Fable Review

Title: Fable
Series: Fable #1
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: Sept. 1, 2020
Purchase Link: Amazon Barnes & Noble

5 Heart-Scarring Hearts!

☺Many thanks to Wednesday Books for an arc of Fable via Netgalley! I'll be eternally grateful for having read this.

(Synopsis and Author Bio following review.)

Welcome to a world made dangerous by the sea and by those who wish to profit from it. Where a young girl must find her place and her family while trying to survive in a world built for men.

Review:

I picked up Fable in a ho-hum reading state of mind hoping to be wowed.  Young Adult Fantasy can be hit or miss for me, but I'd only read a few pages when I found myself being sucked in and down into the depths of a story consuming me in a torrential storm of emotion.  In a sink or swim panic, I frantically turned pages in an effort to wrap my head and heart around this story while seeking answers.  Fable is simply a stunning work of art, folks!  Consider me wowed!

After her mother is lost to the sea that she loved, fourteen year old Fable is abandoned by her notorious father on an island known for its thieves, misfits, and cutthroats.  Telling her she doesn't belong in his dangerous world, he brutally carves something into her arm and sails away.  Finding and proving herself to her father becomes the driving force in Fable's life as she barely survives the next four years as a dredger, diving for gems to trade to docking ship masters for coins with the goal of saving enough to eventually buy passage on a ship.  When events take a dire turn, Fable's forced to defend herself against one of the greedy thieves inhabiting the island.  It's only a matter of time until others find and kill her.  Hiding until she gets a chance to plead her case to ship master West,  Fable exchanges her saved coins for passage on the Marigold to the place her now infamous father is rumored to be.  The story that unfolds is absolutely riveting - a powerful, epic drama taking place on the high seas and exotic ports.   Avoid all spoilers and I guarantee this story will sweep you away to another place and time.  

Fable is a dark, gritty story that dwells in a vibrant setting of both beauty and malice, poverty and prosperity, desire and despair.  The author creates a resounding world with breathtaking views of sunsets, magnificent ships with sails billowing and gigantic storm waves breaking over the sea with coral reefs and long forgotten shipwrecks hidden beneath.  Sea ports are heavily charged with the sights, sounds and smells of markets, slums, and death with an aura of hope and hopelessness.  It's a ruthless, visual world of winner take all . . . or thief take all.  I won't say more about the story other than it's unique - a combination of suspense, action, drama, and fantasy with a subtle soft side of romance.  Young's writing is lyrical - at times surging like an angry sea crashing to shore and other times smooth as glass like a calm sea at sunset.  The kinetic plot unravels at a brisk pace propelling readers forward like a tidal wave barreling toward shore.  I can't say enough about the lead character Fable - she's strong, driven, spirited, and haunted by the past, dark secrets and a need even she doesn't fully understand.  The support characters are simply out of this world  - original, dynamic and intriguing in their own right. The emotional turmoil, trials and tribulations encumbering these characters overwhelmed me time and time again as I stowed away on this journey with the Marigold's motley crew. 

 Ultimately, Fable is a story about overcoming, growing, trusting, surviving, searching . . . for love, family, a place to belong, a reason to exist.  I'll go ahead and warn you this book ends on a cliffhanger.  It took me by surprise as I had no idea there was a book 2 coming in March 2021.  However,  I'm thrilled to say that the skillful manner in which this author builds anticipation and suspense while delivering a raw, gutsy, heart-scarring story bringing readers and characters to this point in time - well, it's flawless and totally worth it.  I read the final page with my heart pounding, lungs begging for air and an "Oh No!" escaping my lips.  I'm composing my email to the publisher pleading my case for an arc of Namesake NOW!  I can't wait until March . . . my heart won't stand it.  Fans of Young Adult Fantasy will devour this!  More than that, I believe fans of adventure, mystery, suspense and epic tales will also be blown away by Fable.  This one is special.  Highly Recommended!  All the stars over The Narrows!

Synopsis:

As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.

New York Times bestselling author of SKY IN THE DEEP, THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK & the upcoming FABLE duology from Wednesday Books. Agent: Barbara Poelle, IGLA

Adrienne Young is a born and bred Texan turned California girl. She is a foodie with a deep love of history and travel and a shameless addiction to coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her on her yoga mat, scouring antique fairs for old books, sipping wine over long dinners, or disappearing into her favorite art museums. She lives with her documentary filmmaker husband and their four little wildlings beneath the West Coast sun.

For information on release, appearances, ARCs, giveaways, and exclusive content, sign up for the newsletter at https://adrienneyoungbooks.com/

Instagram: @adrienneyoungbooks
Twitter: @adriennebooks

Rise By Moonlight Book Tour - Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

 

RISE BY MOONLIGHT

Nancy Gideon

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | iBooks

Published: August 3, 2020

Length: 273 Pages

Genres: Paranormal | Romance | Werewolves | Dark Shifter
Giveaway: $20 Amazon Gift Card

Add to Goodreads TBR→

Max and Charlotte return for the explosive conclusion of the “By Moonlight” series . . . and the stakes have never been higher!

He’s the Promised One
A Mobster’s attack dog turned legitimate business powerhouse, Max Savoie is the reluctant leader of New Orleans’ shapeshifter clan. They’ve kept to anonymous shadows, working and living unnoticed by the human world until their new Shifter King’s past draws dangerous outsiders who threaten all.

She’s the Protector
A fiercely determined NOPD detective, Charlotte Caissie has sworn to defend her beloved city and her unborn child from both criminals and otherworldly factions at war. While standing boldly at the side of her mate/husband, secrets from the past return to shake the foundation of her beliefs.

They have a Problem
Walking a marital tight rope between opposite worlds, Max and Cee Cee’s paths place truth and trust at odds when outside threats force enemies to become allies. The time to take a stand for their family and their future is at hand. Time to rise together for the survival of all they love!

“Every delicious word on the page exhilarates with a sensuous ferocity. Hopelessly addicted.” – NYT bestselling author, Darynda Jones

I'm so excited to welcome everyone to my stop on the Rise By Moonlight Book Tour!  It's always a pleasure to give a shout-out about favorite books to other readers.  Rise By Moonlight is the final book in the paranormal romance By Moonlight series and as much as I hate to see it come to an end . . . what a way to go!  Explosive, Compelling, Intense!  You can read my full review below and also enjoy an excerpt from this book.  And then, be sure to scroll to the bottom to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!

 My Review of Rise By Moonlight

5 Explosive Hearts!

Tensions escalate and emotions rage as former adversaries begrudgingly unite to stop a deadly invasion of enemies from the north in Rise By Moonlight, the compelling final book in Gideon's By Moonlight series.  Shapeshifter King Max Savoie and his mate Det. Charlotte Cassie offer refuge and support to the displaced Terriot King Cale and his brothers as they join forces along with others to protect their families and the people of New Orleans from the imminent threat posed by Geneviere Savorie and her lethal trackers.  Max and Cee Cee find themselves walking a narrow line between their conflicting worlds yet again as new alliances are formed, battle lines drawn, and loyalties questioned as it all comes down to one final epic explosive showdown.   Fans of the By Moonlight series will be ecstatic over this vividly rendered, intoxicating story, but if you're new to the series have no fear.  Gideon excels at weaving in needed backstory, offering an engaging reading experience to everyone.  I guarantee you'll quickly become addicted to these ferocious, yet sinfully sensuous characters and find yourself one-clicking to purchase previous books.  I highly recommend you indulge your fantasies by starting with Masked By Moonlight, book one.

Gideon pulls out all the stops to deliver an exhilarating, potent finale to fans of this unique paranormal series.  Rise By Moonlight is an intense, emotionally-charged story with all the elements of great paranormal romance suspense.  From page one to The End, my senses were on high alert, and I couldn't turn pages fast enough as tensions escalate, stakes are raised, and imminent danger inches ever closer.  Lies, secrets, and betrayals run rampant threatening to destroy Cee Cee's fragile world and all she holds dear.  Support characters include all the favorites from previous books - both those you love and those you love-to-hate.  Some will prove themselves while others are forced to show their true colors.  As always, Gideon's delivery is spot-on and her trademark banter and sensual chemistry between characters sizzles.  Rise By Moonlight is an engaging, electrifying, non-stop action paranormal romance - the gratifying culmination of multiple plot lines fans have been waiting for.  As the #1 fan of the series, I hate to see it end . . . but oh what a way to go!  Highly Recommended!

Rise By Moonlight Excerpt:

Going to the office never occurred to Max until he was showering off the exhilaration of the day. An unexpected, enjoyable day in simpatico company.

Growing up isolated and ignorant of his kind, he’d never known pack-like comradery until Charlotte Caissie led him across the threshold of Cheveux du Chien where, after a rocky start, he’d been embraced by the Shifter club’s owner Jacques LaRoche. Learning what he was from him, Max had found a place to belong.

Time had no meaning as he’d run the woods with the Terriots. The scent of the earth, the heat of exertion, the brotherhood of the pack; things he hadn’t known he needed until the wild freedom of what they were when running together unleashed him. Hours lost meaning. They’d hunted and challenged, at one with the land, air and sky, basic beings driven by uncomplicated joy within the security of their number. He hadn’t experienced such exhilaration . . . since his father taught him secrets seldom shared with another.

The day had been more than simple fun. He’d been pushing the brothers, testing them, gaging their abilities. And they’d far surpassed expectation. If he had to go into a battle he wasn’t sure he could win, they were who he’d want at his side.

But would they be enough?

Frowning over that question, he’d just started down the stairs when he heard the unmistakable roar of a big block engine. The initial leap of his heart sank into the uncertainty of their situation, something she’d avoided, and he feared. He’d rarely placed boundaries on their relationship, not that she’d abide by them. Taming his bold mate was never his intention. Her independent nature had drawn him from first glance. He’d never ask her to change or suppress those things that defined her, those things he adored.

But he’d been having dreams . . .

About Nancy Gideon

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter

Follow @NancyGideon

Nancy Gideon is the award-winning, bestselling author of 68 romances ranging from historical, regency and series contemporary suspense to paranormal, with a couple of horror screenplays tossed into the mix. She’s also published under the pen names Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West and Lauren Giddings. She recently retired after 20 years as a legal assistant and, when not at the keyboard, feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur, fin and fowl. For more information on the author, her books, or the “House of Terriot” and “By Moonlight” series, visit Nancy on the web.

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The Night Swim Blog Tour - Excerpt & Review

Welcome to my stop on The Night Swim Blog Tour.  It's always a delight to give a shout-out to books I love and this book . . . this book pushes all the right buttons!  From page one to The End, my head was spinning.  I simply couldn't put it down.  If you haven't read it yet, grab your copy today and carve out some uninterrupted reading time.  You won't regret it!

A special thank you to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book via Netgalley.

Buy Links:

Macmillan

Books-A-Million

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

In this new thriller from the author of The Escape Room, a podcast host covering a controversial trial in a small town becomes obsessed with a brutal crime that took place there years before.

 Excerpt from The Night Swim

Review:
Wow!  I finished reading The Night Swim with head spinning and heart hurting.  What can I say about a book that absolutely slayed me?  Pushed all my buttons?  Well-done, Megan Goldin!  The Escape Room was fantastic, but this book left me speechless.  I'll attempt to organize my scrambled brain and share my thoughts about this five hundred star book.

Rachel Krall is well-known for her highly successful true crime podcast and her uncanny ability to find justice for people that the system failed.  While her voice is easily recognizable, her face is not which is why it spooked her to find a note tucked under her car windshield wiper while parked at a remote truck stop.  No one should know her whereabouts as she's on her way to record her next podcast in the small town of Neapolis, N.C.  The note implores Rachel to look into the old case of a girl named Jenny Stills who died twenty-five years ago in the same town, and it's signed by Hannah, Jenny's sister.  The story that unfolds is told through two compelling points of  view - one from Rachel as she covers the rape trial of the town's golden boy swimmer who stands accused of raping a high school girl only identified as K. and at the same time pursuing leads in the old case of Jenny Stills and another pov through Hannah, as the heartbreaking story of what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago comes to light.  It is absolutely riveting reading the letters Hannah writes Rachel as she pours out her heart revealing past tragic events as are the chapters of Rachel recording her crime podcast of the trial and interviewing witnesses.  I couldn't stop reading as I focused on both characters and cases which play out through dual timelines that are flawlessly woven throughout.  Through skillfully placed twists and turns, the reader, along with the jury and the podcast audience is charged with deciding Guilty or Not Guilty?

Goldin expertly draws readers into the small town environment of have's vs. have-not's, showcasing the way privilege and reputation can sway or redirect the delivery of justice.  With care and grace, the author delves into the heartbreak and brutality of rape and its devastating, life long effect on victims and their families.  It allows readers to get an up close and personal view of how rape survivors are often treated - shamed, shunned, and unfortunately many times "raped" again during agonizing court testimony only to watch their attacker walk free.  I can't say enough about the author's skill in delivering this mesmerizing story through characters that broke my heart.  Moving from courtroom scenes to podcast transcripts to Hannah's letters to Rachel's investigation, I was fully engaged from page one forward.  The Night Swim is a heartbreaking, gripping, totally captivating suspense thriller that I highly recommend.  Another book for my 2020 Favorites Shelf!

My Rating:  5 Head Spinning Hearts

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

 In The Night Swim, a new thriller from Megan Goldin, author of the “gripping and unforgettable” (Harlen Coben) The Escape Room, a true crime podcast host covering a controversial trial finds herself drawn deep into a small town’s dark past and a brutal crime that took place there years before.

 Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name—and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

 The new season of Rachel's podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season 3 a success, Rachel throws herself into her investigation—but the mysterious letters keep coming. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insist she was murdered—and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody in town wants to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases—and a revelation that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved. 

Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?

 About the Author

MEGAN GOLDIN worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. The Escape Room was her debut novel.

Q&A with Megan Goldin

Social Links:

Author website
Twitter @megangoldin 

Facebook
Author Blog

GoodReads

Migrations Review

Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: Literary Fiction
Release Date: Aug. 4, 2020
Purchase Link: Amazon

My Rating: 5 Wandering Hearts

A heartfelt thank you to Flatiron Books for an arc of this book via Netgalley. I am forever changed and thankful for having read it.

For readers of Station Eleven and Flight Behavior, a debut novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world’s last birds - and her own final chance for redemption.

Synopsis & Author Bio following review.

Review:
Have you ever read a book that you knew as soon as you finished it, it would forever leave a scar on your heart and soul?  One that completely shattered you but you couldn't stop reading it?  Migrations is one of those books for me.  This dark yet beautifully rendered story is very raw, primal and heart wrenching.    Franny Stone is a wanderer at heart and by following the ocean's tides and the Arctic Terns, she feeds a mysterious, burning need within while also seeking solace for past transgressions, guilt, and regret.  The world's on the brink of disaster with all wildlife near extinction.  Franny makes her way to Greenland and hitches a ride on one of the last fishing vessels in order to follow the last migration of the Arctic Terns to their final resting place.  It soon becomes clear that Franny is driven by demons and ghosts she can't outrun as she pushes her mind and body to the edge.  As her cover story begins to unwind, her tightly wrapped layers and closely guarded secrets unravel to reveal the pain she carries and the hidden force driving her.  Piece by piece, readers will learn her truth.

I don't have the words to explain the impact this story, Franny and the rest of the misfit crew had on me.  Without permission, these characters burrowed under my skin, overwhelmed my senses, left me reeling and breathless and forever changed.  The heart-wrenching, twisted story  unfurls at a brisk pace via a strong, compelling, and yet somewhat fragile and unstable narrator leaving little doubt Franny's mission is inspired by concealed secrets.  Why does she feel impelled to follow the final migration of the terns?  Guilt, devastating loss, redemption, the sheer will to survive and the power of love are all key in this bleak, yet beautiful story of how far one will go for love.  I'd like to say "Thank You" to author Charlotte McConaghy for sharing this masterpiece with the world.  I hope people will heed the warning to take care of each other and this wondrous world we are privileged to reside in for a short period in time. Migrations is a unique, gripping, timely story that now resides on my Favorites List.  I can't wait to explore more of this author's work.  Highly Recommended!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

Synopsis:

 A dark past. An impossible journey. The will to survive.

Franny Stone has always been a wanderer. By following the ocean’s tides and the birds that soar above, she can forget the losses that have haunted her life. But when the wild she so loves begins to disappear, Franny can no longer wander without a destination. She arrives in remote Greenland with one purpose: to find the world’s last flock of Arctic terns and follow them on their final migration. She convinces Ennis Malone, captain of the Saghani, to take her onboard, winning over his salty, eccentric crew with promises that the birds she is tracking will lead them to fish.

As the Saghani fights its way south, Franny’s new shipmates begin to realize that the beguiling scientist in their midst is not who she seems. Battered by night terrors, accumulating a pile of letters to her husband, and dead set on following the terns at any cost, Franny is full of dark secrets. When the story of her past begins to unspool, Ennis and his crew must ask themselves what Franny is really running toward—and running from.

Propelled by a narrator as fierce and fragile as the terns she is following, Migrations is a shatteringly beautiful ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened. But at its heart, it is about the lengths we will go, to the very edges of the world, for the people we love.

I'm Charlotte, the author of the forthcoming novel MIGRATIONS, published in the US in August 2020, and published in the UK and AUS as THE LAST MIGRATION.

After having grown up writing SFF, this is my first foray into adult literary fiction and will be my first book to cross oceans. I have a Graduate Degree in Screenwriting and a Masters in Screen Arts.

I'm also passionate about wildlife and the disastrous extinction crisis faced by the world today, which is how MIGRATIONS came to be the story of a woman's pursuit of the world's last birds.

The Wife Who Knew Too Much Review

Author: Michele Campbell
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Release Date: July 28, 2020
Purchase Link: Amazon

My Rating: 3.5 Betraying Hearts

A special thank you to St. Martins Press for an arc of this book via Netgalley.

From Michele Campbell, the bestselling author of It's Always the Husband comes a new blockbuster thriller in The Wife Who Knew Too Much.

Synopsis & Author Bio following review.

Review:
The Wife Who Knew Too Much opens with a Dear Diary post that says if I die suddenly, it was my husband who killed me . . . my husband and her.  The diary entry belongs to a wealthy socialite, Nina Levitt, who is married to a much younger man, Connor.  In an earlier life, young Tabitha Girald fell in love with Connor Ford expecting a fairy tale ending.  Unfortunately, Connor was looking to move up the social ladder and did so by marrying Nina.  Years later, Tabitha and Connor reconnect in a seemingly accidental meeting in a bar where she's working and rekindle the flame extinguished so long ago.  Connor begs Tabitha for time to settle things with his wife promising her they'll finally have their own happy-ever-after.  Sounds like a good second-chance romance, right?  Right.

The Wife Who Knew Too Much unfolds through dual points of view - that of naive, gullible Tabitha and Nina, the wealthy wife putting out wicked witch of the west vibes.  At times, it's hard to know who to trust as the twists and turns mount up.  Taut writing feeds the tension vibrating throughout as it becomes obvious a trap is being set, but the question is for who?  Who's pulling the strings?  Who's playing who?  A fast pace, twisted plot line, and shades of the ultimate betrayal make this an intriguing read as suspects pile up.  I figured out what was going on fairly early in the story, but still couldn't put the book down.  I had to know if I was right.  I will say the characters are not very likable and there comes a point where I began to think they all deserved whatever fate handed them.  But that's the very thing I believe makes this story work.  Lies, betrayals, murder - it all adds up to an intriguing "whodunnit" that I recommend to fans of mystery, suspense, and thrillers.

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

Synopsis:

Tabitha Girard had her heart broken years ago by Connor Ford. He was preppy and handsome. She was a pool girl at his country club. Their affair should have been a summer fling. But it meant everything to Tabitha.

Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha's life—older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He married for money, a wealthy, neurotic, controlling woman whom he never loved. He has always loved Tabitha.

When Connor’s wife Nina takes her own life, he’s free. He can finally be with Tabitha. Nina’s home, Windswept, can be theirs. It seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so many years ago. But then, Tabitha finds a diary. "I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death," it begins. “If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor—and her.”

Who is Connor Ford? Why did he marry Nina? Is Tabitha his true love, or a convenient affair? As the police investigate Nina’s death, is she a convenient suspect?

As Tabitha is drawn deeper into the dark glamour of a life she is ill-prepared for, it becomes clear to her that what a wife knows can kill her.

Michele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor in New York City who specialized in international narcotics and gang cases.

A while back, she said goodbye to her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town a lot like Belle River in IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels.

She's had many close female friends, a few frenemies, and only one husband, who – to the best of her knowledge – has never tried to kill her.