The Warden and the Clocktower by Steve Conoboy

Hannah Warden is a Wyrder. Ever since her father died suddenly, she has been the sole Wyrder in the idyllic seeming town of Overmere. Every night without fail, she leads a ghost walk through the town, telling the stories of the unsettled ghosts who reside in town. Some may think this is just a spooky nightly walk, where tourists are being told tales of imagined ghosts. But in Overmere, the ghosts and hauntings are real, and without the nightly walk where their stories are remembered, they would become unsettled and begin to wreak havoc once again. Tonight, Hannah’s new apprentice is joining her for his second ever ghost walk. He is new in town and has a bit of a temper, but Hannah desperately needs the help. She expects it to be a relatively calm night, but it turns out to be anything but quiet. The ghosts are unusually unsettled and easily provoked. Hannah hasn’t had such a rough night in a very long time. The question is why are they so agitated?

I read a review copy of this book. It was a delightfully spooky story, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was also a quicker read than many of the books I have been reading lately. (Of course, to be fair, many of the books I have recently read have been unusually long.) I enjoyed the characters and the tension created by both the spirits haunting the locations and among the characters on the walk themselves. It was a fun story and one that is a good choice for a Halloween season book to read. It’s spooky, with at times a suggestion of gory happenings, though such instances do not graphically take place during this story itself.

I think that anyone who enjoys stories that are somewhat creepy or eerie, who enjoys mild spooky stories, and can handle stories involving haunted toys as well as location will enjoy this book. I also think that anyone who has ever been on a ghost walk or who has thought about participating in a ghost walk will enjoy reading this story. Although I suspect that in our world, most ghost walks are not as full of agitated and angry spirits as the ones in this story seems to contain. (At least I hope not, though some locations just might have a few such hauntings of their own.)

This book was the first book in a series. (I think there are only two books in the series, though I am not entirely certain if there are or will be more at some point.) I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading book two in this series at some point. And with this being the Halloween season, it’s a good time to check this one out for some spooky and fun reading.

Mail Order Bride’s Promise, by Florence Linnington

Clara moved from England to America with her sister, brother-in-law, and their baby boy. She had been looking forward to a grand adventure in a new land and had just accepted a position working for a family in Chicago, but just before boarding the train to leave, she received word that her sister and brother-in-law were killed in an accident, leaving Clara as Elija’s only living relative. She couldn’t abandon him, but also couldn’t find a job that would hire her with a baby to care for. Just as she was running out of hope, she saw an advertisement seeking a mail order bride for a man in colorado. Taking a chance, she started writing to him, and soon found herself on her way to Colorado expecting to get married. Only when she got there, Adam had no idea who she was. It turned out that his father had been matchmaking, and had neglected to tell either of them that he’d sent for a wife for Adam. As you can guess, this did not go over well with either Clara or Adam.

I read a review copy of this book and as always, enjoyed reading Ms. Linnington’s latest book. The two main characters in this story had a unique set of problems, made more difficult  by Adam clearly suffering from PTSD after the war. These challenges only strengthened the story, along with a few other challenges that I haven’t named here. This book definitely has a lot going on, and was one that I found very entertaining. It deviates only slightly from the pattern of most mail-order bride stories, but I feel it added something to the inevitable happy ending that I always look forward to in Ms. Linnington’s books. I will note that this book is pictured on Amazon with the title of Mountain Bride’s Promise” on the cover art, but in order to actually find it on Amazon, you need to look for the title of Mail Order Bride’s Promise. I’m not sure why there is a discrepancy in the title of this book, but when I first looked for Mountain Bride’s Promise to post my review on Amazon, I could not find it until I looked up Mail Order Bride’s Promise instead.

If you enjoy Mail Order Bride stories with a bit of a twist, slow-burn romance stories, stories that deal with a couple dealing with post-war PTSD, or are just looking for a nice, story that is easy to read and is usually guaranteed to have a happy ending, then I think you will enjoy this book, As always, I did.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Lost and Found by Alex Andre

Long after the “E”  rendered machines inoperable, society has changed. Within the remains of cities, people who refer to themselves as “Rats,” search for usable items to trade or sell, though with as much time that has passed, little seems to remain. Park Yun-Mi is a young “Rat” who believes she is meant for great things. But her beginning is a rough one, leaving her with a great deal to prove to herself as well as others.

I received a review copy of this book, and while I did enjoy it, I do need to mention  that it is over 500 pages long and contains an attempted rape. The characters are interesting, but there is a great deal of necessary set up to the story before it becomes really clear what the story is about. Because of all the necessary setup to this story, and also likely due in part to the length, it feels like the plot moves somewhat slowly, though that may in part be an illusion due to it being a longer than usual book. (I expect that book two in this series will go much faster now that we have the history and background information already, and yes, I would be interested in reading book 2 in this series at some point.) 

I will say that for longer than I expected, I was trying to figure out where the story was going, but even when not yet realizing what the story was supposed to be about, I was still enjoying it. It’s not often that I read something that keeps me guessing for so long. I enjoyed reading this book.

I think anyone who enjoys post apocalyptic stories that involve a variety of people, cultures, and societies. Will enjoy this book. There is a lot going on in this story, and I have only scratched the surface of it in my review of this book. If you’re looking for a story with a variety of characters and parts to the overall story, this is the book for you.

https://amzn.to/4dst5gm (Amazon link)

https://books2read.com/u/47Bv98 (Books2Read link to other vendors

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Shadow and Bone written by Leigh Bardugo Narrated by Lauren Fortgang

Alina Starkov has always been of little importance. She was raised in an orphanage with her best friend Mal, and the two of them joined the army together: Alina as a mapmaker and Mal as a tracker. But where he has always been amazing (he can find anything even when it appears to most as if there are no tracks), she has always been someone who appeared merely average, nothing special. At least until their entire group was almost killed in the Fold. (An area of total darkness that tears the country of Ravka in two.) It is almost impossible to cross the Fold without attracting the attention of creatures that live within the darkness. The Greshia possess abilities that help them fight against these creatures, and sometimes they succeed, sometimes less so. And when Mal and Alina are sure to be killed within the Fold, abilities that Alina didn’t know she possessed awaken. She is a sun summoner, and her light can chase the darkness away, hurting the creatures of darkness trapped in the Fold. But Alina is an untrained Gresia, and has no control over power she didn’t know she had. How can one girl become the savior of the entire world?

I listened to the audiobook edition of this book after having watched the two seasons available on Netflix. There is no season three and season two, while it ties up the story begun in season one very nicely, also leaves you hanging on what was meant to happen in season three, So I bought the audiobook through audible to listen to while I exercise. The story in book one (this book) is very similar to the Netflix season one episodes with only very few changes to the story. (I would guess those changes were made in the video production for added visual effect that you wouldn’t really see from the book, and adds to some of the horror of what happens to Alina and Mal on their journey.

In the audiobook version, the voices of each character are very distinct from each other. The narrator did a fantastic job narrating this book. And while I knew what was going to happen from having watched the Netflix version, I still very much enjoyed listening to this book. There were some slight differences in the book from the show, and I think I preferred the book version, though as I mentioned above, I can very much understand why those changes were made in the Netflix series.

Overall, this is a story that I would gladly recommend for anyone who enjoys fantasy, magic abilities, pre-industrial war stories, friends to lovers stories, romantic problems, and found family. All in all, there is a little of something for almost anyone in this book, so I would definitely suggest giving it a try, whether you chose to read it yourself, listen to the audiobook version, or even just watch the series on Netflix. (Though with no season three planned, you’ll likely need to read book 3 to find out what happens after the dramatic cliffhanger at the end of season two.)

https://amzn.to/3MWHu9y (Amazon link)

https://books2read.com/u/b56jAO (Books2Read link to other vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links. 

Facing the Music by A.J. Buchanan

Tristan DeVere is a lonely Rockstar. His last relationship ended many years earlier when his boyfriend not only betrayed him but broke his heart. Now, he has a hard time trusting others. Benedict Priestly (Priest to his friends) is a widowed man with two pre-teen children who don't know he is bisexual. His wife died several years earlier and he had not been ready to even think about dating again until he met Tristan. But can the two of them overcome their own problems and insecurities or will any romance be doomed before it begins?

I received and read a review copy of this book. I found it to be a sweet second-chance romance novel between two people who have both been dealing with heartache and guilt for years. And often those are very difficult to overcome even under the best of circumstances. I enjoyed reading this book. It has a nice tie to the previous book in the series, though the characters focused on in this book are different ones than were featured in the previous book, making it work as a standalone novel as well as part of a series.

I enjoyed the depictions of a budding romance and felt for the characters when things happened that might end that romance. All in all, this was a very enjoyable book to read. But you do need to be aware that there are some sex scenes in this book, so parts of it may nor be appropriate for younger readers. 

If you enjoy second chance romance novels or have read the previous book in the series, then I believe you will enjoy this book as much as I did. I know that I'll be keeping my eyes out for book 3 in this series.

https://amzn.to/4er1DR8 (Amazon Link)

https://books2read.com/u/4AMOrA (Books2Read link to other Vendors)

https://4horsemenpublications.com/product/facing-the-music-no-strings-attached-2/ (link to book on publisher's website)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Manners and Mutiny Written by Gail CarrigerNarrated by Moira Quirk

The Picklemen are up to no good, as usual, but this time, it appears that they just might succeed in their evil plan. Exactly what that plan is remains uncertain, though it clearly involves Madame Geraldine’s finishing school. Sephronia and her closest group of friends have become aware that something evil is afoot, but no one seems to believe them, at least not until it is too late to do much about it. Or so it seems. But once again, Sephronia and the others are determined to turn a situation where failure seems assured into a way to succeed and if not save the school, at least to save London.

I listened to the audiobook version of this title. It is the final book in the Finishing School Series and does not disappoint.  The narrator once again does a great job of keeping the characters’ voices distinct from each other so that there is no confusion as to who is speaking at any point. There is a lot happening in this story, and it will take all of Sephronia and the other girls’ skills as they work together to succeed. With the school evacuated of most of the students and Sephronia working to try and save it from the Picklemen who have hijacked it, the question seems to be whether or not Sephronia will be able to save the remaining teachers and sooties still on board the airship while not getting caught, all while finding a way to thwart the plot that is already underway. But if anyone can manage it, it will be Sephronia and her friends. This book was full of action and danger, as well as being entertaining to watch the girls use their skills and allies to do everything they could to stop these evil men and try to come out of it alive.

This was a very fun story and an exciting ending to the series. I also love how it sets things up for another series by Ms. Carriger, (one that I had already read before discovering this series). So I really enjoyed seeing how the characters not only became who they are, but how they fit into the other series (even if they are not prominent in that one. I believe they are at least mentioned if I am remembering correctly.) I enjoyed this series.

If you have read any of Ms. Carriger’s books and enjoyed them, then I believe you will enjoy this book as well, Of course, I would recommend that you read the first three books in this series before this one as I believe that you will lose some of the excitement if you do not know the why of some of the things happening in this book. If you enjoy steampunk stories, this will also be one that I believe you will enjoy as well.

https://amzn.to/3B4D1Pq (Amazon link)

https://books2read.com/u/mVLQE2 (Books2Read link to other vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup

Caroline is an author who is attempting to write a fantasy romance novel while working a full-time job in a busy company. Between a boss who is continually having computer problems happening at work, a heroine who is often less than cooperative with Caroline’s direction for the story, and an editor who does his best to keep her from adding in events that don’t make sense in the setting, it all makes for a very amusing story where there is always something happening, it just isn’t always what Caroline was planning.

I was gifted with a copy of this book for review. And it was a very fun read. As happens to many writers I know, Caroline’s story and characters take on a life of their own and often refuse to do what she wants them to be doing, thus taking the story in a different direction than the one she had planned. And to me, that added an extra level of entertainment to the story.

I also loved how Caroline would interrupt her characters at various points during the story to try and talk them into doing what she had expected them to be doing. It was also quite amusing to see the arguments she has with them about not only their story, but events and problems in Caroline’s life. And more often than not, these discussions or arguments with her characters, as well as their following their own instincts rather than her plans made the story in and of itself more entertaining and better. And again, the fact that I know multiple authors who have often wound up with one or more characters taking a story in a completely different direction that what was planned truly entertained me and often had me smiling as I read.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Fantasy romance novels with a twist, stories making fun of writing tropes, and stories that contain parallel storylines will enjoy this book. I think that most who choose to give this book a try will enjoy it.

https://amzn.to/3Z374Bb (Amazon Link

https://books2read.com/u/3J2dwv (Vooks2Read link to other vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.