Steal Fire from the Gods

 

The Human Alliance knew the war was over when the machines started using magic to cast fire, shake the ground, conjure storms, and part the seas.

We fought back anyway.

22-year-old soldier Gunnar Graves lost his faith and his family when a platoon of AI-driven war machines—led by an android fire mage—destroyed his unit. Forced to live in a machine-controlled village and hiding a dark secret, he spends his days trying to learn elemental power so he can take his revenge. After years of failure, his ability ignites when he least expects it.

On the run and hunted by the war machines, Gunnar discovers that an ancient, life-based strength has awakened to help humanity fight back. Joined by the other life mages, Gunnar is thrust into a mad world of android overlords, cyborg clans, and evil forces bent on his destruction.

To protect his newfound family, Gunnar must discover the truth behind a power he doesn’t understand and wage a war he doesn’t believe they can win.

My thoughts: Steal Fire from the Gods is an epic, one of a kind story about a young man who has survived the impossible who is trying to hid in plain sight. When events force him to step out of the shadows for what is right, he puts not only himself in danger, but also the town he has sought refuge in. 

I love the journey that Gunner goes on, as well as the layers of secrets surrounding him and the world he is a part of! This story is set in a unique world where the machines have taken over. I love that there is some magic, as well as a deeper message. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I received this book from the author. This is my honest review. 

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

Hero Debut

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Hero Debut by Angela Ruth Strong, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Hero Debut
Series: Love Off Script #2
Author: Angela Ruth Strong
Publisher: Kregel
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

"Another sparkling feel-good romance, brimming with perfect doses of heart and heat!"-- Bethany Turner, award-winning author of The Do-Over 

Gemma Bennett is the leading lady of her own life, and her true love is writing screenplays. With her trusty pink notebook in hand, she signs up for the Citizen's Safety Academy to research her newest blockbuster hope, a rom-com with a police officer as the hero. And the fact that the handsome and heroic Lieutenant Karson Zellner is the one leading the training? Well, who can blame her for wanting to spend evenings with the man she swooned over months ago when he responded to a call at her apartment? 

Karson already has his fair share of problems before Gemma shows up, and he's not exactly a fan of the ditzy blonde who can't seem to stay out of trouble. The last thing he needs is a damsel in distress to rescue; there are plenty of people in real need of his help. The fact that she seems to think his job makes him a superhero is just one more strike against her. This isn't a movie, and he feels like the furthest thing from a leading man. 

Gemma can't seem to stop doing the worst, most embarrassing things at just the wrong time. And as time goes on, Gemma begins to realize that the scripts for a perfect screenplay and a real-life happily-ever-after are two very different things. Can she step out of her own way to find the hero her story needs?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this story! Gemma is a little over the top in how she views Karson, but I think that the lessons she learns through the course of the story is something that a lot of us can relate to. I love that her screen plays have a deeper message to them! This is a fun, enjoyable story with some great themes. The author does a great job of tackling some difficult themes, with Karson being a police officer and the trouble that Portland has had, as well as the characters working through anger and struggling with comparison. How things were out with the struggle with comparing was especially applicable to me. While it works as a stand alone story, I recommend reading The Husband Auditions first, since Gemma is in that book. 

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

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About the Author

Angela Ruth Strong is an expert on Write That Book, blogs on inspyromance.com and How to Write a Novel, and is the founder of IDAhope Writers. She is the author of the Resort to Love series and the CafFUNated mysteries. Angela lives in Meridian, Idaho

Connect with Angela by visiting angelaruthstrong.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive signed copies of Husband Auditions & Hero Debut and some book-themed items that play a role in the plots of each book!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 28, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 4, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Love on Deck

 

He calls it fake dating, but she calls it caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Lauren Foley and Jack Fletcher already tried to be amicable once—on a blind date that ended in complete disaster. Now, years later, they have to put up with each other for the sake of her sister and his best friend, who are eloping on a cruise to the Bahamas. But that’s not the worst of it. No, Lauren’s in even deeper water when she finds herself agreeing to play Jack’s fake girlfriend for the duration of the cruise.

Now the only thing on her mind is trying not to strangle him when he dials up the charm, but it becomes harder to remember exactly why she ever hated him in the first place. Jack, on the other hand, is enjoying the perks.

Until the cruise lands on American soil again and real life hits them square in the face. Lauren is up for a promotion at work, and Jack promised her something that would secure it. But promises are easily broken, vacation life doesn’t always translate to the real world, and sometimes enemies start that way for a reason.

Book one in the Arcadia Creek romance series, Love on Deck is a fake dating enemies-to-lovers story with forced proximity and a happily ever after. This modern romance will also introduce you to small town Texas and show you just how cozy it can be.

My thoughts: This the first book I have read through by Kasey Stockton, and was a bit surprised at elements of the story. I didn't care for how Jack describes Lauren at the beginning of the story, nor how it is just assumed that they will share a room on the cruise when it comes out that they are (fake) dating. This is a closed door romance, and winds up being a clean read, but I was just personally disappointed that it was expected that a dating couple must want to sleep together.

That aside, it is a sweet grumpy/sunshine story with two very different characters who commit to a fake relationship for the duration of the cruise, for different reasons. Acadia Creek is a lovely setting (one worth waiting half the book for!) and I am sure that it will make for a great series!

I received this book from the author. This is my honest review.

Under the Blue Skies

 

Finding Home. Finding Faith.

A matchmaker for an instant father. Secrets. And friends who just might find a happy ending if his past doesn't destroy everything.

He just wants a fresh start...

Thomas Smucker moved to West Kootenai to escape his past. But when tragedy happens, he suddenly inherits a five year old niece...now what?

She's always wanted a family...

Scarred by a childhood accident, Lovina Graber believes she'll be single forever, despite her deep longing for a husband and family. And then she meets Thomas, an instant father, who needs a wife.

Lovina to the rescue...she'll find him the perfect Amish woman. Even if she has to ignore the spark between them...

But her secrets could cost him everything

Thomas wants a wife...but he can't ignore his feelings for Lovina. But when her secret comes out, he'll have to choose between his niece and the woman he suddenly can't live without.

Instant father. Matchmaker. A found family...and unexpected love. But will her secrets--and his past-- destroy everything?

A heartwarming book three in the Big Sky Amish Collection.

My thoughts: While I haven't read the previous books in this series, I felt like it didn't detour me from enjoying this story! This book works well as a stand alone novel.
Right from the get go, I enjoyed Lovina! She is such a sweet spirited character, serving those in her community in spite of a limp and disfigurement. Both she and Thomas are past the normal age for marriage, which becomes more of an issue when Thomas' niece shows up and he is suddenly the caregiver for a young child. There are many twists and turns to the story, as the characters try to figure out how to make it out of some unusual situations. This is an enjoyable read to pick up!

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

The Baron and the Lady Chemist

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Baron and the Lady Chemist by Alissa Baxter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Baron and the Lady Chemist 
Series: The Grantham Girls #2
Author: Alissa Baxter
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Release Date: August 3, 2023
Genre: Regency Romance (Sweet/Clean)

Their chemistry creates a chain reaction . . . but will love be the final result? 

Dorothea Grantham has always been fascinated by chemistry and spends most days conducting experiments in her laboratory at Grantham Place, staining silk with gold, silver, and other metals using chemical processes. 

Thea embroiders the beautiful gold and silver silk shawls she creates and enjoys wearing them, but her grandmother, Lady Longmore, advises her not to reveal to anyone outside the family circle that she has created the fashion items herself, concerned her granddaughter might be seen as an oddity. 

When Thea enters Society, her shawls attract a great deal of attention and become the talk of the town. James, Lord Castleroy, takes a particular interest in her work, having inherited a share in his grandfather’s silk mill in Macclesfield. 

Eager to invest in the ailing silk industry, the baron studies Miss Grantham’s silks with an admiring—and increasingly suspicious—eye, believing the fabrics to be smuggled imported silk. As he spends more time with the enterprising young lady, however, his interest in her quickly extends beyond his business affairs to engulf his guarded heart.  

But Lord Castleroy isn’t the only person in London interested in Thea’s exquisite creations. And when a silken web of intrigue entangles her in real danger, Thea must trust the devotion of a man she never expected—or intended—to fall in love with. 

Read Free in Kindle Unlimited!  

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader’s imagination.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

My thoughts: Thea is a unique heroine for the time period, since she has found a way to combine her favorite subject, chemistry, with and acceptable venture, embroidery. When her brilliance catches the attention of both a Baron and some silk smugglers, things start to get interesting! I enjoyed the characters in this story and how the author brings them to life. There are some fun historical tidbits throughout the story. And, I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story. This is a wonderful book to pick up and enjoy!

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

More Books in this Series

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About the Author

Alissa Baxter wrote her first Regency romance during her long university holidays. After travelling the world, she settled down to write her second Regency novel, which was inspired by her time living on a country estate in England. Alissa then published two chick lit novels before returning to her favourite era with her Linfield Ladies Series, a trio of Regency romances that feature women in trend-setting roles who fall in love with men who embrace their trailblazing ways... at least eventually. Her new Dragonblade trilogy, The Grantham Girls, continues this inspiring theme.

Alissa currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband and two sons. 

Connect with Alissa by visiting alissabaxter.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $30 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 8, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 15, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Sacred Fire

 

A dream of belonging. A land seething with malice. Can this budding peacemaker stand strong in the face of darkness?

Sarah longs to make a new life for herself in the coveted holy city. When a mysterious widow offers her a job there, she’s certain it’s an answer to her prayers. But Sarah finds the city smoldering with ancient hatreds…some directed at her.

Jacob is proud of his priestly heritage. Though he steadfastly holds to his learned traditions, the young man yearns to escape an arranged marriage and take control of his destiny. And he believes his moment has come when he rescues a servant girl who wields a sacred language long forgotten.

After thwarting a murderous riot, Sarah is plagued by alarming visions of a demon terrorizing the city. And Jacob vows to protect his new friend, even as their leaders pay no heed to their dire warnings.

Can this determined teen and her defender banish a ruthless foe and prevent an unholy catastrophe?

Sacred Fire is the whirlwind first book in The Sacred Fire Saga YA fantasy series. If you like courageous characters, powerful destinies, and slow-burn romance, then you’ll love Karen Grunst’s sweeping epic.

Buy Sacred Fire to feel the heat today!

My thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I found an exceptionally written, rich fantasy style world with well written characters. I enjoyed getting to know Sarah,  as she leaves behind all she knows to earn her keep in the city. I could only imagine the anticipation she felt at the new adventure, though all is not as she thought it would be in the holy city. There is an undercurrent of evil that threatens to suck people in.

As Sarah learns to navigate the new world she is in, there is also the mystery of who she is, with having been raised in an orphanage. I love that there is a lot going on in this story and can't wait to read the next book! 

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

Iris

 

Iris Marshall never wanted to be anything more than what she is—an official for the European League of (American) Football. So, why she said yes to being a courier for the CIA? She’s not sure, especially when it lands her in an international thriller that has her on the run from a killer. And worse, the person she’s on the run with? Arrogant, bossy, playboy Hudson Bly football player and the last person on earth she wants to go into hiding with.

Hudson knows his days as a wide-receiver are numbered. Too many head injuries, starting with a violent TBI in college have caught up with him. So yes, he agreed to be a patriot, do his bit for the USA and courier a message between agents. He never expected for that simple act to ignite an international man-hunt for the official who wrecked his life, Iris Marshall. But what’s a guy to do—let her get killed?

But spending time with Iris has ignited a desire in him that takes him by surprise, and for Iris, maybe Hudson is more than she thought.

But who is after Iris? When one of her fellow officials is murdered, maybe the killer is after more than just her—maybe she’s found herself in the middle of an international plot to take down a country.

It’ll take the help of the entire family to keep Iris safe…but at what cost when they have to choose between their careers…and their country?

Join the Marshall family in book four of the thrilling romantic adventure!

My thoughts: I enjoyed reading about Iris and her search for the truth behind the espionage that she has been pulled into. Is someone after her, or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? How does it play into the bigger picture of what has been going on through the course of the series?

This series is not one to be read out of order, since there is an ongoing thread through them. I also like how Susan May Warren sets up the next story in the current one, giving the reader a chance to get to know who will be featured in the next story. It does make it hard to wait for the next book to come out though! 

This is an action packed, enjoyable read that crisscrosses the globe! 

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

Positively Penelope

 

The world could do with a little more kindness and positivity and random acts of singing, don’t you think?

Dear Reader, My name is Penelope, and while I may not be a real-life princess, I’ve been told I possess a certain fairy-tale heroine quality. I wield optimism as my weapon of choice, don amazing shoes and vintage hats whenever possible, and speak in musical references. All of which perfectly qualifies me to succeed in my new role as a marketing intern at the historic Darling House theater on the island of Skymar.

Only . . . it seems this internship position is going to be a LOT bigger than I thought. The Gray family, who owns the theater, has been stuck in a rut of darkness ever since the loss of their matriarchs. Now all that’s left is a dying theater, a reclusive grandfather, three siblings, and an adorable seven-year-old girl who desperately needs some pixie-dust magic.

So that’s what this story is about. My plans to save the theater! (Plans that, somehow, keep being stolen by a local competitor.) And an anonymous online theater troupe. And two single brothers who may be vying for this American girl’s heart . . . until they’re not (or maybe they just want me for my ideas too). And a dream job offer that will require me to make a truly heart-wrenching decision. I may not excel at finishing stories, but I promise to see this one through to its happily ever after.

Positively,

Penelope

My thoughts: I enjoyed the first book in this series and was thrilled to have the chance to read about Penelope's trip to Skymar. I enjoy books written largely in letter/email form, though it makes it all the harder to stop reading! There is a bit of mystery surrounding who the different people are that have chatted with Penelope online. As she seeks to return the theater to it's former glory, she just might find another reason to stay in Skymar. 
While this book works well as a stand alone story, I did enjoy getting to know Penelope through the eyes of her cousin in "Authentically, Lizzy". I could relate to Penelope, since I was somewhat like her when I was younger. She is a fun character and I enjoyed her journey! I highly recommend picking up both books in this series!
I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

The Countdown

 

I have enjoyed each of the books in this series and how the characters were all very different. This wound up being a wonderful final book, as it brought in some of the previous characters as Raina gets her chance to be in the spotlight, the last place she wanted to be. Having hidden from a dangerous stalker, all that comes crashing down in an instant. Suddenly, her worst fears are realized. I loved the twists and turns to the mystery! This is an excellent story to pick up and enjoy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.