reading is fun – Cynthia D. Griffin

Book Review: Nefertiti’s Heart By A.W. Exley

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Cynthia D. Griffin

Nefertiti’s Heart Book One in The Artifact Hunters by A.W. Exley is available in paperback, kindle, and audio.

If you are looking for an incredible adventure of romance, steampunk, and a strong female lead this is a great read! I really enjoyed my time with this book, and was pleasantly surprised with some of the twist and turns. But the one thing I enjoyed the absolutely most about this book was the toughness and grit of the female lead Miss Cara Devon.

Set during the Victorian age in London, Miss Cara Devon is determined to settle her newly departed father’s estate so she can close that harrowing chapter of her life forever. But things don’t go quite as planned as she meets a villainous Viscount and becomes sucked into an investigation to uncover the killer that’s been murdering the daughters of the wealthiest families of England.

As she seeks out all the ancient artifacts her father accumulated in his lifetime and then secretly stashed all over London, she is also forced to face the ghosts of her past. The kind of ghosts that leaves a female member of high society shunned and in disgrace. She finds herself in uncomfortable waters as she attracts the attention of a dangerous Viscount, and comes under suspicion as the murdered daughters body count grows.

This is the first book of the Artifact Hunter series, which currently has five books and two novellas. You can find out more at A.W. Exley’s author site. I, for one, plan on reading them all. I am hooked!

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Book Review: The Charmed Locket by Elina Vale

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Cynthia D. Griffin

The Charmed Locket by Elina Vale Book One of The Treasure Hunter’s Heart is now available on kindle.

Elina Vale contacted me through this blog, asking if I would read and review her upcoming novel. I was happy to do so. I’m so glad I did, because I discovered a really lovely story.

This story follows the life of Gina Mansfred, a merchant’s daughter by day, and a thief named Lily by night. She’s struggling to find her place in a man’s world, as she decides where her heart is leading her. She feels obligated to continue the family business as a merchant, but during one of her nightly escapades, a mysterious locket lands in her possession that leaves her unsettled.

Gina’s life becomes even more complicated when she suffers a terrible loss that has her traveling across the sea to visit a family relative for answers about what she should do next. During her travels, she meets a mysterious man she can’t stop thinking about, and who leads her into dangerous waters. She also runs across alarming secrets connected to the locket that sends her world into further chaos.

The Charmed Locket kept me on the edge of the seat almost the entire read (I finished the novel in two days). Elina Vale does a great job in plunging the reader into external and internal conflict that keeps the reader hooked. If you love adventure and romance with a twist of darkness, then this book is definitely for you!

This is the first book in The Treasure Hunter’s Heart series. There is a prequel novella called FireHeart available now, and the second book of the series Hidden Truths is available for preorder.

book review, reading

Book Review: The Unseen World by Patricia Correll

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Cynthia D. Griffin

The Unseen World by Patricia Correll is available in paperback and kindle.

I really enjoyed this book, so much I zoomed right through it in less than a week. It had me hooked from the beginning, and the further I got into the story, I found it harder to put down. Finally today, I sat down and finished it. I usually leave my reading until nighttime, but I decided I needed some me-time just so I could finish the story.

This book is a fantasy set during the feudal era in Japan. It follows the story of a young teenage girl who lives in a poor village. She’s set to become a potter and marry a young farmer, but quite unexpectedly her life changes. Sanami discovers she is a descendant of a mysterious, but extremely power clan that has the ability to tap into mystical abilities and cross over into the supernatural unseen world.

This young girl makes a deal that has her relocating to the Imperial city to study her new found abilities for a year, before returning home to her betrothed. During that year, Sanami adjusts to being someone of importance and has many adventures into the unseen world. She also makes some new friends, and one in particular has her emotions reeling as she comes to terms with all the changes in her life, and the possibility of new love.

If you like great description and marvelous character development, this book is for you. Patricia does such an amazing job weaving a story that makes you feel like you are right there in it. The story is also a wonderful depiction of Asian myth and lore that makes for a captivating and fun read.

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Book Review: Misfit Mage

Posted on July 21, 2019July 21, 2019 by Cynthia D. Griffin

Misfit Mage Book 1 of the Fledgling God Series by Michael Taggart is available on Kindle.

I recently read this book and absolutely fell in love with it, and I wanted to share it here. It’s a paranormal story like you’ve never seen before. Michael Taggart weaves a story that is unique and fun. It is dark, but so much humor I was laughing through large parts of the book. I love how much creativity this book has, and I’ll remember the characters always.

The main character is Jason who has just discovered he is a supernatural through a major life altering event. His world is turned upside down when he realizes he can do magic, and that magic really is a thing. Along the way he makes amazing friends who feel more like family, and meets a man who puts his other lovers to shame.

Jason quickly discovers his limits in magic, but also finds places he excels at. He also realizes how dangerous the magic world is and how much he needs to catch up for he gets himself killed. But he is a problem solver with an abundance of creativity. Some of his solutions are amazing to behold (and super funny too)!

If you are looking for a humorous book with dark and deep undertones, then pick this up immediately. You won’t be sorry!

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The Magic of Reading

Posted on April 6, 2016July 12, 2019 by Cynthia D. Griffin

Books. They amaze me. They captivate me. They are true magic. Imagine this.

You get a new book to read because someone recommended it to you, or the cover just looks freaking awesome, or it’s a promising jewel you happened to stumble upon. It sits there in your lap eager to be read, but the cover, the title, the words splashed across the pages are meaningless. It’s just a book. Like all the other books taking up space on the bookshelf. But you open the cover and begin to read anyways, because it’s calling to you. There’s this pull to open it you can’t quite explain. So you do and you begin to read it.

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