The Mark by Steven Evans

In the first book of the series, our protagonist is drowning in grief after the loss of his wife and daughter. He attempts to commit suicide in a long and drawn out way - alcoholism. He attracts a demon to him, and even when he decides to sober up and live his life, she follows and torments him. He is saved by his daughter and thinks that he can move on with his life.
After moving to a new town, which is serene and picturesque, he begins to realize that his life is not going to be getting back to normal. The townspeople are unfriendly at best, and their behavior is puzzling. He does a little research into the town's history and discovers some fascinating information. He befriends a man who tells him to stop digging. Meanwhile, the demon has returned and is haunting him again. Will he ever be rid of her? Will the townspeople ever welcome him as one of their own?

I loved the first book in the series because it was very bold and emotional. The choices that the main character made to deal with his grief were very tragic, and the supernatural elements were delightfully disturbing. He is definitely a character you can sympathize with and root for.
This book was EVEN better than the first. There is an air of mystery about the town and even the demon woman, Weeping Willow. The man's snarky behavior and witty comebacks are hilarious, and the rise and fall of the plot of this book literally had me shouting and laughing. I am so thrilled that I had the opportunity to edit this book. I can't wait for the third in the series!
Great job, Mr. Evans! 

Book available for purchase soon.
Check out Steven Evans on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenEvansAuthor/

Crown's Shield by Frost Kay

Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

Sage has been discovered by Tehl and Sam. Despite escaping the castle, she isn't free, and she must continue to make sacrifices to ensure the safety of her family and her country. In this installment, Sage is named liaison between the rebellion and the crown. She fulfills her role as best she can until the rebellion makes a demand that changes everything...

This series has a way of drawing you in. At this point, I am totally invested in the characters and the storyline. In the first book, Sage proves herself to be a strong and independent yet reasonably kind and vulnerable person. At times, her recklessness and stubbornness are a bit irritating. In this book, we get just a few glimpses of her inner self again, and she is truly fascinating. She has a strong sense of duty, which compels her to do things - that she abhors - for the greater good. And she has talents and charisma that others are attracted to. However, in reality she is totally broken. She does not know where she belongs, and (like Sam - which is why they understand each other so well) she has been playing a role for so long that she does not even know who she really is, other than that she loves her family and her country and would do almost anything to protect them.
Some of the elements of this series are a little hard to swallow - they feel a little artificial. Sage is sort of a larger-than-life heroine who can scale buildings, manipulate people with feminine wiles, win any sword fight, and still look like a Victoria's Secret model (ok that last one might be an exaggeration). The bottom line is that she isn't a particularly nice person (not that you would expect her to be after all she's been through), yet everyone seems enamored of her. Her temper is a little too hot - she throws daggers at people with little to no provocation. I will be interested to see her character growth throughout this series. She's clearly trapped and not really handing it well.

(viewspoiler)SPOILER The major twist of this story does feel a little forced. The rebels demand that Sage marry Tehl in order to sign a peace treaty and avoid a civil war. The rebels' treatment of Sage is really just mind-boggling to me. On the one hand, they all seem to adore her. But on the other hand, they have a tendency to just exclude and use her. I am not certain why they would have thought that a marriage would be the best way to secure peace. Although, for the sake of the plot, it makes for a really great story. And the fact that Serge/Rhys suggested it and then abducted Sage at the end of the story might mean that it will be explained better later on.
I can understand why Sage would not like Tehl, although so often throughout the series I have just been saying, "Come on, girl, just give him a chance!" My prediction is that they will become good friends. They seem to actually have a little bit of fun with their charade of a marriage throughout the book, even though both would be loath to admit it. END SPOILER 

I was glad to see more of Rafe in this book, as well as Sam. I am wondering where Sam's story is going to lead. Some of the revelations about him were a little shocking. Marc's presence was missed, as was Gav's to some extent. I'd love to see more of them.
I LOVED the addition of Lilja and Hayjen, though, and I am looking forward to Siren's Lure so much.

Overall, a good read. Despite the semi-questionable plot devices, the book is written really well. I am looking forward to the next one :-)  

Purchase the books in the series by following the links below: 

Book 1: Rebel's Blade
Book 2: Crown's Shield
Siren's Lure (A part of the Fire and Fantasy UF set)

Dark Experiments by Lana Campbell

Genre: Paranormal romance/mystery
Rating: 4.5/5

Tiffany Peebles has just gotten a job as an IT tech at a small OBGYN vampire clinic. Her dear friend, Christian is one of the doctors there. Their chemistry has been off the charts for many years, and they both know that eventually they will have to figure out how to define their relationship, especially since they will be working closely together. As if their relationship issues were not stressful enough, a series of miscarriages occur at the clinic, and the doctors scramble to figure out what is causing them before more deaths occur...

I accidentally read this one before the first book (Forever and a Night), but it ended up not being a problem. I was able to follow along well, and I had no problem feeling an investment and a love for the characters.
I really LOVED this book. It's quite long, but it was written well (despite the fact that the editing/proofreading could have been better) so I didn't become fatigued with reading it: I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened! I was truly fascinated in particular by the addition of faith into this book. Christian, Tiffany, and her family members talk about God, salvation, prayers, and faith in general throughout the book. This is something totally unique - I have never encountered a vampire book like this. Generally, vampires are treated as abominations in literature. In some places (like Buffy) they are actually demons that have inhabited the bodies of dead people. I love it when authors do unexpected things!
There were other things in the book also gave a fresh take on the genre - vampires are actually able to have children, they mate for life, and blood bonding between mates unlocks a few notable powers.
This story had romance, mystery, and intrigue! I was really on the edge of my seat as the book progressed. I kept second guessing myself, and I was surprised with how things turned out. The single aspect of this book that I didn't enjoy as much was the sex scenes. I really liked Christian and Tiffany's relationship in general, though! 
I have the first book, so I will definitely be reading that one asap.
AWESOME job, Lana Campbell! <3

Purchase the series here:
Book 1: Forever and a Night
Book 2: Dark Experiments
Book 3: Deadly Secrets (coming September 2017)

The Vrai Domicile by Courtney Ruggles

Genre: Dystopian

Rating: 5/5

Q wakes up in a dark room. She remembers going into the muerte. People had taken their masks off and she was going to be a martyr. It turns out, they decided to keep her alive in order to use her influence to bring the people back into submission. She and B are allowed to be together, but the cost is high. She must decide if she can live with manipulating the people back into blindly following the elders or if she is willing to sacrifice it all to free them.

This series is just so heartbreaking, partly because (as with most dystopian novels) the people in it almost seem familiar. They have been making the choice for so long to trade their freedom for safety/a roof over their heads/free meals, and those in power are more than willing to manipulate them because of that. On the surface, their lives are ok. Money isn't exchanged, their every need is provided for, they get enough food, they aren't subjected to hard physical labor. In the last book, Q was married off to a Guerrier and started experiencing some abuse, which was unfortunately sanctioned by the elders. But because of her grandmother, she understood that just because the elders said it was acceptable, that didn't mean it was. Because of her grandmother - one of the only remaining people living who had experienced the outside - she had dangerous ideas about individuality, fresh air, and love. The man she loved had taken her outside to feel the sun on her face, and they had taken off their masks together. She was willing to sacrifice her own life in order to show the people of the sixth domicile just a tiny bit of that freedom. She thought she had succeeded.

Throughout the book, she is emotionally and mentally tortured by a system (elders) who know just what strings to pull to make her compliant. This book is very disturbing, and the ending isn't a happy one. I am eager that there are going to be more books because I want to see this resolved.
I do think it is important for people to read books like these. Freedom is important, but it does come with consequences. All of us have to ultimately make the choice to be free or to be compliant. We have to be watchful that those freedoms are not eroded by those in power who know how to manipulate us.

Purchase the books in this series by following the links below:
The Sixth Domicile
The Vrai Domicile
The Sauvage Domicile

VRES: Digital Quest by Zoe Adams

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

Felix and Erica are beta testers for a new virtual reality game. As hard-core gamers, they have been training for this for years. They know what to do, how to level up, and how to create a fun gaming atmosphere. They plug in and begin the experience, meeting friend and foe - and each other. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start. Soon they have to decide whether or not to trust one another. Not all is as it seems in this virtual reality world...
This book is a really great exploration of what gamers have been dreaming of for years - virtual reality! The imagery was really well done. I loved how the author added the details about gameplay - the feel of the weapons, the difficulty of the quests, and the interaction with both real and computerized characters. I play World of Warcraft, and my husband and I have often talked about how much of an amazing experience VR would be. One of the first things that really struck me was that Erica was able to immerse herself in the game and just wail on some creepy, awful guys who were harassing her. It was really fun to watch her be someone else (at times, kind of a jerk to Felix) because it was clear that the game was her escape. Her life, as readers come to find out, was a not pleasant one.
The evolution of Felix and Erica's relationship was awesome to watch.
Thank you for this fun VR book, Zoe Adams!

Purchase this book here:
VRES: Digital Quest

Waiting for Gideon by Kristy Nicolle

Genre: Fantasy/Romance (Short story)
Rating: 5/5
Patience is a recently graduated art student working at Dairy Queen. During one particularly crummy shift, a handsome stranger comes in and orders a Blizzard. After some shenanigans ensue with a couple of creepy villains, Patience and Gideon leave Dairy Queen in his Mustang. Patience quickly learns that Gideon is not a normal person... They spend an exciting evening together, and the rest is history.  

Kristy Nicolle is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors ever. I absolutely adored "Something Blue," a dystopian romance, so I joined her group and started following her on Facebook. It turns out that Something Blue was sort of an anomaly for her, and she has this whole other mermaid universe going on!
I have the first three books of the Tidal Kiss Trilogy, but I have been bogged down with so many other things that I have not had time to sit down and read them. When she released this prequel, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get an introduction to the series.
I was not disappointed! Kristy has such an amazing talent with words. Gideon and Patience are very likable, and you immediately find yourself drawn in and rooting for them. I don't know anything about how their story turns out apart from the "present day" scenes, but the promise of the heartbreak, adventures, and struggles to come is really wonderful. I am even more eager than ever to begin reading the main series. I know Kristy has put a lot of thought into the universe, and I am excited about "diving in." :-)

Purchase the series by following the links below:
Waiting for Gideon
The Kiss that Killed Me
The Kiss that Saved Me
The Kiss that Changed Me

Transient Echoes by J.N. Cheney

Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

Mae and John thought Terry died when the Ortego building was destroyed. Mae gets the opportunity to go back to the site a few years later, having convinced the brass that she wants to recover some of the technology. She really wants to find out what happened to Terry. John, who is in the military, comes to join her where she and her team are camping. Will they be able to find out what happened to Terry before the project gets shut down?
Meanwhile, on an unknown planet, Terry is struggling daily to survive. He is in an alien place with alien food, plants, and wildlife. He discovers the ruins of some sort of civilization, but no people. He wonders if variant killed this planet as well. Will he be able to survive this place? Will he ever have any hope of getting home?

The sections in this book about Terry's adventures on the unknown world were what made this book phenomenal. The author did a great job of creating an alien world with its own unique elements.
I was less impressed with the sections about Mae and John. In particular, they are supposed to be dating, but we don't get to see any romance or much of anything between them. They are almost the same as in the first book. Mae just has more authority and training. Their tireless efforts to get to the anomaly in the basement of the Ortego building are important, but they are not as exciting as what is going on with Terry. It's still an excellent book!

Purchase the series using the links below:
Book 1: The Amber Project
Book 2: Transient Echoes
Book 3: Hope Everlasting
Book 4: The Vernal Memory