Double Deceit by Julienne Brouwers

 Click the image to add to your Goodreads shelf

Thank you JB Publishing for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Smits and her husband Oliver decide to take their son away to a holiday park for the weekend to spend time as a family. Oliver is a lawyer in one of Amsterdam's to legal firms and working long hours is putting strain on their relationship. After just one day at the holiday park, Oliver is found dead and Jennifer's world is upended. 

The police are convinced that Oliver's death is an accident. Just bad luck. But Jennifer is not so sure. 

Haunted by her husband's death, Jennifer struggles to manage her responsibilities at work and at home.

When Jennifer starts digging for answers herself she finds a web of lies which runs deeper than she could have imagined. Convinced she is being followed, Jennifer starts to worry for her life  A chance meeting with a handsome stranger may provide Jennifer with what she needs to discover the answers she so desperately seeks.

What I liked about this book 

• The Amsterdam setting - This is somewhere I've always wanted to visit so I found the descriptions of the locations and the travel very appealing.
• Unexpected twists - Without giving away any spoilers I can say that I had decided early on who I thought the perpetrator  was and I was completely wrong. 
• The romance - Although the romance is not the main thread of this story it does help to move it along and adds an extra layer to the story.

What I didn't like

• There we a few minor inconsistencies.

Double Deceit had me sucked in from the beginning and kept hold of my attention till the end. I would recommend this book to you if you like crime thrillers or just thrillers in general.

4 stars 

✮✮✮✮

 

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

 

Click the image to add to your Goodreads shelf 

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of These Violent Delights in exchange for an honest review. 

In Shanghai, in 1926, a blood feud that has been ongoing for years continues.

Tensions between the Scarlet and White Flower gangs is constant causing casualties on both sides.

4 years earlier heir to the Scarlet gang, Juliette Cai and the White Flower heir Roma Montagov saw past the blood feud and fell in love. That is, until he betrayed her.

After some time away, Juliette has returned to Shanghai.

Soon people from both sides of the feud start going mad and tearing out their own throats in what seems to be the beginning of a contagion. Juliette and Roma must work past there grudges and discover the cause of the contagion before both gangs are wiped out.

What I liked about this book

• This is a really interesting take on Romeo and Juliette. It has an original and enjoyable premise.
• The character line up is really diverse. I particularly liked Kathleen. Her loyalty and kindness are admirable.
• Action packed scenes keep the story moving forward at a fast pace

What I didn't like 

• Due to the fact that this is a Romeo and Juliette retelling, I expected a lot more from the romance.
• The perpetrator is quite obvious from the first few chapters.

These Violent Delights ends on a cliffhanger leading me to believe that there will be a second book. I didn't get what I was expecting from this book, though I did enjoy it.

3.75 stars

✮✮✮✭

Crystal Shadows Gripping New Blood by R J Parker

Click the image to add to your Goodreads shelf  

Thank you to the author for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Sarah Field lives with her dad, who is a History teacher at her school. They share a close bond with each other as well as sharing a birthday. Sarah's grandfather, who was believed to have died when Sarah was a child, also has the same birthday. Sarah's grandfather is a mystery to her as her father refuses to talk about him.

One night, Sarah see's her father acting strangely. After he leaves the house, Sarah hears unusual noises coming from the attic. When Sarah's friends come to help her, they make a shocking discovery. Sarah's grandfather is living in the attic! But, he is unlike any other grandfather...

As she uncovers her family secrets Sarah must find out whether or not she has the power to give life to the Telum Deos - an amulet that was created to fight the forces of darkness.

What I liked about this book 

• The relationship between Sarah and her dad was nice - even when they are arguing you can still tell that they are close.
• I liked the use of flashbacks to Sarah's grandfather's past as a way to show Sarah the truth. This added an extra layer to the story.
• I enjoyed the concept of the story. 
• Some of the scenes were quite funny and entertaining.

What I didn't like about this book

• There isn't a lot of action happening until really late on in the story. I feel that due to the length of the book a faster pace would be better.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to see what comes next. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes vampire books.

3.5 stars

✮✮✮✫

The Dark Tempest by N.P. Cooper (release date 15th November 2020)

 

Click the image to add to your Goodreads shelf 

Thank you to the author for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jeranon has survived attacks from beyond the Black Iron Mountains since Jeranon's founding. This was always achieved by putting up a united front to beat back their invaders. But when the threat comes from within its own borders, Jeranon will be ripped apart and made vulnerable to attacks from the west. 

Archmage Heramiir has seized control of a pivotal part of Jeranon and his reach is spreading quickly. 

King Erian is left with no option but to order the largest conscription that Jeranon has ever seen and a hunt for any undiscovered mages.

This hunt leads Jayden and Wyll to the capital of Jeranon where they come into contact with an oracle. The words the oracle speaks indicate that Jaden and Wyll will pay a large part in the upcoming war and their actions will seal the fate of Jeranon.

What I liked about this book 

• The book is written in the third person and follows the exploits of multiple different characters. My favorite scenes were those which followed Wyll and Jayden. Though I also enjoyed Archmage Heramiir's perspective.
• The world is vast and filled with different creatures. 
• The direction the story is headed is really intriguing. I fully expect the next installment of the series to be action packed.

What I didn't like 

• Some of the sentences are incredibly long. This sometimes breaks up the flow while reading.
• The story is quite slow to build up. I do understand though that this is due to necessary world building and character introductions.

The Dark Tempest is the first instalment in The Destroyer's Wrath series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy's.

3.75 stars 

✮✮✮✭

Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

 

Click the image to add to your Goodreads shelf 

Callypso Lillis has made a life for herself as a private investigator, working alongside her best friend Temper. She uses her Siren abilities to pull confessions from her targets. Her life has been going ok. That is until the Bargainer steps back into it...

Seven years ago Callie obtained hundreds of favors from the Bargainer. They adorn her wrist in a bracelet which can ever be removed. A bead for every favor. 

The Bargainer is back to collect. He needs Callie's assistance on a case. Fae warriors are going missing. The females are being returned with children who whisper to their nursemaids of a rising evil. Callie and the Bargainer will hunt for the person responsible. But when Callie catches their eye, the hunter will become the hunted.

What I liked about this book  

• The scene setting is great. It was so easy to immerse yourself in the story and imagine the Other World.
• There are no all good characters. They are all morally grey even those who are supposed to be the 'good guys'.
• The romance is well done. Throughout three quarters of the story there is a lot of tension with things being left unsaid. Flashbacks to seven years ago, when they first met, really help the reader to understand Callie and Desmond's relationship. 

What I didn't like

• I noticed a few small inconsistencies with the story. I had to go back and check to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

I could not put this book down! I would recommend the Bargainer series to anyone who enjoys fantasy romance books. In particular, I think lovers of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout would enjoy this series.

4.5 stars

✮✮✮✮✬

Facets of Romance by Bijit Chakraborty

 

Click the image to add to your Goodreads shelf 

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Facets of Romance is made up of a collection of short romantic stories. All of the stories either take place in Kolkata or the characters hail from Kolkata.

What I liked about this book 

• I liked that Kolkata is a significant place in all of the short stories. Although all of the stories are about different characters, the central location helps to draw them all together.
• Some of the stories are cute.

What I didn't like 

• I did feel that some of the scenarios were not realistic. There is a lot of instalove and talk of proposals after such as short time. In one particular story I did not understand the characters reaction at all. They thought what their partner had done was funny but I would have been really upset by it.
• The way some of the characters were described was sometimes insensitive. 
• The stories were overly rushed and made large jumps that were confusing.

I understand that these are short stories, but I think that they would still benefit from being fleshed out. I do think that the book has potential. However, some small changes would make a big difference .

2.5 stars 

✮✮✬

Be My Reason by Brooklyn Taylor

 

Click the image to add to your Goodreads shelf 

Thank you Spectrum Audiobooks for providing me with an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wyatt Galloway has worked hard to create a normal life for himself. A life that he has earned and has not been provided by his family. His job as a sheriff is going well and the possibility of a promotion is on the horizon. What Wyatt doesn't have is love and he isn't looking for it either.

Breigh has had painful experiences in the past with men. Her heart was recently broken and she has decided to stay away from men for a while and concentrate on her career.

After meeting by chance at a bar, they seem to keep running into each other. Despite their decision to not look for love, they find it in each other anyway.

Love isn't always easy, but will it be worth fighting for when obstacles get in the way?

What I liked about this book

• The relationship is well written, believable and most importantly super cute.
• There are some heart wrenching, emotional moments that really got to me.
• Wyatt and Breigh are completely relatable and interesting but my favorite characters were the supporting characters. Wyatts relationship with his aunt was a highlight of the story for me.
• The pacing and flow of the story is well done and easy to follow.

What I didn't like

• There was a few occasions where the audio repeated itself.

Be My Reason is a romance which will capture your heart. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary romance.

4 stars 

✮✮✮✮

Click here to take a look at the other audiobooks Spectrum Audiobooks has to offer.