Book Reviews!

FIRST DOWN DEVOTIONS by Del Duduit

I was very excited to sit down to a well-written, spiritual book. The author, Del Duduit, had interviewed some of the greats in NFL and brought those players’ wisdom together in a book that made me smile. First Down Devotions is a great devotional morning or Sunday read that reminds you to value what is important in life. Each player interviewed had some really neat advice to share, as well as Del’s take on living a Godly life in general.
I loved how Del used football terminology to separate his messages within chapters. Terms used like “In the Huddle and Cross the Goal Line”. Mr. Duduit was consistent with these categories throughout the book so that the reader easily knew where the message was going and the messages’ intentions.
This book is a great inspirational read for anyone, not just football fans. I highly enjoyed it! I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!!

 

FISHERMEN’S COURT by Andrew Wolfendon

Finn Carroll was taken by surprise one day by some masked men who forced him to overdose on pills, but why? Finn does survive and later discovers that the killers wrote a suicide note talking about a mistake Finn made in his past. A mistake that Finn has no idea anything about.

As Finn works to uncover this bizarre mystery, he begins to realize that he has no one he can trust to help him.

Wow, this story starts off strong! The writing pulls you in immediately. I loved how Finn wants to protect everyone else but himself. A case of fall on his own sword for a friend when that same friend still thinks he’s delusional about everything that happened with the masked men. What a great way to show self-sacrifice and independence in such a screwed up situation. I felt for Finn through the entire story. I struggled with him, got aggravated with him, and even felt desperate as him in many of the scenes.

Murder mystery stories aren’t usually my first choice, but I’m glad I read this one. It keeps you enthralled from page to page. The unique voice of Finn made me feel connected to this character from the beginning. He’s pretty bad ass. I especially enjoyed that the story was written in first person point of view. It really added to the mystery and kept me wondering about what was really going on. First person POV was a perfect choice for this novel!

I look forward to more from this author. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars!!!

 

Demon’s Destiny by Sarah Bailey

The main character, Ella, has a lot of mystery behind her. So much so that you just really got to know who she is. In turn, it’s a page turner. The story starts off when Ella is saved by a demon bounty hunter by the name of Lukas. Boy, he is hot. The way Sarah describes him makes you want to be saved by him, hands down.

The book gets interesting as it moves through their journey working together to rid our world of demons and as their steamy chemistry begins to ignite. There is a connection between the two that they try really hard to not give in to.

Bailey takes us on an adventure with not only demons but shifters and vampires. I especially loved the slow-burn romance. I would have like more internalized struggles from the two main characters. Something more that made them stand out in my mind. I felt like she did that a little more with Lukas, but still there was potential to add more guts that would make this paranormal story stand out from the rest.

All in all, it was an amazing, steamy (yes I said steamy again because it was!) read. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

 

The Charlotte Reade Mysteries by Laura Cayouette

Actress Charlotte Reade heads to her family home in New Orleans for a family funeral. She embarks on a search through her family history that reveals family secrets so twisted that I couldn’t put the book down.

Laura’s writing is incredible in the way she describes New Orleans. I’ve been there many times. My own parents honeymooned there years ago. Reading Laura’s words made me feel like I was back there right now. The foods, the culture, the creative energy of that city is enigmatic and Laura explains it beautifully.

The descriptions and personalities of her family made me swoon for that Cajun atmosphere even more. I loved the part in the beginning of the book where Charlotte took her mother’s advice “When you have a pimple, show off your cleavage” (worded something like that) and wore a controversial dress on the red carpet in order to distract from the bad reviews that were coming in for the movie she starred in. That is quintessential Cajun advice.

The story unfolded at a nice pace for this genre. Although I’m used to more adventure/fast-paced action genres, I still enjoyed it. I’ve already downloaded book 2 and can’t wait to see where Laura takes us.

RIVER by Ryen Lesli

Seventeen-year-old River never feels like she belongs. She has an unique ability where she can see some kind of special light around people. She knows when someone’s good or bad. Then, she meets ‘him’. The strange boy that takes her on an adventure of self-discovery.

I loved the intriguing plot in this story and the changes River undergoes as she’s catapulted into a world she never imagined.

Ryen’s writing is beautiful, her attention to detail was superb, and the sweetness between the characters was page-turning. I look forward to more from this author.

 

FAIRY TALE LIES by DK Marie

Fairy Tale Lies centers around a young woman and a guy trying to build his business after putting it on hold for his family. The two meet and like each other immediately, but they don’t know why. They are from two different worlds. However, sparks fly and they become intimate only to not see each other again until his small business lands him in her office with her servicing his account. As they come to terms with their previous short fling, they realize that what started only minutes after they first met is not something they can deny any longer.

I felt for both characters. I could see their struggle. It had real world problems with a touch of heat that had me wishing the book wouldn’t end. If you like sweet romances with some spicy elements, this is your book!

DK’s writing is beautiful and there is heart in everything she writes. I highly recommend following her in this romance series.

I gave this book 5 stars out of 5!!!