Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Review: Lightening in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

 
Lightning in Her Hands by  Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Lightning in Her Hands (Wild Magic #2) by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Publication Date: October 15th 2024 by Berkley 
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher 
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
In the last book Teal was kind of a jerk, so I was wondering if I’d grow to like her, however it quickly becomes apparent that her actions came from a place of hurt. Now, Teal is on a mission of self-improvement, trying to be a better person, think of others, and right the wrongs of her past. I really started to like Teal as she made positive strides.
 
One of the wrongs was hurting her best friend, Carter. It’s clear from the beginning that there were deeper feelings between Carter and Teal, more than just friends. Unrequited love on Carter’s part, and Teal reluctantly acknowledging her attraction.
 
There was a lot going on with Teal dealing with feelings of abandonment from her mother (a real piece of work!) a woman who took a piece of Teal’s power over weather when she left, making it hard for Teal to control her gift. She also felt abandoned by her older sister, Sage and still feels guilty about her sister, Sky.  Add to that Teal’s dealing with the aftereffects of being in an abusive relationship that put a dent in her self-esteem.
 
Lightning in Her Hands was a chemistry filled romance, but it was also a story of healing, and wonderful sisterly bonds. I also enjoyed Teal’s rude and feisty grandmother and her Aunt Nadia. They all supported Teal in her journey in their own way.  While this is a separate romance, I still think it’s best to read the previous book as you get Teal and the sister’s history.

4 Stars


Book Description:

Gifted—or cursed—with the power to influence the weather, one woman must embrace her wild heart in the next electric romance from the author of Witch of Wild Things.

Teal Flores is desperate for two things—control over her gift of weather, and a date to her ex’s wedding. The first isn’t possible until she finds her long-lost mother, but the second has a very handsome last-ditch solution: Carter Velasquez.

Carter needs Teal too. His chance at receiving an inheritance is dependent on him being married by age thirty (blame his traditional Cuban grandmother), so who better to pose as his wife than Teal? But fake marriage and cohabitation prove tricky when mutual attraction charges the atmosphere—quite literally for Teal, whose volatile emotions cause lightning strikes.

Together, Teal and Carter embark on a quest to find her mother and the answers she’s searching for. But along the way, they’ll discover something even better: a love that can weather any storm.


Monday, October 21, 2024

Audiobook Review: The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

 
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave


The Night We Lost Him by Julia Whelan
Publication Date: September 17th 2024 by Simon & Schuster Audio
Pages: 298
Audio Book Length: 7hrs 48min
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Source: Publisher
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Libro.fm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The Night We Lost Him was more fiction with a bit of mystery, but engrossing even so.
 
I don’t get why Liam and Corey just didn’t get together years earlier. What was stopping them? Not anything that was explained properly, in my opinion. The chapters set in the past were my least favorite part of the story. I was more invested in Nora and her brother Sam’s present-day mission to discover what actually happened to their father the night of his death. Both are at a crossroads personally and I enjoyed them connecting over their shared grief and sorting out their futures together.
 
There is one twist that caught me off guard, and I had to re-listen to the spot just to make sure I was hearing right before it all came together.
 
I did enjoy the sound of all the places, décor and aesthetics mentioned. From Santa Ynez/Central Coast California to the neighborhoods in New York. What Sam’s girlfriend wanted to do to that gorgeous Brownstone was a crime!
 
Julia Whelan’s excellent audio performance enhanced my enjoyment for sure!  

4 Stars


Book Description:

Estranged siblings discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years, one that may have been fatal...

Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-
made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar – notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.   

The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything.

With Laura Dave’s trademark combination of soulful suspense and evocative family drama, The Night We Lost Him is a riveting page-turner with a heartbreaking final twist you’ll never see coming.


Saturday, October 19, 2024

Sunday Post #269

 


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Got home from Montana last Sunday and didn't rest until I unpacked and got the laundry going, which is my usual routine when I come home from a trip unless it's super late. I got my flu shot yesterday. My arm was sore all night and I went to bed at 9pm because I was so tired.

I don't think I've mentioned, but we we've been feeding three stray/feral cats that've been hanging around our house since the spring. There was a small gray tabby. She ended up having two kittens we didn't know about until they were maybe 2 months old. We just knew momma cat was super hungry all the time. Well, the three (mom and her two babies) have pretty much become our cats. The mom is still super skittish, but the babies, which I figure are about six months now, are a lot more friendly, playful and super cute!  It's a boy and girl, which I've named Smokey and Starla:

Starla with brother on the side

Smokey & Starla playing, as usual

I was able to finally pet Smokey this morning, which is progress! I need to be able to catch them, take them to the vet to get their shots, and get them spayed and neutered. Peanut's not too pleased with them. He used to chase them off and got into a scuffle with the mom cat a couple of months ago, but he's getting used to them. We'll see what happens. 

It was cold and rained the first part of the week and it even dropped to 32 degrees Thursday night! And the frost got several of my zinnias.
 
Picked a bunch of zinnias before the frost

It warmed up to high 70s today and it's supposed to stay that way for a while. 

Read:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link)
One Little Mistake by Lucinda Berry
An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka
The Specimen by Jaima Fixsen

One Little Mistake by Lucinda Berry-2 Stars

One Little Mistake was a short story/novella included with the Audible membership that I downloaded a while back and never got to. An okay story with a disappointing ending. An Instruction in Shadow was excellent and left me wanting the next story asap! The Specimen was really good! Historical mystery/thriller with a bit of paranormal to it.

Received:

The Mirror by Nora Roberts
The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Blackstone Publishing!

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How was your week?




3 Book Giveaway! Romance, Fantasy, YA Thriller

 Happy Saturday! I'm getting ready to plant a bunch of bulbs, but before I did that I wanted to post this 3 Book Giveaway:

Cold Curses by Chloe Neill, Under the Surface by Diana Urban, Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

Cold Curses (Heirs of Chicagoland #5) by Chloe Neill-Paperback
Under the Surface by Diana Urban-Hardcover
Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

The Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win! Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway





Thursday, October 17, 2024

Review: An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka

 
An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka

An Instruction in Shadow (Inheritance of Magic #2) by Benedict Jacka
Publication Date: October 15th 2024 by Ace
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm | Audible | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:
Stephen Oakwood had been training with his father in the art of drucrafting (sort of magic) until his father went missing.  Stephen didn’t know there was a whole world of drucrafters, with a hierarchy, politics, and grabs for more power. He learned the hard way, through his conniving family, House Ashford, in the last book.
 
Now, Stephen has a bit more information, a lot more sigls for defense and offense, and a way to make money. Now that he has a few things sorted, Stephen is determined to find his father. However, things go bad in the job department. Stephen narrowly fends off a few attacks. Byron from the mysterious “Winged” claims he can find Stephen’s father and will give him the information if Stephen joins. Also, Stephen meets with his mother for the first time to get answers. Can’t say I like that woman.
 
Stephen has landed in a dangerous world, and for good reason, he’s suspicious of everyone. Thankfully, he has a few in his corner, like his friend, Colin, and his trusty super cat, Hobbs! Omg! I love Hobbs! I laughed my head off in one scene with him!
 
An Instruction in Shadow was a riveting second installment! The world created is original and interesting, with information weaved in a way that informs without interrupting the pace. I’m eager for the next book since this one left off in a to-be-continued situation! 

4.5 Stars


Book Description:

The ultra-rich control magic—the same way they control everything else—but Stephen Oakwood may just beat them at their own game in this exhilarating contemporary fantasy from the author of the Alex Verus novels. 
Stephen Oakwood has emerged victorious against the schemes of his aristocratic family. Now he finally has the opportunity to do what he’s been wanting to do for a long track down his father.  But doing so won’t be easy. Stephen’s not so isolated any more, but the contacts he’s making in the magical world—everyone from the corporation he works for to the mother he’s just beginning to reconnect with—all have agendas of their own. And now a new group is emerging from the shadows, calling themselves the Winged. Their leader, the mysterious Byron, promises that he can show Stephen how to find his father...but he wants something in return.Following that trail will throw Stephen into greater danger than he’s ever faced before. To survive, he’ll need to use all of his tricks and sigls, and pick up some new ones. Only then will he be able to prevail against his enemies...and find out who’s really pulling the strings.



Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Review: The Specimen by Jaima Fixsen

 

The Specimen by Jaima Fixsen
Publication Date: October 15th 2024 by Poisoned Pen Press & Recorded Books
Pages: 416
Audio Book Length: 13hrs 3min
Narrator: Cathleen McCarron
Source: Publishers
Rating: 

My Thoughts:
It’s 1826 in Edinburgh, Scotland when Isobel’s seven-year-old son, Thomas, goes missing. She’s wild with grief and hounds the police daily, but there’s not sign of him anywhere. Months later, Isobel, at the urging of friends, is attending a museum of morbid curiosities when she starts to hear the beating of Thomas’ heart!
 
The Specimen was suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat as Isobel searches for the truth and stumbles on a way to do it that puts her in danger! I was rooting for her as she uncovered the details and looked for a way to serve up justice! There’s a splash of spine-tingling supernatural here, too!
 
The writing was rich and vivid without sacrificing pace! Don’t miss reading the author’s note at the end which gives a bit of the history of the true story The Specimen was based on and how she came up with the story!
 
I alternately read and listened to The Specimen. The audio was fantastic! Cathleen McCarron’s Scottish accent was wonderful to listen to and there were pronunciations I wouldn’t have got right otherwise. She seamlessly performed both male and female voices. Loved!

5 Stars


Book Description:

Walk carefully, lest you become a part of Dr. Burnett's collection…

1826. Isobel Tait finds herself, by chance, staring at a tiny human heart floating in a jar. It should be of little consequence; Dr. Burnett is renowned for his collection of oddities and medical specimens, and this, a juvenile heart with a damaged mitral valve, is not the strangest thing on display. Except that the condition is rare, and that Isobel's young son, who has been missing for months, suffered from the ailment.

A phantom pulse beats in Isobel's ears. She knows something here isn't right.

Missing persons cases are all too common in Edinburgh, where people simply vanish like mist. But Burnett is obsessed with his specimens – how far would he go to acquire a new one? Determined to investigate, Isobel joins his staff as the keeper of his collection. What she'll unearth, though, is far worse than any of her nightmares…

Based on true crimes, The Specimen is a mesmerizing story about one woman's search for truth and vengeance in the darkest of places—where the deadliest secrets lie hidden in plain sight, on a freshly dusted shelf.



Saturday, October 12, 2024

Sunday Post #268

 


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Instead of heading to Texas on Thursday we met our daughter in Montana. The fall colors are so gorgeous out here! We head home tomorrow (Sunday). It's been a busy week.

Montana Fall



Read:


We Solve Murders by Richard Osman: 4 Stars
The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose: 4 Stars

Received:


Thank you to Berkley and Pamela Dorman Books (see below).

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How was your week?