Review: Swordheart by T Kingfisher 

Rating: 4⭐️

Swordheart is one of three books planned in this series by T. Kingfisher, an author whose books I  automatically read. I often find them sharply plotted, full of intriguing characters and the narratives can often turn dry, humorous and bittersweet while maintaining a depth of truth and honesty to the situation and storyline. 

This carries many of these elements here. 

It starts with widowed 36 year old Halla who’s been taking care of her ailing uncle, a collector of oddities in his enormous house. When he dies, to the chagrin of his greedy relatives, it’s Halla who unexpectedly inherits her uncle’s entire fortune. When the relatives decide to force Halla to give up his estate to them, by marriage or by locking her up inside the house, she becomes desperate.

How Sarkis comes into her life and gets her out of the house is a remarkable aspect of the story. It demonstrates Halla’s resilience and gives us a perfect example of her personality. 

What I could have done without is Sarkis’s constant remarks about Halla’s physical appearance. And his own reaction to it. 

It’s a road trip and a slow burn romance but I could have done with just a road trip action adventure. There’s a lot of stories about Sarkis, the time that’s passed, the current religious beliefs and tensions between the different temples and their territories. And, of course, those who wish to possess magical items, like swords. 

And interwoven with all that is Halla needing to obtain her own goals and end game. With Sarkis at her side. 

All beautifully descriptive as this is, and as well executed is the world building, I felt that the story was or got too slow, especially around the middle. I had figured out who was the bad guy(s), what they were going to do, and then had to wait pages and pages until the action and drama came into play towards the end. Then it all came together and got interesting. 

It felt like it took too long to get there. 

One aspect of this I do appreciate is there’s no magical “fix” for Sarkis. No waving of a crystal or anything to undo his magic. Bittersweet and realistic. 

That’s T Kingfisher. Recommended. 

Swordheart series:

Swordheart

Daggerbound #2

Shieldborn #3 – Aug 24, 2027

Buy link

 Book 1 of 3: Swordheart 

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comSwordheart: Kingfisher, T.: 9781250400222

Blurb 

The delicious bodyguard romance of From Blood and Ash meets the delightful charm of The Princess Bridein this cozy fantasy romance from New York Timesbestselling author T. Kingfisher

Halla has unexpectedly inherited the estate of the wealthy distant uncle she’s been caring for for the past decade. Unfortunately, she is also saddled with money-hungry relatives full of devious plans for how to wrest the inheritance away from her.

While hiding in her bedroom to escape her family, Halla inspects the ancient sword that’s been collecting dust on the wall since before she moved in. On a whim, she pulls it down and unsheaths it—and suddenly a man appears in her bedroom. His name is Sarkis, he tells her, and he is an immortal warrior trapped in a prison of enchanted steel.

Sarkis is sworn to protect whoever wields the sword, and for Halla—a most unusual wielder—he finds himself not fending off grand armies and deadly assassins but instead everything from kindly-seeming bandits to roving inquisitors to her own in-laws. But as Halla and Sarkis become closer, they overlook the biggest threat of all—the sword itself.

Bramble

Publication date

September 20, 2024

Language

‎English

Print length

458 pages

 

Review:  Storm’s Edge (Storm Herald – An Epic Urban Fantasy Series Book 1) by Sean Cunningham 

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Sean Cunningham is another new discovery for me in urban fantasy fiction and I am absolutely loving his characters and universe I’ve found in the first story in his new Storm Herald series, Storm’s Edge. 

It’s an action packed urban fantasy thriller, full of paranormal beings who battle mythical creatures, seek to obtain clients magical objects even investigating murders. All the while they are hiding their own problematic dark backgrounds. 

The main character is a woman whose identity and past history is slowly being revealed over the course of the series. But who she was is a persona of enormous power and dark energy. On the wrong side of the line.  Now she’s called Vanessa Montiero, not as powerful but strong enough. Vanessa works temporarily both for a coffee shop and as a courier who takes less than legal jobs. It’s a living and keeps her out of the notice of others. 

Until it doesn’t. 

I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying this character and the storylines here. 

First of all, no romance. She exists first as a solo character, and then, reluctantly, as perhaps someone who might consider her to think of one or two of the other characters she’s gathering around her as friends. 

Not that she’d ever come out and acknowledge that. 

Vanessa is a hard personality. The past is one she’s working to overcome, as well as a core that thrives on violence.  As the story continues, she has to develop and adapt to her changing circumstances, and that’s means that instead of being able to always battle her way through a difficult situation, she has to learn how to handle it differently.

And Cunningham has just the other characters to assist her in this change in perspective. Including a vampire who’s not exactly the poster boy for the species himself, Leo. 

With every new character, there’s a good chance they might not make it through to the end. Cunningham exhibits a willingness to take his characters out of the narrative, even when we’re getting fond of them. 

Be warned. 

I hope Vanessa stays romantically free, that’s a great element here. The story is exciting, fast paced and very well executed. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next book and see what happens next. 

I hope the author has more than 3 books planned for the series. 

Highly recommended and yes, when I’m done reading this, I’ll head to the writer’s other series too. 

Cover art © MIBLArt.com 2025

Storm Herald – An Epic Urban Fantasy Series (3 book series)

Storm’s Edge #1

Storm’s Reckoning #2

Storm’s Awakening #3

Buy link 

        Storm’s Edge (Storm Herald – An Epic Urban Fantasy Series Book 1)

    

Blurb 

She just wanted to stay hidden. They had other plans.

Vanessa Montiero has spent a year keeping her head down – slinging coffee by day, running courier jobs by night. It was enough to stay off the radar of the people hunting her. It was safe.

Until a wealthy eccentric offers her more money than she’s seen in months to extract one girl from the Brotherhood: a gang of street-level warlocks who burn through their girlfriends like batteries to fuel their magic.

Simple job. Get in, get Mia, get out.

Except Freddie Wright isn’t about to let his “crucible” walk away. And the magic he wields is far more dangerous than anyone realised.

With Leo at her side – a vampire who’d rather cook you dinner than drain you, and whose strange abilities make him an outcast even among the undead – Vanessa will face necromancers, ancient vampires, and relentless warlocks, all while keeping one traumatised girl alive.

But the thing that made Vanessa so good at violence never really left her. Unleashing her old self might be the only way to save them – or it might shatter the life she’s worked so hard to build.

Storm’s Edge launches the Storm Herald series with brutal fight scenes, morally complex characters, and a London where magic hides just beneath the surface. Perfect for fans of Alex Verus, Kate Daniels, and The Dresden Files who like their urban fantasy served with found family forged in fire.

Join Vanessa on this action-packed urban fantasy adventure across London today!

Falconbrook Press

Publication date

December 6, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

316 pages

Book 1 of 3

Storm Herald – An Epic Urban Fantasy Series

Review: Black Moon Rising (Riley Blackthorne #1) by J.L. Brannick

Rating:4⭐️

I enjoyed Black Moon Rising, the first in the Riley Blackthorne urban fantasy series by J. L. Brannick. Brannick’s another new urban fantasy author for me so I was excited about this book.

The character of Riley Blackthorne doesn’t disappoint here. She’s 24 I believe, trying to finish her degree in college while staying under the “radar “ of law enforcement agencies of all kinds due to her as yet unregistered powers. 

That’s about to end. 

Werewolf children are missing and the Alpha needs her help with the investigation. He won’t take no for an answer. 

I absolutely love Riley. Life has been tough for her, she’s been raised by her uncle. Her background is filled in more in the second novel than the bits the author allows here. But it’s tantalizing hints that give depth to Riley and strengthens her character. She’s independent, intelligent and with the ability to make decisions for herself. 

She’s absolutely the best thing about the book.

Now to the most problematic. That would be the Alpha. And their dynamic. Conall Segerson is the overbearing Alpha here. I’m sure in the trope he’s the powerful dominating male. But let’s be real.

In any other context, he’s toxic. He doesn’t let her make her own decisions. He withholds key information “because it’s for her own good “. He isolates her because it’s for “her own welfare “. And continues to ignore real issues within his pack that put her life at risk. 

And when things go south, as they do.

It’s all about what his “wolf” wants and what he wants. Not exactly what is good for her. 

Hint: This aspect of the series and the characters relationship is going to be even worse in book 2.

So for every character, Ash, or the hellhounds, that I found engaging, there was Conall sapping the joy right out of the narrative because I found his so offensive. 

Yes to her. Yes to the plot minus any aspect of the story about Conall. 

It ends on a cliffhanger. Which you know won’t end well for her. 

The other books are out. Read it for a terrific woman character, and an interesting plot. The author has spent some time defining her different types of Cognizant traits. Check out the beginning of this book.   Too bad she didn’t start with DARVO. 

Cover designer Maggie G. Jackson

Riley Blackthorne series:

Black Moon Rising #1

Cold Moon Burning #2

Crimson Moon Falling #3

Buy link

 Book 1 of 3: Riley Blackthorne Series 

Blurb 

The federal agents waiting outside my ecology classroom are here for me.

One of them is an enraged Alpha.

I’ve been dodging the agents for days, and Conall Segerson seethes with impatience. His Pack children are disappearing, but the wolf shifter has few clues and no leads.

He doesn’t care about exposing an unregistered, no-name Cognizant like me if it will help him find his missing cubs.

As we race to recover the children, I become an invaluable tool in his arsenal.

His wolf’s obsession.

And a target.

Conall pledges to protect my secrets, but enemies are closing in. And the most vicious betrayals are those we never see coming.

*The first book in the thriller urban fantasy romance series where a deadly investigation leads to seduction and betrayal.

Black Moon Rising is book one in the Riley Blackthorne Series. For fans of smart, STEM FMC’s and urban fantasy romance. This book ends on a cliffhanger and contains power imbalances, a slow-burn romance, spice, and violence.

Smart Mouth Publishing LLC

Publication date

February 12, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

346 pages

Book 1 of 3

Riley Blackthorne Series

Review: Veil of Doom (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow #7) by Sara Bourgeois 

Rating: 4⭐️

Veil of Doom was good but left too many questions about the plot and characters to be a really fully executed story. It just feels rushed.

It starts with everyone getting ready for Blythe to be walked down the aisle at her wedding.  Last minute preparations are getting underway, everyone is there. Blythe’s best friend, Paine’s family is there and Adelma Stonehart, matriarch and head witch is acting uncharacteristically giving and gentle. 

But soon there’s screaming and someone has been murdered. Adelma Stoneheart herself. And the wedding is over before it’s begun. 

Trust the author to throw a twist right at the beginning. Adelma started the series as a sort of enemy/frenemy to Blythe or at least to her previous family members. But Adelma has slowly become more welcoming and supportive towards Blythe, especially after Blythe has become a close friend to her granddaughter.  So to see Adelma murdered at the beginning was a shocker.

And then comes even more twists of events. One right after another. 

No spoilers but there’s new characters. A resolution, of sorts, to an ongoing question about the house. And frankly, more questions raised than are answered here by the storylines. 

It’s too fast paced to make sense and feel satisfying. It feels rushed, especially at the end. 

It left me feeling like ok that happened, now where’s the rest of it? 

And I didn’t get it.  And we usually do .

So it’s a good or interesting storyline but not the best. 

I’m looking forward to the next one to see what happens and if we get our questions answered. 

A wild ride to be sure. 

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4 

Bear Many Hats #5

Drop of a Hat #6 

Veil of Doom #7 

Hats off To Boo #8 – Oct 31,2026

The Hat Before Christmas #9 – Dec 23,2026

Buy link

Review: Veil of Doom (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow #7) by Sara Bourgeois 

Rating: 4⭐️

Veil of Doom was good but left too many questions about the plot and characters to be a really fully executed story. It just feels rushed.

It starts with everyone getting ready for Blythe to be walked down the aisle at her wedding.  Last minute preparations are getting underway, everyone is there. Blythe’s best friend, Paine’s family is there and Adelma Stonehart, matriarch and head witch is acting uncharacteristically giving and gentle. 

But soon there’s screaming and someone has been murdered. Adelma Stoneheart herself. And the wedding is over before it’s begun. 

Trust the author to throw a twist right at the beginning. Adelma started the series as a sort of enemy/frenemy to Blythe or at least to her previous family members. But Adelma has slowly become more welcoming and supportive towards Blythe, especially after Blythe has become a close friend to her granddaughter.  So to see Adelma murdered at the beginning was a shocker.

And then comes even more twists of events. One right after another. 

No spoilers but there’s new characters. A resolution, of sorts, to an ongoing question about the house. And frankly, more questions raised than are answered here by the storylines. 

It’s too fast paced to make sense and feel satisfying. It feels rushed, especially at the end. 

It left me feeling like ok that happened, now where’s the rest of it? 

And I didn’t get it.  And we usually do .

So it’s a good or interesting storyline but not the best. 

I’m looking forward to the next one to see what happens and if we get our questions answered. 

A wild ride to be sure. 

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4 

Bear Many Hats #5

Drop of a Hat #6 

Veil of Doom #7 

Hats off To Boo #8 – Oct 31,2026

The Hat Before Christmas #9 – Dec 23,2026

Buy link

Blurb 

You didn’t think there would be a wedding without a murder, did you?

Blythe Fairfield is finally getting her happy ending.

The dress fits. There’s a groom waiting. Even the cat is wearing a bow tie.

Then someone dies at her wedding.

Adelma Stonehart, matriarch of one of Cauldron Hollow’s oldest witch families, is found murdered before Blythe can complete her vows. By morning, most of the town has forgotten. Blythe can’t.

Nobody said “I do” yet. But somebody’s going to answer for this.

September 8, 2026

Language

‎English

Book 7 of 9

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Blurb 

You didn’t think there would be a wedding without a murder, did you?

Blythe Fairfield is finally getting her happy ending.

The dress fits. There’s a groom waiting. Even the cat is wearing a bow tie.

Then someone dies at her wedding.

Adelma Stonehart, matriarch of one of Cauldron Hollow’s oldest witch families, is found murdered before Blythe can complete her vows. By morning, most of the town has forgotten. Blythe can’t.

Nobody said “I do” yet. But somebody’s going to answer for this.

September 8, 2026

Language

‎English

Book 7 of 9

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: Appraised for Murder: A Humorous Small Town Cozy Mystery (The Antiquated Alibi Mysteries Book 1) by Beatrix Penrose 

Rating: 4⭐️

This is the beginning of a new small town cozy mystery series by Beatrix Penrose and I think it’s off to a good start.

Appraised For Murder’s central character is a somewhat recently widowed woman, Maggie Callahan,  (it’s been two years), whose children are in college. Maggie returns to the small town of Black Walnut Cove, buys a big barn and opens an antique store/estate liquidators shop with her best friend, Birdie in the Blue Ridge Mountains, called Callahan & Co.

In Black Walnut Cove,  Maggie Callahan, along with Birdie Jenkins, the v neighbor shop owner Luke Sterling, and her golden retriever, Buster take on daily challenges and the occasional murder mystery. It’s a cozy, with a non spicy romance , small town murder mystery story. 

I enjoyed so much about this. The community was captured by the author so well, that of an Appalachia Mountain town and culture, layered over with antiques and other knowledge about its citizens and history.  All woven together in a story both about Maggie, a widow in her 50’s starting over in a town where she raised her children, old memories and a new future. 

Birdie, her best friend and co-owner of  Callahan & Co is absolutely one of my favorite characters. She’s real, hilarious, intelligent and one of the best things about the story. The murder mystery is also a good one, although I thought it was a little muddled towards the end. 

The romance between Maggie and Luke is almost nonexistent, he brings her pie, or coffee. There’s a kiss. That’s it. I didn’t see any chemistry between them. For me, it could have been left out and it wouldn’t have mattered. 

Buster the golden retriever is a cute element to the story and characters. 

One last thing, Maggie, Birdie and Luke do a lot of investigating here and the Sheriff’s department is mentioned. But when do they actually interact with each other? Turn over actual evidence? That whole thread or aspect to the narrative is missing and it doesn’t make sense to leave it out.

Appraised for Murder is a good start to Beatrix Penrose’s new series and I’m excited to see what the next book takes it. 

Cover Design is exactly what I expect from this author. Terrific. 

The Antiquated Alibi Mysteries:

Appraised for Murder #1

Poisoned by Provenance #2 

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: The Antiquated Alibi Mysteries 

Blurb 

A picturesque Blue Ridge mountain town, an empty-nester starting over, and an antique appraiser who just valued his last settee…

Fifty-two-year-old widow Maggie Callahan thought she had her second act figured out. Running Callahan & Company Estate Liquidations out of a restored apple warehouse gave her purpose, steady work, and just enough room to keep her grief at bay. 

With her sharp-tongued best friend Birdie running client relations and her affable, treat-obsessed golden retriever Buster greeting customers, life in Black Walnut Cove was peaceful.

Then came the estate sale of the century.

Blackwood Manor is an eighty-room Victorian stone estate overflowing with three generations of hoarded family heirlooms. But before Maggie can even catalog the parlor furniture, an arrogant high-profile appraiser from Atlanta storms in, loudly threatens her business, and attempts to declare a rare 1820s Moravian cherrywood secretary worthless junk.

Hours later, the appraiser is found dead in the carriage house—bludgeoned with an antique brass balance scale.

With the sheriff eyeing her as a prime person of interest and two predatory out-of-town heirs circling like vultures, Maggie must team up with handsome salvage carpenter Luke Sterling to uncover what the victim was really hunting. When Buster sniffs out clues to a hidden 1845 mountain covenant, Maggie realizes someone is willing to kill to keep a century of land swindles buried in the dust.

Can Maggie decode the clues and unmask the killer before Blackwood Manor is sealed for good—or will Callahan & Company become the next liquidated asset?

Appraised for Murder is the first full-length novel in the charming Antiquated Alibi Mysteries series. If you love witty banter, small-town mountain secrets, lovable canine sidekicks, and clever mature sleuths, you’ll feel right at home in Black Walnut Cove!

Includes clean romance, no graphic gore, and no profanity. Grab your copy and start reading today!

September 5, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

225 pages

Book 1 of 2

The Antiquated Alibi Mysteries

Review: Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I’ve been reading several 2026 Hugo Awards winners and nominees recently and John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series won for Best Series so I thought I’d check it out as I’m obviously late to discovering this author. 

Old Man’s War, the first book in the series was written in 2007 and is an excellent read.  The plot is so well written and one that is easy to understand and relate to one multiple levels. 

John Perry is 75. His beloved wife has died and he mourns her and their life together deeply. Their son is grown up, settled down and has a family of his own. John is mentally and emotionally adrift from his life without his wife. And has made plans to move on. He’s joined the Army. 

Along with a massive number of other 75 year old seniors from around the world. 

There’s an interstellar space war going on and soldiers are needed to fight for humanity’s survival. Old men and women will be made young again in order to fight for humanity against the aliens.

That’s the plot. And it’s a great one. How Scalzi pulls it off, the mental and physical impact of this on those who become the “next generation of fighters”.   

All these people leaving Earth and their old lives behind forever for the unknown. The way that will impact them, their way of thinking and understanding humanity. And even relationships. The possibility of even having one in a war that stretches on forever. 

All those ethical or emotional dilemmas that John or the others might have are quickly dealt with by the realistic military structure as necessary to win the war and continue the increasingly complex alien engagements. 

Interesting elements will emerge as important themes of the series, such as cellular memory and philosophical questioning about what makes a being a person.  Even identity comes into play towards the end when the possibility of cellular memory is introduced.

Scalzi in his Author’s notes talks about what books he found informative, including Heinlen’s Starship Troopers and later on  (my favorite) Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War. I see that in the Starship Troopers as many have written. 

The characters that surround John are notable in the sense that they are only just above one dimensional level. We are just getting started with connecting to each of them emotionally and then it’s time for reality to set in. They’re frontline soldiers.

Events are fast paced and full of military action in space. Strange aliens and space ships and bloody battles that have killed thousands, perhaps even more. 

The ending is open for the next book. Where some of the questions raised here might be given further exploration. Can’t wait to read it next. 

Highly recommended. Especially if you’re a fan of the books I mentioned. 

Cover design by Jamie Stafford-Hill

Old Man’s War (7 book series)

Old Man’s War Series

#1 Old Man’s War

#2 The Ghost Brigades

#3 The Last Colony

#4 Zoe’s Tale

#5 The Human Division

#6 The End of All Things 

Short fiction: “After the Coup”

Buy link

        Old Man’s War

    

Blurb 

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-and aliens willing to fight for them are common. The universe, it turns out, is a hostile place. 

So: we fight. To defend Earth (a target for our new enemies, should we let them get close enough) and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has gone on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity’s resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force, which shields the home planet from too much knowledge of the situation. What’s known to everybody is that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don’t want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You’ll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You’ll serve your time at the front. And if you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine-and what he will become is far stranger.

Old Man’s War Series

#1 Old Man’s War

#2 The Ghost Brigades

#3 The Last Colony

#4 Zoe’s Tale

#5 The Human Division

#6 The End of All Things 

Short fiction: “After the Coup”

Tor Books

Publication date

April 1, 2007

Language

‎English

Print length

308 pages

Book 1 of 7

Old Man’s War

Review: Tombyards and Butterflies (Montague and Strong Detective Agency Book 1) by Orlando A. Sanchez

Rating: 3⭐️

If you’re looking for a magical fast paced , shootum up immortal partners story/series, here’s one for you.

Its world building is non-existent, the characters have zero chemistry, between themselves or any relationship that’s created here. It’s just a jumble of paranormal beings intermingling with a Greek mythological pantheon of gods who have hidden secrets and agendas, some of which concern the two main characters. 

It’s all rather confusing. No one really knows what is happening. Not even them. But they accept cases , from vampires or goddesses, things go badly. Then go even worse. 

I don’t know. There’s no depth to this or to the characters. I was connecting to any of it. Especially when one character is asked if he’s dumb(his actions and remarks indicate yes) and his partner , a Mage with a painful history, and this reader agree with whoever is asking. And he’s immortal and, apparently, forever immature. Lovely. SMH

Lots of magical action however. 

It ends up with them having a mythical pet demon dog. And another likely mission to look forward to. 

Not me. I need more than this to get me interested in a series and characters. And TSTL characters. But not everyone does. 

It’s got lots of books to this, 32 of them. Check them out if you’re so inclined. 

Cover Art: Deranged Doctor Design

Buy link

 Book 1 of 32: Montague & Strong Case Files 

Blurb 

A Missing Ferryman. An Undead Dilemma. An Immortal Detective.

An emissary from the Dark Council has just materialized in the office of the Montague & Strong Detective Agency, and makes Simon Strong an offer he can’t refuse. Charon is missing. The legendary ferryman responsible for transporting sorcerer souls across the river Styx hasn’t been seen in days. And with each passing hour, those unable to cross the river are left to walk among the living, tilting the world further out of balance.

Meet Simon Strong, an immortal, who is also the best private detective in New York City. Together with his surly partner-Tristan Montague, a mage of indeterminate age, they must find the Ferryman and get him back to work before another Supernatural War ravages the earth, destroys humanity, and Simon’s local coffee shop.

Time is running out. His landlord wants the rent and Karma with a capital K is paying him a visit, and she can be a real…

Join the Montague & Strong Detective Agency and help them locate Charon, so he can restore balance to the universe, put the dead sorcerers to rest, and maybe solve the age old conundrum-coffee or tea?

Bitten Peaches Publishing

Publication date

February 27, 2017

Edition

1st

Language

‎English

Print length

310 pages

Book 1 of 32

Montague & Strong Case File

Review:  Moonbright by Leah Ryan

Rating: 3.75⭐️

Moonbright by Leah Ryan is a paranormal werewolf romance, the first book that I’ve read by this author. And there’s so much that I absolutely love about it. And a couple I don’t. 

The main character is one, a small woman, a healer of mysterious origin who has been alone in the dark woods since childhood. She’s hand built herself a small homestead over the years, chickens and herbs, carefully tended. And she’s mended the wolves that have come needing medical care, and her specially crafted medicines that she’s  created over her years tending them. 

Ryan hints at a dark history behind a child , 12 years old that had to live alone in the woods, learning to build herself a makeshift home, forging for herself and learning enough to survive to craft and maintain her livelihood. 

But we never find out what happened to Mel the Healer , now 22, in her past life to bring her to the existence she living now.

The book is full of these unexplained mysteries, around characters and the world history. It’s just there, part of the story. If this sort of thing is something that you as a reader find irritating, then really this book, and probably the writer, are not for you. 

What I love about this book? That it honestly made me laugh out loud in many instances. The dialogue is dry, sarcastic, and funny. Guffaw funny at times. Scenes too, including ones with Mel’s pet chicken Nugget. And the relationship between Mel and her best friend, a rough woman hunter, Kestria, who stops by with venison and other items to help Mel keep going. Their friendship feels real and established, believable in their past history and conversations. 

Events shake up Mel’s current situation as the local healer, and care givers to the wolves in the woods. Who aren’t exactly wolves but werewolves.

Ryan brings in a long ongoing war between humans and werewolves, with the humans being unaware that the wolves are actually supernatural beings with families.

And a romantic relationship between a young Mel and the older Alpha Keer, which I don’t feel is as strong an element here or as believable in a romantic sense.  The role that Mel eventually transitions into for the pack works at the beginning and then seems to be lost towards the end. 

That’s much of what I have issues with the story here. It starts off extremely strong, terrific characters and interesting plot choices, albeit with missing parts to major characters back history that’s never filled in. 

But towards the ending, the narrative speeds up, crashing towards a dramatic buildup that’s never quite right. There’s one scene where, a climactic moment occurs. There’s talking, and the villain gets driven (stalks) off. 

Oddly unsatisfying because nothing is really settled for good. It’s a temporary fix. 

And that real ending? Think the end of The Sopranos. That sort of mid-sentence abruptness. Because this literally ends mid-sentence. 

Yes. It absolutely feels incomplete.  And I didn’t like the way that show ended either. 

Moonbright by Leah Ryan starts off strong, has some great characters, especially in Mel the healer and her best friend, Kestria. Even Nugget the chicken. 

But the romance didn’t exactly work and that the story felt rushed, while an unfinished ending will never be ok with me. Finish the sentence! And the ending is.

Interesting.

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comMoonbright: A Standalone Werewolf Romance eBook : Ryan, Leah: Kindle Store

Blurb 

I have a cottage, a garden, a pink chicken named Nugget, and a strict personal

policy against asking questions.

That last one is why it took me years to notice that the wolves I’ve been

stitching back together are not, technically, wolves.

In my defense, nobody told me.

In their defense, they were trying very hard not to.

Now my cottage is rubble, my best friend has a tail, and thirty werewolves are

standing in my herb beds having a collective crisis about how much I know.

Their Alpha is taking it worst. One eye. All scars. No interest whatsoever in

humans, in healers, or in a woman who talks this much.

He also won’t stop watching my hands while I work.

Neither of us plans to mention it.

Then someone starts turning moonbright into poison. The flower I grow. The one

I’ve been using to keep every single one of them alive.

And it turns out there’s exactly one person left who knows how to turn it back.

It’s me. It’s the one with the chicken.

🌙 Standalone fantasy werewolf romance with a full HEA

🌙 Laugh-out-loud funny — banter-heavy, dual POV

🌙 Grumpy/sunshine · touch-starved alpha · forced proximity

🌙 Found family · fated mates · healer heroine

🌙 Slow burn, explicit, takes its time getting there

🌙 One (1) pink chicken. One (1) homicidal rooster named Keer Jr.

May 9, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

File size

1.5 MB

Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

X-Ray

Not Enabled

Word Wise

Enabled

Print length

368 pages

Title: LENGTH OF DAYS : GHOST GUY Book 2 by M.M. Crumley

Rating: 3⭐️

Making this succinct. I really enjoyed the first book. Not so much the second.

If you dislike spoilers, stop reading. Even as short as this is going to be. 

We left Tucker, in his non-corporeal state, far in an Underground realm searching for the soul of Kai , a ghost taken by a mysterious being who gathers up souls and feeds on their suffering and pain. 

We enter exactly where the first book ended. He’s entered the imposing “cave” and seen the souls embedded there, including Kai, captured there and realizing how difficult his mission is.

Then begins a long repetitive stream of conversations and scenarios that all sound almost exactly alike for the majority of the book.  Broken up only intermittently by moments where we see the Graeves family members who are taking turns with Tucker’s body. This gives us a glimpse of his condition and the passage of time above. 

Then immediately after it’s back to the same old thing of trying to free them, pain, fatigue, failure, repeat. Pages of this. Literally pages and pages. Until Tucker has one last try , at around 80 or so percent done. 

Yes, success. And it’s over and out. Says an immediate goodbye to one of the most important, influential and intriguing characters in less than a page. That’s so disappointing. 

Then he’s back in his body . Delivered Kai the ghost home. With not a lot of fanfare. 

Does a go around to the people who have been there for him, tells them how much they mean to him. 

Yes, he’s going to do something really dumb. Because, why don’t you ask all these magically powerful men and women for assistance or advice with a plan to defeat the enemy you just escaped from. Nope, can’t do that. 

See when you’ve had to slog through an entire book of repetitive tasks and scenarios, densely packed narrative? Only to have the main character go full on TSTL? 

Well, that’s enough for me. I really like the other series connected to this. But Ghost Guy just turned into a great big pass for me.

Too many books still to be read. 

Here’s the first book if you want to see more about it:

GHOST GUY: HELL TO PAY (Book 1) 

Urban Fantasy/ Horror Comedy

THE IMMORTAL DOC HOLLIDAY SERIES ❤️

BOOK 1: HIDDEN 

BOOK 2: COUP D’ÉTAT 

BOOK 3: RUTHLESS 

BOOK 4: INSTINCT 

BOOK 5: ROGUES 

BOOK 6: EMPIRE 

BOOK 7: OMENS 

BOOK 8: CHASM 

BOOK 9: FERAL 

BOOK 10: OBLIVION 

BOOK 11: RELENTLESS 

BOOK 12: REQUIEM 

BOOK 13: HELLION 

BOOK 14: SHADOWS 

BOOK 15: INDEBTED 

BOOK 16: FATHOM 

BOOK 17: FEROCITY 

BOOK 18: ONSLAUGHT 

BOOK 19: ECHOES 

BOOK 20: TEMPEST 

BOOK 21: SINGULAR 

GHOST GUY SERIES 

BOOK 1: HELL TO PAY 

BOOK 2: LENGTH OF DAYS 

BOOK 3: RECKONING 

JANEY FALKE SAINT KILLER SERIES BOOK 1: BLOOD OATH 

BOOK 2: BLOOD TIES 

BOOK 3: BLOOD FEUD 

BOOK 4: BLOOD LUST 

THE HOUSE OF GRAVES SERIES ❤️BOOK 1: THREE LITTLE GRAVES & THE BIG BAD WOLF 

BOOK 2: OVER THE RIVER & THROUGH THE WOOD 

BOOK 3: FIRE BURN & CAULDRON BUBBLE 

BOOK 4: A HUNTING, A HUNTING WE WILL GO 

BOOK 5: AND HE WALKED A CROOKED MILE 

BOOK 6: HOLIDAY SPECIAL: DECK THE HALLS 

 THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS SERIES 

BOOK 1: DARK AWAKENING 

BOOK 4: BURIAL GROUND 

BOOK 5: DEATH SONG 

BOOK 6: FUNERAL MARCH 

BOOK 7: WARPATH

Buy links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1TXHWGF?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1789168610&sr=8-1&ref=dbs_dp_awt_sb_pc_tkin

Blurb

In a desperate effort to rescue one of Medusa’s ghosts from the Underworld, Nevin Tucker has left behind the body he holds so dear. But now he’s stuck in the Underworld, all on his own, trapped in the lair of suffering. He knows he’s not a hero. He knows he’s not the man for the job, but he also knows that he’s the only one who can save Kai. And he’s decided to win, no matter the cost… Dive into a hidden world of magic and mayhem now! Available in print, eBook and audiobook formats, OR read FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

And get ready for my NEW Ghost Guy series!
Book 1: HELL TO PAY
Book 2: LENGTH OF DAYS
book 3: REKONING

Also read the Janey Falke: Saint Killer four book series while you wait!
Book 1: BLOOD OATH
Book 2: BLOOD TIES
Book 3: BLOOD FEUD
Book 4: BLOOD LUST

Review:  A Heartbeat at My Feet by Kristin Beck 

Rating: 4⭐️

“My little dog—a heartbeat at my feet. —Edith Wharton”

A two perspective story where one is a Jack Russell terrier called Cicero wasn’t exactly what I expected from the book and truthfully, I’m not sure that I thought it was as cohesive as I thought it could have been, given the format. 

Probably because of his ghostly former confused owner hanging around. Definitely that. 

There’s an abundance of storylines here, among them Cicero’s, the Jack Russell, whose owner has a heart attack at the beginning of the story. It leaves the little dog devastated, adrift from the only home he’s known and in trouble on the streets in Italy. 

The other is Josie Ballard, a middle aged woman who has been planning a trip with her husband to Italy for some time. Their only son’s in college and she’s given notice of her assistant librarian job already. Then she finds out that her husband is cheating on her and wants a divorce. 

Distraught and angry, Josie takes, on her father’s advice, the trip she’s been anticipating and planning for. Alone. 

Of course, the paths of our two narrators collide, their worlds and similar emotional states meshing in a tour of Sorrento and all that it offers. 

I really enjoyed the relationship between Cicero and Josie, their worlds woman she started to become in Italy away from the all sacrificing, doormat she was at home. 

The best part of the story is exploring the countryside and communal life of the towns in Italy through Josie and Cicero’s varying perspectives. When either new voices, like the ghost of Cicero’s owner who is intermittently interjecting himself into the narrative to wonder why he’s not moving on, or more importantly, his son, Hugo, who starts to make a impact on Josie’s vacation and Cicero’s future. 

For a story about a woman fleeing a shattering revelation about a long time solid marriage and relationship to a journey of self discovery, this quickly transitions to a romance between Josie and Hugo. Albeit with the nonstop conversation and perspective of Cicero , Hugo’s father’s constant companion , now Josie’s as well.  

I miss the stage where Josie becomes an independent woman, with her own goals and abilities to reach her dreams on her own. She literally has never lived in her own place by herself. Even at the end, the time by herself is so fleeting, it’s to see the end of her lease and then it’s over. 

So the trajectory is stateside all sacrificing daughter/mother/wife (whatever order you choose) to going abroad to find yourself. Immediately, it’s meeting up with another man with a problematic romantic history, then instant love. And when called, returning immediately back to your sacrificial status.

Leaving it only because dad and son say it’s ok. 

Hmm. That’s just not the right mentality or message I’d want in a story. The thing I do like is that Cicero is waiting for her when she returns. 

But this? The entire thing? Obviously I’m not the best reader for this story or characters or content.

Liked Cicero. Liked the Italian content. 

It’s well written for what it is. Just not for me.  I read it because of the dog.

Cover design by Emily Mahon

Buy link

amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › books › shop-nowHeartbeat At My Feet Kristin Judd | Best Sellers & New Releases

Blurb 

Fate has a sense of humor in this witty, heartfelt tale of love and second chances told in two perspectives—a woman in midlife desperate for something new, and a lost dog seeking his purpose.

After years of dreams deferred, Josie Ballard’s life is about to change. She and her husband are off to Sorrento for a summer adventure, but on the eve of their departure, Josie discovers his infidelity. Devastated, she leaves her faithless husband, heading for the sun-drenched Italian coast. Alone, future unknown.

Five thousand miles away, Cicero, a rather snobbish terrier of indeterminate breeding, is likewise living an upturned life after his beloved human’s passing. Heartbroken, he wanders the wilds of Pompeii. When a flustered tourist with a kind smile appears in the ruins, clutching her tote bag and map, Cicero and Josie collide like the two lost souls they are.

In a series of turns as twisty as Sorrento’s streets, Cicero leads Josie to her second act: Hugo, a charming and somewhat contrary local bookseller. Against a backdrop of quaint villages, sun-dappled olive orchards, and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, Hugo and Josie embark on a friendship that just might tiptoe into romance, with little Cicero to help them along the way—for dogs, he reasons, are nothing if not experts when it comes to love.

Publication date

August 1, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

File size

5.3 MB

Screen Reader

Supported

Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

X-Ray

Enabled

Word Wise

Enabled

Print length

277 pages