Review: Guard in the Garden: A Cozy Fantasy (Fables of Finlestia) by Z.S. Diamanti

Rating:4.75⭐️

While a reader could certainly enjoy the richness and warmth of Z.S. Diamanti’s Guard in the Garden as the cozy fantasy it’s described as, it’s also a deceptively well written story about a dwarf warrior, the only survivor of his elite unit who has returned from a long ongoing horrible war. He’s suffered a severe physical injury that’s caused a permanent disability that he’s refusing to acknowledge and is at a loss to heal his both his own wounds and deal with his mental struggles with in his new civilian life, such as it is. 

For the reader, he represents so many veterans who have returned from similar wars and conflicts, with PTSD, disabilities, and with mental struggles to cope with in fitting into a civilian life and new identities. 

The anger, frustration and fear is well documented in Felton Holdum, because he’s unwilling to accept that he won’t be able to get back into his squad and war. That his bonded fantasy winged partner, who perished trying to save him, won’t be revenged. Its pain, and loss and everything Felton had , now gone. And the writer brings us into Felton’s emotional state and we hurt too. 

So while we may seem far away from the war and its consequences, and a small town that’s in a state of recovery, this never quite feels like a cozy place. There’s a sharp edge that waits around here, for every sweet moment,a raw piece of powerful reality to offset the tiny bits of everyday sunshine joy. 

Because Galium’s inhabitants have been through it, and quietly it’s a place where, in time, Felton finds his own way through his own recovery by helping others through theirs. 

It’s a beautiful, remarkable and powerful story. Rich and well crafted. Full of heart and compassion. 

I’m highly recommending this. And will read the rest of the series. 

Love the covers. Gorgeous.

Published by Golden Griffin Press LLC.

Seasonal Illustrations by Aleksa Stajsic. 

Plant Illustrations by Z.S. Diamanti.

Fables of Finlestia (3 books)

Guard in the Garden #1

Wagons & Wyverns #2

Assassin in the Alehouse #3

Buy link

        Guard in the Garden: A Cozy Fantasy (Fables of Finlestia)

    

Blurb 

Embark on a wholesome journey of healing and self-discovery. A cozy fantasy tale of forging new friendships and overcoming fears. A quiet quest of family bonds and budding romance.

From dragon fire to garden flowers …

Felton Holdum spent his entire life training to become one of Galium’s elite dwarven warriors. When a bloody battle leaves him injured, he has no choice but to move into his eccentric twin aunts’ quaint home in the town’s quiet Garome District.

With his life of military service seemingly over, the captain of the city guard gives Felton his only chance at a fresh start in the new life he never wanted.

But when a human woman barges through his front door, the grumpy dwarf starts to wonder if there is more to life than war. The sunshine woman invites him to visit her garden, where Felton gains a new nemesis and a new purpose in life.

Take a walk through the garden and see what magic awaits.

Come enjoy the hospitality of the whimsical Garome District. Meet new friends as you sample new breads at the bakery, play a game of Castle Brick at the tavern, and taste homemade pies during the annual pie baking contest at the Fall Festival.

Review:   Death Waits at Dead Rock (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 6) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Death Waits at Dead Rock was actually so different because the reader became familiar and fond of the victim, as did Claire. Which made what follows so personal and upsetting. A very different experience from every murder and investigation prior. 

When a invitation to a weekend at a vineyard for influencers and potential clients turns into a murder investigation the story ventures into a new realm of acceptance of Claire’s abilities from those closest to her and an investigation into someone she’d grown close to.

Death Waits at Dead Rock ends with a new paranormal mystery rising about the land and Claire, an old mystery solved sort of about the town, and on moment for all that was both moving and bittersweet depending upon what character was the focus. 

A different but equally great story.

Cover by Book Covers by Melody

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Death Rides The Desert #1

Bones and Cactus Blooms #2

Spirits of the Saguaro #3

Tombstones with a View #4

Body Beneath the Wither #5

Death Waits at Dead Rock #6

Skulls and Sunlit Secrets #7 June 23,2026

The Bone Charm #8 – Aug 18,2026

Buy link

        Death Waits at Dead Rock (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 6)

    

Blurb 

A wine tasting. A viral treasure hunt. A body at the base of Dead Rock.

Claire Caldwell thought she’d seen every kind of weird the desert could throw at her. Ghosts in her kitchen, omens from a spirit fox, and the occasional town scandal that required a very large cup of coffee. What she did not expect was a swarm of influencers descending on Perdido Springs for a luxury “Desert Vines Weekend,” complete with ring lights and sponsored smiles.

The big gimmick is supposed to be harmless fun. Collect the special labels, piece together the artwork, and you get a treasure map to a legendary stash hidden near Dead Rock. 

Content gold. Tourist bait. Everyone wants in.

Then the weekend’s headliner turns up dead at sunrise.

Claire would love to let law enforcement handle it, but Buster is… Buster. Rosa’s ghost has opinions, Rusty is tracking something no living person can smell, and the closer Claire gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes that the “treasure” isn’t just old wine and a cute story. Someone in town has been protecting what Dead Rock is hiding for a long time, and they’ll do anything to keep it buried.

Now Claire has to sift through secrets, suspects, and a trail of clues disguised as a party favor, before the killer strikes again… and the next toast becomes a death sentence.

March 2, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

205 pages

Book 6 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Review:   Body Beneath the Wither (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 5) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Body Beneath the Wither brings several things to a head in Claire and Sam’s relationship that’s needed to be resolved, the fact that she’s been hiding so much of herself and what actually happens around the ranch from him. 

That definitely becomes a factor when a podcaster comes to town chasing ghosts and ends up being his own story, among other mysteries on an ominous ranch hiding many secrets.

I liked that this eventually moved Claire and Sam’s story forward. Plus the darkness of the Wither is one that seems to be one that’s not fully resolved for a reason. 

The author always has multiple storylines going on and each one is different and weaves fully into the narrative and series arc. 

The animals are great characters and the desert is so beautifully written that it’s feels as though you can step into the town and find each place without hesitation. 

Another winner. 

Cover by Book Covers by Melody

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Death Rides The Desert #1

Bones and Cactus Blooms #2

Spirits of the Saguaro #3

Tombstones with a View #4

Body Beneath the Wither #5

Death Waits at Dead Rock #6

Skulls and Sunlit Secrets #7

The Bone Charm #8

Buy link

        Body Beneath the Wither (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 5)

    

Blurb 

A dead tree. A dead podcaster. A desert that remembers everything.

Claire Caldwell was ready for wedding planning, not another corpse.

But when her fiancé’s vet call takes them down a lonely road outside Perdido Springs, Rusty blocks their path and leads them straight to Broken Acres, a long abandoned farmhouse with a twisted tree locals call the Wither.

Beneath its dead branches lies Craig Dooley, better known to his listeners as Stone Coldwell, the loudmouthed host of The Cold Files. He came chasing ghosts, chasing fame, chasing the thrill he’d lost… and now he is the newest spirit the desert refuses to forget.

His unhinged ex turns up screaming and clawing at the body, a will is found in the dirt, and two siblings are suddenly at each other’s throats over a secret fortune that should have died with their father.

Then the whispers start.

A grieving woman in old fashioned clothes begs Claire to help the man she has waited a hundred years to see, and the Wither’s shadow seems to sink into everyone nearby, feeding paranoia, greed, and old resentments until even the living feel haunted.

Claire has solved murders before, but this one is different… because Sam is watching, and he is finally noticing the things Claire has been hiding.

To catch a killer, Claire will have to face what waits under the Wither.

And she might have to tell her fiancé the truth… before the desert takes someone else.

February 10, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

273 pages

Book 5 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Review:   Tombstones with a View (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 4) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Tombstones with a View is great and really expands on the series with several new characters and insights into established ones.  I absolutely loved it.

We’ve met Mavis, owner of the Desert Rest Motel before.  Primarily because that place is full of Mavis’s antique doll collection, hundreds of dolls everywhere throughout the motel, in every room. Staring at you. In prior stories.

Here Mavis is the center of the story. Her dolls too. Which makes for a unique investigation when Mavis goes missing. We and Claire learn about her in her absence.

Claire’s long time friend, Sara, a journalist from Chicago ,arrives to spend time together. There’s someone who is cutting fences and leaving threatening notes at the Sanctuary. And Sam’s still trying to propose. 

Tombstones with a View accomplishes several things along with a terrific mystery. It brings in a new, actually 2 new connected characters and develops an established minor character into one who looks to become one of the found family that Claire is forming around herself.

This also gives Buster, a deputy Sheriff who’s normally shown as useless, a chance to demonstrate extra depth, something I appreciate. 

The ending not only ties up all the various plot threads giving us a couple of interesting elements and terrific surprises, but a lovely note for Claire and Sam. 

Sara Bourgeois continues to give us a realistic sense of the beauty and atmosphere of the Arizona desert while layering it with the most interesting of mysteries and engaging characters. This series is a real treat!

Cover by Book Covers by Melody

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Death Rides The Desert #1

Bones and Cactus Blooms #2

Spirits of the Saguaro #3

Tombstones with a View #4

Body Beneath the Wither #5

Death Waits at Dead Rock #6

Skulls and Sunlit Secrets #7

The Bone Charm #8

Buy link

        Tombstones with a View (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 4)

    

Blurb 

The dolls are always watching.

Claire Caldwell learned that the hard way in Room 7 of the Desert Rest Motel. But now their owner has vanished, and those glass eyes might be the only witnesses to what happened…

Sheriff Dobson isn’t concerned. “Woman finally got tired of those creepy dolls and skipped town. Can’t blame her.”

But Claire knows Mavis would never abandon her collection. Those hundreds of Victorian dolls aren’t just decorations… they’re her life. Her family. Her obsession.

With the sheriff refusing to investigate, Claire finds herself drawn into the dusty rooms of the Desert Rest, surrounded by glass eyes that follow her every move. The dolls saw what happened to Mavis. If only they could talk.

Meanwhile, someone is stalking Whispering Saguaro Ranch. Cut fences. Threatening notes. A shadow in the barn at midnight. Claire’s made some enemies, and one of them wants what she has… no matter the cost.

As Claire searches for answers, she discovers that Mavis has secrets of her own. The Pioneer Cemetery behind the motel holds more than old bones. The dolls hold more than sawdust and porcelain. And the eccentric woman everyone dismissed as harmless may have been hiding something worth killing for.

Now Claire must untangle two mysteries at once, with help from an unlikely source: her veterinarian fiancé Sam, whose rounds through the desert bring whispers of things people don’t want known. Together, they’ll learn that in Perdido Springs, the strangest people often have the darkest secrets.

And some collections are worth more than anyone imagined.

January 11, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

283 pages

Book 4 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Review:  Spirits of the Saguaro (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 3) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Spirits of the Saguaro, the terrific third book in The Haunted Ranch Mysteries by Sara Bourgeois, sees the small Arizona desert town of Perdito Springs still trying to recover from the death of bank manager, Robert Harrison. Harrison was a man who was hated by the town’s residents for his crimes and cruel treatment.

Now a well known artist is coming to town and several people are hoping that her popularity will help them recover their losses and rebuild.

But artist Aurora Brightwater brings more than popularity, she brings antagonism, old hatred’s and divisions with her. And that leads to murder. 

Spirits of the Saguaro is a fabulous book. The story went in different directions than I had anticipated, the characters were very well drawn and the side plots are great. 

There’s a side story about a filmmaker as well as the plot that’s following the slow burn romance between Claire and Sam. 

The entire community, the shops and their owners are very involved, and we’re getting to know each one better as the mysteries play out. 

The mystical world of Perdita Springs, which includes the Fox guardian, the ghosts of the ranch, and the mysterious past of the area and mines  is a developing element.

This excellent story and series is one I’m very excited about. And one that’s hard to stop reading once you’ve started. 

Highly recommended! A real winner. 

Cover by Book Covers by Melody

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Death Rides The Desert #1

Bones and Cactus Blooms #2

Spirits of the Saguaro #3

Tombstones with a View #4

Body Beneath the Wither #5

Death Waits at Dead Rock #6

Skulls and Sunlit Secrets #7

The Bone Charm #8

Buy link

 

        Spirits of the Saguaro (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Claire Caldwell has finally settled into her strange new normal. Two months after the Robert Harrison incident, she’s learned to trust her spirit fox’s warnings and Rosa’s ghostly advice as she runs her animal sanctuary in the desert.

But some visitors bring their own darkness to Perdido Springs.

When famous artist Aurora Brightwater arrives to paint the “desert spirits,” she brings more than just her canvases and her sparkling laugh. She brings grudges, theft, and a cruelty that hides behind flowing scarves and talk of universal energy. 

Then Aurora turns up dead in her studio, a palette knife through her heart, and everyone she’s wronged becomes a suspect. The artist who steals others’ work… dead. The documentary filmmaker who seems cursed… filming everything. The exhausted ex-husband she abandoned… watching from the shadows.

As Claire investigates with her veterinarian boyfriend Sam, she discovers Aurora left a trail of destroyed careers and stolen dreams across the Southwest. But in a town where the dead talk, the dolls in the motel have their own agenda, and something that used to be human roams the desert at night, finding the truth means distinguishing between those who wanted Aurora gone and whoever actually made it happen.

In Perdido Springs, the veil is thin, the spirits are watching…

Welcome back to the desert, where inspiration can be deadly.

December 15, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

315 pages

Book 3 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Review:  Witch At Heart: A Cozy Witch Mystery (The Jinx Hamilton Series Book 1) by Juliette Harper 

Rating: 4.25 ⭐️

I thought Witch At Heart: A Cozy Witch Mystery (The Jinx Hamilton Series Book 1) by Juliette Harper a step above the rest of the stories I’ve read in this trope of books.

There’s an entire genre of books and series based around a woman who inherits a store from a relative, usually an aunt who turns out to be magical. There’s a mysterious animal included, hers, the relative’s or the store’s, normally a cat. And it’s a cozy mystery. 

On the whole, they are pretty good. Similar but each different enough in their elements to be entertaining. 

But the ending here, elevates this one into something more interesting. Takes the characters, their pasts, and the entire community and suddenly gives it an edge, an entire new layer.

Wasn’t expecting that. 

For 3/4 of the story, we get the typical plot of small town, Jinx Hamilton quits her waitressing job when her beloved crazy aunt dies the next town over and leaves her with her shop and belongings.

She also bequeaths Jinx her magic and a mysterious death to investigate.

The shop, its contents are slowly revealed as is the community of the small town that Jinx is now a part of. It’s a small village where Jinx has been a member of, along with her childhood friend, who quickly becomes a part of the story.

There’s ghosts, an adorable rat named Roderick, and a killer to find and murders to solve. And a new magical role to accept.

It’s charming, the characters are engaging and interesting. And the potential for a very intriguing world is just getting started.

It’s a quick read and the series is complete. Another win! 

I love a terrific cozy story and mystery. No romance, although there’s a slight attraction between Jinx and the cobbler. 

I’m recommending this one!

The Jinx Hamilton Series (16 book series): complete and all released. 

Witch At Heart #1

Buy link 

 Book 1 of 16: The Jinx Hamilton Series 

Blurb 

Magic begins in the heart.

Jinx Hamilton is ready to trade in waitressing for becoming her own boss. The shop she inherits from her eccentric aunt in Briar Hollow, North Carolina, seems like the perfect fit. As Jinx handles the enchanted inventory and the unruly clientele, she discovers her aunt also willed her magical powers without an instruction manual.

As if that weren’t enough, she’s forced to deal with four cats, several homeless ghosts, and a potential serial killer.

With a little help from her best friend and a dreamy new neighbor, Jinx must keep the business afloat and the murderer at bay. And it’ll take more than clever bookkeeping and spellcasting to keep the store…and herself…from going under.

*Note: This is a republished version of Witch At Heart

Publisher

Cabot Publishing Group

Publication date

September 4, 2025

Edition

2nd

Language

‎English

Print length

227 pages

Book 1 of 16

The Jinx Hamilton Series

Review:  Chaos Reigning: (The Consortium Rebellion Book 3) by Jessie Mihalik

Rating: 3⭐️

Spoilers here. 

Chaos Reigning is the last book in The Consortium Rebellion’s trilogy and the youngest High House sibling, Catarina von Hasenberg ends the House drama and galactic empire political thriller. 

I feel that Chaos Reigning has some interesting ideas and potentially wonderful characters, especially strong women characters in major political roles.  But on the flip side, curiously, it qualifies an horrifically abusive and controlling father, one who has treated his children as subjects for trade or experimentation, as a mere “asshole”. The author’s repeated term.

Not once, through three books, has the author addressed the subject of the severity of the patriarchal father’s damage to all the siblings of the von Hasenberg line. Not that the mother is without any responsibility. We just don’t know enough about her. 

We know the brutality and violence and horrors inflicted upon each child. That Ada alone fled. But to continue to address this monster as merely a “asshole” and then use an anonymous method to end him instead of a honest airing of feelings while together feels cheap.

It’s not only emotionally odd but strangely off putting. It’s continued avoidance of their true feelings amongst themselves. The author moving around the issue as well.

Like Cat, herself a prime example. It’s the “oh yes, I’m wealthy but feeding a few poor people” (she’s doing and saying this btw) but ignoring a whole bunch of major issues over in that corner of the narrative by actually considering marrying a problematic man old enough to be her grandfather because her father wants her to. 

Yes, there’s a HFN for the siblings but, and here’s an enormous BUT, both male villains, truly evil men (one even cut out the tongue of the older beloved brother) are left without really being held accountable for their actions and crimes. 

One, a traitor, gets away completely. And a heinous criminal, a sadist, nothing happened to him. He’s caught but they won’t do anything to him.  A win actually for them both. 

How’s that for an ending? Didn’t feel satisfying to me.  Actually so many traitors were still alive and on the streets. Yeah no. 

That 3 rating is being generous. 

I read it to finish the series. That’s it.

Now you can decide if you want to.

The Consortium Rebellion (3 book series)

Polaris Rising #1

Aurora Blazing #2

Chaos Reigning #3

Buy link

        Chaos Reigning: A Sci-Fi Novel Featuring a Clever Spy and a Gorgeous Bodyguard Uncovering Treachery in Space (The Consortium Rebellion Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Interplanetary intrigue and romance combine in this electrifying finale to the Consortium Rebellion series.

As the youngest member of her High House, Catarina von Hasenberg is used to being underestimated, but her youth and flighty, bubbly personality mask a clever mind and stubborn determination. Her enemies, blind to her true strength, do not suspect that Cat is a spy—which makes her the perfect candidate to go undercover at a rival House’s summer retreat to gather intelligence on their recent treachery.

Cat’s overprotective older sister reluctantly agrees, but on one condition: Cat cannot go alone. Alexander Sterling, a quiet, gorgeous bodyguard, will accompany her, posing as her lover. After Cat tries, and fails, to ditch Alex, she grudgingly agrees, confident in her ability to manage him. After all, she’s never found a person she can’t manipulate.

But Alex proves more difficult—and more desirable—than Cat anticipated. When she’s attacked and nearly killed, she and Alex are forced to work together to figure out how deep the treason goes. With rumors of widespread assaults on Serenity raging, communications down, and the rest of her family trapped off-planet, Catarina must persuade Alex to return to Earth to expose the truth and finish this deadly battle once and for all.

But Cat can’t explain why she’s the perfect person to infiltrate hostile territory without revealing secrets she’d rather keep buried. . . .

A Sci-Fi Novel Featuring a Clever Spy and a Gorgeous Bodyguard 

Review:  Brutal Justice (The Other Detective Series Book 4) by Heather G. Harris

Rating:  5⭐️

Just outstanding.  According to Harris, the author had originally intended Brutal Justice to become the finale for the series but this amazing character’s journey has become so complex and layered that one last novel was needed. 

Harris with her goal of making this the penultimate narrative, fills this incredible story with so many shocking moments, absolutely stunning twists to the plot that makes sense once you see it but still makes the reader gasp in appreciation and shock that we didn’t see it coming.

This storyline brings Evie back to the trauma that set her on the path she’s taken in life, back to her kidnapping and torture. 

Now she’s supported by Robbie, her fiancée and King of Orcs, her staff (and friends) through this journey. 

It’s several investigations, and includes one of the most heinous criminals created, Jude Jingo.

The relationship between Robbie and Evie continues to be a very strong one, building on acknowledgement of their roles as well as their commitment towards each other. I love their dynamic.  

Other crossover characters play important roles here as well, Amber and Bastion for example. 

There’s thrilling, heartbreaking moments, scary battles, and shocking twists. None of which I’ll spoil. I hope no one else will either. 

This and the characters are my favorites in this universe. I’ll be so sad when it’s over. But I still have one more novel to go. 

What a thrilling read this is! Five stars!

Cover design by Christian Bentulan. Published by Hellhound Press Limited.

The Other Realm Universe: Should be read in order to understand the world and characters .Events and relationships build upon each other.

The Other Realm series 

⭐️Glimmer of Dragons- Book 0.5 (a prequel story), 

Glimmer of The Other- Book 1, Glimmer of Hope- Book 2, 

Glimmer of Christmas – Book 2.5 (a Christmas tale), 

Glimmer of Death – Book 3, 

Glimmer of Deception – Book 4, 

*It is recommended that you read The Other Wolf books 1 to 3 before continuing with

Challenge of the Court– Book 5, 

Betrayal of the Court– Book 6

 Revival of the Court– Book 7. 

⭐️The Other Wolf Series 

Defender of The Pack– Book 0.5 (a prequel story), 

Protection of the Pack– Book 1, Guardians of the Pack– Book 2, Saviour of The Pack– Book 3, Awakening of the Pack – Book 4, Resurgence of the Pack – Book 5; and Ascension of the Pack – Book 6. 

⭐️The Other Witch Series 

Rune of the Witch – Book 0.5 (a prequel story), 

Hex of the Witch– Book 1, 

Coven of the Witch;– Book 2,

Familiar of the Witch– Book 3; and Destiny of the Witch – Book 4.

⭐️The Other Detective Series❤️

  •  Frustrated Justice – Book 0.5 (a prequel story), 
  • Veiled Justice – Book 1
  • Mystic Justice – Book 2
  • Arcane Justice – Book 3 
  • Brutal Justice – Book 4
  • Ruthless Justice-Book 5 , Oct 14,2026 (finale)

Buy link

        Brutal Justice: A Supernatural Crime Thriller (The Other Detective Series Book 4)

    

Blurb 

Death has changed bodies… and justice is about to get personal.

A dead dryad on my medical examiner’s lawn wasn’t how this week was supposed to start. But when I discover the victim was merely the latest body worn by the Other realm’s most notorious criminal, I realise this isn’t just murder.

It’s a possession.

Jude Jingo doesn’t kill the usual way. He steals lives from the inside out, jumping from body to body and leaving corpses in his wake. And now he’s wearing a face I recognise.

A face that’s getting dangerously close to someone I care about.

Officially, I’ve been ordered to close the case. Unofficially? I’m digging deeper. Because when a vampyr tries to gut me in the street and whispers about “orders”, I know this goes far beyond one dead dryad. Someone powerful wants this buried.

But I don’t bury murder.

With my rookie partner covering my back, my bonded bird raising hell, and an ogre king who takes threats against me very personally, I’m stepping off the books to hunt a body-stealing killer hiding in plain sight.

If I’m wrong, I’ll destroy an innocent man.

If I’m right, I’ll have to stop a monster wearing borrowed skin… without killing the man trapped inside.

No pressure.

Immerse yourself in The Other Detective Series – perfect for fans of supernatural crime, featuring a fierce heroine, political intrigue, brutal magic, and a slow-burn romance.

Written in British English.

The Other Detective Series

Frustrated Justice – a prequel story

Veiled Justice – Book 1

Mystic Justice – Book 2

Arcane Justice – Book 3

Brutal Justice – Book 4

Ruthless Justice – Book 5

Publisher

Hellhound Press Limited

Publication date

March 5, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

324 pages

Book 4 of 5

The Other Detective Series

Review:  Bring the Heat (Dragon Kin Book 9) by G.A. Aiken

Rating: 4⭐️

Bring the Heat is the finale of the series, bringing most but not all of the major plot lines to a conclusion. 

And the issue is that there’s far too much drama and too many elements to pull off for one book for that to feel completely satisfying. 

I absolutely love books 7 and 8, which featured the sisters of the Riders of the Steppe, Elina Shestakova and Kachka Shestakova. Each have their own unique story and voice that still resonates with me. I mean I woke up at night giggling madly thinking about them. Still do.

Then comes this book which tries to capture the relationship development between Aiden and Brannie but that’s overshadowed by a multitude of plots that Aiken is trying to create and then resolve by the end. 

Think of a juggler with a number of different balls in the air, each vying for the attention of the audience. Each is important for the act’s success but you can’t concentrate on each individual piece too long because the next is taking its place.

That’s what happens here. 

The reader can’t concentrate or connect with any scene or character because just as we get started, Aiken switches to another location, characters and drama. Something totally different is going on, removed from what we were just reading about.

The final battles to win against the Eyeless God and his priests has started. But this book is all over the place. An enormous cast of characters, on all sides and we get their POV’s, so multiple perspectives. 

Changes in realms, locations, new kingdoms. 

Keita the Viper is off on a covert rescue/assassination mission with Brannie and Aiden and a few of the Mi-runach who are sort of goofy, Queen Annwyl is missing ( huge section here in a new different location), then we’re back with scary Dagmar and her weird family, then the Abomination trio making plans for battle with the Dragon Queen, then Katcha and her crew. And the one-eyed King Gaius, and more. So many more. 

I will admit to flipping through a couple of pages because I couldn’t figure out who some of these people were. 

The final battle was predictable enough but still satisfying. And there was, as I said, still lots of loose ends about the children, that should the author ever want to revisit this universe she could easily pick up their stories. 

My favorite books might just be those about the Riders of the Steppe. A fierce matriarchal sisterhood. Maybe that’s a series we should have. Amazing characters and stories. 

And for now, it’s at an end. What a wild fabulous ride!

Highly recommended the series which should be read in the order it is written. 

Dragon Kin – 9 books complete series :

Dragon Actually #1

About A Dragon #2

What a Dragon Should Know #3

Last Dragon Standing #4

The Dragon Who Loved Me #5

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy #6

Light My Fire #7

Feel The Burn #8

Bring The Heat #9

Buy link

        Bring the Heat (Dragon Kin Book 9)

    

Blurb 

HE SAYS . . .

I, Aidan the Divine, am, well divine. My name was given to me by the Dragon Queen herself! I’m a delight! Cheerful. Charming. And a mighty warrior who is extremely handsome with a very large and well-hidden hoard of gold. I am also royal born, despite the fact that most in my family are horrendous beings that don’t deserve to live. And yet, Branwen the Awful—a low-born, no less—either tells me to shut up or, worse, ignores me completely.

SHE SAYS . . .

I’ll admit, I ignore Aidan the Divine because it annoys him. A lot. But, we have so much to do right now, I can’t worry about why he keeps looking at me like he’s thinking about kissing me. We have our nations to save and no time for such bloody foolishness . . . no matter how good Aidan looks or how long his spiked tail is. Because before this war destroys everything we love, we’ll have to face our enemies together. But if we make it out alive, who knows what the future will hold . . .

Zebra Books

Publication date

August 29, 2017

Language

‎English

Print length

414 pages

Book 9 of 9

Dragon Kin

Review:  Bones and Cactus Blooms (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 2) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Bones and Cactus Blooms , the second book in The Haunted Ranch Mysteries by Sara Bourgeois, is exactly what I hoped for in the series. It’s the potential I saw in the first book fulfilled and more.

The author has a fantastic mystery and story here. Shes developing Claire , the ranch which is now a thriving animal sanctuary and those who are a part of it, as the mystical heart of Perdita Springs. Or maybe the land upon which all of it stands. 

The beleaguered citizens of the town, under siege by developers and the bank, have our sympathy and emotional connection. Each one feels believable and raw. And Claire, as she continues to make her way into this town and its pain, is an interesting empathic woman who wants to make things happen. In their lives and her’s.

So of course, there’s a murder.

It’s a complex story with lots of interesting elements around the person who is killed. 

And the side stories, especially the one about Claire and Sam Redhorse, the vet, is very well written . Slow developing with stumbling blocks that, again,  are ones that any person can easily understand and relate to. 

It is wrapped up emotionally with layers that are so powerful. Sad but necessary. And the author adds an extra twist that shows another layer of the story and series going forward. 

Fantastic work and highly recommended. 

I’m onto the next.

Cover by Book Covers by Melody

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Death Rides The Desert #1

Bones and Cactus Blooms #2

Spirits of the Saguaro #3

Tombstones with a View #4

Body Beneath the Wither #5

Death Waits at Dead Rock #6

Skulls and Sunlit Secrets #7

The Bone Charm #8

Buy link

        Bones and Cactus Blooms (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 2)

    

Blurb 

Claire Caldwell has finally found her footing. Six months after solving her first murder, she’s turned Whispering Saguaro Ranch into a thriving animal sanctuary and embraced her ability to see the dead.

But the desert has more secrets to reveal.

When volunteers preparing for the Cactus Bloom Festival unearth human bones that have been hidden for thirty-five years, the whole town starts whispering about old scandals and vanished souls. Then one of the most powerful man in Perdido Springs turns up dead in his office, and everyone Claire knows had a reason to want him gone. The man who foreclosed on half the town… dead. The festival meant to save local businesses… in chaos. The ghosts in Claire’s kitchen… warning her that death isn’t finished yet.

As Claire digs into both the old bones and the fresh corpse, she discovers the two deaths are connected by threads of family, loss, and long-buried grievances that someone would kill to keep hidden. With her fox, Rusty, bringing ominous warnings, the ghost of a long-dead librarian helping her research, and her relationship with Sam strained by family obligations, Claire must navigate a town full of desperate people harboring deadly secrets.

In Perdido Springs, old wounds never heal… and some debts can only be paid in blood.

Welcome back to the desert, where the past never stays buried.

November 10, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

282 pages

Book 2 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries