Book Review: Magnolia Mystic ~ Lisa Kessler

Title: Magnolia Mystic (Sentinels of Savannah, Book 1)
Author: Lisa Kessler
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Date of Release: July 23, 2018
Pages: 79
Format: Kindle (NetGalley)

This was a fun read… we have a psychic who doubts herself and an immortal pirate who is the champion of Savannah, GA. It doesn’t get any better!

Skye is having a severe case of self-doubt after a relationship gone wrong. She is trying to swear off men, but there is something about Colton she can’t quite put her finger on. She likes that he gets to do what he loves and that is playing the role of a pirate. What she doesn’t know, he’s a real-life pirate! Who didn’t want to be a pirate growing up?! Colton, as quartermaster, has made it his mission to protect the city of Savannah against his former captain, Ian Flynn, who wants to build a hotel in the city. The only thing stopping Ian is Skye. She owns the last piece of property he needs to purchase in order to make his dream a reality. Can Colton get to Skye before Ian? What will happen when she finds out who they really are?

Colton, the handsome devil, has a heart of gold, and up until meeting Skye, he let every day just pass him by. Skye can’t seem to trust herself after her last relationship. Her previous relationship left Skye wary of all men, but Colton was a breath of fresh air. This is a whirlwind romance that will keep you tuned into the story. My only complaint, it was too short! I needed and wanted more, however, it does make me want to read what happens next. What would be great while waiting for the next book, is finding a prequel! I can’t wait for either or both! (Preferably BOTH!)

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Book Review: Must Love Babies ~ Lynnette Austin

Title: Must Love Babies (Book 1)
Author: Lynnette Austin
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date of Release: June 5, 2018
Pages: 416
Format: Kindle (NetGalley)

It’s wedding season in Misty Bottom. The Wylder brothers are looking to relocate and Molly Stiles is hoping her “To-Do” List is coming to fruition. So far, so good. She’s 27, owns her own business, The Little White Dress, and plans on getting married in 3 years. The only problem, Brant Wylder makes her challenge everything about her list. Brant Wylder is a fixer. He and his two brothers not only fix cars, but they also do vehicle restorations. His family is in trouble, Brant to the rescue. The brothers are looking for a new location to set up shop, Brant goes looking for the perfect place.

Brant’s sister, Lainey, gets into a drunk driving accident and lands herself in the hospital. With the father out of the picture and Lainey in the hospital, someone will need to take her son, Jax. Brant to the rescue! Never having raised a child before, Brant and Jax are in for quite an experience. Fortunately, he’s in Misty Bottom and southern hospitality is a real thing. Practically an entire town is there to help, and the most important person is Molly. Brant has not only bonded with Jax, but he has developed feelings for Molly. The only thing in his way is her list. How can Brant make Molly see her list is holding her back? Will Molly realize too late she missed out on something great?

Must Love Babies had every element you love in a romance novel… an amazing hero, a sweet leading lady, an adorable baby, and a life lesson. Sometimes you have to live in the moment because not everything will go according to plan. Everything will happen when it needs to. Be spontaneous, don’t miss your shot! This is set up to be a series, and it looks like Brant’s older brother, Tucker, will be next. I can’t wait!

Book Review: Giving Up the Boss ~ Victoria Davies

Title: Giving Up the Boss
Author: Victoria Davies
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence
Date of Release: July 9, 2018
Pages: 195
Format: Kindle (Entangled Publishing)

We’ve all been in the situation when we wanted something/someone we couldn’t have. In this case, Lori wanted Jackson Sinclair, sexy, CEO, billionaire, and… her boss. There’s no way she can continue being his executive assistant, so she does the logical thing. She quits! In the process of quitting, she sorta, kinda… runs him over with her car and gets amnesia. He wakes up in the hospital a completely different man. To save his company, Lori and Jackson must make the company, competitors, and his board believe everything is absolutely fine. Can they keep up the charades without slipping up? Will regaining his memories revert Jackson back to who he was?

I thought was absolutely adorable. Lori was a godsend to Jackson. She was a complete gem she didn’t think he paid attention to. This was a charming story which included an office romance. The Jackson Sinclair the readers get to know is completely different from the Jackson his staff knows, and he’s truly lovely and down to earth. Lori was sweet and you felt for the predicament she was in. Do you tell the truth and watch him grow to hate you, or do you tell him the truth and hope the person he is now will be the same person after he regains his memories? It was a tough situation, and it was well told. This was engaging, funny, and sweet. This was my introduction to Ms. Davies, but I look forward to reading more from her. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled: Indulgence for giving me the chance to read and review. For also showing anyone can turn over a new leaf, and become a better person.

Spotlight: Giving Up the Boss ~ Victoria Davies

Title: Giving Up the Boss
Author: Victoria Davies
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Date of Release: July 9, 2018
Pages: 195

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​Goodreads:​ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40519019-giving-up-the-boss

Synopsis: Executive assistant Lori has finally said those three little words to her boss, Jackson Sinclair, that have haunted her for months–– Goodbye, I quit.  Yep. That happened. Then she sort of ran over him. It was an accident. No. Really. It was. Now he can’t remember anything––and it’s up to her to keep his billion-dollar corporation running until he gets his memory back.

Billionaire Jackson Sinclair wakes up in a hospital to a life he can’t remember. The only person who feels familiar is Lori. The more he learns about his past, though, the more it disturbs him. He was kind of cold, and he can’t imagine why the lovely Lori put up with him. And she is lovely, as in, he can’t stop thinking about her. But he has a company to save, and there’s no time for that sort thing. Especially when it seems like his assistant is hiding something from him.

As his condition shows no signs of healing, Lori can’t help wonder what’s best, telling the truth about his accident and losing the man of her dreams or keeping quiet and living the best lie of her life.

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Purchase your copy today!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2u0vhbY

​Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2ueZMtW

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2MZe21Y

IBooks: https://apple.co/2uc0CHX

KOBO: https://bit.ly/2KSf0iP​

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About The Author: Victoria Davies’s passion for writing started young. Luckily she had a family who encouraged believing in magic and embracing imagination. Her love of storytelling developed from stories quickly scribbled in bright pink diaries. Since then her characters may have evolved and her plots may have grown decidedly more steamy but she never lost her love of the written word. Writing is not only a way to silence the wonderful voices in her head, but it also allows her to share her passions with her readers.

Currently she writes from Toronto, Canada. While she has a healthy love for traveling and exploring the unknown, this corner of the world will always be her home.

​Author Links

Website: https://www.victoriadavies.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaDaviesAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaDaviesR

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4026601.Victoria_Davies​

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Book Review: The Girl in the Forest ~ Bridgid Dean

Title: The Girl in the Forest
Author: Bridgid Dean
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewer: Shakera
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Publisher: Bridgid Dean
Date of Release:  August 7, 2016
Pages: 63
Format: Kindle (Author via AXP)

Jolie has a recurring dream, she sees a woman in the forest with a hollow back. She’s had a rough day when she spots a bookstore. On the second floor is Jamie, who reads tarot cards. She’s intrigued about her dream, but she’s more intrigued with Jamie. Wanting to help Jolie, he reached out to his friend, Greta, who is in need of a baker. Great thing Jolie is in need of a job! As the book progresses, nothing is as it seems. Greta and Jamie have secrets. What do these secrets mean for Jolie? Who is the guy in the forest following them?

I have to say, I’m a bit torn about the story. On one hand, it was intriguing enough for me to finish the story to see what happens. On the other hand, I finished the book just to see where it goes. Each character was beautifully flawed and damaged, but there really wasn’t any character growth. Jolie was a bit naive and seemed to be attached to Jamie, who was extremely sweet and very mysterious. I, personally, thought Jamie and Greta were sketchy. There was something that was so dishonest about them. It was really hard to get a grasp on the characters as this was a short story. The ending was abrupt. There wasn’t a cliffhanger, but it didn’t feel complete. I’ll be completely honest, from the synopsis I was expecting a little more from this story. It fell a little short for me. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. Perhaps if the story was fleshed out a bit more, this would be a higher rating.

 

Book Review: House of Diviners ~ Alesha Escobar

Title: House of Diviners (Book 1)
Author: Alesha Escobar
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism, Sci-Fi
Publisher: Creative Alchemy, Inc.
Date of Release: March 1, 2017
Pages: 138
Format: Kindle (Lizzy Black)

Kelsey Jackson Diviner is a shaman-in-training who witnesses an attack on a fellow shaman. There’s a shadow-in-black out to get all shamans, Kelsey is no exception. Her father, a fellow shaman, is attacked while helping Kelsey with a client. Can she help save her father and potentially the world?

Escobar writes an interesting group of characters, with each one serving a purpose. In the beginning, Kelsey’s father seems overly protective, until he’s attacked and not only do you see and understand why her father was always “butting in”, but you also got to see just how much training Kelsey still needed. This caused Kelsey to draw on an inner power she didn’t know she had within her. It wasn’t magic, she had plenty of that (although not fully trained with it), it was grit and determination. She was sympathetic and empathetic, with sometimes not a clear plan to achieve her goal, but she never gave up. Kelsey does have a hard time figuring out who can and can’t be trusted. No one wants to walk around feeling suspicious all the time; this is where her strengths were sometimes her weakness. Some magical details about shamans and gods could have been explained more, but it’s possible to learn more about them in the next installment. Overall, she achieves her goal, but not her end goal. This was written in such a way there was no true, clear cliffhanger… but just enough to get you excited about the next installment.

Bargain Thursday: Intertwined Hearts (Caleb & Abby) ~ Kimi Flores

Click cover to purchase

Title: Intertwined Hearts (Caleb & Abby, Book 1)
Author: Kimi Flores
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Date of Release: November 14, 2013
Pages: 322

¸¸.•¨•★ Free! ★•¨•.¸¸

To let go, forgiveness is necessary.
Even if the one that needs it is yourself.

As a teacher in her hometown of Santa Barbara, California, Abby Sullivan finally feels like she has something to offer. She has a purpose, a wonderful best friend, and a supportive mother. Abby is very talented at many things, especially hiding the pain of her past. That is until her world collides with Caleb Hunter’s.

With an ever-present ache in his chest, Caleb is living life day to day, grieving the loss of his wife. As a successful writer, he’s thankful that his schedule doesn’t require him to get out much. But when his five-year-old daughter, Madison walks into Abby’s kindergarten class at the beginning of the year, everything will change.

With a little matchmaking magic from Caleb’s loving mother-in-law, things will be set into motion, love will grow, and hearts will heal as they intertwine. But when those past pains come to light, will Abby be able to forgive? And will Caleb be able to let go?

Previously published under the title, It all Started with a Lima Bean

Price subject to change