Burn the Kingdom Down: one woman seeks revenge and discovers twists she never expected

Burn the Kingdom Down by Addie Thorley is an enemies to lovers romantasy with intrigue and action. Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland as the bride to the prince of Vanzador. One year later, she is dead and her sister, Indira, is demanded as her replacement for the prince. Indira only agrees to figure out the truth behind her sister’s death, convinced it was no accident, and take revenge on those responsible. It’s a simple plan to play nice and gather the necessary intel to avenge her sister and free herself and her country from the iron grip of Vanzador. However, when she arrives, nothing is as it seems or as terrible as Rowenna described in her letters home. As Indira develops friendly terms with her maid, a courtier and even grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, she is unsure who or what to believe. She learns that everyone has secrets, even deadly ones.

Burn the Kingdom Down promised to be “action-packed” with romance that would leave readers “breathless” and “betrayals” that would rip their hearts out. It is an interesting premise and the opening chapter certainly grabs your attention. However, the story gets confusing from there. The enemies part of enemies to lovers was done well. The animosity between Indira and Alaric was excellent. The lovers part was a bit more unbelievable and sudden, given their intense animosity. Indira herself was a bit annoying as she refused to see that what she knew about the situation wasn’t what she thought it was. I liked the magic system in this story. Overall, it was an interesting story with lots of action. Though I wasn’t breathless at the romance or my heart wasn’t ripped out by the betrayals. I feel teen readers might enjoy this story more. If you enjoy romantasy stories, you may enjoy this one. I recommend Burn the Kingdom Down. 

Burn the Kingdom Down is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Deceived: a small town romance with intrigue and family saga series

Deceived is the first book in the Delta Family series by Cami Checketts. The Delta family, led by the patriarch Papa, has a secret deep into the mountains. Colton Delta takes the protection of the family secret very seriously. A secret that is a matter of national security. Bailey Ashworth is an investigative journalist who got a drunken tip about a military secret hidden in the Colorado mountains. She comes to the small town of Summit Valley and runs into the handsome Dr Colton Delta. As Colton and Bailey spend time together, they are both suspicious of each other and yet find themselves attracted to each other. When he falls in love with Bailey, can he protect her and the secret? Will the secret tear them apart? 

Deceived is a cute, sweet, intriguing and great start to a family saga story. The family secret is not revealed in this story and I have a feeling it will drag throughout the series. However, I am interested in the other Delta love stories that I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I enjoyed the banter and flirting between Colton and Bailey. There were a few sweet moments between them that produced a few sighs and smiles. The Delta family is large and I enjoyed the introduction of each character. I love the faith of the characters. It was real and relatable. If you enjoy small town romance, I recommend Deceived. 

Deceived is available in paperback and eBook. 

Displaced: an urban fantasy with shocking truths, intrigue and betrayal

Displaced is the first book in The Birthright series by Bridget E Baker. It is the start of a saga of shocking truths, deadly intrigue and sisterly betrayal. Being a twin complicates the Evian line of succession, however, Chancery Alamecha is perfectly fine letting her sister, Judica, inherit the throne. Judica is stronger, a merciless fighter, a ruthless politician and has been groomed for the throne since birth. Until one day when she tries on her mother’s staridium ring, something unexpected happens and forces Chancery into a role she never wanted and didn’t prepare for: she may be the prophesied queen to unite the daughters of Eve and now the heir to the Evian throne. Judica is enraged by the turn of events and vows to reclaim her rightful place to the throne. A challenge is issued and Chancery goes off to train. Training to fight her sister to the death for the throne. She knows she must face her sister. If not, it could cause the end of the world. 

Displaced is a young adult urban fantasy which is outside of my usual genres. However, I enjoyed Ms. Baker’s writing and I often enjoy testing the waters of other genres. The world of Displaced is beautifully written and immediately hooks you into this world. However, I found myself struggling to keep reading. I struggled with the complex character relationships and keeping track of who was who. There was a lot of world explanation, though needed, that seemed to bog down the story a bit. I’m not sure if because the genre is not one of my usual picks, I had mixed feelings as I read but I closed the books grateful it had ended. I have books two and three in this series but I haven’t decided if I want to continue and I may pick up the series in the future. For now, the series is not for me. However, if you enjoy young adult urban fantasy, I think Displaced is right up your alley. I recommend checking out Displaced. 

Displaced is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Patriots: a family story of secrets and love of country

The Patriots by Sana Krasikov is a family epic spanning three generations. From Depression era Brooklyn, New York when Florence Fein leaves college to take a job in Moscow. To post-Cold War American, where her son Julian is trying to learn the truth about his mother and her patriotism toward Russia as well trying to convince his own son, Lenny, come home. Julian works for an oil company which takes him to Russia frequently. He learns that the KGB is opening files, he sees his chance to learn the secrets his mother took to her grave. He uses this trip to also plead with his son to return to America as Lenny seems to have inherited his grandmother’s devotion to Russia. Will Julian finally learn the truth about his mother? Will he understand what he learns? Will Lenny return home with Julian? Or will he remain in Russia?

The Patriots is a story told in alternating viewpoints, Florence, Julian and Lenny, as a tale of the one family, two countries and the events which lead to the beginning and end of the Cold War. The writing is beautiful, almost lyrical, with sweeping descriptions of the locations, the emotions and events. I enjoyed the family discovery as an adult child sees his parent in a new light with, possibly, a new understand of her motivations and convictions. I found the book a little hard to read at times with the alternating time line and I suggest make note of the time and location given in an illustration at the start of every chapter. However, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading it again in the future. Overall, if you enjoy historical fiction, you will enjoy The Patriots.

The Patriots

is available on Amazon in hardcover and on the Kindle

and

Barnes and Nobles in hardcover and NookBook