authentic reviews and insightful interviews for inquisitive readers
A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Summer 2024. Beware of spoilers! Title: House of Marionne Author: J. Elle Series: House of Marionne #1 Much thanks to J. Elle, Penguin/Razorbill, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book hits many of the same story beats as other YA fantasy*, so I could understand if some readers accuse it of being formulaic. I didn’t mind its predictability. …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper With Into The Dark, Karen Rose has outdone herself, which is hard to do. This story is a great read for the holiday season: full of intense scenes of suspense, a sprinkle of romance, and great characters the readers will fall in love with. The core of the story is finding acceptance, trust, and love while struggling to avoid extreme danger. But an added bonus is how Rose delves into subjects such as living …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon has action, mystery, suspense, and some romance. Politics, money, and greed come together to show how power can corrupt. This finale in the series brings back a secondary character from the previous books and introduces a new one. The book begins with former army captain Rick Jordan finding at his camp for foster children, in rural Missouri, some blood in the snow. Investigating further he recognizes a good luck …
Title: Wicked Saints Author: Emily A. Duncan Series: Something Dark and Holy #1 Wow this is a lot better than I—never mind I would like to thank Emily A. Duncan and Meghan Harrington at St. Martin’s Press for inviting me to participate in the blog tour. I received a free ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Seriously, if you don’t want major twists spoiled for you, do not read on. *sigh* I avoided reading this book because …
Find an interview with the author HERE Elise Cooper: Thank you for doing this. You have had some hard knocks in your life. You appear to have trust issues considering how your mother abandoned you at an early age and you went through foster care. Now you are on a quest to find your birth father and to find friends who you can form a bond with to get a sense of belonging. It was interesting how you went to …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A Tall, Dark Cowboy Christmas, the second book in the series, by Maisey Yates, is an emotional story that blends grief, hope, love, and wanting to belong. The hero and heroine connect through their feelings of losing a loved one. McKenna Tate is homeless and decides to spend the night in an abandoned cabin on the Dodge dude ranch. One of the owners, Grant, discovers her and realizes she is destitute. Bringing her to …
Title: Dark Ride Author: Angela Smith Series: n/a A solid effort but needs work The author asked me to read and review her work, and I was happy to oblige. She provided me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. When Adrienne Fuller witnesses a horrific incident of vehicular homicide, she prays the perpetrators didn’t notice she’d witnessed the crime—but they did, and weren’t about to leave a loose end. Luckily for Adrienne, one of the perps …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo is an electrifying thriller. It seems with each book, this being the ninth, she gets better and better. Within a riveting mystery she is able to seamlessly blend the Amish culture, giving glimpses and insights to their way of life. Once again small town Painters Mill police chief Kate Burkholder is forced to re-visit her childhood past. She is notified about the escape of Joseph King, convicted …
Title: Every Dark Corner Author: Karen Rose Series: Cincinnati #3 A+++++ … but maybe read last couple of books to better understand big picture FBI Special Agent Griffin “Decker” Davenport, along with Special Agent Kate Coppola and their team in Cincinnati, must work together to uncover a sociopathic pedophile who sells drugs, makes kiddie porn, steals and sells people as though they were objects, and kills anyone who gets in his way. Well, I hunkered down for a three-day weekend …