Knights,Witches and The Missing by R.M.Schultz ~Blog Tour

Publisher: Independently published 

Publication Date: 10th July 2022

Genre: mystery/thriller/fantasy

Summary:

The children of Hillsvale are disappearing.

Over three decades ago the first child was lost and could not be found. Now, in the past year, twenty children have gone missing.

There are no traces left behind by these children and no clues. The locals claim the old wood spirit is stealing their children, but no one has ever seen this ghost or been able to track it. Most believe it is a legend.

Calec of the Woods is summoned to assist the people of Hillsvale. Along with Serileen, Calec must uncover who or what is behind the abductions. And with magic returning to the world with the reemergence of the ancient sky sea, anything is possible.

Neither Calec nor Serileen could imagine what terrors stalk this land and them or what they will have to face with the people of Hillsvale to unravel all of the village's ancient secrets.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours and R.M Schultz for having me on this tour and sending me the book.

 I feel like this review might sound a little bit of a repeat of the last two of this series but I just completely adore reading the series and seeing how the world the R.M Schultz has created expands.Every time we get to step into Calec and Serileen's world we get to wander further out from settings we already know and into the unknown with them but this time we get to have interactions with characters already known to us. I found it really interesting to see how the dynamics between Calec and the King and to some degree the jester have changed since book one, it was really good to see Calec standing up for himself in a way he wouldn't have two books ago. I think he's much more comfortable with his chosen path than he was as a knight and it shows in how he interacts with people from that past life of his, and the lessons he learned from being a knight have stood him in good stead with the investigations he's undertaken.
I've really enjoyed seeing how Calec and Serileen's relationship has grown over the past two books, and how they've compromised in how that relationship is. Calec is very much someone who believes in marriage and would happily marry Serileen but the way she grew up and how relationships are between the people of the woods that's not really what happens. And there are other parts I'd happily talk about but you know I hate adding in spoilers so I will behave and not type it!
I think every book in the series is better than the last and the lore and world-building are fantastic so I'm very much looking forward to starting book four but I'm trying to pace myself because I don't want to get to the end of the published books before the new one comes out at the end of this year!

Krystina xx

 

Queer Villains of Myth and Legend by Dan Jones~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Radar

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Genre: LGBTQ+ Biographies

Summary:

Every good hero needs a villain! Explore the hidden world of magnetic and mysterious villains, often cast aside and misunderstood in tales of mythology and folklore. Through the pages of Queer Villains of Myth and Legend, discover a diverse community of fascinating characters, ranging from seductive and cunning to powerful and awe-inspiring.

Experience the dark allure of Circe and Medusa through to David Bowie's Jareth in Labyrinth and delve into their complex and multifaceted personalities and motivations. Take a deep dive into the intersection of queerness and villainy, re-examine some of our favourite characters, and discover why so many 'bad' characters are queer-coded.

From ancient mythology to contemporary pop culture, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend celebrates the fascinating stories of these often-overlooked characters. Join Dan Jones on a journey of discovery, as he explores the hidden depths of queer villainy and sheds light on the queer identities of these compelling figures. It's a powerful celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary complexity.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Radar and Dan Jones for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I have no idea where to start with this review, I'm pretty much going to tell you how much I've loved reading this book but I've literally stared at this blank page for way too long trying to figure out how to get across how fabulous this book is.
I'm a cover magpie so it would be wrong of me not to mention this cover, it's fantastically bright and has the cutest little illustrations dotted about and I just adore it. It's going to brighten up my shelves no end! And when you open it up it's just as colourful because the villains inside are some of the most colourful characters that Dan Jones could have picked, and I love every one of them.
Now this is most definitely a book you can dip in and out of because each one of our fabulous villains has their own section so you can just go read about your favourites (The Sanderson Sisters or maybe Jareth the Goblin King) or you can just read it from cover to cover like I have. I always intended to just read one or two at a time but once i'd picked up the book I found myself sitting and reading as much as I could til the next task I needed to get done became too loud of a call. I've really enjoyed Dan Jones's way of writing, it's so easy to lose yourself in and whilst it's definitely informative, it's done in such an easy-friendly style it kind of feels like you're sat chatting through all this with him. Though he has massively added to my to-watch list with the amount of films mentioned in this that I now want to watch, some of them were already on my radar (Cat People 1942) and just have bumped back up the list but he's added in so many others I might have to switch to watching films instead of reading for a while.
I've already added the Hero's version to my tbr (and at least one of my book club members' tbr) and I can't wait to have them on my bookshelf to be able to dip in and out of when I fancy a reminder of some of my favourite villains.

Krystina xx

Hazard Night by Laura Vaughan~Blog tour

 Publisher:  Corvus

Publication Date: 1st February 2024

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Summary:

Cleeve College is not for everyone...

When Eve's husband is appointed housemaster at his old boarding school, Cleeve College, she gives up her life in London to join him. But the isolation and loss of autonomy threaten both her happiness and her marriage.

The arrival of Fen, an enigmatic artist and wife of the new Classics teacher, is a welcome distraction. Fen doesn't play by the rules, and she and Eve enter into a game of escalating dares, disrupting the delicate balance of school life.

Then, the morning after Hazard Night, a tradition that allows the students to run wild and play pranks for one day, a body is found. Someone has been murdered. And it seems everyone has something to hide...

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Corvus and Laura Vaughan for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I really loved the sound of this book, the blurb sounded intriguing and I was looking forward to reading
a good thriller. Unfortunately, I didn't really get the thriller aspect of this book, I mean the only bit that was thriller-like was not finding out who the murderer was until the last 5 pages and I get a murder to solve is crime/thriller but it didn't feel like an adult crime/thriller book. It sort of read like a YA thriller, the writing style and to some degree the content felt juvenile, maybe it was because it was set in a secondary school but it was missing something for me. I did enjoy getting the story told from the two different Points of View, Alice and Eve being in very different situations within the school meant they both had interesting perspectives of what was going on. I never really connected with either of our main characters though, I felt none of that need to keep reading to see what would happen to them next which meant that the drive to finish the book wasn't there. I did finish it and to be honest, quite quickly, I read the majority of it in a day as the writing style is quite an easy one to read. From the title and blurb I'd expected to have a lot more of the book focused on Hazard Night and I was slightly disappointed to find it took up such a small amount of the book.
It was an easy read but ultimately it wasn't really for me but if you like a hint of dark academia with your crime, this might just be for you.

Krystina xx

Ronnie Hood by Henry Sowter~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Majeeko Books

Publication Date: 17th December 2023

Genre: Children's fiction

Summary:

Everyone knows Robin Hood - the hotshot with his bow, but he had a little brother which, perhaps, you didn’t know.

Whilst Robin was the wonder kid with skill and charm and looks, his quiet brother, Ronnie, liked science, maths and books.

Everybody knows about the folklore hero Robin Hood, but this book shines a light on Robin's (up-until-now) unknown little brother, Ronnie, and the important role he played in this classic tale.

Robin and Ronnie couldn't be more different, but they love each other to bits and want each other to succeed. If only they could find a way to combine their talents and become an unstoppable team?...

This book was written to help children embrace their differences and to encourage them to play to their own strengths instead of always comparing themselves to others and feeling inadequate or insecure. It's about sibling love, friendship, rivalry and teamwork.

Review:
Firstly thank you to The Book Network, Majeeko Books and Henry Sowter for having me on this tour and sending me the book.
It's another book I can share with my small one! You know I love it when I get to share my love of books with them( they have started asking if all my bookmail are for them) and the fact that we get to try books we might not have read otherwise makes it even better.
My small one loved this book, it actually worked out well timing-wise because our other bedtime book is The Adventures of Robin Hood so the small one knew who Robin was and instantly connected the two books. They spent the first half going "I like that too!" to Ronnie's list of likes and "That's not nice" about the mean children but where they had a lot of say was about Ronnie building the bow. They loved that he did it for his brother and that it meant Ronnie and Robin were a team, they really loved the illustrations and kept pointing out bits that were in the story before trying to read it themselves.
I loved the story too I think it's really well written and has a good lesson woven through it. Much like my small one I loved the illustrations, I thought they were really cute and fitted the text well. It's got a good rhythm to it when you read it and it just flows really well. I definitely think this is a book that I'll be recommending to small one's school because I think it gets the point that we should celebrate the things we're good at and enjoy across well.
I know this is Henry Sowter's first book and I think it's a brilliant one I hope we have some more coming soon.

Krystina xx

Tristan/Yseult by Harry Bonelle~Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Unicorn

Publication Date: 31st January 2024

Genre: Poetry

Summary:

A duel on an empty island sets the course for one of the greatest romances ever told. As the lovers of legend meet, something new is born, and something eternal is revealed. Their names will forever be spoken as one. This modern retelling of Tristan and Yseult sheds a stark light on the beauty of the Celtic tale.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Unicorn and Harry Bonelle for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I knew I needed to get on the tour for this as soon as I saw this title because this is one of my favourite Celtic tales. I watched the 2006 film Tristan and Isolde and that sparked my interest in this tale, I then read Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and loved it so I knew I needed to read this new retelling. And I've really loved how Harry Bonelle has chosen to tell it in a different way, how we encounter the two lovers separately far more than we do together i liked how we had Yseult on her own at the beginning and end of the tale. It's a very beautiful poem, it's quite lyrical in the way Bonelle has written it and it flows so well, especially if you read it out loud you get into the pattern of it and you can get lost in it. I found it interesting that he chose not to ever use the word love within the poem, a term which is used a lot in all the other tellings of this tale but it worked really well within this retelling. I do feel though that if you don't already know the tale you might not understand what going on quite as well, despite how beautifully it's written it is written with the understanding that you know the original tale.
This will stay happily on my shelf to go back to multiple times.

Krystina xx

The Secret Ingredient by Sue Heath~Blog Tour

 Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Summary:

It’s been three years, two weeks and one day since Kate Shaw’s life changed forever. Three years, two weeks and one day that Kate has been angry – with herself and life.

But today is different. Different because Kate has finally taken the step she’s been avoiding…back into the kitchen. Now, what begins as a (disastrous) attempt to make pancakes becomes a culinary journey that is not only a love letter to someone so important to her, but also an unexpected means of connection to a community she never knew she had…

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, One More Chapter and Sue Heath for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
So this book has dragged me through so many emotions, I've smiled a lot at what I've read but I've cried so much too! I have to start off by saying that I absolutely adored Mary( and Charles) she reminded me a lot of my Grandma, from her name to her stubborn personality and love of baking that I actually found myself in floods of tears at the end of the book ( and that's the only way I can say this without spoilers). She and Charles were just so adorable, I loved how in love with each other they are and how that had a knock-on effect on all the other characters. I definitely loved everyone in this book, there wasn't a character that you had to dislike, they were all so damn lovely and perfectly flawed in their own ways. I really felt for poor Kate, she had so much trauma to deal with and so much grief and, though it sounds awful, I loved watching the way she dealt with everything thrown in her path and found a way to live her life again, and I especially love that she did it through food. Food is a brilliant way to bring people together to enjoy each other's company and talk through things and I love how well this was shown in this book.
I liked the way we had chapters from everyone, I so enjoyed seeing each of their points of view and Sue Heath's writing style is so lovely to read. I started this book this morning and breezed through it in no time at all, it just flowed so beautifully. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by her, even if they drag all the emotions out of me!

Krystina xx

The Love Interest by Victoria Walters ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 12th February 2024

Genre: Romance

Summary:

No man can be as good as the one in your imagination...

Librarian Liv Thomas has always dreamed of writing a romance novel. But she’s stuck when it comes to creating a romantic hero – sadly – lacking anyone in real life to base him on.

When her brother suggests his best friend stay in their shared flat for a few weeks, she can’t believe her bad luck. Aiden Rivers is irritating and pushes all her buttons. Worst of all, he’s gorgeous, has a sexy accent and reminds her of her all-time favourite character Mr Darcy.

Liv finds herself unexpectedly inspired and the leading man in her novel begins to bear an uncanny resemblance to Aiden. He can never find out though: she’d never live it down. Because Aiden can only ever be her love interest in the pages of her book – and definitely not in real life… right?!

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Victoria Walters for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I really loved reading this book, it was the perfect book to pick up on the run-up to Valentine's Day. It's got two of my favourite troupes in it the enemies to lovers and the brothers best friend/ little sister and I love it when I get them both together, don't ask me why because I can't tell you but I just do. I loved Liv, her style was epic I could never pull anything she put on off but the outfits all sounded amazing and I just really liked her, she just sounded like a really nice person to be around. I loved getting glimpses into her book and watching her hidden feelings for Aiden come out in it and her gradually figure out that she did really fancy him. Aiden was a perfect leading man, I so enjoyed watching the ways he tried to show Liv he actually liked her before they actually talked about it, they were so sweet if sometimes irritating to her.

I loved the little side story romance of her brother Dan and his boyfriend Theo, they were so cute together and I loved how their ending went( no spoilers from me) 
I really don't want to say much more about the story because I don't want to do any spoilers but one of my favourite scenes was near the end and let's just say any Mr Darcey fans will love it.

I found this such a lovely easy book to read it flowed so well and Victoria Walter's writing style is perfect for this kind of romance, i can't wait to read more by her so I'm eagerly awaiting her next book.

Krystina xx

Knights,Necromancers and Murder by R. M. Schultz~Blog Tour

Publisher: Independently published

Publication Date: 12th March 2022

Genre: Fantasy/mystery/thriller

Summary:

Murders are occurring in a fantastical city by the sea.

For over a year these events have plagued Red Pike’s Landing. And no one has been able to find the killer who takes all the fingernails of their victims and tucks them into bed.

Witnesses are unreliable … but for good reason. Perhaps magic lies at the heart of these deeds and covers the Necromancer’s tracks.

Calec of the Woods is called upon for aid. And Serileen, Calec’s witch lover, must accompany him while harboring a dark secret of her own.

The closer Calec comes to the Necromancer, the faster he must solve this mystery or he and Serileen will become the Necromancer’s next victims.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours and R.M Schultz for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

So I dived into this as soon as I finished book one in the series, I couldn't wait to see where Calec went next and what kind of mystery he'd encounter. And I'm pleased to say I wasn't disappointed, we get to have the frankly brilliant team of Calec and Serileen working together to uncover the Necromancer in Red Pikes Landing and pull at some threads a little closer to home too. I found this book a lot quicker to read than the last one, it had a lot less world-building in it but also we were finding out about this new city at the same time as our two MC's so it wasn't filling in blanks just for us readers which I felt flowed really well and i enjoyed how it was done. I liked that we flipped to different characters' points of view occasionally, it was nice to get snippets from other, secondary characters and see their backstories filed out a little and how it played into our main path.
I really loved seeing how Calec and Serileen's relationship had developed in the time between this book and the previous one, you ended book one with a promise of there being more to them and I enjoyed seeing how that had fleshed out. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it grows over the next few books, as I'm assuming it will but you never know because I don't know how the timeline changes from this book to the next but I'm very much looking forward to finding that out.
Again I've really enjoyed R.M Schultz's writing style, it's very easy to step completely into the world he's created. It's a brilliant Mystery Thriller with that element of fantasy that I've just fallen in love with reading.

Krystina xx

 

Blood on the Broadcast by SDW Hamilton~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Shannon Hamilton

Publication Date: 2nd February 2024

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Summary:

A Locked Room. An Improbable Murder.

When Private Investigator Jacob Kincaid is approached by mystery podcaster Natalie Amato, he senses a case that matters may have finally fallen across his desk.

The former journalist hires Jacob to investigate the death of a colleague, convinced what was initially written off by police as an accident, was actually murder.

With an unlikely crime and a cult of Ireland’s elite watching from the shadows, Jacob must navigate an increasingly deadly case to get the answers he needs and where every new truth uncovered puts his life, and Natalie's, at risk.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours and SDW Hamilton for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I do enjoy a good locked-room mystery and I've really enjoyed reading this one, I mean it's also driven me mad for the majority of the book too. From chapter 3 I was trying to figure out how they might have killed her in a locked room, I even sat discussing it over dinner with my husband and we had various theories, most of which Jacob also had so that meant I sat trying to think of some he hadn't for a bit. I'm not going to give away any spoilers and tell you anything about how they did it but it wasn't what I expected and it was kind of a mix of some of the different ideas my husband and I had.
I loved the writing style, it kept me hooked i never read just a few pages it was always quite a few chapters and I pretty much sped-read it in a day and a half. I liked how Natalie and Jacob worked together and the chemistry they have with one another and I'm so glad that we get to see more of them and that working relationship in the next few books, I definitely will be keeping an eye out for them!

Krystina xx

The Imposter Cure by Dr Jessamy Hibberd~Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Aster

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Genre: Self-Help

Summary:

Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon in which people believe they are not worthy of success. They convince themselves that they have done well due to luck and are terrified their shortcomings will eventually be exposed, making it impossible to enjoy their accomplishments.

The Imposter Cure explores the psychological impact of imposter syndrome and exposes the secrets fears and insecurities felt by millions of men and women. Dr Jessamy Hibberd provides sound expert advice to help the reader better understand the problem and overcome it, so they think differently, gain self-belief and learn to see themselves as others do.

Filled with case studies to bring the concepts alive and packed with strategies to increase confidence, this book is a must-read for anyone who has struggled with their achievements.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Aster and Dr Jessamy Hibberd for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
So I'm still actually working my way through this book, i took on what Dr Hibberd said at the beginning and decided to give each exercise a try and it meant that I've worked my way through this book at a slower pace than I thought I would. I found that some of the exercises were more difficult than others, in that I found what I needed to do hard to do like, and this might sound daft, listing my achievements. I find it very difficult to say when I'm good at something and find it even harder to admit it on paper. I completed exercises like that over time, I had to write some down and then walk away and do something before coming back to add to the list which might not be the way you're meant to do it but it worked for me.
I found Dr Hibberd's writing style quite friendly, she gives you a lot of information but in a style that doesn't make it feel like an information overload. I really liked that she gives you some much information on imposter syndrome, like she said getting to know it helps combat it and I found that a really useful way to think about it.
So far this has been a really insightful book and I've enjoyed the pace I've taken it at, I'm defiantly going to finish it and quite possibly then read it again after a short break because I always think books like this do better after a second read through to help information and techniques go in.

Krystina xx

The Bookshop by the Loch by Julie Shackman~Blog Tour

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 1st February 2024

Genre: Romance

Summary:

Lexie Dunbar is a book lover. And her favourite place in the world is her local bookstore, Book Ends. So when she hears that it’s going to be sold, Lexie decides she needs to do something to help.

Lexie’s plan to save the ailing shop is fully underway until gorgeous-but-grouchy artist Tobias Black arrives on the scene determined to turn the bookstore into an art gallery. Lexie is horrified, the last thing the quaint town of Bracken Way needs is a pretentious artist, even if he does seem to charm everyone but her.

Tensions continue to rise until Tobias discovers a shocking secret that shows they might have more in common than they realise. As sparks fly, can Lexie and Tobias work together, or will opposing ideas get in the way of them finding their very own happy ever after…

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, One More Chapter and Julie Shackman for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I knew I needed to read this because I absolutely adored the last book by Julie Shackman that I read, so I know her writing style is fantastic and she's going to give me all the feels with whatever she writes. I wasn't wrong this book has made me laugh, smile, get annoyed and cry like my heart is breaking.

I really liked Lexie, she was a brilliant FMC you really feel for her predicament and get angry on her behalf at times, I have to say I loved how much she loves books. 
On the flip side when I first encountered Tobias I disliked him so much, he was so rude and irritatingly self-centred, but much like he did with Lizzie he grew on me and I did really love him to bits by the end. It was fun to watch them dancing around each other and getting mixed up about how they each felt until they finally worked out all the crossed wires.
I loved Celeste, she was the whole reason I cried at this book, her story pulled at all my heartstrings way more than anyone else's and I equally loved and hated her ending because it really made me cry, so much so that my child came over to hug me because apparently, books shouldn't make you sad.
I loved this book, I think I'm probably going to end up buying a physical copy for my shelf( and to reread)  because it's definitely a book I need to read again.

Krystina xx

A Soul for a Soul by Carol Wyer ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: 30th January 2024

Genre:Crime/Thriller

Summary:

The syndicate have taken everything from her. It’s time to take them down―or die trying.

DCI Kate Young never meant to shoot Superintendent John Dickson at the reservoir that night―even if, as a scheming corrupt cop and head of the shady syndicate, he probably had it coming. But now Kate has photographic evidence that someone else knows her terrible secret…

Tormented by guilt and the voices of the dead, Kate is desperate to unmask the rest of the corrupt officers before her own sins catch up with her. When DI Harriet Khatri, awaiting trial for the murder of Kate’s mentor, claims she was framed by Dickson’s syndicate, Kate reluctantly agrees to help in the hope of finding answers.

Meanwhile, DI Emma Donaldson finds herself on the hunt for a double murderer―a man who incapacitates his victims with a powerful narcotic called Devil’s Breath. Desperate to measure up to her role-model boss, Emma finds herself hurled into the deep end in more ways than one…

While Kate’s grip on reality wavers and the syndicate closes in, and with the mystery killer taking a special interest in Emma, could this be the case that defeats both detectives?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Zooloos Book Tours, Thomas & Mercer and Carol Wyer for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

So I didn't realise this was the fifth book in the Detective Kate Young series, I assumed it was the first book of the series and when I realised it wasn't I did worry I might not have the context required to hit the ground running with this book. But I didn't need to worry everything I needed to know about Kate and her situation was brilliantly explained without me feeling like I was getting a full-on "what happened last episode" kind of moment. Now I have to admit I haven't completely finished this book so I can't comment on the end, not that I'd add in any spoilers anyway, but I can see myself easily finishing it this evening because it's just so engaging I really want to know if DI Khatri has been framed and if Kate will bring down the syndicate it's just got me hooked from the first few chapters. I've really enjoyed getting the multiple views so far, While Kate is clearly our MC I really like reading Emma's chapters, she's just such a likeable person and you're really cheering her on to get the outcome she wants from the case.
I've found Carol Wyer's writing style so easy to get caught up in, it's so free-flowing and immersive that the only way I've been jolted out of reading is by a member of my household interrupting me, there's not been a moment where something happens that seems out of place and brings me out of the world she's created.
I really can't wait to read the rest of this series, I know I'll be heading backwards and to some degree, I'll know what's going to happen but the writing is so fantastic that I don't mind that one bit.

Krystina xx

Knights,Witches and Murder by R.M Schultz~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Independently published

Publication Date: 1st November 2021

Genre:Fantasy

Summary:

In a land where the wolf wind and mists roam like ghosts, the conflicted son of a witch was knighted by the king. Knighted to repay a debt to his father.

His name is Calec.

He alone holds knowledge from both the knighthood and the mysterious witches of the woods.

When the king's sheep are found lying in the snow, riddled with black rashes and hemorrhagic eyes, Calec is summoned to discover the reason for their deaths. Then, as human victims arise in the city, Calec uncovers an eerie string of clues. He seeks the aid and determination of pious Eristin—his betrothed and niece of the king—but to catch the murderer they must find answers, answers hidden beneath a web of secrets ensnaring the royal family, a witch, an innkeeper, a priest, and a former thief.

And Calec never suspected he'd have to choose between the only two things he's ever loved.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours and R.M Schultz for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
Now I've read a book by this author before so I knew going into this to expect some brilliant world-building and characters that were really interesting, and that's exactly what I got. This is the first book in what is currently a 9 book series so I expected to have a lot of explanation and filling in of gaps of information about where we were to take up the bulk of this book and don't get me wrong we do have a lot of that but the way we get given the backstory of our MC Calec is really well done. Instead of the usual, the MC is telling us, the reader, about his backstory and important information we need to know about family dynamics etc we get Calec answering questions from his betrothed and that gives us what we need to know, and I really liked that format it makes me feel like a fly on the wall rather than someone he's talking too. I've loved all the world-building and learning about the dynamics of the different groups of people in this world, It is all so brilliantly written that once I start reading I'm drawn in and I don't want to put the book down, I think the first time I picked it up I flew through the first 30 chapters without even realising that id read quite so much in one go, it really is such an easy to read fantasy book.
I've found Calec such an interesting character, his conflict with his witch side and his "Normal" side really intrigued me and his whole friction with his brother was something I immediately wanted to dive deeper into, I loved that we got pieces of his past given to us like crumbs of a trail to follow but equally I could have just sat and read about his past so easily.
I can't wait to read the rest of this series, I'm actually reviewing books 2 and 3 in February so I don't need to wait too long to read more but I will be finishing this series this year! Unless the author writes more books...

Krystina xx

Spell Bound by Gretchen Rue~Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 1st February 2024

Genre: Witchy Romance

Summary:

She's renovating the Victorian manor she inherited from her Aunt Eudora, running a tea shop (and secret magical apothecary), and learning to be a witch. But when she discovers a dead body at an estate sale, and suspicion falls on her, even Phoebe wonders if this is simply too much.

Forced to take action to clear her name, Phoebe enlists Rich Lofting, handsome private detective and childhood friend, to assist with her investigation, all while sorting out her unresolved feelings for him.

Is there something more sinister lurking in the shadows of this small tight-knit town? And does Phoebe really want to find out?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Aria and Gretchen Rue for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
So I got this book and it reminded me that I have another of Gretchen Rues sitting on my tbr! Luckily I didn't need to read that one before I could dive into this one. I've loved getting to know Phoebe and the collection of friends she's gained since moving to Raven Creek, it's lovely to see how the small town works, yes everyone knows your business but they're also there to help when things get tough. I say this every time there's a cat in a book I sit there and insist I'm not much of a cat person but I can't help but love Bob the cat, his antics have made me giggle out loud at times. He is just so full of personality that I think he might be my favourite character in the whole book!
It's a really fun book to read, i love how Phoebe goes all Miss Marple and tries to solve the murder with help from the ever-so-lovely Rich helping to keep her out of trouble which seemed to be quite a big job because it seems trouble likes Phoebe.
I've really enjoyed Gretchen Rue's writing style It has been, as I said, fun to read and so easy to read i think I read this in a day because it was just so easy to take in and keep reading. I'm heading back now to read her other book that's waving at me from my tbr!

Krystina xx