Bookworm Babblings

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Summer McClain seemingly has it all—a doting mother and father, two best friends who stick closer than glue, and a grandmother who can cook the pants off any chef who dares to go up against her. Her world is perfect in every way—until tragedy strikes the core of her family. When Summer thinks the worst thing in her life has happened, she’s dealt more blows that make her question her young faith. Her two best friends, who should be there to love her through her devastation, have personal issues of their own, and on top of that, a girl at school starts bullying her for no reason. Will Summer be able to withstand the heartache, pain, and pressure she has to endure? In her debut novel, Summer Rain, Cherlisa Starks Richardson has woven together a gripping novel that shows the faith even a child must have to endure when challenged with the pain life sometimes presents. Purchase: Amazon My Review: I received a free copy of this novel in ...

Synopsis: Reeve LeClaire looks like a typical 22-year-old girl, but she is anything but normal. Ten years ago, she was kidnapped and held captive for four years. After a lucky escape, she’s been rebuilding her life, thanks in large part to her therapist Dr. Ezra Lerner. When he asks Reeve to help mentor another girl rescued from a similar ordeal, the two bond very quickly. But the more Tilly confides in her, Reeve realizes she may not simply need to support this young survivor, but that she may be the only one who can protect her from a cunning predator who is still out there, watching her every move. Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble My Review: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. "The Edge Of Normal" is an amazing story of strength, courage, and perseverance. Reeve LeClaire has been through quite a lot in her short twenty two years of life. She was kidnapped and held captive when she was 12 years old, ...

Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis My rating: 5 of 5 stars Synopsis: Jacque Pierce was just an ordinary 17-year-old girl getting ready to start her senior year in high school in Coldspring, Texas. When a mysterious foreign exchange student from Romania moves in across the street, Jacque and her two best friends, Sally and Jen, don't realize the last two weeks of their summer are going to get a lot more interesting. From the moment Jacque sets eyes on Fane she feels an instant connection, a pull like a moth to a flame. Little does she know that the flame she is drawn to is actually a Canis lupis, werewolf, and she just happens to be his mate; the other half of his soul. The problem is Fane is not the only wolf in Coldspring, Texas. Just as Fane and Jacque are getting to know each other, another wolf steps out to try and claim Jacque as his mate. Fane will now have to fight for the right to complete the mating bond, something that is his right by birth but is being d...

Book Blast Content Warning: This naughty yet hilarious story explores the complex subjects of identity, stigma, and sex work. The issues of passing and colorism within the African American community are lightly explored. Due to the coarse language and explicit sex scenes, this story is intended for readers over the age of 18. Mercy Higgins. Cantankerous Widow. Prized Teacher. Beloved Escort. In an industry where erotic skills matter, she sucks. But, not in a good way. Mercy is a cantankerous fifty-eight year old African American widow who still mourns the deaths of her husband and stillborn daughter. When catastrophic medical bills threaten her retirement savings, Mercy decides that morality is left to those who can afford it, and she becomes a prostitute hoping to earn money to settle her debts. To garner a client list, Mercy hosts evening soirees, and her house unjustly earns the label of Washington D.C.’s newest brothel. Soon drawn into Mercy’s mad scheme, her middle-aged ten...

Ember (Jinn Trilogy Book One) by Liz Schulte Holden told Olivia it was only a matter of time before Hell came for them. After all, one doesn’t just walk away from the life he lived unscathed, but the longer Hell waited, the more Olivia let down her guard. She believed maybe happily ever after was possible—he knew it wasn’t. But when Baker shows up beaten and bloody on their doorstep with a message, all hope evaporates. The jinn make Holden an offer he can’t refuse: convince Olivia to free them all and the jinn will fight Hell alongside them. However, if their past has proved anything, it’s that the jinn cannot be trusted. When Olivia starts hearing a voice that no one can identify and Baker isn’t acting like himself, he is forced to make a decision. With Heaven staying hands off, Holden considers accepting the jinn’s offer behind Olivia’s back. One thing is clear, with their lives and the lives all those they hold dear at stake, something has to be done. If it were as easy as Ho...

Synopsis: Rachel Hayward hoped to have a quiet thirtieth birthday alone. Instead, fate had different plans. Caught in traffic and late for work, Rachel takes her eyes off the road to gawk at an accident and rear-ends the car in front of her. Sick over having ruined her day, she lowers her head and waits for the driver to begin a tirade over her stupidity. Instead, a kind man taps on her window showing genuine concern. The brief colliding encounter suddenly starts a relationship between two strangers that takes off under odd circumstances. When intimacy begins, their relationship turns into a conflicting set of needs. Ian is tenderhearted and respectful, but Rachel desires aggressiveness from a man. The clash of desires threatens to tear them apart. As a result, she is faced with the decision to leave the man she loves or finally confront the painful secret of her childhood.   Author Notes: Conflicting Hearts touches on a taboo subject, but one that is very real to many a...

Almost without his notice, Tom had slipped from childhood through adolescence and then into young adulthood woefully unprepared for that transition. Both his childhood and his adolescence had been hells of isolation and rejection. And there had been no emotional support at home either. His only tranquility had been the wilderness, to which he escaped whenever possible. But this is only the set up for the real hell which was to follow, coming in the guise of a beautiful and seemingly innocent young women named Mary. Schooled in etiquette, God, and discipline, she was equally skillful at secrecy and pretense. And unable to see behind her subtle facades, Tom mistakes her demure reserve for shyness and under that illusion, he tumbles into a deep, undying love, into which inexorably pour all of his pent up needs and desires. The delusion is only broken when Mary suddenly reveals a cold indifference to his emotions. Then upon dispatching him with sudden sly cruelty and consummate betr...

Synopsis: Kamada, Tara's daughter, lives in a world of magic. A world of gremlins, fairies, an airavata-a spotless white elephant with four tusks and seven trunks-and talking magical entities shield her from a society where strange men act like they own the women walking down the street and where her mother sells her body in exchange for a life of luxury. Kamada knows she doesn't belong here. She is on a mission to escape the dirty streets of gritty Bombay and her mother's house, which feels like a prison. Only her magical friends, a parrot astrologer who tells of the future, and a neighboring family know that her dream is to leave home to study in America. As she plans her escape, Kamada's world is turned upside down when her mother reveals a secret and she must struggle to get the education she envisions. Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble   My Review: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. “The Runaway Daughte...