Title: The Worst Lie (A Lexie Wyatt Mystery Book 2) Author: Shauna Bickley Publisher: Self-published Publication date: December 9, 2019 Genre: Mystery and Suspense Summary: Lexie’s friend Helen needs her help: Helen’s university friend Eden is coming to visit and wants the whole university group to spend a weekend together in Little Stillford, just as they had days before their friend Madelaine was found dead, something that brings great anxiety to Helen. Lexie is there to soothe her, and soon finds herself enlisted by Eden to find out who murdered Madelaine over a decade before. Before she knows it, Lexie and her husband Nathan become entangled in the group, who have more secrets than Lexie could…
-
-
Book Review: The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag
Title: The Sisters Grimm Author: Menna van Praag Publisher: Harper Voyager Publication date: March 31, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: When a demon seeks to dominate humanity and spread darkness, he fathers a string of sons and daughters, pitting them against each other once his daughters turn 18 before giving them the choice of joining his side. Goldie, Scarlet, Bea, and Liyana are four such daughters. As children they discovered the unique link between them, their powers, and a magical place called Everwhere that can only be accessed in dreams at certain points in their lives, and specific gates. When they turned 13, Everwhere became lost to them, as well as their memories of the place and…
-
Book Review: Esperanza by Tommy Tutalo
Title: Esperanza Author: Tommy Tutalo Publisher: Self-published Publication date: paperback: August, 29, 2017; e-book: January 2, 2018 Genre: Fiction Summary: As a young woman, Gabriela illegally crossed into America from Mexico, paying her way by becoming a drug transporter for a crime syndicate that would soon become far-reaching. As a young man, Dante found fame and fortune as an artist, but tumbled far after becoming tangled with crime syndicate Nada Mas. Despite the passage of years, the threads that bind both to Nada Mas prove to be unbreakable. But both manage to find the possibility of redemption, hope, and the American Dream in Gabriela’s young daughter Sarita. Despite growing up in Southern California and coming…
-
Book Review: Special by Chino Chakanga
Title: Special Author: Chino Chakanga Publisher: Self-published Publication date: August 14, 2019 Genre: YA, Science fiction/Fantasy, Superhero Summary: Everyone in the world has a special ability, from flying to weather manipulation. Everyone, that is, except Hope. Hope is perfectly normal. She has zero abilities and has spent years undergoing treatments in the hopes of developing one. But it’s this specialness that makes it possible for her to help save the world she loves despite being different. Most people have, at one time or another, felt different from everyone else. As soon as the author contacted me for a review, I knew I had to read this one. It wasn’t quite what I had expected, wasn’t…
-
Book Review: The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler
Title: The Killing Fog Author: Jeff Wheeler Publisher: 47North Publication date: March 3, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: When her family is killed by the Qingdao, Bingmei is taken in by Kunmia, the leader of a nearby quonsuun that served the king of Wangfujing. They collect weapons of power, and the collection of one such leads Bingmei straight into her destiny. The Phoenix Blade calls to her, but it compels her to awaken an emperor of time long ago who would take over the world once more. Now Bingmei is the only one who can rid the world of him, and the only one who can help the emperor achieve his goals. I’ve seen Jeff Wheeler’s name…
-
Book Review: BloodStained Bliss by Elle Limpkin
Title: BloodStained Bliss Author: Elle Limpkin Publisher: February 12, 2020 Publication date: Self-published Genre: Science fiction, Mystery/Thriller Summary: Earth has been crime-free for 300 years. Advances in science and medicine have made it possible to eliminate the violence gene in unborn children, resulting in a world without violence and crime. Until now. Newly elected mayor of the island Roseside Reef Zeno is woken in the early morning hours because a body has been discovered on a beach. Faced with a murder and no clue how to solve it, Zeno and his aides rush to figure out who the killer is before more bodies drop dead, and instead discover Zeno’s own past may hide an important clue.…
-
Book Review: The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold
Title: The Last Smile in Sunder City Author: Luke Arnold Publisher: Orbit Publication date: February 25, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: Just a few years ago, there was magic in the world. Magical creatures could tap into the river of it. Humans, though, were unable to touch it, so feared it and cut it off from the magical creatures. Now the creatures are suffering, having lost their magic, and are dying or trying to survive. In Sunder City, former soldier turned PI Fetch Phillips is Human, the human responsible for the magic loss. Living with the guilt of what he did, especially since he had loved a being of magic, he only takes cases from non-humans,…
-
Book Review: Master of Sorrows by Justin T. Call
Title: Master of Sorrows Author: Justin T. Call Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Publication date: February 25, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: Annev wants nothing more than to become an Avatar, basically an Academy-trained thief who retrieves magical artifacts. But he has a secret that, if revealed, would absolutely spell his death. The only member of the Academy who lives with an outside mentor, he also trains to be a priest, but it only brings the different ideologies each brings into conflict. Annev, though is good at almost everything and, by being incredibly smart, he manages to achieve his goal, just in time for his small, hidden village to be attacked and his secret revealed. Described as the story…
-
Book Blog Tour – Review: The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet
The Lily Cafe is thrilled to participate in the book blog tour for The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet. Title: The Unwilling Author: Kelly Braffet Publisher: MIRA Publication date: February 11, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Summary: Judah’s sole job in life is to not die. To die would mean certain death for the Lord of the City’s heir. Born on the same night, Judah and Gavin share an incredible bond: they experience each other’s emotions and physical ails as though they were their own. If one is injured, the other displays the same injury. Judah is a young woman with no family, a foundling taken in at birth, a young woman Lord Elban, Gavin’s father, detests but cannot rid himself…
-
Book Review: Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie
Title: Been There, Married That Author: Gigi Levangie Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Publication date: February 11, 2020 Genre: Women’s Fiction Summary: Agnes Murphy Nash has been married to big shot movie producer Trevor Nash for over a decade, but Trevor has decided he needs out of the marriage. Completely caught off guard, Agnes does the only sensible thing and chooses to fight tooth and nail for custody of their tween daughter Pep (short for Penelope), hoping that giving in on everything else won’t prolong their Hollywood-style divorce. Unfortunately, Trevor is determined to make her life a living hell, throwing wrenches into her life so he comes out looking his best. But, with a trio of Spanish…
