paranormal

It Started with a Book

By Camilla Isley

Coming July 5, 2024

(4 / 5)

After getting ghosted yet again, Leigh is fed up with dating. A mysterious romance book turns out to be the perfect escape, and her dreams bring her back to the fictional world and the gorgeous billionaire cowboy, Killian. But one morning, she wakes up to Killian physically there in her apartment. Is it too good to be true?

First off, I loved Leigh as a character, and I felt an extra special connection to her as a fellow avid reader, book reviewer, and woman in computer science. I went into this book knowing that I’d have to suspend reality a little bit, but I really enjoyed the interesting experience of “book character comes to life.” I liked the story within the story aspect and how it all became intertwined. This book hits on just about every romance trope you can imagine, but it doesn’t feel cheesy at all because the characters are actively pointing it out and joking about it. I loved watching Killian and Leigh adapt to their crazy situation. The romance is definitely a slow burn, but I think the character development along the way validates it. It was great to see Leigh gain a sense of trust and the ability to speak up. This was just an overall enjoyable, quick read from an author who doesn’t disappoint!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of It Started with a Book! The opinions in my review are completely my own.

The Husbands

By Holly Gramazio

Coming soon on April 2, 2024

(3 / 5)

Imagine coming home one night, where you live alone, only to be greeted by a strange man who turns out to be your husband. It’s a different reality, and with the mysterious husband come other small differences. When the husband goes into the attic, a different husband appears, with a different reality…

I wanted to love this book, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me. I didn’t really feel a connection to Lauren, the main character, so I think that was a lot of it. The beginning of the book was a bit too impersonal for my taste, since I knew very little about Lauren and the husbands were rapidly changing. We do end up getting to know Lauren a lot better as the story progresses, but I just never felt a real connection. The premise was definitely a unique and interesting investigation into “what if,” with the paranormal twist of the magic attic, seeing how ending up with different spouses changed Lauren’s life in different ways. I think I was secretly hoping for something that was more comedic or romantic, so this book just wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It wasn’t a bad read, just not quite the right book for me.

Thank you to Doubleday Books | Doubleday and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Husbands. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

March 25, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Literary Fiction Women's Fiction 0

Your Blood, My Bones

By Kelly Andrew

Coming soon on April 2, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

It’s been 5 years since Wyatt left Willow Heath, her father’s homestead farm, and her childhood friends, James and Peter. Now Wyatt is 18, her father has passed, and she has inherited the farm. She returns with only the intention to burn it to the ground, until she finds Peter, imprisoned in the cellar. Now she must face her past and present, as the farm holds far more sinister secrets than she ever imagined.

This book was one that I have very mixed feelings about. On one hand, there were parts that felt drawn out or more confusing than they needed to be. We have the present-day timeline, along with memories from the past, and sometimes it was hard to tell when something was happening or exactly how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. On the other hand, this book kept me wanting to read it, sitting for hours at a time. I really liked the writing, with fantastic descriptions and an overall unique feel to it. It was a blend of many genres – young adult, romance, fantasy, horror. At times I felt the vocabulary was a bit advanced for young adult, but again, this generally didn’t feel like a typical YA story. While not necessarily packed with action, the story held an eerie and mysterious feel throughout.

Thank you to Scholastic, Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of Your Blood, My Bones. Opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

February 12, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Horror Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Switched

By Sarah Ready

Narrated by Kelsey Navarro Foster and James Anderson Foster

Coming soon on February 20, 2024

(4 / 5)

Serena is a scientist who likes her life the way it is, convinced that having a relationship with a man would mean giving up her own identity. Then she meets Henry, and they have a one-night stand. He’s convinced it’s love at first sight, but Serena is not falling for that, especially when she finds out he’s going to be her new boss. For well over a year they suppress the feelings, nothing but coworkers… until one day a storm at the Large Hadron Collider leads to them switching bodies, and now they have to stick together until they figure out how to undo it.

Switched is the second book in the Ghosted series, though I think it can easily be read as a standalone. Personally, I liked Ghosted better, but Switched was still an enjoyable read. I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version, which I thought was well-done, especially with portraying the various accents of different characters.

I liked the portrayal of Serena being a woman working in science, though sometimes I felt like the science references were a little bit lost on me. That said, you could feel her passion for the field. The body switch give the book a little bit of a paranormal feel, but this was something I expected. There were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments along the way, but also a lot of soul searching as Serena and Henry learn about each other during their predicament. There was a lot of character growth, especially for Serena, as she came to better understand herself, Henry, and the reasons she didn’t want to have a relationship. Switched kept me wanting to read more, and I was able to finish the whole book within a 24-hour timespan.

Thank you to Sarah Ready, W. W. Crown, and imprint of Swift & Lewis Publishing, LLC, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Audiobooks, and NetGalley for the free audiobook of Switched. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

February 6, 2024 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Romance 0

These Deadly Prophecies

By Andrea Tang

Coming soon on January 30, 2024!

(5 / 5)

These Deadly Prophecies brings us to a modern world where sorcery is a viable career option. Our narrator, Tabatha, loves the occult, and is the apprentice of Sorcerer Solomon, one of the most well-known sorcerers in eastern America who specializes in prophecies. Unfortunately, Sorcerer Solomon prophesized his own death, and the book begins where his life ends. But who murdered Sorcerer Solomon?

I was absolutely enthralled with this book. I loved Tabatha as the narrator of this story, giving her account of what happened. Her narrative is engaging and full of excitement. At times she addresses the reader directly, which makes the story feel even more real. I think the fact that Tabatha is not originally from the sorcery world makes her very relatable to readers, explaining the intricacies of sigils, spells and traditions.

This book really takes on the feel of a murder mystery, as Tabatha teams up with Solomon’s youngest son, Callum, to try to find out who committed the murder. This book had me making my own theories then changing my mind as I learned more, just like the characters did in the book. The book really kept me guessing until the very end when everything was revealed. I enjoyed the interactions between Tabatha and Callum and enjoyed both characters a lot. There’s also a cast of side characters who are diverse and add to the charm of the story.

I felt like this book was very well written. It was nearly impossible to put down, and I ended up staying up until 2am to finish the story – once I got so far into the book, I just couldn’t wait until the morning to find out the solution to the mystery and how things would end. I’ll be seeking out more books by Andrea Tang for sure!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the free advance copy of These Deadly Prophecies. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and all opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

November 11, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Mystery Young Adult 0

The Invocations

By Krystal Sutherland

Coming soon on January 30, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

The Invocations is a young adult fantasy story that dives into the occult, witchcraft and demons in the modern world while also trying to solve a murder mystery. It follows three 17-year-old girls, Zara (who is looking for a witch to help her resurrect her sister), Jude (who is suffering from a bad invocation) and Emer (an invocation writer). I was a bit unsure if I would like these characters in the beginning, but I liked them more as I learned more about them and their situations. I found Zara to be the hardest to relate to since I didn’t understand her obsession with raising the raising the dead. Jude turned out to be my favorite character.

I enjoyed the writing style of this author, with great descriptions and a lot of complexity to the characters and occult practices. I don’t typically read horror books, so this one was a bit more gruesome than I’m used it, but I wouldn’t call it scary. At times the story felt a bit slow and drawn out, but I felt like the second half of the book had a better pace and definitely had a lot more action. About halfway through the book, I started to have a hunch about who was behind the murders, and I mostly turned out to be right. I was a little disappointed that I was able to figure it out so early on, though there were still some surprises along the way.

I think that my biggest dislike about the book is that it has a very anti-male feel to it. Men are considered aggressive, abusive, etc, which is why women need the invocations to protect themselves. Given, many of the women in the story faced abusive or terrible situations, but I think the story was a bit too extreme in portraying men as evil and something women had to fear. I’m all for strong female characters, but this book took it farther than I would have preferred.

Thank you to BookishFirst and Penguin Teen for the free copy of The Invocations in return for my honest review.

October 30, 2023 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Horror Mystery Paperback Young Adult 0

Ghosted

By Sarah Ready

Narrated by Sarah Naughton and Rob Brinkman

Coming soon on September 26, 2023

(4.5 / 5)

TW: suicide

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Sarah Ready’s upcoming book, Ghosted. The narrators did a great job reading the book. A special thanks to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the free advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed in my review are solely my own.

I went into Ghosted knowing it was a paranormal romance, but it ended up being so much more than I was expecting. It made me feel such a range of emotions, from laughter to tears. At times it did feel a little long, but then the story took a big turn in a direction I wasn’t necessarily expecting.

The author has a very descriptive style of writing, thoroughly painting the scenes throughout the book. Characters were complex and interesting, with side characters that had big personalities and their own character developments. All of this really brought the story to life.

I will note that Jillian, the main character, is a huge Star Trek fan, so many references to the show are made. I’m familiar enough with the various series to be able to appreciate the references, but readers not familiar with Star Trek might find themselves a little lost at times.

I don’t want to give away any of the plot here, so I’ll just say that I ended up enjoying this book so much more than I expected. It was hard to tear myself away from the story, and I finished the whole thing in just over a day. I would love to read more books by Sarah Ready!

I received a free review copy of this book, but all opinions are completely my own.

September 19, 2023 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Romance 0

Sneak Peek: The Invocations

By Krystal Sutherland

Coming soon on January 30, 2024

First impression: (5 / 5)

I had the opportunity to read the first few chapters of The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland. From the first page of the Prologue I could tell I was going to really like this author’s style of writing, with beautifully detailed descriptions and an air of mystery. The book follows 3 young women, each who has a connection or interest in magic for their own reasons. Each of these characters seems to be in some sort of trouble, so I feel like it’s too soon to tell how much I’ll like these characters. Either way, it seems like some big things will be happening, and I’m interested to see where this story is heading.

September 14, 2023 by danimae1981 eBook Fantasy Fiction First Impression Young Adult 0

Bittersweet in the Hollow

By Kate Pearsall

Coming soon on October 10, 2023

(4 / 5)

It’s hard to summarize a book like Bittersweet in the Hollow. This young adult novel was so much more than just that genre… add in paranormal abilities, murder, mystery, legends of a Moth-Winged Man, a dash of romance, and the powerful bonds of family. This story takes place in present time, following 17 year old Linden, whose family has passed down paranormal abilities through generations of women. Linden’s ability is that she can taste the emotions of other people, so there’s an ongoing theme of flavors and food throughout the book, especially since Linden’s family also owns a restaurant.

The book takes place in the small town of Caball Hollow where everyone seems to know each other. There’s an isolated feeling since the town is surrounded by a national forest, and families have lived there for generations.

There’s a lot of mystery woven into this story. Linden disappeared for a night a year ago, but is unable to remember what happened during that time. Now a friend has gone missing exactly a year later. Could these disappearances be related to the little boy that vanished 18 years ago? What about the Moth-Winged Man that Caball Hollow is known for? All this put together definitely makes for a complex story that keeps you wondering how it will all come together. There’s some interesting twists along the way, and though some of them I suspected, there were definitely some surprises along the way too.

Overall this was an interesting story with a unique feel to it. While at times it felt a little slow-paced, it really picks up in the last third of the book, to the point that I just couldn’t put it down until I finished it at 2am. It was definitely worth reading!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the free advance copy of Bittersweet in the Hollow. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

September 5, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

A Multitude of Dreams

By Mara Rutherford

Coming soon on August 29, 2023

(4 / 5)

A Multitude of Dreams was an interesting blend of genres. It’s a young adult book with a post-apocalyptic dystopia feel mixed with fantasy, action and a dash of romance along the way.

The story follows the points-of-view of 2 characters, Seraphina and Nico. In the aftermath of a terrible disease, both characters are living very different lives from what they were before. Seraphina is Jewish, and lived in an area where Jewish people were separated from the rest of the population – this book actually dives into the persecution of Jews, much like what happened in real history. When the king’s favorite daughter, Imogen, dies from the disease, the other princesses take Seraphina to live as the princess since she looks remarkably similar. For 4 years she has been stuck in the castle as the king will not allow anyone to leave. Meanwhile, Nico lived a life with some status though his mother. But with his entire family dead from the sickness, he now works as a servant for a nobleman named Crane. On the surface Crane seems like a good enough man, but soon Nico starts to suspect that things are not quite what they seem.

Several chapters in, the book takes a turn into a more paranormal/fantasy feel, which I didn’t necessarily see coming, but it adds an interesting twist to the story that gives it a sinister feel. It also leads to a lot of thrills and action.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable read that kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I liked both of the main characters and felt they were well-developed and learn a lot about themselves over the course of the story. The world created in the book was interesting and immersive.

Thank you to Inkyard Press for the free copy of this book, which I won through a BookishFirst raffle. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

August 16, 2023 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Hardcover Young Adult 0