• About
  • Review Ratings
  • Author’s Information
  • Recommended Authors

Whiskey With My Book

~ And a cozy spot to enjoy them both.

Whiskey With My Book

Monthly Archives: July 2021

A Void of Magic (Kennedy Rain, #1) by Sandy Williams – Review

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

Posted by WWMB in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, cliffhanger, paranormal, Sandy Williams, urban fantasy, vampires, werewolves


About A Void of Magic by Sandy Williams

They trusted her to keep the peace between the paranorms. They made a mistake.

Kennedy escaped the family business when she turned eighteen. Now, an ill-timed vacation pulls her back to The Rain Hotel, the only known null zone on the planet. It’s a place where vampires can see the sun rise and werewolves can avoid the lure of the full moon. And it would be the perfect place for a paranormal wedding…if the bride wasn’t the local alpha’s daughter and the groom the scion of a vicious master vampire.

With a sexy werewolf determined to sabotage the wedding and dark forces threatening The Rain, Kennedy’s life is thrown out of balance when she’s forced to confront a past she swore to avoid. Ultimately she must choose: will she maintain the stability of the supernatural world…or will she destroy it.

**********************

Review of A Void of Magic

Kennedy was born into the Rain family.  Rains have run the Rain Hotel for generations.  The hotel is a refuge for paranormals.  There are rules that govern the hotel, the people that run it and the people that visit it.  The rules created a rift between Kennedy and the hotel when she was younger.  Now, her attempt to stay away from that life has been thwarted by her parents.  And so the stage is set.

Not being much of a YA/NA reader, I was a little worried when I started reading this book since the main character is college aged.  However, Kennedy is a mature character that does not exhibit the angst of youth.  Not that she doesn’t have any problems – she has a million problems.  Between a job, school and covering for her parents while they are on vacation, Kennedy has way more than she can adequately handle at the moment.  Setup for disaster.  Maybe disasters.

Sandy Williams’ heroines tend to be of very strong mind.  Kennedy is no exception.  She has developed the mental ability to stand up against the werewolves and vampires around her – despite her youth and being human.  I love this about her since typical paranormal fiction tends to depict humans as soooo inferior to the paranormals. 

Two of the main paranormal characters are Nora and Blake.  Both are thorns in Kennedy’s side, but both have their moments and could possibly become friends.  Or more, in the case of Blake.  It will probably take more than one book to determine their true natures.  

I loved everything about this book – except for the ending.  Yep, it’s a cliffhanger.  Very few of the plotlines are wrapped up.  The only thing resolved is my need to read the next book as soon as possible.

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

**********************

Links

Add A Void of Magic to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase A Void of Magic:

**********************

A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, #2) by Darynda Jones – Review

26 Monday Jul 2021

Posted by WWMB in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Darynda Jones, humor, mystery, New Mexico, romance, series


About A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff—and even fuller-time coffee guzzler—Sunshine Vicram, didn’t get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that’s about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he’s not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She’s seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn’t know when to quit, Sunny’s life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

**********************

Review of A Good Day for Chardonnay

Small town police chief Sunshine Vicram has her hands full with a teenage daughter, mischievous parents, a town full of quirky residents, a capable, yet ornery law-enforcing staff and a dark, stormy, hunky man who just can’t seem to leave her alone.

First there is a bar fight involving hunky man Levi that results in injuries and worse.  Then Sunshine’s daughter, Auri and Auri’s friends try to solve a decades old serial murder case.  There is a missing boy.  If that’s not enough, Sunshine gets a possible lead from a convict – can he be trusted?

In typical Darynda Jones style, the story weaves in and out of storylines, creating a perfect mesh of a plot.  Irreverence abounds along with coffee.  Lots of coffee.  And there will be a major reveal of something in Sunshine’s past.

A particularly heartbreaking moment is followed by a heartwarming scene that brought tears to my eyes.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is one of the author’s best.  The mix of complex, interconnected story lines, family relationships, tumultuous romance, and so many laugh-out-loud moments is an impossible combination to resist. 

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

**********************

Links

Add A Good Day for Chardonnay to your Goodreads shelf:

Pre-order A Good Day for Chardonnay (releases July 27):

**********************

Fury of Conviction (“Villains of the Dragonfury, #2) by Coreene Callahan – Review

23 Friday Jul 2021

Posted by WWMB in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Coreene Callahan, dragons, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, series, short story


About Fury of Conviction by Coreene Callahan

Chance brought them together in a world destined to tear them apart.

Caught between duty and honor, dragon-warrior Hamersveld is neck-deep in a dilemma. His commitment to the Razorback pack should take precedence, but when a new captive is brought into the lair, he’s forced to decide—risk everything to rescue a woman in desperate need of his help. Or stay loyal to the Razorback cause and keep his new home, along with his life.

Kidnapped by a rogue faction of Dragonkind, Natalie Bainbridge spends her days looking for ways to escape. Breaking out seems impossible until one of her captors offers her a trade—spend time with him in return for greater freedom inside his lair. With time ticking down, she enters the fray, playing a dangerous game with a man who makes no mistakes.

Will she buckle under the pressure? Or hold the line and break free for good?

**********************

Review of Fury of Conviction

Natalie is the typical Dagonfury heroine.  Very strong and independent, and not about to put up with this kidnapping crap. 

As a “Villian” of the Dragonfury, Hamersveld is a pretty decent person.  I mean, he is mean and tough, but as far as going along with the whole evil kidnapping plot….well, that is more of a survival thing.  The dragon shifter is in a precarious situation which adds to the drama.

It’s a short story (89 pages), so the plot is pretty simple.  It is also perfectly paced with romance being a larger theme than conflict or action.  The story stands alone with just enough references to the first book in the series.  However, the ending might make you wish it were a bit longer. Fury of Conviction is a perfect 2-hour diversion for anyone that enjoys a great dragon romance. 

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book through Booksprout in exchange for my honest review.

**********************

Links

Add Fury of Conviction to your Goodreads shelf:

Pre-order Fury of Conviction (releases July 27):

**********************

← Older posts

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 444 other subscribers

Tags

4 stars 5 stars Adventure aliens Art book feature Book Review cats excerpt fantasy giveaway guest post historical humor magic mystery paranormal Pauline Baird Jones reading romance scifi scifi romance series space opera Steampunk

Recent Posts

  • The Unlucky Charms series by T.M. Cromer – Review
  • Catagenesis (Cat Ship, #3) by Jody Wallace – Review
  • Another Year!
  • Fury of Frustration (Dragonfury Scotland, #6) by Coreene Callahan – Review
  • A Love by Design (The Secret Scientists of London, #3) by Elizabeth Everett – Review

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016

Currently Reading

NetGalley Challenge 2016

2016 NetGalley Challenge

Copyright Notice

© This site's content is protected by copyright.

FTC Disclaimer

Some of the books reviewed on Whiskey With My Book are provided by authors, publishers, or other third party promoters. Other than review copies, no compensation is accepted for reviews.

Affiliates

This blog uses affiliate links to direct you to sites where you can make purchases. Use of these links supports this blog and is much appreciated!

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Whiskey With My Book
    • Join 331 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Whiskey With My Book
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...