**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**THE SPELLBOOK OF KATRINA VAN TASSEL: A Story of Sleepy Hollow by Alyssa Palombo. The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel is a retelling of the tale of Sleepy Hollow, but this time it is being told from the point of view of Ichabod Crane's love interest, Katrina. I loved this switch in point of view because it offered a lot of great new insight and perspective into a story that I was already familiar with. Katrina breathed new life into the tale of the headless horseman. The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel is a perfect read for Halloween. I loved the gothic atmosphere vibe, paired with all of the supernatural elements of the story. It was a great combination for a mysterious and spooky read, but don't worry, it also has plenty of romance woven in, which I also loved.

Katrina Van Tassel and Ichabod Crane meet when Mr. Cranes comes into town as a new teacher. Watching him and Katrina meet and eventually fall in love was my favorite part of the story. I loved all the magical elements and, of course I love the Legend of Sleepy Hollow aspects of the story. We also get to meet Brom and Charlotte, who is one of Katrina's friends. I loved Charlotte's addition to the story. I thought she was a wonderful companion to the feisty and independent Katrina. 

I will say that the first half of the book felt more focused on the romance development and the magic and legend aspects did not fully manifest until the second half of the book. Because of this , it took me a little while to become fully invested in the story, but once I fell into the story I was fully immersed. I really enjoyed this novel. It was fantastic to be able to see this story from a female point of view. I feel like there are many stories, TV shows and movies from Ichabod's point of view, so this was a nice change of pace and insight. Alyssa kept several parts of the story the same from the tale we all know, but she did put her own spin on things. That is my favorite part of reading a retelling. I love to see how an author is going to twist or change details to make the story feel fresh. Alyssa certainly accomplished this goal.

Overall, if you are looking for an atmospheric read full of gothic romance, magic and Sleepy Hollow and the headless horsemen, then The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel will be a fantastic book for you to check out this fall season. I really enjoyed this story. Alyssa Palombo does a fantastic job creating a wonderfully rich world. She writes beautifully detailed scenes, and makes it easy for the reader to feel like they are right there in the middle of it all. This is a great novel. 
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**The Last Dragon Princess is a young adult standalone fantasy romance by Cynthia Payne. I really loved so many things about The Last Dragon Princess. I love dragon shifters, I loved the detailed world that Cynthia Payne created, I loved the large cast of characters (some more than others) and I really loved that this was a completely standalone novel. Don't get me wrong, I love series, but every once in a while it is really nice to be able to start and finish a  story within one novel. 

Fans of fantasy novels that feature rich world, and lots of secrets and court politics will really enjoy The Last Dragon Princess. I loved all of the layers to this story. In The Last Dragon Princess we meet Danu, who is one of the few remaining breeders- or a woman who can birth a dragon shifter, left in the kingdom. There are plenty of secrets that surround Danu and some of the other characters in the book, but I will let you discover them for yourself. Danu is offered up to have her mate selected by the council to become their next Queen. They need a breeder that can produce more powerful dragon shifters because their country is at war with a much more powerful enemy, called the Creators. 

Through trying to pick her mate, Danu uncovers more secrets and is quickly immersed in a very high stakes adventure. I loved how the story kept growing and growing as we learned more about the world and the players. The Last Dragon Princess is a book that honestly kept getting better and better. There are five main dragon shifters present in the story. The only one I really liked was Garm. I wanted to like some of the other guys more, and I really wish that I did. (I think that would have made everything just a bit more interesting) but I really didn't. Fenrir was just way too surface level and full of himself. Hagen was ok but he was too much of a follower, Aegir was just....no, and Pan. Well Pan is adorable but he is just not my type. I liked Garm the more I got to know him, and ultimately I loved Garm. I will explain more of what I mean in this spoiler, but be warned...it IS a spoiler.

I just wanted Garm to have more competition. He did have some with Pan, but I think I would have enjoyed the guys a little more if they were not so one dimensional each. Danu and Garm were both complex characters, which made them so interesting, so I wanted that for the guys too.

Cynthia Payne really, really impressed me with this story. I loved The Last Dragon Princess, and honestly, I can't wait for more novels from her. I love the way she creates a fantasy world. The Last Dragon Princess was interesting from start to finish. I think fans of fantasy romances will really love this standalone epic fantasy. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Cold Spell is the third book in the Sweet Escape series by Mia London & Susan Sheehey. The sweet escape series is a series of standalone contemporary romance novels by this author duo. You do not need to read the books in this series in order. Cold spell is the third book in the series, but it is also the first book I have read from the series. I think this series will be great for fans of super quick, instant gratification type reads. I tend to like my books a little longer so I can enjoy all of the details of the story, so this novel was a little too short for me, but if you are looking for a read that you can easily complete in one sitting, this will be a great one for you. 

Cold Spell is the story of Liddy and Luke. Liddy goes on a quick ski trip to unwind with her friends and she ends up hurting her ankle. Enter hot and charismatic ski instructer, Luke who comes to her rescue. I really liked Liddy and Luke, but at about 100 pages, this story felt too rushed for me. I loved the plotline of Luke's family lurking in the background and I wanted to see that explored more. I also wanted a bit more of a slower burn, which is simply not what this story is about. So overall, I liked everything I did read, but I just wanted a bit more from this story. The characters were good. The romance was sexy and fun, but it is more of a novella than a novel in my opinion, which is something I didn't realize going into the story. I think fans of novella romances will really enjoy Cold Spell. It was a quick fun read. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Taming is the first book in the adult shifter romance series, called to Tame a Shifter by author A.K. Koonce. Though this is my first book that I have read by this author, I know it won't be my last. I really enjoyed Taming. It was  a good start to what seems like it will be a very interesting series. Be warned, it does leave you on one heck of a cliffhanger, which made me even more anxious and excited for the second book.

In Taming we meet our main character Arlow. Arlow is an animal taming and a mage. At the start of the story, she comes across three dragon eggs, which she takes because they will sell for a very high price. Unbeknownst to her, those eggs contain dragon shifters in them. Dragon shifters that are meant to hunt her down. The premise of the story is an interesting one, and even more interesting is how hostile the characters are to each other. I really didn't expect that. This story is very slow burn in the liking and romance department for some of the characters, which was a big surprise to me. I feel like Taming was more of a foundational first book. It set the stage for the character dynamics and I think the action, romance and everything is really going to explode in the next book. That is what I am waiting for. I liked this story, but I think I wanted it to be a little bit longer so we could see more more develop between Arlow and the guys. I will have to let you know my thoughts on them in after I read the next book.

Bottom line: If you are a fan of dragon shifters, Taming is an interesting first read filled with magic, adventure and lots of secrets. It sets the stage for what I think will be an interesting series. I like that things are developing slowly, but I do wish this book was a bit longer, and had a bit more of the story. The cliffhanger was a nasty one, and I am bummed that I have to wait until the next book to continue the story. I enjoyed Taming and I think I am going to love the second book even more. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Player is a new adult standalone romantic comedy by author Staci Hart. I really love Staci's books. They always deliver a great romance, with believable and swoonworthy characters, and the writing is always excellent. Player is no exception. I really enjoyed this book. It felt a bit different than her other novels, but the premise is one that I always enjoy. I love a good romance centered on a bet. In fact, you could say I am a sucker for this trope. It always seems to work out well for me and my reading experience. 

In Player we meet Sam and Val. They are both orchestra players on Broadway, which is a huge accomplishment in and of itself. Sam is also an actually player, he is up front with women about the fact that he is not looking for anything serious. Sam's friend Ian is a total cad, which leads us to our Bet. Ian promises to stay away from Val as long as Sam pretends to date her for one month. It was kind of a weird bet, in my opinion. But I know that Sam's heart was in the right place. According to Ian, If Sam didn't take the bet then Ian was going to pursue Val and Sam didn't want to see quiet clumsy Val a victim of hurricane Ian. But then the story got even more interesting. The bet morphed into Sam giving Val boyfriend lessons. It was at this point in the story that everything kind of took off in a positive direction for me. 

I loved confident sweet Sam and seeing him try to convince Val that she is an awesome lady. I liked Sam a lot more than I liked Val. I understand that she had certain insecurities, but she really had no idea how great she was, which I hate to see in anyone. I loved that Sam was so great and patient with her and was always so reassuring to her. I just wanted her to believe in herself a lot sooner than she did. It took her a longgg time to come around and see her self worth. But Val and Sam's journey together was full or heart, sexiness and was completely adorable. I really enjoyed their story. It was a lot of fun. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**#1 MUSE is the fifth book in the #1 series by T. Gephart. Each of the books in the series are romantic comedies, but they do not need to be read in order. This is the first book in the series I have checked out so far and, while it was more than a little far fetched, it was a lot of fun. In Muse, we meet Claire, who is an out of work screen writing in LA, who is looking for a show or movie to be a writer on. On the side, she also pens some fanfiction featuring one of her favorite actors, Nick. When her fanfiction accidentally ends up in Nick's possession, Claire will do anything to get it back. What results is a whirlwind romance that was a lot of fun to read about. 

I love both Claire and Nick. In fact, I loved the whole cast of characters, because Claire's friends were also pretty awesome. Claire is a very capable woman, and I appreciate how up front she is in pretty much all aspects of her life. She really doesn't have a problem voicing her opinion, which is so refreshing to me. (And impressive, coming from a people pleaser through and through.) Nick is a complete sweetheart. Honestly, He seemed almost too good to be true. He was utterly unfazed by Hollywood and being a celebrity. That is part of what felt a little unrealistic to me. 

He didn't seem to bat an eye when he found out Claire camped out INSIDE. HIS. HOUSE, overnight while. he slept. Which is totally crazy in my opinion. He didn't seem to even think about the possibility that she may be a crazy fan. he asked her out on a date and then pursued her hard ever since.

The whole Claire and Nick scenario felt like a lot of insta love, on both ends. But it seemed a little hard to believe when you take into account one of the parties is an actual celebrity. I would have liked the plot to have been just a bit more believable, but perhaps some of the fun of this novel is in the fantasy of this scenario playing itself out. I can certainly see that, and the romance was very sweet and fun to read. 
If you are a fan of celebrity/actor romances and you are not put off by a small case of insta love, I think you will enjoy how much fun Claire and Nick's story is. The romance really is very sweet and the characters and writing are excellent. This was a fun read for me, albeit a little unrealistic. 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Carols and Chaos is a standalone young adult historical fiction by Cindy Anstey. Even though Carols and Chaos can be read as a standalone, it is set in the same time period and world as Cindy's previous novel, Suitors and Sabotage. This is the fourth book I have read by Ms. Anstey and I just adore them all! I know they are all going to be fabulous written and pure fun from start to finish. And Carols and Chaos was no exception. I will be honest, this was not my favorite of Cindy's books. That honor still goes to Love, Lies and Spies. It was my absolute favorite by Cindy but Carols and Chaos was a great read. I love all of Cindy's books so much. 

In Carols and Chaos we meet Kate and Matt. This is not the first time we have met Kate or Matt. We met both of them as background characters in Suitors and Sabotage. It was really nice to see them get their own story. I didn't know them well in the last novel, but from the moment I met them each in Carols and Chaos, I just knew they were great people. Their story gave me all the warm and fuzzies of a lifetime holiday movie or a Hallmark Christmas movie. It was simply a feel good read. Yes, there were some cringe worthy situations that they seemed to find themselves in, but overall this book just made me happy. 

Kate and Matt both want to do the right thing. You can tell they are good people through and through- hark workers, honest. They made it so easy for me to root for them. Matt was not even remotely looking for love, but he seemed to light up anytime he was around Kate. I found myself reading as quickly as possible through the parts that only featured one of the characters, because the scenes where they were interacting with each other were by far my favorite. 

If you are looking for a feel good holiday read, set in teh regency era, then Carols and Chaos is the perfect read for you. I think it will put you in the holiday mood and it will put a smile on your face. If you don't fall for Kate and Matt, then I think something is wrong with you. ;p

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Amber & Dusk is a young adult fantasy romance by author Lyra Selene. Amber & Dusk is a novel that features awesome secrets and intrigue, a really cool world setup, and characters that pull you in. Honestly, I loved pretty much everything about this novel. I really hope there is going to be a sequel. I wasn't sure by the ending of Amber & Dusk if there would be one or not. I think there is certainly room for one. We had a few things that can be expanded on, and that were not completely wrapped up, so I am holding out for for another book. I need more! Lyra Selene did such a fantastic job with her characters and world building. This was a book that I just kept getting more and more excited about, the more I read it. It is a fantasy that I will be recommending to everyone as soon as it is released at the end of this month! You need to read Amber & Dusk! Yes, you!

In Amber & Dusk we meet our heroine, Sylvie. Sylvie is an orphan that has magic, which in an of itself is strange because magic is normally a sign of the aristocracy. Sylvie leaves home to try and find a place where she belongs, and her adventure really grows from there. Once Sylvie gets to court, the book really kicks off. It was at this point that I could not put it down. I just kept on reading until I was done because I was so immersed in this world and the story. Lyra Selene's writing felt magical. It completely pulled me in and held on tight. The creation myth of the world was a particular favorite of mine. It deals with the moon and the sun, and it was really cool. 

Sylvie is a great, strong yet flawed main character. She was really compelling for me to read about. I loved her. She is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it was her flaws and stubbornness that made her seem more realistic to me. And the romance was awesome! I don't want to go into it too much, but let's just say I was a big fan! A big fan of it :) 

Amber & Dusk does have some of the more typical fantasy elements in the story, wiht the secrets surrounding politics and court life, but Lyra Selene did a fantastic job making the story her own. Amber & Dusk managed to be a really unique read. It wasn't something I had seen done a ton. (However; take this with a bit of bias, because I am always down for a fantasy with some of the common tropes.. I just love it! It is a story set up that I can read over and over again and love it almost every time.)  Amber & Dusk had everything that I love to see in young adult fantasy romances, but it still managed to feel fresh and different. I loved this book, and I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that we will get a sequel! Please make a sequel Lyra! 

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Under the Lights is the first book in the contemporary romance series, called the boys of Fall series. I originally thought this was going to be a new adult series, but it is an adult contemporary romance series. The cover was a bit misleading for me, so I wanted to be sure to point that out. I really liked this as a small town sweet romance, but the book didn't blow my socks off. I liked Chase and I really liked Kelly. And I loved what they were doing for their towns football team. The love that everyone has for coach is so evident throughout Under The Lights.

The town is going through some hard times, and their high school's football team is being cut within the next school year if the town can't raise the funds to keep the program running. And for Kelly's dad, coach- football is basically his life. He loves coaching and all of his boys. I thought it was so heartwarming how the whole town, and even the old glory days high school dream team of the past, came together to try and save money with the festival and old v. new football game. Kelly is the town cop, and she was my favorite character of the story. I loved how take charge she was, in almost all aspects. And above all, I love how determined she is to save the team for her dad. I also really liked the whole secret crush aspect that she had going on with Chase.

And Chase was great too, but I don't know- the romance aspect of the book felt a little boring to me. That might be the wrong word because I did enjoy Under the Lights and I might continue on in the series, but their romance didn't captivate and excite me the way that I was hoping. It was sweet and slow and made me smile. I get why they didn't rush into anything. They were both coming off of bad relationships, and they were each dealing with their own demons, but together I just expected more fireworks, and it took a longg time to get there.

People that enjoy small town romances will really like Under the Lights. The football played a smaller role than I was expecting in the story as well, but I think that worked out in the end. The true beauty of Under the Lights for me was watching the town come together. This one was a good read, but a bit slower in the romance area than I was expecting.

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Checkmate: This is War is the first in the checkmate duet by author Kennedy Fox. It is an enemies to lovers story that is right up my alley. I was hooked from the very first moment I read the opening lines of the summary. I mean, come on, how could you not be? This book just screams a good time. I had so much fun reading it. Fans of bickering, fighting and URST galore will eat Checkmate: This is War right up. I cannot wait for the second half of the duet. My only complain is that I wish it was a trilogy or series instead of a duology. I want more more checkmate!

Checkmate this is war is told in dual narrative between Viola Fisher and Travis King, two childhood friends turned heated enemies. I don't know what it says about me, but I just love this kind of dynamic in stories. I think it is because the rights and low blows just crack me up. I love to watch them rile each other up. (I know, I can't be the only one who enjoys that!)Travis and Viola are each dynamos in their own regard, and watching them go head to head was pure magic. The cliffhanger is killer though, so be warned about that. (I think that is starting to become a requirement in duologies.)

Checkmate: This is war is written by Kennedy Fox, who is an author duo. And I have to say, I am in love with these two ladies and how their writing styles combine. I don't know who they are...they are very hush hush about that (I am very good at keeping a secret Kennedy, you can trust me;) ) but I really love them together. Checkmate was everything I love in story- snappy dialogue, great characters that bring out heat and fire in the other one, bickering in an abundance and a romance that cannot be beat.

Bottom line: if you are a fan of enemies to lovers story, the Checkmate duet is an A! You need to read it!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs