Category: books

Did I mention I Love You, by Estelle Maskame

DIMILY
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

Estelle Maskame was sixteen when she finished writing her Did I Mention I Love You trilogy, which went viral via Wattpad with over four million hits. Estelle lives and writes full-time from Scotland. Did I Mention I Love You is her first published novel, available now.

 

Eden Munro hasn’t heard from her father in years, not since he left her and her mother behind. Now he’s re-married, with a new family and a new life, and he wants her to spend the summer with him in Santa Monica. Even the prospect of the beach and three new stepbrothers can’t make Eden look forward to the visit.

 

Tyler Bruce is Eden’s oldest stepbrother, and her total opposite. Angry, egotistical, and with a troubled past and a drug problem, Tyler is bad news. But Eden soon finds herself hanging out with Tyler’s friends, going to parties and doing things she knows she shouldn’t be doing. Despite Tyler’s clingy, vindictive girlfriend and her own love interest, Eden finds herself drawn to Tyler. Can she find out what’s really behind Tyler’s façade and help him win his battle against himself?

 

Did I Mention I Love You is an edgy young adult romance with dark layers. The parties and drugs aren’t glorified, but presented in a realistic manner that makes them heartbreakingly real. Eden finds herself going along with things she never imagined, as she searches for a way to save Tyler from the depths of his anguish. Their relationship is tense, complicated, and ever evolving. Did I Mention I Love You is a fast-paced read that is not all sunshine and light, instead focusing on the darker moments that give life its depth.

 

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

Death Before Decaf, by Caroline Fardig

((Death Before Decaf cover 2.6M

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Random House Alibi.)

Caroline Fardig is the author of the Lizzie Hart Mystery series. Her new book, Death Before Decaf, is the first book in the Java Jive series

Juliet Langley had a fiancé she loved and a café she gave her heart to. Unfortunately, her fiancé ran off with a waitress and stole everything she owned, she lost the café, and had to move back to Nashville to take a job running a coffee shop for her best friend. Things couldn’t get much worse.

Until Juliet finds the dead body of the cook in the dumpster before the end of the first day. The other employees, in open revolt, are more than happy to point fingers at Juliet’s famed temper, and soon she finds herself a suspect in the murder. Juliet decides that she will find the killer, since no one else seems interested in the truth. Not even the handsome stranger hanging around the coffee shop asking questions. This may be too much for even caffeine to handle.

Death Before Decaf is a fun mystery reminiscent of the Stephanie Plum series. Juliet is a great character, full of spunk and attitude, determined to do the right thing. She won’t give up, no matter what other people think, and no matter the danger she puts herself in. Death Before Decaf will have the reader laughing at Juliet’s antics as the pages fly by.

(Galley provided by Random House Alibi via NetGalley.)

Queen of the Night, by Leanne Hall

(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to Text Publishing Company.)
(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to Text Publishing Company.)

Leanne Hall is a Melbourne author who has written two books, This is Shyness and Queen of the Night. Queen of the Night is out today.

Six months ago, Nia met Wolfboy, the mysterious boy from Shyness who promised to call. He didn’t, and Nia has revamped her life: new school, new friends, new job. She has forgotten about Wolfboy, or at least she’s tried to.

Wolfboy hasn’t forgotten about Nia. He’s different now: he spends time with his niece and her mother, he goes by Jethro now, and he wonders what might have been with Nia. But things are changing in Shyness, the town where darkness reigns. His friend Paul has fallen in with a dangerous crowd, and Wolfboy wants to save him, even when strange things start happening. Will Nia help him save his friend?

Queen of the Night has the feel of Alice in Wonderland for readers who have not read This is Shyness. The ever-present dark, the strange characters, the forest of cut-out trees, all combine to create a strange, eerie world. Nia and Jethro are both intriguing characters, strong yet flawed, and the moments between them are vibrant and evocative. Queen of the Night is well worth the read.

(Galley provided by Text Publishing Company via NetGalley.)

The Heirloom Brides Collection

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Barbour Books.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Barbour Books.)

The Heirloom Brides Collection is four Christian novellas with the theme of “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” This collection of sweet historical stories hit shelves on November 1st.

When Betsy’s grandfather loses the farm and is gravely injured, Betsy must find a job to take care of them both. Stuart and his mother, who own the store, go out of their way to help Betsy, and she’s grateful, but what happened to her old family heirloom?

Wren loved Tate for years, but he left without a word. Now, four years later, he’s back, determined to show her how much he loves her. Will this new start be what they both need?

Clara and her father have just moved to the farm when her father is injured and unable to work. When Clara asks the neighbor to hire one of her sons to work until her father is well, the neighbor refuses…but will let Clara borrow her older son, Titus.

Darla returns to her childhood home in the hopes of finding her mother’s missing blue cameo…and also hopes no one remembers the girl she was before. Now a nurse, she finds herself caring for injured Nicholas and falling for his three daughters, until her past comes back to haunt her.

The stories in The Heirloom Brides Collection are just the right length to curl up with on a chilly fall day. Heartwarming, inspiring, with bits of humor sprinkled throughout, these stories are sure to leave the reader feeling warm and fuzzy.

(Galley provided by Barbour Books via NetGalley.)

The Shock of Night, by Patrick W. Carr

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Bethany House.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Bethany House.)

Patrick W. Carr is the award-winning author of The Staff and the Sword trilogy. He’s also a high school math teacher by day, though he’d really like to be a jazz pianist. His new book, The Shock of Night, is the first book in The Darkwater Saga, and it hits shelves today.

Willet Dura is the king’s reeve, a private investigator who reports directly to the monarch. His elevation to the lowest-ranking noble in a world ruled by the gifted, along with his dedication to his job, have given him enemies, but Willet’s only concern is finding criminals and bringing them to justice. When a guard is killed, and his priestly charge is mortally wounded, Willet goes to question the dying man. But the man’s only answer is to touch Willet and scream in a strange language before dying.

Willet soon finds he has more questions than answers, as his senses are skewed in a dizzying manner and he can sense the thoughts of those he touches. Soon he learns he’s been given a gift that isn’t even supposed to exist, and with it, an enemy that wants to destroy him, his city, and the world he knows in a bloodthirsty quest for dominance where the enemies are hidden in plain sight, trapped by a past they do not even remember.

The Shock of Night is an intricate tale of intrigue and darkness, with Willet’s dedication to the truth leading him onto twisted paths he never imagined. His courage, his beliefs, and even his soul are tested in the fight to find the truth and save his city and the lives of those he loves.

(Galley provided by Bethany House via NetGalley.)

Viking Warrior Rising, by Asa Maria Bradley

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Casablance.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Casablanca.)

Asa Maria Bradley was born and grew up in Sweden, although she now lives in the Pacific Northwest. She studied both creative writing and Medical Physics and now writes paranormal romances. Viking Warrior Rising is the first book in her Viking Warriors series, and it releases November 3rd.

Leif Skarsganger and his band of warriors were sent to earth to stop Loki from destroying humanity. Leif is a warrior above all, and that’s all he has time for. Until he’s under attack by Loki’s minions and finds himself rescued by mysterious Naya Brisbane. His half-conscious kiss triggers an ancient Norse bond before Naya disappears into the night.

The unfinished bond awakens Leif’s warrior spirit, and he knows if he doesn’t find her soon, he will be overcome with the berserker rage. But Naya has secrets of her own, and doesn’t want to be found, no matter how attractive she finds the mysterious Norse stranger.

Viking Warrior Rising is a fantastic beginning to an intriguing new series. Though the Norse gods are familiar from the popular Avengers movies, their presence is where the similarity ends. Naya is a strong character with a dark past, but the relationship between her and Leif grows, making both of them stronger.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.)

Children of the Comet, by Donald Moffit

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Open Road Media.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Open Road Media.)

Six billion years in the future, Earth has been destroyed, and the human race has left to settle a world on the edge of the galaxy. The colonists have everything they need to start a new life, but some of them want to head back home and start over there. The home galaxy is deserted in the wake of the destruction left behind after the decimation of the earth. Or so the survivors think.

On the surface of an icy comet grows a great tree unhampered by gravity or atmosphere. Torris’s people must harvest frozen airy daily, and hunt meatbeasts and stovebeasts to survive. When Torris goes on his vision quest to the top of his tree, he finds out the world is a far different place than he ever imagined. He meets Ning, a female hunter from a nearby tree-bearing comet, and his world changes forever. But the cultural differences between his tribe and Ning’s are nothing compared to the revelations in store when a massive starship arrives, bringing changes Torris and his tribe could never have foreseen.

Children of the Comet is the newest book by sci-fi master Donald Moffit. The intricate tale of humanity’s descendants—both Homo sapiens and a new species—is intriguing and well-crafted, with science layered between adventure to create a story that will intrigue even readers who aren’t science fiction fans.

(Galley provided by Open Road Media via NetGalley.)

The Island of Worthy Boys, by Connie Mayo

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to She Writes Press.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to She Writes Press.)

Connie Mayo lives in Massachusetts, and has been fascinated with Thompson Island since she learned of its existence. Her first novel is The Island of Worthy Boys.

Life in Boston in 1889 isn’t easy. Especially for two boys with no family and no home. Charles has been on his own for two years, living on the streets and resorting to petty crimes to stay alive. Aidan’s mother can’t stay sober, leaving him to provide for her and his sister. Together, he and Charles are better off than alone. But when a simple robbery goes bad, they have no choice but to leave the city if they are to escape arrest.

So they con their way onto the Boston Farm School, located a mile out in the Boston Harbor. But the superintendent is intent on keeping the bad element out of his school, so Charles and Aidan must keep their secrets, or risk expulsion and jail time. Soon their friendship starts to fall apart under the strain, as the truth becomes harder to hide.

The Island of Worthy Boys explores the harder side of life in Boston at the turn of the last century. It isn’t glitzy or glamorous, but hard and dangerous. The bond that grows between Charles and Aidan is strong and touching, and their experiences in the city are horrifying, but their friendship gives them something to fall back on as their lives take a dramatic change.

(Galley provided by She Writes Press via NetGalley.)

Pale Highway, by Nicholas Conley

(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Red Adept Publishing.)
(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Red Adept Publishing.)

Nicholas Conley loves to tell stories, especially when fueled by travel or good coffee. His newest novel, Pale Highway, combines his love of storytelling, science fiction, and his experiences working with Alzheimer’s patients. The novel is available October 20th.

Gabriel Schist was once the Nobel Prize winner for creating a vaccine for AIDS. Back then, Gabriel was younger, rebellious, and had one of the finest minds in science. Now he’s stuck in a nursing home, suffering from Alzheimer’s. And he’s aware of it, making life in the nursing home that much worse.

When a fellow resident is struck with a horrible new virus, Gabriel’s world is turned upside down. One by one, the other residents fall prey to the virus, and Gabriel realizes he’s the only one who can stop its spread. But Gabriel’s brain isn’t cooperating this time. He’s losing bits of himself, having debilitating hallucinations, and fighting every step of the way as he tries desperately to find a cure. This time, his enemies aren’t just a horrible disease and a disbelieving public. Now he must struggle with his very mind if he’s to win the race to save the human race.

Pale Highway is a fast-paced ride into the mind of a man struggling against one of the most horrible diseases on the planet. Gabriel’s past is told in flashbacks to his youthful brilliance that contrast sharply with his Alzheimer’s symptoms. The enclosed world of the nursing home is his reality, and the other residents are vibrant characters who don’t understand Gabriel, or his struggles to save them. Even Gabriel doesn’t fully understand himself, but he wants to. Pale Highway brings his struggles for survival along with his fierce desire to hold off his symptoms long enough to save everyone around him to brilliant, beautiful life.

On a personal note, I have a family history of Alzheimer’s, so Gabriel’s struggles with the disease were both heart wrenching and familiar. I’ve never read a story like this, where the protagonist struggles so profoundly with the disease, and the narrative brought it vividly to life. There’s also magic in this story, in the little things, and the big ones, that Gabriel discovers along the way. It’s well worth the read!

Blonde Eskimo, by Kristen Hunt

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to SparkPress.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to SparkPress.)

Kristen Hunt is from Alaska, but now lives in Arizona, because she believes anything below 64 degrees is freezing. Her new novel, Blonde Eskimo, is a young adult novel set in Alaska.

Neiva Ellis would much rather have toured Europe with her parents. Instead, she is sent to stay with her grandmother in Spirit, Alaska. She’s always known there was something special about Spirit, but now that she’s living there, she realizes everyone in the town, including her grandmother, is keeping something from her.

On the night of her 17th birthday, the Eskimo rite of passage, Neiva discovers the truth, and falls into a world of traditions, mystical creatures, and magic. When an ancient evil threatens everything that she loves, Neiva must work together with her best friends to discover the truth behind tradition, and stop the enemy from destroying the entire world, and everything that she loves.

Blonde Eskimo is full of the rich heritage of a culture that most know little about. Ms. Hunt brings this culture to life with vivid descriptions and fascinating characters living a life most never imagined. The relationship between the characters is dynamic and strong, changing as the characters grow. The mystery surrounding Spirit will have the reader riveted to the page.

(Galley provided by SparkPress via NetGalley.)