The Water Thief by Jane Kindred (M/M romance)

This is a review of The Water Thief by Jane Kindred. This is a male/male romance so if that isn't your cup of tea you will want to skip this one. This isn't your typical male/male romance. This story is very unique and is heavy on the fantasy element. I did have an issue with this story though. The relationship between the two main characters is between first cousins and incestuous relationships are just not my cup of tea. If you can put that aside though this is actually a good book and the story is very suspenseful and will hold your attention.

It tells the story of a young Lord named Sebastien Swift that is falsely imprisoned in a mental hospital for the murder of his twin sister. Sebastien spends many years in this asylum (9 years if I remember right) with no knowledge of what happened when his sister drowned other than being told that he murdered her. In his heart, he knows he didn't murder her. One night his dead sister comes to him and helps him escape from the asylum and leads him to safety. Sebastien later learns that he would be dead if it weren't for his sister because the wing of the asylum he was in collapsed during a bad storm.

Sebastien is led to the home of a man named Sven that teaches him how to survive on his own.  Sebastien learns that his cousin Macsen is posing as him. Sven comes up with the idea that Sebastien should pose as his dead sister and try to find out what happened to his sister and also to be able to claim his rightful inheritance.  So Sebastien poses as his dead twin August. The deception is eventually exposed to Macsen and Sebastien and Macsen find out that they both know each other's true identities but decide to keep up the ruse. Sebastien finds out from Macsen that Emrys, (Macsen's father) is siphoning off his magical energy. Emrys has evil plans for the energy he is siphoning off of the real Sebastien but I won't reveal those.

Macsen and Sebastien flee the realm after an unfortunate event where they are caught in bed together by Emrys. In the new realm they flee too they slip and sign their real names and this allows Emrys to discover where they are. When Macsen returns to the realm they fled from he is eventaully beaten very severely by his father. Macsen also destroys the magical energy stores that his father siphoned off of Sebastien. His father beats him severely with a fireplace poker and ends up breaking his leg.

Meanwhile, he has his men capture Sebastien in the new realm where he is and once again locks him in an insane asylum where he keeps hi drugged so he can siphon off his magical energy for his own plans. Sebastien is almost convinced by the doctors in the asylum that everything has just been a figment of his imagination, but he refuses to give up the belief that Macsen is real and decides to keep that information to himself. Sebastien is rescused from the asylum after his sister and her friends fake his death. They manage to help him rediscover who he is and help him establish a new identity and a new life for himself.

Sebastien believes that Macsen doesn't want him and that is why he never came back but he doesn't know that Macsen believes he is dead.  After a series of events in which Emrys dies, Macsen returns to new realm to settle his father's business affairs and he does settle them but he is also reunited with Sebastien.

I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My recommendation: If you can get past the incestuous relationship between the main characters this one is worth reading

Gilt by Katherine Longshore

This is a review of Gilt by Katherine Longshore. I generally find anything about the life of King Henry VIII very fascinating whether it is a work of fiction or a historical account. I started this book with the same expectations that I would normally have for a reading a work about him. This book is a work of fiction. It tells the story of Catherine Howard and King HenryVIII's life told through the eyes of one Kitty Tylney. Kitty is supposed to be Catherine's best friend and knew her before she become queen. I found the story to be very drawn out and it would go on for pages with nonsensical ramblings that had nothing to do with the story. I was bored by the story many times and stopped reading it several times because of this. I did continue to read until the end of the story though. The book was very well written but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

My recommendation: Skip this one.

An update

My dear readers, I do hope this finds all of you well.  Please forgive me for the length of time between my last post and now. I have been dealing with a couple of  personal health crises so I have been unable to post. I will continue to post as I am able in between my many doctor's appointments and upcoming surgeries.  I do have several reviews to get up so I will be trying to do that over the next few days. Based on feedback I have received from my wonderful readers, you will now see my recommendation on whether you should read or skip the book at the end of the review.

Stealing Innocents by Cari Waites

This is a review of Stealing Innocents by Cari Waites. It is a collection that consists of three short stories. I was able to read the first 2 stories in this book but was not able to bring myself to read the third story in the book. The first story was just not my cup of tea. It was twisted and not just one I enjoyed. The second wasn't much better. I couldn't even bring myself to read beyond this point so I can't comment on the rest of the book. My recommendation is just to skip this one altogether.

The Backup by Erica Kudisch

This is a review of The Backup by Erica Kudisch. This is one of those books that just leaves you speechless and not in a good way. This story is very dark which is something I normally don't mind but I think this one carried it too far. I will have nightmares about this book.  I wanted to put it down before I finished it but it was gripping enough where I had to keep reading. I normally give a summary of the book at this point but this book was so disturbing so I won't be giving a summary of this one. This was the first book by Erica Kudisch that I read and I definitely won't be reading any more by her. This one is one not worth the nightmares it will give you.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Desire & Ice ( A Mackenzie Family Novella) by Christopher Rice

This is a review of Desire & Ice by Christopher Rice. Desire & Ice is a Mackenzie Family novella. The Mackenzie Family is a creation of author of Liliana Hart. This is a stand alone story set in the town of Surrender, Montana.  Even though set in the world of the Mackenzie Family this story is not directly about the Mackenzie Family however we will see a brief appearance of a member of the Mackenzie Family. 

We are introduced to a young sheriff's deputy named Danny Patterson. Danny had a crush on his high school English teacher, Eliza who left town after her marriage. Several years later, Eliza returns to Surrender. She believes that she is doing her ex husband a favor by going to his family's property in Surrender. She is in search of money to help her ex-husband out of a jam that she believes he has gotten into.

Danny has a feeling that Eliza is in town running from something. He goes to investigate and Eliza and Danny are chased by killers who are after Eliza. Danny and Eliza take off through the woods trying to elude the killers and end up spending the night together in a hunter's cabin that Danny knows the location of. 

They are found the next morning by Sheriff Cooper Mackenzie who tells them that the killers chasing them are dead and he tells Danny the real story about why Eliza is in Surrender. Once the situation about why Eliza came to Surrender is resolved, Eliza settles into a new life and love with Danny.

Desired by the Dragon (The Awakening Cycle) by James D. Horton

This is a review of Desired by the Dragon by James D. Horton. This is Remy's and Sarissa's story. I highly recommend reading this one after the Loving Two Dragons quartet but before reading the Elise Ddraig trilogy.

We learn Remy's story in this book. Remy is a dragon shifer and the Chosen One from his age. He fails in his quest to defeat the Agent of Chaos and therefore his home(the city of Atlantis) is lost forever.

Remy is trying to find a way to save Elise because Elise is a very powerful shifter as a 3 year old child. He learns that she is the Chosen One of her age and that she fulfills a prophecy. It's hard to explain much about this book without giving the whole story away. Remy finds a way for Elise to be born as a dragon but it magically ages her from a young child to a teenager.