A Shifter Christmas Carol by Jennifer Ashley

Dylan Morrissey forgoes the Shifters’ traditional Yule celebration, to his family’s dismay. Instead, he joins Ben at the haunted house in New Orleans, planning to meet with potential, if dangerous, allies in the Shifters’ constant struggle for freedom.

But the sentient house has other ideas. Dylan wakes up—or rather doesn’t—unable to move or speak, and is taken on a journey to the past, present, and future.

Ben, Zander, and Tiger are his guides, but is what they are showing him truth?

Series: Shifters Unbound #11.75 | Publisher: Jennifer Ashley |  Genre: Paranormal Romance | Source: Purchased  | Rating: 4 Cups 

When Dylan skips out on the Shifters’ Yule celebration, he has a plan that could ensure freedom for all Shifters. Although these potential allies are dangerous and soon the house takes it upon itself to show Dylan just how dangerous this meeting can be. Will it be enough to convince Dylan to skip the meeting and return home to his loved ones?

A Christmas Carol is one of those books that’s been retold so many times and in so many different ways but I’ve personally never read a paranormal version until I picked up A Shifters Christmas Carol.

Being a fan of Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound Series, I’m always eager to learn more about her shifters. When I realized this one was about Dylan, I knew I had to read it because he’s always been a favorite of mine and I don’t believe we’ve ever received something from his POV.

Like the original tale, Dylan is visited by three ghosts (Past, Present, and Future), which present to him visions, so not only do we get to learn a little more about Dylan’s past in Ireland, we also get to see the effects of his decision to take this meeting rather than spend Yule with his family. I thought it was brilliant the way the house decided to show him future and I enjoyed the unique characters (Ben, Zander, and Tiger—some of my favorites from this series) that guided him on this journey.

While I did enjoy this book, there was a bit of an odd ghosty-type of sex scene between Dylan and Gloria that was just weird and out of place. I also thought that, while the pacing of the book was brilliant for a short, the ending was a little abrupt; I would have liked to see more about Dylan and Gloria’s relationship when he returned home.

Overall, this novella was a great addition to the series. I would have liked it to have been longer just so I could have seen more of Dylan but I feel like this was well-rounded.

If you’re a fan of this series, this one shouldn’t be missed. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and your family a safe, healthy, and Happy Thanksgiving.  

On my telly…What I’ve Been Watching

It was nice to be able to sit down in the evenings, work on my stitching or planner, and watch a bit of telly. I’m generally not someone who watches a lot of telly, I generally stick to a few shows a or maybe a movie on Tuesday night but I found it rather relaxing. 

Here’s what I’ve been watching.

 

-The Spanish Princess, Season Two (Starz)—while I enjoyed the first season, I’ve been struggling to get into this season. The characters are just so far from the person they’re portraying it’s almost laughable. I’m not expecting this to stick true to history, even though that would be nice, but I am expecting it to stay true to the books and, sadly, that’s not happening. I will finish this series with hopes of it getting better.

 

-The Good Lord Bird, Season One (Showtime)—I found this by mistake and ended up enjoying it. This is based on the novel by James McBride and tells the story Henry "Little Onion" Shackleford, a newly freed teenager, who joins abolitionist John Brown on a crusade to end slavery. While this does have some serious moments, there’s a lot humor in this one and I’ve really been enjoying it.

 

-Discovery of Witches, Season One (Acorn)—I borrowed this on DVD from my Mum and I’ve really been enjoying it. If you’ve not heard of this or the book trilogy (All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness) it’s about a witch, Diana, who accidentally discovers a missing magical manuscript and a vampire, Matthew. There’s love, romance, magic, mystery, and danger as they race to learn more about the manuscript while trying to keep it hidden away from those wanting to use it to destroy other creatures. I’ve really enjoyed this one an I’m looking forward to the start of Season Two next year.

 

I have this trilogy and I’m hoping to get to read it in the near future. 

What have you been watching? 

 

#HoHoHoRAT Book Bingo Challenge 2020

Hello Lovelies,

 

I’m so excited to be an elf for the Eight Annual #HoHoHoRAT. If you don’t know what the HoHoHoRAT is let me introduce you to this Wintery readathon hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer.

 

#HoHoHoRAT will begin at 12:01 am Thursday, November 19th and end Monday, November 30th at 11:59 pm in your time zone.

 The goal is to read/listen to as many Winter and/or Holiday themed books as you can in any genre.

  

When sharing your progress on Twitter or Instagram, don’t forget to use the #HoHoHoRAT hashtag.

 

Now…on to #HoHoHoRAT Book Bingo Challenge

 

It’s time to scour your shelves, e-readers, and audiobook collections for titles that coordinate with the bingo prompts.  Any type of bingo counts: horizontal, diagonal, vertical, or postage stamp. Or go wild and fill the entire card! The choice is yours.

 

Christmas Wrapping— a Holiday/Winter read that's been on your TBR list for a year or more

Sleigh Ride—Snowy cover or ‘Snow’ mentioned in the title

All I Want for Christmas is You—a Christmas/holiday romance

Blue Christmas—a book with a blue cover

Let It Snow—Snowed in/Snowstorm

Free Space—book of your choice

Santa Baby—book with a Christmas tree on the cover

You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch—character is a reformed Grinch/Scrooge type

A Holly Jolly Christmas—book with a Christmassy cover

To enter, you must be signed up for the HoHoHo Readathon. Please leave your answers to the bingo prompts in either the comment section below or post a link to your own post in the comment section below. Please leave your linky # (you can find it HERE) from the sign-up post. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

I thought that I’d make this challenge a bit more cozy and make each prompt a song title! Below you will find YouTube links to each song!

 Christmas Wrapping

Sleigh Ride

Blue Christmas

All I Want for Christmas is You

Let it Snow

Free Space

Santa Baby

You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch

A Holly Jolly Christmas

Terms and conditions: One lucky winner will be selected at random by Rafflecopter to win a $10 Amazon gift card. The giveaway is open international and runs from November 19, 2020 to December 2, 2020. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. Must be 13 or older to enter or have your parents/guardians permission. More information can be found in my Terms and Conditions.

Snapped in Cornwall by Janie Bolitho

Rose Trevelyan had only met Gabrielle Milton once, but felt they might become good friends. She was delighted, therefore, to receive an invitation to the Milton's party where the wine flowed freely and a good time was being had by all - that is, until Gabrielle's crumpled, lifeless body was found underneath a balcony.

 Series: Cornish Mysteries #1 | Publisher: A&B Crime | Genre: Cozy Mystery Series | Source: Gift | Rating: 3.5 Cup

I received this book last Christmas Eve and finally decided to give it a go and it was a bit different but different in a good way.

Here’s what’s going on. When Rose takes on a commission from Gabrielle Milton, she never imagined it would end with Gabrielle’s death. Unable to get the events out of her mind, Rose soon discovers that she may have captured the killer in the background of a blurry photograph. Now Rose finds herself in the killer’s sights. Will she be able to help the frustrating—and attractive—detective catch the killer or will the killer catch her?

Rose was such an easy character to like. She’s an outsider but the villagers are slowly welcoming her into their community. There’s a lot she’s dealing with, including the death of her husband, yet she’s open to letting people in.

The mystery wasn’t as complicated as the plot wanted me to believe. There was an attempt at some red herrings but it missed the mark a bit. It was fairly obvious from the start what was going on but I still enjoyed the process.

Like most cozy mysteries, there is the start of a romance in this one and, I have a feeling, it’s going to be a bit rocky as the series plays out.

While the characters and the mystery have that cozy mystery feel, what really stood out to me in this book was the way it brought Cornwall to life. It really evoked the Cornish lifestyle to the point it became a character.

I have a feeling this book isn’t going to be for everyone. While I truly enjoyed this one, the book was a bit on the slower side as it portrayed the laidback Cornish lifestyle. This book was also originally published in 1997, so there’s a slightly dated feeling.

Overall, this one was a bit predictable but I enjoyed experiencing laidback Cornish lifestyle and the setting. 

Cornish Mysteries Series

Snapped in Cornwall #1

Framed in Cornwall #2

Buried in Cornwall #3

Betrayed in Cornwall #4

Plotted in Cornwall #5

Killed in Cornwall #6

Caught out in Cornwall #7

 

Sidebarred by Emma Chase

There was a time when Jake Becker had it all together. He was controlled, driven, ruthless—in and out of the courtroom.

Then, six irresistible orphans and their heartbreakingly beautiful aunt crashed into his perfectly ordered life. They changed everything. They changed him. Now he’s a husband, an upstanding member of society, a father figure—a family man. And he’s pretty damn good at it.

Sure, he has to referee sibling smackdowns, re-learn algebra, ensure his clients stay out of jail, and keep his wife happy—but it finally feels like he’s got it together again....

So, of course something has to screw it all up. It’s huge. Life-changing. Kind of terrifying.

And it will be the most amazing, perfect thing he’ll ever do.

Series: Legal Briefs #3.5 | Publisher: Emma Chase | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Purchased | Rating: 4.5 Cups

  

So, I’ve had this one sitting on my shelf since…2016 (I can’t believe it’s been that long) and decided to read it during Bout of Books 29 and I had so much fun with it.

 

This is a novella—and the final book—in the Legal Briefs series. While it does touch base with all the characters from the series, this focuses on Jake and Chelsea. They’re married now, raising her brother’s brood of orphans, and getting ready to add one of their own to the mix.

 

Hands down, Jake and Chelsea were my favorite couple from the series so it was nice catching up with them and watching their family bloom and grow. While the book starts two years after they have married, it ends seventeen years later so we get to see what happened with the six kids (Chelsea’s nieces and nephews).

 

If you’re a fan of this series or simply fell in love with Jake Becker like I did, I think this is a must read. It was hot and steamy yet sweet and adorable.

 

Overall, this was fun, quick, and he perfect way to end a series.

 

If anyone is wondering, Stanton still makes me surly. He will go down in history as the character I absolutely despised.

Legal Briefs Series

Overruled #1

Sustained #2

Appealed #3

Sidebarred #3.5

 

On Borrowed Crime by Kate Young

Lyla Moody loves her sleepy little town of Sweet Mountain, Georgia. She likes her job as receptionist for her uncle's private investigative firm, her fellow true crime obsessed Jane Doe members are the friends she's always wanted, and her parents just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. But recently, with her best friend Melanie on vacation, and her ex-boyfriend and horrible cousin becoming an item and moving in next door to her, her idyllic life is on the fritz. The cherry on top of it all is finding Carol, a member of the club, dead and shoved into a suitcase, left at Lyla's front door.

Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, with Carol's heart condition, the coroner rules Carol's death undetermined. But when they discover the suitcase belongs to Melanie, who had returned from her vacation the following morning, Sweet Mountain police begin to suspect Lyla's best friend. Determined that police are following the wrong trail, to clear her friend's name, and to not allow Carol become one of the club's studied cold cases, Lyla begins to seek out the real killer. That is, until she becomes the one sought after. Now, finding the truth could turn her into the killer's next plot twist, unless she wins the game of cat and mouse.

 

Series: Jane Doe Book Club Mystery #1 | Publisher: Crooked Lane Books | Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary | Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5 Cups

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery that borders on thriller/mystery then this is the book for you.

Here’s what’s going on. When one of the members of her Jane Doe book club discovers a connection to a cold case then ends up murdered, Lyla uses her job as receptionist at her Uncle’s P.I. firm to do some digging of her own. As her suspect list starts to include those around her, Lyla begins to wonder if there’s a killer in her midst. When the killer starts sending her taunting text messages, she knows she must find them before she becomes their next victim.

I picked this book up for review expecting it to be a lighter read like most cozy mysteries are but this one reads a bit darker in the mystery aspect. Unlike a cozy mystery, this one contains a lot of graphic details about the murder on the page. The mystery itself was more like something you see in a thriller yet I found it very easy to pick up on the killer and the reasoning from the start.

While the mystery and murder aspects are on the darker side, the characters, especially Lyla, have a cozy mystery feel. Lyla’s a little annoying at times but I’m hoping these are just teething problems as this was the start of a new series.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading the next in the series. 

Pustules, Pestilence and Pain: Tudor Treatments and Ailments of Henry VIII by Seamus O'Caellaigh

Henry VIII lived for 55 years and had many health issues, particularly towards the end of his reign.

In Pustules, Pestilence, and Pain, historian Seamus O'Caellaigh has delved deep into the documents of Henry's reign to select some authentic treatments that Henry's physicians compounded and prescribed to one suffering from those ailments.

Packed with glorious full-colour photos of the illnesses and treatments Henry VIII used, alongside primary source documents, this book is a treat for the eyes and is full of information for those with a love of all things Tudor. Each illness and accident has been given its own section in chronological order, including first-hand accounts, descriptions of the treatments and photographic recreations of the treatment and ingredients.

Publisher: Made Global Publishing | Genre: Nonfiction | Source: Gifted | Rating: 4 Cups 

 

It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a Tudor nonfiction book, so when this arrived, I knew I had to give it a go.

This book focuses on the treatments Henry VIII received for nine of his well-known injuries and ailments. The dates of the treatments range from 1514-1539 and all treatments are taken from the historical text of Henry’s personal physicians.

There’s a lot that you learn from this book, such as the type ingredients used (some recipes also include the measurements) and the way the treatment was administered. It also offers a slight glimpse into the injuries and aliments Henry was suffering at the time.

While this was a very interesting read with gorgeous pictures, I’m a little upset with the repetition in this book. For each treatment, the original text is shared in Old English, then the treatment is shared in modern English, and lastly we see the author’s take on the treatment. I do understand that some people struggle with reading Old English and a modern version is necessary but I don’t think it needed to be translated again by the author. I think he should have talked about the treatment without repeating the treatment itself.

Overall, I did enjoy this one and felt like it offered something new to the world of Tudor nonfiction. If there would have been less repetition, there could have been more added about the ailments/injuries, the treatment itself, the way the treatments worked, or included more treatments.