Review: Temptation’s Tango: MM Romantic Suspense (Delta Force: Team Lynx Book 3) by Annabella Stone

Rating: 4🌈

“Delta Force: Team Lynx is the US Governments newest weapon in the battle against former military personal gone rogue. Led by former Delta Force Team Lynx’s Castello Moran and his team, they have recruited members from the CIA, FBI, NSA, ATF, and other Law Enforcement Agencies.”

I’ve read and really enjoyed other books by Annabella Stone. She focuses on military/black ops characters stories and their relationships. Primarily contemporary but with the occasional exception of a fantasy or paranormal twist.

And there’s multiple series set within the same connected law enforcement universe. This is one of them.

I picked up Temptation’s Tango primarily due to the inclusion of a K-9 main character, Balas, and the accuracy of the relationship between handler,Rafe Anderson, and his WMD/working military dog.

For me, this was the absolute best thing about the book. From his commands in the language used in every scene (Schutzhund) with Balas that not only enforces the depth of training but their own understanding of each other from years together. It’s a credible, deep and genuine relationship between a man and his canine partner.

Same goes for the team when they assemble in Rafe’s old home in Pine Bush due to the criminal activity he’s encountered and the seriousness of the situation that needs further investigation. They have the feel of a field team, which has been together a while and is found family.

Aspects of the story that I feel needs further exploration or more depth towards the ending are with the villains of the plot. And the romantic lead.

He’s cute and it helps that there’s some prior history as children growing up. But the timeline feels rushed.

And without giving away any spoilers, there’s no confrontation with the “real culprits” here. The boo hiss baddies. And that leaves the ending feeling less than satisfying.

The reader sorta “listens” into a gunfight that happens. Then there’s drama. Then a romantic relationship HEA.

So the story is sweet but military wise or law enforcement wise, not great. As I said, the partnership between Balas and Rafe for me stood out from everything else here as the best written and well defined.

And the teamwork is well done as well.

Haven’t read the other books but I’m sure I’ll get to them eventually.

Cover Art: Golden Czermak

Delta Force: Team Lynx (4 book series)

Salvation’s Sinner #1

Redemption’s Rebel #2

Temptation’s Tango #3

Absolution’s Assassin #4

Buy link

Temptation’s Tango: MM Romantic Suspense (Delta Force: Team Lynx Book 3)

Blurb

It was only supposed to be one kiss…

After his K9, Balas, took down an intruder on the White House lawn, former Secret Service agent, Rafe Anderson, didn’t count on his life changing quite so much. With Balas now the face of MWDs across the globe, Rafe lost his faith in the people he worked with when they decided Balas would be better off with a handler who wanted to be in the public eye and not one who shunned notoriety at every opportunity. He swore he’d never serve his country again, and he kept that promise for nine long lonely months until Delta Force Team Lynx offered him a job, using the one thing Rafe could never refuse to sweeten the deal. A chance to have Balas back in his life. Rafe agreed—Lynx delivered—he and Balas are once more a family, a team, and nobody is going to separate them again. With a month of leave in his back pocket, Rafe and Balas are going home to finally buy the house his mother sold before he could afford to buy it. His grandparents’ home in sleepy Pine Bush will make the perfect retreat from the ravages of working in war zones and the horrors of the dirty side of chasing former military members gone rouge…right?

Parker Frost loves his hometown, and unlike his brother, he doesn’t want to shake the dust of Pine Bush off his shoes. He’s happy living over his mom’s garage and working at The Hoot Owl. Slinging beer, running karaoke night, and making people laugh is his jam. If only he could avoid the unwanted advances from the man who keeps asking him out. Seriously, who offers you a thousand bucks a week just to date you? With that insult ringing in his ears, he takes matters into his own hands and begs the hottest man he’s ever seen to pretend they are a couple. Kissing Mr. Sexy Stranger will prove he’s not available, even for that much money…right?

It was only supposed to be one kiss—then one sleepover—now Rafe and Parker must figure out why their hometown is in the crosshairs of a drug lord. But before either can act on the desire pulling them together, Rafe really needs to figure out if his Temptation can really be a Tango.

Embers Romance LLC

Publication date

September 3, 2022

Language

‎English

Print length

248 pages

Book 3 of 4

Delta Force: Team Lynx

Review: A House By Any Other Name by Jenny Schwartz

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The second of author Jenny Schwartz’ Hidden Sanctuary series, A House By Any Other Name is my favorite of the two novels.

Both tales take place in the fabulous Uncertain Sanctuary universe but only this story is directly related to the characters in that series. And that immediately gives A House By Any Other Name added depth and detail missing from Any House in a Storm.

This story is filled with engaging,intriguing characters, some of which we’ve met before. Like Hector who is the disgraced brother of Evander, cyborg Elf and partner to Sorcerer Kira (Uncertain Sanctuary trilogy).

But Schwartz has also created a great character in Raisa, who’s fully grounded in a wealth of other characters and rich in her own history. She’s a strong personality, certain of her own abilities and her goals.

The revelation of the fact she’s a sorcerer isn’t much of a surprise, but the real joy is her sentient house. As each is created by the sorcerer themselves, they spring from an emotional source of that sorcerer. Raisa’s house is totally unique and unexpected. A aspect of this story I didn’t expect and loved.

And it happily is part of a successful twist at the end of the story. Another element that just made this story even more special for me.

The plot and storylines are ones that keep one absolutely invested in the characters journey and outcome. The romance is slow and credible between these two intelligent powerful people.

I just wish Schwartz would have more than one story to explore their journey going forward. They are that interesting.

I’m highly recommending this story and the Uncertain Sanctuary trilogy it’s related to.

Hidden Sanctuary series:

Any House in a Storm #1

A House By Any Other Name #2

Buy link

Book 2 of 2: Hidden Sanctuary

Blurb

Reality is a complicated multiverse of many species and rare magic. Diplomats are the official envoys and investigators who hold the Union of Worlds together.

Raisa never intended to be a diplomat. Like so many things in her life, it was her stepmother’s idea.

Hector is an elf in disgrace. He chose his cyborged brother over his lying, abusive family. Elves revile augmented people. They leave such despicable technology to their ancient enemies, the goblins.

When a diplomatic mission strands the two elves on a goblin world they find themselves the target of a legendary killer. If they die, so will the emergent species they were sent to save.

***

A House By Any Other Name is a stand alone novel in the Hidden Sanctuary series. It includes characters from the Uncertain Sanctuary trilogy. No previous knowledge of Reality is necessary to enjoy the adventure.

June 12, 2024

Language

‎English

Print length

255 pages

Review: I Ran Away to Evil 3: A Cozy LitRPG Rom-Com by Mystic Neptune

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Well, I Ran Away to Evil has reached the final level, the end of its journey and it’s been a great game.

Here all is revealed, there’s boss battles, deaths and revivals, ultimate victory and HEA’s.

Now it’s Gerda Jones, fabulous bridge troll who’s got a ton of secrets, that will be the character to bring the series to a conclusion. Along with Duke Julian von Slyke, who’s recently retuned for the wedding of his sister to the necromancer of the Dark Lord.

At over 400 pages, author Neptune has a lot of storytelling to do. And there’s more of the GameRPG elements here than in the previous books.

I’ll be honest in saying that some of these got distracting when what I wanted to concentrate on was the main plot points and storylines. Having involved boxes of character traits and levels occasionally is great. But towards the end, I feel that it took over the narrative.

What makes this is the character development, especially Gerda’s story. The slow reveal of her story is impactful as well as her relationships she has made with the other characters around her. They feel believable and credible in this setting.

This has been the first series I have read by this author but won’t be the last. Highly entertaining and engaging.

A definite winner.

Love the covers.

Cover design by MsArtsy and Jenny Zemanek

Interior illustrations by Arturo Gómez Martínez and Leah Zink

I Ran Away to Evil: A Cozy LitRPG Rom-Com, books 1-3

Each with a different main couple and storyline that fits within the series arc

Buy Link:

I Ran Away to Evil 3: A Cozy LitRPG Rom-Com

Blurb

A mysterious soothsayer and a reluctant royal fend off spies, assassins, and unexpected attraction in the action-packed third book of this romantasy series.

Gerda Jones is no average bridge troll. Sure, she can create riddles like the best of them, but she has skills up her sleeve that no one would expect . . . and a backstory that no one would believe. She uses her fortune-telling talents to change the fate of everyone around her, but avoids getting too close the anyone herself. All of that changes when Gerda catches the eye of Duke Julian von Slyke at his sister’s wedding. The tall, dark, and handsome half-elf is making her let down her guard—and inviting a royal heap of trouble into her life.

Julian would do anything to escape courtly intrigue and endless parties, but he can’t miss his own sister’s nuptials. Good thing, too, because from day one of the celebration he’s called on to help deal with everything from poisoned arrows and amphibian curses, to a missing bride. And at the center of every mishap there’s an infuriatingly beguiling troll . . .

As Gerda’s hidden identity begins to unravel, her attraction to Duke Julian continues to grow. Together, saving Valaria seems easy . . . but after it’s all done, will the unlikely pair be able to leave behind their pasts and find a future together?

A whimsical and twisty take on isekai, romance, and LitRPG, I Ran Away to Evil 3 is the charming conclusion of the series that asks, “What if Bridgerton was filled with magical creatures?” and “Who is the elusive Madame Potts?”

The third volume of the hit LitRPG romantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

August 19, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

409 pages

Book 3 of 3

I Ran Away to Evil

Review: Deadly Coins (Witch in the Woods #2) by Jenna St. James

Rating: 4⭐️

Deadly Coins is the second in the Witch in the Woods series by Jenna St. James. It’s another terrific mystery that brings further insight into the some of the otherworldliness of the island and the creatures that live there, and the history of its inhabitants.

In this story, it’s all about a cold case that hit close to home for one of Shayla’s closest friends. There’s an investigation, suspicion that falls on an older group of people, and a dramatic twist.

Another satisfying story and slow burn romance.

I’m here for it. Plus a grumpy magical flying porcupine !

Really enjoying the series.

Buy link:

Deadly Coins (A Witch in the Woods Book 2)

Blurb

A 40-year-old Witch with a New Career

A Gargoyle Sheriff Raising a Teenaged Daughter

And an Enchanted Island Full of Secrets

When game warden, Shayla Loci, and her cousin, Serena Spellburn, stumble upon a wounded dragon guarding gold coins, they have no idea it would lead to a clue about how Serena’s dad, Mac, really died nearly thirty years before. But that’s exactly what happened. Now Shayla and Sheriff Alex Stone must determine if Mac died of suspicious causes, and, if so, who caused his death and why. Between digging for thirty-year-old clues among supposed friends and experiencing a near-death fatality, Shayla is sure Mac’s death was planned. But can she prove it? With the help of Needles her flying porcupine, Shayla is unwavering in her pursuit to find Uncle Mac’s killer. But when things come to a head, and innocent people are in the way, will everyone come out unscathed? Or will Shayla have to make the ultimate sacrifice? If you like paranormal cozy mysteries and midlife main characters, then this series is for you!

Check out the Tour for “The New Worlds“ by Jaye C. Watts (excerpt from Other Worlds Ink tour )

Jaye C. Watts has a new queer sci-fi book out (transgender, poly, non-binary, pansexual, lesbian): The New Worlds.

The year is 2293 and the Truth no longer exists. In the future there are many truths, giving rise to many worlds, but each must be kept separate.

Born to protect these truths, Axton Bryce patrols the New Worlds Star System—to observe, participate, and gather information. But as she learns the ways of each world, she must also hunt for those who defy their world’s truth: the Outliers.

While stationed on a nearby planet, Axton meets the charming Ambassador Bray Wilde. As the two become close, Axton reveals a painful secret—the loss of her first love, exiled as an Outlier.

Longing to see beyond their own world, the ambassador proposes a rescue mission—one that will bring both friends and foes, and ultimately a fight for freedom. But first, Axton must make a choice: between a life-long allegiance… and the chance to claim a truth of her own.

Warnings: indoctrination, brainwashing, threatening with a weapon (guns & a bomb)

Universal Buy Link

Excerpt

I clenched my fists. “Focus,” I told myself. Grabbing my communication cuff, I fastened it around my wrist. “INS communications, activate.” I opened my wardrobe and reached for a freshly pressed uniform. “Aurelia, give me today’s briefing.”

It lit up and responded. “Your next assignment will be on the Amorous World for a standard duration of three months. You are scheduled to depart today at zero six hundred Geo Time and arrive at zero eight-forty Geo Time. The latest reports on the Amorous World are available for your review. Do you wish to accept, Mediator Axton Bryce?”

I crouched to lace up my boots. “I accept.”

“On behalf of Chairman West and the Individual Nations Secretariat, we thank you, Mediator Axton Bryce, for your work in protecting the Truth of many truths.”

I rose to my feet, skin prickling at the back of my neck. Though I couldn’t see it, I could feel it: two lowercase t’s under one capital T, branded at the top of my spine—a permanent part of me ever since my Veneration five long years ago.

I reached back, digging my nails in, tempted to tear the tattoo right from my skin. “She should have been there,” I whispered. If only she’d kept those thoughts to herself.

I grabbed my utility belt and wrapped it around my waist, ensuring the gun was secure. Staring at myself in the mirror, I straightened the collar of my shirt. I’d never been to the Amorous World before. Perfect, I thought. Some fresh scenery was just what I needed.

* * *

I checked my cuff—zero five fifty-five, right on schedule. Marching across the launch deck, I carried one efficiently packed piece of luggage. I never glanced back when boarding my ship; Brokazaria’s endless acres of skyscrapers would still be here when I returned. Instead, I looked up. The early-morning sky was just waking. Aside from Primus B—the Middle World’s secondary, and thus miniature, sun—not a star was in sight. As I approached my ship, the roar of its engine reminded me that soon the stars would be all around me.

I turned and gave the official salute to a line of NI Security standing at attention. In unison, the humanlike Machines returned the gesture, crossing their arms to form a lowercase letter t. Sergeant L43 pumped his eyebrows, prompting me to raise one of mine in response. Hard to believe they were once called “AI.” New Intelligence, we were told, was a much more appropriate term.

L43 stepped forward. “Afternoon, miss.” He grabbed my bag, allowing me to ascend the ladder.

“Thanks,” I said. I climbed to the top and crawled through the hatch.

“Catch!” the NI yelled, tossing up my luggage.

With a reflex just quick enough, I caught the bag. “Sergeant!” I scolded. “What if there was something fragile in there?”

“You humans,” he replied. “Always afraid something’s gonna break. Your luggage, your bones, your bodies… not to mention your hearts and minds.”

I rolled my eyes at the cheeky Machine. “Watch it, L, or I’ll get them to reboot you.”

Unperturbed, the Machine grinned and waved. “I’ll miss you, too. Bon voyage!”

“See you in three months,” I muttered, closing the hatch behind me. I immediately got busy flicking switches and hitting buttons. Muscle memory took over as I continued the launch prep with complete focus. Not a moment later, a blue light illuminated my cuff, drawing my attention. Blue indicated a direct message from Chairman West himself, Secretary-General of the Individual Nations Secretariat.

“Play address,” I said, eager to hear our leader’s words.

A ghostlike image projected from my arm, transporting the man’s titanic figure into my control room. Neatly trimmed grays blended inconspicuously into the rest of his dark hair, swept back to frame a chiseled face. Salt-and-pepper stubble outlined a pair of smiling lips—the beginnings of a goatee that never quite came to fruition. As always, a perfectly pressed suit hugged every one of his bulging muscles.

“Greetings, my children!” The chairman’s voice rumbled from a gaping grin, complete with gleaming teeth. “Today is a very special day, not only for the New Worlds Star System but for some of our most dedicated Mediators.”

My ears perked up as I waited for more.

“Today marks two hundred and fifty years of living in an interplanetary alliance, free from the terrors of war, safe from the dangers of Plurality! A quarter of a millennium since the United Nations of the Old World became the Individual Nations of the New Worlds, marking humanity’s Great Dispersion!”

A swell of pride surged in my chest. I was part of something big and important.

“All of this would not be possible without you,” he declared, “our magnificent Mediators. You have been instrumental in our coordination with each world, fostering the cooperation necessary to manage the complexities of a resource-based economy spanning a system as vast as ours. And!”—the chairman raised a finger, flashing one of his many gold rings—“most importantly, you have upheld the sovereignty of every truth within it.”

I gave a humble nod, as though he could see me.

“Lastly,” the chairman said, “further congratulations to the Mediators of unit 245. Tomorrow is your quinquennium! Five years of serving as peacekeepers, saviors, Mediators! Father Chairman West and the INS commend you.” His thick forearms crossed in a salute, only to vanish as the feed cut out.

I took a moment to absorb his words, stunned by how many years had passed. Then I checked my cuff—Time to go.

I finished preparing for the launch, my movements steady and certain. We had done it. Peace among the planets for over two centuries.

I paused, letting my mind drift…

It had to be worth it.

Author Bio

JAYE C. WATTS (he/they) is a queer and trans sci-fi writer living on Lək̓ʷəŋən territory in Victoria, BC, Canada. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, with a minor in Technology and Society, as well as a diploma in Professional Recording Arts from the Art Institute of Vancouver.

When he isn’t writing, Jaye can be found falling down rabbit holes of all kinds thanks to an unquenchable curiosity and lust for learning – homeschooling will do that to you.

Jaye also loves classic jazz, mixing cocktails, biking all over the city, and of course, people watching.

Author Website: https://www.jayecwatts.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/jayechristinwatts/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/jayecwatts/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayecwatts/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/156707355-jaye-c-watts

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jaye-C.-Watts/author/B0FVL8XMKW

Review: Morning Glories & Murder (Willowmere Cozy Mysteries Book 6) by Corrine Winters

Rating: 4⭐️

Morning Glories & Murder is the sixth novel in Winters’ Willowmere Cozy Mysteries series and I find that, in a 17 book series, there’s elements of this that I still love and others that I find less appealing at this point.

Number one is the gorgeous language and the absolute beauty of the words Winters uses to convey a sense of character or atmospheric magic in her work. Succinct, poetic and witty, I love the expression of her voice here.

Her ability to create a mystical, living almost sentience that flows from the dirt and wood in Willowmere is amazing. It’s believable in feeling both ominous and beautifully ancient simultaneously.

The murder mystery each book is occupied with are also good. But each has felt a bit flat because of there’s been so much time spent on a convoluted, investigative work that apprehending the culprit is a rushed affair, concluded all too briefly.

Relationships too are sparsely linked, dryly written about and even more weakly linked. The reader must infer from bits of information where different relationships might be headed, if anywhere. I’m actually ok with that.

But it’s with the main character of Maeve Everhart where I personally have the most problems connecting. She’s been hinting at having considerable power but time and again she’s attacked. Yet Maeve is passive against violent aggressive tactics or undermining maneuvering.

Throughout story after story, she avoids taking evidence to the town’s sheriff, keeping clues to herself ( sometimes losing the key material), waiting and watching for “the soil” and Whim, the familiar to point to a possible motive or culprit.

It’s frustrating to read. Because essentially it’s wandering around as the culprit continues to escalate “evil doings” right until the last few pages. Then it’s boom, it’s whoever. Done.

Here she’s personally attacked in a number of ways, professionally, personally etc. And again, it’s an approach of “ idk, not sure what I can do about it “.

For me, I’m not sure if this type of character is worth the effort. Love the language, not connecting with any but the cat, a snarky wry individual on his best days.

Think I’ll give it a rest for now. Come back later when I need a hit for sentences like this:

“From his perch atop the hanging planter by the window, Whim offered a disdainful yawn and flexed one white-tipped paw. “It’s not the rosemary. It’s the coming crowd. You can feel the potpourri energy swelling already. Too many amateur aromatherapists. Not enough dignity in the ceramics.”

Sigh.

Not a fan of the covers, which doesn’t match up with the tone of the book.

Willowmere Cozy Mysteries (17 book series):

1 Mildew & Murder (2025)

2 Moss & Murder (2025)

3 Marigolds & Murder (2025)

4 Mulch & Murder (2025)

5 Magnolias & Murder (2025)

6 Morning Glories & Murder (2025)

7 Milkweed & Murder (2025)

8 Mulberries & Murder (2025)

9 Mint & Murder (2025)

10 Moonflowers & Murder (2025)

11 Marjoram & Murder (2025)

12 Mandrake & Murder (2025)

13 Meadowfoam & Murder (2025)

14 Mayapple & Murder (2025)

15 Mallow & Murder (2025)

16 Mist & Murder (2025)

17 Mosswine & Murder (2025)

Buy link:

Book 6 of 17: Willowmere Cozy Mysteries

Blurb

Willowmere’s Summer Artisan Faire was supposed to celebrate beauty, craft, and memory. Instead, it begins with the discovery of a beloved potter’s body beneath her own shattered booth.

Maeve Everhart wasn’t looking for another mystery. But the clay doesn’t lie—and neither does the soil. As whispers of sabotage echo through the town’s sunlit streets, she’s pulled into a web of rivalries, forgeries, and unfinished work that someone was desperate to keep buried.

With her greenhouse rattled by secrets and old friendships tested by fire, Maeve must piece together a broken charm, a fractured legacy, and the truth that lives in what Petra left behind.

Because in Willowmere, every creation carries intention—and some were made to remember what others wanted to forget.

Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!

Publication date

May 21, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

151 pages

Book 6 of 17

Willowmere Cozy Mysteries

Review: A New Beginning: A Millie the Miracle Cat Cozy Mystery by Courtney McFarlin

Rating: 3.5

A New Beginning: A Millie the Miracle Cat Cozy Mystery by Courtney McFarlin has so much potential in the overall series storyline and engaging characters that I wish I actually enjoyed the book more.

Initially, how McFarlin started to develop her character and her initiation into the small town of Timber Falls, Colorado was a terrific setup.

Olivia Sutton is fleeing Portland, a failed marriage, a recently remarried ex, and lots of memories. She’s made arrangements to buy a bookstore in a small town in Colorado she’s never seen from a woman she’s only talked to on the phone.

She’s got a doubting best friend in Portland telling her to return, and all her belongings packed in her car. Right away I’m invested in this woman who desperately wants a new beginning.

She’s met with drama, murder and a mystery. And a town of strangers, some of whom slowly become friends.

Especially a small group of older women, who I just adore. They rank high as some of the best characters and aspects of the story.

Then there’s Millie, the cat she adopts.

This is the element I feel derailed the book for me.

Take Millie away or change certain parts of this cat’s “personality” and we continue to have a really good mystery series set in a believable place, filled with credible characters a reader can connect with.

Add in Millie, the woowoo factor and you’ll find, imo, a story at odds with itself. Both an emotional journey and interesting mystery series or an over the top “woowoo” tale that rides the line of goofy talking cat from outer space or whatever. Honestly, that element gave me a narrative whiplash when it popped up, because it was so unexpected in the way the author introduced it.

Anyway, for me, Millie kept taking me away from the story and developing relationships with the other characters. Just odd. So much that I’m probably not going forward with the rest of the series .

Check it out and decide for yourself if this is something you might enjoy.

A Millie the Miracle Cat Cozy Mystery (5 book series):

A New Beginning #1

Stacked Against Us #2

Volume of Lies #3

Poison Pen #4

The Plot Thickens #5

Buy link

A New Beginning: A Millie the Miracle Cat Cozy Mystery

Blurb

Olivia Sutton just moved to Timber Falls, a little town hidden in the mountains of Colorado, with the goal of starting fresh and leaving her past firmly in the rearview mirror. She’s got a plan and some hard-earned savings. How hard could starting over be?

While she’s scouting locations to start a new bookstore, she discovers a bedraggled stray cat, and something far more sinister.

Will the people in her newly claimed hometown believe she’s innocent? Is she losing her grip on reality or is her new cat capable of strange things?

Join Olivia and Millie the Cat as they work together to save Olivia’s reputation, find a killer, and begin living their new lives.

Review: Deadly Claws (Witch in the Woods #1) by Jenna St. James

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Im binging a number of new paranormal cozy mysteries at the moment and this is one of the better ones.

Jenna St. James’ Witch in the Woods series already has 35 released books ready to read for new readers which is fantastic. And each is a quick and well plotted story at around 170 pages so they just fly by.

James has also delivered engaging characters and an intriguing setup in a “hidden from normal people“ island that is inhabited by those who are paranormal beings or have parents who are.

Shayla Loci, a 45 year old law enforcement agent is returning home after being away for years working with a paranormal federal agency. Her strange parentage is highly unusual and huge part of ongoing narrative of the series.

She’s a terrific central figure here, and meshes well with all the town folk who have reoccurring roles and become important characters in the series. Especially the new sheriff and his preteen daughter.

There’s mystery and murder. And many developing relationships that bring up past issues and historical events.

The story keeps a fast pace and provides enough insight into the town’s history and new characters that my interest never waned.

Highly entertaining and a winner!

A Witch in the Woods (35 book series):

Deadly Claws #1

Buy link

Deadly Claws (A Witch in the Woods Book 1)

Blurb

A 40-year-old Witch with a New Career

A Gargoyle Sheriff Raising a Teenaged Daughter

And an Enchanted Island Full of Secrets

Career-driven witch, Shayla Loci, is about to turn forty and is ready for a change. When she retires from capturing criminal supernaturals for the government, she figures her days of chasing bad guys are over. Little did she know her new job as the game warden on Enchanted Island would thrust her right back into harm’s way…and she wasn’t even officially on the clock yet! But when Sheriff Stone enlists her help to find out who killed an island resident, Shayla readily agrees.

Between sorting through alibis, gathering clues, and mentoring a wayward teenager on how to be a witch…Shayla’s life is hectic. If only her estranged dad–the King–wouldn’t insist she take her bodyguard, Needles, with her everywhere she goes. Just when Shayla believes she’s identified the killer, a new threat emerges…leaving her to make a snap decision that may cost her her life.

This new paranormal cozy series with a twist on midlife discovery will leave you guessing and hungry for more!

Publication date

March 23, 2021

Language

‎English

Book 1 of 35

A Witch in the Woods

Review: Tigra by R. J. Leahy

Rating: 3⭐️

A first book by this author, I thought Leahy did a good job with many aspects of the story and world building.

The plot of a escaped woman soldier ending up on a planet where there’s several other cultures at war , including one that has and continues to systematically obliterate one of planet’s “animals “, the Tigras. Different planetary cultures she comes into contact with approximate earth religions with zealotry and magical rituals associated with them.

Leahy does a excellent job layering each city/tribe with their own individuality, and even with an abundance of characters, it’s not hard to separate out each smaller personality in the supporting role from another one from a different culture.

The battle scenes, the weapons, all well defined and varied. Same for the ship Jeena Garza arrives on.

If you are hearing a “but” here, you are correct.

My main concern or issues are with the two or perhaps, one character here.

🚩Trigger warnings for torture, multiple S.A., child death, which occurs during Jeena Garza’s capture and long imprisonment by the enemy during the prologue.

Jeena has undergone unbearable torture, physically traumatic and emotionally devastating experiences. Ones that are so severe, so damaging that those who have suffered from them along side her didn’t survive. Yet, upon escaping, she’s able to accept touch and have sexual relations months later. She was “hurt, went a little mad “. But she’s fine now.

Absolutely not believable. And establishing the sort of behavior that seems to disavow what happened to Jeena in the prison does an incredible disrespect to the reality of survivors of SA no matter that she’s a fictional character.

Past that, the relationship between Sampson the Tigra and Jeena also felt equally rushed and not well defined. He’s actually absent for a period of time during the story, which leaves a development “hole” for the relationship and plot lines. They are friends until suddenly they aren’t.

Everything works here but the characters themselves. They need better definition and layering.

There’s 2 more books to the series. Read this and those stories if you find it interesting.

Tigra (3 book series)

Tigra #1

Tigra II: The Sins of Rothra Orr

TIGRA III: The Light of God

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comTigra – Leahy, R.J.: Kindle Store

Book 1 of 3: Tigra

Blurb

Elite soldier Jeena Garza crash-lands on the desert world of Ararat, desperate to escape the trauma of war and her recent imprisonment. She wants solitude. A place to disappear. To forget and to be forgotten.

Instead, she finds Samson — a tiger-like beast feared for its ferocity. But Samson is different. Gentle. Intelligent. Maybe more than just an animal.

As ancient prophecies stir and buried secrets rise, Jeena is thrust into a battle for a world she doesn’t understand — and a destiny she never asked for. To save him, she’ll raise a forgotten people, topple an empire, and awaken something lost for eons.

She was forged as a weapon

He was born a beast.

Together they will change a world and challenge man’s place in the galaxy.

Review: Any House in a Storm (Hidden Sanctuary #1) by Jenny Schwartz

Rating: 3.75⭐️

A novella set in the Uncertain Sanctuary universe, it’s a good read with huge potential for future exploration in additional stories if Schwartz gets the chance to return to the series. But the chance to really dive deep into the characters history, magic, and complicated journey into satisfying relationship and new believable start needs a bigger book and narrative.

The sentient House itself, has itself a horrifying powerful tale of redemption that’s not really told here. And it’s unique haunting connection to its Guardian, Tavor, a mysterious cursed being who doesn’t get the attention he’s clearly due here. Especially since he has so many under explored aspects of his fascinating character.

This frustration extends to Zelia herself. A world traveler who is more than she admits, with fantastical world walking birds ( I know I know so many elements that just need more), her appearance and assumed heritage based on her human origin of US western high desert alone cries out for a bit of further history.

This is an author whose detailed novels is fantastic at laying out precision work which makes the holes or lack of detail here more evident.

So it’s a good story but ultimately one that promises more than it delivers.

And the second book revolves around a lesser character from the Uncertain Sanctuary universe trilogy and elevates him into main character status. So it really should be a side story to that series.

Ah well, A sentient house that capable of space travel a great idea and definitely captured my imagination. I really hope the author returns to this world sometime in the future. Literally.

Buy link

Any House in a Storm (Hidden Sanctuary Book 1)

Blurb

No one suspects Zelia is a sorcerer, and that’s exactly how she likes it. Even better, no one suspects she’s human. Masquerading as a goblin Traveler, she roams Reality in her glittering van pulled by her two trusty world walking birds, Warp and Weft.

But when a storm of cosmic chaos strands her in an outer thread, the only refuge in sight is the legendary Darkhouse of Doom. Goblin legend says it is cursed; that the appearance of the wandering darkhouse foretells the appearance of world-devouring monsters and the death of all who see it.

So, Zelia knocks on the door.

Any House in a Storm is a beauty and the beast tale set in an otherworldly, space-traveling darkhouse where nothing is as it seems and no one who enters remains unchanged.

While evil exists, there will always be those who fight it.

*Any House in a Storm is a standalone novel set in the universe introduced in The House That Walked Between Worlds.

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