Room to Breathe review

Author: Liz Talley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Pages: 336

Daphne spent her life being the wife and mother that she was expected to be. Now that her daughter is grown and she has divorced her husband, she’s living the life that she wants: one with a successful career and a younger man…who happens to be her daughter’s ex. Ellery, Daphne’s daughter, has graduated from college and done something that was never part of her life plan: moved home and taken a job as her mother’s assistant to support her fiancé who’s in med school. While working this new job, she begins an online flirtations with someone who thinks he’s flirting with Daphne, and things go a bit too far. Daphne, Ellery, and their lives entangle, secrets come to light, and things get inevitably messy. Mother and daughter have a lot to learn and a long road to redemption.

I first decided to pick up this book, because it was recommended by a favorite author, who I also think is just a fabulous person, Darynda Jones. Then I found out that Liz Talley, like me, is from North Louisiana. Now I don’t know exactly where, as I don’t go stalking authors, but North LA is not that big, so it can’t be far from my hometown. That sealed the deal, I had to read it! I’m so glad that I did! Guys, I laughed out loud so many times while I was reading this. These characters are well fleshed out and developed. They are all so real and flawed, but none of them are particularly unlikable. I was rooting for them to have a redemption arc! It’s always great to see people find their way in the end. I was engaged and entertained throughout the book, and it read really quickly. It really didn’t feel like it was over 300 pages.

Warning!!! If you’re looking for a Hallmark type romance without the alcohol, cursing, and sex, this will not be your jam! If you’re good with all of those things, highly recommend!

Reclaiming Honor (The Way of Legend, Book 1) Preview!!

Hey Everyone!!

I’ve got a preview for you that I am sooo stoked about!!! You guys know that I love, well, anything that Quincy J. Allen puts out. Y’all, he’s teamed up with Marc Edelheit (author of Stigers Tigers and the Karus Saga) and this collab looks amazing!!

The dwarven nations are facing extermination. Their ancient enemy has returned. The Horde is coming and, along with it, a dark tide is spreading across the world of Tanis. One by one, the free peoples of the world have fallen under a shadow, crushed by the merciless boot of the Horde.

The Syrulian Empire, the last buffer state between three dwarven nations and the advancing armies of the Horde, has fallen. Vastly outnumbered, the dwarves must undertake the Great March, uprooting their entire civilization in search of a new homeland. They hope to find a safe harbor beyond the reach of the enemy, for the nations are not strong enough to withstand the might of the Horde.

Every sword is needed.

Does that not sound phenomenal? I can’t wait to read this! I’ll let you know my thoughts as soon as I do!!

It releases 10/28 in all formats.

Ember News!!!

Y’all!!! Guys!!!!

An Ember in the Ashes is getting a graphic novel!!! It’s going to be a prequel trilogy, and is set to come out next summer. I’m so stoked!!!

That’s all. I just thought you might want to nerd out with me. Carry on! 😊

Here’s the link to an article if you’d like more info: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/an-ember-ashes-fantasy-series-getting-graphic-novel-trilogy-1244284

Cocoa & Carols Cover Reveal

Guys!! Do you remember how excited I was and how much I loved Marshmallows and Mistletoe by Marianne Rice last year?

She’s back with a new Christmas story from Wilton Hills this year! The cover is so cute and the blurb has me just as excited for this one!!!

Finishing up his patrol as the sun sets on Thanksgiving Day, officer Patrick Johnson stumbles across a woman and her dog sleeping in her car. She refuses to go to a shelter and masks her dire condition, but the Johnson manners run deep and he finds himself inviting the stranger to his parents’ Thanksgiving dinner. Before the meal is over his heart grows soft for her and her scruffy dog.

Trying to make ends meet as an understudy in the Wilton Hills town play isn’t enough to keep Jocelyn fed and a roof over her head. She doesn’t like handouts but the police officer with shoulders that could compete with Captain America and the kindest eyes she’d ever seen leaves her no choice but to go with him to his family’s home. She’s instantly greeted with warmth from his parents, brother, and sisters, and before the meal is over, she believes in miracles.

Their newfound friendship turns quickly to something more, only Jocelyn doesn’t plan on staying in Maine for very long. Her lifelong dream is to star on Broadway and Patrick has no desire to leave his small town. Will her dreams and his stubbornness get in the way of their relationship? They’ll need a Christmas miracle to help them find their happily ever after.

What do you guys think?!

I’ll be back with a review just as soon as I can get a copy in my hands!!

This will release on November 1!

Hello!!!

Hi everyone!!

It’s been a while! We had an illness that turned in to a loss in the family, so I’ve been silent for a while, but I’m back online now.

I have an exciting cover reveal coming up for you tomorrow, so stay tuned!!!

Always,

-T

For a Muse of Fire News!!

Hey guys!!!

I have some news regarding my much beloved For a Muse of Fire!!

First, the lovely paperback edition released yesterday!!

Second, it’s on sale for $1.99 on all digital platforms!! (link below)

Go, buy, read it now before the sequel, A Kingdom for a Stage releases on October 8!

https://t.co/jwoateeEJG

See my original review here: For a Muse of Fire (For a Muse of Fire, Book 1)

 

Check Six (Kate Darby, Book 3)

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Author: Jamie Lee Scott

Series: Kate Darby

Genre: Mystery/Crime

Publisher: Novels & Coffee

Pages: 244

Kate Darby has returned to the Peculiar PD. Last year she was shot in the line of duty, and she has been on leave for a year while she was in rehab and was recovering. When she returns, she is faced with some new faces, a rough couple of days that involves her partner being forced to shoot a man that leads to an IA investigation, and facing her own (very real) demons. When the ghost of Payoso comes back to haunt her, will Kate be able to hold herself together long enough to prove to herself and everyone else that she is really ready to be back, or will she fall apart and let him win this round? 

This is the third installment in the Kate Darby series by Jamie Lee Scott, and I am enjoying this series more as it progresses. This book picked up a year after the second book ended, so some time has passed for the MC. As she makes her return to the department and the field, the reader can feel the bit of trepidation that she has. When all of the events begin to unfold and the “hauntings” begin, the reader can once again feel just the slightest bit of fear and panic in Kate as she tries to solve the mysteries surrounding her before it is too late. Scott did an amazing job at conveying all of Kate’s emotions through her words, and she really made me go through them with her. The action, mystery, and realness were definitely there, as they have been in the rest of the series. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series to read, and I am already anticipating the fourth book! 

This is a full story, so you could read it as a standalone if you wish. I highly recommend starting at the beginning, however, since the stories do build on one another and you’ll get a much clearer picture that way. There’s only three, so go ahead and dive in! 

Most Anticipated Releases for the End of 2019

Hey everyone!

As we’re about to enter the last quarter of this year, I thought I would share with you some of the releases that I am most anticipating for the remainder of the year!

There are so many great books releasing at the end of this year, so this is just a portion of them. They are only in date order, not in order of anticipation!

 1. Five Dark Fates (3 Dark Crowns, Book 4)- Kendare Blake- Releasing September 3

I absolutely love this series and can’t wait for the continuation of the series! I’m looking forward to finding out what happens following the events of book 3!

 2. The Institute- Stephen King- Releasing September 10

In this new installment from Mr. King, children with special gifts are stolen away from their homes in the middle of the night after their parents are murdered. They are then taken to The Institute and placed in rooms that look just like theirs, except there are no windows, and no way to escape. The Institute’s aim: to steal the essence of their gifts. Luke is one of these kids, and he is desperate to escape the place that no one has ever escaped.

I love everything King (with the exception of IT– not a clown fan) so I am very pumped for this one!

 3. The Testaments- Margaret Atwood- Releasing September 10

Taking place fifteen years after the van doors slammed on Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testamentstells the story that we’ve been waiting for: what happened to Offred and Gilead after those doors shut.

The Handmaid’s Tale is me second favorite Atwood (behind Alias Grace). I have loved the TV show, as well, and the take that it has taken on the events after the book, but I am looking forward to seeing Atwood’s vision for this second book.

 4. The Tyrant’s Tomb (The Trials of Apollo, Book 4)- Rick Riordan- Releasing September 24

Taking place after the events of The Burning Maze, book four of The Trials of Apollowill take Apollo to Camp Jupiter, where the Roman demigods are making a last stand, and need his help. The problem lies in the answer to their needs- it’s in the tomb of a long dead Roman ruler.

I am always excited to see the next installment in one of Uncle Rick’s series’ coming out, and this is no exception! This book will take us back to Camp Jupiter, so we will get to catch up with Frank, Hazel, Reyna, Tyson, and Ella, so this should be a great story!

 5. Full Throttle: Stories- Joe Hill- Releasing October 1

I know that I have said this so many times, but I am going to say it again (and again, and again…) I love short stories!! I also love Joe Hill, so this is a perfect combination and I am here for it!! This is one of my most anticipated reads of the Fall. They chose the perfect month for this release.

 6. A Kingdom for a Stage (For a Muse of Fire, Book 2)- Heidi Heilig- Releasing October 8

At the end of For a Muse of Fire Jetta was on the run, wanted for treason, murder, sabotage, and for her unique power: she can use her blood to capture spirits and bring life to inanimate objects. Jetta is also afraid that using this power will cause her to go mad and tyrannical like her biological father. She may have the power to change the tide of the raging war, but she must decide if saving her country is worth the possibility of losing her soul.

If you were reading this blog at the end of 2018 you know that For a Muse of Firewas my best fiction read of last year, and I wholeheartedly stand by that! That being said, I have been anticipating this sequel since I finished reading the first! It feels like I have been holding my breath and waiting forever for this, and it is almost time!!!

 7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- Illustrated Edition- Releasing October 8

This really doesn’t need much in the way of explanation. The last illustrated edition, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, released in October 2017 so it has been a two year wait for this edition. I’m looking forward to seeing Jim Kay’s illustrations in this new edition.

 8. Gravemaidens- Kelly Coon- Releasing October 29

Kammani and her family live in the walled city-state of Alu. She wants to be a healer, as her father was before her family was cast in to shame. When Abu’s ruler falls ill, her younger sister is chosen to join him in the afterlife. Her sister feels it’s an honor, but Kammani sees it as a death sentence. She sneaks in to the palace in order to heal the ruler, but finds much more than she bargained for. She is determined to find out the secrets of the palace, even if she must sacrifice her own life to do it.

This is the debut novel by this author, and it sounds like it is going to be a hit! This is going to be the first book in a duology, and is already getting some great reviews. I’m looking forward to reading it myself and reviewing it for you guys!

 9. Rage (Rogue Team International, Book 1)- Jonathan Maberry- Releases November 5

An Island off of the coast of Korea is attacked by a bioweapon that drives everyone insane with murderous rage. The people behind the weapon want to either unify or destroy Korea, nothing in between. This is driving the United States, Japan, and China to the brink of war as terrorists are threatening to release the rage bioweapon in a way of destruction and slaughter. This is a job for Joe Ledger and his newly formed team of international troubleshooters. This is their first mission, as they work with agents from North and South Korea to stop this terror cell and prevent a war.

Joe Ledger goes International?! A bioweapon causing rage?! Yes, please!!! Thanks for the early Christmas gift Mr. Maberry!!!

 10. Winterwood- Shea Earnshaw- Releases November 5

It is said that the woods surrounding Fir Haven are magical. Only Nora Walker knows for sure. She is rumored to be a witch and she and the women in her family have always had a connection to these woods. This connection leads her Oliver, the boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys in to the woods in the middle of a snowstorm. He shouldn’t have survived, but he did. She feels a shift in the woods at his presence and feels that she needs to find out more. Oliver has secrets that he’d prefer to keep hidden. Should we fear what’s hidden in the dark, dark, woods?

Earnshaw’a sophomore novel promises to be just as much magical fun as her debut novel, The Wicked Deep. Who doesn’t love a good haunting, witchy tale when the weather gets colder and the nights get longer? I sure do!

 11. From Flame and Ash (The Elements of Five, Book 2)- Carrie Ann Ryan- Releasing November 19

Lyric lost everything when she found out what her calling is. Now she must put aside her pain to train to be the Spirit Priestess that she is prophesied to be. Just as she is starting to learn more about what her journey will entail, a Seer’s wish and the calling of the Lumiere kingdom calls her forth, and thrusts her in to another journey that will test her trust in order to survive and keep those that she loves alive.

Ryan’s debut YA Fantasy novel, From Breath and Ruin, was a wonderful feat of world building and character development with a unique story, and I am thrilled to see where this second book in the series goes.

 

 

Those are the books that I have for you right now! Are there any that you are particularly excited about? Any that I need to be on the look out for?

 

Let me know!!

 

#backlistboost Friday

Happy Friday, everyone!!! I hope you’ve all had a great week!!! It’s been a long one here, but we’ve almost made it to the weekend. Any big weekend plans?!

It’s that time again… Ready for today’s #backlistboost?!

Today I’m going to reach back to an original pub date of 2008 to bring you one of my favorite YA Fantasy books: Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Graceling is the tale of Katsa, who lives in the Seven Kingdoms. Certain people in the Kingdoms are born with a special ability called a Grace. Katsa is one of these people, and she was born with the Grace to kill. She is forced to use her Grace as an enforcer for her uncle, the King, until the day that she meets Prince Po and things begin to change.

I really enjoyed the beautiful writing and complex and descriptive world building by Cashore. If you’re a fantasy fan, give this one a try! If you like it, it has two companion books set in the same world, Fire and Bitterblue.

Find my original review here: Graceling (Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, Book 1)