"Unforgiven" by Bridget E. Baker

Twins Judica & Chancery's mother is dead. Judica was originally their mother's heir until recently when their mother had changed her will and named Chancery as heir to the throne. Now, after the two met in single combat, Chancery is the victor. But what is to become of Judica's fate? 

This was book two in the series and did cover some of what happened in book one, though from Judica's point of view rather than Chancery's. I found it very interesting to read as it gave a very different perspective on what happened throughout their lives and the potential for a very different future. 

It's not often that we get to read a book from a different character's point of view, especially when that character was originally portrayed as the villain. It clearly makes you wonder, was she truly the villain of the first book or was she just a victim of circumstance? Was there actually even an actual villain of the story at all? 

Anyone who has read the first book in this series will definitely want to continue on and read this one as well. It gives you a lot to think about & leaves you wondering about what will come next in Chancery & Judica's story. I enjoyed this one and am looking forward to getting the opportunity to read book 3 in this series.

"Much A'broom About Nothing" by Erin Johnson

What can be worse than running into your ex-fiance and his new girlfriend while on a bad blind date at the renaissance fair?  In this case Adelaide (or Laidy, as she prefers to be called) soon discovers that becoming forever trapped by a curse and unable to leave the faire, accused of murder, and needing to both find the real murderer to clear her name and learn how to survive in her new life has now become her immediate priority.

Everyone travelling with the faire is a magical creature, including herself, as she had just learned. It seems that she is actually a witch, as was discovered when she managed to make a hawk empty it’s bowels over her ex-fiance and his girlfriend. It's not an easy adjustment for someone to make, but it sure does make for an amusing story. 

I enjoyed this paranormal cozy mystery. The characters are fun to read & their plight in this tale is at times amusing and other times leaves you trying to solve the mystery of who killed a witch by stabbing her with a viking's  sword.  It was a fun tale to read, especially if you have ever visited a renaissance faire yourself.

This was the first book in this series & one that I think will leave you wanting to read the rest of the series too. It's a quick and enjoyable read and I found it to be a lot of fun.

"Pregnant Indian Bride" by Florence Linnington

Ninovan is an indian woman who had been living with her peaceful tribe when soldiers attacked, killing everyone they could: men, women, children, & infants. They claimed that the tribe had been raiding in the nearby town of Red Canyon, but Ninovan knew that there were no raids. It was simply an excuse for the soldiers to kill everyone in the tribe. But somehow, she had escaped & found help from a kind woman.

Knowing that Ninovan dare not remain in Red Canyon, and that she will not be safe anywhere else she goes without the protection of a legal marriage to a settler, Ninovan is eventually convinced that her only option is to be married to Todd, the blacksmith in the nearby town of Stillwater. 

Everything seems to be going well enough until Ninovan realizes that she is pregnant with her first husband's child, and it has by then become obvious to her that Todd does not wish to be a father or even to be around children. And that is where things truly get problematic for the two of them.

I feel this was one of Ms. Linnington's more interesting books. Not only does it encompass two stranger's agreeing to marry, sight unseen, but it deals with the racial hatred that Ninovan must face on a daily basis, and that Todd must come face to face for the first time with her. And that is just where the story begins, for there is far more to this tale than we see in most mail order bride books.

I enjoyed reading this story and seeing how the characters come to terms with and deal with the variety of issues they had to face. If you enjoy a good mail order bride story that has a bit more to it than most do, and if you've enjoyed any of Ms. Linnington's other books, then you should give this one a try. I don't think you'll regret it.

"When The Goddess Wakes" by Howard Andrew Jones

The Altenerai have been fighting a war for some time. First against the Naor, many of whom have now sworn Allegiance after their leader was defeated by the altenerai. But they have also been fighting many of their own after having been betrayed by the queen who has convinced  many that they must reassemble the magical hearthstones into a destroyed statue of a goddess. This goddess will then restore the realms to a kind of paradise, returning those whose lives had been lost to their loved ones. 

Because of this belief, the queen had stolen most of the hearthstones and abandoned many of her people in her quest to restore the goddess. However, those left behind believe that the goddess is actually going to destroy the realms and all within, and thus must stop the queen and her followers before it is too late for everyone. For if the queen succeeds, is there any way they can actually manage to stop an all powerful goddess?

This was the 3rd book in the Ring-Sworn Trilogy, and I found it to be a powerful ending to the series.  It was filled with action, heroics, sacrifice, and surprises throughout. I enjoyed this book a great deal, and honestly, I didn't see the path the ending took coming. But as it happened, it made perfect sense and I was almost surprised that the possibility hadn't even occurred to me. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy series as well as anyone who has read the first two books in this series. I very much enjoyed reading it.

"Bitten and Smitten" by Michelle Rowen

Sarah Dearly woke up to her blind date trying to bury her in a cemetery, claiming he was a vampire & that he'd bitten and turned her into a vampire (without her consent) as well. Assuming he was crazy and running away from him, she bumps into some men that she thinks will rescue her, but turn out to be vampire hunters who intend to kill her just as soon as they've finished killing her date.  Fleeing from them, she winds up being rescued by a centuries-old vampire who had been about to kill himself.

This was an interesting take on the traditional vampire legends in which it appears that instead of vampire hunters being the good guys in the story, they are the villians who are out to murder innocent people who just happen to drink blood.

I enjoyed this unusual vampire tale about Sara learning what being a vampire really means and what she needs to know in order to survive in her new existence both with other vampires and vampire hunters. I'd recommend giving this one a try if you're looking for something a little different or unexpected. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading  book 2 in this series.

"The Blue Dolphin" by Kathryn Gauci

Nefeli and her daughter live on one of the greek islands. Life has been difficult since the start of the war and the death of her husband, but they have been getting by. One night after a very bad storm, while walking along the shore, she came across an unconscious german soldier who had been washed ashore after the ship he was on was sunk by the andartes (greek resistance fighters). He was gravely wounded and would surely die without help. Yet, if the other villagers were to find him, they would kill him and likely anyone who aided him. But still, Nefeli couldn't just leave him to die.

I will be the first to admit that this story was not what I expected when reading a WWII novel. This was not a tale focused on combat or spycraft, but instead it was about how the war affected those living through it.  It was the backdrop for the story of Nefeli and what happens when she attempts to save an enemy soldier's life. She is aware of the risk she takes, but cannot bear to see more unnecessary death.

This was a story I greatly enjoyed. It did not try to hide the difficulties faced during the war, nor did it glorify the actions of one side or the other. This was a personal story of one woman, a man who was considered an enemy soldier, and what can happen when kindness is shown to someone who is helpless and injured. It is a story of life versus death, as well as the story of greek culture during a time that is quite different from what many of us know today.

I would definitely recommend this book. Anyone who enjoys WWII stories, tales of greek life during the war, or historical fiction. It is very definitely worth reading and one that you won't want to put down.

"Fries and Alibis" by Trixie Silvertale

When a strange older gentleman knocks on Mitzy Moon's apartment door one morning to deliver an envelope containing a large amount of cash and notice of her inheritance from a previously unknown grandmother, to say that Mitzy was shocked would have been an understatement. Of course, being accused of murdering a man she'd never met, who just happened to be her grandfather, shortly after arriving in town was an even bigger surprise. Just as big of a surprise was meeting the ghost of her deceased grandmother who lives in the bookstore Mitzy had just inherited.

This was the first book in the Mitzy Moon series, and was a wonderful beginning to this series and the vibrant and fascinating characters of Pin Harbor. Watching Mitzy navigate her way through clearing not only her name, but her father's as well was a great introduction into the personalities of these townsfolk. I had previously read some of the later books in this series and am very glad that I went back to see how it all began. (And if you’re wondering, I will be reading the rest of the books in this series.) I greatly enjoyed reading this book and believe that anyone enjoying cozy paranormal mysteries will enjoy it as much as I did.