Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney

Book Description:
The end of an Empire, The rise of a Queen

Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life. That is until two mysterious, and handsome soldiers show up at her apartment, and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Memphis Carter and Brokk Foster come from the magical and war ridden world of Kiero, and upon Emory's arrival she will discover she is the long lost heir to the Royal Line and is thrown into the Black Dawn Rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne. 



With both men being darkly woven in her past Emory uncovers hidden secrets, a power held long dormant, and will soon realize there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal, and a Mad King.

Some things are better left in the shadows.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this and am ready to read the next book. There is so much in this book!  I admit it took me a couple chapters to get into it because you are thrown into the middle of the story without knowing who is what. Still, you won't want to put the book down once you start. Brokk was absolutely my favorite. The whole cast of characters is done well. Some I don't like but I don't hate, I'm betting there are more twists to come to explain them and their actions. The story starts with action and just pulls you along with a wonderfully written world. I cannot wait to read the next book. 
It was a 4/5 for me. 
Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book (via PUYB).  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Under Fire by Linda Shenton Matchett

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book 

Book title: Under Fire

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Release date: July 25, 2017

Genre: Mystery

Journalist Ruth Brown’s sister Jane is pronounced dead after a boating accident in April 1942. Because Jane’s body is missing, Ruth is convinced her sister is still alive. During her investigation, Ruth becomes suspicious about Jane’s job. Eventually Ruth follows clues to war-torn London. By the time she uncovers the truth about Jane’s disappearance, she has stumbled on black marketers, resistance fighters and the IRA – all of whom may want her dead.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this. It is a good WWII era story. The author did a good job I'm weaving facts in the story where I learned quite a lot. I liked the characters. It is a full mystery and no romance so don't go into it expecting romance.  The story flowed well, I believe there was more to get 'into' in the second half of the book but found it all enjoyable. God's love is shown throughout and I think you can take quite a few different lessons from it.
It was a 3/5 for me.

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinion stated above is 100% mine. 

About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett is a journalist, blogger, and author. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, Linda has lived in historical places most of her life. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and as a Trustee for the Wolfeboro Public Library. Active in her church Linda serves as treasurer, usher, choir member, and Bible study leader. She is author of several romance novellas and novelettes. Under Fire, the first in her trilogy about amateur sleuth/war correspondent Ruth Brown, has just been released by eLectio Publishing (electiopublishing.com).

Guest Post from Linda Shenton Matchett

Writers are often asked where they get ideas for their stories. Many authors start with a “what if” scenario (e.g. what if the fate of a world lies in the hands of a young man who must return a ring of great power to its place of origin: The Lord of the Rings). Other authors find inspiration in news articles (Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express). I begin my stories by creating the main character.

As a former Human Resources professional, I am fascinated by the history of women’s employment and enjoy reading about those who trail blazed in industries and positions formerly dominated by men. When I was trying to decide what my protagonist should do for a living, I knew she needed a job that allowed her freedom of movement, but nothing seemed to fit until I saw a museum exhibit about women war correspondents. Of the 1,600 journalists who received government accreditation, only 127 were female.

In order to get a sense of what these women experienced (derision, hostility, sexual harassment, and more) I read their memoirs, autobiographies, diaries, and articles. As an accredited correspondent they were supposed to received meals, transport to the front, and transmission of their articles. Many military officers refused to take the women into combat zones, so they had to get there any way they could, such as Martha Gellhorn who stowed away on a hospital ship and hid in the head to reach Normandy and cover D-day. It is my hope that Under Fire honors these brave and tenacious women in some small way.

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away a grand prize consisting of:
copy of the book, Box of English Tea, Typewriter notepad, and Rosie the Riveter socks!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/bf6b

Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins

Description

If I'd had any idea what those words would mean to me, to my mother and daughter, I'd have fled California without looking back. 

While driving a rural road, Hannah Shire and her aging mother, who suffers from dementia, stop to help a man at the scene of a car accident. The man whispers mysterious words in Hannah's ear. Soon people want to kill Hannah and her mother for what they “know.” Even law enforcement may be involved.

The two women must flee for their lives. But how does Hannah hide her confused mother? Carol just wants to listen to her pop music, wear her favorite purple hat, and go home. And if they turn to Hannah's twentyseven- year-old daughter, Emily, for help, will she fall into danger as well?

Pressed on all sides, Hannah must keep all three generations of women in her family alive. Only then does she learn the threat is not just to her loved ones, but the entire country . . .

My Thoughts:
This was an ok book.  It switches back and forth between events and a testimony of events.  I wasn't overly fond of that but the story still was good.  Hannah is given something by a dying man who is trying to stop something terrible.  This puts her, her mother (who has mental problems), and her daughter in terrible danger.  There is action, family love and plenty of bad guys!  It wasn't a bad story, I just didn't connect with it like I had hoped I would.  I liked the daughter and the aunt but not so much most of the other characters.
It was a 3/5 for me.  I will read another by this author because I generally enjoy her books!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Something Like Family by Heather Burch

Book Description:

Abandoned by his mother when he was young, twenty-two-year-old Rave Wayne knows all about loss. That doesn’t mean he’s used to it. After he’s dumped by the girlfriend he assumed he’d spend his life with, Rave is longing more than ever to connect.

Then, as if by miracle, he receives an invitation from his grandfather, a man he thought was long gone, to come for a visit in rural Tennessee. Loyal, honest, and loving, dear old Tuck is everything Rave could have hoped for. He’s family. Soon, Rave finds himself falling for a down-to-earth local girl, and he thinks his life is finally coming together.

But the past isn’t through with Rave. When his mother returns after many long years, looking to reconcile the terrible mistakes that once defined her, Rave struggles to put together the unsettled pieces of his heart. Will this once-estranged family be able to come together to understand the meaning of unconditional love, the fragile bonds of family, and the healing power.

My Thoughts:

I truly loved this book.  It is a story about love.  I was completely pulled into the story the author wove here.  There are second chances, hurt, forgiveness...the good, bad, and ugly of family!  I adore Rave.  He has had some horrible things happen to him, but he is just so good.  Lots of interaction in family and people like family that will tug at your heart.  Some people I just will never understand their actions, but that is because I've not lived their life.  I most certainly enjoyed this story and I rooted for Rave throughout. His family may not be great or even what he needed, but they were family.  So many wonderful things you can glean from this book.  

It was a 5/5 for me.  I will keep this book and reread it often.

Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Her Dark Half by Paige Tyler

Book Description:

Trevor Maxwell
Coyote shifter with an attitude
Covert operator
Trusts no one, especially his devastatingly beautiful new partner

Alina Bosch
Former CIA, newest operative on the covert team
Hired to spy on her partner
Motto: "Never be deceived again."

Coyote shifter Trevor Maxwell is teamed up with CIA agent Alina Bosch to catch a killer. But when the mission becomes much more dangerous than they expected, they're going to have to ignore the attraction between them and learn how to trust one another to come out on the other side...

My Thoughts:

I love this shifter series.  I missed one or two somewhere because I didn't know some of the goings on but that being said, it is something you can pick up really quickly.  Trevor is one of the few shifters left at the DCO.  When he is teamed up with a new partner, an obvious spy for the 'other side', he isn't a happy camper.  The attraction between the two is obvious but neither trusts the other.
I really like Trevor.  He has a tough guy attitude and a soft heart.  The whole crew that I've grown to love through the series makes an appearance.  I was heartbroken at the beginning with what all had happened but so glad that the characters I love are still there.  Alina is still determined to catch the one who betrayed her and her team but she isn't sure what is going on at the DCO.  She and Trevor, of course, are majorly attracted to each other but neither thinks they can trust the other so they keep things they should share to themselves.  There is a lot of underhanded stuff going on and I couldn't read this quick enough.  I liked the ending where it set it up for future books.  I absolutely look froward to more from this author!
It was a 4/5 for me.  I must go back and find the one(s) I missed and can't wait for more!

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

The Outsider by Natasha Brown Book Release

NEW RELEASE...
On the western highlands of Scotland, a springtime storm pummels the coast while Kristie's brother is out fishing. When he fails to return home, Kristie turns away from her list of chores to search the loch in an effort to ease her pregnant sister-in-law's fears. Instead of finding Domnall, she discovers a naked and battered man washed up on shore and worries he could be a thieving reiver or worse--an Englishman.

When the handsome outsider wakes, he is unable to remember who he is or how he came to be there. Although the feisty and melancholy Kristie isn't keen on him remaining, her young neighbor, Jock, takes to the playful stranger and names Creag after the rocky crags where the loch meets the sea. Not long after the lad speaks of selkies, magical seals who shed their skins to live as humans, Creag dreams he is swimming deep beneath the waves.

Kristie is desperate to keep the farm running for her missing brother while Creag's sleep is filled with strange visions--glimpses that may reveal secrets to his past, but he may soon wish they were only a dream.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

TIME OF MYTHS 
Shapeshifter Sagas {Western European Myths from the Middle Ages}

Widow {13thc. | Black Shuck | England}
Scars {10thc. | Fenrir | Iceland}
Tides {10thc. | Kraken | Great Britain/Ireland}
Outsider {14thc. | Selkie | Scotland}

Available to buy from....
Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Paperback

Also Available

Widow (Time of Myths: Shapeshifter Sagas Book 1)
Lady Rayne has few options as a young widow. Either her father will marry her off to a wealthy nobleman--no matter how old and disagreeable he may be, or she will become a nun like her aunt at Grimsford Abbey. The choice is easy: her interest in writing is not supported in the dark halls of her father's home. Rayne eagerly anticipates becoming a scribe and learning the art of illumination and book making. But first she must travel along the treacherous roads of East Anglia.

Far from the confines of Norwich, Rayne hears fables of an enormous ghostly hound called the Black Shuck. She tries to ignore them until she finds herself staring into its expressive brown eyes. With every heartbeat, her chances of reaching Grimsford Abbey disappear. If only she could live to tell the tale.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Available to buy from....
Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   iBooks   GPlay   
Download the novella, Widow, FREE when you subscribe to the author's newsletter- 

Scars (Time of Myths: Shapeshifter Sagas Book 2)

Along the breathtaking and unforgiving coast of Snæland, Ásta’s ancestral farm is plagued with bad luck. The kinless maiden’s turf walls continue to be found damaged, and there aren’t enough farmhands to maintain the property. Claw marks in the dirt revive old memories of the wolf attack that left her scarred, and she begins to fear the whispers are true—that Fenrir, son of Loki and king of the wolves, has come to claim her and her land.

Torin often leaves his uncle’s farm in the southern hills to track and ensnare valuable gyrfalcons. His secret ability to turn into the birds he trains means his falconry skills are unparalleled, earning him precious silver and gold. If the ghosts of his past didn’t haunt him daily, pushing him to numb his senses with drink, Torin might have married by now—as his uncle often reminds him. He knows the time has finally come to find a wife and settle down.

During the Althing, the gathering of the year, Ásta’s ability to maintain her property comes into question while Torin wonders if a woman in jeopardy of losing her farm is really worth the trouble.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Available to buy from....
Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Paperback

Tides (Time of Myths: Shapeshifter Sagas Book 3)
It’s Leif’s eighth summer going viking with his father on their ship the Kraken—and he’s had enough. For as long as Leif can remember, his father has claimed to be a descendant of Ægir, god of the sea, and has exploited their shape changing ability—all this to amass enough gold to gain entrance into the ocean god’s halls. Leif hopes that time’s drawing near so he can free himself from Ragna’s domineering shadow.

On the green hills of Éire, Eilish is content learning traditional folk cures from her father until a Finn-Gall raid disturbs the peace. Desperate to protect Eilish from harm, her father cuts her hair and disguises her in his old clothing before she’s ripped from the only home she’s ever known. Sold as a thrall in Duiblinn, she must hide out as a young man on a ship full of barbarians.

Now Eilish, who fears she’ll become Ægir’s next sacrifice, and Leif, who isn’t prepared to stand up against his father’s powerful wrath, must face the tides of change—no matter how ominous they may seem.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Available to buy from....
Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk    Paperback

About the author

Natasha was born in Nevada City, California. Being an only child, she resorted to using her imagination while exploring the forest surrounding her home (a nasty habit she hasn’t been able to break). Her natural interest in fantasy ignited when her parents read The Hobbit to her as a youth, and from then on anything seemed possible. Once awarded with a Hershey’s bar ‘the size of a Buick’ in her high school English class for creative writing, her passion and interest in literature has never dimmed.

She now lives in Littleton, Colorado, with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Find the author on the following sites...

Website   Newsletter   Facebook   Twitter   Google+   YouTube   Goodreads   Amazon author page

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

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