A Princess for the Marine by Jess Matorakos review

 Title:  A Princess for the Marine

Author:  Jess Mastorakos

Ch: 25 Plus Epilogue

Pg:  290

Series: First Comes Love book 3

Genre:  Contemporary romance rom com

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: self

Who needs Prince Charming when you can have a US Marine. I’ve never me a huge fan of the royalty trope in books or movies because most of the time it’s a regular girl who falls for a prince. Outside of Beauty and Beauty all my favorite Disney movies Aladdin, Tangled, and Brave have a princess who doesn’t fit the mold or falls for the commoner. How Jess Mastorakos changed my mind. Though it just might be because it’s a princess and a commoner is a US Marine. When my friends were dreaming of marrying a prince as a kid, I was dreaming of marrying a US Marine there’s just something about the uniform.

I didn’t think any book in this series would top A Blind Date for the Marine but then I read A Princess for the Marine and I was hooked from page one. I loved Huck and Zara from page one. I can’t believe Huck’s mom stuck him with that name. To me the banter in this was the best of the series.

I loved Huck’s relationship with his mom and sister Alice. It makes him seem real and makes him an even better hero as doesn’t his modesty about his service. Zara is a princess who wants to be a doctor. Who learns that her original plan might not be the best.

Zara might be giving up being a princess and working royal but that doesn’t mean she’ll be giving up attending a ball the guest list is just a little different. I loved the ending of this one along with the epilogue that summed up the series though I kind of want Theo’s story.

 

I received a complimentary copy   from the author. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

Death in Castle Dark by Veronica Bond review

Title:  Death in Castle Dark

Author:  Veronica Bond

Ch: 20

Pg:  270

Series: A Dinner and a Murder Mystery

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Berkeley

 

Death in Castle Dark is the first book in A Dinner and a Murder Mystery series by Veronica Bond. Veronica is a new to me author, but I was the setting of a murder mystery dinner show in a castle had me wanting to read it.   I love murder mystery dinner theater. However, Nora Blake who's new to group discovers a real body on one of the dinner nights and has a real fright.  But in the process discovers that gardener     John Dahiell or Dash isn't a gardener but a police detective there on an unrated case.   Nora doesn't want to get involved but when it becomes clear that it is indeed one of the members of the group, she become determined to find the killer for her own piece of mind. and before she becomes the next victim. 

 

I loved this one, the pacing for the mystery was prefect. And Hamlet the dog along with three kittens named after the Bronte sisters stole the book.   And the Dinner mystery theater was new and something I hadn't seen in cozy mysteries before or books in general. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series as well   as other books by the author. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher a part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Phantom Heart by Kelly Creagh review

 Title:  Phantom Heart

Author:  Kelly Creagh

Ch: 85 Plus Epilogue

Pg:  528

Series: Phantom Heart

Genre:  Teen Paranormal romance retelling

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Viking books

 

I've been putting off writing this review not because I didn't love the book, but because I was still processing my emotions after reading this one and gathering my thoughts. As well as trying to find the balance as a reader/reviewer while being friends with the author. (And on a platform like goodreads other readers would say I'm bias but if I don't like a book, I'm going to say that, while being polite).  But my rating of the book has everything to do with how the book was written being true to the original story while creating a unique modern tale. 

 

Creagh pays homage to the original by keeping the name Erik for the phantom character as well as using the last names Armand and Cheney for the main characters.  Like her previous books the setting for this book is Louisville. As a Louisvillian I loved finding the Easter eggs of local things in the book.   While this isn't the first Phantom of the Opera retelling, I've read, it is the first one I've read that I could tell early in the book that was indeed inspired by the Phantom of the Opera.  Creagh knows how to write paranormal and retellings that's for sure. 

 

I've seen other reviews comparing it to Twilight. To me the only thing relating it to Twilight is that it's teen paranormal romance with a slight love triangle. But guess what that's where the similarities end.  Phantom Heart having a love triangle doesn't make it Twilight like it just makes it true to the original story as they was indeed a love triangle in the book and the musical. Having loved the original and been team Phantom I was shocked that with Phantom Heart I was rooting not for Erik but for Lucas. I guess I'm still a sucker for a nerdy hero.  

Another thing that I enjoyed is Creagh always manages to add nerdy pop culture references into her book and this one made my marvel nerd heart happy.  While one storyline wrapped up nicely by the end with only a slight cliffhanger the main storyline is left to continue in book 2(hopefully)?  In which I am indeed looking forward to. 

Murder by Bookend by Laura Gail Black review

 Title:  Murder by Bookend

Author:  Laura Gail Black

Ch: 28

Pg:  304 

Series: Antique Bookshop mystery 2

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Crooked Lane books

 

Murder by the Bookend by Laura Gail Black is the second book in the Antique Bookshop Mystery series and I enjoyed this one more than the first. And I think it's largely do in part to the fact that the characters and the setting have been established and the the heroine Jenna  isn't' the prime suspect. Not to mention a sweet little dog name Eddy short for Edition.  To me Eddy stole the book, and I look forward to more books in the series. 

 

 

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

A View Most Glorious review

 Title:  A View Most Glorious

Author: Regina Scott

Series: American Wonders Collection Book 3

Chapters: 31

Pages: 368

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Romance  

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Revell

 

I'm not going to lie A View Most Glorious by Regina Scott while an enjoyable read it was not my favorite of the series. Though I did enjoy learning about Mt. Rainier before it become a National Park.  As are the books in the series are set at National Parks before they were parks.  And even though this wasn't my favorite of the series I loved Coraline Baxter as a character and heroine. I loved her determination and the fact that she didn't fit the mold that her mother wanted to put her in. It was because of real life women like Cora that I am able to not only vote but climb a mountain if I so chose. Not that my asthma would let me.   Nathan Hardee was a hero that was technically between two worlds, though he fit better in the one he chose than the one he was born into. 

 

A View Most Glorious was a book about not only trusting God but about learning not only who you are, but knowing who your true friends are.  All in all it was a good ending to a great series. 
 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher a part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Reading Between the Crime by Kate Young review

 Title:  Reading Between the Crimes

 Author:  Kate Young

Ch: 35

Pg:  329

Series: Jane Doe Book Club Mystery

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

 

Reading Between the Crimes is the second book in the Jane Doe Book Club mystery series by Kate Young and I enjoyed this one more than I did the first one in the series.  I found myself starting to actually like Lyla more in this one than I did the first one. And I think it's because she was starting to grow into her own and find out who she is outside of her family.  I also found the mystery in this one more interesting than that of the previous book. And I also didn't see the twisting coming either. All in all, I glad I picked up the second book in this series even though I didn't really like the first one, and I look forward to the next book in the series. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

 

 

Death of a Red-Hot Rancher by Mimi Granger review

 Title:  Death of a Red-Hot Rancher

 Author:  Mimi Granger

Ch: 23

Pg:  388

Series: A Love is Murder series

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Berkeley

 

Death of Red-Hot rancher is the first book in the A Love Is Murder Series by Mimi Granger. Lizzie Hale runs a romance bookstore but that's as close to romance as some comes. To reading about it in books because she doesn't have luck in real life. However, she never thought she find herself in the middle of murder investigation.  But when the town's hottest bachelor and ladies’ man is the victim, she finds herself involved simply to keep her aunt from becoming the prime suspect.  Lizzie being close to her cousin Josh almost like siblings reminded me of my own relationship with my cousin Matt.   The bookstore setting was nice, but it was the whole setting of the book and the hint of romance just added to the story. I look forward to the next book in the series.  I do caution readers who don't like romance in their cozies to know that going into this one that there are hints of romance.  

 

 

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.