Forgotten Warrior: A Moment in Time by Glenn Barnes

Chandler, Mark, Sergeant First Class, US Army Rangers has been given some seriously bad news. He has an inoperable brain tumor and he’s going to die. That is, until he gets a second chance. 
Seemingly saved by the enigmatic Colonel McKown, Chandler is given the slimmest chance of redemption. The upside to his ‘opportunity’ is that he will be completely cured. The downside is that he will have to spend an entire year, cryogenically frozen, in a tube. 
Now, following a terrorist outrage that left Chandler still frozen 500 years after he should have been, he is revived to a strange and forbidding world, with people speaking unfamiliar languages and a planet on the edge. 
Now Chandler, with his individual skill set, is initiated into the warrior class of this puzzling group of people. But what will this new world hold for a man who should have died half a millennium ago? 
Will it be any less dangerous than the one he left? And will he come to wish that he’d succumbed to the cancer that should have ended his life long before now? 

REVIEW: ***

Good read I really liked this story. Bit short, but the characters were pretty well fleshed out. The one issue I did have was with the editing. words were misspelled, tenses were incorrectly used. What the author really needs is a very good editor, but the story itself was interesting and I would gladly read the next in the series if there is a next book.

Perilous Waif (Alice Long #1) by E. William Brown

My name is Alice Long, and I’ve always known I was different. 

When I was little I used to climb up to the highest branches of the housetree at night, and watch the starships docking at the orbital stations high above. Forty meters off the ground, watching ships thirty thousand kilometers overhead, with senses that could pick out radar pings and comm chatter as easily as the ships themselves. It all seemed perfectly natural at the time. 

There were other kids with mods at the orphanage, but nothing like that. I learned fast to downplay my abilities, keep my mouth shut and try to blend in. Even as a kid I knew not to trust the Matrons. What would they do, if they realized the Adjustments that were supposed to make me a meek little herd animal didn’t do anything? 

Then I messed up, and gave myself away. 

Now I’m on the run, hoping against hope that the Matrons won’t try too hard to find me. Hoping to survive all the awful things that can happen to a girl on her own in space. Kidnappers, slavers, pirates and yakuza - no matter where I go, trouble always seems to find me. 

Good thing I’m not as helpless as I look.

REVIEW: ***

I liked this one. Was not sure initially. Its a bit weird with all the AI/Human mix stuff, but it was a fun, entertaining read. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Wrecking Ball (Hard To Love #1) by P. Dangelico

Cam DeSantis’ life is a hot, steaming pile. How else would you describe losing your husband, your job, and your money all at once? Desperate times call for desperate measures, so when salvation comes in the form of one intolerable a-hole, who just happens to be the starting quarterback for the vaunted NY Titans, she has no choice but to accept his offer as a live-in nanny slash teacher for his eight year old nephew. Now all she has to do is find a safe place in her mind to hide whenever she feels the need to throat punch him into tomorrow…which is often.

Calvin Shaw has zero interest in women. Wait, wait––let me rephrase that. He loves women, he just doesn’t want anything to do with ‘um. Not since his wife, presently ex-wife, got knocked up by the guy she was cheating on him with. Problem is...there’s one living in his house. And he doesn’t know what’s worse, that he promised to be civil, or that he’s attracted to her.

The protagonist of this stand alone novel has a propensity for profanity and sexual shenanigans. You've been warned.

REVIEW: ****

Loved this story. I'm tired of all the insta-love out there now. This relationship built over time and was sweet, realistic and believable.

Starship's Mage: Omnibus (Starship’s Mage #1) by Glynn Stewart (****)

In a galaxy tied together by the magic of the elite Jump Magi, Damien Montgomery is a newly graduated member of their number.

With no family or connections to find a ship, he is forced to service on an interstellar freighter known to be hunted by pirates.

When he takes drastic action to save the "Blue Jay" from their pursuers, he sets in motion a sequence of events beyond his control - and attracts enemies on both sides of the law!

Starship's Mage was originally released as five separate episodes. 



REVIEW: ****
This was surprisingly good! It did not sound like something I would want to read....but it kept coming up on all my recommendations screens and since it was in amazon unlimited I decided to give it a go. And I was immediately sucked into the story. It was well done...mixing magic and science fiction would be hard to do I think but this author managed it wonderfully. The characters were interesting, well fleshed out and I kept wanting to read when the book ended. I looked it up and found three more in this series so I downloaded them all. Book two did not disappoint either and I am continuing right along. I recommend this for any sci if fan...even if it seems unbelievable to mix in magic. It works. 

Forbidden the Stars (The Interstellar Age #1) by Valmore Daniels (**)

At the end of the 21st century, a catastrophic accident in the asteroid belt has left two surveyors dead. There is no trace of their young son, Alex Manez, or of the asteroid itself.

On the outer edge of the solar system, the first manned mission to Pluto, led by the youngest female astronaut in NASA history, has led to an historic discovery: there is a marker left there by an alien race for humankind to find. We are not alone!

While studying the alien marker, it begins to react and, four hours later, the missing asteroid appears in a Plutonian orbit, along with young Alex Manez, who has developed some alarming side-effects from his exposure to the kinetic element they call Kinemet. 

From the depths of a criminal empire based on Luna, an expatriate seizes the opportunity to wrest control of outer space, and takes swift action.

The secret to faster-than-light speed is up for grabs, and the race for interstellar space begins! 

REVIEW: **

I had a difficult time with this one. Almost stopped reading in several times. There was no real character development. In a lot of places it read like a report (which is exactly what it was in a lot of places). If I wanted to read a report I would not have picked up a book. A lot of this story took place in the form of reports/memos/news articles. I want to get to know the characters, not read about them third hand. It made it very difficult for me to relate to them and the story line. Whole months/years were skipped in this fashion and it made it a bit confusing in places. Maybe its just me...because this book seems to have gotten a lot of really good reviews, but I just can not recommend a book so dry.

The Commander by C.J. Williams (****)

Lucas Blackburn had a peaceful job as an Airport Director in an out of the way community in central Nevada. He wanted to live quietly and let old scars heal. But then a spaceship landed. The lone occupant, a guy named Sam, gave Luke the keys and said it was up to him to stop a massive alien invasion that was on the way. Luke wanted to believe it was a hoax. The problem was, Sam had the proof.

REVIEW: ****

I was not expecting much from this one, and it was not a real deep/meaningful story, but I loved it. It was fun, Quick to read and left you feeling good. The first chapter or two was tough for me...the way he just accepted the fact that this alien showed up at his airport. He was way too casual and calm about the whole thing which threw me off, but once the story got started I really enjoyed it. It was light reading and easy to relate to the characters. If you want serious sci-fi then don't choose this one. But if you want a quick, light read this is a good one for you. 

Linesman (Linesman #1) by S.K. Dunstall

First in a brand new thought-provoking science fiction series.

The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy…

Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.

Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.

The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever. 

REVIEW: ***
I liked the story overall, but honestly there was too much politics and not enough action for me. There were so many players it got confusing and hard to keep track of sometimes. It became slow and boring over time with no real action or drama to keep the story moving along. Not really worth the effort unless you like that kind of story. 

City of the Lost (Casey Duncan #1) by Kelley Armstrong (*****)

Casey Duncan once killed a man and got away with it. Since then she’s become a talented police detective, tethered only to her job, her best friend, Diana, and the occasional evening with her sexy, no-strings-attached ex-con lover, Kurt. But then Diana's abusive ex finds her again, despite all Casey has done to help her disappear. And Casey’s own dark past begins to catch up with her. The two women need to run—and Diana’s heard of a place where they won’t be found, a town especially for people like them…

REVIEW: *****

Loved it!  It caught me in the first chapter and did not let go the rest of the book. I really enjoyed this one. The characters were interesting, the story line solid with lots of little twists and surprises.

I almost did not read this one. I know the author is known for her paranormal romance stuff and I was not wanting to read that right now. But the blurb sounded interesting and not in the paranormal genre so it intrigued me. I am so glad I chose to read this. Sucks having to wait another year for the next in this series. I really want to read more about these characters. Definitely recommend this one!

Call to Arms (Black Fleet Trilogy #2) by Joshua Dalzelle (****)

From Joshua Dalzelle comes the follow up to the #1 Bestseller “Warship.” 

Captain Jackson Wolfe survived the initial incursion of a vicious alien species into human space … barely. 
He had assumed the juggernaut that had devastated three Terran systems was the herald for a full invasion, but for the last few years it has been eerily quiet along the Frontier. 
Jackson now struggles to convince the Confederate leadership the threat is still imminent and needs to be taken seriously. While powerful factions make backroom deals he is desperate to find irrefutable proof that the invaders are coming and that if humanity expects to survive they must marshal their forces and make a stand. Now.

REVIEW: (****)

Much better than book one overall. I really liked this one. The story was faster paced, more action and the development of the characters were much better as well. I was listening to this on audible download in the car and found myself wanting to listen once I got home as well...unusual for me. I really only listen to books in the car, but I was liking this and wanted to continue at home as well. That's always a sign the book is interesting and fun to me. Recommend the series, but warning that the first book was a bit slow to start.

Warship (Black Fleet Trilogy #1) by Joshua Dalzelle (***)

In the 25th century humans have conquered space. The advent of faster-than-light travel has opened up hundreds of habitable planets for colonization, and humans have exploited the virtually limitless space and resources for hundreds of years with impunity. 
So complacent have they become with the overabundance that armed conflict is a thing of the past, and their machines of war are obsolete and decrepit. What would happen if they were suddenly threatened by a terrifying new enemy? Would humanity fold and surrender, or would they return to their evolutionary roots and meet force with force? One ship—and one captain—will soon be faced with this very choice. 
Against incredible odds, Jackson Wolfe is determined to save humanity–and in the process, might end up saving himself. 


REVIEW: ***

This book started off pretty slow moving and quite honestly a bit boring. It did get better as it went on, but I really only started to enjoy it toward the last quarter of the book. Prior to that there was no real action or anything else to really hold my interest. If I had been reading the actual book instead of listening to it on Audible I probably would have stopped reading and not continued. That would have been a mistake though. The story picked up and the action started and I was hooked at that point. In fact I just downloaded the second book in the series from Audible and have started listening to that as well.

I did end up liking this story and the main Character quite a bit actually. He is a flawed human, but unlike a lot of books he is a bit older than the average 20-30 somethings you find in a lot of the space epic stories and I quite enjoyed it by the end of the book. worth a look if you can get through the boring/slow beginning.

Chloe (Made Men #3) by Sarah Brianne (**)

Chloe’s scarred face makes her the school’s freak. 
Her reflection is a constant reminder of how she got them. 
The man who scarred her haunts not only her dreams, but also her reality. 
Some nightmares don’t go away in the daylight.

Two men stand up to save her from the nightmares. 
Both are men of the mafia, waiting behind a door she doesn’t want to open. 
Amo the soldier and Lucca the underboss.
The Beast and the Boogieman.

Who will she choose?

REVIEW: **

Absolute disappointment! I have been waiting for this book a long time and I am really not happy with it. It was mostly a rehash of Nero. I already read that one...did not need it rehashed in this one. There was no real interaction with either Lucca or Amo that was not done in Nero previously...about two or three scenes new maybe. It was short, no real progress to the story of Chloe and her love interests. And it ended on a cliffhanger..not a good cliffhanger either. I wanted to actually have a good story about Chloe and got what amounts to a prequel of the actual story. At least I hope the next book is the story. Hate having to wait once more for Chloe's story to be told. Overall this book sucked!

Shield of Innocence (Alternate Places #4) by P.S. Power (**)

Everything has happened. Everything will happen again.

Zack Hartley walks the lines between worlds. All of them. That makes him a very powerful, and potentially dangerous, being. A fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by the darkest of enemies, the terrifying monsters that created him in the first place.

Now they seek to use him to their own end. In order to defeat them, Zack is going to need some good friends.

That, and more time than anyone has ever even dreamed about

REVIEW: **

Ok I liked the first two books but by this point I'm getting overwhelmed with all the weird stuff.  It's confusing enough then they throw in whole new dimensions and time warping?  I never really got a feel for what was truly going on or why.. I liked his innocence and the feel of book one and even book two but now I don't know what to think.  Every person they encounter is suddenly special or has some connection to what's going on and now they all have doubles in the other worlds that aren't really doubles but minds are similar? Confusing.  I have no idea where this series is leading and I think I'm done with it.  It's just way too out there for me.  I could not really follow what was going on in this one and not sure I even care anymore.  

Distance (Distance #1) by Andrea Heltsley (*)

Lexi has sworn off guys for good.
She’s always been a hot mess, but accidentally finding her boyfriend of three years cheating on her is just too much for her to handle. 
All she wants is to get this summer done and over with, so she and her best friend Elena can travel cross country for college. Then she will finally be free of this town, the friends that dropped her in favor of her ex, and her klutzy reputation.
Lexi's policy was working perfectly, until a guy named Mason comes to her rescue. Not once but twice in one night. For once, her mishaps have led to something good.
She’s feeling things that scare her, but she’s drawn to him. Can Mason break through her walls, or will she stick to her plan and steer clear of him? 
This is a new adult romantic comedy.

REVIEW: *

Disappointed in this one. I was hoping for an entertaining read, but instead I was bored to death. A lot of this book was just "thoughts" and those thoughts were  a lot of the same just regurgitated in a new way. I ended up skimming through most of it to finish and was disappointed in the ending as well. Looks like there is a second book to finish this out, but I have no intention of reading it. I don't really care what happens with these characters.

The characters were also much younger than I expected. I was thinking from the blub that they would be 20 somethings, not 18 or so and just graduating high school.

The writing felt stilted, dry and uninspired.

Junkyard Dog by Bijou Hunter (***)

Angus Hayes is as mean as a junkyard dog. Well, that’s the rumor Candy Wilburn hears before taking the job as his assistant. Hayes doesn’t disappoint. He’s a giant man with a big mouth and a bigger ego. In the town of White Horse, what the gorgeous and dangerous Hayes wants, he gets. Now he wants his sassy assistant.

Candy has no doubt Hayes will make a great lover, but she doesn’t want to be her boss’s booty call. At first anyway. Once he shifts from boss to friend and lover, Candy falls hard. Now she can only hope the filthy-mouthed outsider she loves will open his heart and learn to trust.

Junkyard Dog is a standalone romance with adult language, violence, and sexual situations.

REVIEW: ***

Not your average Romance Novel. It was good, well written, but it was hard for me to read. The characters weren't sweet in any way..no real redeeming qualities in either the hero or heroine. Even the kids were not classically cute/smart. But it did pull me in right away and kept me reading. the author did a great job at actually telling this strange tale.

Kraven (VLG #2) by Laurann Dohner (**)

Batina Dawson wants two things most in her life. She’s determined to become a partner at her law firm and secure her younger sister’s financial future. That’s why she talked Dusti into flying to Alaska, to mend fences with their terminally ill, rich grandfather. It seemed to be a perfect plan—until things go wrong. 

The plane crashes and their lives are saved by two large, muscled brothers. Kraven is a spiked-haired menace with a handsome face and a killer body. He also believes she’s in danger from her own grandfather, and that Vampires and Lycans once bred, making him a VampLycan. He even claims her mother was one too. He may have kidnapped Bat, but his misguided hero complex is almost sweet. She knows exactly what defense she’ll use if he becomes one of her clients. Insanity. 

Kraven is frustrated. Bat refuses to stop arguing with him at every opportunity. She’s stubborn, mouthy, and oh so sexy. She might be right when she accuses him of being crazy—she’s driving him nuts. But she’s in danger and he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe. 

REVIEW: **

Honestly not sure about this series. I'm tired of the vampire/werewolf trope, but this author does write a good storyline that tends to draw you in. I did not really like the heroines in this and the first book. Too abrasive or something. And the way they just bitched about how crazy the guys were got old quick. Too much of it. I liked the heroes, they were tough but sweet alpha males..not really sure what they found to like in the women, the characters were a bit flat, no real deep personalities. Just not really to my liking much. I will see what the next book brings but it in no way compares to her new species books in my opinion. The new species are a much better read.

Tempting Target: Heart of a SEAL by Carmen Faye (*)

I knew he was trouble from the moment I saw him 
My life had fallen into a rut. I had no future, no prospects, and no way forward. So I did what every other lost soul do in those situations: 

I ran—as far as I could, as fast as I could. 

And then I ran into him. Matt Perrier. The six-foot-five Navy SEAL with tattoos snaking across his rippling muscles and dripping with danger and wildness from every pore. 

From the moment I see him, I know that he’s nothing like anyone I’ve ever met. 

I know that losing wasn’t in his blood. 
I know that nothing gets between him and what he wants. 

And I know he wants me. 

REVIEW: *

This was a great book if you wanted nothing but sex scene after sex scene...long ones at that...I wanted an actual story between those sex scenes which did not really happen. And there were some major inconsistencies. Like he tells her he loves her and 40 pages later he says that he never said he loved her ...major error. The author tried to put some obstacles out there...but they never amounted to anything...her illness was a no go issue as was her stalker, his stalker type, his amnesia. The whole gamut of stuff that was over before it even started. It really made no real sense in the book and added nothing to the non-existent plot line. It was like the author did not know where to take the story ... she just threw in a bit of everything and hoped it worked. It didn't. The characters were flat, uninteresting, and evoked no emotions from the reader (me).. I would not recommend this one.

Starship Eternal (War Eternal #1) by M.R. Forbes (**)

A lost starship...
A dire warning from futures past... 
A desperate search for salvation...
----------------------------------------------

Captain Mitchell "Ares" Williams is a Space Marine and the hero of the Battle for Liberty, whose Shot Heard 'Round the Universe saved the planet from a nearly unstoppable war machine. He's handsome, charismatic, and the perfect poster boy to help the military drive enlistment. Pulled from the war and thrown into the spotlight, he's as efficient at charming the media and bedding beautiful celebrities as he was at shooting down enemy starfighters.

After an assassination attempt leaves Mitchell critically wounded, he begins to suffer from strange hallucinations that carry a chilling and oddly familiar warning:

They are coming. Find the Goliath or humankind will be destroyed.

Convinced that the visions are a side-effect of his injuries, he tries to ignore them, only to learn that he may not be as crazy as he thinks. The enemy is real and closer than he imagined, and they'll do whatever it takes to prevent him from rediscovering the centuries lost starship.

Narrowly escaping capture, out of time and out of air, Mitchell lands at the mercy of the Riggers - a ragtag crew of former commandos who patrol the lawless outer reaches of the galaxy. Guided by a captain with a reputation for cold-blooded murder, they're dangerous, immoral, and possibly insane.

They may also be humanity's last hope for survival in a war that has raged beyond eternity.

REVIEW: **

The characters all felt flat and uninteresting to me. Honestly the time loop theory had me very confused. It was hard to follow and did not really make any sense to me. It was decent enough to finish the book, but not enough to have me go out and buy the next two books in the series. It just did not hold my interest long. It felt...off somehow. And the quickness in which he was accepted and became, for all intents and purposes, the leader of the rag tag band of criminals was a bit too much. The author was trying for camaraderie or brotherhood or something along those lines I think, but it just did not come to fruition. It did not feel like a "band of brothers" or come even close to that. It was too quick to form real feelings and relationships among the crew and the ending was just that...an ending...no feeling of triumph or relief or looking forward to continuing the story.

Devolved by James Bowler (*)

Everything was fine until the lights went out. Sure I had my problems, college was fun but all that homework takes it's toll. True the girl I liked turned me down flat but hey, besides that, life was good. 
That first night after the darkness still haunts me. I can't even begin to describe the pace of my pulse or the terror. I never knew what fear was until I saw that face and felt those claws on my flesh. It's a miracle I even survived. It's sad so many people had to die. The hardest ones though, are the ones I killed. I can't close my eyes without seeing their faces and feeling their accusing stares. The apocalypse isn't all bad, I get to travel with the hottest girl in school. She can be a handful sometimes (all the time) and will probably be the death of me. 
By far the worst part of this mess is the smell of rotting corpses and all the miles walking. The food's OK, I just hate how heavy it is. I hate it worse when my bag gets too light and I know I 'm running out, that's a different kind of fear, not adrenaline terror, but a pressing unavoidable dread always in the back of my mind.

REVIEW: *

In a word: BORING. It was hard to get through this one, I ended up skimming through a lot of it just to get through it. There was no real dialogue, the characters were flat, and I got tired of the descriptions and the thinking instead of acting/speaking.

Iron Mike by Patricia Rose (****)

They came, but not in peace. They came to destroy us. Our cities crumbled. Our people died by the billions. Their weapons were sophisticated beyond our worst nightmare.

But they didn't count on our stubborn tenacity or our will to live. We fight back, and we fight dirty.

Mike Sanderlin survived the first attack ... but could he survive the war? How will he keep his sister safe in a world where terror swoops from the sky and looters claim the streets? Law and order are as forgotten as the bodies that rot in the sun.

To keep his sister alive, Mike changes. He becomes Iron Mike, a man unafraid of making the hard decisions, a man unafraid of war, of killing or being killed. Iron Mike isn't afraid, period.

Iron Mike is a survivor. 

REVIEW: ****

This was a wonderful book! I like these types of books but many of them don't fulfill the promise..this one did hands down. It drew me in quickly. The characters were great (especially Iron Mike) and the story was believable. It was not centered on fighting the aliens, but more about the characters themselves. And I love a good character driven story. For a first novel this was fantastic. The editing was great..no real errors that I saw and the plot flowed well. I can't wait to read the next one from this new author. The only real issue I had with it, and it was minor, was the ending seemed a bit too quickly finished. I wish she would have gone a bit further with it, but I hated the story was ending anyway so that may have something to do with it. Great first book..most definitely recommend this one.

The Will (Magdalene #1) by Kristen Ashley (*)

Early in her life, Josephine Malone learned the hard way that there was only one person she could love and trust: her grandmother, Lydia Malone. Out of necessity, unconsciously and very successfully, Josephine donned a disguise to keep all others at bay. She led a globetrotting lifestyle on the fringes of the fashion and music elite, but she kept herself distant.

While Josephine was trotting the globe, retired boxer Jake Spear was living in the same small town as Lydia. There was nothing disguised about Jake. Including the fact he made a habit of making very bad decisions about who to give his love.

But for Josephine and Jake, there was one person who adored them. One person who knew how to lead them to happiness. And one person who was intent on doing it.

Even if she had to do it as her final wish on this earth. 

REVIEW: *

I love K.A. books for the most part, but I could not even get halfway through this one. I HATED the Heroine - she was such a total bitch that I just felt like slapping her. And wow she did nothing but work, sleep, bitch and complain. No FUN at all. She seems to have lived 45 years in a bubble. I also do not understand her instant antagonism for him. He did nothing to her and said nothing to her to cause her to stand him up and berate him. 

The Hero was so so but her hero's are starting to get a bit boring. They are exactly the same type every time. I love the alpha male, but each of her Hero's talk the same exact way, make up some stupid nickname for the woman (I mean Slick? come on what woman wants to be called Slick?), they move the same, and to be honest I am getting tired of the "chin lift" every time they come and go. Don't they ever just say hi or shake hands? And they seem to be perfect sex partners. They ALWAYS take care of the woman first and foremost (great fantasy but realistically that just does not happen each and every time). 

Anyway I could not get into this one and I was so looking forward to getting lost in a K.A. book. Guess I will have to go back and read a Rock Chick book..now those were worth reading!