I read a boatload of books for April’s book review selection, but some just didn’t make the cut. Usually, this would be my A-Z’s Z post, but I decided to read more books for the challenge instead. These books, I read so fast, especially series starters, that it was a lot like speed dating. LOL. Here are the reviews, in no particular order.
About the Book
Itsy Bitsy Spider (Emma Frost #1) by Willow Rose
A mother desperate to escape her past. An island full of deadly secrets…
Reaching the imposing beach house she’s inherited on Fanoe Island, reporter Emma Frost holds on tightly to her children’s hands. She promised to give them a fresh start in her grandmother’s old home. But she soon suspects that her grandmother was murdered. And everyone, including the police, refuses to talk about what happened…
Then Emma hears the devastating news that another woman has been killed just a few doors down. A bloody number was painted on the wall above her body, and it looks exactly like a faint red mark in Emma’s grandmother’s old bedroom.
Is this a serial killer’s deadly calling card?
Emma can’t leave Fanoe; the house is the only thing she owns. There is nowhere else she can take her children. Her only choice is to stop this killer herself, before he targets her family again.
On a close-knit, isolated island full of decades-old secrets, can Emma unravel the past and keep her children safe as a killer stalks the shores?
An unputdownable, dark and gripping crime series, which will draw you into a remote island and never let you go. Fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Rachel Caine won’t stop turning the pages.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
The blurb intrigued and the setting was interesting. The pacing is slow, though, and the MC doesn’t engage me.
DNF 18%
DNF series
About the Book
Druidess (A Wadsworth Legacy Story) by Theophilus Monroe
Joni had always been fascinated by the history of her family’s old, antebellum plantation. Her ancestor’s journals were filled with stories, many involving two slave girls, the older of whom was deeply involved in the “red magic” of the Bokors. When Messalina returns from the grave on a quest of vengeance, Joni must confront the wickedness of her own family’s past, while also embracing a truth even more ancient—that she is descended from a line of Druids. Joni is the only one who stands between Messalina and her insidious plans. Druidess introduces a new, modern fantasy series, that takes readers on a thrilling journey into the world of Celtic and Native American mythology, Voodoo, and an eternal realm where all magic—good and evil alike—has its origins. Druidess is filled with shocking plot twists, compelling characters, and features a strong female hero. If you liked the way Anne Rice’s Mayfair witches encountered historic evils in The Witching Hour , enjoy stories of ancient demons, mythical characters, wizards, and even zombies then you’ll love Monroe’s debut contemporary fantasy. With a touch of horror, and a compelling journey of discovery into the world of Druid magic, Monroe’s Druidess is sure to keep readers enthralled from start to finish. Pick up Theophilus Monroe’s Druidess today, brew a pot of coffee, and settle in for a long night of reading—you won’t be able to put it down!
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
Zombies, magic (voodoo and that of the Celts) and secret destinies collide as a young woman is awoken by magic to enact the revenge she sought on her slave masters – 160 years late.
The worldbuilding is interesting, the slave girls are well-fleshed out. But the druidess and shaman not so much. Their character arcs and romance is a bit forced. Even most of the rescue work is deus ex machina… And there are a lot of typos. I had a problem with the italics as it messes with my eyes and head, making it difficult to read and enjoy the book. Authors and publishers: please consider the neurodivergent when making decisions about italics so books are accessible to all.
I have the rest of the series on my TBR… We’ll see. Nah, just DNF series.
Trigger warnings: slavery, rape (not on-page), language, demons.
The Wadsworth Legacy Series
Removal from TBR (Culling the TBR)
As mentioned in my Theme Reveal post for this year’s A-Z Challenge, I’m removing books from my TBR that have been there for ten years (since late 2015) and don’t grab my interest anymore. I’ll also be removing books from authors whose writing had left me meh in the past (more than one book/series). This is in no way commentary on the books themselves, just how interests change over time. And if I’ve read the first book in the series at some point and felt disappointed, yet felt I had to read the rest of the series because everyone else liked it… yeah, I’m removing those, too.
I’m also removing books that had disappeared from my Kindle library (I feel lekker stupid for not connecting the dots about digital ownership with book piracy sites sooner) and has left a big hole in my digital library.
Here they are.
The Mapmaker Chronicles Series by AL Tait
Gates of Eden: The Voodoo Legacy Series by Theophilus Monroe
Gotta Read It!: Five Simple Steps to a Fiction Pitch that Sells by Libbie Hawker
The Wolves of Kanta Series by Marlena Frank
Oil and Water by PJ Lazos
Harbor Pointe Series by various authors
The Mermaid and the Bear by Ailish Sinclair
Blood and Sacrifice Chronicles Series by C Vonzale Lewis
Dragonsong by Audrey B Rose
Voodoo Butterfly Series by Camille Faye
Fire and Lightning, Ash and Stone by Kelsey Clifton
Gods and Mortals: Thirteen Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels by various authors
Louis and Louise by Julie Cohen
The Manor Series by Virginia Waytes
Wishing for a Highlander by Jessi Gage
Wolf Nights by various authors
Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J Maas [whiney female main character: see my review of book 1]
A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J Maas [toxic male main character: see my review of book 1]
The Rogue Valkyrie Series by Rosie Wylor-Owen
Daughters of Darkness by various authors
The Gravity Betweeen Us by Kristen Zimmer
Smuggler’s Hideaway Series by DE Haggerty
Between Safe and Real by Dannie M Olguin
The Eden East Series by Sacha Black
The Monster Files Series by Cate Dean
the princess saves herself in this one by amanda lovelace
Dying for a Living Series by Kory M Shrum
Long Ago and Far Away: Six Fantasy Novels Inspired by Fairy Tales, Myths, Legends, Folklore, & Magic by various authors
The Bragg Brothers Series by DE Haggerty
Burning Embers by Fiona Jeeves
First Fantasy Box Set by WJ May
The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
Darlings of Urban Fantasy by various authors
We Witches Three Series by Starla Silver
The Four Horsemen Series by LJ Swallow
Fated Saga by Rachel M. Humphrey-D’aigle
Dark Light Academy Series by Tabatha Stephenson
Midsummer Knights by Phaedra Weldon
Grimm Academy Series by Laura Greenwood
When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri
Winter Falls Series by DE Haggerty
When Sparks Fly by Kristen Zimmer
The Midnight Heat Collection Series by Talia Hibbert
The Raven Queen’s Harem by Angel Lawson
Tales from the Unmasqued World by Val Tobin
Xoe Meyers Series by Sara C Roethle
The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg
Fatal Fae Series by Tameri Etherton
A Court of Fairy Tales Series by Helena Rookwood
Space Cats from Space by Nicki Ivey
Empire of the Dragon Gods Series by Paris Hansch
Balanced Scales by Laura Greenwood
Poison Blood Series by Neha Yasmin
I hope you enjoyed this. For more books I’ve read and reviewed, check out either my Pinterest board about reviews or my Goodreads profile. Alternatively, you can check out my reviews on BookBub. Have you read any of the books? Loved or hated any of them? Have you had issues with your digital library held by a certain international conglomerate?
You can now support my time in producing book review posts (buying books, reading, writing reviews and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.
*FYI, my reviews are my honest opinion and if something bothers me, I tell it straight. How else will anything change? My opinions are based on being a voracious reader and book buyer, not an attack on the author.*