole. I liked Sunny a lot. I appreciate her kind heart and her generous spirit. She is constantly out there putting good energy in the world. You want all the good things for her.

Cole came off as an a-hole for a big part of the book. He legitimately did not care about others. He was single-minded in his goal to achieve control of his family's company. Control is actually the single motivator in his life. He didn't even mind backstabbing his grandmother for that. I will say that his evolution was believable. Time spent with Sunny is healing to him. In her own words, she helps him develop empathy. I can understand his control issues. He read very emotionally immature in that he had either no impulse control, or went right into shutdown mode.

I have a pet peeve. Why do sexy romance novels always have to bring in some kind of BDSM angle? This one is very light, but they establish that Sunny has an unrealized submissive side that Cole helps her to feel free to explore under his dominance. But then he makes a comment about we don't have to put labels on it. Okay, but aren't you putting labels on it when she establish her as a submissive and him as her dom? It's a YMMV scenario. I'm just not a fan of BDSM, and I think it's thrown in there to make a book more sexy. It doesn't need to be there for a book to be sexy, so maybe don't feel like it's arbitrary. Otherwise, I though their sexy times were well written, and you could definitely see their growing emotional bond. I love when the author can convey sensuality and strong tension without sacrificing tenderness. For Cole to be such a closed off person, he was surprisingly gentle and responsive and caring in the bedroom. My favorite parts were when they would just hold each other. I'm a sucker for that, especially for a person who's generally not very touchy feely at all. I think this showed what Cole was like on the inside under all that ice, and boy did he fight letting his true self come out. But Sunny is not someone that's easy to resist.

I started out not liking Cole and not wanting him to get a chance with Sunny, but by the end of the book, I was all in. I love his gestures that showed his love. It's one thing so say empty words, but another thing for your actions to reveal how your heart really feels.

As a lifelong romance reader, I have been sadly detached from the genre for the past few years. But it's so good to pick up a book where I am deeply drawn into the love story. While this story is on the lighter side and isn't life changing (I feel like most contemporary romance novels like the soul-searing intensity of older romance novels), I did enjoy reading this book, and it made me want to read even more of Theodora Taylor's books. She does such a good job with a love story. I hope she writes more on this level with the sensuality, because I'm personally not drawn into the more erotic romances. But it's nice to know that she has books for every taste.

I enjoyed the secondary characters very much, such as Nora, Cole's grandmother. She was such a character. I also loved all Sunny's friends. I really appreciated Sunny's friends who are a gay couple deeply in love (one of the pair is a drag queen). They weren't one dimensional characters but very layered and authentic. I also love all the easter eggs, Theodora Taylor puts in her stories that connect to other books by her. They make me want to track those books down.

Yeah, this was a good one. Overall rating: 4.25./5.0 stars.
]]> 43069601 Bestselling author Katherine Arden returns with another creepy, spine-tingling adventure in this follow-up to the critically acclaimed Small Spaces.

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie's watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

With Mr. Voland's help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help–or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story.]]> 256 Katherine Arden 0593106490 Danielle The Book Huntress 3 Small Spaces, probably because I was a little disappointed with a few aspects of the previous book. One of the advantages of starting the next book in a series is that the characters are established, so there is less time that needs to be spent establishing those characters. With this book, Ollie, Coco, and Chris are now fast friends who know each other really well, and can work together to face the threat. So that was good that Arden to invest more time in establishing the atmosphere. And she definitely delivered.

The trio of kids are traveling to a ski destination with Ollie's dad and Coco's mom, and they all end up snowed in at this hotel. From the beginning, it's clear that something is off at the hotel. Ollie has the ability to sense ghosts, and her senses are off the charts. Additionally, it's getting colder and colder, supernaturally so. The group can't leave, and it's getting dangerous there, with the life-threatening cold weather and the malevolent spirits in the location. And before they know it, they are facing a threat that has ties to their past experiences.

Overall, I really enjoyed the pacing and plotting of this book. I things wrapped up a little too quickly, which is a pet peeve of mine, but otherwise, this had a lot of strengths, such as good characterizations, it was genuinely spooky and scary, it had some nice twists and turns, and the way the story continues from the first book is well-executed. Ollie's continual journey in grieving her mother is heartfelt and meaningful, and it ties into this series/story perfectly. I feel like this one sits at about 3.75/5.0 stars. I recommend reading Dead Voices, if you're looking for a good seasonal book that gives winter spooky vibes.

Trigger warning for child mistreatment/endangerment, harm, and death (there are children ghosts in this one).

]]> 4.06 2019
author: Katherine Arden
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/23
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: winter-cold-setting, stranded-marooned, children-in-danger-harmed, ghost-talker, middle-grade-juvenile, friendship, horror-for-kids, audiobook, library-checkout, part-of-a-series
review:
I started this maybe a year or so ago, but put it down because I wasn't super feeling it. However, I decided to pick this up again, since it's getting into winter and I wanted a nice spooky, cold weather read. Overall, this delivered. I liked this more than Small Spaces, probably because I was a little disappointed with a few aspects of the previous book. One of the advantages of starting the next book in a series is that the characters are established, so there is less time that needs to be spent establishing those characters. With this book, Ollie, Coco, and Chris are now fast friends who know each other really well, and can work together to face the threat. So that was good that Arden to invest more time in establishing the atmosphere. And she definitely delivered.

The trio of kids are traveling to a ski destination with Ollie's dad and Coco's mom, and they all end up snowed in at this hotel. From the beginning, it's clear that something is off at the hotel. Ollie has the ability to sense ghosts, and her senses are off the charts. Additionally, it's getting colder and colder, supernaturally so. The group can't leave, and it's getting dangerous there, with the life-threatening cold weather and the malevolent spirits in the location. And before they know it, they are facing a threat that has ties to their past experiences.

Overall, I really enjoyed the pacing and plotting of this book. I things wrapped up a little too quickly, which is a pet peeve of mine, but otherwise, this had a lot of strengths, such as good characterizations, it was genuinely spooky and scary, it had some nice twists and turns, and the way the story continues from the first book is well-executed. Ollie's continual journey in grieving her mother is heartfelt and meaningful, and it ties into this series/story perfectly. I feel like this one sits at about 3.75/5.0 stars. I recommend reading Dead Voices, if you're looking for a good seasonal book that gives winter spooky vibes.

Trigger warning for child mistreatment/endangerment, harm, and death (there are children ghosts in this one).


]]> 203579289 The forest is more dangerous than ever in this highly-anticipated, pulse-pounding, and swoon-worthy conclusion to the bestselling Luminaries trilogy.

Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.

With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive. Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task—one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.

As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won't stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.

What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?]]> 367 Susan Dennard 1250339480 Danielle The Book Huntress 3
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Tor Teen Book.]]> 3.92 2024
author: Susan Dennard
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: adc-reviews, arc, witch-sorcereress-healer, feuding-families, monster-hunters, werewolf, mythical-beasties, small-town-slice-of-life, 2024-action-adventure-aficionados-g, 2024-action-heroine-challenge, 2024-dhasg-general-yearly-challenge, 2024-reads, read-in-december-2024, ebook
review:
Sadly, this book dragged for the first 70% for me. I really loved the ending, and I loved the creatures and the way the forest was so well personified.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Tor Teen Book.
]]> 210040063 Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s mofinst joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.]]> 112 Nita Prose 0593875443 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.41 2024
author: Nita Prose
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 127305606 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins―resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories―have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A �nal death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget.]]> 213 P. Djèlí Clark 1250767040 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.84 2024
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 206005312
My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection.

THE MAGICIAN

THE ASSISTANT

THE EXECUTIVE

THE HYPNOTIST

THE IDENTICAL TWIN

THE COUNSELLOR

THE TECH

My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it’s Christmas.

If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.

After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn’t it?]]> 175 Benjamin Stevenson 0063412861 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.70 2024
author: Benjamin Stevenson
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 207611565 When a pyrotechnic engineer discovers her biological father is an international criminal, she must work with a sexy CIA agent to take him down in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

Andee Paxton knows she’s good at her job as a fireworks designer. What she doesn’t know is that her biological father is Holt, a dangerous arms dealer who has escaped prison. And now he’s searching for his long-lost daughter-dearest.

After the CIA surprises her with this news, they drop another bombshell: they want to use Andee as bait to capture Holt once and for all. But before the CIA can even attempt to spring their trap, she’s kidnapped along with the very hot Officer Adam Chan—all because they were too busy flirting to worry about silly things like “safety protocol.�

A fake relationship—for their protection, of course—and just a few explosions bring Andee and Chan closer, but there’s more than their growing connection at stake. If Holt’s plan succeeds, the world will be brought to its knees. Andee and Chan must rely on each other to stop him…or else everything (including their feelings for each other) might just blow up in their faces.]]> 368 Tiana Smith 0593550323 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 Mr. Nice Spy has the same fast-paced, enjoyable quality as its predecessor. I really loved both characters as people and together. I love STEM heroines, and Andee knows how to blow stuff up! If I was kidnapped by an arms dealer, I would want Chan to be with me, because he knows what he's doing! This is a good one for fans of spy movies/tv shows with a nice dose of romance.

Reviewed for Affair de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Berkley Publishing.]]> 3.68 2024
author: Tiana Smith
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: spy-romance, 2024-action-adventure-aficionados-g, 2024-action-heroine-challenge, 2024-dhasg-general-yearly-challenge, set-in-france, set-in-paris, captive-kidnapped, sweet-and-steamy, asian-hero-or-heroine, interracial-romance, amww, character-is-deaf-or-hearing-impair, cia, pretend-lovers, covert-agency, bad-parents
review:
Mr. Nice Spy has the same fast-paced, enjoyable quality as its predecessor. I really loved both characters as people and together. I love STEM heroines, and Andee knows how to blow stuff up! If I was kidnapped by an arms dealer, I would want Chan to be with me, because he knows what he's doing! This is a good one for fans of spy movies/tv shows with a nice dose of romance.

Reviewed for Affair de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Berkley Publishing.
]]> 207293710 Evie ventures into the Dark Sun Side to rescue her loved ones, only to discover truths darker than she could have ever imagined in this thrilling finale to the Blight Harbor series that’s perfect for fans of Doll Bones and Small Spaces.

As summer comes to an end, Evie Von Rathe is determined to begin the search for her parents in earnest. Armed with her knowledge of the otherworldly, her mom’s violet glasses, and a pendant full of doors, Evie begins to piece together clues. When she realizes her mother’s bedtime story might be a roadmap to finding them, Evie follows it back to the Dark Sun Side.

But stories are funny things, and they change from one teller to the next.

The black nothing of the Radix is waiting, and it knows more than it’s ever let on. Evie will need every bit of courage she has for what’s coming. With Bird at her side, and maybe even a reluctant Lark as well, Evie has what she hopes is her last adventure under a purple sky.]]> 368 Lora Senf 1665934603 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.41 2024
author: Lora Senf
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 101140526 Evie once again leaves her world behind to rescue Blight Harbor’s ghosts in this second book in the bone-chilling middle grade Blight Harbor trilogy that’s reminiscent of Doll Bones and Small Spaces.

Evie Von Rathe has been home for only a few weeks from her adventure in the strange world of seven houses when Blight Harbor’s beloved ghosts begin to disappear. Did they leave without saying goodbye, or has something gone horribly wrong? Soon Evie is invited to a mysterious council meeting, where she learns about the Dark Sun Side and a terrible secret.

Yes, the ghosts have gone missing. And that means serious trouble.

With the help of an eleven-year-old (or 111-year-old, but who’s counting) ghost named Lark, trusty Bird, and a plump ghost spider, Evie must find a way to defeat the vicious Nighthouse Keeper responsible for the missing ghosts, save her otherworldly friends, and find her way home from the Dark Sun Side before she’s trapped there forever.]]> 320 Lora Senf 1665934638 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.15 2023
author: Lora Senf
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59365597
Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor—the seventh-most haunted town in America—with her Aunt Desdemona, the local paranormal expert. Des doesn’t have many rules except Stay out of the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt disappears into the building, Evie goes searching for her.

There she meets The Clackity, a creature who lives in the shadows and seams of the slaughterhouse. The Clackity makes a deal with Evie to help get Des back in exchange for the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who stalked Blight Harbor a hundred years earlier. Evie reluctantly embarks on a journey into a strange otherworld filled with hungry witches, penny-eyed ghosts, and a memory-thief, all while being pursued by a dead man whose only goal is to add Evie to his collection of lost souls. Will she ever find Des, or is The Clackity planning something far more sinister?]]> 288 Lora Senf 1665902671 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.03 2022
author: Lora Senf
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203437847 Few campers at Camp Apple Hill Farm have found the mysterious cabin rumored to be hidden deep in the woods—but those who have whisper of a mysterious woman who tells tales of horrors beyond imagination. Are you brave enough to visit Cabin 23?

Twelve-year-old Alia has always had the worst luck. Whether it’s her parents moving her all the way from Kuala Lumpur to a tiny village or her shoes constantly coming untied, Alia can’t help but feel as if the universe has it out for her.

To top it all off, her estranged older sister, Ayu, has just reappeared in their lives after years away. Alia’s parents are delighted, but Alia is not so sure. She remembers the fights, the tears, the pain her sister caused and knows this is just another case of bad luck following her around.

Then Alia’s school fills with rumors of a horrifying creature spotted flying in the night sky. And Alia realizes that perhaps it’s not just her bad luck this time—but something more sinister is lying just under the surface of her town…and it’s up to Alia to put an end to it for once and for all.

And don't miss the first book in the Tales from Cabin 23 The Boo Hag Flex!]]> 223 Hanna Alkaf 0063283956 Danielle The Book Huntress 4
This book definitely delivers on scares, but it also has heart, too. Alia is at the age where she is struggling to find her identity as a person, and having trouble relating to her parents, despite how much they love each other. When her estranged older sister Aya comes back and seems to do everything right (ingratiating herself back into the family so easily), when she doesn’t, it only adds to her feelings of insecurity, especially as Alia can’t trust her. Not just because of her odd behavior, but also because her sister abandoned her.

I love folklore and legends from all over the world, so it was great to have Malay folklore as the focal point of the novel. The use of the penanggalan vampire is so creepy. This creature detaches its head from the rest of the body and flies around to feed on victims, its intestines trailing behind it. Just the descriptions of this creature, including the sites, sounds and smells is enough to send chills down the spine. It was just gory enough to keep things interesting and scary enough for kids who can handle a little more gruesome and scary in their stories.

I liked that there was something more behind this story that takes things to another level. The message about the power of family and love, and acceptance of others' differences, along with one’s own, makes this multi-layered story in addition to the scary/horror elements. I really appreciate this series, with its multicultural and diverse characters and storylines, along with solid horror storytelling, and I already pre-ordered book three.
]]> 3.78 2024
author: Hanna Alkaf
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: horror-for-kids, vampire, return-of-the-prodigal, middle-grade-juvenile, 2024-reads, part-of-a-series, set-in-malaysia, ebook, kindle-book
review:
In the second outing for this intriguing middle grade horror series, the focus is on a story within a story featuring two girls of Malay heritage. The frame story involves Malur, who has been sent to Camp Apple Hill for the summer. She’s struggling with homesickness and feeling like an outcast because she’s different from the other girls due to being from another country and being Muslim. When she goes to Cabin 23 on a dare, she encounters a scary woman who likes to tell even scarier stories, and she is not able to leave until she hears the tale. The story she tells is about Alia, a girl whose family moved her to a small village from Kuala Lumpur. She can’t seem to shake her bad luck. And her older sister who has been gone for years returns. Alia suspects her sister isn’t what she seems, especially when there is a hideous creature flying around their village, terrifying others. Things only seem to get worse, and Alia finds herself in the role of investigating the monster and her sister as things spiral out of control.

This book definitely delivers on scares, but it also has heart, too. Alia is at the age where she is struggling to find her identity as a person, and having trouble relating to her parents, despite how much they love each other. When her estranged older sister Aya comes back and seems to do everything right (ingratiating herself back into the family so easily), when she doesn’t, it only adds to her feelings of insecurity, especially as Alia can’t trust her. Not just because of her odd behavior, but also because her sister abandoned her.

I love folklore and legends from all over the world, so it was great to have Malay folklore as the focal point of the novel. The use of the penanggalan vampire is so creepy. This creature detaches its head from the rest of the body and flies around to feed on victims, its intestines trailing behind it. Just the descriptions of this creature, including the sites, sounds and smells is enough to send chills down the spine. It was just gory enough to keep things interesting and scary enough for kids who can handle a little more gruesome and scary in their stories.

I liked that there was something more behind this story that takes things to another level. The message about the power of family and love, and acceptance of others' differences, along with one’s own, makes this multi-layered story in addition to the scary/horror elements. I really appreciate this series, with its multicultural and diverse characters and storylines, along with solid horror storytelling, and I already pre-ordered book three.

]]> 203578925
Ropa Moyo is a wannabe magician, can speak to the dead, and has officially given up being an intern. Leaving Scottish magic behind, she now works for the English Sorcerer Royal. But just as she adjusts to working for the English, an old enemy reveals a devastating secret about her Gran, and Ropa’s world falls apart.

Outraged, she rushes home, but finds her grandmother dead � murdered � with no killer in sight. What’s more, she’s the prime suspect. In her quest to find the true murderer, Ropa becomes caught in the dark tendrils of a cult, hell-bent on resurrecting an ancient power. Ropa must use her wits, her magic, and call in all favors to stop the ritual � and clear her name.

Edinburgh Nights series:
The Library of the Dead
Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments
The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle
The Legacy of Arniston House]]> 383 T.L. Huchu 1250883091 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 The Legacy of Arniston House.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Tor Publishing.

]]> 4.05 2024
author: T.L. Huchu
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/20
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: arc, adc-reviews, black-african-or-aa-heroine, scottish, apocalyptic-postapocalyptic-dystopi, urban-fantasy, magic-noir, magician, part-of-a-series, black-african-diaspora, black-african-diaspora-author
review:
This is a dark story that pulls no punches. It seethes with Gothic atmosphere, and has moments that feel downright horrific. Ropa is a ghost talker, who can banish evil spirits and access the realm of the dead, and those scenes are quite chilling. While Ropa is still a young adult, she has been seeking her way in a world that is closer to dystopian than contemporary. Ropa learns some hard lessons about her family, their heritage, and herself through the unfolding story. At times, things feel confusing, but ultimately finds its way to a thrilling climax that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat. Readers who enjoy urban fantasy with a unique spin, heavy with well-described and defined magic, will enjoy The Legacy of Arniston House.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Tor Publishing.


]]> 13547134
From the internationally bestselling author, the fourth novel in the thrilling Scarecrow series featuring “some of the wildest and most sustained battles in an action thriller in a long time" ( Chicago Tribune ).

A Cold War doomsday device hidden deep in the Arctic.

A mysterious terrorist group about to unleash havoc upon an unsuspecting world. Only one team close enough to sabotage them.

Captain Shane Schofield, call sign “Scarecrow,� and his ragtag band of Marines and civilians are outnumbered and outgunned. But with only a few short hours till Armageddon, Scarecrow and his soldiers bravely undertake an edge-of-your-seat, white-knuckle adventure to save the Earth from total annihilation.]]> 496 Matthew Reilly 1416577602 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.18 2012
author: Matthew Reilly
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves: to-read, owned-copy, action-adventure, part-of-a-series, favorite-or-autobuy-author, hero-to-die-for, soldier-or-military, 2023-dhasg-narrow-my-pile-challenge
review:

]]> 203578889
It's been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. But he was so infuriating, with his sparkling green eyes and his bestselling horror novels that claimed to break Native stereotypes. And now she’s a publishing pariah and hasn’t been able to write a word since. So when her friend invites her on a too-good-to-be-true writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, she seizes the opportunity. Of course, some things really are too good to be true.

Neil wants nothing less than to be trapped in a castle with the frustratingly adorable woman who threw a book at him. She drew blood! Worse still, she unleashed a serious case of self-doubt! Neil is terrified to write another bestselling “book without a soul,� as Pen called it. All Neil wants is to find inspiration, while completely avoiding her.

But as the retreat begins, Pen and Neil are stunned to find themselves trapped in a real-life ghost story. Even more horrifying, they’re stuck together and a truly shocking (extremely hot) almost-kiss has left them rethinking their feelings, and� maybe they shouldn’t have been enemies at all? But if they can’t stop the ghosts pursuing them, they may never have the chance to find out.

Full of spooky chills and even more sexy thrills, If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is the funny, fast-paced romp romance readers have been waiting for!]]> 320 Colby Wilkens 1250292905 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 2.73 2024
author: Colby Wilkens
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 2.73
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36454667 Hadrian Marlowe, a man revered as a hero and despised as a murderer, chronicles his tale in the galaxy-spanning debut of the Sun Eater series, merging the best of space opera and epic fantasy.

It was not his war.
On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe started down a path that could only end in fire. The galaxy remembers him as a the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives—even the Emperor himself—against Imperial orders.
But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier.
Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world. Forced to fight as a gladiator and into the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, he will find himself fight a war he did not start, for an Empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand.]]> 753 Christopher Ruocchio 0756413028 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 Dune by Frank Herbert aesthetics, among others. I also felt a bit of a connection to Elric of Melnibone� by Michael Moorcock. It was fun to pick through and try to identify those associations.

Truth be told, I do think a few scenes weren’t strictly necessary, but as this is the story written by the person who lived through the experience, who am I to tell him how to tell his story? I can see how someone who is famous, or infamous, would want to have their story told in the most accurate way possible, feeling anxious not to leave out any parts that they see as part of what made them who they are.

Hadrian is likable to me. He’s also compelling enough to carry the story, which is crucial for such a long book. I know he views himself as the villain of his story (it’s complicated), he doesn’t feel that way. Yes, he makes his share of mistakes, but can you find a young person who hasn’t made their own bad choices? I do like that he learns and grows over the course of this book in a way that makes sense. I also like that he isn’t perfect and doesn’t always know how to do everything, isn’t the most handsome, most tall, or most accomplished. Being born in the family he comes from, gives him some training that comes into play later on, but it also puts him at a disadvantage in other situations.

There are parts that hit me so hard, I had to stop reading. As a reader, I felt a deep sense of empathy for Hadrian at the difficult situations and moral decisions he faced. I liked the secondary characters, but I didn’t get a chance to become too attached to any as they pass through Hadrian’s life. There are a couple that may prove to be more pivotal, so we shall see. Each interaction does contribute to the formation of his character, so in that way, they seem to have a purpose.

I do recommend the audiobook. The narrator is great. I loved his accent (I’m a sucker for a good British accent). He brought this character to life and also does great with the other characters. He’s good at different types of accents and genders/ages.

This book felt like a monumental undertaking to me. I did have to take a few short breaks when I read this, but I couldn’t stay away too long. I had to know what was going to happen next! I’m definitely going to continue this series. It feels like a tremendous project, to be honest, but one that is worthwhile.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.]]> 4.01 2018
author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: 2024-action-adventure-aficionados-g, 2024-reads, 2024-dhasg-general-yearly-challenge, audiobook, space-opera, first-in-series, coming-of-age, space-another-planet, gladiatorial-or-arena-games, gladiator, riches-to-rags, audible-plus
review:
I have to admit that books longer than 500 pages are a bit overwhelming for me. And this one clocks in at 753 pages and over 26 hours in the Audiobook version. That said, this book is as long as it needs to be to introduce you to this larger-than-life character and his epic story. I love a good space opera. Something about human-like societies in space (with added court/political conspiracies and pageantry) on other planets really appeals to me. Especially when the author uses history to craft their fictional world. I loved how this book incorporates elements of the Roman Empire, Medieval Europe Age of Chivalry, and some Dune by Frank Herbert aesthetics, among others. I also felt a bit of a connection to Elric of Melnibone� by Michael Moorcock. It was fun to pick through and try to identify those associations.

Truth be told, I do think a few scenes weren’t strictly necessary, but as this is the story written by the person who lived through the experience, who am I to tell him how to tell his story? I can see how someone who is famous, or infamous, would want to have their story told in the most accurate way possible, feeling anxious not to leave out any parts that they see as part of what made them who they are.

Hadrian is likable to me. He’s also compelling enough to carry the story, which is crucial for such a long book. I know he views himself as the villain of his story (it’s complicated), he doesn’t feel that way. Yes, he makes his share of mistakes, but can you find a young person who hasn’t made their own bad choices? I do like that he learns and grows over the course of this book in a way that makes sense. I also like that he isn’t perfect and doesn’t always know how to do everything, isn’t the most handsome, most tall, or most accomplished. Being born in the family he comes from, gives him some training that comes into play later on, but it also puts him at a disadvantage in other situations.

There are parts that hit me so hard, I had to stop reading. As a reader, I felt a deep sense of empathy for Hadrian at the difficult situations and moral decisions he faced. I liked the secondary characters, but I didn’t get a chance to become too attached to any as they pass through Hadrian’s life. There are a couple that may prove to be more pivotal, so we shall see. Each interaction does contribute to the formation of his character, so in that way, they seem to have a purpose.

I do recommend the audiobook. The narrator is great. I loved his accent (I’m a sucker for a good British accent). He brought this character to life and also does great with the other characters. He’s good at different types of accents and genders/ages.

This book felt like a monumental undertaking to me. I did have to take a few short breaks when I read this, but I couldn’t stay away too long. I had to know what was going to happen next! I’m definitely going to continue this series. It feels like a tremendous project, to be honest, but one that is worthwhile.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
]]> 57693184 Titanic meets The Shining in S.A. Barnes� Dead Silence, a SF horror novel in which a woman and her crew board a decades-lost luxury cruiser and find the wreckage of a nightmare that hasn't yet ended.

A GHOST SHIP.
A SALVAGE CREW.
UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.

Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed—made obsolete—when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.

What they find at the other end of the signal is a shock: the Aurora, a famous luxury space-liner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick trip through the Aurora reveals something isn’t right.

Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Words scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold onto her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora, before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.]]> 343 S.A. Barnes 1250819997 Danielle The Book Huntress 3 Ghost Ship and that Doctor Who episode with Kylie Minogue where the doctor is on the space version of the Titanic. I will say that it had some very creepy imagery and moments, but not enough? It does get really dark and picks up near the end, and Claire was giving me Ripley from Aliens vibes.

I was pleasantly surprised at the ending, because I was expecting to have the rug pulled out from under me, and that didn’t happen. I did enjoy this, but I felt it was kind of dry. The descriptions of the liner full of dead frozen bodies were on point, and that dread at seeing these bodies and wondering why they ended up that way. But the pacing...very slow. I did like the sci-fi action bit near the end a lot. Claire had to use her wits and conquer her fears to rescue herself and someone she cared about. I would have wanted more of that, and more on the page jump scares, if you will. I liked Claire and Kane and their crew, and I wish that the pacing was better. As it was, I would say it was decent if you’re looking for some ghost-themed sci-fi space horror. It’s not the same specific theme (a different kind of space horror), but to me The Scourge Between Stars was better paced and a lot scarier.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.]]> 3.76 2022
author: S.A. Barnes
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: audiobook, audible-owned, 2024-action-adventure-aficionados-g, 2024-action-heroine-challenge, 2024-reads, spooky-season-reading-2024, october-scare-fest-2024, space-another-planet, space-horror, spaceship, haunted-house, mental-illness, ghost-talker, tormented-heroine
review:
I started this book a year ago and I have had a few failed attempts to get into it. It made me sad, because I was really excited to read this. I finally managed to push through this time. The beginning just didn’t keep my interest. It’s hard to say why. I guess it just seemed to be a slog. However, I did love the atmosphere and setting. I’m a sucker for a good ghost story, and I love unusual settings. This book is basically about a haunted space liner. I immediately thought of Ghost Ship and that Doctor Who episode with Kylie Minogue where the doctor is on the space version of the Titanic. I will say that it had some very creepy imagery and moments, but not enough? It does get really dark and picks up near the end, and Claire was giving me Ripley from Aliens vibes.

I was pleasantly surprised at the ending, because I was expecting to have the rug pulled out from under me, and that didn’t happen. I did enjoy this, but I felt it was kind of dry. The descriptions of the liner full of dead frozen bodies were on point, and that dread at seeing these bodies and wondering why they ended up that way. But the pacing...very slow. I did like the sci-fi action bit near the end a lot. Claire had to use her wits and conquer her fears to rescue herself and someone she cared about. I would have wanted more of that, and more on the page jump scares, if you will. I liked Claire and Kane and their crew, and I wish that the pacing was better. As it was, I would say it was decent if you’re looking for some ghost-themed sci-fi space horror. It’s not the same specific theme (a different kind of space horror), but to me The Scourge Between Stars was better paced and a lot scarier.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
]]> 54711230 Harrow County is back! The award-winning, Eisner-nominated southern-gothic horror series returns with a brand-new story.

Ten years have passed since Emmy exited Harrow County, leaving her close friend Bernice as steward of the supernatural home.

But World War II is in full swing, taking Harrow's young men and leaving the community more vulnerable than ever--and when a ghostly choir heralds the resurrection of the dead, Bernice must find a solution before the town is overrun.

Collects Tales from Harrow County: Death's Choir #1-#4.]]> 112 Cullen Bunn 1506716687 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 4.14 2020
author: Cullen Bunn
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 125376531 304 Cat Rambo 1647101050 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 started-but-put-down, to-read 3.94 2023
author: Cat Rambo
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: started-but-put-down, to-read
review:

]]> 61386936
Growing up in the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania feels like drowning. Leah goes to church every Sunday, works when she isn’t at school, and takes care of her baby brother, Owen. Like every girl in Winston, she tries to be right and good and holy. If she isn’t the Lord of the Wood will take her, and she’ll disappear like so many other girls before her.

But living up to the rigorous standards of the town takes its toll. One night, when Owen won’t stop screaming, Leah wishes him away, and the Lord listens. The screaming stops, and all that’s left in the crib is a small bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon.

Filled with shame and the weight of the town’s judgment, Leah is forced to cross the river into the Lord of the Wood’s domain to bring Owen back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn’t what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back―for the price of a song. A song that Leah will have one month to write.

It’s a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she’s been taught to fear.]]> 320 Tori Bovalino 1645679306 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 started-but-put-down, to-read 3.75 2024
author: Tori Bovalino
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: started-but-put-down, to-read
review:

]]> 34464710 My name is Sebastian Lindstrom, and I’m the villain of this story.
I’ve decided to lay myself bare. To tell the truth for once in my hollow life, no matter how dark it gets. And I can assure you, it will get so dark that you’ll find yourself feeling around the blackened corners of my mind, seeking a door handle that isn’t there.
Don’t mistake this for a confession. I neither seek forgiveness nor would I accept it. My sins are my own. They keep me company. Instead, this is the true tale of how I found her, how I stole her, and how I lost her.
She was a damsel, one who already had her white knight. But every fairy tale has a villain, someone waiting in the wings to rip it all down. A scoundrel who will set the world on fire if that means he gets what he wants. That’s me.
I’m the bad guy.

Author's Note: This is a 90,000-word romance with dark themes and a HEA.]]> 415 Celia Aaron Danielle The Book Huntress 0 started-but-put-down, to-read 4.03 2017
author: Celia Aaron
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: started-but-put-down, to-read
review:

]]> 198509097
After ten years of exile, following regicide in the House of Tristain, an alarming royal edict is delivered to the immortal scarecrow Guardians who once defended the crown: surrender themselves to the church of the Silent Gods, or stand accused of further treason. But with a puppet prince set to take the throne and vengeful wraiths appearing with alarming frequency, something foul and sinister is at work in the kingdom of Niveaux.

Lady Charlotte Sand was born to calm the restless dead. A headstrong heroine, she refuses to relinquish her family’s lavender Guardian to the Cardinal’s Watch—a rash misstep that costs her brother his life and sets her on a path for revenge.

For pious and handsome Captain Luc de Montaigne, it’s an excruciating predicament. His long-lost, childhood love has triggered a faction war that could tear the realm asunder. Now Charlotte and Luc must choose between killing one another and stepping closer to victory—or yielding to the electricity between them.

Heartily inspired by The Three Musketeers, this multiple-perspective narrative features a unique system of bone and herbal magic, sultry banter, and a feisty cast of well-rounded supporting characters. This rousing first entry in a romantic fantasy duology is a gorgeous read and excellent pick for fans of Rin Chupeco and Margaret Rogerson.]]> 432 Erica Ivy Rodgers 1682636658 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 3.89 2024
author: Erica Ivy Rodgers
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: jun-2024-netgalley-queue, started-but-put-down, to-read
review:

]]> 761381
Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween.]]> 145 Ray Bradbury 0375803017 Danielle The Book Huntress 3
Essentially, this is about kids coming to grips about their mortality. I did like it. It felt in some ways dated, but that's okay when you're looking for nostalgia. It was nice to make the connections across cultures about the different holidays that have a similar root, celebrating their loved one's passing and also facing death. While there is something scary about some aspects of Halloween itself, as that's the time where the dark themes seem to have the freedom to roam the land of the living, aspects of this holiday and most certainly adjacent holidays such as Dia De Los Muertos and All Soul's Day (or All Saint's Day) are about remembering those who we have lost. Similarly, harvest festivals conceptualize that the growing season is coming to an end, the nights are growing longer, the days shorter, and the weather colder. The earth is headed towards its period of quiescence, and humans along with it.

This story is not about not fearing, but learning to accept and make peace with your fears. I appreciated the message and the poetic way it was delivered. I was jazzed that I got to finish this on Halloween, and it was very atmospheric listening to this as I drove home on a dark, rainy night.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.]]> 3.81 1972
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1972
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/31
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read, holiday, short-story-collection, audiobook, audible-plus, favorite-or-autobuy-author, spooky-season-reading-2024, horror-in-disguise, horror-for-kids, time-travel, quest
review:
I was pleased to find this available to listen for free on Audible, so I grabbed it to read in October. Ray Bradbury has such a poetic and illustrative way of writing. It was very fitting for this story about boys who go on a quest to save their ailing friend and to learn the authentic origins behind Halloween. They go many thousands of years back in time and work their way forward until they learn about how humanity has learned to conceptualize their fears about death and what lurks in the dark.

Essentially, this is about kids coming to grips about their mortality. I did like it. It felt in some ways dated, but that's okay when you're looking for nostalgia. It was nice to make the connections across cultures about the different holidays that have a similar root, celebrating their loved one's passing and also facing death. While there is something scary about some aspects of Halloween itself, as that's the time where the dark themes seem to have the freedom to roam the land of the living, aspects of this holiday and most certainly adjacent holidays such as Dia De Los Muertos and All Soul's Day (or All Saint's Day) are about remembering those who we have lost. Similarly, harvest festivals conceptualize that the growing season is coming to an end, the nights are growing longer, the days shorter, and the weather colder. The earth is headed towards its period of quiescence, and humans along with it.

This story is not about not fearing, but learning to accept and make peace with your fears. I appreciated the message and the poetic way it was delivered. I was jazzed that I got to finish this on Halloween, and it was very atmospheric listening to this as I drove home on a dark, rainy night.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
]]> 203579239 Devils Kill Devils is perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Certain Dark Things and Southern gothic horror. Johnny Compton brings his trademark terror and dread that readers fell in love with in The Spite House to a new roster of monsters—angels, devils, vampires—and a heart-pounding race to save the world.

When all hell breaks loose, you need a devil on your side

Sarita has been watched over by a guardian angel her entire life. She calls him Angelo, and keeps him a secret. But secrets can’t stay buried forever� When Angelo murders someone she loves, Sarita begins to see what's really been lurking in the shadows surrounding her. And she will have to embrace the evil within if she hopes to make it out alive.

Johnny Compton, critically acclaimed author of The Spite House and master of dread, takes you on a terrifying race of one woman against the hordes of hell. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 281 Johnny Compton 1250841682 Danielle The Book Huntress 3
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Tor Nightfire.
]]> 3.15 2024
author: Johnny Compton
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.15
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: netgalley-october-2024-queue, spooky-season-reading-2024, adc-reviews, arc, horror, philosophical-meanderings, immortality, old-gods, the-chosen-one, character-multi-ethnic-heritage, black-african-american-author, black-african-or-aa-heroine, latinx-characters, set-in-texas, netgalley, ebook
review:
Devils Kill Devils is an imaginative novel that is as philosophical in tone as it is horrific. While it does drag due to a lot of telling instead of showing, Compton nails the atmosphere and sense of dread. The imagery is so uncanny and terrifying. There's so much insight into human nature, but done in a very fitting way for this supernatural story. Readers will find something unique, thoughtful, and consistently unsettling with Devils Kill Devils.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Tor Nightfire.

]]> 203578893
When Cassandra Camberwell returns to her hometown of Hollow Brook to clear out her late grandmother’s ramshackle old house, the last thing she expects is Seth Brubaker on her doorstep. Her former best friend was responsible for the worst moment of her high school life, and she can’t imagine he wants to do anything but torment her all over again.

Until she unearths the real reason this annoyingly gorgeous beast of a man keeps hanging around: he’s an actual werewolf, who’s certain she’s the witch that will ease his suffering. But Cassie just isn’t sure if she can trust him again. So Seth offers a pact: he’ll teach her all about her undiscovered magic, and she will brew the potions he needs. No feelings, no funny business, just a witch and a werewolf striking a deal.

Totally doable. Until they get hit with a do-or-die mating bond. And now the heat is rising, in between fights with former bullies and encounters with talking raccoons. They just have to not give in. Unless giving in just might be the very thing they never knew they always wanted.]]> 368 Charlotte Stein 1250352339 Danielle The Book Huntress 5
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of St. Martin's Press]]> 3.28 2024
author: Charlotte Stein
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: netgalley-october-2024-queue, arc, adc-reviews, spooky-season-reading-2024, paranormal-romance, hot-and-steamy-romance, favorites, werewolf, witch-sorcereress-healer, small-town-slice-of-life, friends-to-enemies, friends-to-lovers, virgin-hero, unrequited-love, bbw-heroine, big-tall-hero, ebook, marshmallow-hero, hero-adores-the-heroine
review:
I absolutely loved this book. It was heartwarming, hilarious, captivating, magical, and very sexy in a great way! I would love to read more books with magical witches and sweet, nerdy but buffy and tasty werewolves who have been in love forever but didn't know how to say it. Seriously, if you're burned out on romance, I recommend this one.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. .

Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of St. Martin's Press
]]> 58990962
New York, 1880. Elizabeth van den Broek is the only female reporter at the Herald, the city’s most popular newspaper. Then she and her bohemian friend Carlotta Ackerman find a woman’s body wrapped like a mummy in a freshly dug hole in Central Park—the intended site of an obelisk called Cleopatra’s Needle. The macabre discovery takes Elizabeth away from the society pages to follow an investigation into New York City’s darkest shadows.

When more bodies turn up, each tied to Egyptian lore, Elizabeth is onto a headline-making scoop more sinister than she could have imagined. Her reporting has readers spellbound, and each new clue implicates New York’s richest and most powerful citizens. And a serial killer is watching every headline.

Now a madman with an indecipherable motive is coming after Elizabeth and everyone she loves. She wants a good story? She may have to die to get it.]]> 361 Carole Lawrence 1542014298 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.76 2022
author: Carole Lawrence
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 1678840 Book by Dowling, Terry Terry Dowling 1587671239 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.71 1980
author: Terry Dowling
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 32796253 Ěý
Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.
Ěý
That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.]]> 352 Riley Sager 1101985364 Danielle The Book Huntress 3
One of the biggest issues I had with this book was the poor decisions that Quincy made. Initially I didn’t like her or find her compelling at all. I hate calling people or characters weak, but I did feel like she mainly reacted to events instead of being proactive. It frustrated me a lot. As the book progressed, I wasn’t sure my feelings would change. However, I do like that part of her journey as a final girl was her imperfections and poor choices, which came out of her trauma and helped to shape her as a person, in deeply unhealthy ways. However, she takes those experiences and works to rise above them. A big part of her character story was getting out of boxes that people confined her in (their way of defining her). I won’t lie. I really didn’t like anyone in this book for most of it, except for a character I probably wasn’t supposed to like initially, and a character who we learn has died at the beginning of the book. And I was just heartbroken about one aspect of the book. I hate injustice of any kind and that shook me so bad, I don’t even like to think about it.

I think that this is definitely a suspense and thriller with horror elements. It definitely involves the final girl/slasher theme as opposed to being that kind of book in itself. I’m okay with that, because I am not a big fan of gory, in your face violence. I can tolerate it more in books than I can with movies. That said, there are some tense, scary scenes in this book, and I genuinely was working to figure out where the book was going and who the culprit was. The reveal was one I did not see coming and I found it very disturbing.

So, would I recommend this book? I would say yes, with reservations. I wouldn’t compare it to other final girl books. I think it should be its own thing, and readers will probably appreciate it more. I also think this is a pretty good suspense book in that it kept me guessing and there was a lot of tension in the story. As I said above, I didn’t find the lead character that likable, although by the end of the book, I respected her and I felt like she had overcome a lot and was coming into who she was supposed to be. It’s not overly gory, although there are some disturbing aspects. It has a surprising amount of sex too. Not a deal-breaker, but I wasn’t expecting that. Despite my personal reservations (my own taste and pet peeves in account) is a pretty good choice to read for October and Spooky Season.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
]]> 3.81 2017
author: Riley Sager
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: 2024-action-adventure-aficionados-g, 2024-action-heroine-challenge, 2024-dhasg-general-yearly-challenge, 2024-reads, tormented-heroine, final-girl, heroine-hard-to-like, survivors-guilt, post-traumatic-stress-disorder, thriller-suspense, action-adventure-aficionados-group, a-to-z-character-challenge-q, baker-or-pastry-artist
review:
I don’t watch slasher movies (I am squeamish about on screen violence and gore), but I do love the concept of a final girl. I think it’s a powerful concept that has come out of a genre that has a storied (and at times controversial) history in cinema. Final girls by nature do sit in a gray area between archetype and stereotype. Initially the criteria necessary to meet was very exclusive, and only certain types of people would qualify. I do like how what a final girl can constitute has evolved through the years to include people who don’t nicely fit into pigeonholes. For me as a reader, I really enjoy books that interrogate or examine pop culture and things in our cultural consciousness. I read another final girl book, and quite frankly, in my opinion, that one was superior to this book. Having said that, ultimately this turned out to be a decent read, despite some flaws.

One of the biggest issues I had with this book was the poor decisions that Quincy made. Initially I didn’t like her or find her compelling at all. I hate calling people or characters weak, but I did feel like she mainly reacted to events instead of being proactive. It frustrated me a lot. As the book progressed, I wasn’t sure my feelings would change. However, I do like that part of her journey as a final girl was her imperfections and poor choices, which came out of her trauma and helped to shape her as a person, in deeply unhealthy ways. However, she takes those experiences and works to rise above them. A big part of her character story was getting out of boxes that people confined her in (their way of defining her). I won’t lie. I really didn’t like anyone in this book for most of it, except for a character I probably wasn’t supposed to like initially, and a character who we learn has died at the beginning of the book. And I was just heartbroken about one aspect of the book. I hate injustice of any kind and that shook me so bad, I don’t even like to think about it.

I think that this is definitely a suspense and thriller with horror elements. It definitely involves the final girl/slasher theme as opposed to being that kind of book in itself. I’m okay with that, because I am not a big fan of gory, in your face violence. I can tolerate it more in books than I can with movies. That said, there are some tense, scary scenes in this book, and I genuinely was working to figure out where the book was going and who the culprit was. The reveal was one I did not see coming and I found it very disturbing.

So, would I recommend this book? I would say yes, with reservations. I wouldn’t compare it to other final girl books. I think it should be its own thing, and readers will probably appreciate it more. I also think this is a pretty good suspense book in that it kept me guessing and there was a lot of tension in the story. As I said above, I didn’t find the lead character that likable, although by the end of the book, I respected her and I felt like she had overcome a lot and was coming into who she was supposed to be. It’s not overly gory, although there are some disturbing aspects. It has a surprising amount of sex too. Not a deal-breaker, but I wasn’t expecting that. Despite my personal reservations (my own taste and pet peeves in account) is a pretty good choice to read for October and Spooky Season.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

]]> 204316914 A librarian with a knack for solving murders realizes there is something decidedly supernatural afoot in her little town in this cozy fantasy mystery.

Librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle keeps finding bodies—and solving murders. But she's concerned by just how many killers she's had to track down in her quaint village. None of her neighbors seem surprised by the rising body count...but Sherry is becoming convinced that whatever has been causing these deaths is unnatural. But when someone close to Sherry ends up dead, and her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, becomes possessed by what seems to be an ancient demon, Sherry begins to think she’s going to need to become an exorcist as well as an amateur sleuth. With the help of her town's new priest, and an assortment of friends who dub themselves the "Demon-Hunting Society," Sherry will have to solve the murder and get rid of a demon. This riotous mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Murder, She Wrote is a lesson for demons and murderers.

Never mess with a librarian.]]> 339 C.M. Waggoner 1984805886 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 Midsomer Murders was overtly paranormal, but the main sleuthy character was more like Jessica from Murder She Wrote.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advance Review Copy provided by Netgalley for review courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group/Ace.]]> 3.39 2024
author: C.M. Waggoner
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/04
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: metafiction, demon, tormented-heroine, older-main-character, 2024-reads, cozy-mystery, cozy-horror, paranormal-mystery, arc, adc-reviews, netgalley, spooky-season-reading-2024, amateur-sleuth, nun-monk-minister, small-town-slice-of-life, a-to-z-author-challenge-w
review:
This felt really unique and different to me. I liked the small town sleuth/cozy mystery vibe mixed with some very arcane elements. It's quite meta. You would have thought this would be predictable, but it didn't feel that way at all. It felt a bit like if Midsomer Murders was overtly paranormal, but the main sleuthy character was more like Jessica from Murder She Wrote.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advance Review Copy provided by Netgalley for review courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group/Ace.
]]> 209047273 The next installment in The Doomsday Archives introduces an alluring new occult relic and a sinister new foe—a masked monster that lures victims with visions of their hearts' desires.

Unlike her friends Emrys and Serena, Hazel is struggling to adjust to magic and to their new roles as the secret protectors of New Rotterdam. She’s already worried about her mom, who works endless shifts at the hospital to make ends meet, and now she also has to worry about defending their entire town from supernatural forces. If only Hazel could figure out how to use her relic, the Magnus Crown, which has the power to transform matter, including turning lead into gold . . . gold that would certainly help ease her family’s financial issues.

But before Hazel can crack the Crown’s secrets, the trio discover a chilling new monster is hunting in New Rotterdam, luring its victims with visions of what they desire most. To Hazel’s horror, the monster seems to know exactly what’s in her heart and how to reel her in . . .

With eerie black-and-white illustrations by Julian Callos and chilling Wiki excerpts, The Heart-Stealer Mask continues the deliciously creepy Doomsday Archives series by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos.]]> 208 Zack Loran Clark 1638930325 Danielle The Book Huntress 4 The Doomsday Archives once again captures the scary and Gothic feel that manages to be kid-friendly, but also captivating for older readers who enjoy classic horror motifs. It is genuinely scary in parts, with very creepy imagery. The inclusion of wiki articles for a website involving paranormal events in New Rotterdam is ingenious. In this book, these kids face some serious jeopardy, and while it’s not overtly gory, the subject matter does not shy away from getting gruesome. Although it feels a little short, and the pacing at the end was somewhat rushed, The Heart-Stealer Mask lives up to the potential of the first book, The Wandering Hour.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advance Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Zando Young Readers.]]> 4.26
author: Zack Loran Clark
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/09
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: lgbt, middle-grade-juvenile, 2024-action-adventure-aficionados-g, 2024-action-heroine-challenge, 2024-dhasg-general-yearly-challenge, 2024-reads, nerd-prof-scientist-genius-geek, occult-detective, secret-societies, small-town-slice-of-life, gothic-horror, horror-for-kids, friendship, alchemy, favorite-series, favorites, metafiction, netgalley-october-2024-queue, a-to-z-author-challenge-z
review:
The Doomsday Archives once again captures the scary and Gothic feel that manages to be kid-friendly, but also captivating for older readers who enjoy classic horror motifs. It is genuinely scary in parts, with very creepy imagery. The inclusion of wiki articles for a website involving paranormal events in New Rotterdam is ingenious. In this book, these kids face some serious jeopardy, and while it’s not overtly gory, the subject matter does not shy away from getting gruesome. Although it feels a little short, and the pacing at the end was somewhat rushed, The Heart-Stealer Mask lives up to the potential of the first book, The Wandering Hour.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.

Advance Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Zando Young Readers.
]]> 205064721
The mayor finds a solution that serves everyone but Faolan. He hires a gunslinger to ship her off to the Settlement, a remote fort where social outcasts live under the leadership of His Benevolence Gideon Dillard. It's a place rife with mystery, kept afloat by suspicious wealth. Dillard's absolute command over his staff just doesn't seem right.ĚýAnd neither do the strange noises that keep Faolan up at night.

When Faolan finds the body of a Settlement boarder, mangled by something that can’t possibly be human, it’s clear something vicious is stalking the palisades. And as Settlement boarders continue to drop like flies, Faolan knows she must escape to evade the creature’s wrath.]]> 400 Lish McBride 1984815628 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.69 2024
author: Lish McBride
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195791008 The Witcher meets Naomi Novik in this fast-paced fantasy rooted in Slavic folklore, from an assured new voice in genre

As a witch in the walled city of Chernograd, Kosara has plenty of practice taming rusalkas, fighting kikimoras, and brewing lycanthrope repellent. There’s only one monster Kosara can’t defeat: her ex the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters. She’s defied him one too many times, and now he’s hunting her. Betrayed to him by someone close to her, Kosara’s only hope is to trade her shadow―the source of her powers―for illegal passage across the Wall to Belograd, where monsters can’t follow.

Life in Belograd should be sweet, but Kosara soon develops a fast-acting version of the deadly wasting sickness that stalks shadowless witches―and only reclaiming her magic can cure her. To trace her shadow, she’ll have to team up with the suspiciously honorable detective investigating the death of the smuggler who brought her across the Wall.

Even worse than working with the cops is that all the clues point in a single direction: one of the Zmey’s monsters has found a crack in the Wall, and Kosara’s magic is now in the Zmey’s hands.

The clock is ticking, the hunt is on, and Kosara’s priorities should be clear―but is she the hunter or the hunted? And in a city where everyone is out for themselves, who can Kosara trust to assist her in outwitting the man―the Monster―she’s never been able to escape alone?]]> 359 Genoveva Dimova 1250877318 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.86 2024
author: Genoveva Dimova
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203579013
Ruby Young's new Boston apartment comes with all the usual perks. Windows facing the brick wall of the next-door building. Heat that barely works. A malfunctioning buzzer. Noisy neighbors. A dead body on the sidewalk outside. And of course, a ghost.

Since Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago, she's kept up her residency, despite being bored out of her (non-tangible) skull and frustrated by her new roommate. When her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building, Cordelia is convinced there’s more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice.

Unfortunately, Cordelia, being dead herself, can't solve the mystery alone. She has to enlist the help of the obnoxiously perky, living tenant of her apartment. Ruby is twenty, annoying, and has never met a houseplant she couldn't kill. But she also can do everything Cordelia can't, from interviewing suspects to researching Jake on the library computers that go up in a puff of smoke if Cordelia gets too close. The roommates form an unlikely friendship as they get closer to the truth about Jake's death…and maybe other dangerous secrets as well.]]> 336 Olivia Blacke 1250336678 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.63 2024
author: Olivia Blacke
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 200488134
On a small island in a remote corner of northwest Scotland lies Maundrell castle, owned by its wealthy namesake family for centuries—until now. Edwina Nunn is shocked to learn a relative she never heard of has bequeathed the castle and its land to her. What awaits Edie and her teenage daughter, Neve, is even more startling, for the castle is home to a multitude of ghosts.

Yet there’s a strange beauty in the austere architecture and the eerie, bloody waters of Loch na Scáthanna, the Lake of Shadows. Beguiled by a frightened ghost who gazes longingly out of the castle’s windows, Edie and Neve are drawn to the legends shrouding the island and the mystery of the Maundrell Red—a priceless diamond that disappeared decades before.

Is the gem really cursed, and the cause of the family tragedies that have all occurred on Samhain—Scottish Halloween? As Samhain approaches once more, Edie and Neve race to peel back the dark secrets entwining the living and the dead—a twisted story of bitter cruelty and hidden love—or they will become another Maundrell tragedy trapped in the lonely hours . . .]]> 336 Shannon Morgan 1496743903 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.66 2024
author: Shannon Morgan
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204593711
It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.

Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her—the very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.

To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University—where students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos—even as he does everything he can to drive her away. It doesn’t matter that Susenyos’s wickedness speaks to Kidan’s own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs.

When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat—and June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love—and the blood it requires.]]> 432 Tigest Girma Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.66 2024
author: Tigest Girma
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 127280459
It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas and the Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in town, are keeping steady with…normal business. The dead die, you bury them. End of story. That’s how Ducey Evans has done it for the last eighty years, and her progeny―Lenore the experimenter and Grace, Lenore’s soft-hearted daughter, have run Evans Funeral Parlor for the last fifteen years without drama. Ever since That Godawful Mess that left two bodies in the ground and Grace raising her infant daughter Luna, alone.

But when town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular burial and she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi―the original vampire―are back. And the Evans women are the ones who need to fight back to protect their town.

As more folks in town turn up dead and Deputy Roger Taylor begins asking way too many questions, Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and now Luna, must take up their blades and figure out who is behind the Strigoi’s return. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go back down. But as unspoken secrets and revelations spill from the past into the present, the Evans family must face that sometimes, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.

A crackling mystery-horror novel with big-hearted characters and Southern charm with a bite, Bless Your Heart is a gasp-worthy delight from start to finish.]]> 304 Lindy Ryan 1250888883 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.58 2024
author: Lindy Ryan
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 186872450 A detective investigating a grisly crime in rural Alaska finds herself caughtĚýup in the dark secrets andĚýsuperstitions of a small town in this riveting novel from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man

Deadhart, Alaska. 873. Living.

In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.

Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a Colony killing—and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn’t so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the Colony better than almost anyone.

As the pair delve into the town’s history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined. And then another body is found. While the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, a killer stalks Deadhart, and two disparate communities circle each other for blood. Time is running out for Atkins and Tucker to find the truth: Are they hunting a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath? And which is more dangerous?]]> 336 C.J. Tudor 0593356594 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.85 2024
author: C.J. Tudor
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199793379 LONG-LISTED FOR THE 2025 BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARDS AND THE LOCUS AWARDS!

Nebula and MIFRE award-winning author R.S.A. Garcia’s scifantasy debut novel—the first in a duology—in which Caribbean mythology meets The Witcher, introduces a world where women warrior-magicians rule, and a child princess and her bodyguard must flee an attempted coup and evade the wave of darkness sent to kill her.

For 500 years Gaiea’s Hand has stood as a ward against the Dark. The Age of Chaos is a faded memory. The Goddess has left Gailand and given her Blessing to the Queens to rule in her stead.

Princess Viella of the court of Hamber is the Spirit of Gaiea, presumptive heir to the throne and budding wielder of magic. And yet she’s still a child—not yet ten years old—and a day spent evading her teachers and her dutiful bodyguard, Luka, is much more satisfying than learning about telepathy, illusions, and other spells, or obeying even her mother, the Queen.

There is time enough…until there isn’t.

For the night the Queen hosts the Ceremony to confirm Viella as the next Hand of Gaiea, everything changes for her—in the most horrific way the assassination of Viella’s mother.

Now Viella is Queen.

Luka, despite resenting his position as royal babysitter, does not hesitate. He rushes his charge from the Court and vows to keep her safe. Yet he is unsure how to help a burgeoning Hand of Gaiea, let alone contend with his place as a man in a matriarchal world and the secret that is burning inside him.

Together, they are on the run from darkness in a world where the lines between magic and technology are blurring and it’s up to a child and her protector to bring clarity and light back to the Queendom.]]> 432 R.S.A. Garcia 0063345757 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 3.64 2024
author: R.S.A. Garcia
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: to-read, netgalley-october-2024-queue
review:

]]> 205064706 A mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

Clem gets a call that is every mother’s worst nightmare. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Erin is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn’t recognize her mother. And she doesn’t answer to her name, but insists she is someone named Nyx.

Clem travels the site of her daughter’s accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the Orkneys: a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft and murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin’s strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind, or the effects of an ancient curse?]]> 365 C.J. Cooke 059381696X Danielle The Book Huntress 0 3.74 2024
author: C.J. Cooke
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: to-read, netgalley-october-2024-queue
review:

]]> 203665590
Enter: Bea Veracruz and Jorge Barrera. They’re the only two members of Jasmine's middle school's Gay Straight Alliance and they’re already obsessed with all things supernatural. Bea wants to prove herself to her paranormal investigator parents and Jorge is determined to overcome his fear of the beyond. And when Jasmine confesses she’s been tormented by a ghost for years, they not only believe her, they’re thrilled!

Together they set out to prove that Jasmine’s not just acting out after her father’s death–ghosts are real and Jasmine is haunted. But not everyone agrees how to deal with the departed. As Jasmine’s hauntings increase in intensity, her resentment builds. Why is her Mami so secretive about her past? Why is she the center of such a terrible vortex of supernatural activity? And why hasn’t her Papi ever reached out to her since he passed?

In order to face her ghosts—both internal and external—Jasmine must come to terms with her own history.]]> 256 Mark Oshiro 1250337291 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.00 2024
author: Mark Oshiro
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: to-read, netgalley-october-2024-queue
review:

]]> 210164407 Respectable lady scholars shouldn’t be dodging evildoers, escaping lost tombs, and chasing down magical artifacts.

Archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory always dreamed of putting her scholarly skills to work in the ancient sands of Egypt. She never imagined she would be doing so in order to save an object of legendary power from a batch of ruthless villains.

Racing baddies to an arcanum of Biblical proportions is only one of Ellie’s problems. Her hopelessly academic and perpetually mortified step-brother, Dr. Neil Fairfax, is about to learn that she’s been gallivanting around the globe with his danger-magnet best friend, Adam Bates—the roguish surveyor for whom Ellie harbors increasingly complicated feelings. Add the petite and terrifyingly fearless Constance Tyrrell to the mix, and Ellie either has a crack team of artifact-saving experts to hand� or a recipe for disaster.

Together, they’ll need to follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues from the necropolis of Saqqara to the temples of Luxor and beyond, where the ruined capital of a heretic pharaoh hides a secret with the potential to upend history.

To keep an earth-shattering magic from falling into the wrong hands, Ellie will need to pull out all the stops—even if that means resorting to fisticuffs, ignoring proper archaeological processes� and facing a terrible choice between doing what she knows is right or breaking her own heart.

Dive into Tomb of the Sun King now to experience the next action-packed historical fantasy adventure in the Raiders of the Arcana series!

Praise for the Raiders of the Arcana

“Sassy banter and sizzling romantic tension sparkle throughout the fast paced action! � Fans of Indiana-Jones style historical fantasies will be eager for the next adventure.� - ALA Booklist

“Fun, female-led mystical adventure with unexpected themes and oodles of heart!â€� - Five star Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ reviewer]]> 498 Jacquelyn Benson 1959050141 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.40 2024
author: Jacquelyn Benson
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: to-read, netgalley-october-2024-queue
review:

]]> 212987707 If a fairy godmother can get one sisterĚýintoĚýa marriage, getting anotherĚýoutĚýof one should beĚýeasyâ€�Ěý

Lady Theodosia Balfour has certainly gotten the short end of the stick—her stepsister, the newly crowned Princess Beatrice, is telling everyone in polite society that Theo, her sister, and their motherĚýareĚýevil, wicked, and horrid people who treated her like a slave. Though Theo knows this isn't exactly true, it seems her life is thoroughly ruined by the rumor. With the Balfour family estate on the verge of bankruptcy, Theo's only path forward is a forced betrothal to the Duke of Snowbell, a foul-tempered geezer who wishes only to use her as a brood mare for spare heirs.Ěý

Desperate for help, Theo clings to the only thing that might save her: the rumor of a fairy godmother, one that supposedly helped her stepsister secure a prince.ĚýAfter discovering a way to summon a fairy in Beatrice's old room, Theo thinks her prayers have been answered. But the fairy she meets isn't at all what she imagined. Drop-dead gorgeous, incredibly cunning, and slightly devious, Cecily of the Ash Fairies is much more interested in gathering powerful favors and smoking her pipe than providing charitable magic for humans in a bind.

Before she receives magical assistance, CecilyĚýsets Theo toĚýthree tasks, seemingly to prove that Theo is a selfless and kind person. Helping her along the way are Cecily's familiars, the flirty human-turned-mockingbird Phineas and the aloof Kasra, a fox shapeshifterĚýwho should not be as handsome as he is for someone with such cutting remarks. As Theo works on her tasks, she shockinglyĚýfinds kinship with the magical creatures she's helping, and starts to wonder if a continued life among her human peers is what she really wants after all.

From debut author Laura J. Mayo comes a hilarious new spin on the Cinderella tale!]]> 386 Laura J. Mayo 0316580716 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.23 2024
author: Laura J. Mayo
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: to-read, netgalley-october-2024-queue
review:

]]> 5291 84 Oscar Wilde 142092737X Danielle The Book Huntress 0 4.26 1888
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1888
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/08
shelves: to-read, fairy-tale-collection
review:

]]> 199531757
Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.

Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd�

What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.]]> 384 Karen Marie Moning 0063249219 Danielle The Book Huntress 0 to-read 3.72 2024
author: Karen Marie Moning
name: Danielle The Book Huntress
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>