Alpha's Promise - Rebecca Zanetti

Alpha's Promise by Rebecca Zanetti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is quite a big series, with at least one other related series. I've personally only read one other book before this one, but to honest, it doesn't really matter. While the various characters do all seem to be mentioned and crop up in each book, you can grasp what is going on, how they are all related and details about the world that they live in.
This time the story focuses on Promise, a mathematician. She lives and breaths figures and is working on solving the mysteries of the world (both this and other dimensions) using maths. As she is in danger Ivar is tasked with watching over her and keeping her safe. As the two start to spend time together, it becomes clear that there is something between them and that a relationship begins to grow.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book and the relationship between Promise and Ivar. I did find Promise a little difficult to relate to, she is very logic driven, although ultimately she does rely on faith and emotion.
I enjoyed this instalment and I'd certainly be keen to read more in the series. I'd be particularly keen to see what will happen with the two reluctant mates and also what will happen with the new Fae deamon hybrid that they have found, I assume we can guess who she will end up with?
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Their discovery - Rebecca Grace Allen

Their Discovery
Rebecca Grace Allen
(Legally Bound, #3)
Publication date: April 29th 2019
Genres: Erotica, Romance

Exploring their fantasies could save their marriage…or push it over the edge
Legally Bound, Book 3
Samantha Archer’s life has hit a wall. Her world is housework, homework and reminding her husband—the biggest kid in the family—to help out at home. Once she felt confident, powerful and sexy, but Brady doesn’t seem to notice her anymore, and now all she feels is invisible.
Brady has tried being the goofy guy who stole Sam’s heart, but it’s not working. He’s losing the woman he loves and doesn’t have a clue how to fix it. He’s keeping his darkest fantasies hidden too, sure they’re not what Sam wants, and his inability to please her cuts him deeper than she knows.
When Sam lands a new job at a law firm, Brady still won’t pick up the slack, and one night giving him orders unexpectedly reignites their missing spark. Sam discovers the Femdomme she didn’t know she was, kindling Brady’s submissive desires.
But while things heat up inside the bedroom, life outside it starts unraveling. Brady’s need to call the shots at work complicates his hunger to kneel for his wife, and Sam has longed to experiment in more ways than one. Their exploration of dominance and submission goes a step too far when they invite Sam’s sultry switch coworker into their bed, and the fallout could cost them everything.
Warning: contains a six-foot-five, ex-football player geek and a ballsy, badass redhead who’s learning to unleash her inner Domme. Scenes depicting humiliation, pegging and threesomes could disturb, or stimulate a thirst for adventure.

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Author Bio:
Rebecca Grace Allen is an author of sweet, sexy and soul searching romance, emphasis on the sexy! She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a double concentration in Creative Writing and Literary Comparison, as well as a Master of Science degree in Elementary Education, both of which seemed like good ideas at the time. After stumbling through careers in entertainment, publishing, law and teaching, she's returned to her first love: writing. A self-admitted caffeine addict and gym rat, she currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, two parakeets, and a cat with a very unusual foot fetish.
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My Review

Reading a book that comes part way through a series is always a gamble. Some work really well as standalone novels and others do not. This one, fortunately, was one of the former and while I suspect it might be nice to see how previous characters are doing, not having come across any of the people in the book or their stories before didn't affect my reading pleasure.

This book is quite different from many other romance novels. Rather than a couple meeting and falling in love for the first time, this tells the story of a married couple who have found that life (and particularly children) has got in the way of who they are and how they feel about one another. One of the strengths of this book was how well it painted the picture of a couple who are feeling ground down by the day to day chores and have disconnected as a couple. There was plenty of evidence of this at the start and it was perhaps a little bit heavy-handed at times. On the whole, though it painted a picture that I suspect might be familiar to many married couples. 

Of course, being a romance story, we want our couple to find their way through this and back to one another. It might not be the most convenient way of getting there, but they do it. As with any relationship, one involving a bit of kink the way that this one does, or a run of the mill, more vanilla love story, they would have got on far better with more communication. 

I enjoyed this story overall, the beginning could have been a little shorter, as the day to day scene setting was a little laboured. Other than that, this was a relatable romance story and one that left me with a smile on my face. 

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Duplicate Death - Georgette Heyer

Duplicate Death by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of Georgette Heyer's later murder mystery books, but it features some characters that appeared in an earlier one, They Found Him Dead. I read that not so long ago, so while some time has passed in the book world, the characters were still quite fresh in my mind. I remember with that book, being particularly taken with 14-year-old terrible Timothy. While he might now be a young man in his twenties, he, fortunately, didn't seem to have changed much in this book and was just as much fun to read about. The Chief Inspector, also featured in the previous book, although in that one he was a humble sergeant. He certainly had a soft spot of Terrible Timothy and overall he is one of the more entertaining and interesting detectives that you come across.
Like many of Heyer's murder mysteries, indeed like many from this period, this is quite slow moving, particularly at the start. It takes a little while for the murder to even take place. If you like your murders fast moving, then this might be a little gentle for you, but I loved this old fashioned story.
In terms of the mystery itself, I'm afraid that I hadn't a clue who the guilty party was. I had a few ideas about who it wasn't but didn't manage to establish who had actually done it. It was a very enjoyable read and I liked trying to solve it, even if I didn't get anywhere. Georgette Heyer is usually remembered for her Regency Romances, as much as I love them, I think it's a real shame that she doesn't get more recognition for these fantastic murder mysteries.

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America Witch - Thea Harrison

American Witch by Thea Harrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A book with a witch as the lead character isn't something that I usually go for. I recently read a different series that really captured my attention, so when I saw this one on Netgalley, I thought it might be worth checking out. Of course, as with all genre's the writer always brings something different to a story and I wasn't really sure what to expect with this one.
Like many 'paranormal romances' that I have read, the lead character is someone who is just discovering what they are and what their power is. Indeed much of this book is about that change and coming to terms with it and what it means, as much as it is a romance. What makes this book a little different to other similar stories, is that the lead, in this case, is a slightly older (not old) woman. She has a strength of character that is often missing and while she may be new to being a witch she is a woman who knows fundamentally who she is.
It was this part of the story that appealed to me most of all. Possibly as a woman of a similar age myself, I could relate to her slightly more than the teenagers and early twenties that often appear in this type of story.
I think that it also added a different element to the romance. Although our two lead characters Molly and Josiah are strongly attracted to one another, the fact that she isn't a wet behind the ears young thing means that she doesn't let him push her around. They are on a much more equal footing than you often read and I enjoyed that refreshing approach.
Overall this was a good read, there was some world building, but not too much. For the most part, the book was set in modern day America, but with people being aware that some people have magic, even if they have no involvement in it themselves. I believe that this is the first of a trilogy and I'd certainly be interested to see where the story will go next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Death at Hazel House - Betty Rowlands

Death at Hazel House: An utterly addictive cozy murder mystery by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was very sad when I read the last of the Melissa Craig novels, I needn't have worried, as I now have the Sukey Reynolds series to work my way through.
If you have read and enjoyed Betty Rowland's Melissa Craig series, then I think that it's highly likely that you will enjoy these too. There is something that is familiar with the books, while at the same time they have a new and different feel to them. Unlike Melissa, Sukey actually has a reason to get involved in crime and trying to work out who done it. She is a scene of crime officer, primarily a photographer, but she also seems to take fingerprints and other similar jobs. In addition to having this role herself, she also has a relationship with a local policeman. This is the first in the series and at this stage, they seem to be more friends than anything. I suspect that this will develop into something more as the series progresses.
This story is perhaps a little more modern than the Melissa Craig books. Characters have mobile phones and other 'modern' inventions. It still has that charm that made the other books so appealing. Sukey herself is an interesting and engaging character and it's the little things, such as her relationship with her teenage son that add to the appeal and readability of the book.
I have to admit that I didn't solve the mystery this time. I had a few ideas that were in the right direction, but I hadn't got it all. This is less like a puzzle mystery to solve though, the story unfolds and there is a mystery, but there is more to it than that.
All in all, this was a great start to a series and I'm looking forward to reading more about Sukey soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Witch's Honor - Anya J Cosgrove

Witch's Honor by Anya J. Cosgrove
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm only giving this book four stars, which is a bit harsh as I loved it. But, I have a feeling that book three in the series is going to be even better, so I need to leave the top score for that. This book ends on a cliff hanger which I love and hate all at once, so again, I can't quite bring myself to give it the full five stars. It's a good four and a half though.
This book picks up where the first book Shadow Walker ended. I've been looking forward to reading this one since reading the first and it didn't disappoint. Alanna now has more idea about what she is and can do, but there is still a lot for her to find out. While this book uncovers a lot of secrets, it's clear that there's more to find out.
Once I'd started reading there was no putting it down. Alanna, Liam and Thom are still trying to work together, but still keeping secrets from one another. The feelings between them are complicated and they all struggle to come to terms with what they want. Alanna is torn between Thom and Liam (I have no idea why, clearly Liam is the one to go for, even if he is a bit messed up, to put it mildly).
The problem with books like this is that you rush through them, unable to put them down, but then hate it when they end. I couldn't help but greedily consume this one, desperate to find out what was going to happen next and how the story would play out. Now I'm left with a serious book hangover. I want to keep reading, but nothing that I've got interests me as what I really want to read is the next book in the series. Sadly, I've got just over a month to wait for that.

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Pirates Pleasure - Lisa Kessler

Pirate's Pleasure by Lisa Kessler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Initially, I was really into this book. Despite not having read the previous two books in the series, it seemed to work as a stand-alone story and I liked the characters. I have to admit that the further on I went, the less that it worked for me sadly.
I liked John and the other members of the Sea Dog crew. I couldn't quite gel with Harmony though. I'm not sure if she was just a bit too hard or spikey to really get a feel for and I just couldn't warm to her. That of course, didn't help my feelings towards the romance element with John.
There was a lot going on in this book, both in terms of characters and the artefacts that they were protecting. I have to admit to getting a bit lost as to who was who in the later part of the book when there were agents, psychics and crew members turning up left right and centre. I don't know if part of the problem was that I hadn't read the previous books.
It's a bit of a shame that I didn't like Harmony, as the rest of the book did work for me. I'd be interested to read others in the series as I may get on better with the characters in those.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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