Audiobook Review: Red Lily by Nora Roberts

Red Lily
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Susie Breck
Series: In the Garden (Book 3)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (June 10, 2008)
Length: 10 hours and 34 minutes

Description: A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night...

Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn't looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery.

What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she's ever had - including Roz's son Harper. To Hayley's delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. But to Hayley's chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper - as much more than a friend.

If Hayley gives in to her desire, she's afraid the foundation she's built with Harper will come tumbling down. Especially since she's begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own.<

Flashes of the past and erratic behavior make Hayley believe that the Harper Bride has found a way inside of her mind and body. It's time to put the Bride to rest once and for all, so Hayley can know her own heart again - and whether she's willing to risk it...

My Thoughts: The final novel in the In the Garden trilogy stars Hayley Phillips and Harper Ashby. Hayley had come to her distant cousin Roz when she found herself pregnant and shortly after the death of her father. She was looking for a new start and found it with family and by getting involved in the nursery business. 

She fell in love with Roz's son Harper, but she was either pregnant or a new mother. Besides Harper doesn't seem interested in her. However, Harper had fallen in love with her too and was taking things slow until he felt Hayley had caught up with his feelings. 

But, behind the scenes, the Harper Bride ghost is becoming more visible and more dangerous. She has graduated from singing to the Harper babies to threatening family members. And lately she has taken to taking over Hayley's body and wants to take over her life. 

For a happy ending for Hayley and Harper, the people of Harper House - Roz and her new husband Mitch and Stella and her new husband Logan - need to discover what it is the ghost wants and how they can finally lay her to rest.

This was another great story. Roberts is an expert at relationships and especially friendships between women. She is also excellent at romances that are very realistic. This one certainly qualified. 

I bought this one March 11, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Black Rose by Nora Roberts

Black Rose
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Susie Breck
Series: In the Garden (Book 2)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (June 10, 2008)
Length: 10 hours and 59 minutes

Description: A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night.

At 45, Rosalind Harper is a woman whose experiences have made her strong enough to bend without breaking - and weather any storm. A widow with three grown sons, she survived a disastrous second marriage, and built her In the Garden nursery from the ground up.

Through the years, In the Garden has become more than just a thriving business - it is a symbol of hope and independence to Roz, and to the two women she shares it with. Newlywed Stella and new mother Hayley are the sisters of her heart, and together, the three of them are the future of In the Garden.

But now that future is under attack, and Roz knows they can't fight this battle alone. Hired to investigate Roz's Harper ancestors, Dr. Mitchell Carnegie finds himself just as intrigued with Roz herself. And as they begin to unravel the puzzle of the Harper Bride's identity, Roz is shocked to find herself falling for the fascinating genealogist.

Now it is a desperate race to discover the truth before the unpredictable apparition lashes out at the one woman who can help her rest in peace.

My Thoughts: The second book in the In the Garden trilogy is Rosalind's story. Roz has built a life for herself and her sons after being widowed when she was young. She has parlayed her talents and her funds into a successful gardening center. She works with her oldest son and two young protegees in widowed mother Stella and single mother Hailey. 

When she was facing an empty nest as her son's moved off for their own careers, she entered into a marriage with a man who was a cheat and a liar. When she realized, she divorced him and thought that all she had to do was put her mistake in the past and promise herself never to make it again. 

But when Dr. Mitchell Carnegie is hired to do a family genealogy and identify the Harper Bride who had been haunting the family for generations, Roz finds a man she can love and trust. But the ex hasn't finished with Roz. Between crashing her Christmas Party with his new woman, opening credit cards in her name, and resigning from her Country Club in her name having sent a nasty letter to the club, Roz has a lot to deal with. 

Then there is the Harper Bride who has become more aggressive in the current situation. While still okay with the children, she is trying to interfere with all three women's new romantic relationships. 

The Bride is identified in this one - not by name - by the role she had in a male Harper's life. She was a mistress whose baby was stolen from her to be passed off as the legitimate Harper heir. Taking her child drove her crazy and left her with a vendetta against the family. 

I enjoyed this ghost story/romance. I love the depth of all the characters and the strong relationships between them. 

I bought this one March 11, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts

Blue Dahlia
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Susie Breck
Series: In the Garden (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (June 10, 2008)
Length: 10 hours and 46 minutes

Description: Against the backdrop of a house steeped in history and a thriving new gardening business, three women unearth the memories of the past in the first novel in #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts’ In the Garden Trilogy.

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night…

Trying to escape the ghosts of the past, young widow Stella Rothchild, along with her two energetic little boys, has moved back to her roots in southern Tennessee. She isn’t intimidated by Harper House - nor by its mistress. Despite a reputation for being difficult, Roz Harper has been nothing but kind to Stella, offering her a comfortable place to live and a challenging new job as manager of the flourishing In the Garden nursery.

As Stella settles comfortably into her new life, she finds a nurturing friendship with Roz and expectant mother Hayley and a fierce attraction to ruggedly handsome landscaper Logan Kitridge. He’s difficult but honest, brash but considerate - and undeniably sexy. And for a sensible woman like Stella, he may be just what she needs...

My Thoughts: BLUE DAHLIA begins the In the Garden trilogy by Nora Roberts. Stella Rothchild is a widowed mother of two young boys who transplants herself to Southern Tennessee to be nearer to her father and his wife. She takes a job as manager for Roz Harper who owns the In the Garden nursery. 

Stella and her boys live with Roz as they begin their new lives. Stella finds the job challenging and just what she needs for her new start. One fly in the ointment is Logan Kitridge who is the landscape designer associated with the nursery. They butt heads immediately but fall in love too which comes a surprise for the organized, plan ahead Stella. 

However, she loves working for Roz and with Hayley who is a young sort of relation of Roz's who has come looking for a job while pregnant. Hayley has recently lost her father and is also looking to build a new life. 

Things would be great for all of them except for the existence of the Harper Bride who is a ghost. She is especially concerned with young children. It is Stella's boys who see her first as she sings to them in their bedroom. Roz has long been familiar with the ghost but is now eager to find out who she is. 

This was an excellent story. All of the characters were well-defined. The romance fit in nicely and the ghost was an added bonus. 

I bought this one January 25, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst

The Faraway Inn
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Delacorte (March 31, 2026)

Description: A teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn—only to discover that the fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret—in this cozy and irresistible new young adult fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

This stunning first edition of The Faraway Inn features gorgeous designed edges!

“Frosted with whimsy and sprinkled with joy, The Faraway Inn is a testament to why Sarah Beth Durst is the queen of cozy fantasy!”—Tricia Levenseller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Darkness Within Us

When sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt’s B&B in rural Vermont for the summer, she’s shocked to find a rundown inn rather than the cozy bed-and-breakfast she was expecting. Grumpy and eccentric, Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn . . . even though she clearly needs the help.

To convince her great-aunt to keep her around, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there’s something strange about the B&B—and its guests. Something almost . . . otherworldly.

The inn is keeping a magical secret—but to protect the place she’s come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth before it’s too late.

My Thoughts: This Young Adult fantasy takes place in Vermont at the Faraway Inn. Brooklynite Calisa is eager to get away from her broken heart caused by her boyfriend's betrayal by joining her great-aunt at her inn in Vermont.

Calisa arrives to find an inn that looks to be on its last days and a great-aunt who isn't eager to see her. However, she is eager to make a place for herself at this strange inn. She meets Jack who is the groundskeeper's son and who is worried about his dad's disappearance. The strange things begin almost immediately when Calisa opens a broom closet and sees only black, has a wind blow in her face, and hears a howling scream. Her aunt quickly slams the door and tries to convince her it wasn't real.

That is only the first strange thing that happens. She is determined to make a place for herself at the inn since she isn't ready to face things back in Brooklyn. She finds herself cleaning, making pancakes, and learning to bake cakes to go along with the teapot that seems to make tea without human intervention. 

She meets the quirky guests and is adopted by a small lizard that one of them inadvertently brought along with them. Then there's the statue that keeps moving around...

When her great-aunt disappears, Calisa and Jack need to find her and find themselves visiting many worlds through the various doors at the inn. Calisa manages to find herself along the way and learn what is really important to her. 

This was a sweet, adventurous story with wonderful characters and great worldbuilding. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

Forging Silver into Stars
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Narrator: Cecily Bednar Schmidt et al.
Series: Forging Silver into Stars (Book 1)
Publication: Bloomsbury Publishing (June 7, 2022)
Length: 17 hours and 28 minutes

Description: Forbidden magic. Secret romance. Dangerous alliances. Enter the world of New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's electrifying series.

When nineteen-year-old Tycho, the King’s Courier, arrives in the remote village of Briarlock, he hopes to escape the demands of his new life in the royal court, where magic reigns for the first time in ages. He doesn't expect to fall for a handsome blacksmith with a bruised heart.

After years of cruelty in his father’s forge, Jax never dared to dream of a better life—until a magic-wielding young lord shows him an enticing alternative. But when rumors of a rebellion reach Briarlock, Jax wonders who he can trust—and if he'll even survive.

Jax’s best friend, Callyn, doesn’t trust anyone—especially not a handsome stranger with magic, which killed her parents years ago. When another royal emissary arrives, seeing a co-conspirator, Callyn finds herself embroiled in a plot that could lead them all to ruin. . .

As tensions flare throughout the kingdom, it won't be long before everyone must choose a side.

War is brewing. Passions are building. And magic may doom—or save—them all.

My Thoughts: FORGING SILVER INTO STARS begins a new epic fantasy series which includes characters from her CURSEBREAKER epic fantasy series.

The three main characters are Tycho who is nineteen and a King's Courier. One of his trips between his king and his king's brother results in a thrown shoe and the need to stop at a village named Briarlock. There he meets blacksmith Jax and baker Callyn. 

Jax has been abused by his father for most of his life. He had an accident which cost him a foot and ended a possible career as a soldier. His father's drinking and gambling have led to them nearly losing their smithy for failure to pay the taxes. In order to earn the silver needed for the taxes, Jax has agreed to hold sealed messages for the Truthbringers who say they want to protect the queen but get rid of the king who has brought magic to the kingdom.

Jax's friend Callyn has been running the family bakery since her father died in an attempted invasion of the palace. He had previously given all his silver to support this revolution. Callyn is also far short of the silver she needs to pay the taxes, save the bakery, and take care of her younger sister. She hates magic because she blames it for both her mother's death in battle and her father's death at the palace. 

While Tycho is waiting for his horse to be shoed and flirting with Jax, Lord Alex who is a rival at court makes an appearance. He's come to pick up the message Jax is holding. Tycho finds this very suspicious as do the king and queen when he reports this. Suspicions also fall on Jax who hasn't explained why he became a mail drop. 

Suspicions lead to Callyn being the new mail drop and to the attentions of Lord Alex who begins to court her and help her with needed repairs and also by making her popular with travelers who bring in lots of new business. She is falling for Lord Alex but doesn't really trust him and what he is telling her.

This was an engaging fantasy with interesting characters and interesting worldbuilding. I'm looking forward to reading books two and three. I also want to read the CURSEBREAKER trilogy. Luckily, I have all five books in my audiobook collection.

I bought this one January 18, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson

The Wind Weaver
Author: Julie Johnson
Series: Reign of Remnants (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (April 8, 2025)

Description: Magic and adventure swirl through this spellbinding romantasy where a young woman reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm or doom them all.

Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya’s execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior—one far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems—not her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.

For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic…or die trying.

But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.

My Thoughts: THE WIND WEAVER begins a new fantasy series. Given that fact, it should also be noted that the book ends on a cliffhanger. 

Rhya Fleetwood is rescued by a man who is named by those around him as Commander Scythe. He shows up at an opportune moment since she has been captured by soldiers and is on the verge of being executed for being half fae. 

Cammander Scythe throws her on the back of his horse like a sack of grain and hauls her off to an unknown destination. He barely speaks to her and doesn't answer any of her questions about where he is taking her or why until they reach their mysterious destination in the Northlands.

Once there, Rhya learns that the strange birthmark on her chest means that she is one of four fated Remnants who are prophesied to be able to cure the ills of the land which began when humans overthrew and massacred all the fae they could find. The human population is still hunting down and killing any fae or half fae that they can find and the land is blighted and getting more blighted every day while the humans divide the lands among more and more ineffective kings. 

Rhya learns that she is the third Remnant to have been found. Water is King Soren of Llyr who has quite a reputation for brutality among the humans. Fire is Prince Pendefyre who has been masquerading as Commander Scythe and who has been traveling the human lands in search of the Air Remnant who happens to by Rhya. 

But before they can search out the Earth Remnant, they need to deal with an enemy who wants to capture Rhya for her maegic and conquer all the fae in the Northlands. And Rhya has to learn to use her Air powers - powers she didn't even know she had.

It doesn't help that Rhya thinks she is falling for Penn who isn't willing to do anything because of his bad experiences with the previous Air Remnant.

This was an entertaining Epic Fantasy that hits a lot of the tropes of the genre. I enjoyed it and will be looking to continue that story as further books are published. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

Where in Malek's name is he going? I hurry through the tunnels beneath the quadrant, trying to follow, but night is the ultimate shadow and Xaden blends seamlessly into the darkness. If it wasn't for our dragons' bond leading me in his general direction and he sporadic disappearance of mage lights, I'd never think that he's masked somewhere ahead of me.

Friday 56:

"I forgot." He slowly lets go of the headboard and sits back on his heels, gripping his thighs, then letting his hands fall at his sides. "I woke up and saw you sitting there, and it was the most natural thing in the world to reach for you, but I'm not natural anymore. F**k, I'm so sorry, Violet."

This week I am spotlighting Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. Here's the description from Amazon:

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.

Audiobook Review: Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha

Consort of Fire
Author: Kit Rocha
Narrator: Caitlin Elizabeth, Victoria Mei, Will Thorne, Adenrele Ojo
Series: Bound to Fire and Steel (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (November 28, 2023)
Length: 12 hours and 31 minutes

Description: From cult-favorite writing duo Kit Rocha comes a fiery novel set in a lush fantasy world brimming with ancient magic, dangerous secrets, and erotic connections.

For three thousand years, an ancient dragon god has protected the borders of the Sheltered Lands. In return, he makes only one demand: every one hundred years, the mortal ruler must send their heir to serve as his consort…for as long as they can survive.

Sachielle of House Roquebarre is the thirty-first consort to be sacrificed to the monster who guards the mountain passes. She is young, beautiful—and she has three secrets.

First: she’s a disposable orphan trained in seduction.

Second: her handmaid, Zanya, is an assassin and the only person she has ever loved.

Third—and most dangerous: she’s cursed. Sachi and Zanya have five weeks to murder the Dragon in his bed. If they fail, the mortal king’s curse will steal not just Sachi’s life, but her very soul.

The Dragon has only one secret: he is nothing like what they have been told. And he will do whatever it takes to possess them both.

My Thoughts: This romantacy is set in a world filled with gods and scheming kings. Sachielle is sent to be the dragon's consort as part of a long-standing agreement. She must be bound to the dragon to reinforce the humans promises to respect the land. She is supposed to be the ruling king's heir.

The main problem is that the kings don't want to be restrained in their activities by their old promises to the dragon and the other gods. They hatch a plot to train a nameless orphan to seduce and then murder the dragon. Along with Sachielle is her handmaid Zanya who is also a trained assassin and backup if Sachielle isn't able to complete her mission. 

They have trained to girls using a combination of drugs and torture to complete their assignments. But if training won't hold, they have also placed a curse on Sachielle that will cause her death and the death of her soul if she doesn't complete her mission. Sachielle and Zanya are in love. They bonded through their shared desire to survive their training. Each will do anything including die for the other. 

But the dragon isn't who they have been taught he is. He's immortal but can be murdered. His goal along with his fellow gods is to protect their world. He can be cruel if cruelty is needed but he is also kind and loving. He is hoping that this consort is the one that he has been promised.

This was a lush, erotic fantasy which didn't come as a surprise once I learned that Kit Rocha formerly wrote as Moira Rogers. Fans of the erotic and fantasy will enjoy this story which was ably narrated by four different people. 

I bought this one December 24, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

The Spellshop
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Bramble (July 9, 2024)

Description: The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Join Kiela the librarian and her assistant, Caz the sentient spider plant, as they navigate the low stakes market of illegal spellmaking and the high risk business of starting over.

“Sarah Beth Durst is the hidden gem of the fantasy world.” —Book Riot

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she’d never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair.

The empire, for all its magic and power, has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that, but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library, Kiela feels partially responsible for this, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island’s first-ever secret spellshop.

Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.

My Thoughts: THE SPELLSHOP was an engaging fantasy. Kiela lived as a librarian in the capital city. She worked in the Great Library of Alyssium until revolutionaries burned the libary. Kiela fled with some boxes of books and her sentient spider plant Caz. Her destination was the remote island where she was born and lived until she was eight.

Arriving there, she found the cottage she inherited in a state of disrepair and determined to fix it up. She had some help from Larran who knew her when she was a child and who cared for the herd of merhorses that helped the local fishermen. 

Kiela's relationship with Larran gradually improved as the solitary woman slowly began to trust Larran. And her circle of friends grew as she began to make a place for herself on the island. She decided that, even though it was forbidden, she would learn some of the spells from the books she rescued in order to help herself and the other people on the island survive.

Her spells ranged from accelerating plant growth which let her restore her raspberry patch so that she could make her living selling raspberry jam to magically fixing magical springs. She also made a spell to repair the trees on the island which had been failing since the traveling sorcerers had stopped visiting the outer islands. 

While there are greater events going on off the island where Kiela and Caz have taken refuge which impact her choices, the main concern of the story is Kiela's learning to trust others and build a new life for herself. 

I enjoyed this cozy, feel-good fantasy.

Favorite Quote:

It wasn't that she didn't like people. It was only that she liked books more. They didn't fuss or judge or mock or reject. The invited you in, fluffed up the pillows on the couch, offered you tea and toast, and shared their hearts with no expectation that you'd do anything more than absorb what they had to give. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin

Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Author: Jennifer Rardin
Series: Jaz Parks (Book 1)
Publication: Orbit (October 8, 2007)

Description: I'm Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that's ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best -- assassination. And I help. You could say I'm an Assistant Assassin. But then I'd have to kick your ass.

Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plastic surgeon named Assan, a charmer with ties to terrorism that run deeper than a buried body. Find out what he's meeting with that can help him and his comrades bring America to her knees. And then close his beady little eyes forever. Why is it that nothing's ever as easy as it seems?

My Thoughts: The first in the Jaz Parks story introduces a CIA assassin partnered with a vampire as they try to keep the villains from unleashing a great evil on the world. 

I enjoyed the complex character of Jaz Parks and enjoyed gradually learning about the events that made her the person she is in this first novel about her. I liked her smart-ass personality and her, sometimes, inappropriate sense of humor. I liked her equally complex vampire partner. 

The worldbuilding was intriguing as it was just a tweak on our world with the addition of vampires. 

Favorite Quote:

My nerves were running around like earthquake victims, screaming hysterically and ramming into each other, causing no end of damage and helping me not one damn bit.

I bought this one July 16, 2009. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

Fire & Heist
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Crown Books for Young Readers (December 4, 2018)

Description: Fans of Cassandra Clare and Julie Kagawa will devour this contemporary fantasy about a teen were-dragon who must steal her first treasure. But a dark discovery during her heist could put her family in incredible danger.

In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone--even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern--a human capable of turning into a dragon.

Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community.

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society--a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

My Thoughts: Sky Hawkins in a wyvern and the youngest child in her family. After her mother disappears after attempting a heist - something that is part of the wyvern culture, Sky's family faces problems. The failed heist costs them half their fortune and they are shunned by the rest of wyvern society. Worst of all, the one who led the shunning was Sky's boyfriend Ryan. 

Sky is determined to find out what happened to her mother. To do so, she plans that her first heist - the one that will prover her adulthood - will be a duplicate of the heist her mother failed. Sky can't work alone. She needs her ex-boyfriend, a local wyvern wizard, and her human friend Gabriella is the heist is to be successful.

This was a fun heist story. I liked the characters, and I liked the way they all worked together to plan and execute the heist. I liked the surprise that happens when their plans are discovered and the way good triumphs over evil. 

Favorite Quote:

"So you love him and he loves you, but your families won't let you be together. Is this a Romeo and Juliet kind of situation? Because that ended badly."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

Gold.

Symbol Au.

Atomic number 79.

Dictionary definition: "a yellow malleable ductile metallic element."

You could say my family is obsessed with it.

Friday 56:

I couldn't think of a single lie that would explain our presence. We couldn't have looked guiltier if there were neon lights over our heads blinking the work "THIEVES!" My only consolation was that since I had on the face mask, he didn't know who I was. 

This week I'm spotlighting Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst. This book is by one of my favorite authors but somehow got lost on my TBR stack since I got it August 3, 2023. Here is the description from Amazon:

Fans of Cassandra Clare and Julie Kagawa will devour this contemporary fantasy about a teen were-dragon who must steal her first treasure. But a dark discovery during her heist could put her family in incredible danger.

In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone--even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern--a human capable of turning into a dragon.

Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community.

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society--a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

Audiobook Review: Shield's Lady by Jayne Ann Krentz

Shield's Lady
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Natalie Ross
Series: Lost Colony Trilogy (Book 3)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (September 8, 2009)
Length: 11 hours and 57 minutes

Description: Legends can be dangerous, just ask Sariana Dayne. She sets out to hire one and wakes up married to him. It’s a marriage of infuriating inconvenience as far as Sariana is concerned.

Gryph Chassyn stirs all her senses but he’s one of the mysterious mercenaries known as Shields. Sensible women do not marry such men. But for Gryph, marrying Sariana is a matter of honor, passion and survival. He needs her in ways she cannot even imagine.

Before Sariana can find a way to escape the bond that has been forged between them, she and Gryph are caught up in a desperate quest to save their world. The future looks a little different but some things, like love and passion, and murder never change.

My Thoughts: This science fiction romance written in 1989 was an entertaining story with Krentz's strong, independent characters. Sariana Dayne has fled her home to the flamboyant West when she was chosen for an elite academic academy. She is sure that if she can right the finances of the Avylyn clan of jewelers, her reapplication will be successful.

Unfortunately, in order to right their fortunes, she needs to recover a prisma cutter which has been stolen. To do so, she wants to hire a Shield named Gryph Chassyn who doesn't seem interested in the job. Her plans to drug him and kidnap him so that she can make her business proposal doesn't work out the way she would like.

Gryph has come to the city to look for a bride. He isn't interested in a job, but he becomes very interested in Sariana. He believes that she has the qualities that make a good Shield's mate and that she would be able to give him a son. She isn't interested and, in fact, isn't at all sure she believes any of the legends she's heard about Shields since she arrived in the West. She wouldn't mind having an affair with him though.

He tricks her into marriage with him during their night of passion. And when his informer is killed after telling him the cutter was taken by a rogue Shield, Gryph and Sariana embark on a journey to find the missing cutter and the rogue Shield.

They also discover that the rogue has found an intact prisma ship filled with weapons and being insane is determined to use the weapons in his quest to conquer the planet. Gryph and Sariana have to find a way to work together to defeat the rogue which they manage and to chart a whole new path for Gryph's social class under the guidance of Sariana who uses her knowledge gained in her education in the East to assist. 

This is science fiction lite. It takes place on another planet which was settled some unnamed period of time earlier. The two ships sent to settle were separated when attacked by unknown enemies. One ship was assisted by the Shields who were part of an earlier migration. The Shields managed to carve out a role for themselves and their descendants in the rigid social structure that came along with the colonists. The book's main strengths come in the interesting characters especially Gryph and Sariana and the romance they have. 

It was a fun story. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands
Author: Heather Fawcett
Series: Emily Wilde (Book 2)
Publication: Del Rey (January 16, 2024)

Description: When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore who just wrote the world’s first comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Ones on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother and in search of a door back to his realm. And despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and dangers.

She also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by his mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors and of her own heart.

My Thoughts: In the second book in the Emily Wilde series, Emily is determined to help Wendell Brambley, her friend and fellow scholar, find the lost door to his faerie kingdom. He was overthrown by his stepmother when his father died and fled to the human world. He must find a door to his kingdom if he wants to overthrow her. Especially since she is now sending assassins to Cambridge to get him out of the way.

Emily is a genius at research and has decided to follow the path of noted scholar Danielle De Grey who disappeared in the Austrian Alps while searching for a faerie door. The need is urgent because one of the assassins managed to poison Wendell causing his magic to become unreliable. 

Besides Wendell, along on the journey are Emily's niece and assistant Ariadne and her department chair Dr. Farris Rose. And, of course, Emily's dog and grim Shadow is along with them too. After making their way to the Alps they discover that the area is littered with doors and the various creatures that make use of them. finding the correct door, the one that leads to Wendell's kingdom, isn't going to be an easy task especially since Wendell is getting weaker with every day that passes. 

It will be up to Emily to enter into Wendell's kingdom alone to retrieve the object that can cure him of the poison that is killing him without becoming enchanted herself. And why not take care of the evil stepmother and get material for several scientific papers at the same time?

The worldbuilding is wonderfully creative in this story, which is told through Emily's journals, completer with footnotes. There were so many wonderful creatures and situations. I greatly enjoyed Emily who is a focused scholar and very single-minded about her research. I liked her awkwardness when she needs to step out of place as a scholar. 

Favorite Quote:

It is in part, I suppose, that the thought of marrying anyone makes me wish to retreat to the nearest library and hide myself among the stacks; marriage has always struck me as a pointless business, at best a distraction from my work and at worst a very large distraction from my work couple with a lifetime of tedious social obligations.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson

Vicious Circle
Author: Linda Robertson
Publication: Pocket Books (June 11, 2009)

Description: This exciting urban fantasy debut mixes a modern-day witch with a rock’n’roll werewolf boyfriend, pitted against a powerful vampire!

A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do...

Being a witch doesn't pay the bills, but Persephone Alcmedi gets by between reading Tarot cards, writing her syndicated newspaper column, and kenneling werewolves in the basement when the moon is full—even if witches aren't supposed to mingle with wolves. She really reaches the end of her leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home and Seph finds herself in the doghouse about some things she's written. Then her werewolf friend Lorrie is murdered...and the high priestess of an important coven offers Seph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Seph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help from her friends—werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for the techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Seph has always been on edge around this 6'2" leather-clad hunk, she's starting to realize that although their attraction may be dangerous, nothing could be as lethal as the showdown that awaits them.

My Thoughts: Persephone Alcmedi's life is changing. She's always been a witch who keeps under the radar. She makes her living reading tarot cards, writing a syndicated newspaper column about werewolves, and kenneling werewolves in her basement during the full moon. But now, the grandmother who raised her has been kicked out of her nursing home and moved in with her and one of her werewolf friends is murdered leaving a nine-year-old daughter.

Seph is hired by the head of the local coven to take out Lorrie's killer which goes against the Rede but is not new to Seph. She accidentally caused the death of her friend Lorrie's stalker. She's offered big money which would certainly come in useful but, then she finds out that the killer is a vampire who is way out of her league.

When another werewolf friend is attacked for trying to find information on the vampire, she and her other werewolf friends bring her home since human hospitals are very prejudiced against the weres. Seph needs to perform a difficult ceremony in order to heal her friend which, among other difficulties, means that she has to invite a couple of vampires into her home. 

Seph also finds out that she is The Lustrata - the one destined to unite the humans, witches, weres and vampires. This is a responsibility she has never wanted and will require many changes in her life. 

The world building was engaging in this story. The fact that the paranormals have come out of hiding and that humans are not very accepting and in fact are completely hostile is a central point of the story. 

I enjoyed this book which is the first of a series. 

Favorite Quote:

Nana followed me. "What is wrong with you?"

"I feel like I'm playing some nightmarish game of tag. Everyone keeps telling me I'm it and nothing can undo the fact. I don't want to be it. Being it scares me."

I bought this one August 5, 2009. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd

Scent of Darkness
Author: Christina Dodd
Series: Darkness Chosen (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley; 1st Printing edition (July 3, 2007)

Description: From New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd comes the seductive Darkness Chosen series about an ancient, dark evil that lives in the modern world...

A thousand years ago, a brutal warrior roamed the Russian steppes, and struck a menacing bargain. For the ability to change at will into a cold-hearted predator, Konstantine promised his soul-and the souls of his descendants-to the devil. One day a dangerous prophecy reveals the truth: one family has been chosen to battle the darkness -- or face damnation.

Ann Smith loves her dynamic boss, Jasha Wilder, but her daring plan to seduce him goes awry when she encounters a powerful wolf who -- before her horrified eyes -- changes into the man she adores. She soon discovers she can't escape her destiny ... for Jasha is Konstantine's descendant and Ann is the woman fated to break the curse that binds his soul...

My Thoughts: This urban fantasy has 1000-year curses and shapeshifters. Ann Smith is Jasha Wilder's office assistant. She has harbored a crush on him for all of the years that she's worked for him. The time has come for her to confront him and let him know. She thinks a trip to his mountain home to seduce him is a great idea.

However, the time isn't good. Jasha has just learned that the enemies who have been tracking his family for many years have gotten close. Also, his mother had a vision at the annual fourth of July picnic which indicates that they have a limited time to find a mysterious relic that was broken and scattered 1000 years ago if they want to save their father from damnation.

Jasha has gone to his retreat where he can turn to a wolf and think about what he can do to save his father. The last thing he wants to do is bring anyone into the danger with him. But Ann arrives and the enemies arrive shortly after. 

Ann is keeping secrets of her own. She was found abandoned in a dumpster as in infant with a strange tattoo on her lower back. Raised by a convent of nuns, she has been taught that evil follows her and that she has an unknown destiny.

When Ann finds the relic during a particularly strong storm, Jasha knows that he needs to protect it and her from the enemies who want to destroy his family. He also wants to convince her that he is her intended mate which might be harder to accomplish than defeating a number of shapeshifters sent to kill him. 

This was entertaining urban fantasy and is the first of four books in the story arc. I enjoyed the characters and the worldbuilding. 

Favorite Quote:

"Maybe you could consult our lawyers and void the contract?"

"Lawyers all work for Satan, you know that," Jasha said, deadpan.

She grinned. "If our legal counsel, Bob Rutherford, works for Satan, Satan should buy Bob a better toupee." She touched Jasha's arm. "Really, if you wanted out, what could the devil do?"

I bought this one July 10, 2007. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper

How to Date Your Dragon
Author: Molly Harper
Narrator: Amanda Ronconi & Jonathan Davis
Series: Mystic Bayou (Book 1)
Publication: Audible Originals (January 23, 2018)
Length: 6 hours and 24 minutes

Description: The first book in Molly Harper's uproariously funny, sinfully sexy new Mystic Bayou series!

Anthropologist Jillian Ramsay's career has taken a turn south.

Concerned that technology is about to chase mythological creatures out into the open (how long can Sasquatch stay hidden from Google maps?), the League for Interspecies Cooperation is sending Jillian to Louisiana on a fact-finding mission. While the League hopes to hold on to secrecy for a little bit longer, they're preparing for the worst in terms of human reactions. They need a plan, so they look to Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where humans and supernatural residents have been living in harmony for generations. Mermaids and gator shifters swim in the bayou. Spirit bottles light the front porches after twilight. Dragons light the fires under crayfish pots.

Jillian's first assignment for the League could be her last. Mystic Bayou is wary of outsiders, and she has difficulty getting locals to talk to her. And she can't get the gruff town sheriff, Bael Boone, off of her back or out of her mind. Bael is the finest male specimen she's seen in a long time, even though he might not be human. Soon their flirtation is hotter than a dragon's breath, which Bael just might turn out to be....

My Thoughts: This was an entertaining urban fantasy. Jillian Ramsay is an anthropologist who has been sent by the League for Interspecies Cooperation to Louisiana to explore Mystic Bayou, a small town where shifters and humans have been getting along for generations.

It is Jillian's first survey mission. While the local bear shifter who is the mayor is very welcoming, the sheriff Bael Boone is much less friendly and much more suspicious. Strange things are happening in town; some humans are developing unexplained powers. Bael's thought is that it comes from living so close to the Rift where magic happens. 

When someone starts killing these humans who have developed magical powers right after Jillian has interviewed them, suspicions start to rise that Jillian has something to do with it. And Bael is developing feelings for Jillian that Jillian isn't trusting. She's just out of a bad relationship with a boyfriend who stalked her and didn't want to let her go. And she's only in town long enough to do her research and complete her survey. 

Learning that Bael is a dragon shifter is a surprise for her. Dragons are the most secretive and reclusive of all the various kinds of shifters. So little is known about them that Jillian has no idea what she's getting into by beginning a relationship with him. 

Jillian, who has developed magical powers of her own after a close encounter with the Rift, is almost the killer's final victim. But she almost rescues herself before Bael can find her and finish the deal. 

This was a fun story. I enjoyed the dual narrators and the switch between viewpoint characters on a chapter-by-chapter basis. 

I bought this one April 30, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis

Scales and Sensibility
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Series: Regency Dragons (Book 1)
Publication: Five Fathoms Press (October 4, 2021)

Description: Sensible, practical Elinor Tregarth really did plan to be the model poor relation when she moved into her aunt and uncle's house. She certainly never meant to kidnap her awful cousin Penelope's pet dragon. She never expected to fall in love with the shameless - but surprisingly sweet - fortune hunter who came to court Penelope, either. And she never dreamed that she would have to enter into an outrageous magical charade to save her younger sisters' futures.

However, even the most brilliant scholars of 1817 England still haven't ferreted out all the lurking secrets of rediscovered dragonkind...and even the most sensible of heroines can still make a reckless wish or two when she's pushed. Now Elinor will have to find out just how rash and resourceful she can be when she sets aside all common sense. Maybe, just maybe, she'll even be impractical enough to win her own true love and a happily ever after...with the unpredictable and dangerous "help" of the magical creature who has adopted her.

A frothy Regency rom-com full of pet dragons and magical misadventures, Scales and Sensibility is a full-length novel and the first in a new series of standalone romantic comedies.

My Thoughts: Elinor Tregarth is a poor relation. Doomed to live with her aunt, uncle, and incredibly spoiled cousin Penelope after her parents lost their money in a scam and died in a carriage accident, she finds herself running away from home with her cousin's abused dragon Sir Jessamyn Carnovoran Artos who has a nasty habit of pooping when he is stressed no matter whose shoulder he is perching on. 

She doesn't get far from home when she is run off the road by a coach and rescued by Benedict Hawkins and his dragon-obsessed friend Cornelius Aubrey. Benedict's father got caught up in the same scheme as Elinor's parents and now Benedict needs to find an heiress to marry. Unfortunately the heiress he's chosen is Elinor's cousin Penelope. 

Unbeknownst to scholars, some dragons are able to perform magic and Sir Jessamyn is one of them An off hand wish to be someone else - someone important - turns Elinor into the image of Mrs. DeLacy who is a well-known society icon and Elinor's aunt's childhood friend. 

So Elinor finds herself back at the home of her uncle after promising to lend Penelope social clout during her upcoming debut. She's also trying to further Benedict's suit though she knows it won't make him happy and even though she is falling for him herself.

This was a fun Regency romp complete with dragons. I loved the characters and the wonderful romance plot. I liked that Elinor's good heart and intelligence finds a way to make everything come out right and provide her and Benedict with a happy ending. 

Favorite Quote:

Unlike her sister Rose, Elinor had never believed that Fate would ever sweep in to rescue her. Anything that looked like a stroke of luck from the blue was far more likely to be an appallingly bad idea.

I received this book because I am a supporter of the author's Patreon.. You can buy your copy here.