Reviews by Saph

Sunday, October 18, 2026

#BookReview ~ Great Smoky Mountains National Park: A photographic journey through an iconic National Park by Max Humphrey (Author) and Rob Schanz (Photographer) #SmokyMountains #Photography #Wildlife #Smokies

My Review:

Beautiful coffee table book filled with facts, information, and spectacular photographs. The hardcover version brings the Smokies right into your home. I love the detailed descriptions for each location. The historical facts are interesting. The current state of certain buildings, locations, and natural areas really brings this journey home.

My Rating:

About the Book:

The Smokies are layered, atmospheric, and constantly shifting. They are less about spectacle and more about how a place reveals itself over time.

This book captures that nuance with a perspective that is both visually rich and deeply considered. Structured like a road trip, Great Smoky Mountains National Park moves through the park stop by stop, pairing expansive photography with concise, useful context. You’ll pass through well-known destinations like Cades Cove, Kuwohi, and Roaring Fork, alongside quieter stretches that are just as compelling. Along the way, there’s clear guidance on where to go, where to stay, and how to make the most of your time. Close looks at the wildlife you’re likely to encounter—from black bears and elk to salamanders and smaller wonders—generate anticipation and awe. The book also captures the contrast between the park’s interior and the energy of neighboring towns like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Interior designer Max Humphrey, author of Lodge and Modern Americana, brings a distinctly American sensibility to the Smokies, focusing on the materials, atmosphere, and subtle details that shape how the landscape is experienced.

This is not a traditional guidebook, and it’s more than a collection of photographs. It’s a thoughtful way to move through Great Smoky Mountains National Park that helps you see more, notice more, and experience the park with greater intention. Think of it as Max’s personal journal from the Smokies, something to help you plan your trip or to return to once you’re home.

This post contains affiliate links.
If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

Saturday, October 17, 2026

#BookReview ~ Yellowstone National Park by Max Humphrey (author) and Aaron Kraft (photographer) ~ #YellowstoneNationalPark #Photography #Wildlife #Yellowstone

My Review:

Beautiful coffee table book filled with facts, information, and spectacular photographs. The hardcover version brings Yellowstone right into your home. I love the detailed descriptions for each location. The historical facts are interesting, as are the current state of certain buildings, locations, and natural areas really brings this journey home.

My Rating:

About the Book:

Yellowstone is vast, unpredictable, and unlike anywhere else in the country. This book captures it with both scale and intimacy through a lens that is as thoughtful as it is visually striking.

Organized the way you actually move through the park, Yellowstone National Park pairs expansive photography with concise, useful context. You’ll find sweeping landscapes, close encounters with bison and elk, and the kinds of details that make Yellowstone unforgettable: Old Faithful mid-eruption, the otherworldly color of Grand Prismatic Spring, the stillness of Lamar Valley at sunrise. Along the way, there’s just enough history to ground you, along with practical notes on where to go, where to stay, and what’s truly worth your time.

Interior designer Max Humphrey—known for his distinctly American sensibility and the author of Modern Americana and Lodge—brings a trained eye to Yellowstone, noticing the materials, atmosphere, and small details that shape how a place is experienced.

This is not a traditional guidebook, and it’s more than a collection of photographs. It’s a considered way to see Yellowstone, one that helps you move through it with more intention, and often, a little more distance from the crowds.

Think of it as a postcard from Yellowstone, something to inspire the trip ahead or to hold onto once you’ve returned.

Amazon

This post contains affiliate links.
If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

Thursday, October 1, 2026

#BookReview ~ Blood Dragons (Rebel Vampires, Book #1) by Rosemary A. Johns ~ @RosemaryAJohns ~ #Vampires #UrbanFantasy #UF

Blood Dragons (Rebel Vampires, Book #1) by Rosemary A. Johns

Book Details:

Print Length: 296 pages
Publisher: Fantasy Rebel Limited; 1 edition
Publication Date: August 14, 2016
ASIN: B01JND7444

Amazon
Goodreads

About the Book:

How do you rebel in a family of vampires..?

In a divided paranormal London, Light is the bad boy vampire of the Blood Lifer world with a photographic memory, a Triton motorbike, and a love for the hunt. Since Victorian times he’s hidden in the shadows with Ruby - a savage Elizabethan Blood Lifer. But he’s keeping a secret from her that breaks every rule.

1960s London. Kathy is a seductive singer but she’s also human. Light is tempted by the danger, even though their romance is forbidden. When the two worlds collide, it could mean the end. For both species.

When Light discovers his ruthless family’s horrifying experiments, he questions whether he should be slaying or saving the humans he’s always feared. Unless Light plays the part of hero, he risks losing everything. Including the two women he loves.

A rebel, a red-haired devil and a Moon Girl battle to save the world – or tear it apart.

My Review:

Blood Dragons is a novel that completely surprised me. The story is written in a two-fold manner - Light, the main character tells a confession type story to Light’s human female companion, Kathy, while also trying to jog her memories. In Rosemary A. Johns’ novel, vampires are Blood Lifers and humans are First Lifers. Relationships between the two are forbidden but the connection between Light and Kathy is strong and their devotion to one another becomes unwavering. As the story progresses, the reader will be shown how Light is pushed and pulled between the immortal world and the human world.

His character is complex, as is the plot. The world building is spectacular. Light’s storytelling is romantic and full of different emotional tales of his life - some to remind Kathy of him and their time together, others a confessional of sorts. As Light relays his stories we are provided vivid descriptions of each time period and the characters and life he lived within each. The book moved along at a pretty steady pace that kept me glued to the pages.

I was captivated from the beginning, drawn into the Light as it were. Light’s life hasn’t been easy and continues in a downward spiral, especially now that his love, Kathy, is near the end of life. As an immortal, Light is forced to watch Kathy slowly deteriorate to the depths of the dementia. For those who’ve watched a loved one go down that road I know it’s long, painful, sad, and ugly. I watched my grandmother battle Alzheimer’s disease for five year before succumbing to the dreadful ailment. It’s not pretty, it’s not without pain (on the part of the patient and the caregivers/family), and it rips a part of your soul away that you’ll never get back. The part taken from me is among her buried cremated ashes. Eventually, Kathy will take that turn and Light will be left to roam with earth without her physically. He will get to take with him the memories of the love they shared and the life they built together.

Some of the language (not swearing or anything inappropriate but dialect, words used, etc.) was unfamiliar to me. The author used words and phrases that are clearly European, which makes sense since the setting is London, but it was distracting to me because I didn't know what they meant. Some I could figure out, others I had to look up - hey, I learned something new pretty much throughout the entire book.

If you are looking for a different sort of vampire book, grab a copy of Blood Dragons.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books.

My Rating:

Visit the Author:

https://rosemaryajohns.com/

This post contains affiliate links.
If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth by Holly Bell (September 14-18, 2026) #WitchyCozyMystery #ParanormalCozyMystery #BritishUrbanFantasy #UrbanFantasyMystery @sharonledwith @Saphs_Books

About Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth:

Amanda Cadabra’s life LOOKS perfectly normal...
But looks can be very deceiving.

In the picture-perfect English village of Sunken-Madley, a young covert witch is laying
low. Amanda Cadabra has her reasons.

Orphaned when her family’s van mysteriously plunged over a Cornish cliff many years before, Amanda is keeping herself to herself, quietly working for her grandfather’s furniture restoration company, hoping the world will leave her alone.

However, soon Amanda’s peace is disturbed by the arrival in the village of the inquisitive Inspector Trelawney, dogging her footsteps as he investigates the strange fate of her family. But the persistent detective becomes the least of her problems, as a restoration job at the Tudor manor propels the young witch into a swirl of mystery and intrigue.

Events quickly conspire to drag Amanda into the building’s murky past and its even more dangerous present. Armed only with her wits, her grumpy feline familiar, Tempest, and a wand, Amanda Cadabra is going in.

A body, ghosts, hidden passageways, and a host of unanswered questions soon emerge. Can Amanda dodge the inspector long enough to solve the Manor’s many mysteries and unravel her own past before the scandal of murder engulfs the village?

Follow the tour to read exclusive excerpts, interviews, and spotlight posts:

https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2026/09/book-tour-schedule-amanda-cadabra-and.html

Meet the Author:

Cat adorer and chocolate lover, British author Holly Bell’s life changed in a day. A best-

selling author friend convinced Holly that she could write cozy mysteries, after many years

experience with non-fiction, photography and video making.

Holly devoured all of the Agatha Christie books long before she knew that Miss Marple was

the godmother of the Cozy Mystery. Her love of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings meant that

her first literary creation in this area would have to be a cosy paranormal. Since then, the

series has grown to include the genre of urban fantasy mystery.

Having derived immense delight from the adventure of writing Amanda Cadabra and The

Hidey-Hole Truth, its 8 sequels and 1 prequel to date, Holly has more in the pipeline, with

the 10 th book in the series now in the making. The third in the series Amanda Cadabra and

The Flawless Plan has just come out on Audible in audiobook format, joining the first two

books. The World of Amanda Cadabra shop for bookish gifts on Redbubble has just begun

rolling out its Sunken Madley School collection.

Holly lives in London, somewhere near the place that inspired her quaint, peculiar but

apparently perfectly normal fictional village. Readers will know better.

Her favourite feline is a black cat called Bobby. He is black. Like her favourite hat. Purely

coincidental.

Holly loves to hear from readers. Find her on the contact page of the amandacadabra.com

website, or on Facebook as Holly Bell Author. She always responds in person.

Links:

The Amanda Cadabra Urban Fantasy Cozy Mysteries (in order):

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth

Amanda Cadabra and The Cellar of Secrets

Amanda Cadabra and The Flawless Plan

Amanda Cadabra and The Rise of Sunken Madley

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths

Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr

Amanda Cadabra and The Hanging Tree

Amanda Cadabra and The Nightstairs

Amanda Cadabra and The Twilight Toxin

Prequel: The Grange Trilogy - The Philip Rayke Mysteries

Prequel Short Story: Tempest’s First Day (Free on amandacadabra.com)

Audio books:

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amanda Cadabra and The Cellar of Secrets

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amanda Cadabra and The Flawless Plan

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The World of Amanda Cadabra Shop

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

#BookReview: Unorthodox (A Kendra Spark Novel, Book One) by S. Peters-Davis #ParanormalSuspense

Unorthodox

A Kendra Spark Novel, Book One

S. Peters-Davis

Genre: Paranormal Suspense -Thriller Romance - Supernatural

Publisher: Books We Love Publishing

Date of Publication: September 15, 2017

ISBN 978-1-77362-303-0

ISBN 978-1-77362-304-7

EPUB 978-1-77362-300-9

Kindle 978-1-77362-301-6

WEB 978-1-77362-302-3

Amazon

Goodreads

About the Book:

Kendra Spark, suspense-mystery romance author and communicator with the dead, is requested to hop on the first flight to D.C.

Jenna Powers, FBI criminal analyst and estranged best friend of Kendra, gets ghosticized in a fatal accident before relaying all the details of the FBI killer case.

Derek Knight, a dedicated FBI Special Task Force agent, takes lead on the case.

The investigation into the FBI agent killings continues as Kendra, Jenna – yes, even after death – and Derek work together on the case before Director of the Special Task Force Jackson Powers’ number is up. He’s Jenna’s father and the end-game of the killer’s target list.

Somehow the elusive killer remains undetected, until Kendra’s unique ability produces results and a final possibility at stopping his killing spree before it’s too late.

My Review:

Kendra Spark is a Michigander that can see ghosts. When her estranged best friend Jenna, an FBI criminal analyst summons her to D.C. Kendra is shocked to learn why. Jenna is on a case trying to find a murderer taking out FBI agents who have worked with her father. She wants to use Kendra's unique abilities to help track down the monster. Before they get much more involved in the conversation, Jenna rushes into the street to save a boy and is mowed down by a car. Now, Jenna must do all of her analyzing from the ghostly plane as she helps Kendra and FBI Task Force Agent Derek Knight chase down the murderer.

Unorthodox is an interesting novel that combines a ghost whisperer, an FBI agent, and a ghost into a crime solving team. Kendra tries to keep her abilities to herself since almost everyone who discovers her secret either calls her a liar or a freak. As the book progresses, Derek become more open minded about Kendra. Jenna is able to help in dangerous situations by using a skill that she now has as a ghost. Derek does the best he can in such trying circumstances that continue to hit close to home.

The author built up a low key romance but unfortunately I didn't really hop on board the relationship train. It wasn't really believable to me. I didn't feel any chemistry between Kendra and Derek - none at all. I liked the characters as individuals but Kendra and Derek didn't spark for me. Jenna's character flitted in and out as necessary and I found her to be nice and determined. She wanted to protect her father at all costs and she paid the biggest price.

The world building and character development was good and believable. I felt that the author's detailed descriptions of the setting, characters, and scenes were adequate and I was able to visualize the whole story from layouts to character details. At certain points I felt like I was there in the story. You'll be engaged from the very beginning.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

Review previously posted on Sapphyria's Books.

This post contains affiliate links.
If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

Monday, September 14, 2026

#ExclusiveExcerpt ~ Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth by Holly Bell (September 14-18, 2026) #WitchyCozyMystery #ParanormalCozyMystery #BritishUrbanFantasy #UrbanFantasyMystery @Saphs_Books

About Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth:

Exclusive Excerpt:

Excerpt 1 — Senara meets Trelawney

‘Fresh blood,’ observed Mrs Cadabra.
Detective Sergeant Thomas Trelawney looked at her doubtfully. She registered that he was in his late thirties, tall, light-haired, grey-suited and attractive in a manner appropriate to a policeman.
‘Do come in.’
He stepped over the threshold and into the clean, bright hall. She closed the door behind him.
Trelawney’s boss, Chief Inspector Hogarth, was on the verge of retirement and had sent his junior to acquaint himself with a case that had remained open for 28 years.
Mrs Cadabra led the way into the living room, gestured to the sergeant to sit down, then decisively pulled a photo album from one of the stacked bookshelves flanking the brick fireplace. She laid it open on his knees and pointed to a portrait of a power-dressed couple holding a baby.
‘1987. Our darling Amanda, held by my obnoxious daughter,’ she uttered in clipped tones.

Follow the tour to read exclusive excerpts, interviews, and spotlight posts:

https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2026/09/book-tour-schedule-amanda-cadabra-and.html

Meet the Author: