Book Review: His Wicked Games by Ember Casey (The Cunningham Family Book 1)

     Lily would do anything to save the Center for the Arts. When Calder sends notice that he is withdrawing his father's pledged funds she stomps her way out to his extravagant estate to give him a piece of her mind and convince him to reconsider. Instead, the brooding man entices her into a game of winner take all. He gets her or she gets the money. 

    This is a free series starter that introduces a family to us. While it is book 1 in a series you don't feel like you are missing out on anything as you read. It is absolutely able to be read as a stand-alone and to just enjoy Calder and Lily's story. You don't feel like you are missing out on anything by just reading the one book. 

    That being said. Lily has a smart mouth and Calder is as handsome as he is devious. The more we learn about the characters the easier they are to love. His big secret was a bit obvious, but it didn't take anything away from the story already guessing about why the funds were removed. I loved each of these characters and Lily's father. I would absolutely read more by this author or even in this series in the future. The setting and descriptions in the book is amazing. You can absolutely picture their games as well as the courtyard and maze. 

    Here is your disclaimer, if you struggle with it, that this is an open door. As always, there is no complaints from me about smut. A lot of what I read falls in that category and I am not even a little ashamed to admit it. 

    This book is available on Amazon for FREE by clicking here. 

Book Review: Rough by Renee Rose (Wolf Ranch Book 1)

     The good doctor is just trying to patch me up. Hell anyone else could have easily died with the hit I took from that bull. But, I just couldn't keep my eyes off her. Especially not when my friend put his hands on her. In his defense, he didn't know she was mine. I didn't even know until now. But, I am going to keep her safe. 

    I love shifter books and this one did not disappoint. We get a fun mix of cowboy and wolf shifter with a dash of the rodeo thrown in for good measure. We start out with the doc not having been in town long, but taking on a shift at the rodeo. Basically just patch up the guys when they inevitably get hurt on one of those mounts. Bright side is those males are such fun to watch. Especially the champ.

    There is a good bit of the normal tropes we find in most shifter books. Don't tell humans shifters exist. This one in particular belongs to whatever alpha male is in the book. Something happens to show his true nature. Still, the joy is always in the journey. We see how he messes things up and attempts to fix them. We see other people vying for her attention and the feelings as they develop. 

    This book is decidedly open door...and sometimes open barn. I am not in the slightest bit complaining about this, but I know some prefer the closed doors versus the smut that fills my devices most of the time. I will say this is one of those books where we don't start the series with the alpha of the pack. He is an alpha male, but his brother is the actual alpha. Although the alpha isn't the next book in the series. The set-up lead me to believe it will actually be the youngest brother who had been away from home for a while. We shall see. 

This book is available on Amazon for FREE by clicking here. 

Book Review: Snow So White by C. Gockel (Urban Magic and Folklore Book 1)

     In the tiny village of Somer the paranormal and normal live side by side in harmony. There is none of the chaos that reigns in the war far away. Still, when Cherie's grandmother dies things begin to change. Cherie's long-time crush is a ghost in a mirror, but he can do little more than warn the residents. The Queen's men are coming and they will take the most magically inclined to fight in the war. Intent on getting away Cherie begins her travels out of town, trailing her friends who left before her, only to stumble upon a vampire. With Grandmother's help can she and Jack Frost strike a bargain that will keep her village safe? 

    This book was one of my impulse purchases and I loved it. I got this book shortly after finishing Tasting Red, which I did the review on not too long ago. I was in my feels about twisted fairy tales and found this gem. A fun mix of snow white and Jack Frost in a contemporary setting. It is very much so post-apocalyptic, mind you. This book is set in the future after the Queen successfully toppled the United States. 

    We begin by meeting Cherie and discovering that her grandmother has just died and how she is handling this loss. We then meet Jack Frost, the "ghost" trapped in mirrors and discover that while Cherie has some magic it isn't very much. You can see the magic around people, and hers was never overly present. Still, the Queen's men are interested in her and their town. She has to save her people. No matter the consequences. But, the world outside of her town is a very different place. No matter the deal she must strike she will make it to the heart of Chicago and free the only warrior that can help them. 

    I loved every step of the journey as well as discovering more about Cherie's magic. Everything from the Fae to the demons is amazing. I would love to see how this plays out as the series continues. The story-line is engaging, the characters are well rounded and there is just enough of a hanger at the end that you can't wait to find out what happens next. There are some romance aspects to the book, but it is very much so a slow burn. 

This book is available on Amazon for FREE by clicking here.