Tag: Indie

Book Review:: All You Took From Me | Lisa Kenway

You’ve got to love an unreliable narrator, and who could be more unreliable than an amnesia patient?

All You Took From Me by Lisa Kenway Book Cover

My favorite thing about All You Took From Me, was how meticulously it unfolded. We are in the story with Clare, who has awoken from a coma with no memory of what happened to get her there.

We go through it all along with her, within her psychology. Something catastrophic has happened in her life, and while she scrambles to resume what little normalcy she may, the lack of memories surrounding the accident haunt her. Things she thought she knew may not have been so true after all, and she is willing to risk more and more in order to find out the truth—no matter what.

This book gripped me from the very first pages and I was locked in through the entire thing. Twists, turns, suspicions, and rash actions…all of it. And what a ride it was! If you’re a fan of books like Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney and Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister, you’re going to love this one!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: All you Took From Me
Author:: Lisa Kenway
Genre:: Psychological Thriller
Publisher:: Transit Lounge
Length:: 330 pages
Published:: August 1st, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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Where He Left Me | Nicole Baart
Something in the Water | Catherine Steadman
Listen for the Lie | Amy Tintera

Book Review:: Won’t Back Down | Harper Jackson

Some books you read for the escape of it all. Something you can sink into, be transported, and find a satisfying plot with just enough tension (sexual, and otherwise), to keep you captivated and turning pages because you care about what happens next. If that’s you, I have to say, Won’t Back Down by Harper Jackson might be one of the best options out there. It’s romantic without being cheesy, suspenseful without being scary, and wholesome enough to keep it endearing. And man…it’s just a good daggum story!

Won't Back Down by Harper Jackson Book Cover

After losing her grandparents in quick succession, the only family she’s able to rely on anymore besides her brother, currently deployed in the Navy, Willa’s steady, reliable world is changing. Maybe once upon a time that wouldn’t have been a big deal, but now, she has enough psychological damage to deal with.

When she was a teenager, she drowned. Actually, fully drowned. But she was saved by her brother’s best friend, Sawyer. She has a lot of lost memories from around that time, and intense trauma from the years afterwards. She avoids thinking about any of that stuff at all. But now Sawyer is back on island, come home from his own stint in the Navy, and he’s there to help her cope, in any way he can. Emotionally, physically…legally.

Gosh darn it, this book got me. It is jam packed with all the good stuff, as I mentioned before. The sexual tension is present and done so well. The mystery elements are executed to perfection. There are lots of side characters I’m sure have and will pop up in other books in the same series (which I need to get my hands on immediately). It’s everything you want in this kind of book, which I like to call ‘candy’. The kind that just hits the spot. Refreshing, in many ways. Delicious!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Won’t Back Down (Wayward Sons #2)
Author:: Harper Jackson (Kait Nolan)
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: Take the Leap Publishing
Length:: 331 pages
Published:: September 6th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
Obsession Falls | Claire Kingsley
These Summer Storms | Sarah MacLean
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Book Review:: The Gray Sheep | S. M. Somerset

The Gray Sheep by S.M. Somerset is a complex fantastical world with a rich history and plenty of conflict.

The Gray Sheep by S. M. Somerset Book Cover

Cosette is doing her best to continue running her father’s jeweler shop in a war-torn country as he recovers from an illness that isn’t getting any better with her uncle in another part of town. When she gets word of his decline, she decides to risk everything to go see him, even though the space between them is occupied and extremely dangerous.

Resourceful, thoughtful, and quite stubborn, Cosette is a worthy heroine. This story is deeply political, as all the marketing materials promise. To be honest, some of it was a little too much for me, and it tended to linger in sections I felt could do with more urgency. The language was urgent in these spaces, but the actual sentences still took their time leaving a strange feeling of needing to move forward, but not being able to because there were just too many words to get through in the scene.

I really admired Cosette’s bravery and determination, and several of the characters she encounters were interesting, and at times unexpected.

Overall, I think people who enjoy the political side of fantasy will enjoy this, or even sweeping historical epics might try their hand at it and be delightfully surprised.

As a whole, it strikes me mostly as quite an accomplishment!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::The Gray Sheep (The Lochsmith Book I)
Author::S. M. Somerset
Genre:: Historical Fantasy
Publisher::Indie
Length:: 582 pages
Published::May 5th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic
Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manassis Corporon
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross

Book Review:: The Relic of the Wildwood | E.J. Venter

A perilous quest. A fierce protector. And a young woman who doesn’t believe she’s enough. These are the ones tasked with saving the world from an evil force none understand. Will they survive long enough to succeed?

The Relic of the Wildwood by EJ Venter Book Cover

The first thing I want to say about this book is how completely engrossed I was from the very beginning. Though there are common fantasy elements in this story, it had a unique feel I can’t quite describe. That’s not to say it’s cookie cutter at all, but I felt like I was reading about something real.

Alarie has no self-confidence because it has all been sapped out of her by her mother, whom I suspect is up to something greater. She is sent to accomplish an impossible task, and one of the greatest warriors in the realm is sworn to protect her, reluctantly, but dutifully. This first book does so much to set the stage for what could truly be an epic tale.

This is a story that has lingered in my mind long after I read, and I’m happy to see book two is already available to read. That’s where you can find me next!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::The Relic of the Wildwood (Relics of the Gods Book 1)
Author::E. J. Venter
Genre::Fantasy
Publisher::Indie
Length:: 306 pages
Published::December 15th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Thief of Night | Holly Black
The Summer War | Naomi Novik
Awake in the Floating City | Susanna Kwan
Anji Kills A King | Evan Leikam

Book Review:: Mile High | Liz Tomforde

Welcome to the best sports romance series I’ve read. In the Windy City series, Liz Tomforde has created an irresistable cast of characters you can’t help but love. They’re eclectic, they’re flawed, they’re possessive, quite spicy, and you want to be friends with every last one of them. The first in the series is probably the sassiest and perhaps the most transformational of them all. In my opinion, every book only gets better than the last, and you can’t ask for better than that!

Mile High by Liz Tomforde Book Cover

Zanders is the ladiest of ladies men. As in, he’s got numbers for ladies in every city his professional hockey team visits. Multiple ladies. In every town. He’s a player, and he’s not ashamed of it. But when their new flight attendant, Stevie, refuses to take any of his shit, he’s curious, and then obsessed with cracking through her tough shell. Too bad she’s completely unimpressed with professional athletes since her twin brother is one of the biggest NBA stars in the country.

“You following me?”

What do I love about this book? Both of these characters are challenged and go through a lot of big growth. I appreciate that Stevie can be insecure about her body, and I absolutely love that Zanders only has heart eyes for every inch of her. There are bumps and bruises along the way, but they both really get a quick sense of each other and are able to care for one another intuitively from pretty early on. Not only do they grow together, they go through their own personal transformations, too, that pave the way for a healthy relationship.

I love that these books are so long and detailed. Everything feels very connected and weaved together, and not splotchy and clumsily tied together. You really get to spend a lot of time with the characters and their world, so you get a really great payoff in the end when things finally click into place.

Any fan of romance should give this series the good try. I haven’t seen a single person who disliked them yet. There are FIVE books to enjoy (I can’t wait to enjoy the last one after my reread of the rest!), and I cannot wait to see what Liz Tomforde comes up with next! Let’s get it girl!

Details

Title:: Mile High (Windy City #1)
Author:: Liz Tomforde
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Indie
Length:: 603 pages
Audio Length:: 16h 48m
Audiobook Narrator:: Winston James and Mari
Published:: June 4th, 2022
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Play Along | Liz Tomforde
The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy
Gloves Off | Stephanie Archer

Book Review:: Happy Christmas | Kelsey Humphreys

Okay, wow! Finding a new indie author with serious chops can be difficult, but if Kelsey Humphreys new release of Happy Christmas is any indication, ladies, fellas, I’ve gone and done it.

Happy Christmas by Kelsey Humphries Book Cover

I listened to the audiobook narrated in duet by Ryan Lee Dunlap and Audrey Obeyn and it was sooo excellent. I wasn’t fully sure about the English accent at first, but it grew on me very quickly.

This is the story of Janie and Benedict, a down-on-her-luck once socialite and a doesn’t-take-himself-seriously billionaire. They have friends in common, and reconnect at the beginning of the novel at a very opportune time. Benedict has received an ultimatum from his father to be married in order to inherit, and Janie happens to be desperate for cash to dig herself out of a hole. Even still, she’s not sold on the idea that she could marry him.

But reader, she does.

Oh this book is good fun! Benedict is a lighthearted and silly guy much of the time, but he’s never really been faced with a situation that warranted depth from him. He dotes on Janie, happily, and it’s the most adorable thing ever to see his feelings develop through the novel.

Janie has her secrets, and she’s keeping them, even though they’ve destroyed her life. She is far more guarded than Benedict, having been burned in the past. But she can’t deny that whatever it is between her and Benedict, it’s easy, and comes organically. They may be faking it for other people, but just between them? It’s all natural.

I’m not ashamed to say I want more of this book. I will probably read it at least once more before Christmas this year, but I’m most excited to dive into the many other romantic comedies in Kelsey’s backlist. What a joy this book is. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Humphreys comes up with next!

Note:: I purchased this book myself and my opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Happy Christmas (Juniper Falls #1)
Author:: Kelsey Humphreys
Genre:: Holiday Romance
Publisher:: Magnamour (Indie)
Length:: 373 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 39m
Audiobook Narrator:: Ryan Lee Dunlap & Audrey Obeyn
Published:: September 30th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Yours for the Season | Emily Stone
Emergency Contact | Lauren Layne & Anthony LeDonne
Christmas Is All Around | Martha Waters

Book Review:: Firelight Days | Savannah Pryce

If you are a fan of small-town vibes and yearning romances, you’re going to love Savannah Pryce’s new release, Firelight Days.

Firelight Days by Savannah Pryce Book Cover

Penny is a baker in town who works herself to the bone for a boss who takes her for granted. When a dangerous fire starts ripping through the forest nearby, one of her regular customers and friends, Jack, offers to put her up at his family’s property to wait out the evacuation orders. Things have been changing between them lately, but Penny isn’t sure she wants to cross any lines with him and ruin the good thing they have going.

Firelight Days is well written and captures that small-town vibe so well. It’s cute and full of tension and the characters have to reckon with themselves before they can open themselves up to another. I was very impressed with this one! It’s got everything you want when picking up a new romance novel – this one isn’t risky…you’ll love it!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Firelight Days
Author:: Savannah Pryce
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Rosmarin Books
Length:: 327 pages
Published:: August 3rd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Where You’re Planted | Melanie Sweeney
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Book Review:: Leave Before I Love You | Max Monroe

If you are looking for a bit of a harrowing love story, look no further than author duo Max Monroe’s newest release Leave Before I Love You.

Leave Before I Love You by Max Monroe Book Cover

Avery and Henry get stuck traveling solo on what was supposed to be a big group trip. They’ve known one another forever had have had a few fly-by romantic interactions, but he’s her brother’s best friend, and she’s got every guy she could ever want. Henry, who is an adrenaline junkie who literally founded a company based around it, persuades Avery to go skydiving with him. He promises everything will be fine, but that was before the pilot has a massive heart attack and the plane falls into a dive. Avery and Henry have to jump early and frantically, leaving them far off course, on a deserted island.

I love this kind of incredibly dramatic and tension heavy novel with Big Trauma in act one that leads to a trauma bond that binds the two characters together inexorably. My other two recs in this sub-genre are at the bottom of this post.

However, Henry kind of gets a bad deal, because he is stranded with a carbon copy of Shannon from Lost (if you know, you know). Avery is worse than useless. She’s a plastic barbie Miami girl whose greatest talent is spending daddy’s apparently endless money. There’s a little bit of depth to her eventually, but for me, it was still pretty darn shallow. I wish she wasn’t quite as much of a caricature, but I guess it works for what they were after.

If this book was another hundred or two pages longer, I’d still be happy. There was a lot of backstory with Henry I feel like I could have enjoyed exploring between his two parents and how he got into such a very specific and incredible industry. But the story is complete and pretty wonderful as it is.

This is my second Max Monroe novel, and this was very different than the other title I read (Oops, I’ve Fallen), but it’s clear this writing team is very good at what they do. I’m looking forward to reading more of their stuff!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Leave Before I Love You
Author:: Max Monroe
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Indie
Length:: 300 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 25m
Audiobook Narrator:: Will Damron & M.K. Blackwood
Published:: July 24th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4.5-Stars

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Swept Away | Beth O’Leary
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Book Review:: Racing Heart | Darci St. John

I read every racing romance I can get my hands on, so I was pleased to be selected as an arc reviewer for Darci St. John’s newest release, Racing Heart.

Racing Heart by Darci St. John Book Cover

Jordan, an elite racer recovering from injury, is in the UK for his sister’s wedding. Pearl is there too, but not for the reasons she was led to believe. Her family dropped some bombshell news and to cope, she gets drunk and naked with the handsome man she finds on the beach. He invites her to his sister’s wedding and to get away from her own drama, she agrees.

Pearl and Jordan are so well matched in this book. They meet at the exact right moment and are able to use each other as life vests in a way, something to hold onto while everything else is kind of chaos. Their connection seemed genuine, but there was not a whole lot of longing or swoony moments. I didn’t seem to miss it though, that’s not the kind of story this is. Thinking about that, I don’t think this is the kind of story of MFEO these-two-would-end-up-together-no-matter-what story. If they didn’t have their chance meeting there on that beach, it’s unlikely they’d have connected the same way. It’s not trauma bonding exactly, but not a fated sort of situation either, at least in my opinion.

I think I would have rated the book higher except for the soap opera level of drama on the periphery of the story. I think I just didn’t buy Pearl’s mother’s origin story well. It cast a strange pallor over everything.

What I really loved is the extended and thorough ending. It’s not the usual pacing of a ‘standard’ romance where things get wrapped up in a matter of pages…this one gives you time to breathe and live with the characters as they resolve all the little threads that need tied up before we leave them to their happily ever after. It just felt refreshing.

I also loved that Jordan got to go dirt track racing – that’s where you can find my family on summer weekends with my husband racing his open wheel cars. When they took out their sunglasses to dodge flying dirt I laughed out loud!

I have to say I’m curious about this series. I see the first book is the sister’s story, and though I know a few things about what happen in the previous book naturally from the narrative of this sequel, I think I may still pick it up.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Racing Heart (Apex Racing #2)
Author:: Darci St. John
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: BooksGoSocial
Published:: May 20th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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Book Review:: Not A Strong Enough Word | Allie Samberts

Okay folks, get ready to swoon over Allie Sambert’s new novel Not A Strong Enough Word. This book about second chances completely won me over.

Not A Strong Enough Word by Allie Samberts Book Cover

Scarlett once had it all: the dreamy boyfriend, the massive book deal and critical acclaim that promised to launch her career as a literary writer into the stratosphere. But it was too much, and she had to walk away.

Five years later, she’s written another book, and she thinks she might be ready to dip a toe back into publishing, but she’s determined not to get swept away by the pomp and circumstance this time. No. matter. what.

Her agent negotiates a deal with an imprint of her old publishing house, one more focused on the wellness of their authors, and her new editor turns out to be the ex-boyfriend she walked away from without saying goodbye.

Working with Ryan again reminds her of how things once were. Not the worst of it, but the most of it. The good things that had been overshadowed by the doom. He never forgot her, and, still in love with her way with words (if not the writer of them), he’s committed to getting her new book out into the world, even if he never gets answers to the questions that have been haunting him since she disappeared on him.

Oh, these characters. Their connection. So much swoon, so much heart-tugging romance vibes. Absolutely mastered in this book.

I went ahead and gave this one five big fat stars, but if I’m being honest, I think the flashbacks didn’t do a lot to help this book. I can see why they were added when the characters have so much history, but I almost think it could have just been explained well enough in the narrative from the two perspectives.

If you’re looking for a book that’ll have you in all the feels, you can’t go wrong with this one!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Not A Strong Enough Word
Author:: Allie Samberts
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Indie
Length:: 316 pages
Published:: May 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

What Happens in Amsterdam | Rachel Lynn Solomon
Hate Mail | Donna Marchetti
This Summer Will Be Different | Carley Fortune
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross