Monthly Archives: May 2024

Pirates

#WOTR24 #pirates #mystery – Scallywag by Sophie Stern

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You won’t catch him spending the night.The Dread Pirate Stone takes no survivors. He’s ruthless. Fearless.He’s unstoppable, especially now that he’s so close to finding the Cat’s Eye – an emerald so big it will buy him a thousand ships. Or, in his case, pay off his debt to the man who’s been holding his sister hostage. Stone will do anything to get that damn rock. He’ll fight. He’ll pillage. He’ll even kill if he has to.Nothing can stand in his way, but then he finds a stowaway on his ship.Eleanor knows she’s nobody to write home about. She’s plain. Homely. A little boring. There’s nothing very special about her. She was training to be a teacher before she witnessed the murder of the town mayor. Now she’s on the run and the only person who can keep her safe is one the entire world has labeled a villain.Oh yes, she’s heard all about the Dread Pirate Stone, but the stories have missed a couple of important details. The legends don’t talk about how stunning his deep green eyes are. They don’t talk about his long, wavy locks. The stories all missed the part about his steely abs or the fact that just one look from him is enough to make her knees quiver.Nobody warned her about that.Nobody would warn her that she might start to care about the man who could throw her out to sea – but doesn’t.Soon their worlds are colliding in ways Eleanor never thought possible…And she doesn’t know if she’s going to make it out alive.

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Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this book.

I have to admit I love a good Sophie book.  I love the worlds and the characters.  When I grabbed this book, it was to read on vacation.  I needed a shorter read for the drive.  It was the perfect book!

The book starts right away with major drama.  The dream pirate Smith is attaching her family boat.  Eleanor escaped with the cook.  He saved her and took her home to raise as his own with his wife.  They loved Eleanor with all they had.  When things go bad, Eleanor is on the run.  She joins a pirate ship to escape and hide.

Pirate Stone is taken by the beautiful and PURE woman.  He can’t say no to her and makes a very nice bargain for himself.  Eleanor agrees as she has zero other opportunities.  The first night with the two was a nice and delicious treat for more night ahead.

Stone is looking for his sister who was kidnapped by Pirate Smith.  When he finds a witch to help him, parts of Eleanor’s past sneak up on her and I was like WHOOOOO!  The twist of the book had my mouth wide open because you think you have part of it figured out and then NOPE you don’t!!

The story was a great read, and I would totally read more from them or even the crew members.

Sophie Stern writes contemporary and paranormal romance <3 Visit her on Facebook for frequent updates!

Dark, Horror

#Horror #dark – Nemesis by Mary Martel

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Opal is a very talented artist. She paints the most lovely images of horror that her fans find absolutely grotesque and fascinating.

Because they don’t know where these images come from and think it’s simply her disturbed imagination put to paint on canvas.

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Review by Twinsie Angie

I was given this book by the author for an honest review.

Mary said she was tipping her toes into horror, and I was like “Cool Boo I got you.”  Then I finally was able to read it and am like “Boo you ok??”

So by that you should be ready for some stuff.  This book was almost like the movie American Psycho in parts. Pearl is a psycho.  LOL  Wait who is Pearl you ask?  Well, that is one of the many personalities that live in Opal…sweet, kind, boring Opal.

This book was pretty dark in spots and a little bit confusing initially until you understood the swapping of personalities in Opal’s mind.  I would have loved the backstory on WHY Opal is so messed up.  I mean we know a smidge but nothing that would make her this messed up.

The story was a quick but wild ride for me.

Mary Martel was born in West Michigan and spent the majority of her life there. She currently resides in North Dakota with her husband, and her two beautiful daughters. She’s an avid reader, and when not writing she can be found with her nose stuck in a book.

Extreme Horror, Horror, Kindle Unlimited

#Review #ExtremeHorror – Broken Dolls: Deliverance by Mique Watson

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You’ve gone through hell… now prepare for deliverance.

Fleeing a childhood of darkness and abuse, Dane thought he’d finally taken ownership of his life. He sold his soul for the price of an escape; mutilating his childlike body and performing abominable sex acts for sick perverts on the dark web.

Years later, a specter from the past re-enters his life, making him want to abandon that which has put a roof over his head.

This quest for freedom on his own terms comes with dire consequences for both him and someone he treasures. They land themselves in the crosshairs of a sadistic man known only as The Puppetmaster.

Abducted and held within this abomination’s basement, Dane’s physical, mental, and emotional resolve is put to the test. Will he—and the person who matters most in the world to him—escape? Or, will their lives end in this basement of snuff and terror?

WARNING: This is an incredibly disturbing and extreme book. It deals with themes that will and should upset most readers. This book is STRONGLY NOT RECOMMENDED for readers under the age of 18.

This is so much more than just a horror novel. Yes, the horror scenes are graphic, vile and disgusting but besides that, this book shows a person who is struggling. Dane and Joe became friends when they were kids. They were best friends in fact. One day Joe disappears and it sets Dane on a path of self-destruction. It didn’t help that his home life was awful. His mother was useless and evil and his dad was a monster.

Dane runs away during his high school years and the things he goes through. What he puts himself through. What he does to himself. I wanted to hug him and keep him safe. My soul hurt for this broken shell of a person. A person who just wanted to be loved. A person who was chasing his best friend for years.

Dane and Joe reunite eventually and it sets of a chain of events that don’t end well for either of them.

I like how the author showed us chapters written in the past and chapters written in the current day. It helped build up the backstory, so we could get to know the characters.

Oh and if you’re a horror movie lover, this book reminded me of A Serbian Film. 100% do not recommend watching that movie but if you’re curious like I was, good luck! Anyway, this book definitely had A Serbian Film vibes.

I’d like to also think that there’s not people like this who exist in the real world but I know they do.

This book is hands down one of the best I’ve ever read.

Read now in Kindle Unlimted: https://amzn.to/4bpCB3m

Extreme Horror, Horror, Kindle Unlimited

#Review #ExtremeHorror – Broken Dolls by Mioue Watson

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It was supposed to be a tranquil Friday night for Lauren and her daughter, Tully. Then, someone knocked at the door.

Lauren thought she was being a Good Samaritan…

She never expected to have to fight for her daughter’s life. She’d always known that human beings were the most terrifying monsters.

What she didn’t know, until now, was how easy it would be for her to become one herself.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Okay, first of all. Wow.

So I don’t like reading blurbs and only read the first sentence of this one before I grabbed this book. I’m so glad I went in blind. As a horror movie lover, it had I Spit On Your Grave without the revenge part. There was just something about this story that had me thinking of this movie quite a bit. It’s dark, twisted, absolutely disgusting and vile but it’s now my favourite horror novel I’ve ever read and it definitely made the top of my list of 2024 reads.

Lauren and her daughter, Tully, live in the middle of nowhere. They have one neighbor, James, who lives closer to them and often pays a visit. My romantic heart hoped for a little something there between Lauren and James, but I should have known not to expect that.

One night, a good deed backfires and I couldn’t stop reading at this point. Actually, I couldn’t stop reading from the very first page.

Bret…I will never not think of this character whenever I see this name.

The things Lauren and are daughter are put through to survive…I can’t even put into words.

If you like extreme horror, descriptive scenes, a solid plot and a sick and twisted villain, I highly recommend reading this one.

Now I’m going to grab book 2.

Happy reading and good luck!

Available in Kindle Unlimited – https://amzn.to/44EeU4V

Extreme Horror, Kindle Unlimited

#Review #ExtremeHorror – Dr. Parasite by Rowland Bercy Jr.

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IT’S WHAT’S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS…

Jacob Westergren, an expert in his field of study, gets paid to research the most sickening parasites known to man. But, even when he looks at the most appalling of the species, he does not see the intrusive ugliness that humanity does, he sees himself. He sees a vessel by which to purge himself of an amalgam of detestable emotions. Emboldened by promising experimentation, Jacob is anxious to unburden himself by sharing his emotional parasite, in physical form, with the rest of the world.

DEFINITIVE PROOF THAT, WE HUMANS ARE THE GREATEST OF EARTHS PARASITES…

This book was…interesting to say the least.

It was written really well and very descriptive, so unfortunately, I could picture everything. Wasn’t so bad until later in the book. But I knew going in and especially by the cover, I’d be in for something icky.

We meet Jacob who studies and researches parasites and is one of the best in his field. He decides to run an experiment and it goes down hill from there. For the rest of the world anyway. For him, not so much. He clearly has an obsession with these things and decides to use his body as a vessel.

This my first read by Rowland Bercy Jr. and I think it’s my first body horror novel as well. He did a really good job with his medical terminology. Not that I know anything about that stuff but it seemed legit to me. The author clearly did his research.

So all in all, I give this book 5 stars because it was gross, descriptive and the plot was on point.

Read in Kindle Unlimited now: https://amzn.to/3WAfJK5

Uncategorized

#review #thriller #mystery #truecrime Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

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A shocking thriller about a cold case, a fictional true crime series, and the family caught in the middle.

SIX EPISODES. ONE KILLER.

It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home.

Luke Ryder’s murder has never been solved. Guy Howard’s mother and two half-sisters were in the house at the time of the murder–but all swear they saw nothing. Despite a high-profile police investigation and endless media attention, no suspect was ever charged.

But some murder cases are simply too big to forget…

Now comes the sensational new Netflix series Infamous, dedicated to investigating–and perhaps cracking–this famous cold case. The production team will re-examine testimony, re-interview witnesses, and once again scour the evidence. The family will speak. The key players will be reunited–on camera. The truth will come out.

Are you ready to see it?

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63241097-murder-in-the-family

Amazon https://amzn.to/4bxGR0K

Review by Twinsie Dee

i bought this book and this is my honest review

When detectives re open a case on the 20th anniversary and relook at all the evident, interviews, reinterviewing the family just to figure out who killed Luke Ryder. Everyone is still not sure what happened or who would want Luke dead the question is clear, but will these experts be able to finally solve this case before it goes cold. this was a very different type of read, very fun, with all the crime pictures, making you feel like part of the team to help solve the murder. Also, with so many twists and turns you won’t see the real killer coming or will you.

I’ve always been a voracious reader and viewer of crime – I’ve learned so much from the outstanding writing that we now see on crime TV like Line of Duty or Broadchurch, and I’ve tried to recreate the experience of watching series like that for my readers. I’ve been using mixed media from the very first Fawley book – in fact, since before they started calling it mixed media! I love giving my readers different ways to explore the story and I’m such a geek that I do all my artwork myself. My favourite feedback is when readers tell me it’s like getting the raw material of the case, so they can be detectives themselves. That’s where the idea for MURDER IN THE FAMILY came from.

What else about me? I have a boy cat who does his best to distract me whenever I get close to a keyboard (if you have cats, you’ll know), I love travelling, spending time with friends, and I have never knowingly turned down a glass of champagne….

2nd Chance, Contemp. Romance, Family Orientated, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Review, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Heart of Glass by Michele Shriver

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Darcy Caldwell’s world shatters when, on her deathbed, her enigmatic mother, Meredith, bequeaths her a handcrafted glass heart. With her cryptic plea to uncover its origins, Meredith leaves Darcy with more questions than answers. Driven by a desperate need to understand the woman she never truly knew, Darcy embarks on a poignant journey with her estranged husband, Mattox.Their quest takes them to a skilled glass artist in New England, unraveling a tale of intense, ill-fated love in 1970s Boston. As the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, Darcy discovers that the heart’s secrets may lie closer to home than she ever imagined—tied to Meredith’s enduring friendship back home in West Virginia.More than a quest for the truth behind the glass token, it transforms into a cathartic exploration of Meredith’s past, revealing hidden facets of her character and the choices that shaped her. In retracing her mother’s footsteps, Darcy grapples with her own vulnerabilities and untangles the complexities of love and loss.The journey not only unveils Meredith’s secrets but forces Darcy to confront her fractured marriage. Heart of Glass is a soul-stirring exploration of family, love, and self-discovery—a tale that resonates across generations and leaves readers with the enduring power of healing and redemption.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Death has a way of stirring up some very intense emotions but also seems to bring up secrets. Darcy and her mother, Meredith, don’t have the best of relationships. I think this occurs with a lot of families, but when Meredith is on her death bed she asks for her daughter specifically and gives her a hand blown glass heart with a cryptic message just before she passes. Darcy is drawn to find out more about her mother, in hopes of finding about what made her mom the way she was and why their relationship was so strained at time. This journey into her mother’s past also brings a lot of emotional baggage as she is accompanied by her soon to be ex. The exploration of her mother’s past, the prejudices she endured and overcame, and learning more about her mother prior to death really shows Darcy how closed off she has become, both emotionally and physically.

This story is very emotional. It shows the characters in very vulnerable situations while confronting and understanding their own emotions. There is a lot of reflection and a time of second chances. Sometimes it really is better to be late than never to show up. I will caution readers that if you have strained personal relationships, it will really touch those heartstrings. I highly recommend as this is a wonderful soul touching story.

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Michele Shriver is an International bestselling author of women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.

Athletes, Coming of Age, new adult, Review, Sports Theme, Standalone, Suspense

#Review – Late To The Game by Brian Anthony Ziroli

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High School football is as important as religion in states like Texas, Alabama, and Georgia. Not in a little town on the North Carolina shore. No, there it’s more important than religion. A story that takes place in 1985 and is told by its star quarterback, Johnny Pelligrino, this is the best chance for the West Pennington Pirates to win that elusive state championship. What can stop them?

Where do we begin?

Johnny is trying to deal with the pressures and struggles of high school, his first love, an overbearing father, and the entire town depending on him and the Pirates to win the school’s first state championship. He could not have imagined what he’d experience in this senior year. One night, at the County Fair, something happens to one of the
seniors, and a friend of Johnny’s. What happened? Who did it? How does Johnny get so involved? How will this impact their season? Johnny will eventually find out that his head coach holds many old secrets, let alone being the most powerful figure in the entire community. Who can Johnny trust? His friends? His coaches? His family? Anyone?

A story that is filled with drama, love, lost relationships, and twists and turns along this very important season in West Pennington history. How will it end?

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

First things first, high school in the 80’s! What a different time it was. It will definitely remind you how different things are today. Johnny, the star quarterback in small town North Carolina and a lot is riding on him taking the team to the championship. It’s his senior year with lots of classes, girls, and lots of pressure trying to lead the team and be who everyone expects him to be. It’s a LOT of pressure. Things are going good, really good. Things go from great to bad in about 3 seconds flat. Johnny walks away but it eats at him. One thing leads to another and an unexpected party brings out the truth. With the turmoil and the guilt eating at Johnny, he finds out that some people, even the ones you really trust, are not trustworthy at all. Tons of secrets are coming out and he really struggles with what and how he should handle things. He was learning at a young age that you really could not trust anyone and to be careful who you hold out as heroes. When everyone is telling you to “do the right thing” but they are not taking their own advice, how do you really know what the right thing is?

I have to tell you that Late to the Game was like going back in time. It was very refreshing to go back to the 80s and hang out. The author does a great job at the world building and giving the characters some depth. While there are some very heavy parts of the story, there is a lot of wit and banter that will have you laugh out loud (or LOL as we say nowadays)! It is a great coming of age story that will throw a few curveballs your way (I know this is baseball, not football, but I couldn’t think of a better way to say it), but it keeps you on your toes right to the very end. Then BAM! PLOT TWIST!

Give it a try, you won’t regret it, even if you are late to the game!

Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Novella, Paranormal, Review, Urban Fantasy/Urban Fiction, Witches, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Lost Soul : A Reapers Novella by Tara Vasser

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A trip with my girlfriends to Salem in October was meant to be the ultimate bucket list adventure, filled with witchy shops, Hocus Pocus tours, and mysterious nightclubs. The adventure began typically enough with each overpriced shop identical to the next, until we stepped into Lost Treasures. In the otherworldly confines of the antique shop, an enchanting green and black glass paperweight catches my eye.

From the moment I laid eyes on that glass orb, things started to take a dark turn, plunging me into a dangerous and unfamiliar world filled with creatures I had only heard about in stories and never fully believed. The supernatural revealed its existence with a Vampire attack in a club full of people. If not for the mysterious man emerging from the shadows to rescue me, I don’t know that I would have made it out alive.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

For Romy, a girl’s trip to Salem in October is supposed to be fun, touristy, and full of witchy stuff but ends up turning into a living, breathing, real life supernatural story. You will debate which is the lesser of two evils; keeping the lights on so that you can see the monsters when they come for you or remaining blissfully oblivious to what is lurking in the shadows behind you. For Romy, she wants to keep the lights on.

Romy finds herself entranced by a glass orb. She is drawn to it. What she doesn’t know is that vampires want to get their hands on this soul. Romy is thrown headfirst into a world she had only heard of in stories, and now she is part of the story. She receives help from an unexpected new friend and decides to continue on the with the new adventure.

I am loving the Reapers series! I picked up the first book on a whim and couldn’t put it down. Now we are three books in and this novella and I want more. This particular book, can be read as a standalone but I am happy that I read the others before because it was the cherry on top! Gunnar and Chloe show up in the Lost Soul for a bit but it leads into, what I am hoping, is the next installment in the series. This series, and this particular book, have a lot of great elements. It is witty and funny, a bit on the thrilling and scary side at times, but also sweet and sexy. I would love to see more of Jared and Romy….or perhaps Ronin and Gia 😊

I love these characters and can’t wait for more!

Tara Vasser profile image

Tara is a writer who lives in the frozen north in Minnesota with her wonderful husband and two rambunctious little dudes. She is an engineer during the day, a crazy mom in the afternoon and a writer at night. She enjoys spending her time playing in the dirt when her gardens aren’t covered in snow and listening to a wide variety of music that inspires her writing – sometimes doing both at the same time.

Be sure to visit Tara’s web page and sign up for her newsletter for updates on works in progress and upcoming new releases! www.authortaravasser.com

Contemp. Romance, Hockey Player, Review, Sports Theme, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Conner: A Hockey Romance (Glendale Magic Book 1) by Mary Warren

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Sasha Maloof was a successful plus-size influencer, but she left it all behind after an incident with a stalker. She finds a new job managing social media for a hockey team. It might just be the fresh start she was looking for, the only problem is the infuriating team captain. But she can’t hide from her past forever.

Conner McPhee is captain of the Glendale Magic. He has devoted his whole life to hockey and is focused on finally bringing home the cup. That focus is tested when the Magic hire a new social media manager who is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen … and a distraction he didn’t need. But when her safety is at stake, he can’t help but be her knight in shining hockey pads.

Despite their rocky start, Sasha learns Conner is someone she can depend on and he learns there is more to life than hockey.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Very sweet story about overcoming the past and moving forward. Sasha moves to a new place to get a new start. Just about all of us can relate to that. Well, her new start is being the social media manager for the Magic hockey team. **wags eyebrows** As Conner is passing her in the hall, the chemistry starts to crackle. They are instantly attracted to each other. As things progress further in the story, Conner fights the attraction because he had a bad relationship in the past and is now ALL HOCKEY, ALL OF THE TIME. The only problem is that he keeps acting like a complete d**k whenever he is around Sasha. It almost starts off as if they become instant enemies. Sasha has had some setbacks with people thinking she “plays” on the internet so she is trying her hardest to show everyone exactly what she can do and that she is contributing. Finally, they both stop for five seconds and realize that the other isn’t really so bad. This, my friends, is when the chemistry start heating up. They stop hiding all of their emotions and feelings to start exploring this path with each other. But then, BAM, things really turn when Sasha’s stalker starts popping back up from her past. She is done hiding and Conner helps her overcome. The chemistry between them is undeniable. Without giving away the story, this happens and that happens, and some more things happen, LOL! I will tell you that there is an HEA and it definitely is swoon worthy. <3

I did struggle at times because there were times where the struggle between Conner and Sasha felt like it was repetitive and drawn out.  At times it was a bit frustrating. Overall, the story has its thrilling moments, but is adorable with some especially spicy sexy time.

Mary Warren profile image

Mary Warren lives in Illinois with her family. When she’s not writing stories of fat women, she’s reading them and advocating for better fat representation. Mary founded Fat Girls in Fiction, pointing out positive fat representation for femmes and non-binary people in books. This project became a community and is something she is immensely proud of and happy to be working on.