To Bind the Stars: the final battle against a powerful force and freedom of the land and its people

To Bind the Stars is the third and final book in the Empire of Ash and Song trilogy by D.E. Carlson. The Fire Emperor has been killed by Iris’s hand. The Dragonbloods have declared war on the remaining Fire Empire. Iris has done her job. She has freed the world from the oppressive emperor and now, she can finally rest. Or can she? The powerful force behind the emperor, Ahl, the Star Prince, has been driven back but he is far from dead and he has found a new puppet. How do you win against a demon? As the world begins to awaken and former enemies become allies against their common enemies, battle plans are drawn for one final epic showdown. Iris finds herself at odds with what she has done and what is still required of her. Can she open her heart and relieve the conflict within her mind? 

I was eager to finish this trilogy and at the same time I wasn’t ready for it to end. I have thoroughly enjoyed Iris’s growth from the frightened young girl in To Bind Fire to the powerful woman she becomes. I even enjoyed the story arcs of the other characters: Besaun, Casandra, and so many others. There were a great many twists and surprises that had me gasping at their reveal. There were even reveals that were foreshadowed in the previous books that had me screaming “I knew it!” when the connections were made. The faith themes are presented in simple terms and easily understandable. I am looking forward to future books by Ms. Carlson. Overall, If you enjoy adventure stories with faith themes similar to the Chronicles of Narnia, I feel you would thoroughly enjoy the Empire of Ash and Song trilogy. I highly, highly recommend To Bind the Stars. 

To Bind The Stars is available in paperback and eBook

Things We Left Behind: a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance as the Knockemout trilogy comes to an end

Things We Left Behind is the third and final book in the Knockemout trilogy by Lucy Score. Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean mogul with vengeance on his mind. With a mission to clear the horrible stain his father put on the family name, Lucian has gained the power of an indestructible business empire with the ability to pull strings and end careers with a single word. He is seemingly untouchable. Untouchable except for Sloane Walton, the feisty Knockemout librarian, the one woman who could set him free and the one woman he would rather die than ask for help. Sloane inherited her father’s quest for justice and would do anything for anyone in need. However, she doesn’t trust Lucian as fall as she can throw him. When their fierce bickering turns into foreplay and eventually a steamy one night stand, they find themselves unable to walk away from each other. 

It was sad to say goodbye to the residents of Knockemout; however, Lucian and Sloan’s friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story was a great sendoff. Lucian is determined to avoid the sins of his father and Sloan wants a loving marriage and family just like her parents did. They seem to be on opposing sides and yet they have a connection and a history that no one else understands. Their bickering was fun and their friendship was sweet. It was heartbreaking knowing how their friendship ended. The rebuilding of their friendship was great and their romance was spicy. I loved the interactions between Lucian, Nash and Knox as great as any sibling bickering could be among lifelong friends. Overall, I enjoyed this story and this series. It tied up all loose ends and sets the sun on their amazing love stories. I highly recommend Things We Left Behind and the rest of the Knockemout trilogy. 

Things We Left Behind is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Rebel: the heartbreaking, yet hopeful final book in the Emerson Pass Historical series

The Rebel is the eighth and final book in the Emerson Pass Historical series by Tess Thompson. After four years at a university, Delphia Barnes returns home to Emerson Pass; however, no one is at the station to welcome her home. When she sees Jack Depaul, she wonders why her family isn’t there, he tells her the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Jack is a proud second generation horse breeder in Emerson Pass. Only his love for Delphia equals his love of horses. As America prepares for war, Jack and Delphia finally confess their feelings for each other and marry before Jack ships off to fight overseas. He doesn’t want to leave her now that they have come together; but the desire to serve is too strong. Jack promises her he will return, alive and well. She prays that it is a promise he can keep. Will Jack survive the war? If he comes home, will Delphia recognize and love the man who returns?

I have loved this series and the Barnes family’s adventures and it is exciting and yet sad to finish the final book. It was hard to say goodbye and yet I could not tear myself away from the pages as the Barnes family deals with the horrors and sacrifice of war. My heart broke for Delphia and Jack as they fall in love and marry in innocence even as war looms. And they fall in love again as they deal with the aftermath and pain of war. I loved how Delphia refused to give up on Jack and I cheered as others around Jack refused to let him give up and with tough love to show him that life can still be lived fully and love is deeper than skin deep. As the historical series ends, I look forward to jumping back into and finishing the contemporary Emerson Pass series. I highly recommend the Historical Emerson Pass series if you haven’t started it. I highly recommend The Rebel. 

The Rebel is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Runaway: a grumpy-sunshine military romance

The Runaway is the fifth and final book of the Brides of Beaufort series by Jess Mastorakos. Nate Bristol is getting ready to travel cross-country to his new duty station in Beaufort, he has a tight schedule. He never expected to have travel companions. When Ms. Hattie asks Nate for a favor, no questions asked, he finds himself aiding in the escape of Nikki, a runaway bride, and her teenage daughter, Marigold. She is the ultimate sunshine and is determined to see the bright side of anything and make the most of the turn of events. Nate is the ultimate grump and as the miles tick by, Nikki and Marigold worm their way under his skin and he learns to roll with the punches. As they get closer to their destination, the slower he finds himself driving. Will they be able to say goodbye once they reach their destination? 

I have loved this series and it was sad to see it end. The Runaway is a grumpy-sunshine military romance. Nate and Nikki’s story was sweet with lots of laughs and drama. I loved how Nikki slowly chipped away at Nate’s gruff demeanor. There is a bit of suspense and a nail biting scene with Nate coming to the rescue. I even enjoyed Marigold’s character and as a mom of a teen myself, I appreciated that Ms. Mastorakos got the teenage slang accurate. I loved Nate’s reaction to the slang. It reminded me of my husband’s reaction to the slang when our teenager and her friends use it. When Nikki and Marigold are in danger, I loved how Nate and his fellow Marines jump into action. Overall, I enjoyed this story and the series. If you haven’t read the Brides of Beaufort, I highly recommend it. I highly recommend The Runaway. 

The Runaway is available in paperback and eBook

As Good as Dead: what an ending to the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy

As Good as Dead is the third and final book in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy by Holly Jackson. Pip is getting ready to head to college. However, instead of being excited about the next chapter in her life, she is haunted by the aftermath of her previous case. She is used to death threats and angry trolls in her comment section of her true-crime podcast. However, when strange events start happening and an anonymous person begins to taunt her with a simple question: who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears? Pip realizes she is being stalked and there may be a connection between her stalker and the local serial killer caught six years ago. When the police refuse to act, Pip decides to find the suspect herself before she becomes the next victim. 

What can I say about this book; but wow what an end!!!! This story had lots and lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. Pip is dealing with some PTSD as she is still haunted by the previous case. Even turning to questionable methods to be able to function, to say Pip is struggling is an understatement. Questioning her own sense of reality when certain strange occurrences occur until she finds a connection to a serial killer who was convicted years ago. As she investigates, she is convinced the real killer is after her now the man behind bars is innocent. I loved how Ravi, her boyfriend, her friends and even her former enemies came to her aid. I highly recommend As Good as Dead as well as the rest of the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy. 

As Good as Dead is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Heartwood Chef: a second chance romance

The Heartwood Chef is the fifth and final book in the Heartwood Sisters/Carter’s Cove series by Elana Johnson. Gwen Heartwood loves her job managing the dining services at her family’s inn unless she’s dealing with angry customers, deadlines and short staffing. Then she hates her job, she likes Teagan Hatch, the inn’s head chef. But he broke her heart without explanation and no apology. They continue to work side by side, a bit strained, but it’s working. Teagan is keeping many secrets. He’s a man who has been burned in the past and has a hard time trusting others with his deepest secrets. When he realized he wants Gwen back, he also realized he needs to reveal his secrets. After he reveals why he broke up with her and offers the apology Gwen has needed, they start dating again. Their new relationship seems to be on an edge when Gwen realizes that Teagan still hasn’t told her everything. Will he finally trust her completely or will this be the final end to their relationship? 

The Heartwood Chef is a nice close to the Heartwood sisters saga. The series has been filled with angst, relational issues, and growth for the couples. Gwen and Teagan’s story is filled with angst more so than the previous stories. Teagan has so much more history and much more relational issues. While he was attracted to Gwen, he had issues and concerns that stopped him from pursuing the desires of his heart. I enjoyed that Teagan allowed himself to be vulnerable and acknowledged that he needed help. He didn’t want to lose Gwen again and he wanted to do all he could to make sure he did right by Gwen. Gwen was confused about their sudden break up and she pined for him as they worked together side by side. As Teagan learns to open up, Gwen learns what it means to be a supportive partner. Overall, I enjoyed The Heartwood Chef. It was a nice wrap up as readers say goodbye to the Heartwoods. I recommend it and the entire Heartwood Sisters/Carter’s Cove series. 

The Heartwood Chef is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook