Rulers of the Underworld - Operation Hades #3

 

Rulers of the Underworld by Skyler Andra
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great continuation of the story

After all they've been through, Autumn and Hades are happily married, with a baby on the way. You'd think they've been through enough, deserve their happy ever after, right? Well, not just yet. A soul from Autumn's past returns to haunt her and leaves her rapidly losing her memories. What follows is a race against time and a battle against other gods. Normally, stories end once they couples get together, so I enjoyed seeing what happened next. The story is action packed, and while it has a definite ending, no real cliffhangers here, there's a path for a further book in the series to follow. All in all, a good read, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of their story.

View all my reviews

Pearl: Tempted by Darkness - Jewels Café #19

 

Pearl: Tempted by Darkness by Tabitha Barret
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pearl is back, in her 3rd adventure.

After being hit with the Jewels Cafe love spell and finding her mates in the first book, the effects are now mixing with teenage hormones as they get older! Of course, Pearl can't have a simple, quiet summer, either. There's another dark witch out to get her, and this time, it's personal!

I don't read a lot of YA books, but this was sweet and not graphic. As ever, it's great to see other Silver Springs characters weaving their way into the storyline.

It's happy ever after, but with possibilities for the future!

View all my reviews

Princess of Shadows - Court of Lies #1

 

Princess of Shadows by Olivia Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great start to a new series

This is a great start to a new series, by a new author.

Orphaned at an early age, Rose has grown up feeling that she doesn't quite fit in.

All that changes after a chance encounter which leads her to where she belongs and the truth of who and what she is.

Rose starts off as naive and maybe even a little annoying, but this means we get to see her grown and develop into a much stronger woman, ready to face her destiny.

Sebastian is resolute and loyal, ready to do what is necessary, despite its cost. If I were to highlight one character flaw for him, it would be that he is noble to the point of martyrdom.

A lot of the book is world building as Rose, and through her, the readers, learn about this new world and its characters. The ending leaves the story set up for an action packed follow up.

View all my reviews

Abducted -Bloodfire Saga Hades and Persephone #1 - Bella Klaus

 

Abducted by Bella Klaus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the third take on the Hades and Persephone myth I've picked up this year, but it still manages to add its own unique spin on the tale.

Kora has been confined to her mother's mansion all her life, and told she is terminally ill. Sneaking out one night, she has a chance encounter that turns her life upside down.

What follows is a fun roller coaster of a story where she has to figure out who she is, and who those around her actually are. Kora alternates between confused and gutsy, and Hades is strong and smouldering, with a touch of vulnerability.

It ends on a cliff hanger - of course - and I refuse to take stars off the book for doing what serialised fiction has always done, and leaving me wanting more!

View all my reviews

Captive Omega - Wolves of Chaos Valley

 

Captive Omega by Eva Brandt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love discovering new shared universes!

Captive Omega is the first book set in Chaos Valley, so named for the period once a year when wolves can find their fated mate. Only, the Chaos has been missing for the last 9 years, and when it returns now, well, expect chaos!

As this is the first book, it gives some insight into what happened nine years ago, but no reason why it vanished, so I'm hoping this gets revisited from the other books' perspectives as the series goes on.

Events during the last Chaos left Luna injured and an omega - seen as the lowest of the low in this particular mythos - and her best friends Sam and Nate on the run.

Now, her father has arranged a mating with the alpha of a neighbouring pack, but on the night of their ceremony, the Chaos returns, revealing Luna's mate to be the alpha's brother. Well, one of her mates!

What follows is an action packed story where Luna has to claim her three mates and discover who she really is. It shows exactly why you shouldn't kick the underdog!

There's a great mix of action and, well action as they fight to save the two wolf packs and establish the bond that is so necessary for them.

I enjoyed this, it's a little different, and I'm eager to explore the rest of Chaos Valley.

View all my reviews

Lady of the Underworld - Operation Hades #1

 

Lady of the Underworld by Skyler Andra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Novel twist on Hades and Persephone

One of my favourite tropes is taking an old story - faerie tales, folk tales, gods and legends - and updating them with a modern twist. Of the Greek pantheon, one of the most popular romances is that of Hades and Persephone. This is a novel twist on the story, with the gods inhabiting human avatars. Well, most of them! August is a wonderfully engaging heroine, and you can understand her confusion at the new world that awaits her. Hades is both commanding and vulnerable in the right ways as he tried to restore his kingdom and find the right way to introduce August to her future. As you might expect, things don't quite go to plan, and we get a cliffhanger into the next book. Looking forward to reading the next stage in their story!

View all my reviews

Lumi - Silver Skates #15

 

Lumi by Crystal North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All good things must come to an end, but I can't believe we've reached the end of Silver Skates, the 3rd season of books set in Silver Springs. But what a way to end it!

One of the main stars of the whole season has been Silver Springs' new ice rink, and here we finally learn a little bit more about it, along with its mysterious manager Whit and his 2 friends, Quilo and Yas. All three guys have got something they're running from, as does Lumi. When a disastrous blind date and a birthday treat for her wonderful 6 year old daughter both take her to the rink, and into the paths of the guys, well, you can guess the rest!

The characters are wonderful and the story is laugh out loud funny, with a climax that brings back more than a few Silver Springs favourites, too!

I'm sad to see the end of this set of books, but I can't wait to see what comes next!

View all my reviews

Karma's Shift - Magical Midlife in Mystic Hollow #2

 

Karma's Shift by L.A. Boruff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Don't upset Karma!

I love this series! Paranormal romance and cozy mystery rolled into one.

After returning to her childhood home to regroup following her marriage breakdown, Emma is learning how to handle her new powers. Of course, things never go as planned, and she's faced with both her own and Beth's pasts coming back to haunt them. There's also the very slow burn romance building with her former teen crush.

Overall, a fun read, if a little different pace from what I'm used to from this awesome trio of authors.

View all my reviews