#BookReview ~ Sworn To Ruin Him (The Lady and the Blade, Book #1) by H.P. Mallory ~ #EpicFantasy #DarkFantasy #EnemiesToLovers #LoveTriangle #Romantasy

Scorching slow burn. Morally grey men. And enemies who burn so much hotter than lovers...

 

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0FZH2TWR5

Publication Date: ‎ January 1, 2026

Print Length: ‎ 1,011 pages

Book 1 of 2: ‎ The Lady and the Blade

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About the Book:

I came to Camelot to kill a king.

Instead, I became his obsession.

Magic is banned in Camelot—hunted, executed, erased.

When my own power surfaces, I’m marked for death and forced to cross the infamous Standing Stones… right into the hands of Merlin himself.

Merlin turns me into something dangerous.

A weapon.

A secret.

A woman trained to destroy a king.

Now I’ve returned to Camelot disguised as a male knight, competing in the Shadow Trials—the king’s brutal recruitment of elite warriors.

My mission is simple: destroy Arthur Pendragon from the inside.

Except Arthur isn’t what I expected...

Brutally handsome.

Cruel.

Magnetic.

His icy blue eyes seem to see through me as easily as he wields the magic he condemns.

He wants my surrender.

He gets my defiance.

And when he drags me to the edge of obedience, hatred starts to taste a lot like hunger.

Then there’s Lancelot—Arthur’s deadliest knight.

Sharp-eyed.

Lethal.

Sinfully beautiful.

He's a predator in polished armor who watches me like he can see the woman beneath the disguise… and he's already deciding what to do with her.

In a court built on secrets and sharpened by betrayal, surviving the Trials means choosing the right enemy.

One wants to break me.

One wants to claim me.

And both would burn down kingdoms for the truth I’m hiding.

My Review:

Sworn to Ruin Him is the first book in the epic dark fantasy series, The Lady and the Blade. HP Mallory delivers a wonderful Sword in the Stone/King Arthur retelling. I was engrossed in the story from the start. The author constructed a strong world filled with magic, deception, the need for revenge, revelation of secrets, tension (in many forms), twists, turns, dominance, and submission.

The character development is rich, complex, and filled with backstory. Each character is three-dimensional and realistic. I loved the multiple POVs, as they give each character time to shine, allowing the reader to really get to know and understand them, their motives, and personalities. 

The romantic content is spicy, messy and complex, and flows freely throughout Sworn to Ruin Him. It ebbs and flows between obsession, danger, need, and want. You'll be rooting for one pairing only to have the script flip and change your mind.

There are content warnings listed in the description on retail pages, as well as inside the book, including:

Violence, explicit scenes, dark themes, and elements of non-consent. 18+ recommended.

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:

Visit the Author:

https://www.hpmallory.com/

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#BookReview ~ Sh0tgun Wedding (Kenni Lowry Mystery Book 12) by Tonya Kappes #CozyMystery #ParnormalCozyMystery

 

Sh0tgun Wedding (Kenni Lowry Mystery Book 12)

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0DXLJP185

Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books

Publication Date: ‎ February 27, 2026

Page Couunt: ‎ 226 pages

Book 12 of 13: ‎ Kenni Lowry Mystery

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About the Book:

Small-town Southern cozy mystery with a sheriff sleuth

Something borrowed, something blue… and something deadly.

Sheriff Kenni Lowry’s wedding day should be about vows, cake, and finally catching her breath. Instead, her wedding night is interrupted by a visit from her ghostly Poppa—and a warning that something is very wrong.

Miss Tilda Boone, a beloved church fixture and lifelong rule-follower, was expected at the ceremony. She never arrived.

Before Kenni can even consider a honeymoon, she’s back in uniform, standing inside Miss Tilda’s quiet home, where a familiar afternoon routine ended in death. What first appears to be a natural passing quickly turns suspicious when evidence points to tampered tea and a kettle prepared with deadly intent.

With the town watching and rumors spreading fast, Kenni must uncover who had access to Miss Tilda’s home, her habits, and her trust. The suspect list grows to include church volunteers, family members, and neighbors who knew Miss Tilda’s meticulous routines a little too well.

Balancing newlywed life, small-town politics, and a homicide investigation—while Poppa offers his unfiltered commentary—Kenni is determined to uncover the truth before another life is lost.

Because in Cottonwood, Kentucky, marriage doesn’t slow down murder… and this sheriff won’t rest until justice is served.

My Review:

Sh0tgun Wedding is the twelfth book in the Kenni Lowry Mystery series. Kenni and Finn say "I do" in this story but their happiness is short-lived when Poppa brings unhappy news. The happy couple trade wedding clothes for uniforms to check in on a guest who RSVP'd but didn't show. What they find chills Kenni's blood and she knows she'll do anything to find out what happened to retired schoolteacher Miss Tilda Boone.

I enjoyed Sh0tgun Wedding. I’m a fan of books with supernatural elements and having Poppa’s ghost help Kenni is a fun aspect. Having her grandfather back in her life must be exciting and wonderful but not being able to hug him must be torture. Poppa proves to be quite the asset to Kenni as she investigates and attempts to analyze the clues and piece everything together.

World-building and character development continues in Sh0tgun Wedding. I enjoyed the characters and their involvement in this book. Enjoyable and interesting, this cozy mystery pulled me in and kept me engaged. The mystery was intricate and wonderfully woven through the pages.

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:

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#BookReview ~ All You Need is Love by Meg Macy ~ #Polyamory #LGBTQA+ #Romance

 

All You Need is Love

by Meg Macy

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0F924KF64

Publisher: ‎ Grainger Press

Publication Date: ‎ June 1, 2025

Print Length: ‎ 362 pages

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Goodreads

About the Book:

Longtime friends Jack Riley and Juliette (aka Jules) Baxter are now partners in a new breakfast café, but they are surprised to be confronted by a wave of homophobia in a town known for its inclusive and diverse LGBTQA+ community. Their romantic lives are just as uncertain. Jack, a gay former actor and fashion model, has failed at committed relationships due to his unsavory past – until he meets Reese Baxter, his partner’s handsome, closeted cousin. Jules juggles several polyamorous relationships due to major trust issues, until she’s drawn to an intriguing artist. However his jealousy of her bestie Jack is getting out of hand. Is the vandalism against their café from conservative hate groups, or is it a focused personal attack?

My Review:

All You Need is Love is the first book in the new Love is Love LGBTQA+ series. This story is complex, deeply emotional, and eye-opening. I learned a lot about gender identity and expression, different lifestyles, and relationships.

The author wove together a story filled with realism that features the wonderful and not so wonderful parts of relationships. This story includes the unfairness, unjust actions, and bigotry against those in the LGBTQA+ community. The author doesn’t skirt around those injustices and handles them with professionalism, care, and sensitivity.

Jules, Jack, and Reese have different facets to their sexuality and pasts. Jules is polyamorous due to broken relationships in the past. Jack is out and proud, but has a past filled with devastation that he’s still trying to work through. Reese is securely in the closet with extremely conservative, religious parents.

I loved getting to know Jules, Jack, Reese, and all the rest of the characters in this brilliantly written, wholly engaging story.

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:

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#BookReviews ~ Elemental Mysteries, Books 1-4 by Elizabeth Hunter @ehunterwrites #Vampires #ParanormalRomance #PNR

 

I finally purchased the four books in the Elemental Mysteries for my bookshelf! I have the ebooks already, but I love having the paperbacks to display. 

I also purchased a signed hardcover of A Hidden Fire in December 2025.

Here are links to my reviews of this fabulous 5-star series:

A Hidden Fire

Review Link: Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

This Same Earth

Review Link: Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

The Force of Wind

Review Link: Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

A Fall of Water

Review Link: Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

Purchase link for the Elemental Mysteries/Elemental World series:

Amazon 

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#BookReview ~ Queen of Blades by Victoria Jayne ~ Dixie Mafia, Book One ~ #Mafia

 

Book Details:

ASIN: B0F143XDVF
Publication date: June 3, 2025
Print length: 356 pages
Book 1 of 2: Dixie Mafia Series

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Goodreads

About the Book:

Will Paul kill Harper, or will someone else beat him to it?

Paul Ricci had no intention of starting a war between criminal syndicates. Especially over a woman. He’d accepted the bounty on Harper Myers’s head out of respect. They had history, and he wanted to give her a death with dignity.

Unfortunately, his heart had different plans.

As the daughter of an outlaw biker, Harper was no stranger to the politics of organized crime. Despite removing herself from that lifestyle years ago and starting anew as a lawyer several states away, coming home to Oklahoma dragged her, kicking and screaming, right back in.

Someone wanted her dead. It wasn’t personal—just business. The man who had once taken a bullet for her intended to put one right between her eyes.

Would Paul, her fling from the past, be her savior or her executioner? Did her heart know the difference?


My Review:

Queen of Blades is the first book in the Dixie Mafia series. It's the full story of Harper and Paul as adults. Harper left Oklahoma and became an assistant district attorney in North Carolina. When her father requests a favor, she finds herself back in Oklahoma defending her ex-boyfriend. Before she has a chance to leave, Paul materializes, and they pick up almost like there hadn't been so many years since they last saw one another. Then Paul drops a bombshell. She's his target. Now there's a race to unmask who put the hit out on Harper and why, before Paul makes his move, or someone else does.

I was pulled into this world through my reading of Fling of Hearts, the prequel to the series. I could not wait to get my hands on Queen of Blades and getting to see both Harper and Paul as grown-ups. Harper has really done well for herself by achieving her law degree, practicing as an Assistant District Attorney, and fleeing the Roughneck Riders. Her loathing for Diesel, the ex, is strong and believable. The chemistry between Harper and Paul is electric and arcs off the pages. 

I couldn't put this book down!

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:

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#BookReview ~ Fling of Hearts by Victoria Jayne ~ Dixie Mafia, Book #0.5 #Mafia #Prequel

 

 

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0FF2CTRB1

Publication date: ‎ July 1, 2025

Print length: ‎ 60 pages

Amazon

Goodreads

About the Book:

Is there a better way to stick it to your ex than to have a fling with the hot mafia guy?

Fresh out of a relationship, Harper was ready to get out of Oklahoma and away from outlaw bikers. All she had to do was pass her LSATs, get into law school, oh and convince her crazy ex-boyfriend things were over.

Totally doable.

The family business had grown with their casino in the laundromat’s basement. Paul settled into a groove until Harper came along. Driven, foul-mouthed, and addicting. Of course, she came with baggage.

Listen. It was never that serious. She wasn’t his problem. Right? When the bullets flew, they find out.

My Review:

Harper Myers is just trying to get out of Dodge and away from her father's crooked biker club and her psycho ex-boyfriend. She didn't know she'd land in the sights of the local mafia...and like it. Too bad she brought her trouble to his doorstep.

Fling of Hearts is a very quick introduction to the Dixie Mafia and the Roughneck Riders. The main characters are Paul, a member of the Mafia and Harper, the daughter of the president of the Roughneck Riders. Their unlikely attraction heats up, delivering a spicy dynamic between the two. I loved watching them dance around each other until they couldn't contain their desire.

I enjoyed this novella and started book one, Queen of Blades, almost immediately after completing Fling of Hearts.

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:

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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

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#BookReview ~ The Mystery of the Blue Train (Mini Mysteries) by Marci Kay Monson; Illustrated by Greg Paprocki #AgathaChristie #ChildrensBook #Mystery

 

About the Book:

This retelling of Agatha Christie’s The Mystery of the Blue Train is the second book in the Mini Mysteries series of interactive picture book mysteries for children.

“The second charming installment in the Mini Mysteries series makes murder feel marvelously cozy. The playful rhyming text is a pleasure to breeze through....Bustling, vibrant illustrations are packed with detail....A wonderful way to get young readers hooked on whodunits.”—Booklist

The Mystery of the Blue Train is one of Agatha Christie’s early detective novels (a cozy mystery—no violence or gore), and where she continues to use the fictional detective Hercule Poirot as a major character. The story, set on a train bound for the French Riviera, is a true who-done-it full of mysterious characters, missing jewels, and teasing clues. Monson’s retelling of the original book captures the plot and distills it in a way that is fun for children, gently ushering them into the literary world of Christie’s mysteries. Along with the story, there are activities, games, and puzzles throughout to help with children’s engagement, and might just foster a few budding detectives.

There is also a glossary of terms and French words.

My Review:

The Mystery of the Blue Train is not just a #MiniMystery but an activity book. Developed for children, this book features vibrant illustrations, enrichment activities, and a shortened but engaging mystery.

I love the introductions of the players, the development of the mystery, and the solution to the mystery. The author also includes a glossary of English and French terms.

Children will enjoy working with Hercule Poirot to solve The Mystery of the Blue Train.

My Rating:

Amazon

  

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