The Good Daughter (Dragon’s Birthright, Book 1) - HP Mallory & JR Rain

Excellent start to a new series

I really, really enjoyed this book. This is HP Mallory and JR Rain writing at their best. I loved the characters, even the mean ones. I loved the variety of settings, which changed as the story progressed. I loved the world building and most of all, I loved the Dragons! 

This book is filled with political intrigue, fights for the throne, murder, battles, kidnapping and there is the potential for a little romance at some point in the series. It was a page-turner for me and I raced through it. 

I can’t wait for book two.

Available from Amazon

 

The Fifth Gate (Gates of the Underworld, Book 5) - HP Mallory & JR Rain

Adonis or Ares? Why Choose?

I love the world building in this series; The Fifth Gate is different from the four books which preceded it. Penelope’s fight is not just with Ares but with her own feelings.

This book was a lot shorter than previous books and there were fewer battles and fight scenes. It did feel like there could have been more to it than there was; it was a bit of a race to the finish line.

We’ve seen a lot of sexual tension between Penelope and Adonis throughout the series but in this book Adonis is injured and unable to help Penelope in the final battle at the fifth gate. Just as well really, because the attraction and tension between her and Ares is high and it is fulfilled before the story ends. The options went from ⧣TeamAdonis or ⧣TeamAres to ⧣WhyChoose and I loved it.

Sadly, this is the final book but it feels like there is so much more that could be written in this series. I wasn’t ready for it to end.

 

Reading order

Wrath of the Gods (Gates of the Underworld, Book 1)

Relics of Ruin (Gates of the Underworld, Book 2)

Daughter of Aphrodite (Gates of the Underworld, Book 3)

God of War (Gates of the Underworld, Book 4)

The Fifth Gate (Gates of the Underworld, Book 5)

Available from Amazon

 

Blood Rose (Haven Hollow, Book 26) - HP Mallory & JR Rain

Fantastic New Addition to the Haven Hollow Collection 

This is the 26th book in the Haven Hollow series. Most of the series falls in the Paranormal Women’s Fiction genre, however this one is an Academy book with a twist.

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I might. It was actually quite the page turner and I’m delighted to have been wrong in my assumptions. I’m not usually one for Academy books but as I have read all the other Haven Hollow books, I wanted to include this one. I have to say, it’s an excellent addition to the Haven Hollow collection. It’s predominantly set outside of Haven Hollow and follows the adventures of Astrid, Wanda’s 18 year old niece, as she starts her formal magical education at Blood Rose Academy.

We have seen Astrid throughout the rest of the series as a secondary character, so it was nice to see more of her as the main character. 

In this book we are exposed to the wider world of magic and the paranormal, as well as finding more about Astrid’s own lineage as her magic springs to life in most unexpected ways.

A sinister plan being hatched by the vampires comes to light and if not stopped in its tracks, could have disastrous consequences for all magical beings. I’m actually very excited about reading the next one.

The Haven Hollow series is written from a variety of points of view and features stories from Wanda’s Witchery, Poppy’s Potions, Spook Society, Haven Homes, Remarkable Remedies, Princess Procedural and Blood Rose Academy. They all run in parallel with each other. The reading order so far is:

Gypsy Magic : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 1) 

Cashmere Curses : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 2)

Faery Enchantment : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 3)

Spandex Sorcery : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 4)

Love’s Goddess : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 5)

Demon in Denim : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 6)

Taffeta Trickery : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 7)   

The Black Cat Cocktail Club : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 8)

French Country Frights : Haven Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 9)

All Hallows Eve : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 10)

Mystic Veil : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 11)

The Yule Log : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 12)

The Broken Mirror : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 13)

Art Deco Apparitions : Hallowed Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 14)

The Vampire’s Grave : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 15)

Herringbone Hexes : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 16)

Raising Cain : Spook Society (Haven Hollow, Book 17)

Druid’s Curse : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 18)

Colonial Corpses : Hallowed Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 19)

Angora Alchemy : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 20)

Day Dream : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 21)

Ritzy Business : Spook Society (Haven Hollow, Book 22)

Pan’s Delight : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 23)

Armed and Charmed : Princess Procedural (Haven Hollow, Book 24)

The Christmas Spirit : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 25)

Blood Rose : Blood Rose Academy (Haven Hollow, Book 26)

Available from Amazon