"Us of Legendary Gods" by Nick Savage

The main characters are a group of high school teens, living ordinary lives, just trying to make it through to graduation and then go on to college. But are they really nothing more than anyone else? Or, as someone seems to believe, are they something else? Something dangerous that needs to be studied and destroyed? And what exactly is it that someone suspects they are? And why?

I really enjoyed this book.  It was a very unique take on the traditional vampire/werewolf/mythical creature stories; one that makes a lot of sense if you think about it, but at the same time was a concept that I had not seen previously explored. And as one might expect from a "monster" story, there is violence, bloodshed, as well as some other potentially triggering topics explored, though those subjects seem to be handled as carefully as possible.

And when I got to the end of the story, I wasn't ready for it to be over. Fortunately, book 2 is available already, and I immediately had to buy a copy. (In other words, the ending left me really wanting to know what happens next.) Obviously, I can't give the ending away, but it really left me holding my breath at the end and very glad that the next book was already available. 

If you like stories of the paranormal and new takes on old legends, vampires, werewolves, and other mythical beings, I think you'll love this book as much as I did. It's not your typical vampire or werewolf story. Recommended.

This book is also available from the following retailers:

https://books2read.com/u/b5WrNG

"A Baby for Florence" by Samantha Price

A pregnant Florence and her Husband Carter are over the moon excited that they will be welcoming a baby into their family. Will it be a means to reunite Florence and her stepmother, or will they continue to remain estranged. In the meantime, as always there remains drama among the rest of the Baker Family.

This ninth book in the Bonnet Sisters series is a sweet tale that lifts the reader's spirits. It showcases how things can always improve if you keep believing they can. It was is a quick read but very enjoyable and entertaining. Anyone who has enjoyed any of the previous books in the series or simply enjoys amish romance books will also enjoy this one as much as did.

"The Mighty Hook" by Mark Tarrant

Most everyone has heard the story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, his lost boys, and the evil pirate Captain Hook. Well, this is a very different take on that story; one that made a lot of sense to me. After all, if Peter Pan was a vampire who was turned while young, he would always be the boy in the tale. But he clearly wouldn't be the "good guy" of the story. Which turns the story into one where Captain Hook is the hero instead. 

I will admit that it wasn't a twist that I expected, but one that made a lot of sense when thought about. And it was a very interesting take on the story. I was fascinated to learn how James Hook  became the famous pirate we are familiar with, met Peter Pan and his fairy friend Belle as well as Hook's nemesis, the infamous crocodile that took his hand. And there is a lot more to this twist on Hook's tale.

I  received a review copy of this book from the publisher and enjoyed it a great deal.  I believe that anyone who enjoys twisted fairy tales, vampires, and  Peter Pan/Captain Hook's rivalry will find it as entertaining as I did.

This book is also available from other retailers through:

https://books2read.com/mightyhook

"The Goodnight Kiss" by Jennifet L. Hart/Gwen Rivers

Nic is a 16 yr old girl with a dark secret. She considers herself a serial killer who hunts predators… men or women who are rapists or otherwise violently abusive against the innocent. In essence, she hunts the hunters. And when they think they've caught her, she kills them with her "goodnight kiss". She doesn't know why she has this power, but whenever she uses it her victims die without a trace of any sort of poison in their system.

This was book one of the Unseelie Court Series. I enjoyed reading this book. It was very full of information on various Norse deities and legends without feeling like the reader was being taught about them. I enjoyed reading all the legendary creatures as well as the humans in the story. I always enjoy stories about mythology and legends and this book was full of them. I will definitely be reading more books in this series.

The only question I have actually involves the author. When I read this book on my kindle, it was listed as written by Jennifer L. Hart. But when I looked for it on the Amazon website, the book had a different cover and was listed as having been written by Gwen Rivers. But from the description and character names, It appears to be the same book. 

I don't know the reason behind the different author names and the different cover, but it is clearly the same book. And though my copy lists Jennifer L Hart as the author, when searching by that author name, I could no longer find it. I could only find the version with the book as listed by Gwen Rivers.

This book is also available through the following retailers:

https://books2read.com/u/mdjyvy

"Ropes and Last Hopes"

Mitzi Moon's life seems pretty perfect. She's engaged to the Sheriff, she's surrounded by people who love her… both living and her ghostly grandmother, and her pet caracal Pyewacket, good friends, a bookshop, and her very large inheritance? What more could a girl want? Right? 

Well, except for the fact that Mitzy has a knack for stumbling across dead bodies. This time, it's the local dry cleaner. But why would someone possibly have wanted to kill her? Once again, Mitzi Moon is on the case. She's determined to help Sheriff Harper solve this mystery and bring the killer to justice by going undercover as a wrestler in the local women's league.

This book was the prequel to a new series starring both Mitzi Moon and Sheriff Harper. It seems to be setting the stage for what is to come. It includes the best aspects of the original series, with hints of the new one. And without giving away any hints, I can say that I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. If you've enjoyed any of the books in the original Mitzi Moon series, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

This book is also available through the following other retailers:

https://books2read.com/u/3k2KlN

"The Broken Bride for a Mountain Man" by Florence Linnington

After leaving her family to marry the owner of the General Store in a small mountain town, Mirriam hopes to find that he is a good and kind man that she might grow to love over time. Unfortunately, she soon learns that he is anything but that. He is greedy, selfish, and cruel. And worse, when she dares to try to stand up for herself, she learns how truly awful he is. Then, with winter having closed off the town, she nearly dies in a blizzard… for the second time. What more could go wrong?

I liked this book. It showed one of the darker sides of what women who became mail order brides may have faced. Trapped with no way to leave or support themselves, they were often at the mercy of a husband they only met on the day they were married. Not all such stories were likely to have a happy ending. And while it is never fun to hear about the abuses many women likely faced, at least with Ms. Linnington's stories, I am always sure she will find a way to give the happy ending I have come to expect in her books (though I won't tell you how this one got there, as that would spoil your enjoyment of getting to read it for yourself.) Just trust that she found a way to do it in this book too.

This book is also available through other retailers, as can be found here:

https://books2read.com/u/4j56dk

“The Champion’s Lord” by VC Willis

After losing control of their land to the invaders from the old Continent, Life had been rough for many people, who were now just trying to survive. Or so it seems anyway. When the empire’s crown prince seeks an alliance with the Thompson clan, he brings along some knowledge of what the invaders seem to be looking for, though parts of the puzzle are clearly still missing. Still, Raphael is determined to try and aid his new friends and allies as best he can, and try to keep the fate that befell the empire from happening again. With the help of Ashton and his family, hopefully he can succeed, despite the odds stacked against them.

I read an Advance Review Copy of this book and really enjoyed it. The book is well written, the story is fast paced, and the characters are quite fascinating. They each have their own problems and faults, just as they bring their own strengths and abilities to this fight. For if they fail, things will become very dark for those still around to see it. Someone is messing with dark magic, and without the aid of the Fates, will anything be left? And if the Fates are forced to intervene, who knows what will happen. 

It also needs to be noted that this book is a web exclusive release available on the Yonder app. I have not previously used the Yonder app to read books (as I said, I received a review copy from the publisher, so have read all of book 1 already), it  appears that while the books are free, they are only released 1 chapter free per day of a book. So if you want to read more than has already been released for you, you will have to either buy coins to buy more chapters or wait another day for the next chapter to be available. But if, like me, you don’t want to spend money on in-app purchases, it looks like if you simply wait until the next day, you will get the next chapter. (At the time I posted this, the first 7 chapters appear to be available for free on the app, which yes, I have downloaded.) The app itself is free from the play store and does have a large number of books in a variety of genres available.

This fantasy and adventure story is not meant for younger readers. There is a fair amount of descriptive sexual encounters, both male/female and male/male. And while they are an important part of the story, this is more steamy than what I would call erotica. (Though with I fair amount of descriptive sex, it might be considered by many as such. I don't generally tend to enjoy reading erotica, but I enjoyed this story, which is why I tend to describe it as extremely steamy rather than outright erotica.)

I found myself enjoying reading this book a great deal and will be waiting and watching for book 2 in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys very steamy fantasy novels especially if you enjoy ones where the heroes of the story aren’t entirely sure they want to be the heroes, but know there isn’t really anyone else who will take their place.

If you are interested in checking out the the Yonder app, here is a link to it:

https://m.yonderstory.com/

And if you'd just like to take a peek at Chapter one of the book that is readable from any device, check it out here:

https://m.yonderstory.com/titles/1235