Into the Realm of Rush

Fairytale by Maggie Shayne was a magical novel. I was completely swept away with the characters and the plot. It was truly enchanting and I found myself pretending that I was Brigit, one of the main characters in the book.

Brigit was dropped off at an orphanage when she was a baby with a storybook and a beautiful necklace. She grew up on the streets and worked as an art forger to make money. But she wasn't as alone in the world as she thought and now her twin sister Bridin is searching for her so they can return to the Fairy realm of Rush.

Suddenly, I found myself trying to break free of the criminal world, praying that Raze's illness would improve, and that I could heal the hurt in Adam's eyes. Most of all, I was hoping that magic really did exist.

The plot of this novel had plenty of twists and turns to keep it moving at a steady pace. And there definitely were not any disappointing parts. Shayne made Brigit very relatable and real. She was a woman with a past, regrets, love, fears, hopes, and qualities of both the good and bad. If you're in the mood for a new character connection (aka friend), Brigit is your girl, fairy tale story included.

Fairytale on Amazon

Once Upon a Time

When Adam was younger, he was accidentally transported to Rush, a fairy tale kingdom, and was shown his future: a beautiful raven haired woman. The fairy queen that revealed his future only told him one thing: help her, but don't fall in love with her.

Bridin and Brigit are twins who were dropped of at an orphanage with matching books and necklaces. Books that tell a story of a fairy tale world and necklaces that ward off evil. Bridin remembers the history of her people in the fairy world of Rush, but Brigit was destined to forget.

Now it's time for them to go back to their homeland, save their people from the Dark Lord, and take their rightful place as the leaders of Rush. Separated for many years, Bridin must find a way to convince her sister that her dreams of being a fairy princess are true, with the help of Adam, who has grown up to become a scholar on fairy tale legends around the world.

Fairytale, by Maggie Shayne, transports the reader into a separate world where fairy tales aren't just ideas in children's books. So far this novel has me believing in magic and wishing for a hidden world, waiting to be discovered.

Graveyard Games

Dusty's twin brother, Nick, is dead.

Police are claiming that it was a wild animal, but the way he was found...
eyes torn out, chest ripped open, entrails eaten, blood seeping into the concrete of the mausoleum that he was found locked in.

"You ever known a cat who could open doors?"

Not believing the conclusion, Dusty decides to investigate on her own. A former cop should be able to figure this out. Right? The night he was killed, Nick was with his best friend, Shane. With a killing spree going on around her and three more people turning up dead, Dusty must follow her instincts to protect her hometown, and herself.

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Sheri Leigh's thrilling, and bone-chilling, novel is a perfect choice for the Halloween season. See if you can solve the mystery along side Dusty in Graveyard Games. Readers become Dusty's partner in this personal investigation. They can relate to her mourning over the death of her brother, her emotional plight of acceptance, and her hope for closure with the past and a twin brother who seems to have had a few skeletons in his closet.

This novel kept me guessing the entire time and I'm still not sure if I believe the ending. I'm torn between what I wanted to happen and what did happen (novels that end that way are always a little bittersweet).  Some of the events are a little unbelievable, but that's how the supernatural is and I can accept that, with only slight disappointment. Who am I to argue with an author's intentions? Regardless, I would definitely recommend this novel for a little Halloween horror, nothing that will send you into cold sweats or keep you up with nightmares, just keep you turning pages.

Graveyard Games is a finely crafted novel with a twist at the end you will never see coming.

Graveyard Games on Amazon

Wanting More

Gemma Halliday left me wanting more! More Maddie, more spying, more mystery, and definitely a few more pairs of heels.

Her debut novel, Spying in High Heels, was wonderfully refreshing. Her writing style and characters convinced me to fall in love with her book. <3

Readers can relate to Maddie on a number of levels. Worrying over little things like "lateness", her mother's new boyfriend/husband-to-be, and whether her boyfriend is leading a double life. Okay, probably not the double life, but at least the is-he-right-for-me thing. After finishing the novel, I feel like one of Maddie's closest confidantes, and it's a pleasant feeling.

Learning that there's a second novel in this high-heeled series is even more pleasant.

Spying in High Heels on Amazon