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So far Rachel has created 161 blog entries.

14 03, 2024

A Grave Robbery (Veronica Speedwell #9)

A Grave Robbery (Veronica Speedwell #9)

Rachel2024-03-14T18:04:05-06:00March 14th, 2024|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, historical fiction, mystery|0 Comments

Rating: 5 ♥’s Published: March 12, 2024 Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Pages: 336 Description: Veronica and Stoker discover that not all fairy tales have happy endings, and some end in murder, in this latest historical mystery from New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn. Lord Rosemorran has purchased a wax figure of a beautiful reclining woman and asks Stoker to incorporate a clockwork mechanism to give the Rosemorran Collection its own Sleeping Beauty in the style of Madame Tussaud’s. But when Stoker goes to cut the mannequin open to insert the mechanism, he makes a gruesome discovery: this is no wax figure. The mannequin is the beautifully preserved body of a young woman who was once very much alive. But who would do such a dreadful thing, and why? Sleuthing out the answer to this question sets Veronica and Stoker on their wildest adventure yet. From the underground laboratories of scientists experimenting with electricity to resurrect the dead in the vein of Frankenstein to the traveling show where Stoker once toured as an attraction, the gaslit atmosphere of London in October is the perfect setting for this investigation into the unknown. [...]

5 03, 2024

Murder Road

Murder Road

Rachel2024-03-05T19:47:24-07:00March 5th, 2024|Tags: ARC, Book Review, horror, mystery, thriller|0 Comments

Rating: 5 ♥’sPublished: March 5, 2024Genre: Horror/ThrillerPages: 352Description: A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel.July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and [...]

17 02, 2024

A Not So Bollywood Meet Cute

A Not So Bollywood Meet Cute

Rachel2024-02-17T11:14:35-07:00February 17th, 2024|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, romance|0 Comments

Rating: 2 1/2 ♥’s Published: February 13, 2024 Genre: Romance Pages: 286 Description: Katrina Shah just wants out of the fame game, away from her high-profile family's drama. But dodging the spotlight? Tough luck. Especially when she collides with Hollywood's golden boy, Evan Kristof. Her heart doesn't seem to have received the memo to steer clear of him. Evan's used to the spotlight, the parties, the glitz. Yet, he's craving a break, some peace. Then he meets Katrina, and suddenly, tranquility's the last thing on his mind. As they both try to escape their pasts, sparks fly between the girl who wants anonymity and the movie star. But can they navigate crazy families, an over-the-top wedding, and their undeniable chemistry without getting burned? Their fling might just turn into something much bigger than they bargained for.“Bollywood movies and smutty romance novels are every Desi girl's guilty pleasure. And I had the crazy idea to combine the two." I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I thought that this book was alright, I felt like it had a lot of potential from the description and that [...]

20 10, 2023

Her Last Words (Detective Amanda Steele #9)

Her Last Words (Detective Amanda Steele #9)

Rachel2023-10-20T10:43:42-06:00October 20th, 2023|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, mystery|0 Comments

Rating: 3 1/2 ♥’s Published: October 17, 2023 Genre: Mystery Pages: 322 Description: The glow from the fireplace throws an eerie light over the woman’s carefully arranged body, her lifeless eyes reflecting the flames that slowly burn the evidence of who did this to her… When Detective Amanda Steele is called to the brutal murder scene of successful local author Felicity Kelley , her blood runs cold. Because Amanda not only knew the victim, but was the last person Felicity called moments before she was murdered. Plagued with guilt that she never answered, Amanda is left wondering whether she could have prevented the murder, and vows to catch the killer, no matter what. Desperately searching the crime scene for clues, Amanda is shocked when she discovers a Queen of Hearts playing card, suggesting the murder could be an imitation of a scene from Felicity’s bestselling crime novel. Terrified that she is dealing with a crazed fan who could strike again, Amanda’s worst fears are confirmed when another innocent woman is viciously murdered, with the same chilling calling card left behind. But when Amanda connects the murders with a cold case from fifteen years [...]

1 09, 2023

Wedding Bells Brews Murder (Sara & Sean Cozy Mystery #2)

Wedding Bells Brews Murder (Sara & Sean Cozy Mystery #2)

Rachel2023-09-01T10:49:09-06:00September 1st, 2023|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, mystery|0 Comments

Rating: 3 1/2 ♥’s Published: August 29, 2023 Genre: Mystery Pages: 244 Description: With all the guests at Sara and Sean’s wedding suspected of murder, her walk down the aisle will need to wait... Everything is going perfectly on the big day until Sara opens the door of her bridal suite. Darlene Day, who made the wedding cake, falls into the room, a serving knife plunged into her back. As the organists start to play “Here Comes the Bride,” Sara calls a pause to the proceedings. There’s a murder to solve, and the motive may be in the icing. Darlene wasn’t the most loved person in the small town of Cotton Spring Falls, but rumor has it that she refused the offer of a big franchise to buy her bakery. Did they go so far as murder to put her out of business? But when it’s discovered their wedding cake was poisoned, Sara and Sean could have been the intended victims all along. Did Darlene stumble upon the killer’s conspiracy and they silenced her before she could reveal their secret? Is it someone on the invitation list or the mysterious wedding [...]

11 08, 2023

Going Bovine

Going Bovine

Rachel2023-08-11T19:09:44-06:00August 11th, 2023|Tags: Book Review, Fantasy, fiction|0 Comments

Rating: 4 ♥’s Published: September 22, 2009 Genre: Fiction Pages: 480 Description: Can Cameron find what he’s looking for? All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most. I am working my way through a book a month that my friends have suggested. This was from one of my best friends and we always share books. This one did not disappoint! First off I have to say I love that it had so many mentions of Disneyland because I am a huge Disney fan. So, it had me hooked right away. I found myself laughing [...]

21 06, 2023

Taken Girls (Detective Amanda Steele #8)

Taken Girls (Detective Amanda Steele #8)

Rachel2023-06-21T13:54:26-06:00June 21st, 2023|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, mystery, thriller|0 Comments

Rating: 4 ♥’s Published: June 20, 2023 Genre: Mystery Pages: 324 Description: Music from the busy dance floor echoes into the deserted room where the Prom Queen lies deadly still. A tiara rests on her soft blonde curls, but her face is frozen with fear, and her painted red lips are forever sealed shut in a silenced scream… When Detective Amanda Steele’s niece, Ava, begs her to look for a missing schoolfriend, she immediately agrees to take on the case. Eighteen-year-old Reece left home three nights ago after fighting with her mother and hasn’t been seen since. But when the teenager’s body is discovered brutally murdered, poised dramatically at the prom venue, Amanda is devastated she didn’t save the girl in time. Haunted by the scene, Amanda dives headfirst into the case. Chasing every lead, she is horrified when she discovers a potential key witness strangled in her own home. It soon becomes clear that the killer will stop at nothing to silence anyone who might reveal their identity. So when Ava mentions she saw someone acting strangely at the prom venue that night, Amanda’s heart stops. And when Amanda’s worst nightmare [...]

16 05, 2023

Her Dark Grave (Madison Knight #12)

Her Dark Grave (Madison Knight #12)

Rachel2023-05-16T17:05:50-06:00May 16th, 2023|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, mystery|0 Comments

Rating: 3 ♥’s Published: May 17, 2023 Genre: Mystery Pages: 346 Description: Detective Madison Knight thought a midnight drive through the countryside would help clear her mind, but she thought wrong. Her car runs out of gas, stranding her in the middle of nowhere in pitch darkness. When she gets out to stretch her legs, the beam of her phone’s flashlight lands on a suitcase in the ditch. After she opens it, she’s sorry she did. Tara Jackson was only twenty-one years old with her entire life ahead of her before she was stabbed to death and stuffed into a piece of luggage. Madison is determined to find her justice and soon uncovers that Tara was keeping secrets from those closest to her and suspects they may have gotten her killed. But while she’s exploring that lead, the body of another young woman is found in a sports equipment bag. She looks just like Tara and is the same age, and Madison starts to wonder if the killer she’s after has killed before. Desperate, she turns to cold cases and missing person reports to see if she can dig up anything to further the [...]

12 04, 2023

Bowled Over Americano (Sara & Sean Cozy Mystery)

Bowled Over Americano (Sara & Sean Cozy Mystery)

Rachel2023-04-12T10:49:52-06:00April 12th, 2023|Tags: ARC, Book Review, Cozy Mystery|0 Comments

Rating: 3 1/2 ♥’s Published: April 11, 2023 Genre: Mystery Pages: 263 Description: Sara Cain isn't your typical thirty-two-year-old woman. Murder detective by day, writer and… sleuth by night? Just as long as there’s enough coffee to keep her going… When her first novel gives her trouble, Sara goes for a walk to clear her writer’s block and ends up stumbling right into a real-life murder mystery. Magnum, an adventurous beagle, comes running off leash toward her in the local park, and she returns him home only to find his master dead on the entry floor. Cliff Cunningham was a championship bowler with a mean streak and a temper, and police are pegging his Golden Pin bowling trophy as the murder weapon. While any number of people could have clocked a strike by knocking him on the noggin, the prime suspect is a friend of Sara’s mother—and she expects Sara to prove the woman’s innocence. A tall order, as the case isn’t officially hers and belongs to a rival detective. But a promise is a promise, and Sara soon finds herself sleuthing undercover—and off the clock—in a world of polyester [...]

7 03, 2023

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8)

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8)

Rachel2023-03-07T14:22:00-07:00March 7th, 2023|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, historical fiction, mystery|0 Comments

Rating: 5 ♥’s Published: March 7, 2022 Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery Pages: 336 Description: Veronica must find and stop a devious killer when a group of old friends is targeted for death in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn. Veronica’s natural-historian beau, Stoker, has been away in Bavaria for months and their relationship is at an impasse. But when Veronica shows up before him with his brother, Tiberius, Lord Templeton-Vane, he is lured back home by an intriguing job offer: preparing an iguanodon for a very special dinner party. Tiberius has received a cryptic message—along with the obituaries of two recently deceased members of his old group of friends, the Seven Sinners—that he too should get his affairs in order. Realizing he is in grave danger but not knowing why, he plans a reunion party for the remaining Sinners at his family estate to lure the killer out while Veronica and Stoker investigate. As the guests arrive and settle in, the evening’s events turn deadly. More clues come to light, leading Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius to uncover a shared past among the Sinners that [...]

20 02, 2023

The Lost Apothecary

The Lost Apothecary

Rachel2023-02-20T16:01:14-07:00February 20th, 2023|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, historical fiction|0 Comments

Rating: 3 ♥’s Published: March 2, 2021 Genre: Historical Fiction Pages: 301 Description: A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them - setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course. Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman. Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register. One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose - selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register. In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds [...]

6 12, 2022

The Circus Train

The Circus Train

Rachel2022-12-06T17:01:39-07:00December 6th, 2022|Tags: adult, ARC, historical fiction|0 Comments

Rating: 4 ♥’s Published: December 6, 2022 Genre: Historical Fiction Pages: 352 Description: At the World of Wonders, Europe's most magnificent travelling circus, every moment is full of magic, and nothing is as it seems--especially for the people who put on the show Lena Papadopoulos has never quite found her place within the circus, even as the daughter of the extraordinary headlining illusionist, Theo. Brilliant and curious, Lena yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, despite her father's overprotection and the limits her world places on her because she is disabled. Her unconventional life takes an exciting turn when she rescues Alexandre, an orphan with his own secrets and a mysterious past. Over several years, as their friendship flourishes and Alexandre trains as the illusionist's apprentice, World War II escalates around them. When Theo and Alexandre are contracted to work and perform in a model town for Jews set up by the Nazis, Lena becomes separated from everything she knows. Forced to make her own way, Lena must confront her doubts and dare to believe in the impossible--herself. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for [...]

4 11, 2022

Deception: A Hansel & Gretel Retelling (Fae Brothers’ Ever Afters #6)

Deception: A Hansel & Gretel Retelling (Fae Brothers’ Ever Afters #6)

Rachel2022-11-04T17:44:12-06:00November 4th, 2022|Tags: adult, Fantasy, retelling, romance|0 Comments

Rating: 1 1/2 ♥’s Published: April 21, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Pages: 110 Description: If the path becomes lost, can you find your way home? Pierre Danville is the reluctant heir to the Danville clan of Fae. As if that’s not bad enough, Fate has chosen his future bride for him, and Pierre’s not impressed. All he wants is freedom to choose his Destiny. Petrina envies her friends who marry for love and are properly courted by their Fae men. Instead of courting, Petrina and Pierre are forced into the woods where they can be alone and work out their problems. A witch is at work in the Danville Forest. Her prize is a young Danville heir with his Destiny. If Pierre and Petrina don’t work together, it could spell the end for the Danvilles. This was my pick for my Hansel and Gretel retelling, and let me just say it was hard to find a retelling of this story. I was intrigued when I read the description and thought this will be a good one to try. I am sad to say though that this book just didn't do it for me. [...]

20 09, 2022

The Witch and The Tsar

The Witch and The Tsar

Rachel2022-12-06T17:07:41-07:00September 20th, 2022|Tags: adult, ARC, Fantasy, historical fiction, Mythology, witches|0 Comments

Rating: 3 ♥’s Published: September 20, 2022 Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction Pages: 432 Description: As a half-goddess possessing magic, Yaga is used to living on her own, her prior entanglements with mortals having led to heartbreak. She mostly keeps to her hut in the woods, where those in need of healing seek her out, even as they spread rumors about her supposed cruelty and wicked spells. But when her old friend Anastasia—now the wife of the tsar, and suffering from a mysterious illness—arrives in her forest desperate for her protection, Yaga realizes the fate of all of Russia is tied to Anastasia’s. Yaga must step out of the shadows to protect the land she loves. As she travels to Moscow, Yaga witnesses a sixteenth century Russia on the brink of chaos. Tsar Ivan—soon to become Ivan the Terrible—grows more volatile and tyrannical by the day, and Yaga believes the tsaritsa is being poisoned by an unknown enemy. But what Yaga cannot know is that Ivan is being manipulated by powers far older and more fearsome than anyone can imagine. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. When [...]

29 08, 2022

Typecast

Typecast

Rachel2022-08-29T16:30:08-06:00August 29th, 2022|Tags: ARC, fiction, Women's Fiction|0 Comments

Rating: 3 1/2 ♥’s Published: September 13, 2022 Genre: Women's Fiction Pages: 400 Description: Callie Dressler thought she'd put her past where it belonged—behind her. But when her ex-boyfriend brings their breakup to the big screen, she can no longer deny that their history has been looming over her all along. At thirty-one, Callie Dressler is finally comfortable in her own skin. She loves her job as a preschool teacher, and although living in her vacant childhood home isn’t necessarily what dreams are made of, the space is something she never could have afforded if she’d stayed in New York City. She knows her well-ordered life will be upended when her type A, pregnant sister, Nina; adorable four-year-old niece; and workaholic brother-in-law move in, but how could she say no when they needed a place to crash during their remodel? As Nina pointed out, it's still their parents’ house, even if their mom and dad have relocated. As if adjusting to this new living situation isn’t enough, the universe sends Callie another wrinkle: her college boyfriend—who Callie dumped ten years earlier for reasons known only to her—has a film coming out, and [...]

26 08, 2022

Enchanting the Fae Prince (Kingdoms of Lore #2)

Enchanting the Fae Prince (Kingdoms of Lore #2)

Rachel2022-08-26T17:21:36-06:00August 26th, 2022|Tags: adult, Fantasy, retelling, romance|0 Comments

Rating: 2 1/2 ♥’s Published: April 29, 2021 Genre: Fantasy Pages: 251 Description: An outcast maiden. A fae prince. A match bound by fate. When outcast cobbler Rhianne braves the enchanted wood to find her fated love, absolutely everything that could go wrong does. The Matchweaver witch’s magical loom reveals Rhianne is fated for the most powerful fae prince in history. Sounds great to Rhianne, but the Matchweaver has big plans for the prince, and they don’t involve a lowly cobbler. The Matchweaver rages at the match, and her fit angers the ancients who crafted it. The ancients present a magical wand to Rhianne, setting the young woman on the path to raise a new Matchweaver. The Matchweaver sets a deadly darkness to spread across the kingdom, and Rhianne has days to raise the new Matchweaver or everyone in Lore will die. Although horrified at the darkness unspooling across the land, Prince Werian is rather delighted at the turn of events. He was meant for adventure such as this and doesn’t mind dodging dangerous spells. What he isn’t prepared for is the sacrifice he’ll have to make to save the kingdom. This [...]

22 08, 2022

Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women #3)

Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women #3)

Rachel2022-08-22T17:50:26-06:00August 22nd, 2022|Tags: adult, Book of the Month, historical fiction, romance|0 Comments

Rating: 3 1/2 ♥’s Published: September 7, 2021 Genre: Romance/Historical Fiction Pages: 448 Book Description: London banking heiress Hattie Greenfield wanted "just" three things in life: 1. Acclaim as an artist. 2. A noble cause. 3. Marriage to a young lord who puts the gentle in gentleman. Why then does this Oxford scholar find herself at the altar with the darkly attractive financier Lucian Blackstone, whose murky past and ruthless business practices strike fear in the hearts of Britain's peerage? Trust Hattie to take an invigorating little adventure too far. Now she's stuck with a churlish Scot who just might be the end of her ambitions.... When the daughter of his business rival all but falls into his lap, Lucian sees opportunity. As a self-made man, he has vast wealth but holds little power, and Hattie might be the key to finally setting long-harbored political plans in motion. Driven by an old revenge, he has no room for his new wife's apprehensions or romantic notions, bewitching as he finds her. But a sudden journey to Scotland paints everything in a different light. Hattie slowly sees the real Lucian and realizes she could [...]

20 07, 2022

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1)

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1)

Rachel2022-07-20T18:34:38-06:00July 20th, 2022|Tags: Fantasy, historical fiction, young adult|0 Comments

Rating: 5 ♥'s | First off let me just start with I really like the cover of this book, I feel it is simplistic and yet really pretty at the same time. This was another book I had on my to-be-read list for a while and again so glad I finally read it. I really enjoyed it and it captured me right from the beginning.

13 06, 2022

Her Frozen Cry (Detective Amanda Steele #5)

Her Frozen Cry (Detective Amanda Steele #5)

Rachel2022-06-13T17:11:13-06:00June 13th, 2022|Tags: adult, ARC, Book Review, mystery, suspense|0 Comments

Rating: 3 1/2 ♥’s Published: June 9, 2022 Genre: Mystery Pages: 309 Book Description: The moon shines through the open window, bathing the woman in pale light. Blood-red wine from a shattered glass soaks into the cream blanket beside her, and her dull eyes stare vacantly at the framed photograph in her hand. When beautiful wife and mother Alicia Gordon is found dead in a remote woodland cabin, Detective Amanda Steele is shocked to discover that she knows the husband. Amanda hasn’t spoken to Tony since she lost the love of her own life seven years ago, and seeing tragedy tearing her old friend’s family apart brings back so many painful memories. Alicia was alone when she died, but she was so young, and Amanda can’t help feeling suspicious. Then she discovers that Alicia’s sleep medication had been tampered with, slowly poisoning her over several days. Amanda wants to trust that the sorrow on Tony’s face is real, but the more she digs into his marriage, the more it seems that he had opportunity, and motive… Interviewing one of Alicia’s old colleagues, Amanda is shaken to her core when the woman suddenly [...]

9 06, 2022

Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King #2)

Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King #2)

Rachel2022-06-09T17:19:21-06:00June 9th, 2022|Tags: adventure, Fantasy, romance, young adult|0 Comments

Rating: 5 ♥'s | The story takes off right after the events of the first book. Alosa has succeeded in her mission, but now she has been told a secret that is going to change everything for her.