News
Entertainment
Science & Technology
Life
Culture & Art
Hobbies
News
Entertainment
Science & Technology
Culture & Art
Hobbies
Crimson Oath (The Firebird and the Wolf Book 2) by Elizabeth Hunter ⋆ LitBuzz
“A little bit of pursuit is good for the soul, Mika. Things that come to you easily are not as treasured as those you must fight for.” Tatyana and Oleg’s story continues in Crimson Oath, Elizabeth Hunter’s second installment of her wildly popular new series, The Firebird and the Wolf. Book 2 seamlessly picks up from the previous ending where we left Tatyana hiding from Oleg as she tried to figure out how she was going to navigate her place in the treacherous and deadly world of vampires that she would have never chosen voluntarily. True to form, EH peppers the first few chapters with subtle reminders of book 1 details that help to quickly reimmerse the reader into this diverse and complex world. The two parallel story lines, Tatyana and Oleg’s relationship and the growing subterfuge within Oleg’s Eastern European/Asian empire, intertwine perfectly to keep you hooked page after page as both build to a dramatic ending. There are also cameo appearances by some of our favorite vampires from EH’s other vampire series, a treat that I greatly loved! EH’s vampire world is reflective of the diverse cultures and peoples found across the globe. Crimson Oath takes place in […]
We're All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter ⋆ LitBuzz
There are moments in life that can prevent disaster, and we’ll never know when. Someone can text you on your way out of the house, and pausing to read it could keep you from getting in an accident. You’ll just never know. It’s those “coulda woulda shoulda” moments that burn us in the aftermath of tragedy. This whole thriller hinges on a single moment when an officer could have stopped for a minute to listen to a teenager, and prevent tragedy. When she doesn’t, a load of guilt is laid on her shoulders for two missing teenage girls, but it’s really not her fault. Right? It’s not her fault! But I feel her pain. “We’re All Guilty Here” by Karin Slaughter is cleverly titled. Over the course of the investigation for two missing teens, we learn how a lot of people and systems failed them both. There is fault in parents, teachers, friends, investigators. It’s all such a heartbreaking mess. What hit me the deepest was the secrets uncovered of the two girls throughout their disappearance. I can too easily recall how easy it was at their age to be critical of myself, ready to grow up too fast, and […]
The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas ⋆ LitBuzz
How did the book make you feel? Truly, I was a little afraid to read this book. I’m a mother, and I have a sister, so I kept thinking how terrible this would be in real life. “The Wrong Sister” was a frightening read with big surprises! If you read enough thrillers you have a mental catalogue of the tricks you’ve seen before. Authors leave little bread crumbs throughout the book, leading up to the sometimes predictable turn. Claire Douglas was tricky in writing “The Wrong Sister”. I thought I knew it all, turned around to see I was wrong, just to be flipped again! Douglas is very good at misdirection and casting suspicion on innocent people. “It was supposed to be you.” Honestly, how does a person go through life after receiving a note saying this. Tasha is a lot stronger than she realizes. As a mother in her thirties, she looks at herself as having lost her “youthful spark”. And yet, through tragedy she’s thinking of her family before herself. Often protecting her mom or her sister from further distress while she herself is spinning of the rails. I definitely identified with Tasha’s need to solve the mysteries […]
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⋆ LitBuzz
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Haunting and harrowing The Bewitching will captivate you and not let you go soon after finishing. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has penned a horror to curse your summer TBR and demand your attention. The Plot The Bewitching shows us three different women in certain stages of their life, and a horror that has chased all three of them. First we meet Minerva a graduate student basing her thesis on Beatrice Tremblay, who is a little known horror author. Beatrice is our second character of interest in this book. Third is Nana Alba who is Minerva’s great grandmother in which would tell all sorts of folklore stories to Minerva growing up, no doubt being the original source of passion for horror. As Minerva gets a cool opportunity to dig into Beatrice’s works and long kept-away possessions, Minerva begins to feel an eery and dark energy follow her, just like Beatrice began to write about in her journals. Just like Nana Alba once cautioned Minerva about in one of her stories growing up… My Experience The Bewitching creeped me out so deeply that I had to strictly read during daylight hours. The amount of detail that Silvia Moreno-Garcia wove […]
The Woman in Suite 11 ⋆ LitBuzz
Long-time Ware fans have been waiting for this sequel to The Woman in Cabin 10! The Woman in Suite 11 was a suspenseful read that can be a standalone, but is a story set ten years after Ruth Ware’s book, The Woman in Cabin 10. My only regret is that I didn’t reread the first book before reading The Woman in Suite 11. I might not recall all the details, but I do remember how it made me feel. I remember the metaphorical edge of seat thrill, and full body chills. Ware did a great job of referencing the people involved in the previous mystery. Our main character Lo Blacklock has mostly healed from her near-death experience, and wrote a book about it, which was a bestseller. She’s married and has settled into the mom-life with two young sons. You could assume that she’s completely healed, but naturally there’s some invisible strings of anxiety and PTSD that hold her back to that cruise ship ten years in the past. With the opportunity to travel abroad for a luxury hotel experience and reignite her journalism career, Lo unknowingly enters a new race to find a killer. Lo is much braver than […]
The Curse That Binds by Laura Thalassa ⋆ LitBuzz
My anxiety kept building throughout The Curse that Binds so much that when I approached the ending I wanted to break my kindle! I’ve read Bewitched and Bespelled, so I knew the ending of this prequel, and yet I still wasn’t prepared for my feelings. New readers can read The Curse that Binds first in The Bewitched Series and still enjoy each subsequent book. Laura Thalassa wrote this as its own important building block for Roxilana and Memnon, rather than a quick novella. Told from Roxi’s perspective starting in her childhood, we follow her struggles to survive under Roman rule. Years pass before she and Memnon meet, but being fated soulmates means they’ve seemingly known each other forever. This obviously isn’t a fairy tale romance. The Curse that Binds tells of a beautiful and ancient love and also their missteps along the way. A sweet and kind-hearted character like Roxi struggles with the brutality that Memnon’s position requires. War is constantly at their doorstep, and while she can’t stand it, Roxi takes on the burden alongside her husband. Even when she’d rather live a simpler and more humble lifestyle. Memnon is on a quest to give Roxi everything which ultimately […]
One Dark Kiss by Rebecca Zanetti ⋆ LitBuzz
One Dark Kiss puts a very naughty remix on the familiar story of Snow White. Our heroine Rosalie does indeed live with seven men, but they are referenced as her boarders in a Victorian home she inherited. She may contribute to their overall care and wellbeing, but she is not sweeping under their beds and whistling while she works. This is the second book in a series by Rebecca Zanetti that is retelling classic love stories. Each book revolves around a social media company that is operated through generations of families that still hold affinities to gemstones. Each media company specializes with a different stone, and provides a different style of consumer interaction. The general public doesn’t know about the connection of the family bloodlines to the jewels, and they definitely don’t know the secret wars internally amongst them to remain in power. What can you expect from One Dark Kiss? Forced Proximity Implied Consent Stalker behavior Explicit romance This was a quick and enjoyable read for me. I found it to be more to my liking than One Cursed Rose, which is kind of surprising because Alexei is a bit of a stalker and quite demanding. It’s not one […]
Embrace the Serpent by Sunya Mara ⋆ LitBuzz
Embrace the Serpent was a magical journey of a young woman trying to remain hidden from her oppressor. It’s her talent as a jewelsmith that makes it practically impossible to hide in plain sight. Her talent imbues her jewelry with magical gifts. Saphira couldn’t avoid creating these pieces even to save her life. Her need to create is like the need to breathe air or drink water. Saphira ends up on the run with the Serpent King, as his future bride! He’s mysterious and intimidating with some serious powers. Even so, he needs her help to keep his people safe. Without options, she finds herself allying with the King in hopes of remaining free from the evil that took away her entire family and forced her into hiding. I enjoyed Embrace the Serpent for all of its close calls, and narrow escapes while on the run. It was adventurous and exciting, while also giving the characters enough time to learn each other. It was a sweet YA romance that is perfect fantasy readers. KristinKristin lives in the PNW with her husband, and three kids. She loves to read YA fiction, fantasy, and romance. She enjoys a few side-hustles, including creating […]
All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens ⋆ LitBuzz
All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens All Super Heroes need PR by Elizabeth Stephens sweeps in and razzle dazzles in a much needed Superhero romance book! Elizabeth surely must be anointed by the creative romance gods, surely as I am thoroughly satiated after closing her newest novel. The Premise Some years ago there was this mass deposits of alien babies. Think like, Superman. This was a monumental movement on humanity as there are now, years later, laws related to these unique beings. There are also government associations dedicated to these aliens/beings and even now have public relations representation. There is a need to faction the unique beings as Heroes and Villains. Insert Vanessa the PR company CEO that is going to rep Pyro or Roland. Pyro and Vanessa’s bristly and intense meet-cute will be more than enough to capture your attention. You are instantly and just as intensely invested in their dynamic. You are going to want to know how we get arranged-fake dating to arranged-fake marriage. Plus Pyro is so down BAD for Vanessa. Good grief does that scratch that ” I need an obsessed MMC book” itch. There is a plot twist with him of MONSTROUS proportions. […]
Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria ⋆ LitBuzz
Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria Along Came Amor is Alexis Daria’s EXTRAORDINARY final installment of the Primas of Power series. This book had me sitting with my deep feelings DAYS after completing. The romance was definitely in the room with us! I must admit that I am reviewing this book with bittersweet sentiment. Book 1, You Had Me at Hola was my gateway into Latinx Romance, this series holds a special place in my whole identity online, please excuse my sappy review. The plot Whether you read Book 1 or Book 2, A lot Like Adios, you are very aware of Ava. The eldest prima, the confidant, the one everyone relies on. We counted on her advice for over two novels so readers are more than ready to invest in her HEA. We are all aware that Ava is recently divorced and as we get exposed to her internal workings, we get an inside scoop of how deeply hurt she is. As Ava tunes in to her maid of honor duties she must balance toxic family scrutiny and not falling for the PAPI CHULO Roman. Roman is the best man, best friend to Ashton, successful hotelier businessman, last guy […]
The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers ⋆ LitBuzz
“Hey! I have just read an amazing book by Ashley Flowers called the Missing Half and you might be familiar with Ashley.She is a famous podcaster for Crime Junkie.It’s her second book and I was really excited to get my hands on it because her first one really threw me for a loop.I really thought I could, you know, do what I usually do and predict what was coming next in a thriller based on the little hints they leave behind.But she’s really good at surprises.That stems from how much true crime is just rattling around in her brain. The Missing Half is about two women who basically become friends simply because they both lost their sister. And one of the women thinks that the cases are connected.And so they begin to work together to try to find out what happened to their missing sisters.One was recognized by the media and one wasn’t really.And so they do a lot of connecting and re interviewing people and the stories start to come together.And ultimately I found it to be a good suspenseful thriller, but also just kind of a wow factor for how far a, you know, a person would go for their […]
Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage ⋆ LitBuzz
Second Chance Romance Finally, we’re here! “Wild and Wrangled” by Lyla Sage will be on shelves and dropping into readers’ ereaders any second! By now, I think all of Lyla Sage’s readers know that Cam and Dusty are end game. Sage has been edging us with teases and glimmers of their history since “Swift and Saddled”. Reading between the lines, I knew something serious had to have gone down between them. Cam’s walls were so high they could compete with the Great Wall of China. I love a strong, determined woman, no doubt about it, but I never forget that there must have been something to push her into being that way. “Wild and Wrangled” is the fourth (and supposedly last, but I’ll never shut the gate on hopes for more from Rebel Blue) stand alone set in Meadowlark. It sure lives up to its name, too. While it builds on the series and we get cameos from our previous favorites, “Wild and Wrangled” doesn’t seem to follow the rules that the previous novels had. For example, some of our other couples (Emmy & Brooks and Teddy & Gus) have some type of history. They knew each other. Meadowlark is […]
"Sweet Obsession" by Katee Robert ⋆ LitBuzz
Welcome Back to Dark Olympus Readers have been on the Dark Olympus rollercoaster for some time now. “Sweet Obsession”, the most recent release from Katee Robert, builds on the power struggles and corruption of Olympus view through the eyes of Icarus and Poseidon. If you are new to the Dark Olympus series, I would recommend going back and starting from the beginning with “Neon Gods”. While each book focuses on one set of characters, each new novel advances the overall plot enough that you’ll feel the missed details starting in the middle. If you’re already a series reader but need a bit of a refresh, you can read my review of “Midnight Ruin” and Jes’ review of “Radiant Sin” at www.thelitbuzz.com. Let’s Get Into It One of the most enjoyable items in the new releases is the ‘catch up’ notes from Muse Watch at the beginning of the story. They’re super helpful “news items” from the fictional gossip media outlet that covers the shenanigans occurring all over town. Titles like “Olympus Under Attack!” and “New Blood in Town!” share details of plot advancement, while other scandalous headlines like “Apollo Finds Love at Last?” fan the relationship rumor mill and the […]
Enchantra by Kaylie Smith ⋆ LitBuzz
Enchantra by Kaylie Smith was a glorious follow up to Phantasma! I wasn’t sure if it would be able to keep up against Ophelia and Salem’s story, but Genevieve and Rowin were next level. Whenever the two of them would let go and just be physical, it was a spectacle. This is especially true of Genevieve. She has no issue with being straight forward about her desires. She is a confident woman, and no one will shame her for being vivacious. What Makes Genevieve Special? Genevieve Grimm is a bad @ss, smart-mouthed, spit fire of trouble. She’s the younger sister in a family with a legacy to uphold. Feeling like the “spare child” she was somewhat neglected growing up. Which causes her to make some risky choices in order to find answers about her specter nature. She was naive when she found Enchantra, looking to find someone who would be just like her. It’s undeniable that she finds precisely what she needs. Another devil, another game. Much like Phantasma, Enchantra is an evil game with dire consequences for Genevieve. The deadly game is orchestrated by a different demon with his own sickening motives. In Enchantra, she finds herself much more […]