Review: After We Fall by Deborah Clack

After We Fall (Shelter & Sky #2) by Deborah Clack

Publication Date: October 6th 2026 by Haven & Recorded Books

Pages: 368

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 47min

Narrator: Jeanine Bartel

Source: Publishers & Great Reads Book Promotion

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Super-efficient Penelope Reid wants to manage the Twelve Bluebells Ranch, a halfway home for girls aging out of the foster care system. It’s a program close to her heart given her own background. She’s grown close to the girls and is determined to prove she’s perfect for the job.

 

Luke Granger is called to the ranch after vandalism and a suspicious delivery give cause for concern. As the two work together to keep the girls safe, they form a reluctant friendship. When the threat leads to an accident, Penelope is forced to rely on Luke even more, examine her past, and finally address an old injury.

 

It took me a bit to see the attraction with Luke, toothpicks are a pet peeve of mine, but he was such a sweetheart with Penelope and the girls and grew on me.

 

I didn’t know much about TBI, so I found all the medical aspects really interesting. I felt for Penelope and everything she had been through, and I admired the strong, capable, loving woman she became despite her childhood trauma.

 

I really enjoyed After We Fall! It’s a romance with a touch of suspense that delves into some deeper issues while tempering them with humor and a whole lot of heart!

 

I alternated between the audiobook and print copy, and I thought Janine Bartel did a wonderful job bringing all the characters to life. I especially loved the way she captured Penelope’s perky, efficient personality.

 

4 Stars

Book Description:

Self-sufficient Penelope Reid has her life completely mapped out—a necessity after surviving foster care. Now she’s on a mission to prove that she’s capable of managing a halfway house at Twelve Bluebells Ranch. The last thing she needs is hindrance from the charming Luke Granger, who asked her to dance three years ago, then disappeared before the music began.

Luke lives a nomadic lifestyle as a security specialist. He’s never found a reason to put down roots until he’s reunited with the bossy brunette and her generous heart. When vandalism strikes the ranch neighboring Twelve Bluebells, securing the area is just another gig for him before he hits the road. But as Luke and Penelope work alongside each other and care for the ranch’s halfway house residents, his restless heart finds reasons to stay, and her careful walls begin to crack.

When crisis threatens everything Penelope has built and tragedy pulls at Luke’s wandering heart, they must decide if it’s worth the risk to lower their guards for a love that could give them the home they’ve always longed for.

Deborah Clack crafts a story with poignant emotions and witty banter in this no-spice romance about taking risks and finding belonging in unexpected places.

Review: Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter

 

Unpredictable Magic (Everhart Investigations #1) by Faith Hunter

Publication Date: July 14th 2026 by Ace

Pages: 556

Source: Publisher  

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Angie and her brother, Evan, are witches with ties to Queen Jane Yellowrock, but they’re striking out on their own by launching Everhart Investigations, a detective agency specializing in paranormal crimes. When a woman hires them to look for her friend, a woman who went missing at a party hosted by the Queen, it’s immediately obvious that she’s leaving out important details. They discover the missing woman has ties to Angie’s ex-husband, a vampire and nasty piece of work, with his own diabolical agenda.

 

Unpredictable Magic was an engrossing, but complex first installment in a new urban fantasy series. As the opening book in a spin-off series, and my first experience with the connected Jane Yellowrock novels, it did take me a bit to navigate this magical world and its many players. Alongside witches Angie and Evan, who are still learning the full extent of their powers, the story features vampires, demons, and plenty of political maneuvering.

 

Despite the learning curve, I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to the Everhart Investigations series. The world-building is unique, and the mystery kept me invested. With nonstop action and lots of danger along the way, I was hooked from start to finish.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Witches Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood take a case that spirals out of control until the whole city is at risk in this exciting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter.

Angelina Everhart-Trueblood and her brother Evan run Everhart Investigations Inc., a PI firm in Chattanooga that solves paranormal crimes committed by supernatural beings. When their new client wants help finding her friend who supposedly disappeared during a reception at Angie’s aunt Jane’s winter residence, things get . . . complicated.

The client is not who she appears to be, and demons strike the city for the first time since the Demon War. On top of that, evidence is pointing toward the involvement of an overly ambitious vampire—who just happens to be Angie’s ex-husband.

As Angie and Evan team up with the CPD, they will have to dig deep into their magical reserves—and rely on some friends in high places—to rid Chattanooga of the danger creeping into their city.

Author Bio: Faith Hunter is the New York Times bestselling author of the Jane Yellowrock series, the Soulwood series, the Rogue Mage series, and the Junkyard series.

 

Review: Lead Me Home by Catherine Bybee

 

Lead Me Home (Queen Anne Hill #1) by Catherine Bybee

Publication Date: June 9th 2026 by Montlake & Brilliance Audio

Pages: 351

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 37min

Narrators: Laura Jennings, Alex Knox & Catherine Bybee

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Luna’s smart and accomplished as a forensic accountant and happy on her own. Living in the big Victorian left to her and her siblings by their grandmother. Luna’s assigned to a case with Nate, a former FBI Agent specializing in white collar crime, and there’s an immediate spark. When her car is stolen from airport parking and Nate steps in to help, their work relationship shifts into something more personal.

 

Unfortunately, Luna’s narcissistic mother, Karen, shows up without notice, staying with Luna and her roommate, Miley.

 

While Luna was fine on her own, she truly deserved a guy like Nate! I loved their low-drama romance and the way he was there to support her in any way he could. Luna also had support from her friend Miley and her brother and sister and I adored them!

 

Luna’s mother was something else! I felt for Luna so much because everything was about Karen, both in the present and past, whether or not it put her kids in danger. I was outraged on their behalf! Things come to an ugly and dangerous head. I was happy for the way Luna handled things in the end.

 

The author’s note really got to me. Everything she’s been through and accomplished is an inspiration for others!

 

Lead Me Home was captivating from the very first page! I’m guessing the next couple of books will focus on Luna’s siblings, Harper and Ash. I eagerly await the next story!

 

I alternated between a print and audio copy and recommend either version. Laura Jennings had a wonderfully calm voice that had me engrossed with every word. Alex Knox did a wonderful job performing Nate. The dual narration was a treat!

5 Stars

Book Description:

Luna Canning trusts numbers more than people-and for good reason. As a forensic accountant who specializes in exposing fraud, she knows numbers never deceive, unlike the toxic family she's spent a lifetime trying to escape. Now living in her grandmother's Victorian home, Luna has built a carefully ordered life behind walls she thought were unbreakable.

When her car is stolen from an airport parking lot, former FBI agent turned PI Nate Warren steps in to help-and proves more dangerous to her defenses than any thief. Despite Luna's iron-clad rules about mixing business with pleasure, their chemistry ignites, and for the first time, she considers letting someone past her guard. But just as their relationship begins to blossom, Luna's manipulative mother arrives unannounced, dragging with her a dangerous man and decades of unresolved trauma that threaten everything Luna has built.

Now Luna must confront the ghosts of her past-both metaphorical and possibly literal, as strange occurrences in her historic home suggest she's not alone. With a violent threat looming and her heart on the line, Luna discovers that sometimes the hardest person to trust is yourself.

About the author:

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written nearly 50 books that have collectively sold more than 11 million copies. Her titles have been translated into more than 20 languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the popular Not Quite, Weekday Brides, Most Likely To, First Wives, D'Angelos, Heirs, and Queen Anne Hill series. 

Connect with Catherine Bybee:

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | TikTok

Review: Scent of Hope by Susan May Warren

Scent of Hope (Call of the Wild #2) by Susan May Warren

Publication Date: June 1st 2026 by Revell & Recorded Books

Pages: 352

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 57min

Narrator: Brian Hutchison

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Harley’s back in Copper Mountain, Alaska, hunting down a thug from her past who’s now a drug dealer tied to the dangerous criminal organization Mars Sorros. Returning home is bittersweet. She loved the rugged beauty of the Alaskan wilderness and the life her parents built for her and her brother, but their tragic deaths still hurt. To add to that pain, her first love, Jericho Bowie, left her when she needed him most.

 

Harley’s shocked to find out Jericho is assigned to help her track down Mars with his scent dog, Orlando.

 

I rooted for Harley and Jericho as they sorted through their past hurts while working together to catch the bad guy. It was a clean romance with elements of faith threaded throughout.

 

I really enjoyed this story, a great mix of action and suspense, with danger coming from both the brutal Alaskan winter and the criminals they’re chasing. A few twists kept things interesting, and I especially loved the setting. Harley’s family home and the family’s remote cabin sounded absolutely gorgeous.

 

I listened to the audio version and alternately read a print copy and can recommend either version. I thought Brian Hutchinson did a wonderful job bringing characters to life with emotions appropriate for each scene.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Two broken hearts. One deadly mission. And just one avalanche dog standing between them and a killer.

Harley Tatum made a vow to never return to Copper Mountain, Alaska, where a drug dealer destroyed her family and the man she loved walked away. But when that same criminal escapes and justice calls her name, she has no choice but to face everything she buried.

Jericho Bowie remembers things differently. She left him. And he's spent years wondering why. Now Harley needs his search-and-rescue dog, Orlando, to track a fugitive through treacherous mountain terrain--and Jericho refuses to let her go alone. Not again.

But as they push deep into the frozen wilderness, the hunter becomes the hunted. Old feelings resurface at the worst possible time, and survival depends on two people who don't know if they can trust each other--or their own hearts.

Susan May Warren packs action and heart-pounding suspense from the rugged wilderness of Alaska into a nonstop adventure where the greatest danger might be opening your heart again. 

 

Review: Taming Lady Temperance by Karen Witemeyer

 

Taming Lady Temperance (The Secret Society of Spinsters #1) by Karen Witemeyer 

Publication Date: February 17th 2026 by Bethany House Publishers & Recorded Books

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 51min

Narrator: Kate Forbes

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Noreen O’Sullivan is determined to shut down the local tavern, warning anyone who’ll listen that strong drink destroys families, something she knows all too well. So, when she’s invited to join the Secret Society of Spinsters, she’s thrilled. With their support, she finally has the numbers and the confidence to push her cause forward.

 

Sheriff James Paxton admires Noreen’s conviction, even if her crusade tends to stir up trouble with the tavern’s owner and patrons. The complaints keep landing on his desk, and he worries her boldness will eventually put her in danger. When Noreen asks for his help, he knows he must remain neutral as the county’s peacekeeper, but that doesn’t stop James from quietly offering guidance and keeping a watchful eye on her.

 

At first, Noreen seemed a bit fanatical, but once her heartbreaking past came to light, her determination made perfect sense. Her stepfather was truly awful, and I was relieved to see she never let him break her spirit. I admired her grit, her compassion, and her willingness to listen and grow.

 

Taming Lady Temperance was a touching romance rooted in redemption and forgiveness. Faith and scripture play a meaningful role, but the story never felt preachy, more uplifting and hopeful. There’s a thread of mystery and danger woven throughout, and I genuinely worried for Noreen, though she always had her Spinster Sisters, and James at her back. I’m excited for the next romance in the series. Maybe Jane or Martha will get their turn!

 

I alternated between an audio version and e-copy and can recommend either version. I thought Kate Forbes did a wonderful job narrating all the voices; male, female and a range of ages seamlessly and with appropriate emotions!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

When passion for justice conflicts with the heart, which will prevail?

Noreen O'Sullivan is an enthusiastic member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and believes herself called to defend the cause of prohibition. When she's invited to join the Secret Society of Spinsters, Noreen jumps at the chance to rally others to her movement and shut down the local saloon for good. However, her passionate campaigning often puts her at odds with the men around her--including the local deputy.

Deputy James Paxton believes in preserving the peace, but Miss O'Sullivan has been disturbing his peace for months. If James wants to be elected sheriff, he can't afford to be seen as her ally. But when Noreen ropes him into helping her plan a temperance march, their growing closeness sparks unexpected feelings. Then tensions escalate at the saloon and accusations fly. James must choose between upholding his badge and protecting the woman who's captured his heart--knowing either choice could cost him everything.

Karen Witemeyer presents a swoony Western romance with a determined heroine, cowboys, prohibition, and the rivals-to-lovers and duty vs. desire tropes. Fans of Mary Connealy and frontier romances set in the Old West will savor this clean, historical read.

 

Review: Remember That Day by Mary Balogh

 

Remember That Day (Ravenswood #5) by Mary Balogh

Publication Date: January 6th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Twenty-one-year-old Winnifred Cunningham, adopted daughter of Lady Camille and portrait painter Joel Cunningham, knows how lucky she is to have been taken into such a warm, boisterous family. She’s never believed marriage was necessary for her happiness, until her easy friendship with Owen Ware, the Earl’s youngest son, makes her wonder if marriage could be a happy possibility.

 

Colonel Nicholas Ware, Owen’s older brother, is preparing to propose to Grace Haviland. At thirty-four, he’s ready for a settled life filled with love and children. Grace is beautiful, poised, and perfectly suitable, yet Nicholas can’t seem to imagine true happiness with her. Something essential is missing.

 

When Winnifred and Nicholas meet, the spark between them is immediate and undeniable. They’re hardly an obvious match, both are on the cusp of commitments to others, and their age difference, but fate keeps placing them in each other’s path. With every encounter, their connection deepens.

 

Remember That Day was an absolute delight! This is the fifth book in the Ravenswood series, and I think you could get by reading this as a standalone, but you’d get more reading them in order because there’s a history with the Ware’s, a devastating event that made a huge impact in their lives.

 

Mary Balogh’s writing shines as she breathes life into her characters, their hopes, fears, longings, and quiet moments of vulnerability. Both Winnifred and Nicholas dealt with internal struggles, yet their bond became a source of comfort and clarity. The secondary cast, especially the many children with their charming side stories, added warmth and joy to every chapter.

 

Winnifred and Nicholas’ journey to love was tender, thoughtful, and deeply satisfying. Their story touched my heart from beginning to end!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

A soldier and a pacifist make the unlikeliest of pairs, but when attraction sparks, there’s nothing that can prevent their love from igniting.

Winifred Cunningham, the adopted daughter of a portrait painter, hopes that her new close friend, Owen Ware, will soon ask for her hand in marriage. But when Owen introduces Winifred to his elder brother Nicholas, the late Earl of Stratton’s second son, the slow burn of attraction between them begins.

Nicholas is a cavalry colonel—a hardened soldier whom Winifred at first despises. She finds him intimidating and cruel-looking, while he finds her strange and startlingly forthright. During a summer at Ravenswood, however, Nicholas and Winifred are unwillingly thrown together on several occasions, until they realize the passion that drives their disagreements is not due to dislike—it is because of attraction.

Winifred still awaits Owen’s proposal, and Nicholas has made his intention to marry his commanding officer’s daughter quite clear. With allegiances to other marriage prospects and brotherly bonds at risk, not to mention the age difference between them, Nicholas and Winifred know it would be wholly improper to pursue a romance...

And yet, romance is irresistible. Perhaps even inevitable.

Review: The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

 

The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy #2)  by Mimi Matthews

Publication Date: November 25th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 416

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Libro.fm | Audible | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies isn’t your typical school for orphaned girls. Instead of teaching them to be quiet and proper, the Academy trains them to be independent and formidable, something their wealthy backers definitely wouldn’t approve of. When Miles Quincey, editor of the London Courant, starts digging too deep, Nell is sent to handle him. However, while in his office Nell and Miles are caught in a compromising position forcing them into a marriage of convenience.

 

It ends up they have common goals, as Nell was sent to find a young girl, Flora Brent, who went missing on her way to the school and Miles is investigating the disappearance of his gossip columnist. The mysteries end up intersecting, a sinister plot at the heart of both cases. I was very worried about Flora, as London was no place for an unaccompanied, young girl!

 

Nell and Miles’ romance was utter fun with clever banter, gradually deepening into tenderness and trust. Their empathy for one another lends the story real emotional weight, tugging at my heartstrings!

 

They worked well together as they looked for answers. The danger they faced was chilling, but both Nell and Miles were well equipped to handle it!

 

I absolutely loved The Marriage Method! It was a captivating blend of mystery and romance! And can’t forget about the adorable cats! With danger, charm, and emotional depth, this story kept me hooked from the first page to the last! Five stars all the way!

5 Stars

Book Description:

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

     When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.  

     When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

Photo Credit: Vickie Hahn 2021

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, a miniature poodle, and two Siamese cats. 

Connect with Mimi Matthews:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Goodreads

Review: A Judgement of Powers by Benedict Jacka

 

A Judgement of Powers (Inheritance of Magic #3) by Benedict Jacka

Publication Date: November 4th 2025 by Ace

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | 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’s learned a lot since the first book and has been settling in more and interacting with his family, the Ashford’s, a lesser family in the hierarchy but still an old and powerful one. Unfortunately, it’s unclear whether he can trust any of them. 

After narrowly escaping with his life in the last book, one of Stephen’s main goals is to gain more abilities and power. He makes a plan to accomplish this with some help from his friend Colin and fellow drucrafter, Ivy. Also, Hobbs, his super-cat, one of my favorite characters!

Stephen is now working with his family of House Ashford a bit more, earning money and gaining a bit more knowledge in the process. Members of the Winged still pressuring him to join, but he’s not sure why and they seem less than savory, but putting them off is becoming increasingly difficult.

In A Judgement of Powers the story picks up from the last book and is an exciting tale from page one! Stephan comes up against nefarious characters, his fighting skills, quick thinking serve him well, but these people are powerful and things were tense! After the way things end I’m eager for the next book!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

In a world where magic is controlled by wealthy families and vast corporations, one young man will need all the help he can get in this riveting contemporary fantasy from the author of the Alex Verus novels.

Stephen Oakwood’s ambitions used to be simple. Pay his bills, track down his father, and take care of his cat. Maybe study a little magic after work, if he had time. 

Now it’s a year later and he’s got everything he wanted. But it’s come with a price. 

The Winged, a mysterious group involved with his father, have noticed Stephen, and they want him to join them or else. His career as a corporate locator has hit a dead end. And his new job as bodyguard to Calhoun Ashford is proving a lot more lethal than expected due to assassination attempts from outside the House, and possibly also from within. 

To survive, Stephen’s going to need allies of his own. And along the way, he’s going to have to figure out the secret of his own gift, and what it means. The cults, Houses, and corporations of the magical world are locked in an endless battle for dominance, and Stephen is beginning to realize that he’s going to have to pick a side . . . before someone else picks it for him.

 

Review: Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

 

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Publication Date: September 9th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 336

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

After their parents’ divorce, Clio and her sisters split time between their mother and father’s house. But after their mother’s erratic behavior and wild claims of a presence in her home, their father gained sole custody. Clio’s memories of the time are foggy at best.

Now Clio is an influencer, living a “picture-perfect” life when the news comes that her mother has died and left the “haunted” house to Clio and her sisters. Her sisters want nothing to do with the place, but Clio sees an opportunity. She’s determined to fix up the old house and flip it, documenting the whole process on social media. However, as she starts the work, she finds a copy of the book her mother wrote on the haunting. A book she swore to her father and sisters she’d never read. As she starts to read, flashes of memory come back to her, and strange things start happening in the house.

 

Clio was a fun character, with very little filter and I enjoyed her brutal honesty.

 

Play Nice was ironically funny and unsettling! It honestly freaked me out a little, which doesn’t happen often for me with a book. I was hooked from page one, eager to get to the truth of the past! A great choice for the spooky season!

4 Stars

Book Description:

A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house.

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parent’s messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That’s not what Clio’s sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped Alex of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.

After Alex’s sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother’s claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother’s book, the presence in the house becomes more real, and more sinister, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio’s beautiful life to its very foundation.

Author Bio: Rachel Harrison is the national bestselling author of So Thirsty, Black Sheep, Such Sharp Teeth, Cackle, and The Return, which was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in Guernica, in Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading, as an Audible Original, and in her debut collection, Bad Dolls. She lives in western New York with her husband and their cat/overlord. 

Review: Knife in the Back by Karen Rose

 

Knife in the Back (New Orleans #4) by Karen Rose

Publication Date: August 12th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 528

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Officer Naomi Cranston was falsely convicted of stealing drugs from evidence and didn’t fight it because a dirty cop, John Gaffney, threated her son if she fought for her innocence. She spent five years in prison before being freed on a technicality.

 

Now Naomi is trying to move on and rebuild her relationship with her son when she’s threatened again by Gaffney. Deliver drugs or he’ll deliver her son to her in pieces. Naomi is done listening to him. Staying quiet didn’t help her, so she hires Burke Broussard, a PI, and his team to protect her son and help prove her innocence.

 

Burke used to be a police detective until his captain and Gaffney made it impossible to stay clean and continue on in the force. He got out and started his private investigation/protection business.

 

Taking on Naomi’s case quickly turns dangerous for all involved and Burke and the gang are left scrambling to protect all their loved ones as the bad guys come out in full force against them. It was intense! I loved how they were smart and careful, and kept a step ahead. In all of this they keep at the investigation, trying to figure out why Naomi was targeted in the first place and who all was involved in the frame up. Naomi proves to be an asset with her quick and sharp mind!

 

Knife in the Back was an action-packed thrill ride! The identity of the dirty cop was from the beginning, but the big mystery was who was the mastermind behind it all? I was surprised when evidence began pointing in a certain direction!  

This is book four in the New Orleans series. Each book has its own mystery and romantic couple, but the ongoing story of police corruption in the New Orleans department has been playing out since the first book with the good guys slowly rooting out the bad. In a pinch you could read this as a standalone, but I recommend starting with book one: Quarter to Midnight.

5 Stars

Book Description:

Officer Naomi Cranston was framed for stealing cocaine from the evidence locker and coerced—through threats to her young son—into not fighting the charges. After five years in prison, she has tried to put the ordeal behind her, but the crooks who framed her have returned, this time demanding she move drugs along with her flower shop’s deliveries. They threaten her son once again, but this time she’s not capitulating quietly. She hires Broussard Investigations to protect her and her son, to prove her innocence, and to put the real bad guys away.

As a former cop, Burke Broussard is well aware of the corruption in the New Orleans police department. He had always believed Naomi Cranston to be guilty and isn’t inclined to take her case. Until he sits down to listen to her side of things. Until he sees her tortured innocence written all over her beautiful face…

A relationship born amid an investigation is a fragile thing. Will it survive the danger and the threats? Will it survive the truth?

About the Author

Karen Rose is the award-winning, #1 international bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels, including the bestselling Baltimore and Cincinnati series. She has been translated into twenty-three languages, and her books have placed on the New York Times, the Sunday Times (UK), and Germany's der Spiegel bestseller lists.

Review: Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh

 

Atonement Sky (Psy-Changeling Trinity #9) by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: July 15th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Libro.fm | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Justice Psy Eleri Dias knows she doesn’t have much time left with her mental shields collapsing, so she travels to Raintree, Arizona to following a serial killer’s trail and to make amends with the only man she’s ever loved a falcon-shifter, Adam Garrett. There’s a lot of hurt between Eleri and Adam, since his parents were killed and Eleri was caught between a dangerous situation and justice.

 

They work together as they hunt for a killer and are forced to confront the past.

 

Nalini’s Singh’s writing is captivating and beautiful, playful and sensual! I loved how Eleri was gathered into Adam’s clan, giving her family, love and protection. However, there’s a lot of intensity in Atonement Sky. Eleri and her Justice Psy “family” are at the brink of complete mental overload with no solution in sight. I always trust we’ll come to a happy ending by the end, though!

 

The Psy-Changeling series is original and addictive! It’s a blend of sci-fi and fantasy and Nalini Singh’s creative mind never fails to impress. It’s a long running series but I think you could read Atonement Sky without reading the previous books and enjoy it, but I’d recommend reading Silver Silence first, book one of the Trinity books, a sort of “season two” in the long-running series. There’s enough background there to understand the series more fully.

5 Stars

Book Description:

The hunt for a stealthy predator takes a damaged J-Psy to the heart of falcon territory in this new Psy-Changeling Trinity novel from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh...

Justice-Psy Eleri Dias knows the end is near for her, her mind one step away from fatal psychic exposure. In the short time that remains, she is determined to atone for an act of omission that has haunted her for a long, cruel decade. But that decision not only means facing a powerful changeling wing leader, but also putting herself in the path of a serial killer.

Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett is fiercely protective of his family and his clan. After losing his parents as a teenager in a shocking act of malice, Adam has no forgiveness in him for the J-Psy who betrayed him, betrayed them, at the most painful moment of his life. But the evil that stalks his territory will allow him no respite, forcing him once more into contact with the J he has never been able to forget.

Everything that could've been between Eleri and Adam was lost years ago, a shimmering promise crushed. As they work to uncover a monster, the moment of reckoning looms ever closer. Soon, there may be no more time left for either atonement...or love...