Category Archives: Novella

Box Set, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Mermaids, Novella, Paranormal, Review, Sweet Romance

#Review #LittleMermaidEasterEggs – Fathoms Below (Short Story Bundle) by Ava Cuvay

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FATHOMS BELOW – A Short Story Bundle Drenched with Romance
Under the sea, Atlantia’s mer-creatures are devoting full time to floating… and falling in love.

– BETTER WHERE IT’S WETTER
Ariel LaRue assumes the sexy merman pictured on the lake house is “just art.” Then a violent storm topples her into his arms, and she discovers the ocean isn’t the only thing that gets her wet.

– KISS THE GIRL
Mako, a young Sharkanian General, knows there’s more to life under the sea than hunting for food and waging war with the Atlantians. But he struggles against his own predatory nature until a gentle mermaid calms the savage hunger of his heart and tames his sharp bite.

– POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS
Ursule has an uncanny knack for problem-solving which has earned him the grim moniker Sea Witch. Unfortunately, it doesn’t prevent pesky merpeople from approaching him with their problems. Until two captivating eel-maids invade his lair, wishing for nothing more than his company. And his talented tentacles.

– PART OF HIS WORLD
Prince Eric wasn’t always royalty. For that matter, he wasn’t always a merman.

 

Goodreads

 

Amazon

 

Twinsie Kelly’s Review

This short story bundle set in Atlantia starts with Ariel housesitting and then being turned into a mermaid. “Be nice to the sharks, pretty mermaid. They’re not mean. They’re misunderstood.” It is Better Where It’s Wetter, I would never argue with that!

We then really get to meet Mako in Kiss the Girl. This is more of a grumpy sunshine type of story. He is the big bad Mako but what he doesn’t realize is that he is really a protector. Pearl brings this out in him. I am in love with Mako!

Next, we meet Ursule. He loathes everyone literally just wants to be left alone. However, when he meets Two Unfortunate Souls and realizes how badly they have been treated and starts empathizing with them as he treated others in the same manner. Ursule thinks he is dying because he starts feeling regret, LOL!

Each story will make you smile, roll your eyes a bit, and comes with a high level of steam that will leave certain areas boiling. Oh, and don’t forget the Little Mermaid Easter Eggs!!!!!

 

Ava Cuvay profile image

Ava Cuvay writes out of this world romance featuring sassy heroines, often-alien-but-always-sexy heroes, and an alcoholic beverage or two… Set in a galaxy far, far away. She resides in central Indiana, USA with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder, kiddos who are growing up without her permission, and two kitties that make her laugh. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.

Age Gap, Contemp. Romance, LGBTQ, M/M, Novella, Part of a Series, Review, Writers on the River Attending Author

WOTR26 #seriesstarter #Review – Strong Coffee (Coffee Beans & Love Book 1) by J.M. Walker

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I only wanted a one-night stand. I didn’t expect to fall for him too.
My best friend is in love with me.
Instead of trying to make things work with him, I decide to have a one-night stand with someone else.
I try making it last for only one night, but my stupid heart gets in the way and I end up falling in love with him.
What makes it worse is that he’s my father’s business partner.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Strong, steamy, and classy novella about finding yourself (#Bramden).

Brady is made by his friends/business partners to take himself out on a date to just unwind and do something good for himself. While out, he and Cam have a “moment” that turns into a “MOMENT” (if you’re picking up what I am putting down *wags eyebrows*).  Well, Brady and Camden, Bramden if you will, cannot keep to themselves. Bramden just keep falling for each other. What started as a “MOMENT” is turning into so much more. Just like every relationship, there are obstacles….age, parents, exes….but hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.

J.M. Walker profile image

J.M. Walker, a Canadian author, writes stories across several different genres. She’s passionate about traveling the world with her husband, reading all the books, training for that next race, coffee, and all things spooky. She can be found with a coffee in one hand and a book in the other.

“Above all, be the HEROINE of your own life…” ~ Nora Ephron

Professional Inquiries:

I am represented by SBR Media. For inquiries regarding foreign rights, audio, and other media outlets, please contact Stephanie Phillips.

stephanie@sbrmedia.com

Audio Book, Horror, Novella, Standalone

#Review – The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

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Hildur Knútsdóttir’s The Night Guest is an eerie and ensnaring story set in contemporary Reykjavík that’s sure to keep you awake at night.

Iðunn is in yet another doctor’s office. She knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something’s not right, but practitioners dismiss her symptoms and blood tests haven’t revealed any cause.

When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same — have you tried eating better? exercising more? establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to follow their advice, buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. Nothing helps.

Until one night Iðunn falls asleep with the watch on, and wakes up to find she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the night . . .

What is happening when she’s asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?

I’ve been listening to more audio books lately while I’m walking. I’m trying to beat my yearly goal of books read/listened to. But I find longer audio books aren’t for me at the moment and it takes me forever to listen to them. So I came across some 3 hour audio books and it’s the perfect length! With that said, please see below.

TRIGGER WARNING: Animal death, specifically cats.

Now that we got that out of the way, I read a few reviews for this audio book and was nervous to start but also intrigued.

A woman randomly walks 40k steps during the night and doesn’t know why or how or where the heck she went? Sign me up!

But then I learned about the animal cruelty, cats especially and was extra concerned but I started listening to the book anyway. As a reader, can I just say that I love love love the short chapters?

I really enjoyed the narrator for this book and I also loved learning a little bit about Iceland. I will get there one day as well.

I will start by saying that I expected way worse after reading some of the reviews but I’m also thankful for them as well, so at least I knew what to expect in a way.

Maybe it’s because I read extreme horror that I could be desensitized because I’ve read WAY worse.

In this short novella, we learn about Iðunn and her what she does day to day, her friends, family and her partners and ex partners. She’s someone who doesn’t sleep overly well – welcome to the club, sweetheart – but tries to make it so she does. With some tips from her friends, she gets a smartwatch and begins her daily allotted 10k steps.

But she soon learns that she’s also walking while sleeping. As a walker/runner myself, that would freak me out. At the same time, I would be thankful for the extra steps. I would also want to know where I’m going at night and why I wake up so sore.

It takes a bit for Iðunn to figure out what’s going on with her.

I was left feeling a little confused at the end but maybe that’s just me.

Was it all in her head? Did she really experience sleep walking during the night? Was it something else? Split personality maybe?

Either way, even though I was left with a few questions, I still really enjoyed the story and I think the narrator helped with that a lot. I would totally listen to more books that she narrated and also listen to more books from this author as well.

One click – https://amzn.to/3IAXmQa

Fantasy, Horror, Novella, Paranormal, Standalone

#Review – Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

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A USA TODAY BESTSELLER • A Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy Award Finalist! • An Indie Next Pick! • An October LibraryReads Pick! • 2022 RUSA Reading List: Horror Winner!

Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.

A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.

It’s the perfect venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends, brought back together to celebrate a wedding.

As a horror reader, I really enjoyed this novella. I found the writing smart and it pulled me right into the story.

Kat and her friends are spending a few days at what is known to be a haunted mansion in Japan. Personalities don’t always mesh as we find out there is some animosity between a couple of the characters.

As things progress, they have a night of food, drinks and chatting where secrets come to light and things that should stay hidden, don’t. Friendships are tested but while this is happening, the house they’re staying in has secrets of its own.

They end up coming face to face with a ghost who’s only looking for some company. Nothing wrong with that right?

One click now – https://amzn.to/4lN5BqB

Novella, sibling best friend

#WOTR25 #Novella #SiblingsBestFriend – One Weekend on Mackinac Island by Amanda Zook

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On a weekend of love, laughter, and sabotage, will old flames finally light the way to forever?

When Kate’s brother marries her best friend on the enchanting Mackinac Island, she’s thrilled—until she learns she’ll be paired with the best man, Owen, her brother’s best friend and lifelong crush. Charming, maddening, and endlessly unattainable, Owen has always kept Kate at a playful distance, leaving her caught between frustration and a yearning she’s tried to bury. Now, as the maid of honor, Kate is forced to work side by side with him, navigating through a cascade of mishaps that threaten to unravel the perfect wedding.

As missing flowers, wardrobe malfunctions, and mysterious accidents escalate, Kate and Owen find themselves thrown together in an unexpected dance of teamwork and late-night problem-solving. But as they uncover clues that someone may be deliberately sabotaging the weekend, they also discover long-buried feelings neither thought would ever see the light of day.

With wedding bells just hours away and secrets unfolding, Kate and Owen must will they let old fears keep them apart, or take a chance on the spark that’s been flickering between them for years? On this island of timeless romance and lingering memories, they may just find that love is the one thing that refuses to be tied in knots.

Goodreads

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Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this book.

I was looking for a few quick reads over Spring Break and the author suggested this book for me.  I read the blurb and thought it sounded adorable…I mean crushing on your brother’s best friend and while he marries your best friend.  I mean that has gotta be good.  Then you see there will be drama and someone trying to ruin the wedding…yep I needed to read this book.

Kat has always had a crush on Owen since she was 10.  Little did she know that he also had a crush on her.    The story starts with Kat and Owen being transported by boat to the big manor of the wedding.  They soon are thrown together with the bridal couple and a few other characters to enjoy the weekend before the wedding.

Slowly Kat and Owen are pushing together when Kat notices that there is some shifty stuff happening.  The story of who was ruining the wedding was pretty wild and seeing Kat confront the people/person was great.  The story of Owen and Kat was a sweet read.  When Owen was slowly telling Kat about her 10th birthday party I was laughing.

The epilogue was another perfect ending to the story.

Amanda Zook has been an avid romance reader since middle school and has finally decided to liberate the stories that live in her head. After growing up in the Sweetest Place on Earth (Hershey, Pennsylvania) she attended college at a small liberal arts school where she met the love of her life. They spent the first 20 years of their marriage on the Jersey Shore (no, not the MTV reality show), before moving halfway across the country.

Amanda now lives in the Southwest corner of the mitten state on the shores of Lake Michigan (no sharks, no salt, no problem).

She is a wife, a mother of teenage twin girls (even though she is aghast that her children dislike reading and pizza) and can now add published author to her list of achievements.

Extreme Horror, Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella

#Review – XXX by Rayne Havok

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Xavier: “I escaped from prison, hauling ass in a stolen car, putting space between me and that barbed wire fence- when the damn thing runs out of gas.Luckily, I come across an old farmhouse that looks empty, even luckier, it is not.The threats about daddy coming home don’t scare me… maybe they should have.”

First off, this book deals with sexual assault and is quite detailed, so if you have triggers, please do not read this. This is extreme and short but packs a punch.

This book starts off with Xavier or X is released from jail and is on a mission. He ends up finding a house in the middle of nowhere that he thought was abandoned but learns that it is not. He meets a family and does unspeakable things to the mom and her two daughters living there. I’ve read a lot of extreme horror but these scenes definitely made me wince. 

Then we meet the dad. I don’t want to give too much else away but let’s just say, X gets what’s coming to him and I enjoyed every second of it.

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/4jVqPTd

Apocalyptic, Novella, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Sci Fi, Suspense, Vampire, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR25 #Review – Resonant (The Vampires of Vegas Prequel) by Alexis Purdy

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Surviving is worse than death…

As the first days of the end of humanity tumble across the city of Las Vegas in the form of an overwhelming viral infection, turning almost everyone into vampire-like creatures, April Tate will find out what it really means to survive. What does it take to make it out alive in a place where everything is but a withered echo of its former self, and death does not come willingly?

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

I love Prequels! Especially after you get invested with the main character and just NEED to see what the heck they went through at the beginning. However, in this instance, I started with the prequel. Sometimes, this is a big no no because you are just not committed to the story yet. Well, Alexia Purdy is a new to me author and I am now invested in this story. I need to know what craziness April and her family are about to get into. APOCALYPTIC VAMPIRES! I read this in less than an hour and was so bummed that the story was over. But the best part is, I get to dive right into Reign of Blood like, RIGHT NOW! See ya on the flip side!

Alexia Purdy profile image

Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she’s always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.

Sign up for email updates and exclusive giveaways: http://smarturl.it/AlexiaPurdyNews

Follow links: https://linktr.ee/alexiapurdy

Coming of Age, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mythology, Novella, Review

#Review #GoddessofDeath – Morana by Piper Laksari-Minenco

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My name is Morana. The humans call me Death.

Forget all you thought you knew about myth and folklore. This is an unheard story; the story of death.

A new spin on mythology, told through the perspective of one of the most hated goddesses of them all.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

I am a lover of all things mythology so when I seen Morana, I knew that I had to read it. Morana is definitely an interesting and unique spin on the gods and goddesses that we have all come to know. Some we love and some we love to hate. This is a coming-of-age story about Morana, who ultimately becomes the Goddess of Death. Morana is struggling with the gift that the sprits are going to bestow upon her as she fears that she will be hated by everyone.

There is a LOT going on with Morana and the additional characters. The family dynamic is very tense but she makes every effort not to clash with them. She has a schoolmate, Athena, who is the “cool kid” that everyone loves but she constantly locks horns with on the daily. And then there is her girlfriend, Devana. She is so sweet and understanding.

The overall story is really good but there is so much potential for this to be really great! This is a short story and as you got closer to the end, it felt like there were longer breaks in between events. With the jump in between events, I felt like I lost a bit of a connection with the other characters and even Morana while she may have processed what she went through. Overall, the story is very intriguing and is definitely a page turner. I do wish it was a bit longer so that we could discover a bit more about Morana…there is so much more, I just know it!

This is a new author for me, and I didn’t realize she was a young author, but I am extremely impressed! I look forward to reading other works by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Piper Laksari-Minenco profile image

I’m a young writer who is super passionate about my craft, and who loves to weave a little exploration of mental health themes into my work. When I’m not penning my newest work, you can find me cuddling up under my fabulous periodic table blanket with a book in my hands, surrounded by my anatomy posters and whatnot. Passionate about the power of storytelling, I truly cherish the feeling of bringing hope or light to someone through a good book. I hope you’ll tag along and give my work a try!

Kindle Unlimited, Novella, Psychological Thriller, short story, Thriller

#Review – App by Rayne Havok

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Salem logs on to her favorite app. Her and Kyle are a match. The night starts out fun, with both of them eager to take things further.

The next morning, however, Salem wakes with no recollection of the evening.

Salem joins a dating app that is used for a one night thing only. Those are the rules. No commitments or anything. Just some fun. She comes across Kyle’s profile and decides to choose him for her fun. They meet up and go on a date. But the night doesn’t exactly go as planned. Or does it? She wakes up with no memory of the night before but ends up getting proof of what happened. There’s a nice little twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting. This story is a short, fun read that proves that they do in fact have an app for anything. 

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/3W91PgQ

Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella, short story

#Review – Test Town by Leigh Kenny

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Welcome to Test Town.
Population: Zero

When Savannah and her friends decide on a sightseeing pit stop at a long-abandoned nuclear testing facility, something feels off from the outset.
Dilapidated houses. Quiet, dusty streets. And mannequins.
So many mannequins.

With a growing sense of unease, the group soon learns that even in an abandoned town in the middle of nowhere, you’re never truly alone.

Oh this was a fun and super creepy little read. There’s just something about dolls and mannequins that give me the heebie jeebies. 

Savannahs, her brother and his friends, are driving through the dessert and decide to stop at Test Town. There’s no human life and only mannequins. So not unsettling in the least right? Unfortunately for the group, things take a turn for the worse.

Although this was a super short story, I really enjoyed it! Now I need to find more books about creepy dolls and mannequins.

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/3PJdmQJ