2 Girls & A Book
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Lynn Shaw
  • Review Policy
  • Fangirl Moments
  • Author and PR Services

Review of Hauntings & Havoc by Stacey Rourke

10/25/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
Haunted by the past, hungry for revenge,
Malaria Cain is slowly coming unhinged.
Luring her father out of hiding is her lone goal,
even if the cost is her eternal soul.
Yet darkness stirs at Crane’s Roost Inn,
causing Malaria’s sanity to grow quite thin.
A malevolent entity seeks to block her escape,
preventing her return home from taking shape.
Will her need for vengeance be her downfall?
Or will she break the Crane family curse once and for all?


FREE in KU 
AMAZON



​My Review

Revenge at its Finest

Hauntings & Havoc is a macabre revenge filled ending to Malaria Crane's story.

For me, this installment had Nightmare on Elm Street meets The Shinig vibes. Wait, hear me out. There is a scene where Malaria falls through the hotel and into the boiler room. The room is a steam filled nightmare as the boilers turn on and she is confronted by the Dark Lady. With the clicks of her nails, I waited with bated breath for Freddy to pop up and slide his knives down a metal railing. It could have been the Elm Street marathon I had before reading this book. And hello, haunted hotel where the guests never leave. Be still my goulish heart!

Malaria Crane is a total bad a$$ and witnessing her unleash on her father was poetic justice. Bravo Rourkes!
1 Comment

Review of River of Ashes by Alexandera Weis & Lucas Astor

5/27/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
​River of Ashes
by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor
(St. Benedict, #1)
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: August 2nd 2022
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller
​“A psychological portrait akin to Lord of the Flies.” ~Midwest Book Review


SOME TRUTHS ARE BETTER KEPT SECRET. SOME SECRETS ARE BETTER OFF DEAD.

ALONG THE BANKS OF THE BOGUE FALAYA RIVER, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.

And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux.

The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Star quarterback. Handsome. Charming. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch.

He is also a psychopath.

A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the haunted abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.

As the victim toll mounts, it becomes clear that someone must stop Beau Devereaux.

And that someone will pay with their life.


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60553298-river-of-ashes

Preorder:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/39XSdAz
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/river-of-ashes-alexandrea-weis/1141117946?ean=9781645480983


My Review

5 STARS
​
River of Ashes will forever haunt me. This psychological thriller has tormented my nights my days and filled my days with trepidation. This shocking psychological thriller is a masterpiece is not for the faint of heart. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, I could not put this book down. I had to know what made Beau Devereaux tick.


Some truths are better kept secret.
Some secrets are better off dead.

The blurb says it best, Beau Devereaux is an “American Psycho!” His twisted sense of self-worth and penchant for pain oozes from the pages and leaves you feeling dirty for having shared space with him. He is the epitome of evil. This dark, twisted, thriller is quite the page-turner from beginning to end.

The ending (no spoilers) is poetic. Karma is a BITCH!

Meet the Authors

Picture
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author of over twenty-seven novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers Association, Weis writes mystery, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.


​
http://alexandreaweis.com/
https://www.facebook.com/authoralexandreaweis/
https://twitter.com/alexandreaweis
https://www.instagram.com/alexandreaweis/



 
Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight.

He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.

Photography, making wine, and helping endangered species are just some of his interests. Lucas is an expert archer and enjoys jazz, blues, and classical music.

One of his favorite quotes is:  “It’s better to be silent than be a fool.”  ~Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)

I have attached the blitz banner for those who wish to use it for your post and/or sidebar.

0 Comments

Review - The Bad Ones by Kelly Martin

5/2/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Shadows come from the mirror…

And then there are nightmares.

A month after Nora and her friend from the mirror, Jesse, defeated the doppelganger who haunts mirrors, life has returned to normal. For Nora.

A relic from a past era, thirteen-year-old Jesse has a difficult time adjusting to the twenty-first century.

Jesse fears the ghosts of souls, the Bad Ones, lurking in the reflections, are planning on seeping through the mirror and dragging him back.

Only when the voice of a friend from the past begs for his help from inside the mirror, Jesse has to choose between living in fear or facing the Bad Ones in the mirror once and for all.

Lies.

Betrayal.

Hope…

Nothing is as it seems
 ​

Review

Note: Read Fake Nora first. 

The Bad Ones is the follow-up to Martin's smash hit Fake Nora. We met Jesse in Fake Nora and he was such a compelling character that the fans demanded to hear/read his story. Thus The Bad Ones was born.

Once again I find myself terrified to look too closely at a mirror for fear of what might come crawling through. Poor Jesse thought he had escaped the mirror and the horrors inside but it would seem Reflection Land is not quite done with him. 

Kelly Martin is the Queen of Horror whether she is writing YA, NA, or MG. May her reign be long and full of spooktacular books.

5 STARS
​Lynn 
PURCHASE HERE
BUY IT ON AMAZON
0 Comments

New Release -  A Familiar Magic by E.M. Rinaldi

3/29/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Kaya Thornton killed her best friend. On the run since the tender age of thirteen, she left the safety of her Community’s magicked walls and tried to disappear in the human world. Four years later, she’s found and dragged back kicking and screaming by Auden, her best friend’s older brother.


The second Prince of the Wardwell line is antagonistic and unforgiving, but surprisingly gentle as he forces her home to face the judgement of his father and the Council. She expected hatred and bitter punishment, not private training with a hot and cold Prince and…demonology courses?


Things are not as she left them. Her people are dying and the demon numbers are only growing. Once Witches and their Familiars are wiped out, who will stand between the Demon King and his bottomless appetite? Kaya has no intention of waiting to find out. And this time, she isn’t running.

Read for Free in KU!

BUY HERE
Picture

Review 

​Another 5 Star read and brilliant start to a new series from E.M. Rinaldi! I love the characters and the unique story. I've never read a book that featured a witch's familiar as both a shifter and human.

The MC Kaya is strong, beautiful, and a powerful familiar. Her attraction to Prince Auden is palpable. I thoroughly enjoyed their steamy scenes. But Kaya is much more than just a love interest. Her troubled past and broken soul make her a relatable character. Her strength is amazing.

I'm excited for this new series and to see where Rinaldi let's these characters take her
 
Another 5 Star read and brilliant start to a new series from E.M. Rinaldi! I love the characters and the unique story. I've never read a book that featured a witch's familiar as both a shifter and human.

The MC Kaya is strong, beautiful, and a powerful familiar. Her attraction to Prince Auden is palpable. I thoroughly enjoyed their steamy scenes. But Kaya is much more than just a love interest. Her troubled past and broken soul make her a relatable character. Her strength is amazing.

I'm excited for this new series and to see where Rinaldi let's these characters take her
 
0 Comments

Review of The End of August Part One by Rue Volley

3/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
​It's 1985.
Everyone is wearing a Swatch Watch and carrying a Trapper Keeper.
Goonies, Back to the Future, and The Breakfast Club are killing it at the theaters.
Super Mario Brothers is a lifestyle.
Posters of Duran Duran and Madonna are on every bedroom wall.
But for fifteen-year-old, August East, the biggest news is the move his family made to the odd little town of Whynot, Ohio, a cute boy named Keller West, and, of course, that whole murder thing.
*This is a DUAL POV*
I have spent a week thinking about this story and trying to put my thoughts into a review. Since this is PART 1 of a 2 PART series it is difficult to review only part of the story. This installment is all about meeting the characters, getting the backstory, and laying the foundation for what I am sure will be a hauntingly beautiful tale as only Rue Volley can weave. 

I'm hooked. I need to know more about this stoic, creepy, house on the hill. I'm cheering on the romantic story of August and Keller. 

Pros: 
Super creepy house that is actually a live-in funeral parlor!
Poisonous garden.
Bleeding tree!
Teens finding themselves.
Complex characters.

Cons:
The book is told from 2 POVs - August and Keller. in the beginning August and Keller and telling the same story. The first 100 pages having dual POVs didn't add much new info to the story. The same scene was told by both characters and I felt it didn't add to the story. I could have skipped those extra chapters and not missed anything. HOWEVER, this does get corrected and the reader gets intense POV's through the rest of the story and they definitely added to it. 

I am anxiously awaiting PART 2. Something about that house isn't right. I need those secrets exposed! 

* PART TWO IS AVAILABLE
Picture

It's 
1985.
Jelly bracelets are on every wrist.
Beaded friendship pins are on every shoelace.

Cellphones are not a thing.

Slumber parties, roller skating rinks, and arcades are all the rage.
Every kid has a key to their home and knows how to babysit themselves.

And Molly Ringwald is everyone's fantasy girl.

But for fifteen-year-old August East, his world revolves around his new house, his new friends, and a boy by the name of Keller West, that has stolen his heart.

Not to mention that whole haunted victorian home, the mysterious death of the last owner, and, oh yeah, the empty mausoleum in his backyard.

Free in Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON
0 Comments

Taylor's Outrageous Vow by Sara Jo Cluff

2/14/2022

0 Comments

 
If you are looking for a hilarious, fun, witty, rom-com; then look no further!
Picture
Taylor's outrageous Vow 
by Sara Jo Cluff
Genre: YA ROM COM
Publisher: Monster Ivy Publishing
AMAZON
Seventeen-year-old Taylor Thomas wants revenge.

When her boyfriend dumps her right after a magical prom, she enrolls her best friends, Daphne and Veronica, to create a Vow of Vengeance, a list of pranks to make her douchey ex, Zander, suffer.

Nothing will distract her from messing with Zander. Not having all six of her brothers and their families come to visit. Not an over-the-top family vacation. And definitely not her brother's super hot college roommate who is staying with them. Even if he is the most gorgeous guy she’s ever seen.

As Taylor checks off the items in her outrageous vow, the pranks become way more disastrous than she ever planned, putting her friends and family at risk.

Taylor needs to get her anger in check, along with her feelings for an older guy, before she blows her chance at true love.

For fans of Clique Bait and I Believe in a Thing Called Love comes this hilarious romantic comedy

Review 

If you are looking for a hilarious, fun, witty, rom-com; then look no further! Taylor's Outrageous Vow is the smashing follow up to Sara Jo Cluff's Daphne's Questionable Bet.

Xander has rudely dumped Taylor and she wants nothing more than to make him pay. Of course, her besties come to her rescue. Let the hijinks begin! Seriously, these girls give me #friendshipgoals. This book is laugh out load funny while dealing with real topics like family, love, second chances, body image, and more. Cluff takes these real world topics and makes her point through comedy but still gets the point across.

And we have to discuss the hotness that is Huntley! The cougar in this reader is coming out. Rarr! He's just so perfect. #bookboyfriend

~ Lynn 
​5 Stars

Meet Sara Jo Cluff

​Sara Jo Cluff is a YA contemporary author. She grew up in Yorba Linda, California, but now resides in snowy Utah with her husband. She is an avid reader, jigsaw puzzle enthusiast, Netflix addict, and a member of the #PepperPack. Her writing is basically fueled by Dr Pepper.

Stalk Sara on Social Media

INSTAGRAM ~ FACEBOOK ~ WEB
0 Comments

Preorder & Review ~ A Familiar Magic by E.M. Rinaldi

2/11/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
A Familiar Magic by E.M. Rinaldi
Release Date - March 29, 2022
Genre - Urban Fantasy
Publisher - Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
PREORDER
​Kaya Thornton killed her best friend. On the run since the tender age of thirteen, she left the safety of her Community’s magicked walls and tried to disappear in the human world. Four years later, she’s found and dragged back kicking and screaming by Auden, her best friend’s older brother.

The second Prince of the Wardwell line is antagonistic and unforgiving, but surprisingly gentle as he forces her home to face the judgement of his father and the Council. She expected hatred and bitter punishment, not private training with a hot and cold Prince and…demonology courses?

Things are not as she left them. Her people are dying and the demon numbers are only growing. Once Witches and their Familiars are wiped out, who will stand between the Demon King and his bottomless appetite? Kaya has no intention of waiting to find out. And this time, she isn’t running.

Review

I love E.M. Rinaldi and I have been impatiently waiting for series!  When Rinaldi offered me an ARC I dove right in.
******************************************************
Another 5 Star read and brilliant start to a new series from E.M. Rinaldi! I love the characters and the unique story. I've never read a book that featured a witch's familiar as both a shifter and human.

The MC Kaya is strong, beautiful, and a powerful familiar. Her attraction to Prince Auden is palpable. I thoroughly enjoyed their steamy scenes. But Kaya is much more than just a love interest. Her troubled past and broken soul make her a relatable character. Her strength is amazing.

I'm excited for this new series and to see where Rinaldi let's these characters take her
 

Meet E.M. Rinaldi

Picture
Well, it turns out Mrs. Rinaldi does not have a bio online. I'll just have to share what I know!

E.M. Rinaldi resides in North Carolina with her husband, daughter, and a spoiled dog. Her first series, The Cross Chronicles, is available to read for free in Kindle Unlimited.  Rinadli was named Best Debut Author if the Year for Evading the Dark by 2 Girls & A Book. 


You can stalk her on social media @emrinadli

Picture
0 Comments

Review ~ Hunted Girl (Rachel Ryder Bk 2) by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

2/10/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
​Fresh off the high of solving her first major investigation at her new department, Detective Rachel Ryder is about to risk losing it all.

A drug overdose case hits close to home when a body is linked to the family of Rachel's friend. But the seemingly simple investigation leads her down a rabbit hole from her past; a past she fears has finally come back to haunt her.

As bodies begin to accumulate, Detective Ryder knows in her gut that vengeance is upon her. Yet time and again the evidence just doesn't add up.

Obsessed with stopping a murderer bent on revenge, Rachel plows ahead on instinct alone. But emotions cloud her judgment, mistakes pile up, and she puts the lives of others at risk.

Increasingly isolated, Rachel begins to question her own sanity. Is she succumbing to fear? Or has Rachel's past finally caught up with her?

Bestselling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson delivers a riveting addition to the Rachel Ryder series.

Review 

This installment reminds me of one of my favorite southern crime TV shows, Justified. Like the shows MC Raylan Givens, Aspenson's Rachel Ryder is gritty, gruff, and at times rash. I love how the author combines Ryder's past and current cases into a complex and twisted storyline. This "who dun it" has a lot of players and at times I felt I needed a whiteboard to follow it too. But in the end, it was a fantastic crime procedural. I'm looking forward to reading other books in this series and seeing how the case of Ryder's murdered husband plays into future installments.

Lynn 
​4 Stars 
Picture
From Book 1:
​
Bestselling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson is back—this time with a scrappy heroine whose bold detective work and well-timed one-liners will leave you riveted—and entertained—at every turn.
"Detective Rachel Ryder is smart, tough, and fearless—readers will gladly follow her through every twist of Aspenson’s knockout first installment in this riveting new series.” —LynDee Walker, Amazon Charts bestselling author of Fear No Truth
New to town and a little rough around the edges, Detective Rachel Ryder finds herself on the receiving end of a suspicious person’s call in Hamby, Georgia. When the call turns out to be a dead body, the medical examiner is quick to rule the death a suicide. But was it something more sinister?
Everyone in the small department believes the case is closed—except for Rachel. The sudden passing of a local politician during the mayor’s run for Congress strikes her as a little too coincidental, and Rachel is eager to follow her instincts. Her partner, Rob, a 30-year veteran, isn’t the type to disobey his boss or ruffle any feathers, but he can’t convince strong-willed Rachel to let it go.
Obsessed with finding out the truth, Rachel begins to examine the evidence and drags her reluctant partner along for the ride. But the clues are confusing. Nothing is adding up.
Puzzled and running out of time, Rachel and Rob rush to work every angle and bring the elusive killer to justice before someone else ends up dead.
_____________________
"...a fast-paced police procedural with a killer ending." —Susan Hunter, author of Dangerous Habits
"...an awesome mystery..." —Kimberly Charleston, Books Uplift
0 Comments

Divine Decay (Death Diggers Handbook Book 3) by Stacey Rourke, E. Rourke, & M. Rourke

1/27/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
The city of the dead,
invaded by life.
Sending Queen Tempest
to a world of strife.
Forced from her castle,
robbed of her crown.
The beloved ruler
is chased underground.
Her people enslaved,
tortured and maimed.
By one possessing
the Legba name.
A prophecy misread
will pit sister against sister.
While one unsuspecting ghoul
becomes one’s mister.
War will rage if
wedding bells chime.
But can the Corpse Queen
make it in time?
In the shadows
dark secrets loom.
Will they free Carnage Crossing?
Or seal its doom?

Review 

​Only the Rourkes can take something as serious as a hostile takeover of Carnage Crossing and make it macabre yet beautiful, deadly yet humorous, loveless yet romantic ALL at the same time. Bravo on another amazing series!

5 Stars
​Lynn 
Picture
Check out the entire series for FREE from Kindle Unlimited.
AMAZON
0 Comments

Audiobook Review - Hemlock by Rue Volley

1/13/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture

​​By: Rue Volley
Narrated by: Alivia Berry,
Andrea Emmes, Angel Pean, Champ Hollins, Deepti Gupta, Hope Newhouse, James R. Cheatham, Lucy Peterson, Madison Sawyer, Nancy Peterson, Zachary Webber
Series: Academy of the Dead, Book 1
Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins
Release date: 12-03-21
Publisher: The Audio Flow, LLC
Rook Dagger spent the first 15 years of her life safely tucked away in a beautiful cottage on the lake, enjoying home-cooked meals and homeschooling far away from the rest of the world. But her power couldn't be hidden forever. The time has come for her to be enrolled in Hemlock Academy, a centuries-old institution designed to cultivate and create the greatest necromancers in the world. 
The children who attend will one day be placed among the seven kingdoms of magic, serving kings and country for as long as they're needed. To harness the power surging through her veins, Rook will need guidance in the art of giving of life - and taking it away. This power makes her unique. Dangerous. Different. Her abilities could make her an unstoppable force of nature if she wasn't hung up on a boy: G Gianni - a beautiful distraction with pouty lips, pale skin, and a sharp tongue. His attention consumes her. His scent entices her. His words infuriate her. She loves to hate him. He hates to love her. And together? Well, together, they could destroy the world.
Amazon
Audible

Review

First Impressions: 
Rook Dagger is the sexiest, coolest name ever! She sounds like she should be a PI instead of a student.

Want to make a fictional character even hotter? Give him a one letter name!
G oozes sex appeal.

I want to visit the town of Hawthorn! A town full of various paranormal and fantasy creatures, oh yeah, I'm there!

*****************************************************************************************
The characters in Hemlock are fun, sassy, and sexy. My only complaint is that I found them eerily similar to the cast of 13 Ways to Midnight (also by this author). The story definitely has undertones of 13WYTM and Twilight. Now that's not a thing. I LOVE 13WTM. #TeamAsher all the way. But it would have been nice to not feel like I was with the same characters in a different setting. Will that stop me from continuing the series when the next book releases? Absolutely not. I'm invested and I enjoy this trope.

Moving on to the narration. I have never experienced an audiobook with such a diverse ensemble. I loved the unique quality each person lent to bringing the story to life. All the different accents were great too. However, in terms of production, it seemed obvious some of the male narration was added in. It didn't flow seamlessly. I only noticed it a few times. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the narration. I look forward to hearing this cast do the next book.


0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    1 Year Anniversary
    An AudioBook Worm Promotion
    Audiobook Reviews
    Audiobook Tours
    Author Spotlights
    Black Spot Books
    Blog Tours
    Cover Reveal
    Crystal's Reviews
    Fangirl Thursday
    Haunted-by-magic
    HEA PR
    Hot Tree Promotions
    Lady
    Lady Amber's Reviews & PR
    Love Affair With Fiction
    Lynn's Reviews
    New Release
    Ouab-2016
    Preorder
    Reviews
    Sales
    Sales Alerts
    #ScareFest2015
    Siren Press
    Sleuthing Women!
    Spooktacular Reads 2020
    Spooktacular Reads 2021
    The Audio Flow
    Welcome

    Archives

    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    RSS Feed

    Picture

Thank you for visiting 2 Girls & A Book.


Picture