The Belle Rive Ledger by C.L. Carmichael Book Review

 

I’m in trouble. I believe I have discovered another author to add to my go-to list. While I don’t usually read blurbs, I was intrigued by the blurb I read for this particular tale.

Camille is an attorney who finds herself taking on cases that she probably shouldn’t. The outcome of these cases? Not to give too much away, but she wins. However, something happens to the folks she defended. This calls into question, for Camille, her judgment in taking these particular cases. Should she have?

An invitation suddenly appears and it doesn’t sound like she has much of a choice but to go to Belle Rive.

The paranormal part of this tale is related to the happenings at Belle Rive. It’s an old house. There is something called ‘the circle,’ which is sort of like where one would go to confess to any wrongdoings. There is also a ‘current’ that Camille, and others like Camille, feel throughout their nervous system when they are making right or wrong decisions. Quite a fascinating element to this story.

It is almost as if Belle Rive has some sort of control over the folks who visit, as if Belle Rive stands in judgment of anyone’s decisions, whether right or wrong.

Isabelle. She is part of the LeBlanc family, but she makes a decision that changes the entire destiny of her family.

Camille, in the end, has made some decisions of her own that change her future.

I polished this book off in three days flat, and I could’ve probably finished it in a day had I had the time. I really enjoyed the story elements, the writing style which contained more dialogue than description (something I don’t see often), the storyline, the characters.

I believe this is the first book in this series. Needless to say, I am looking forward to book number two. I am hopeful that book two will be just as good (to me, anyway) as book one.

Voi3es in Blood by G.B. Reese Book Review

 

Voices in Blood is book one of this series and Voices 2 Blood is book two. I would recommend reading this series in order as there is a particular sequence to this tale.

In book three, all the loose ends are tied up to include what happens to Julien, JP and Rosa, Cap and Bria, and Sophie (Julien and JP’s mother).

Personally, I think book three is the best book in this series. I feel the author finally found their stride at the end of book two and that kept on all during book three. All loose ends are tied up, but there still remain questions regarding how multiple children raised by the same parents can turn out so differently.

There is also a twist that I didn’t see coming. While some of those scenes are pretty farfetched, I think that is the beauty of writing. The author can let the imagination run wild and put those thoughts in between pages.

It is still interesting to me how people think, how they are raised and turn out the way they do, and what leads them to making either good or bad decisions.

If you are interested in mental illness, I would not discount this series.

Bait the Devil by Winter Austin Blog Tour and Book Review

 

I had the opportunity to ‘meet’ Dorothy (Dot) and T.J. for the first time. Dot and T.J. have more than just a bounty hunter partnership, but this particular case puts them at odds with each other as T.J. has not been totally honest about the characters involved.

Dot … she’s a character that I enjoyed. She has a ‘look’ that she gives T.J. and when he gets that look from her, he just knows he needs to back off and give Dot space and time. This makes her a very relatable, very likable character to me. She also takes no guff off of anyone. She seeks the truth and goes after it like a dog with a bone. She also has an incredibly different habit that you’ll have to read about. It’s a different kind of habit for a female.

T.J. … I kind of had to feel sorry for him when he received a couple of scathing looks from Dot. He just knew he had messed up so far as Dot was concerned. T.J. also seems to want to seek out justice for those involved, especially this time since a military fellow was involved, T.J. having been in the military himself. Well, Dot had as well (another interesting career choice for a female in the military, I thought), but T.J. was not 100 percent honest with Dot (as noted above).

There are so many different relationships throughout these pages with quite a few ins and outs that kept the pages turning. Dot and T.J. uncovered something more than what they were bargaining for and certainly not what I was expecting. I suspect that Dot and T.J. have some more adventures in their future.

 

Find Ms. Austin:

Website: https://authorwinteraustin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.winteraustin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iasuspensewriter/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/winter-austin

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6880807.Winter_Austin

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bait-Devil-Bounty-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B0FXBL2GYG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E8CV4GJVSAOY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lxmaMQJiVTNrQVkEGddT5w.eWTDzUyV4wJxLkAtlNdqJDOQd_C1SenS7IUPXAKpB9g&dib_tag=se&keywords=bait+the+devil+winter+austin&qid=1766183654&sprefix=bait+the+devil+winter+austi%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bait-the-devil-winter-austin/1148562953?ean=9781969218668

 

Interested in your own book tour?

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Need a proofreader? I’ve got you covered - https://www.melissaproofs.com/

 

 

 

Voices 2 Blood by G.B. Reese Book Review

 

Voices in Blood is book one of this series; I would recommend reading that one first as this series goes in sequence and it won’t make sense without book one.

In book two, the reader learns more about Julien, more about JP and his growing relationship with Rosa, Cap and Brian which was totally unexpected, and more about Sophie, Julien and JP’s mother.

Here’s the thing, book one had me turning pages and it wasn’t because of some great writing style, but rather the story itself. What makes people tick. Book two, the continuation of this family’s story, also had me turning pages and nearing the end of the book I felt that the author finally was finding a clear voice, the writing became much more (at least to me) from the heart. Book three started out the same way, at least for me, as if through the writing of these three books, the author’s voice is finally being found. I do not mean that in any sort of negative way, rather learning through the writing of this tale.

I suspect that the subject of mental illness is near and dear to this author, which makes the writing that much more personal. That is something I appreciate.

It has always been interesting to me what makes people act the way they do – is it upbringing or is it their own personality or is it those they surround themselves with, or is it a combination of many other factors?

If you pick up this series, don’t discount them if they come across as ho-hum … give them a chance, especially if you are interested in what makes people act they way they do – whether it be good or bad. And how is it that children from the same parents growing up in the same household can turn out so differently?

Haunted By A Broken Oath by Dee Armstrong

 

I would like to give you a little backstory about JD. She lost her mom at a young age due to circumstances beyond her control, ended up in an orphanage of sorts, was taken in by a family, and now as an adult still struggles with her past. This makes her very likable and very relatable, at least to me. JD also maintains her sense of humor, even in the bleakest of moments. She has these inner thoughts that I found to be quite spot-on.

JD is also followed around by a ghost of sorts, a ghost she calls ‘the Woman.’ She even has conversations with the Woman. You’ll have to read the book to understand their relationship.

JD finds herself handed her very first case as a PI that the Geezers (you have to read the book to understand) handed her. While she is investigating this particular case, overlapping with something else that she discovered, she finds herself making all the right moves but all the wrong turns. Then she meets a small boy, Milo. On and on the turmoil for JD goes. She has to confront some things from her past, some truths she wasn’t expecting.

One of the things I appreciated about this book is that it drew my attention from the very first chapter and I kept turning pages. I liked the pacing, the intersecting backstories to get a better sense of the characters, JD’s uncertainty about herself and her abilities as a PI, her relationships with her adopted family. Oh, and let’s not forget Grace’s cooking, apparently that’s not such a good thing. I also appreciated the fact that the author’s personality and sense of humor came through very vividly throughout these pages. I believe this is the first book where JD has some adventures; if this is a series, I will definitely be one of the first in line to read more about JD’s adventures.

 

Find Ms. Armstrong:

Website: https://deearmstrong.com/

Twitter: https://x.com/deearmstrongbks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeArmstrongAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dee_armstrong_author/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dee-armstrong

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18802419.Dee_Armstrong

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Broken-Oath-Investigation-HAUNTED/dp/B0FXLBGR9M/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.efl4M3Fwjk2JyBQezE-M1Q.DlYpi1dV2H1st8Hgd5ol3_j0Jx_VcbuoIND2SUVN218&qid=1767545812&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/haunted-by-a-broken-oath-dee-armstrong/1148793205?ean=9798999682994

 

 

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When Justice Comes by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker New Release and Book Review

 

Help me congratulate Colleen and Rick on their newest release! Here’s the blurb:

USA TODAY bestselling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble and Rick Acker deliver the final book in their beloved Tupelo Grove series: Hez and Savannah Webster have survived storms that would bury others without a love as strong as theirs--but can they withstand the final battle in the deadly Legare-Willard feud that threatens to sweep away everything they've fought for?

Hezekiah "Hez" Webster and his fiancée, Savannah, stand on the brink of a new life, but their dreams are haunted by specters of the past. Just as they're getting ready to adopt her nephew, two other petitioners also file for custody--both of whom only want Simon for their own gains.

Between the financial company that Hez outmaneuvered to save the university from ruin and the bad blood from the head of the Willard family, it's hard to say who wants them out of the way more. Hez and Savannah's quest for justice leads them through a labyrinth of family law, where loyalties are tested and trust is a dangerous luxury when every decision could be their last.

With the clock ticking, Hez and Savannah must confront the ghosts of their past and their deepest fears to secure a future for Simon. But with every secret revealed, the stakes grow higher. Can they build the family they've always dreamed of, or will their enemies succeed in tearing them apart forever?

The Tupelo Grove series reaches its breathtaking conclusion as an enemy's agenda for revenge runs darker than swamp water and justice remains as precarious as quicksand in this heart-pounding narrative that underscores the power of redemption and forgiveness.

 

REVIEW

This is book three in the Tupelo Grove, a trilogy, where readers meet Savannah and Hez. In this one, there are so many underlying stories going on, something I quite enjoyed and didn’t find difficult to keep up with. It’d probably make sense to read these in order to understand some of the whys and get a better sense of the characters, but still I found it easy to follow.

Savannah and Hez are rekindling their relationship. They are both dealing with some pretty heavy grief and rely on their faith to get them through.

Pierre and Michael are not good fathers, even to their adult children. They both have ulterior motives.

Simon. The little boy caught in the middle. There is one scene in this book that made me want to tear up just a bit. That doesn’t happen often, so kudos to the authors.

Helen, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother. There’s more to Helen than one might think.

I tore through this book in three days, I was that intrigued. The family dynamics in these two families played well against each other. For a duo author team, they did an amazing job in blending their two writing styles to make it sound like one consistent voice. That is something I appreciate in author duos.

I enjoyed the fact that Hez started what is called the Justice Chamber, giving college students a chance to find out how the law works.

Overall, I thought this was a good story and, again, I enjoyed all the smaller stories mixed in with the big picture. If you’re interested in short book series and like a lot of family dynamics and second-chance romances, give this one a shot. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.