Tag: Scattered Thoughts Highly Recommended

Review: The Witch Roads (The Witch Roads #1) by Kate Elliott 

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I stumbled across this author and duology recently and am absolutely thrilled with the discovery. 

The Witch Roads is the first book in Kate Elliott’s completed epic fantasy adventure duology and it’s incredible. 

Stretching across multiple continents, with a universe of diverse cultures and characters, the author focuses her narrative upon a world where the political ruling system and mythology mirrors ancient Chinese culture, so there’s a framework for the tightly packed royal infighting and conflict that’s important to the story. 

Elen, her background, that of her nephew and deceased sister are slow to be revealed here. And actually a huge part of Elen’s character is never fully explained at all by the author. 

That’s part of this novel I feel are frustrating. There’s gaps in the book that remain unexplained and then, for things I think are wonderful, there’s elements that, like cthe nephew having a voice in deciding what gender to be, is a very interesting part of the story. And it’s just a thread that weaves into his role here as his part and journey develops. 

Elliott has a great cast of characters whose relationships with each other develop and deepen as they journey forward, including one of my favorite characters, a certain “haunt”. 

This does end with a cliffhanger. But the second book is available and it picks up immediately after the end of this one.  Grab both novels up at the same time and read seamlessly right to the end of the series like I did.

So satisfying. Except for the fact I now want a third book. 

Highly recommended and I’m now looking into this author’s other work. 

Love the covers. 

Cover art by Raja Nandepu

Cover design by Jess Kiley

The Witch Roads Duology :

The Witch Roads #1

The Nameless Land #2

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: The Witch Roads 

Blurb 

Book 1 in the Witch Roads duology, the latest epic novel by fan favorite Kate Elliott.

Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.

When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen—once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall—is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination.

When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn’t the same man who entered.

The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?

Tor Books

Publication date

June 10, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

439 pages

Book 1 of 2

The Witch Roads

Review:  The Lost Reliquary (Divine Thrall Book 1) by Lyndsay Ely

Rating: 4.75⭐️

The Lost Reliquary by Lyndsay Ely is just an astonishing piece of dark fantasy storytelling.  The author is a new discovery and this is a remarkable way to dive into her writings. 

It’s the first book in Ely’s Divine Thrall series, grounded in a universe where once there were many gods who warred among themselves.  In the aftermath of centuries of battle, a lone victor emerged, the goddess Tempestra-Innara, the Enduring Flame. 

Ely starts the story with a rebellion against the goddess in play. The perspective of the story is that of Lys, one of the divine warrior’s of Tempestra-Innara. Taken as a child to serve the last goddess, her dark childhood events are revealed as the story progresses, Lys has ulterior motives as she serves as potentiate of the Dawn Cloister, one of two divine guard forces for the goddess. 

After an assassination attempt against the goddess is foiled, the goddess sends Lys out to track down the heretics and the religious weapon that can be used against her. One that Lys hopes to obtain for herself. A plan complicated by the fact that another divine warrior is sent along with her with his own plans and agendas. 

Ely has created raw, powerful characters full of complex personalities, with dark damaged histories and the magical powers to go along with them, each suited to their unique needs. 

One , Lys, who looks at the goddess, and silently remembers her mother, their history, and the traumatic events she’s endured since becoming a divine warrior. The other? A man solid in his faith and his religious convictions, and those above him who are directing his actions, no matter what they are and who they affect. Both are credible in their own beliefs and roles. 

The journey they undertake, the lands and seas they cross, and peoples they meet. All have enormous influence on their destiny and outcome. And the relationship between them that starts to develop. 

It ends with a cliffhanger but one that I almost expected. It was logical that it would end up that way.  And now I really can’t wait for the next book to arrive so I can see what happens next.

Lyndsay Ely has created a fantastic universe for her Divine Thrall series. Complex world building with multiple countries and cultures, complete with different architectural styles and religions. And her characterizations are amazing, layered, powerful and realistically brought to life, compelling with dark trauma and painful memories that drive their storylines. 

More now please.  And highly recommended. 

Divine Thrall

The Lost Reliquary #1

The Divine Shadow #2 – Nov 10, 2026

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Lost Reliquary (Divine Thrall): Lyndsay Ely: 9781668148464

Blurb 

A divinely blessed warrior bound to the last living goddess plots deicide to win her freedom in this propulsive epic fantasy for fans of Godkiller and Gideon the Ninth.

The Devoted Lands was once home to many gods. Now, after centuries of brutal wars, only Tempestra-Innara, the Enduring Flame, remains.

As a divine warrior, Lys is outwardly loyal to her goddess. If she dreams of deicide, that’s her business. When a routine heretical execution erupts into a near-fatal assassination attempt on Tempestra-Innara, Lys sees a glimmer of hope for her freedom.

Lys is chosen to hunt down the heretics and find an ancient reliquary with the power to kill a god. Annoyingly, she’s not alone. Paired with Nolan, a warrior from a rival cloister who is as pious as he is determined, Lys must feign devotion if she hopes to keep her own god-killing ambitions within reach.

But as they pursue the heretics linked to the assassination, Lys uncovers a world with more possibility—and peril—than she ever anticipated.

Divine Thrall

The Lost Reliquary

The Divine Shadow – Nov 10, 2026

S&S/Saga Press

Publication date

October 21, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

464 pages

Book 1 of 2

Divine Thrall

Review: Nobody Told Me Thrift Shops Sell Stolen Dragon Heirlooms by Lindsey Devin

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Honestly, stop with the cover traps. Yes, put a Belgian Malinois or GSD on it and yes, I’m going to pick it up. It’s a given. And the authors known as Lindsey Devin fills the story with them. 

Really? Sigh. 

Nobody Told Me Thrift Shops Sell Stolen Dragon Heirlooms by Lindsey Devin is an absolutely adorable urban fantasy romance that sealed the deal for me with the dog that was main character all the way through the tale, a retired veteran service dog, a gentleman of enormous charm and character, Max.

Quinn Bradley, the overworked law intern, was another delightful aspect of the story. Layered, independent, intelligent and resourceful, along with Max, she worked realistically (as one does with dragons and otherworldly beings) in her professional role as well as feeling like a partner here in her relationships with Max and her friends. I so thoroughly enjoyed her conversations with everyone and her dynamic. 

Rafe Virelli is a nice change from some of the other types of dragons that appear in these books as is his family. The background and ongoing storyline with his mother is handled so beautifully, and realistically. There’s no miracle here but the acceptance of her continued condition and their love for her. And his father’s love for his wife. 

The way that the story ends is perfect imo. I was thrilled when it ended here, and not in the expected direction of most romances. That wouldn’t make sense given the circumstances and time constraints. 

With Nobody Told Me Thrift Shops Sell Stolen Dragon Heirlooms by Lindsey Devin there are so many great narrative choices made by the authors that, combined, give this book a fantastic energy and a great story. 

Highly recommended! Honestly, that cover! Going to show it to my dog right now! She has opinions. 

If anyone knows who the cover artist is, please let me know. 

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comNobody Told Me Thrift Shops Sell Stolen Dragon Heirlooms

Blurb 

Rafe Virelli has spent his whole life watching his family’s history disappear piece by piece — sold, stolen, and scattered across a city that doesn’t know or care what it’s holding. He’s down to one missing relic and no leads, until his law firm’s intern shows up wearing it.

Quinn Bradley didn’t mean to become the reason a half-dragon shifter starts showing up at her office. She definitely didn’t mean to negotiate her way onto his case, get pulled into rigged auctions and museum standoffs, or end up in the middle of an actual heist when a rival collector decides Rafe’s family relics are worth killing for.

She just wanted a law degree and a dog with a stable temperament. Instead she got a client who fixes her door locks at midnight, a dragon who’d burn down a mansion for her, and a front-row seat to exactly how far someone will go to protect what’s left of their family.

The relics can be replaced. This can’t.

Enemies-to-allies-to-lovers. Workplace romance. High-stakes recovery plot. Guaranteed HEA.

 

Review:  Call of the Blood (Everly Abbott #4) by K.N. Banet

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The fourth book in K.N. Banet’s new Everly Abbott series, I thought it was the best one where the characters are finding their rhythm and how their relationships are going to evolve. 

I also found the author’s Tribunal Archives timeline for this and how it fits into the other series. So I have a better understanding of the overall storyline and what is happening with the Tribunal here. Yes, it really does make sense now. 

Alexius and Everly head out to see her brother and encounter some surprises after the events of the last novel. 

Isaiah has disappeared, dealing with the death of his longtime companion and lover, Jacob. Which leaves Everly and Alexius at loose ends and when a call comes in from the other coast from a Vampire Master requesting assistance from Alexius, they are traveling away from Savannah and home. 

Banet packs so much into this terrific adventure. We meet Declan, Everly’s brother and his girlfriend. That’s a fantastic storyline. 

Callahan is head of the Werewolves and on the Tribunal with his mate Carissa. The Tribunal Archives time line can be found on the author’s website. I have listed it on the longer version of this review on my website as well. The author is going to add to it as new releases come available. 

But back to Call of the Blood because it packs a punch. Full of action, more than a few twists, and some extremely powerful drama here, including new relationship dynamics between the main characters. 

I’m so thrilled to see this author writing again. Wonderful novel and great addition to the universe. 

⭐️Series in the connected Tribunal Archives Universe (crossover characters and storylines);

Kaliya Sahni (6 book series)

Jacky Leon (12 book series to date-waiting for the 13th)

Everly Abbot – 4 books atm/9 books planned :

Servant of the Blood #1

Blood of the Wicked #2

Tainted Blood #3

Call of the Blood #4 

Tribunal archive Timeline – to date for Everly Abbott series:

Jacky Leon book 1

Kaliya Sahni Book 1

Kaliya Sahni Book 2

Jacky Leon #2

Kaliya Sahni #3

KS #4

Jackie Leon #3

KS#5

KS#6

Jackie Leon #4

Ancient and Immortal Standalone story 

Everly Abbott #1

Everly Abbott #2

Jackie Leon #5

Everly Abbott #3

Jackie Leon #6

Jackie Leon #7

Hearts & Wars/Tribunal Archives story 

Jackie Leon #8

Buy link

 Book 4 of 4: Everly Abbott 

Blurb 

Book overview 

Madness lives at the edge of every vampire’s mind.

We’re driven by a need to hunt and feed on the blood of what we once were. Blood, though, is not the only thing that can drive us to madness.

Alexius and I are learning that firsthand, stuck together for months, unable to leave Savannah, trapped in tight corridors as the tension rises. Conversations grow difficult and need becomes a painful thing that we both avoid. So when the opportunity arises to escape the quasi house arrest Isaiah condemned us to, we take it. My brother, my last living family member, wants to see me and I can’t resist the call.

The call of the blood brought me here.

It is also the source of a madness that can break me.

And we’re not the only vampires who ran to escape madness.

August 28, 2026

Language

‎English

Print lengthz as

326 pages

Book 4 of 4

Everly Abbott

Review: Ink Witch (Arcane Magic #1) by Brogan Thomas

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I’ll be honest. I picked up this book because of the Belgian Malinois on the cover. Yes, I’m that person. But what I discovered was a well written, marvelous fantasy story about a woman unfairly deprived of her magic and her dangerous journey to reclaim her identity and find a new life.

Ink Witch has so much to recommend it. It’s a complete story within a larger universe so we will have a terrific ending here for our characters. The world building is intriguing and the complicated plot of Ink Witch is both foundational and helps further the magical expansion of further stories. 

Thomas’ tale includes aspects of Hunger Games, a tribute to the Hunger Games with a game that includes chosen children of families of each district who enter into it at a certain age ,for glory and prestige, for their families. It’s ruthless and brutal with the survival left for the winner while the entire world is watching. 

And Elenora “Elmo” Morris failed that day in her run and was cast out by her parents for it. The truth of behind her failure left to the end of the story. 

Now 48, her magic drained away, Elmo and her Belgian Malinois, Mina, have become bounty hunters, killing those who have illegally used magic, including children. There’s a wonderful twist coming there. 

Thomas does an excellent job in creating in the Ink District a dark,poor subsistence society, existing on the edges of the political system, where the people are scrabbling to exist in any way possible. Slums, minimal food sourced from problematic places, and an over-site government, The Immortal Zone above that rules everything. 

It’s an enthralling tale that gets a chilling charge of energy when Mina is stolen and Elmo has to rescue her. And the entire storyline becomes immensely more complex. 

I enjoyed the slow burn romance, no spice. Cael’s development, especially towards the end, isn’t as well executed as everything that comes before. 

But I found Elmo, her sister, their relationship, Mina and their bond, incredibly engaging. And I was absolutely invested in their story. Loved it.

And I can’t wait to read the next standalone in this series, Bone Witch. 

Cover design by Melony Paradise of Paradise Cover Design

Arcane Magic 

Ink Witch #1

Bone Witch #2 – February 25, 2027

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: Arcane Magic 

Blurb 

Branded a failure. Buried in shame. Then they steal her dog.

Once, Elenora “Elmo” Morris was the pride of Ink District. Chosen as Champion for the Immortality Trials, she carried a city’s hopes on her shoulders — until it all went wrong and she crawled home in disgrace.

Now Elmo works as a bounty hunter in a city ruled by immortals. Her only friend is Mina, her beloved dog. When enforcers snatch Mina and drag her to the immortal commander’s compound, Elmo has only hours before her dog disappears for good.

Breaking in should be a death sentence. Instead, ink power flares back to life, and Elmo discovers the Trials weren’t just rigged — they were a lie.

To save her dog and face the family who cast her out, this ink witch must stop running from the past and become the spark that burns the lies down.

Ink Witch is the spellbinding first standalone in the Arcane Magic urban fantasy series. If you love fierce middle-aged heroines, slow-burn romance, loyal dogs, and magic-soaked suspense, you’ll adore this magical rollercoaster ride.

Buy Ink Witch today and witness a disgraced witch rewrite the rules.

Brogan Thomas Books

Publication date

August 27, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

File size

5.4 MB

Screen Reader

Supported

Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

X-Ray

Not Enabled

Word Wise

Enabled

Print length

368 pages

Page Flip

Enabled

Book 1 of 2

Arcane Magic

Review: Everly Abbott Volume One: Books 1-3 by K. N. Banet

Rating: 4⭐️

First things first. It’s three books that get progressively better as the series and character of Everly Abbott develops. 

The beginning, where Everly and her mother are working together for the vampires is suspense filled but that entire story has little to no history or foundation to rest on. That comes later. So it’s a bit frustrating story wise ,along with the character and personality of Everly at the moment.

It gets better. 

I don’t want to spoil the plot but Banet builds up the characters history’s along with the series foundation as the books storylines develop, getting progressively stronger and more complex.

And it’s where the other characters from series like Kaliya Sahni and her character fit in. Their stories and backgrounds mesh into the ongoing mystery that the author is creating for Everly, Alexius, and Isaiah. 

There’s no romance here, perhaps the mere suggestion of one in the future. But that’s it.  It’s all action adventure and revenge here for the various characters. 

Probably my biggest frustration as a long time reader of this author and her other series are all part of this universe and i believe overall plot is that, at the moment, the Everly Abbott series is hard to place within the Tribunal timeline. 

If you’re not familiar with the other series, maybe it won’t matter. If you are, seeing characters in roles that , in the Jacky Leon series you are aware they no longer have , it will make you wonder where this fits in.

I almost feel compelled to make a white board to trace all the various characters , their relationships, and crossover references to other series as well appearances made here by the main characters from them. I need a relevant timeline for the series to put it in perspective. 

And will this series eventually join up with the long awaited last book in the Jacky Leon series? Big questions! Which is why the timeline is so important. 

K. N. Banet is an author of several of my favorite paranormal series all in her Tribunal universe, including the still  unfinished Jacky Leon series. 

She paused her writing after a RL upheaval and relocation. That was several years ago.

Then I saw the release of a three-book collection, followed by a fourth book, written this month. Extremely excited and yes happy to recommend!

⭐️Series in the connected Tribunal Archives Universe (crossover characters and storylines);

Kaliya Sahni (6 book series)

Jacky Leon (12 book series to date-waiting for the 13th)

Everly Abbot – 4 books atm/9 books planned :

Servant of the Blood #1

Blood of the Wicked #2

Tainted Blood #3

Call of the Blood #4 

Buy link

 Collects books from: Everly Abbott 

Blurb 

I’m Everly Abbott, and my story is a bloody one.

Why wouldn’t it be? I grew up with vampires. I worked for them. I was friends with some, related to another. My family was safe with them, protected by promises kept for centuries.

Then it was gone.

When the leader of the local vampires died, everything shifted. Normalcy was thrown away for depravity as new leadership came to power.

But I refused to buckle under the weight of the shift. Once meek and quiet, through the great shifting of the world around me, there was also a great shift in me. I found a new ally in Alexius the Hunter, an infamous vampire that hunted his own kind. I stood up, and I fought back, and I made a choice.

My story is a bloody one.

And they deserve every drop I make them bleed.

This collection includes Everly Abbott books 1, 2, and 3.

-Servant of the Blood (Everly Abbott 1)

-Blood of the Wicked (Everly Abbott 2)

-Tainted Blood (Everly Abbott 3)

August 20, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

Print length

888 pages

Review: Nobody Told Me Dragons use Libraries by Lindsey Devin

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I really enjoyed Nobody Told Me Dragons use Libraries by Lindsey Devin, the name a team of writers co author under. 

This makes for an inconsistency in the writing by books I find listed under this name, however this story is worth reading.

It’s well paced, the characters are engaging and the dialogue is very cleverly executed. This is what i hope to get when I reach out for more of their content. 

Librarian Artemis and Dragon Arthur are both very endearing and relatable characters. Each one has their own individual struggles with their respective parents, Artemis with her toxic relationship with her parents and Arthur with his memories of his father and his role as the head of the clan. How the authors are able to genuinely understand and express their love and respect for each other and their knowledge of literature is one of my favorite things about the book.

The relationship between Arthur and Artemis is believable and builds upon true feelings and a great dynamic between intelligent people who respect each other.

This is a low heat romance that waits until the end for any kind of romantic love. 

There’s wonderfully endearing side characters that I could have enjoyed watching more of. 

This was just lacking a bit of world building but overall it is a great paranormal romance and adventure story. Intelligent, engaging and very well written. 

Highly recommended. 

Buy link

amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › books › shop-nowNobody Told Me Dragons – Best Sellers & New Releases

Blurb 

Nobody told her dragons use libraries.

Or that one of them would ruin her filing system and her entire life plan.

She’s the head librarian who alphabetizes her trauma.

He’s the dragon alpha who crash-landed into her carefully ordered world ten minutes before closing.

Neither expected a thunderstorm, an ancient mystery, or feelings too big to fit on an index card.

✨ Perfect for readers who love: cozy chaos, grumpy/sunshine energy, nerd x nerd fated mates, and dragons who say “please” when they destroy your cataloguing system ✨ and for all the AuDHD readers, pattern-brained people, and anyone who organises their feelings into a spreadsheet.

Special Fiction Books

Publication date

April 29, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

File size

2.8 MB

Screen Reader

Supported

Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

X-Ray

Not Enabled

Word Wise

Enabled

Print length

430 pages

Review: Ebony Gate (Phoenix Hoard #1) by Julie Vee and Ken Bebelle

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Ebony Gate (Phoenix Hoard #1) by Julie Vee and Ken Bebelle is one more recent discovery where it’s a combination of both great new book and great new writers. Win and winner. And finished series! Be still my heart! I hit the reader’s trifecta!

Yes, I’m absolutely thrilled with this book. It was another 3am finish and I had to stop myself from getting the second and immediately diving back into this incredible universe and character. 

Set in contemporary San Francisco, the main character is Emiko Soong, oldest child of the magical Soong Clan, a dragon people who fled the destruction of their world to the human realm. One of eight powerful magical families, each with their own abilities and agendas, Emiko has removed herself to San Francisco after a long, bloody history with her family as their assassin.

Of course her past, her family, and clan politics dictate that she is soon pulled back into the magical family life and world she’s trying to escape.

I couldn’t put it down. Emiko’s past is bleak, filled with memories that invade narrative with bodies and vague scenes of her parents and blood. That her parents haven’t been totally honest about Emiko’s past or talent is clear throughout the story. And it’s a thread that will not be revealed here. 

She’s a haunted, martial arts master, The Butcher of Peking, who now lives in San Francisco, remaining apart because of her past experiences and her secret life as a dragon clan.  

I think interesting aspects of her life, the lower families, those outside of the clan’s protective influence that she’s become friends with, but the delicate relationships that are always present within the “invisible social structures“ that must be adhered to, that’s all perfectly defined by the authors. That balance of power and cultural strictures of both Asian and their Dragon magic is wonderfully crafted and laid out. 

That scene alone in the library is everything. 

Emiko’s mother, who is absent physically but whose impact is enormous here, is a character I can’t wait to meet. It’s because of her that Emiko’s presence is required by a shinigami.  Absolutely terrifying and fascinating aspect of the story. 

There’s a mission to save the City, herself and much more. It’s exciting, action packed and thrilling. 

My only issue with it was that the Sentinel aspect took longer than I thought it should. That felt too drawn out. 

Now onto the next book and some new exciting characters (like parents to meet) and locations. 

Highly recommended and thrilled to share. 

Buy link

 Book 1 of 3: The Phoenix Hoard 

Blurb 

A CALIBA 2023 Golden Poppy Book Award Finalist

Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle’s Ebony Gate is a female John Wick story with dragon magic set in contemporary San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Emiko Soong belongs to one of the eight premier magical families of the world. But Emiko never needed any magic. Because she is the Blade of the Soong Clan. Or was. Until she’s drenched in blood in the middle of a market in China, surrounded by bodies and the scent of blood and human waste as a lethal perfume. 

The Butcher of Beijing now lives a quiet life in San Francisco, importing antiques. But when a shinigami, a god of death itself, calls in a family blood debt, Emiko must recover the Ebony Gate that holds back the hungry ghosts of the Yomi underworld. Or forfeit her soul as the anchor.

What’s a retired assassin to do but save the City by the Bay from an army of the dead?

The Phoenix Hoard

#1 Ebony Gate

#2 Blood Jade

#3 Pearl City

Review: Philippa Flynn’s Year of Panic and Piracy by Jacqueline Firkins

  

Rating : 4.75⭐️

I’ve had a great run of recommendations lately that have resulted in not only some fantastic stories but also discovering writers I’ve never read before. 

   

Philippa Flynn’s Year of Panic and Piracy by Jacqueline Firkins is one of these, a beautifully written, heartfelt contemporary story about a woman’s journey to reconfigure her life after a typical bike ride into work nearly turns tragic. It shocks her into rethinking her current career and life. 

And she makes a sea change. One that comes with disapproving parents, realistic struggles, and emotional difficulties. Financial issues too. 

Philippa Flynn is so relatable. Intelligent, the one sibling who is the outlier in her uber successful family in her career choices as a history professor and her single life. And an unexpected event is about to happen to shake her life up in ways no one would have imagined.

Except perhaps for her grandmother, who left her a storied house, its contents, and a pirate ship by the sea. 

As well as a surprise inside the house in the form of a tenant. 

Firkins’ characters are so realistic and richly emotional. Their histories and their struggles with their families and their current situation. Just their initial impressions, and awkward conversations, funny and so beautifully crafted in its raw language and realness. 

And as Philippa and Dylan navigate through their slow journey to a romantic relationship and partnership, fighting family and fears, the reader has become entrenched in their lives, rooted into their journey and emotionally invested in the outcome.

I loved the story. And could have stayed with them for longer. 

And I’ll definitely be seeking out more of this author’s work. 

Highly recommended.

Cover design and illustration by Philip Pascuzzo 

Cover image: MarinaDreams / Getty

Other Books by this author:

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things 

How Not to Fall in Love 

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned 

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch 

The Goode Girls of Maple Lane

Buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Jacqueline-Firkins/e/B07SSJGYWW/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Blurb 

An introverted history professor and a former romance cover model collaborate on a life-changing endeavor in a witty and swoonworthy novel about new beginnings in unexpected waters.

When a sinkhole nearly swallows her whole, burned-out history professor Philippa Flynn takes it as a wake-up call. Leaving her carefully planned but unfulfilling life behind, she moves into an old seaside house she inherited from her grandmother, a bestselling author of swashbuckling romances. 

Philippa expects the clutter, disrepair, proximity to the family she deliberately moved away from, and reclusive writer she’ll be sharing the house with. She doesn’t expect that writer to also be the cover model who personified Iris Flynn’s bare-chested, cavalier-booted pirate king.

While navigating their awkward cohabitation and searching for creative inspiration, the pair discovers the outlines for six more novels they could work on together. But Philippa’s used to facts, Dylan has writer’s block, and neither can craft a love scene while real sparks are flying.

To write the story on the page, Philippa will have to embrace the one she’s living, even if it means swapping tenure for treasure maps and plans for pirate kings.

Review: Tides of Betrayal (Witches of Willow Cove Book 2) by Sara Bourgeois 

Rating: 4⭐️

Tides of Betrayal, the second book in the Witches of Willow Cove, is another excellent read. It has a great magical mystery that involves the community, increasing nightmares and possible curses.

Rowan Page, her familiar, Moss and all the other Willow Cove inhabitants who are starting to become involved with Rowan in her inherited bookstore, Quill & Tide, are really developing their own roles and engaging personalities. With their unique backgrounds and their involvement in the community as each new disaster unfolds. 

I enjoyed this mystery and most of the magical aspects surrounding it. There was a few twists and the villain, while being blatant,  was truly cold about the ramifications of their actions, not a morally grey character. Unusual for this kind of story.

My slight issues are with the Cal, the Sheriff who, had a history with Rowan’s aunt. Now he still figures only minutely into cases that have a high impact on the community. Cal has a strong sense of something extraordinary going on but leaves it alone. 

Then there’s the librarian, Jude, whose personality is as problematic as his name. I find Jude unlikable. He’s that person that makes you think, hmmm, he’s was voted the last person picked for just about everything. Justifiably so. 

I thought leaving the story with an even bigger mystery was a great idea. Loved it and can’t wait for the next book to come.

Witches of Willow Cove (2 book series) 

A Novel Death #1

Tides of Betrayal #2

Buy link

        Tides of Betrayal (Witches of Willow Cove Book 2)

    

Blurb 

Rowan Page would like to believe things at Quill & Tide are finally settling down, but the books have other plans. When a prominent local collector dies in what looks like a tragic sleepwalking accident, Rowan notices something the police can’t explain.

People all over town are having nightmares.

Moss wants nothing to do with the cursed books turning up across Willow Cove, Aunt Oona’s ghost is more cryptic than helpful, and the closer Rowan gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes that some old betrayals were never buried.

They were shelved.

July 20, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

File size

648 KB

Screen Reader

Supported

Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

X-Ray

Not Enabled

Word Wise

Enabled

Print length

261 pages

Page Flip

Enabled

Book 2 of 2

Witches of Willow Cove