Curse and Craving (Of Myth and Man, #1), Jill Ramsower

 

Curse and Craving (Of Myth and Man, #1)

By: Jill Ramsower

My Recommendation: 👍👍👍👍 - (Out of 5 👍)

Rebecca is surprised when she lands a job with a museum in Belfast Ireland. She is fresh out of college, has no experience but she hopes that this job will be the beginning of her dream career. Upon arriving in Ireland she discovers that the world isn't quite what she has always known it to be. Fae and other supernatural beings really do exist. 

Lochlan is a member of The Hunt. He and his warrior team of Fae work together to guard the boarder between the realms. Becca relies on Lochlan to teach her all she needs to know about her new world to battle evil forces. Unfortunately there are things about the Fae that Becca is struggling to come to terms with. Becca contemplates leaving Ireland and all her new troubles behind her but she is concerned that they will just follow her back to the United States and to her family.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review:

Jill Ramsower has taken a very interesting fantasy trope and put a unique spin on it; at least unique to me. Ramsower has taken Irish folklore, merged it with Arthurian characters and storylines while throwing in a sprinkling of Norse and Greek mythology. With so many different backgrounds merged into one story there could be a concern that things would become muddied but Ramsower manages to balance all the different themes very nicely. The character development and world building was well thought out, we get a real feel for Becca, where she comes from, her painful past, and her battles to come. This story was original, easy to read, and was very engaging. There is resolution to Becca and Lochlan's storyline. The next installment of the series will focus in on two other characters who appeared in this first book. I look forward to Ashley and Casek's story.

 Purchase:

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A Christmas House Wedding, Victoria James

 

A Christmas House Wedding

By: Victoria James

My Recommendation: 👍👍👍👍👍 - (Out of 5 👍)

This story is a continuation of Victoria James's 'A Christmas House'. In the first installment we meet Ruby Harris, grandmother to both Charlotte and Olivia. Ruby has had a difficult and lonely life. She raised both her granddaughters when her daughter left them on her doorstep. Throughout it all she learned to give to those less fortunate than herself. As such, every Christmas, Ruby opens her door to those in need of a place to be for dinner. At the end of the first book a long lost love showed up on her door step Christmas Day. Now her and Harry are getting engaged to be married on Christmas Eve. 

Olivia struggled with the abandonment by both her father and then her mother. She never developed her self-worth. Her ex-husband, Will, only perpetuated her issues by being mentally and emotionally abusive. To compound issues he cheated on her with so many different women. Once Olivia gave birth to her daughter Dawn she realized she needed to leave her current situation or run the risk of her daughter thinking it was alright for a man to mistreat a woman. A year later Olivia decides to use the settlement money from her divorce to purchase and renovate an old warehouse and turn it into a dance studio. The problem is her contractor has ditched on her. In steps local contractor Scott. He is best friend to Olivia's brother-in-law Wyatt. Olivia feels drawn to Scott but is afraid to let him get close, it doesn't help that Charlotte and Wyatt both are playing match maker with the couple. Her past with Will and her father makes it difficult for Olivia to open up and trust any man. Can Olivia learn to accept herself as she is, find value in the person she has become, and open up to a new relationship?

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review:

Victoria James writes truly amazing, heart warming, happily ever after stories. If you are looking for a romance that contains sexual encounters and/or love scenes you will not find them in her books but this by no means leaves the romance and intensity between the couples her stories lacking. James understands the value of a slow build between a couple using growth of character. In the first story we learn enough about Olivia to feel for the deeply abused woman and her beautiful daughter. In this book we find out that Scott has his own demons he has battled. Over the years he has had time to overcome them, he has built a nice life for himself and his daughter. His past struggles and who he is now makes him a relatable character. Ruby and Harry's current love story is scattered throughout the book. It is wonderful for both Ruby and Olivia to finally get their happily ever afters. This story is well written, the cover is gorgeous, and the characters are real and relatable. I fully recommend this book as well as any other book by Victoria James.

This book will be available October 11, 2022 but you can pre-order on Amazon

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