(4/5 rating) – Page 2 – Author Gail Marie

Book Review – Academy of Assassins (Academy of Assassins 1) by Stacey Brutger

Checked out with kindle unlimited, March 2023. I was eager for this novel by Stacey Brutger as it was recommended to me as a story with a powerful heroine. Morgan is an orphan with no memories who is taken in by a legendary assassin. Training her to protect herself from an early age, she is eventually invited to join the Academy of Assassins – a rare honor given her female status. Her mentor sends her to learn her craft but also to find and stop a murderer targeting the Academy’s students.

I loved Morgan and her story. I found the plot aspect of the narrative, the part that had me reading until midnight to finish this. Even though the romance aspect felt slow at times. I could relate to Morgan’s desire to maintain her independence after a lifetime of choosing her own path and not the one society chose for her fellow hunters. This did not end on a cliffhanger, for which I was appreciative. I was immersed in the writing style and dangerous atmosphere. Brutger’s characters were multi-dimensional. I’m not sure what my ultimate opinion is of Kincade since he had several unlikable moments with Morgan. I liked Ryder, Draven, and Ascher. Atlas was the one character I felt we didn’t understand much of until the epilogue. Ready for book two. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (Mead Mishaps 1) by Kimberly Lemming

I totally picked this one for the title and cover. In this first book of the series, our unwilling heroine, Cinnamon, is a spice farmer who just wants to be left alone to live her rural life. After drunk Cinnamon revives the demon, Fallon, from a witch’s spell, he is hell bent on releasing his fellow demons from her grasp. I was impressed with the breadth she created with only 182 pages of text. I’m so glad I gave this a try since Kimberly Lemming has quickly become a new favorite author. This world had everything a fantasy nut could want, from quests to magic, and impossible enemies. I laughed throughout most of this, but she kept an impeccable balance between the romance, humor, and the more serious plot aspects of the story. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman by Alan Rickman

I loved Alan Rickman first in his role within the movie Die Hard. He was always the penultimate to play Snape within the Harry Potter universe. We lost a man who loved deeply and put his best in everything he touched. I’m grateful that they chose to publish these diaries after his death. It was bittersweet to watch him try to continue to grow beneath a shadow of his own making. The format makes this somewhat harder to read. I do wonder what this would have looked like if he had lived long enough to consider a biography. These entries are short and to the point of his everyday life and it’s obvious he didn’t write these with us as his audience. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – Newly Undead In Dark River (Dark River Days 1) by Grace McGinty

I was excited for this urban fantasy vampire novel from new-to-me author, Grace McGinty. Mika McKellen’s Canadian backpacking trip must be delayed after she wakes under the of the road, with no memory of how she got there. The town of Dark River must become her new refuge after Mika learns she’s a vampire too. I love the way this vampire world presents their power hierarchy and way of life. At times, Mika annoys me with her actions, however she also learns to take advantage of her new lease on undead life. I enjoyed watching her fight back against anyone trying to hold her back and grow into the woman she always wanted to become. The pace felt a bit slow but with the plot, they set up the betrayal cliffhanger nicely at the end. Her cast of characters were engaging, and the Sherriff vampire was my favorite. I am eager to continue this series as well as the shapeshifter series also set in this universe. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – Queen Takes Triune (Their Vampire Queen 6) by Joely Sue Burkhart

In this installment of Shara Isador’s life, we finally get to see her up against the Triune after she is called to her rightful seat on the courts. This world and cast of characters, quickly became one of my favorites. Burkhart created a perfect balance between the plot and romance aspects of this series. I was impressed with how deep into the details we were among court politics, the goddess/god aspects, or even how vampires are changed after they feed from their Queens. I’m glad this book won’t be the last in this world. Since Shara still needs to fill her court, that series will introduce us to her partners. I’m excited to see where this is headed. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – Reaper Unleashed (Deadside Reapers 7) by Debbie Cassidy

This was my first series by Debbie Cassidy. Seraphina is raised in the human world until she discovers she has both Reaper and shapeshifter abilities within herself. Cora is her best friend that she somehow manifested after the death of the woman who adopted her. The world is chaos by this book, including a massive war and insurrection in the underworld, an energy imbalance between the realms threatening collapse, myths of the world making appearances and even the creation of super vampires that are impossible to kill. I’m grateful I found this author since this series became a quick favorite. While this is the end of Fee’s story, the next series based here follows her friend Cora’s life. – which I will be adding to my TBR. This world and various plot chains were as spellbinding as her characters were compelling. I loved watching Fee claim her heritage for both her werewolf and demon sides. The pace stayed at a quick clip and kept me reading late into the night. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – Faded Luck (Twisted Luck 6) by Mel Todd

I’m glad I got to finish this 6th installment of the series. If you haven’t read the previous ones, don’t read this review because it will be full of spoilers. Cori becomes a surrogate for Jo and Sable’s child, since neither of them can safely carry it on their own. During the in vitro process, they discover she’s carrying twins and her magical abilities begin to run haywire. Cori must work to find a new normal amidst the chaos that is her life. It was interesting to see Cori’s magical weakness, since it left her with a new perspective of other mages in her world. I loved that this book spent more time with the denizens of Carelian’s world, since Carelian it is my favorite among the wide array of characters. It was also fun to watch the arrival of the twins bring them all closer than they were before. I know this isn’t my typical read, but I’m deeply invested in this world. If you are looking for a deeply intricate magic system with suspense at every turn, then this is for you. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – The Dark King (Deviant Kings 1) by Gina L. Maxwell

This was my first by Gina L. Maxwell. Even though this was published this year, this book was on my TBR list for a while before that. Bryn Meara stumbles into Vegas after she loses her job as a PR specialist. Caiden Verran is a billionaire who happens to own the hotel they’re in, as well as half of Vegas. They spend the night together celebrating her unemployment, only to wake up married the next morning – with no memory of how they got there. To top it all off, Bryn discovers Caiden is actually a Dark Fae king and she’s stuck in his world until they can reverse their vows. I really loved the premise of this one and might have held on to high expectations for it. Maxwell created a beautifully dark world underneath that typical Vegas vibe. I enjoyed watching Bryn put Caiden in his place whenever he tried to walk all over her. Their transition from enemies to lovers made me laugh at times and want to cry at others. It was great to learn about the cast of Fae royalty and the circumstances of their people’s banishment. I’m excited for book 2, which centers around one of Caiden’s brothers and continue some plot points from book 1. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – Kingdom of Villains by Ella Fields

This was my first book by Ella Fields, and I’m thrilled that I finally got one of her books off my TBR list. After freeing an Unseelie Prince from her uncle’s dungeon, Fia discovers he is a bloodthirsty beast who has butchered their kind. After her king discovers her actions, Fia will take the prince’s place on the chopping block. Hours before her scheduled death, the Unseelie Prince proposes a marriage contract that will allow both kingdoms to be at peace and Fia to marry her enemy. I have always loved stories centered around the Fae, and this was no exception. I loved this enemy to lover’s plot and the world building. I think I liked the ending the best, where it’s her turn to save him. I enjoyed Fia and her love for animals and independence. If you’re thinking about giving this a try, I recommend it. (4/5 rating)

Book Review – For the Hell of It (Razing Hell 1) by Cate Corvin

As my introductory book by Cate Corvin, I was excited for this fallen Angel story. Milisandre is removed from heaven for crime she didn’t commit. Betrayed, she is forced to find a new life in her new home, Hell. She is captured by a Prince of Hell and must win her fights to win her freedom. I loved Milisandre and her history. This had a good balance between the romance arc and plot aspects of the story. I didn’t want to leave the intricate world Corvin created, particularly the layout of Hell and its boundaries. Her writing style was engaging from the first chapter. It seems I have another author to add to my favorites list this year. (4/5 rating)