Another Year!

Tags

5 stars, academia, Ahsley Poston, Blake Crouch, books, cartography, Contemporary Romance, fairies, genetic engineering, ghosts, Heather Fawcett, historical, historical romance, humor, India Holton, Madeline Martin, magical realism, maps, Mimi Matthews, paranormal romance, Patricia Briggs, Peng Shepherd, romance, scifi, series, urban fantasy, witches, WWII

7 years ago today, I shared my first book review on Whiskey With My Book.  To mark this occasion, I thought I’d recap last year by listing my 10 favorite 5-star books of 2022.  It is really hard to choose only 10, but for your sake and mine, I did.  It is even harder to rank them, but I managed.  Note: If I reviewed the book, I included the link. Clicking on the cover will take you to Amazon. Use of these links supports this blog and is very much appreciated. I also recommended checking with your library (if you want to save some $$$)!

10 and 9 – The Bell of Belgrave Square and The Siren of Sussex.  These are the first two books in The Belles of London series by Mimi Matthews.  The historical romances are about women and men who find love outside society’s expected boundaries. 

8 – Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson, #13) by Patricia Briggs.  Between 2021 and 2022, I read (or listened to) the entire Mercy Thompson series.  Binging the urban fantasy series was a great way to soak it up. I reviewed 1-12 before I read #13.

7 – The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin.  Wartime in London is fraught with danger and heartbreak.  This was a moving story enriched by historical detail, complex characters, and books.

6 – The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd.  An absolutely fascinating bit of magical realism, secrets, maps, mapmakers, and intrigue. 

5 – Upgrade by Blake Crouch.  This was one of two Blake Crouch books I read last year.  Upgrade examines the ethics of scientific advancements.

4 and 3 – The League of Gentlewomen Witches and the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton.  The first two books in the Dangerous Damsels series are highly entertaining.  Crammed full with humor, romance and flying battlehouses, what’s not to love?

2 – Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett.  I was completely charmed by this tale of two academics whose study of faeries becomes an adventure you will never forget.

1 – The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston.  I don’t read a lot of fiction set in current times, so I was quite surprised that this contemporary romance turned out to appeal to me so much!  I even recommended it to my library’s book club.  I hope they love it as much as I did.  I plan to share a review of this book eventually.  I might save it for Valentine’s week.

Thank you for following my blog. I hope, if you are looking for a good book to read, you will find something great here! 

Fury of Frustration (Dragonfury Scotland, #6) by Coreene Callahan – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, Coreene Callahan, dragons, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, Scotland, series

Review of Fury of Frustration

Ferguson McGlivery, is slightly more than human.  She just doesn’t know it yet.  Good thing she learns fast!  A she learns about her inheritance, The White Hare inn, and she must take on the dragon-warrior Kruger.  

Kruger is a shrewd businessman just as likely to get what he wants through negotiations as hostile takeovers.  He wants The White Hare.  But neither the previous innkeeper, nor Fergusen will sell.  The couple starts out adversarial, but as these stories go, they can’t fight the attraction between them. 

This series features tough, mean, don’t-mess-with-me male dragon heroes who have a soft spot for the women they fall in love with.  Which makes me like them.  Not so with Kruger.  At the outset of a confrontational first meeting with Fergusen, he lets loose an onslaught of very personal insults which I found despicable.  In real life, people who treat others that way don’t change overnight.  And yet, it would seem Kruger did.  I did like how Ferguson retaliated, especially when Kruger returned to the inn.  I’d tell you, but you need to enjoy that scene, with no spoilers!  Basically, I did not like Kruger at all.  That one scene ruined him for me as a hero.

Beyond my dislike of Kruger, there is plenty more to the story.  Magic, danger, dragons and romance pack the pages of this book and make for a thrilling tale that enhances the Dragonfury narrative.  Readers of Ms. Callahan will want to add this to their collection.

Through Booksprout, the author provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

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

About Fury of Frustration by Coreene Callahan

Ambition can be deadly…

Born of a powerful god, but exiled on earth, dragon-warrior Kruger conceals the truth of his origins from the world. Forced to live a lie, he proves his worth by becoming a tycoon in a powerful business empire. But when a beautiful woman with ambitions of her own gets in his way, he must decide—accept what he cannot change, or eliminate the threat once and for all.

Haunted by ghosts, Ferguson McGilvery needs out. Out from under her step-father’s thumb. Out of the toxic whirlwind her step-brothers create. Out of the country, far away from the dysfunction that has overtaken her life. When a surprise inheritance sends her to the Scottish Highlands, she clashes with Kruger, a man so infuriating she’ll do anything to foil his attempts to make her leave.

His ruthlessness is legendary. Her obstinance knows no bounds. Can two stubborn souls go from enemies to lovers…or will the fates finally admit they made a mistake by throwing the pair together?

Links

Add Fury of Frustration to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase Fury of Frustration:

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

‘Tis the Season – Thursday

Tags

artic, Coreene Callahan, dragons, fairy tales, historical romance, ice, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, Lindsey Pogue, paranormal romance, post-apocalypse, romance, scifi, snow, Susanna Kearsley

Welcome to day 4 of recommendations of books with seasonal themes. Monday, I started with reviews of books with a Christmas theme. Tuesday was a list of Christmas-themed books I had not reviewed, but read and enjoyed (and therefore recommend). Yesterday’s post included reviews of books with a winter theme. Today, I will share some winter-themed books I have not reviewed (mostly) but I did enjoy. Maybe you will like them too!

So far, all the books in these posts are older books, released one or more years ago. Friday, I will have a review of a brand new book that will be released in January. In keeping with this week’s theme, a cold, icy place is the setting for at book. Come back tomorrow to see what I am talking about!

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

I’ve included the Amazon link for each book here – click on the book cover. Note: Use of these links supports this blog and is very much appreciated.

The Darkest Winter by Lindsey Pogue

A group of orphaned misfits.
The wild lands of the last frontier.
Superhuman abilities, harrowing adventures, and heartbreaking secrets.

This a post-apocalyptic story that takes place in an artic environment where the world has been shattered by a virus. Part of The Savage North Chronicles.

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle in Scotland, Carrie McClelland creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her…

The story takes place over a long period of time, so it’s not always winter. But yes, there is a part that takes place in winter near the sea. This book was my introduction to Susanna Kearsley and I am very happy I found it!

Fury of Ice by Coreene Callahan

Homicide detective Angela Keen thrives on the city’s rough streets. But when she becomes the prize of all prizes in the dragon-shifter world due to her “high-energy” status, she gets more than she bargained for. Kidnapped by Lothair of the Razorback clan, Angela barely survives captivity before managing to escape. Hurt and alone with nowhere to hide, she faces certain death when Lothair uses the trace energy she leaves in her wake to hunt her down. But before he can reach her, a mystery dragon shifter intervenes and saves Angela’s life.

Now a guest of the Nightfury clan, Angela regains her strength as her rescuer, Rikar, the last living frost dragon, gradually breaks down her mistrust. Surrendering to her desire for Rikar, but still uncertain of her feelings, Angela goes against his wishes and agrees to be used as bait to lure Lothair into the open. As the battle commences, the true struggle comes from within: Will Angela return home to the life she loves, or forsake it all to be with Rikar?

Rewilding Reports by Kathleen O’Neal Gear

This cli-fi series from a notable archaeologist and anthropologist explores a frozen future where archaic species struggle to survive an apocalyptic Ice Age.

I read and reviewed the first two books, but have not yet read the last one. Book 3 is on my to-read list. Have you read it?