Revving up the Holidays by A.S. Fenichel (review) (ADULT title)

Ok...I am behind, I admit it.  I have been fortunate to have received plenty of titles to edit and I am woefully behind in my reviews (my apologies to all of you who have sent me titles to review...they are not lost, really!) and slowly trying to work my way through the piles so I am juggling frantically but I am still having a ball reading although my sinuses are not crazy about the changes in barometric pressure which complicates matters since that gives me headaches!  This is my long-winded way of explaining why I am finally reviewing some of the seasonal titles a couple of months late.  I had the pleasure of reading Revving Up the Holidays (ADULT title) a few weeks ago but it has taken me a while to get it written up...

                                           


Revving Up the Holidays by A.S. Fenichel is an erotic romance novella with a seasonal twist. Ben Silverman makes an all too rare visit to be with his sister and her family in Atlanta at Hanukkah. He is stunned to reconnect with Giada (Gigi) Leone, who reminds him of the feelings he had for her during high school but never acted on. Their searing attraction to one another is complicated by the specters of the past but they have to learn to compromise just as they must discover how to meld their respective cultures and traditions.

This entertaining contemporary romance is an entertaining combination of spice and family holiday celebrations that span two different cultures. There were lovely descriptions of family traditions that give texture to the story even as the heat rises between the two main characters. It was a little difficult to believe that this is the first time that they finally made a connection after so many years but the story was touching and enjoyable nonetheless. A fun quick read that shows how to heat up a couple of holiday celebrations.

© Night Owl Reviews
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this title as a prize.  (0:

I also had the pleasure of reading the delightful science-fiction erotic romance title, Kane's Bounty, by this author...and hopefully will get my review for that yummy title written up in the near future.  

The Unmasking by Adriana Kraft (cover reveal)

Cover Reveal: The Unmasking by Adriana Kraft

Coming to Amazon.com on February 15! The Unmasking by Adriana Kraft. Cover by Dawné Dominique, DuskTilDawn Designs.



The Unmasking

BLURB

Whose mask will crumble first— the enigmatic professor of Celtic Studies, the undercover cop masquerading as a co-ed, or the campus stalker, biding his time to strike again?

Is anthropology professor Matt Bayfield the Blackthorn College rapist, or a potential ally? Aloof and unapproachable, Matt has academic ambitions. He can’t escape Blackthorn College soon enough, and he doesn’t want any entanglements to slow down his exit.

Nancy Appleby would like nothing more than to solve the string of campus rape cases before Thanksgiving so she can go home. The last thing she wants is a relationship to complicate her life—but she’ll settle for a fling, especially when the sex sizzles.

The stalker has his own carefully crafted timetable, with a special date just for Nancy. Can Matt and Nancy force him out of his hidey-hole before it’s too late?


Find Adriana Kraft on the web:
Website
Blog
FaceBook Page
Twitter

Falling Light by Thea Harrison review (and Happy Birthday to my best friend!)

                                         


Falling Light by Thea Harrison is part of the ‘Game of Shadows’ series and is the exciting sequel to Rising Darkness. Michael has finally reunited with Mary after waiting centuries for her to be reborn in a form who can remember their bond and access her powers. Their struggle against the Deceiver continues as they try to join forces with the remaining being who accompanied them and guides their fight, the elderly Astra who has been known by so many names since she came from another world to defend humanity. Mary is appalled by the violence surrounding them and sorely conflicted by the need to act contrary to her instincts as a healer. The three of them have fought for so long against their ruthless enemy and are reaching the end of their strength but they have made their own allies to help them combat the many minions of evil who attack them and those they care for. The question is whether it will be enough.

This rousing paranormal story combines a life and death struggle between good and evil with wonderfully creative elements that give a nice twist to the story. The poignant tragedies that accompany the fight against the inimical forces continue but it was wonderful to watch Mary recover some of her equilibrium and grow into her powers and touching to see how her bond with Michael continued to deepen as their shared memories continue to surface. It was interesting to see the typical adjustment in male versus female reactions to events which were somewhat complicated by their powers and their alien background. I was particularly intrigued by the contributions of Lake Michigan even as I cringed at some of the continued developments surrounding the charismatic Nicholas’ family. I was a little startled to realize that this was the conclusion to the series but enjoyed some of the revelations and I hope that there will be a way to visit this world again sometime.
 © Night Owl Reviews

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.



 

First in the series is Rising Darkness
 
My Night Owl Review of this title is at this link.


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And...a very Happy Birthday (feliz cumpleaños a ti) to the poor woman who has known me since high school and is still willing to admit it!
de la velas las luces
ellos quieren decir
que tu tengas mi amiga
cumpleaños feliz
y...muchos mas
 

All for You Jessica Scott (spotlight, excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY)

                                    

                                      


All for You by Jessica Scott (February 4, 2014; Forever E-Book; $2.99)

Can a battle-scarred warrior . . .

Stay sober. Get deployed. Lead his platoon. Those are the only things that matter to Sergeant First Class Reza Iaconelli. What he wants is for everyone to stay out of his way; what he gets is Captain Emily Lindberg telling him how to deal with his men. Fort Hood's newest shrink is smart as a whip and sexy as hell. She's also full of questions-about the army, its soldiers, and the agony etched on Reza's body and soul.

. . . open his heart to love?

Emily has devoted her life to giving soldiers the care they need-and deserve. Little does she know that means facing down the fierce wall of muscle that is Sergeant Iaconelli like it's just another day at the office. When Reza agrees to help her understand what makes a soldier tick, she's thrilled. Too bad it doesn't help her unravel the sexy warrior in front of her who stokes her desire and touches a part of her she thought long dead. He's the man who thinks combat is the only escape from the demons that haunt him. The man who needs her most of all . . .

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Excerpt:

         “So how many of you think that behavioral health is for pussies?”
         Half the room burst out with coughs attempting to cover laughter. The other half were busy picking their jaws up off the floor. It had been a reckless gamble, one that would have made her father cringe in shame, but one that worked because the tension snapped, fizzling a little bit. Granting her an opening she might not have had otherwise.
         “Be honest.” She glanced at the sergeant major, who looked ready to brain the first officer or sergeant that raised his hand. “Never mind, don’t answer that.” She shot a quick grin at the sergeant major and a few more chuckles drifted out of the crowd. “Look, we all know that I’ve got you held captive for an hour and we can stand here and stare at each other or maybe we can talk about what’s going on that we’ve got so many soldiers willing to hurt themselves.”
         She made the mistake of looking in Reza’s direction.
         He was watching her, his dark gaze intense, his mouth flat. At least he wasn’t glaring at her. That was progress, she supposed.
         She gripped the pen in her hand and motioned toward the men before her. “So maybe we can put aside the canned slides and talk about why you hate the shrinks. And maybe I can explain what it is that we do. And maybe, if we work together, we can save a life.”
         The silence was back, a wet blanket settling over the room. She glanced around as the brief opening she’d attempted to walk through shriveled and shrank.
         “I have a question.” Reza raised his hand. His eyes glittered darkly. “Sergeant First Class Iaconelli, ma’am. My question is: Why do we have to spend so much time chasing after the shitbirds who are smoking spice or some other shit that’s not meant for human consumption and then when we try to throw them out, you all stop the process and tell us they have PTSD?”
         “Ike, your attitude is part of the damn problem.” All eyes turned in the direction of a hard-looking sergeant first class. He had no hair and there was a hint of a black tattoo ringing his neck. Sergeant First Class Garrison was a big man. “Intimidating” was too light a word for him. And yet, on his left hand, a wedding ring shone bright gold. Someone had tamed this man. She found herself wondering at the woman who’d married him then pulled her thoughts sharply into focus. “You can’t run around calling our soldiers shitbirds. They’ll always do what you expect and if you expect them to screw up, they’re going to live up to your expectation.”
         “I don’t expect them to be smoking it up in the barracks on the weekend,” Reza snapped.
         Emily held up one hand. “Sergeant Garrison, thank you for getting straight to the heart of the matter. What you’re talking about is not simply about drug abuse. You’re talking about soldiers who are self-medicating. Instead of using the proper channels to seek care, they’re choosing instead the easier path of smoking marijuana, or what is it you called it? Spice?”
         “It’s synthetic marijuana, ma’am,” Garrison said.
         She’d had no idea there was such a thing, let alone that soldiers were smoking it. “Thank you. Regardless of their drug of choice, the reason for using is often to deal with symptoms of anxiety that they’re otherwise managing or not managing very well.”
         Reza lifted his hand and she swallowed the flit of nerves in her belly as she pointed at him. “Yeah, well, I’ve got real warriors who need help who won’t go to the damn R&R Center because there’s all these slick-sleeved little punks in there trying to get out of drug charges.”
It was a cold statement, one that shook her, reminding her that this was not a sympathetic room. And that Iaconelli was not a sympathetic man.
         “You raise an interesting point, Sergeant Iaconelli. The facts are that most of our suicides over the last two years have been among first-term soldiers who have never deployed,” she said, speaking loudly to cover the nervous waiver in her voice.
         Garrison straightened where he’d been leaning against the wall. “Y’all know I got blown up a little over a year ago. I had a really tough road back. The thing I learned over that time is that our boys are struggling. Whether we see it or not, our boys need our help.” He turned his gaze to Emily.
         Reza scowled and shook his head. “Look, Garrison, you’re not the only one who got blown up downrange. But the point I’m trying to make is that it’s our boys who won’t go get the help because of all the ash and trash taking up the appointments.”
         Emily held up her hands but Garrison interrupted her. “Ike, you need to shut your damn mouth. Just because you drink yourself to sleep every night as therapy doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t need a different way to cope.”
         “Fuck you, Garrison,” Reza spat. “I’m the reason the rest of your platoon came home from the last deployment.”
         A red-haired sergeant stood. His right hand was bunched in what looked like a perpetual half grip and it took Emily a moment to realize that it was a prosthetic hand. Her skin went cold. She’d never seen physical evidence of the war this close before.
         “Girls, girls. Can we please listen to the good captain explain to us the services she offers? I for one would like more information on how to not accidentally almost kill myself in the future.”
         The room groaned beneath the joke and Emily saw his name tag. Staff Sergeant Carponti. His eyes lit with an impish grin and she wished she knew the story behind how the young sergeant was able to defuse the anger between the two big sergeants with such ease.
         “That’s not funny, Carponti.” Reza settled back against the wall.
         “It was my accidental overdose. I’ll make jokes if I want to,” Carponti said. “You can’t because that would just be wrong on multiple levels. But I can make all the inappropriate jokes I want.” He turned and grinned in Emily’s direction and she instantly liked him. “How do we fix this shit, ma’am?”
         “There are no easy answers,” Emily said once everyone’s attention was off the two combatants. “But while Sergeant Iaconelli mocks the issue of bad homes, the simple fact is that the generation of soldiers we are dealing with have been raised differently than many of us were. A large portion of our force comes from broken homes, have been victims of trauma at a very young age.” She deliberately avoided looking in Reza’s direction. “What I’d like you all to think about is the fact that many of you are combat veterans. Many of you have lived through terrible experiences as adults. But how would your life be different if you’d been beaten as a child? Or sexually abused? You can mock the younger generation and say they’re weak.” She paused, scanning the faces of the warriors in front of her, looking for any sign that her words were breaking through their hardened shells. “Or you can look at the fact that some of them are even functioning as an act that takes the greatest strength.”
 







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My review:
4.5 out of 5 stars

All for You by Jessica Scott is part of the “Coming Home’ series that provides such searing vignettes of military life.  Sergeant Reza Iaconelli bears many burdens including his feelings of guilt for all of his men who he feels he has failed.  Unfortunately, he has tried to use alcohol to keep his guilt away and has almost destroyed his career.  Captain Emily Lindberg is trying to help the soldiers who are dealing with mental health issues but she has so many elements to combat, including the unrelenting pressure exerted, the traumas experienced and the overburdened system.  Unfortunately, she is also trying to mediate between the superiors who believe that some soldiers are exaggerating their issues and the soldiers who have become lost or have been failed by the system.  The solution some of them choose to deal with their problems can be horrifically final and it is a race against time for Emily to find a way to help Reza’s men but she realizes that it also becomes a personal quest as she comes to know and care about the Sergeant himself who may not be ready to face the truths he has been ignoring or hiding from.

This military romance novel is a wonderful character study of the difficulty of making judgements without having all of the facts.  It gives a sobering look at the disconnect between perceptions, the pressure felt by all concerned and the epidemic of injuries that are not as visible as the physical wounds themselves.  The realism provided by this author who has personal knowledge of the stresses facing our military gives depth to these stories which allow the reader to become invested in so many of these striking characters.  It is always wonderful to get glimpses of some of the characters who have become familiar from other stories in this intense and enthralling series and I am entertained that a hamster reference was included.  It is always disturbing to see that those who are counseling or directing the disposition of soldiers’ lives may or not have personal knowledge of the horrors and stress faced by those who see combat and the fact that the system is overwhelmed is heartbreaking as the very real specter of suicide or addiction as a solution is touched upon.  This is another excellent addition to the emotional and heartfelt stories that comprise this series and I look forward to reading even more by this wonderfully talented author who has allowed us to get a brief glance into a world that is often very foreign to those of us who benefit from the sacrifices made by so many brave individuals.



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About the author:

 USA Today bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer; mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs; wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well-adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She's written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View: Regarding War Blog, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn and has served as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas.

She's pursuing a PhD in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

Social Media Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Buy Links:

AmazonB&N

iTunes

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MjY2MzVjZTI0OGYwMjM0OGVmMWE2NjBlODRiZmExOjI5/

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Conning for Keeps tour (Entangled)

                                           



Conning For Keeps (An Agents of TRAIT Novella)


About the Book EBook: 110 pages Release Date: February 3, 2014 ISBN: 978-1662664719

Goodreads | Conning For Keeps | Barnes and Noble


Lovers undercover…

Secret Agent Marissa Jones has a gift.  A con artist to the core, after deep hypnosis she can turn into someone else entirely.  Marisa’s gift has gotten her into hot water over the years, but now more so than ever.  With her smoking hot partner by her side, she needs to convince him that not only is she her true self, but also that she can be trusted—even in spite of her past.

…

or traitors to the cause?



Trevor Harris has his own issues with the mission, he’s got revenge to seek, a cursed painting to secure, and Marissa’s sugary-sweet alter-ego to ignore.  But when he releases Marisa from her mental cage and things get a little too hot, he ends up finding out what falling for a con artist really means—bigger trouble than ever before.

(review is pending, will be posted later)





About Seleste:

Seleste started on her career path as a young child. Stories of talking animals soon gave way to a love of superheroes and science fiction. Her first foray into the world of romance came at age twelve when she envisioned a sweeping epic love story of two people thrust together and torn apart again and again by fate. As she recalls, the plan was for them to admit their love on his deathbed. But, as is often the case with pre-teen girls, a story of that depth gave way to other pursuits, and sadly it is completely lost other than vague memories.

After that, she occupied herself with short stories for a while, and then poetry until after she had earned a degree in chemistry, spent time as a high school teacher, and became a mother of two. Then she delved into writing fiction once more.

She never lost her love of the fantastic, and her stories now always reach into other realms. The worlds and people she creates occupy as much of her time as the real world, and she is most fortunate to have a family that understands her idiosyncrasies and loves her anyway.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

20 eBooks of GAMING FOR KEEPS International

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Tour Schedule

Week 1:

2/3/2014- Becky on Books- Review

2/3/2014- books blog- Interview

2/4/2014- Manga Maniac Café- Guest Post

2/5/2014- My World...in words and pages- Review

2/5/2014- Fade Into Fantasy- Interview

2/6/2014- ReadingRenee- Review

2/6/2014- Literary Escapism- Guest Post

2/7/2014- The Reading Room: Cozy, Romance, Mysteries And More With Reviews- Review

2/7/2014- Steamy Guys After Dark- Interview 

Week 2:

2/10/2014- Bookaholics Anonymous 101- Review

2/10/2014- Simply Ali- Guest Post

2/11/2014- a little fiction of every flavor- Review

2/11/2014- Caribbean Accent Book Reviews- Interview

2/12/2014- Aine's Realm- Review

2/12/2014- Sizzling Hot Book Reviews- Interview

2/13/2014- For the Love of Bookends- Review

2/13/2014- Ex Libris- Guest Post

2/14/2014- Aria Kane- Review

2/14/2014- The Book Bellas- Guest Post

Shadows of Damascus GFT

 Today I have the wonderful opportunity to have a guest post by the author of the New Adult romance book, Shadows of Damascus, Lilas Taha.  Congrats to her on her debut novel!

Advice for writers

by Lilas Taha

 
Writing fiction requires not just an active imagination, but a decent ability to tell a lie. Lie with conviction, with complete abandonment of the truth, and create a web to support the lie. That is how I see writing a fictional story. It has to be complete, in all its angles, worlds, twists and turns for it to resonate with a reader. And as a writer, you have to believe the lie yourself.

Other non-character damaging advice I would have to say is keep learning. If you can’t handle criticism well, then I suggest you work hard at bringing down your expectations of your work. No matter how good a writer you may be, there is always a way to make you better. And if someone was gracious enough to point it out to you, then that would be your chance to open up and accept. I’m not saying all criticism is valid, but I’ve come across excellent writers who get offended when someone shines a light on a weak point in their work. In the writing world, and specifically in the publishing world, there is very little room for ego. A writer can always reject or accept suggestions, but a writer who wastes time and energy defending his or her work to a critiquing eye is someone who will remain at a standstill.
 
Make it better, bring it home for the person who found it lacking in one area or another, and be grateful someone took the time to give you feedback. But above all, trust your instinct. Like anything else we do in life, we tend to have that nagging voice in our heads telling us when something just isn’t right. If it is a plot issue, and you feel like the strings are not knotted tight enough, someone will pick up on that. So do your research, tighten the knots yourself, and make the plot as airtight as possible. If that little voice in your head raises questions about a certain character’s behavior that isn’t consistent with the kind of person you created, fix it. Characters don’t have to be predictable and consistent. Real people are not. But if you took the time to paint a character in a meaningful way, then his or her behavior must match. Redo the scene that bothers you deep down, it will bother your reader too.

 

Blurb:
 
Bullet wounds, torture and oppression aren’t the only things that keep a man—or a woman—from being whole.

Debt. Honor. Pain. Solitude. These are things wounded war veteran Adam Wegener knows all about. Love—now, that he is not good at. Not when love equals a closed fist, burns, and suicide attempts. But Adam is one who keeps his word. He owes the man who saved his life in Iraq. And he doesn’t question the measure of the debt, even when it is in the form of an emotionally distant, beautiful woman.

Yasmeen agreed to become the wife of an American veteran so she could flee persecution in war-torn Syria. She counted on being in the United States for a short stay until she could return home. There was one thing she did not count on: wanting more.

Is it too late for Adam and Yasmeen?


Excerpt:
 

Hot cup of coffee in one hand, phone receiver cradled on shoulder, Adam dialed the phone number at eight thirty the following morning. A decent time. A woman’s soft voice greeted him.

“Good morning, ma’am. I’d like to talk to Mr. Pemssy?” He barely contained his excitement.

“Sorry?”

“My name is Adam Wegener,” he enunciated his words. “I want to speak to Mr. O. R. Pemssy.”

“Wrong number.”

Click.

“Damn it.” His excitement disintegrated like a popped balloon. He went back to the kitchen table and re-worked the letters again, only to end up with the same number. Frustrated, he crumbled the papers and threw them across the kitchen floor. To hell with this, he’d wasted enough time on this shit. If Fadi wanted something from him, he damned well better call him.

Hungry and angry, he stabbed a slice of toast and smeared it with peanut butter. Tension building in the muscles of his arms, he wanted to throw or break something. Instead, he swallowed the sandwich and went outside to work. Climbing astride his rusty old tractor, he cranked the motor.

Rising heat squeezed sweat from his body like a sponge with no regard to his fragile mental state. His mind crunched numbers without end while he worked. Thoughts of the cool fridge full of icy drinks beckoned him for an early lunch. He abandoned his tractor in the middle of the field, and headed home, discarding his wet shirt on the way. He walked around the kitchen, stomping papers. It felt good and satisfying. As satisfying as the icy Coke he gulped down. Needing to put things in order, he collected the discarded papers. When he reached to crush the envelope, his eyes landed on the Turkish stamp. A surge of excitement gripped his stomach. One more thing he needed to try.

Logging onto his laptop, he searched Turkey’s city codes for area code 216. Istanbul on the Asian side. He searched for the country code, then the time difference. Eight hours ahead put it close to nine p.m. in Istanbul.

He dialed the sequence of international code numbers and held his breath while the same ringing tone played with his nerves.

“’Allo?” A man’s voice greeted.

“May I speak to Mr. Pemssy?”
“Yust a minute.” The man spoke with an unmistakable heavy accent.

Adam dropped in a chair and closed his eyes in anticipation.

“I see you got my letter,” a deep voice said.

“You’re the one who sent it? Who am I speaking to?” Eyes wide open now. Could it be Fadi? Damn it, he couldn’t remember his voice.

“You know who I am. I can’t use my real name. How is zat hib of yours? Giving you trouble?”

Fadi. Same annoying accent. “What the hell is going on?” He grit his teeth and tried to ignore the mispronunciations. “Couldn’t you have given me your phone number in the letter, or called me directly?”

“I didn’t know if you still lived at that address, and I didn’t want my number to fall in the wrong hands. You’re not listed. I knew you liked to count things. That was the best I could come up with.”

“I too tried to find you many times. What can I do for you, man? What do you need?” Was there a better way to say he hadn’t forgotten Fadi?

“I need a favor. But I can’t explain over the phone. Get on a plane and come here as soon as possible.”

“You want me to fly to Turkey? You serious?”

“You promised to help if I needed anything, and I do. Desperately.”

Adam coughed to steal a moment. What the hell? Fly over there? Could he even afford it? He’d like to help the guy, but this was insane.

“Can’t just drop everything and leave. I’ll do my best to help you from here if you tell me what you need. Nothing illegal, you should know this upfront.”

“I can’t tell you, and I can’t stay on the line for too long. A life is at stake. Are you in or out?”

Adam was torn. Torn and ashamed to admit he looked for a way out of the promise he’d given years earlier. “Your life?”

Fadi remained silent for a few seconds.

He heard an agonized exhale.

“You’re my only hope.”


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lilas Taha is a writer at heart, an electrical engineer by training, and an advocate for domestic abuse victims by choice. She was born in Kuwait to a Syrian mother and a Palestinian father, and immigrated to the U.S. as a result of the Gulf war in 1990. She earned a master’s degree in Human Factors Engineering from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. There, Lilas met her beloved husband and true friend, and moved with him to Sugar Land, Texas to establish a family. She is the proud mother of a daughter and a son. Instead of working in an industrial field, she applied herself to the field of social safety, working with victims of domestic violence.

Pursuing her true passion for creative writing, Lilas brings her professional interests, and her Middle Eastern background together in her debut fictional novel, Shadows of Damascus.

Website
Author Facebook Page
Book Facebook page
Blog 
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Twitter: Follow @LilasTaha
LinkedIn
Email

Buy Links:

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Publisher 

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GIVEAWAY

 One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.  Please use the Rafflecopter and leave a comment about whether you are or would like to be a writer and what your biggest challenge is.




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Additional tour stops can be found at this link.

 

Magic and Loss by Nancy Collins (review)

                                       

Magic and Loss by Nancy A. Collins is part of the fun and entertaining ‘Golgotham’ series and continues the saga of Tate Eresby, a human with magical talents and Hexe, the heir to the Kymeran throne. They have settled into a routine and are content until their lives are disrupted by the return of the evil Boss Marz who is determined to get revenge upon them and the rest of the inhabitants of Golgotham. Once again, past differences must be put aside and all citizens must work together or risk seeing their ways of life completely destroyed. Unfortunately, there are major changes in Hexe and the impact on his family threatens to destroy all that he has worked for and desires, even as his relatives seem to be increasing unexpectedly and Hexe will have to decide whether Left Hand or Right Hand magic offers the best choice for him.



This exciting urban fantasy story continues to build on the intriguing and imaginative elements that have been introduced through the past two entertaining novels, Right Hand Magic and Left Hand Magic. I love the fact that we aren’t stagnant in the society but instead continue to build on the fantastical elements that have already been introduced. Tate is continuing to grow, not only by acting as an apprentice but as she learns to analyze her relationships and what she will and will not accept in the way she is treated. I was a little surprised at some of the revelations about various family members and disappointed at the reaction to Boss Marz’s bullying but I enjoyed watching the changes in dynamics as yet another milestone is reached in Tate and Hex’s relationship. It is always refreshing to view society through the sometimes skewed lens of Golgotham and discover that bigotry and prejudice can always rear its ugly head but if enough people band together and oppose it, life can only be improved. Another deliciously entertaining visit to a city that has the kinds of neighbors you can only dream about but who might be quite fun to get to know, as long as you don’t inadvertently cross the forbidden line. And if you have a little artistic talent of your own...who knows what will happen?

© Night Owl Reviews

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.

My previous ponderings on this series is at this link.