series – The Spine View

Last Time We Loved by Christine Miles

Rating: 4 Stars Pub. Date: 28-Sep-2021

There are so many good things about this story, Last Time We Loved by Christine Miles, that stuck with me after I finished reading. Written with great plot tension and solid characters, it is one of my favorite stories in this genre I have read recently. Mostly because the story went well beyond the second chance troupe. Definitely much more than your usual fluffy romance and well worth the reading.

Ten years ago, David’s parents were killed in a tragic car accident that left his younger sister paralyzed and in a wheelchair. At the time, he was in college devoting all his energy to music and his girlfriend, Alyson. He abandoned all of that, including Alyson, and became an architect to be able to support his sister Rebecca.

Alyson has tried to move on since David and has become a successful businesswoman with a florist shop that specializes in weddings and parties. The only man in her life currently is her dog and she likes it that way. That is until David, the only man that ever mattered to her, walks right back into her life.

This is definitely a slow burn story. The tension between David and Alyson was palpable. I get that both David and Alyson were traumatized, in different ways of course, after the accident and while I didn’t always agree with their actions, especially David, I could at least see their side of the story. Therefore, there was a lot of hurt that Alyson had to work through before she could forgive David.

The plot was fast paced and the subplots really helped move things along. I thought the drama about Alyson’s floral business and David’s decision of a career path change added to the story. In real life things don’t happen one at a time. In my experience, changes always seem to come in waves and the fact that multiple things were happening at once gave the story creditability.

I liked all the characters in this story. I had a lot of empathy for them, especially David and Rebecca. The tragedy they suffered was so heart wrenching. The author did an outstanding job showing the reader the emotions of the characters and this added a lot of depth to them. The minor characters, though not as fleshed out, also worked well and were an enhancement to the story. The author put a lot of thought behind the characters and it showed. All the characters had a purpose to the story and it all appeared seamless.

Not only is the book a great second chance story, it is also about being able to forgive and the, sometimes necessary, sacrifices one makes in life and ultimately being true to oneself. I recommend this book to those readers who love a complex and thoughtful second chance story. In addition, this would make a great book club choice because of all the themes this book touches on.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher

There is not much better than a good romance except maybe one involving a witch and Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher was filled with all the witchy goodness I could want. The second book in the Supernatural Singles series, this book was funny, flirty, and oh so good.

Rose is one of the Maxwell triplet witches. She was trained to be the next Prima on the Council until recently when she stepped down. Now trying to find a new life for herself, she runs afoul of Damian Adams, a sexy half-demon veterinarian, when she attempts to steal a horse she thinks is being abused. Her punishment? Community service hours at the aforementioned vet’s animal rescue.

Soon sparks are flying between these two and they agree to be F-buddies. Yeap, friends-with-benefits, no strings attached and no commitment because the hunky half demon vet has been hexed by his Ex. But, as we all know, the heart wants what the heart wants.

This book has a solid plot with a few twists that keep my interest. So good, it only took me a couple of days to read this one. I loved the banter between the two main characters and Rose’s names for Damian, like Mr. McGrumpy Pants, had me laughing out loud. As an animal lover, the fact that part of the story involved animals was an unforeseen bonus.

The character development was solid and I loved learning more about Rose and getting enough of Damian’s history that I understood his actions and why he was a grumpasaurs. Even the minor characters, such as Damian’s brother Julius, were well thought out and added to the story.

The only negative thing is, I have to wait to read the next book! I hope the author does not make me wait long. This was delicious and I need more soon!

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good romance with a bit more edge to it and it works well as a stand-alone. Also a great choice for that summer vacation reading list.

I received a free copy, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

Violet made of Thorns is full of suspense, dark prophecy, and court intrigue with a serving of enemies-to-lovers on the side. There is also plenty of magic in this story and prophesies that spell doom. If you like your fairy tales on the darker side, this is the book for you.

Violet is a young Seer working for the King. She is one of only a few in the world and her talents are highly sought after. However, she didn’t receive proper instruction on the use of her gifts and though the visions and dreams are easy enough, there are other things her magic is capable of that she has yet to discover. Of course, there are people who wish to exploit her youth and lack of knowledge.

The King being one of those that will use her for his own ends. He frequently asks Violet to lie about what she sees or does not see. The latest lie is about Prince Cyrus’s upcoming engagement, even though he has yet to secure a bride.

Also, there is a dark prophecy surrounding Prince Cyrus. The prophecy Violet has, or says she has, could have dire consequences for both herself and the realm. Ultimately, the choices she and Cyrus make will determine the fate of everyone.

There was a lot of tension between Violet and Cyrus. I get the resentment that the Prince felt toward Violet. He cared about her but didn’t like her being a tool for his father to use as he desired. I felt that resentment was a little misplaced. However, it did allow for the tension between them and this enhanced the plot.

What I didn’t get was the hot to cold thing that was going on between the two. One minute they were making out and the next the claws were out. This part of the story felt like it needed further polish. In addition, I would have loved just a little more character development for Cyrus. His character was not as rounded as Violet.

The plot was interesting and it moved nicely along. Though, I was not a fan of the ending. It was a bit rushed and left too much unanswered for me. Yeah, I get that it is the first book in a series. Even taking this into account, the ending was not as organic as it could have been. In short, I wanted a bit more of an ending. One more chapter would have been nice.

Despite the few minor complains I had, I liked this story a lot. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing what will happen next. If you enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale, this book should be on your TBR list.

I received a free copy, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.

All I Want For Christmas Is the Girl Who Can’t Love

This book, though mostly not set during the holidays, still has the special magic that only the holiday season can bring. It is an imaginative coming-of-age story and will definitely warm your heart.

Savannah meets Jordan at the start of the semester when he offers to help her carry her mattress to her dorm room. In the days following move in, they keep running into each other and before long a friendship develops, but Jordan wants more. However, Savannah is convinced that true love does not exist. She thinks love is just a primitive response to mating. This is only reinforced by her mother and grandmother’s experiences.

Jordan is not without wanting to put off love because his career goals come first. However, as the semester progresses, Jordan and Savannah are drawn to each other. They just seem to click and Jordan becomes determined to prove to Savannah that true love does exist. When they find a collection of letters from the revolutionary war between a solider and the woman he loved, Jorden uses this as the opportunity to prove the existence of true love. The question is. will this be enough to prove to Savannah that true love exists?

The characters in this story were fabulous. They are genuine and the dialog was what I would expect from young adults. I liked how the author used Savannah’s challenges with empathy. Because Savannah is challenged, the author was able to highlight how strong and intelligent she is, with a fierceness about her that many her age don’t have.

I also loved that the tension slowly built in the story and there could not have been a better setting for this book. The historical element of the letters added a nice layer to the story and helped moved the plot along. I wanted to find out what happened to everyone and it had me rushing to finish.

This book was charming, and had a strong feel-good vibe. I highly recommend it to lovers of YA and romance. It is not only a great holiday read, but would make a great beach read because a lot of the book takes place outside of the holidays.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik

This book, Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik, is a stellar start to a wonderful new Sci-Fi series. I am still getting goose bumps from this story days after reading it. This book is the real deal, it has all the feels and you don’t want to miss out on it.

Octavia (Tavi) Zarola and her small, close knit crew are contracted by Torran Fletcher, a dangerous Valoff, to help him find out who stole something very important from him and recover it. He is very vague about the item and insists that humans are behind the thief and he needs a human to help him recover it. Despite her misgivings, Tavi takes the job because it is so lucrative and if she can find this stolen item, in a short period of time, there will be a bonus. Of course, there is a caveat to the deal, Torran demands that he and his crew join forces with hers. Besides the hunt begins on the Valoff home world and Tavi will need him to provide safe passage there.

Once they get underway Tavi discovers there is much more to this ex-military commander than meets the eye. He infuriates and arouses her. In addition, she discovers there is a softer side to him that he keeps well-hidden and she is not the only one feeling the attraction. As they work to recover the item, they both learn that there are secrets that their governments have keep from them as well as secrets they are keeping from each other. The question will be, when it comes down to it, can they trust each other?

I was drawn into this story before the end of the first chapter because the characters were well done and I was intrigued to see how the relationship between the two crews would develop. There was obvious chemistry between different characters and as you learn more about them you can’t help to become invested in the outcome.

The plot was good and I thought some of the ideas presented worked well to move the story forward. I especially was intrigued by one idea in particular, that humans were seeded on other worlds, sometime in the past, and that two distinct lines of humanity have evolved very differently. It got me to thinking, if this could have happened, how closely related and how much DNA would have to be shared before a species can be considered human.

There is no cliffhanger; however, there is much more to this story and I am excited to see what happens next. I also want to know more about the other characters. Will any of those relationships bloom into something more? In addition, I get the impression that the various governments are not done meddling. Will we meet another race of aliens much more advanced? So many questions and so much to look forward to. I hope I am not kept waiting too long for the answers.

This is the perfect Space Opera for fans of The Interdependency series by John Scalzi. It is exciting and highly addictive. I highly recommend! I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

Holey moley, this book has a cliffhanger of an ending and I loved it! The romance, the tension, the action all just so perfect in The Last Graduate, which is the second installment of the Scholomance series, by Naomi Novik. It was wickedly delicious and I gobbled it up!

The story picks up right were A Deadly Education leaves off. El and her fellow students at the Scholomance now have to prepare for graduation. It is a graduation ceremony like no other and few will survive it. Yet the school seems to be making things harder for EL, leaving her to wonder if she will even make it to graduation. She is spending all her hard earned mana (kind of like magical energy) in battling the maleficria (the magical creatures that eat young magicians).

Then there is the note from her mother with the words,”Keep away from Orion Lake.” Yet, she is immensely attracted to him and maybe she will need his help if her plan to survive graduation is to work.

This book is just as good as the first and I was super excited to return to this world and cast of characters. El still has that biting personality with the soft underside, and though we don’t hear much about Orion at first, I was delighted to find him just as adorable as I remember and head over heels for El. Novik continues to grow the characters and add to the fabulous world building she laid out in book one.

The plot is well done and there was lots of tension, both with the action and the budding romance, leading up to the finale. The only skeleton in the closet is the cliffhanger, and as mentioned earlier, it is a monumental one. Normally not a big fan of these types of cliffhangers but the book is just so good and the ending so perfect I cannot complain too much. I just don’t know how I will make it until book three.

If fantasy is your genre this is a must read series. However, you really do need to read them in order. If you haven’t started reading this series, I can’t imagine what you are waiting on. Go get a copy of book one, A Deadly Education, now.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

The Drug Lord’s Daughter by Tom Towslee

The Drug Lord’s Daughter has everything I could ask for in a murder mystery. The author, Tom Towslee, weaves a tale of murder and intrigue, set in an idyllic vacation spot within a Mexican beach front town, and a reporter that just can’t leave well enough alone. All of this made for a book I could not put down.

John Standard, Senor Juan as the locals call him, is an expat from Oregon, living the easy life with his girlfriend Emma in a small Mexican seaside town. He has traded his former life as a freelance reporter, and the cold, wet winters in the Pacific Northwest, for this quiet existence. His days consist of fishing, reading and maybe a night in town with Emma.

Then one day the quiet of this town is shattered when Lulu, a friend of Emma’s, is murdered in her home. Emma asks John to see what he can find out from the police about the murder. John and the local police captain, Alejandro Vega, are not on the best of terms. After speaking to him, John gets the sense that he knows more than he is letting on. His investigative reporter instincts kick in and he becomes obsessed with finding out the truth even though his and Emma’s life maybe in jeopardy.

The quality of the story took me by surprise. Sometimes I find that action/thriller type books sacrifice character development in favor of action and then more action. Therefore, I love to read a story that gives me both a great character with a well thought-out and fast paced plot. The story takes off from the first page and there was never a dull moment in this riveting story. Despite being fast paced, the plot never felt rushed and the clues were perfectly placed to keep the reader engaged.

I loved the character of John Standard. He was down to earth and a bit gritty. I understood him and sympathized with him. There was some outstanding character development here and even though this was the third book in a series, the author gave enough background information that it worked well as a stand-alone.

If you a fan of murder mysteries that are served with a side of action, this is the book for you. Don’t miss out on this electrifying story! Totally looking forward to reading more from this author.

I received a free copy from the published in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

A Vow So Bold and Deadly is the third book in The Cruse Breaker Series. While I adored the first two books, I was disappointed with this one. It is still a good story, and series, just not on the same level as the previous two books.

Book three brings together the prior two books and this book is about the fate of not only the kingdom of Emberfall but of Syhl Shallow too. There are several big questions the book will answer. First, will the two kingdoms really wage war on each other now that we know Grey is the true heir of Emberfall? Will Lia Mara be able to hold her throne? Finally, Will Rhen ever defeat Lilith?

The book is not badly written nor did it have big plot holes. No, nothing as damaging as that. I just lost interest in the story and the plot was very slow in the beginning. Then to top it off, there were unresolved issued. It left me wondering if there will be another book. I thought it was a three book series. Maybe I am wrong.

I enjoyed that we finally got to read about all four characters in one book and from their own POVs no less. However, I came to detest Lia Mara. I wanted to tell her to grow a pair. All the self-doubt and whining got old. I would have preferred to have seen more growth for her character. She was strong enough to kill her mother; therefore, at this point in the game, she should not be second guessing herself at every turn. We all wonder at times if we are doing the right thing or not; however, her fears left me with mammoth doubts about her capacity to rule. Ugh!

Lastly, the interaction between characters did not feel genuine. I never got this feeling in the previous two books. I think this is partly due to the pacing in the first half of the book. There was not much going on and all the talk and preparing for war got a bit tiresome. A good subplot would have made things more interesting and would have given the characters a chance to interact meaningfully.

The thing I liked most about the story was the ending. Even though I wish it had been a little meatier after spending so much time on the lead up to it. In truth, the ending felt almost anticlimactic. Yet it suited the story. Not everybody gets everything they want in life and the characters had to accept compromises and come to terms with them. That is the way life works and so was very appropriate.

As I stated at the beginning, this book is not terrible. However, it is not on par with the previous two. I still loved the series and well gladly read other books by the author. If you like fantasy and retellings this is a good series to read. I encourage you to give it a try and sincerely hope you enjoy.

The Ice Lion by Kathleen O’Neal Gear

The Ice Lion is a dystopian story about climate change in the worst case scenario. Written by an expert in the field of archeology, there is a ring of truth to this fictional story of the struggle to survive in a frozen world. I found it to be a fascinating and terrifying look at what the future might hold for life on Earth.

The story is set in a future a thousand years off. The Earth is now in the grips of an Ice Age. In a last ditch attempt to preserve some higher life on Earth, scientists have recreated humans from the last Ice Age along with the prey and predators that they hunted and where hunted by. Now these early humans struggle to survive in a world that is still growing colder and is extremely hostile.

The Sealion Clan struggles to eke out a living in this world and predators like the Saber-Tooth Tiger and Dire Wolves are not their only enemies. They complete for resources with other tribes of humans. It is a very dangerous time to be alive.

The star of the show here are the characters. The author made characters that I liked. I understood and identified with them, though it took me a bit to like Lynx. The trials they were put through and how both Lynx and Quiller characters grew as the story progressed was done nicely. At first, I was not a fan of Lynx. However, the author was able to build his character and I began to see that there was more to him than what was on the surface. Not an easy thing to do and I appreciate the subtlety that took.

The plot was fast paced and there was lots of action to keep me excited about what was going to happen next. Though there were not any large plot twists to make you gasp, there were a few surprises that worked nicely in keeping the story interesting.

My only grip is with the world building. I wanted more. I felt the story would have worked better if I understood more of the events leading up to the recreation of prehistoric life. There were a few hints but not enough to slack my thirst for more information. Just a bit more additional information woven into Arakie’s story would gone a long way to making the story even better.

Despite that I didn’t get as much world building as I like, this is still a solid start to the series. I have no reservations in recommending it. Just note, this is not your typical Sci-Fi story and thus I feel it is best suited to those readers that like a mix of both the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres within the same book. In addition, the book is a great pick for readers of Young Adult fiction. I am looking forward to the next installment and hoping I will learn more about Arakie’s past.

I received a free advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

I have been waiting for this book and now it is finally here. I can’t help but be excited! I have wanted to know more about Cassian since he was first introduced into the story. Now that his story is intertwined with Nesta’s, I am more intrigued. Note that I have not a Nesta fan; yet, I am coming around to like her, a little bit anyway, after this book.

Nesta is angry with being forced into the cauldron and becoming High Fae. She is angry with her sister Fayre, she is angry at Cassian and most of all, she is angry at herself. She has a lot to be angry about and all this angry is destroying her from the inside out. She turns to drinking and men to deal with it all. Yet, we know she is not dealing with it and so does Fayre.

After Rhysand and Fayre receive an astronomical bill for one of Nesta’s particularity bad night of excesses, Fayre says enough and cuts off Nesta. No more funds to act like the spoiled brat she has become. Instead, Nesta will live at the House of Wind and will train every morning with Cassian and work every afternoon in the library. Will this be what Nesta needs or will it only lead to more trouble?

The best part of this book is the character development. Kudos to the author for taking a character I love to hate and turning her into something so different I couldn’t help but reverse my opinion of her a little bit. As I said earlier, I am still not on Team Nesta, but I do feel much different about her. I understand her better and can see how she became the spoiled brat and how her nature has worked both for and against her. I loved that in this book she has learned how to control the aspects of her character that even she does not like. She still has a ways to go, but I feel she has finally found her place and she is beginning to accept herself and love herself. This needed to happen for her to move on.

There is not a lot in the way of plot in this book. It is totally a character driven story and that is okay. The descriptive prose and the characters more than made up for this. There are also no big plot twists. However, there are a few unresolved things so I know there will be more in the future. I am totally excited about more books in this world because I am just not ready to let these characters go yet.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of fantasy, especially epic fantasy. However, you need to read these books in order. The story continues to build upon past events and you will not grasp everything going on if you have not read the prior books. If fantasy is your thing and you have not read this series, you are missing out on an exceptional tale.