Shadowcast

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Shadowcast by Crystal D. Grant, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Shadowcast
Series: The Gateway Trilogy
Author: Crystal D. Grant
Publisher: Quill and Flame Publishing
Release Date: September 20, 2023
Genre: Fantasy Romance (Clean)

He has known nothing but darkness for years. Now it’s time to let it consume him. 

After witnessing the brutal death of his brother at the hands of the Steward Knights, Mason Grey turns to vengeance. Using his Gifts to read and control the minds of others, he climbs the ranks of the Dark Army, determined to earn the coveted Shadowstone-a powerful tool against the light-wielding Stewards. But when he is wounded in battle, he finds himself recovering in the home of a chatty peasant girl...without the use of his Gifts. Even worse, the girl mistakes him for one of the Stewards he despises. 

Seria Gayle longs to be seen as more than the town washerwoman. When she finds an injured Steward in the woods, she welcomes the chance to use her healing skills and hopes it will earn her some respect. But as she nurses the sullen stranger back to health, she discovers he is nothing like the knights she has long admired. 

When Mason's true identity is revealed, Seria is devastated and humiliated. But she is offered a chance at redemption by the very prince that Mason hates. Now Mason struggles between two choices: accept the Shadowstone to avenge his brother or pursue this newfound light in the form of a peasant girl. With time running out and war looming, will Mason and Seria defy their own convictions for a chance at love or stand against one another like they've sworn to do?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this story and the unique world that it was set in! Mason has been through a lot, with so much loss in his childhood. Filled with revenge and a sense of purpose, he has known where his path leads. Until he encounters the light through Seria and the chance at something more in life.
I loved the characters and that this story is told from several view points. I don't generally read stories like this, with one of the main characters being on the side of darkness, but perhaps I should change that since I appreciated the chance at redemption. This is a well written story and I look forward to reading more by the author!

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

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

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About the Author

Crystal D. Grant is a daydreamer who adores freshly-baked cookies and anything with fur or feathers. During the day, she strives to instill a love of books and learning within her young students. As a hearing-impaired, home-school graduate, she found her voice in writing and has had multiple short stories and poems published. When she’s not reading or writing stories that sweep her away to another time and place, she watches classic movies and TV shows that do the same. Or she works on jigsaw puzzles. Crystal currently resides in smalltown Missouri, where she is always looking for space for another scented candle.

Connect with Crystal by visiting crystalgrantauthor.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a signed copy of Shadowcast, book swag, and exclusive color art from the book!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 18, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 25, 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/CAN 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!

Just Don't Fall

 

Before Logan Barnes was hockey’s hottest bad boy, he was my brother’s best friend … and my first crush. Oh, yeah--and the guy who ghosted me and broke my teenage heart.

Now Logan is back in Harvest Hollow, but not willingly. Recovering from an injury (and some bad press), he’s stuck playing for our minor league team.

Which means I’ll be working with him almost daily.

As the hockey team's social media manager, it’s my job to wrangle all the guys into filming TikTok trending videos. But Logan doesn’t want to be wrangled.

Turns out … neither does my heart.

Because my old crush never died.

And when Logan becomes my accidental fake boyfriend, those old feelings flare hot enough to melt the ice.

But this is all totally one-sided. Totally fake. Isn't it?

No matter what signals he seems to be giving me or how real things start to feel, I know Logan’s not home for good.

I survived Logan leaving me once. But this time, I’m not so sure my heart will recover …

My thoughts: I haven't really read any books about hockey, since it isn't my sport of choice, but I enjoyed the introduction to the this hockey team! They are so much fun, with their camaraderie and antics for social media. I loved how unique this story was. While it falls in the fake dating trope, there is also the never been kissed trope, since Parker has only had several disastrous almost kisses. I thought it made the fake dating part all the more fun for her to have never been kissed. 

I loved this story and all the characters! They came together to form an interesting family. The team's relationship with Parker is so cute!

This is a wonderful book to pick up and read as the weather gets cooler! I look forward to reading more in the series!

I received this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

Just Friends Forever

 

The lines around the friend zone are blurrier than ever

Stephanie “Stevie” Jacobs

Marriage to an A-list actor has its perks, but no one ever tells you about the drawbacks—paparazzi infesting your life like cockroaches after the divorce, for one. So when my longtime friend Troy offers me the empty side of his duplex while I get back on my feet again, the only possible answer is, “How soon can I come?”

I’ve never seen Troy as anything but a friend, but when the gossip columns pin down my location, they’re determined to make more of things between us, despite my assurances he’s dating someone. The media are a tenacious bunch. Heck, they almost have me convinced, which is totally crazy. Right?

Troy Sheppard

My friendship with Stevie has survived a lot, including the day I caught the crazy bug and told her I wanted to be more than friends. Thankfully, that’s far behind us. I’m here for Stevie—as a friend—now that she needs a soft place to land away from the gossip-hungry tabloids.

There's just one problem: I may have seriously underestimated the power of the paparazzi—and possibly my feelings. Both seem bent on bringing the past into the present, but there's no way I'm going down the road to rejection a second time.

My thoughts: I have read just about everything that Martha Keyes has written, so it has been fun to go from her Regency and Scottish fiction to more modern day tales. I enjoyed this one, since I love best friends to something more. It was interesting to have the addition of Stevie having been married to an actor, and going from having a very public life to trying to acclimate to being both single and trying to escape from the paparazzi's attention. The book was quite unique. I appreciated how Stevie works through the unexpected changes in her life. 

This is a delightful story, filled with fun characters and interesting escapades! 

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

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

Expired Vows

 

Fire. Family. Faith.
Last Chance Fire and Rescue

She sees the promise of freedom. He vowed to always be the hero.

EMT Trace Bently came back to Last Chance County to escape his past. After the loss of his wife, he gave up a promising career as a police officer for the chance to save lives every day as part of the Fire Department. When a hostage situation demands the help of a local counselor, Trace realizes the past he left behind has found him. He’s being given a second chance to save the life of someone he cares about.

If he can face the grief he buried.

Family Counselor Kelsey Scott has to secure this grant or admit failure. She can’t afford to lose any more pieces of the life she wants because of her own choices. When Kelsey becomes the target of a series of dangerous attacks, Trace steps in determined to protect his wife’s best friend. This hero breaks down all her resistance, but Kelsey can’t risk her own heart.

Even if it’s what will set them both free.

Another thrilling installment in the Last Chance Fire and Rescue series.

Last Chance Fire and Rescue
Book 1: Expired Return
Book 2: Expired Hope
Book 3: Expired Promise
Book 4: Expired Vows

Last Chance County by Lisa Phillips
Book 1: Expired Refuge
Book 2: Expired Secrets
Book 3: Expired Cache
Book 4: Expired Hero
Book 5: Expired Game
Book 6: Expired Plot
Book 7: Expired Getaway
Book 8: Expired Betrayal
Book 9: Expired Flight
Book 10: Expired End

My thoughts: I have read some of the other books in this series, but not all of them. I appreciated that, as a reader, I didn't feel like I was lost in the story, having missed some of the other books. While I know there was more to some of the other characters, since they had starred in other stories, I didn't feel like it took away from my enjoyment of this one to not know all of those stories.

I enjoyed the characters in this book! Trace walked away from being a police officer, since he feels like it cost him his young wife. When Kelsey stumbles into his life again, things take a crazy turn as they work together to find out who her stalker is. I like that there was some twists and turns to the story! This is a wonderful mystery with a great message of hope and healing. 

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

Purchase a copy here! This post contains affiliate links.

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.