The Northern Witch's Book Blog

Liberty and Justice for All  by Carrie Harris  3 out of 5  Synopsis  Two young mutants take on the X-Men’s greatest foes single-handedly, in this breakneck superhero adventure from the extraordinary realm of Marvel comics It’s exam time at Xavier’s Institute, and young mutants Tempus and Triage are barely surviving the Danger Room. Newly teamed up for a solo X-Copter flight exam, they approach Chicago unaware that Sentinels – giant Mutant-hunting robots – have attacked the Field Museum of Natural History. When they receive an SOS from the notorious Sabretooth, requesting help for wounded anti-mutant politician Graydon Creed, Triage is all for calling it in. But Tempus sees an opportunity to test their healing and time-manipulating powers for real. Whether it’s a trap or a chance for peace, the two students face their greatest challenge, and the X-Men’s worst enemies.  Review  Eva and Christopher are X-Men-in-training, impatient to get into the real world. B...

Unwrapping the Best Man On the first night of Christmas, her sexy crush finally gave to her—an unbelievably hot night! Now she’s ready for nights two, three and four… Unwrap the steamy sequel to Getting Dirty by Rachael Stewart. I’ve lusted after brawny, gorgeously rough Jackson Black for six lust-fueled, unrequited years. But Jackson has rules, and the big one is “no getting involved with clients” of his elite London sex club. Including me. But our best friends are getting married, and for one deliciously hot night, the maid of honor and best man agree…what happens in the Scottish Highlands, stays in the Scottish Highlands. It was everything I wanted and more…until the complete jerk disappears during the night. Now it’s Christmas, and I have a plan to prove to Jackson Black just how much I don’t care, that he doesn’t turn me on like a Christmas tree. Only Operation: Naughty Elf is backfiring big-time. That aching need for his touch is stronger than ever. It’s painfully clear that I wa...

Unwrapping The Best Man by Rachael Stewart  5 out of 5  Synopsis  A Hot Holiday Romance On the first night of Christmas, her sexy crush finally gave to her—an unbelievably hot night! Now she’s ready for nights two, three and four… Unwrap the steamy sequel to Getting Dirty by Rachael Stewart. I’ve lusted after brawny, gorgeously rough Jackson Black for six lust-fueled, unrequited years. But Jackson has rules, and the big one is “no getting involved with clients” of his elite London sex club. Including me. But our best friends are getting married, and for one deliciously hot night, the maid of honor and best man agree…what happens in the Scottish Highlands, stays in the Scottish Highlands. It was everything I wanted and more…until the complete jerk disappears during the night. Now it’s Christmas, and I have a plan to prove to Jackson Black just how much I don’t care, that he doesn’t turn me on like a Christmas tree. Only Operation: Naughty Elf is backfiring big-time. That a...

Heiress Apparently  by Diana Ma  4 out of 5  Synopsis  The first book in an epic and romantic YA series following the fictionalized descendants of the only officially recognized empress regent of China Gemma Huang is a recent transplant to Los Angeles from Illinois, having abandoned plans for college to pursue a career in acting, much to the dismay of her parents. Now she’s living with three roommates in a two-bedroom hovel, auditioning for bit roles that hardly cover rent. Gemma’s big break comes when she’s asked to play a lead role in an update of M. Butterfly filming for the summer in Beijing. When she arrives, she’s stopped by paparazzi at the airport. She quickly realizes she may as well be the twin of one of the most notorious young socialites in Beijing. Thus kicks off a summer of revelations, in which Gemma uncovers a legacy her parents have spent their lives protecting her from—one her mother would conceal from her daughter at any cost. Review  Gemma is...

The Heart Of Doctor Steele Are the rumors about him true? She intends to find out.  The mysterious Dr. Steele has taken up residence next door, and scandalous rumors about him are spreading through Margaret Landeau’s small Massachusetts town. Rumors of women he’s ill-used and exploited for his experimental surgeries. Never one to believe gossip, Margaret arms herself with a basket of baked goods and ventures to discover the truth from the man himself. John Steele has lost everything. His parents, his aunt, too many women he intended to save, and his good name. All he has left is his aunt’s home in a far-flung village and a library he’s stocked with whiskey. He has nothing to offer anyone. Especially not the bold woman next door whose passion for healing reminds him of the man he once was. But when a dangerously ill girl arrives on his doorstep, pleading for help, Margaret is thrust into his world. She will learn who the real Dr. John Steele truly is, and soon, not even his dark pas...

The Heart of Doctor Steele  by Colette Dixon  3.5 out of 5  Synopsis  The mysterious Dr. Steele has taken up residence next door, and scandalous rumors about him are spreading through Margaret Landeau’s small Massachusetts town. Rumors of women he’s ill-used and exploited for his experimental surgeries. Never one to believe gossip, Margaret arms herself with a basket of baked goods and ventures to discover the truth from the man himself. John Steele has lost everything. His parents, his aunt, too many women he intended to save, and his good name. All he has left is his aunt’s home in a far-flung village and a library he’s stocked with whiskey. He has nothing to offer anyone. Especially not the bold woman next door whose passion for healing reminds him of the man he once was. But when a dangerously ill girl arrives on his doorstep, pleading for help, Margaret is thrust into his world. She will learn who the real Dr. John Steele truly is, and soon, not even his dark pa...

The Magpie Society: One For Sorrow  by Zoe Sugg & Amy McCulloch  2 out of 5  Synopsis  The brand new series from Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch Illumen Hall is an elite boarding school. Tragedy strikes when the body of a student is discovered at their exclusive summer party - on her back is an elaborate tattoo of a magpie. When new girl Audrey arrives the following term, running from her own secrets back home in America, she is thrown into solving the case. Despite her best efforts to avoid any drama, her new roommate Ivy was close to the murdered girl, and the two of them can't help but get pulled in. The two can't stand each other, but as they are drawn deeper into the mystery of this strange and terrible murder, they will discover that something dangerous is at the heart of their superficially perfect school. Welcome to The Magpie Society. One for Sorrow will be told via the alternating first person perspectives of the lead characters Audrey - written by Amy - and...

The Secret Stealers  by Jane Healey  5 out of 5  Synopsis  A female American spy in Nazi-occupied France finds purpose behind enemy lines in a novel of unparalleled danger, love, and daring by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Beantown Girls. Anna Cavanaugh is a restless young widow and brilliant French teacher at an all-girls school in Washington, DC. Everything changes when she’s recruited into the Office of Strategic Services by family friend and legendary WWI hero Major General William Donovan. Donovan has faith in her—and in all his “glorious amateurs” who are becoming Anna’s fast friends: Maggie, Anna’s down-to-earth mentor; Irene, who’s struggling to find support from her husband for her clandestine life; and Julia, a cheerful OSS liaison. But the more Anna learns about the organization’s secret missions, the more she longs to be stationed abroad. Then comes the opportunity: go undercover as a spy in the French Resistance to help steal critical intel...

Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus have a new sci fi/space opera book out, Virasana Empire: Dr. Laurent Book 1: "The PV-3 Mutagen." As a history scholar and courier for the secretive Circle of Thales, Rene Laurent is a man of many talents - none of them lending themselves much to a life of adventure. But when a chance meeting with a young, idealistic Belligra priest drags him into a wild quest to keep a dangerous mutagen off the streets of Floor, his curiosity gets the better of him. Between monsters both human and man-made, he realises that maybe fieldwork is more of his game than he had ever thought possible... Written by Rainbow-Award-winning authors Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus, 'The PV-3 Mutagen' is a colourful non-romance sci-fi adventure set in the wildly diverse 'Virasana Empire', and the first novel of the 'Doctor Laurent' series. Warnings: Not a romance. Harsh setting, but hopeful. Amazon US | Amazon CAN | Amazon UK | iBooks | Barnes & Noble ...

The PV-3 Mutagen  by Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus  3.5 out of 5  Synopsis  As a history scholar and courier for the secretive Circle of Thales, Rene Laurent is a man of many talents - none of them lending themselves much to a life of adventure. But when a chance meeting with a young, idealistic Belligra priest drags him into a wild quest to keep a dangerous mutagen off the streets of Floor, his curiosity gets the better of him. Between monsters both human and man-made, he realises that maybe fieldwork is more of his game than he had ever thought possible... Written by Rainbow-Award-winning authors Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus, 'The PV-3 Mutagen' is a colourful non-romance sci-fi adventure set in the wildly diverse 'Virasana Empire', and the first novel of the 'Doctor Laurent' series.  Review  Rene is a native to the Floor and knows how this profit-driven world works. When naive Brother Riccardo shows up with a mission to help people, they are going to have ...

Lava Red Feather Blue  by Molly Ringle  3 out of 5  Synopsis  Awakening the handsome prince is supposed to end the fairy tale, not begin it. But the Highvalley witches have rarely done things the way they're supposed to. On the north Pacific island of Eidolonia, hidden from the world by enchantments, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep since 1799 as one side of a truce between humans and fae. That is, until Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day witch, discovers an old box of magic charms and cryptic notes hidden inside a garden statue. Experimenting with the charms, Merrick finds himself inside the bower where Larkin lies, and accidentally awakens him. Worse still, releasing Larkin from the spell also releases Ula Kana, a faery bent on eradicating humans from the island. With the truce collapsing and hostilities escalating throughout the country, Merrick and Larkin form an unlikely alliance and become even unlikelier heroes as they flee into the perilous fae realm o...

  Witch in the Woods Witches of Grimm Prequel by C.M. Adler Genre: Dark Fantasy " Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived near an enchanted forest with her sister and her father. One day, while her father was gone selling firewood to the neighboring villages, her sister fell ill. Out of desperation, the young girl ventured into the forest for help and there she found a woman who gave her everything her soul desired... Ambrosine lives next to an enchanted wood, which is no big deal when you know how to spot a magic hoax nest and trap nasty little night fairies.  And certainly no big deal when there is not even a witch in the woods. When her little sister Rosaline encounters a strange new creature, she falls asleep and a dangerous fever dream threatens her life. With their mother dead and their father gone, Ambrosine gambles with the deepest desire of her soul as she fights to save her sister. Based on the Grimm fairy tale, The Tale of the Rose, t...

Witch in the Woods  by C.M. Adler  3.5 out of 5  Synopsis  "Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived near an enchanted forest with her sister and her father. One day, while her father was gone selling firewood to the neighboring villages, her sister fell ill. Out of desperation, the young girl ventured into the forest for help and there she found a woman who gave her everything her soul desired... Ambrosine lives next to an enchanted wood, which is no big deal when you know how to spot a magic hoax nest and trap nasty little night fairies.  And certainly no big deal when there is not even a witch in the woods. When her little sister Rosaline encounters a strange new creature, she falls asleep and a dangerous fever dream threatens her life. With their mother dead and their father gone, Ambrosine gambles with the deepest desire of her soul as she fights to save her sister. Based on the Grimm fairy tale, The Tale of the Rose, this is a highly entertaining...

The Forger and the Thief FIVE STRANGERS IN FLORENCE, EACH WITH A DANGEROUS SECRET. AND AN APOCALYPTIC FLOOD THREATENING TO REVEAL EVERYTHING. A wife on the run, a student searching for stolen art, a cleaner who has lined more than his pockets, a policeman whose career is almost over, and a guest who should never have received a wedding invite. Five strangers, entangled in the forger’s wicked web, amidst Florence's devastating flood of November 1966. In a race against time, and desperate to save themselves and all they hold dear, will their secrets prove more treacherous than the ominous floodwaters swallowing the historic city? Dive into a world of lies and deceit, where nothing is as it seems on the surface… Purchase Link - https://www.books2read.com/forgerandthief ~Review~ Author Bio: A full time author, Kirsten is a former customs officer and antiques dealer, and who has also dabbled in film and television. Her historical time-slip series - The Old Curiosity Shop Series, has bee...

The Forger and The Thief  by Kirsten McKenzie  3 out of 5  Synopsis  FIVE STRANGERS IN FLORENCE, EACH WITH A DANGEROUS SECRET. AND AN APOCALYPTIC FLOOD THREATENING TO REVEAL EVERYTHING. A wife on the run, a student searching for stolen art, a cleaner who has lined more than his pockets, a policeman whose career is almost over, and a guest who should never have received a wedding invite. Five strangers, entangled in the forger’s wicked web. In a race against time, and desperate to save themselves and all they hold dear, will their secrets prove more treacherous than the ominous floodwaters swallowing the historic city? Dive into a world of lies and deceit, where nothing is as it seems on the surface…  Review  Several lives swirl together in Florence, at the time of the great flood. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This book follows the lives of 5 people, who have come to Florence for different reasons in 1966. The Guest - Richard, an ...