The Northern Witch's Book Blog

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer 5 out of 5 Synopsis A fantasy series about a kingdom divided by corruption, the prince desperately holding it together, and the girl who will risk everything to bring it crashing down. The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand. King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents' shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King's Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion--it's the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere, and the only known cure, an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals, is severely limited. Out in the Wilds, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die, their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals. Every ...

The Arcane by Andrew S. French 2 out of 5 Synopsis Orphaned science nerd and maths prodigy Alice Valentine wants to ace her studies. She’s spent all her life struggling to make friends, passed between foster families and care homes, isolated and lonely. Losing herself in academia from an early age, she becomes the first sixteen-year-old at her local university. Her whole world changes, but nothing can prepare Alice for the night she’s attacked by a werewolf. But even that isn’t as strange as discovering she has an identical twin sister, Cassie. And Cassie kills werewolves. And all the other monsters Alice didn’t believe existed. Alice and Cassie set off to discover what happened to their parents, a journey that takes them from northern England to the edge of the apocalypse, unsure if they will save the world or destroy it. Review Alice makes it to university, and finds more than she could have dreamt. A sister she didn't know existed, and strange happenings that can't be parano...

Out Front the Following Sea by Leah Angstman 1 out of 5 Synopsis Out Front the Following Sea is a historical epic of one woman’s survival in a time when the wilderness is still wild, heresy is publicly punishable, and being independent is worse than scorned — it is a death sentence. At the onset of King William’s War between French and English settlers in 1689 New England, Ruth Miner is accused of witchcraft for the murder of her parents and must flee the brutality of her town. She stows away on the ship of the only other person who knows her innocence: an audacious sailor — Owen — bound to her by years of attraction, friendship, and shared secrets. But when Owen’s French ancestry finds him at odds with a violent English commander, the turmoil becomes life-or-death for the sailor, the headstrong Ruth, and the cast of Quakers, Pequot Indians, soldiers, highwaymen, and townsfolk dragged into the fray. Now Ruth must choose between sending Owen to the gallows or keeping her own neck from t...

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman 4.5 out of 5 Synopsis It's the following Thursday. Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He's made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life. As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn't that be a bonus? But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn't bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them? Review The Thursday Murder Club is back to solve another murder, with diamonds and not-dead spies. This is the second book in the series, and I would recommend reading them in order, to get the full experience. This story focusses on two main plots for the geriatric sleuths. It starts...

Cinderella and the Scarred Viscount An imperfect proposal… But a perfect match? Major James Rossington, Viscount Austerfield, survived Waterloo, but can he survive the Season as London’s most eligible bachelor? Convinced his battle scars make him unlovable, and to escape Society’s matchmakers, Ross proposes a wedding in name only to shy, sensible Carenza Bettridge. Liberated from her cruel stepmother and bullying half-sisters, she blossoms into a confident, altogether desirable woman. He promised Carenza a convenient marriage, but inconveniently finds himself wanting more… Purchase Links  Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cinderella-Scarred-Viscount-Mills-Historical-ebook/dp/B096T9Q35K Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/Cinderella-Scarred-Viscount-Mills-Historical-ebook/dp/B096T9Q35K   Author Bio Sarah Mallory is an award-winning author who has published more than 30 historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon. She loves history, especially the Georgian and Regency....

Strictly Christmas Spirit From disco balls to Christmas baubles … Ex-dancer Emily Williams turned her back on the sparkle of popular dancing show Strictly Dancing with Celebs to help those in need. Now the only dancing she does is teaching lonely pensioners to waltz, and the closest she gets to disco balls is making baubles with the homeless people in her Christmas crafts class. She’s certainly not star-struck when Hollywood heart-throb Blake Harris is sent to her at short notice for community service, and has no desire to babysit the arrogant actor with his bad boy antics and selfish ways. Christmas might be a time for miracles, but Blake seems to be a lost cause. But Emily’s reasons for abandoning her dancing passion means she understands the Hollywood wild child more than she’d like to admit. Could their time together, coupled with a dash of Christmas spirit, lead to a miracle change of heart for them both? Book 3 in Helen's Spotlight series but they can all be read as standalon...

Strictly Christmas Spirit by Helen Buckley 5 out of 5 Synopsis From disco balls to Christmas baubles … Ex-dancer Emily Williams turned her back on the sparkle of popular dancing show Strictly Dancing with Celebs to help those in need. Now the only dancing she does is teaching lonely pensioners to waltz, and the closest she gets to disco balls is making baubles with the homeless people in her Christmas crafts class. She’s certainly not star-struck when Hollywood heart-throb Blake Harris is sent to her at short notice for community service, and has no desire to babysit the arrogant actor with his bad boy antics and selfish ways. Christmas might be a time for miracles, but Blake seems to be a lost cause. But Emily’s reasons for abandoning her dancing passion means she understands the Hollywood wild child more than she’d like to admit. Could their time together, coupled with a dash of Christmas spirit, lead to a miracle change of heart for them both? Book 3 in Helen's Spotlight series ...

The Arcane Orphaned science nerd and maths prodigy Alice Valentine wants to ace her studies. She's spent all her life struggling to make friends, passed between foster families and care homes, isolated and lonely. Losing herself in academia from an early age, she becomes the first sixteen-year-old at her local university. Her whole world changes, but nothing can prepare Alice for the night she's attacked by a werewolf. But even that isn't as strange as discovering she has an identical twin sister, Cassie. And Cassie kills werewolves. And all the other monsters Alice didn't believe existed. Alice and Cassie set off to discover what happened to their parents, a journey that takes them from northern England to the edge of the apocalypse, unsure if they will save the world or destroy it. Purchase Links  Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arcane-1-Andrew-S-French/dp/1914308077 Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/Arcane-1-Andrew-S-French/dp/1914308077   About the author. And...

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novak 2 out of 5 Synopsis A budding dark sorceress determined not to use her formidable powers uncovers yet more secrets about the workings of her world in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education, the start of Naomi Novik's groundbreaking crossover series. At the Scholomance, El, Orion, and the other students are faced with their final year--and the looming specter of graduation, a deadly ritual that leaves few students alive in its wake. El is determined that her chosen group will survive, but it is a prospect that is looking harder by the day as the savagery of the school ramps up. Until El realizes that sometimes winning the game means throwing out all the rules . . . Review El is in her final year of the Scholomance, and despite her best efforts to push them away, she now has friends . They will have to work together to survive graduation. I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not read the first book in the s...

The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan 3 out of 5 Synopsis “Morgan’s latest Christmas tale will delight readers and give them the perfect excuse to snuggle up for a few hours with a cup of hot cocoa.”—Booklist on The Christmas Escape This Christmas, be whisked away by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan in this uplifting novel of friendship, the festive season, and risking everything for the biggest gift of all... It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas getaway—a trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband. Her solution? Alix can take Christy’s little daughter to Lapland, and they will reunite there for Christmas Day. It’s a big ask, but what else are friends for? There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy. But Christy’s request to save Christmas is giving Alix sleepless nights. She knows something is wrong, but for the first time ever, Christy isn’t talkin...

A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry 5 out of 5 Synopsis Edinburgh. This city will bleed you dry. Dr Will Raven is a man seldom shocked by human remains, but even he is disturbed by the contents of a package washed up at the Port of Leith. Stranger still, a man Raven has long detested is pleading for his help to escape the hangman. Back in the townhouse of Dr James Simpson, Sarah Fisher has set her sights on learning to practise medicine. Almost everyone seems intent on dissuading her from this ambition, but when word reaches her that a woman has recently obtained a medical degree despite her gender, Sarah decides to seek her out. Raven’s efforts to prove his former adversary’s innocence are failing and he desperately needs Sarah’s help. Putting their feelings for one another aside, their investigations take them to both extremes of Edinburgh’s social divide, where they discover that wealth and status cannot alter a fate written in the blood. Review Dr Raven and Sarah have two sepera...

Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan 3.5 out of 5 Synopsis In an empire on the brink of war... Ahn is no one, with no past and no family. Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child. When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her arcane magical abilities. But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined. Ferocious action, shadowy intrigue, and a captivating romance collide in June CL Tan’s debut, a stunning homage to the Xianxia novel with a tender, beating heart, perfect for fans of The Bone Witch and We Hunt the Flame. Review Ahn and Altan find themselves as unlikely allies in helping Altan reclaim the throne; especially as one will have to kill the other in the end. I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is split between Ahn and Altan. Ahn is a peasant girl from a starving village near the ever-expanding desert. The only ...

The Reboot Ella and Roly have bright futures ahead of them when they meet as teenagers and strike up an unlikely friendship. She has her career in academia all mapped out, and his star is in the ascendant as member of a manufactured boy band. But ten years later, neither is where they expected to be. A chronic illness forced Ella to abandon her studies and put her dreams on hold, while Roly got kicked out of the band and lost everything – all his money, his career in music, even the underwear-model girlfriend.  When they cross paths again they’re both ready to start over, and they rekindle their friendship as they each try to get back what they lost. But Ella didn’t tell Roly what really happened the last time they met. And if he finds out, will it be the end of their new beginning? Purchase Link - https://books2read.com/u/47OXpg ~Review~ Author Bio Clodagh Murphy lives in Dublin, Ireland and loves writing sassy, sexy romantic comedies. She has worked as a bar waitress, cleaner, s...

The Reboot by Clodagh Murphy 4 out of 5 Synopsis Two old friends. One new beginning. And a secret that could tear them apart. Ella and Roly have bright futures ahead of them when they meet as teenagers and strike up an unlikely friendship. She has her career in academia all mapped out, and his star is in the ascendant as member of a manufactured boy band. But ten years later, neither is where they expected to be. A chronic illness forced Ella to abandon her studies and put her dreams on hold, while Roly got kicked out of the band and lost everything – all his money, his career in music, even the underwear-model girlfriend.  When they cross paths again they’re both ready to start over, and they rekindle their friendship as they each try to get back what they lost. But Ella didn’t tell Roly what really happened the last time they met. And if he finds out, will it be the end of their new beginning? Review Ella and Roly haven't talked in ten years, but they find they have so much in co...

High Blue Sky What would you sacrifice to be with the person you love? Summer has arrived and it’s over a year since strangers Abigail and Edward bought Winfield Hall at auction and restored it together. Now, two new tenants are about to join them at their beautiful Georgian home. Workaholic Harry Freeman has forgotten what it is to relax so when he meets healer, Aura Arden, and learns to meditate with her, he can’t believe how good he feels and he soon finds himself falling for her. But, with her bare feet and crystal beads, Aura’s not a big hit with Harry’s old-fashioned parents, and he finds himself torn between the people he loves most in the world. It isn’t just Harry and Aura finding love. Summer has woven its spell over Edward and his brother Oscar, and both are making a play for Abi. But Abi isn’t happy at having to choose between these two very different men and, when Oscar’s behavior spirals out of control, she realizes that some decisions can have devastating consequences. H...

High Blue Sky by Victoria Connelly 4 out of 5 Synopsis What would you sacrifice to be with the person you love? Summer has arrived and it’s over a year since strangers Abigail and Edward bought Winfield Hall at auction and restored it together. Now, two new tenants are about to join them at their beautiful Georgian home. Workaholic Harry Freeman has forgotten what it is to relax so when he meets healer, Aura Arden, and learns to meditate with her, he can’t believe how good he feels and he soon finds himself falling for her. But, with her bare feet and crystal beads, Aura’s not a big hit with Harry’s old-fashioned parents, and he finds himself torn between the people he loves most in the world. It isn’t just Harry and Aura finding love. Summer has woven its spell over Edward and his brother Oscar, and both are making a play for Abi. But Abi isn’t happy at having to choose between these two very different men and, when Oscar’s behaviour spirals out of control, she realizes that some deci...

AG Meiers has a new MM contemporary suspenseful romance out: Night Watch . And there's a giveaway! A romance at midnight, but happily ever after at dawn? Complicated… Hunter Jones is stalling. One day, he’ll be a lawyer in his family’s prestigious firm, but just not yet. Instead he is working the nightshift at the Burlington Inn. It’s the perfect place to hide from everything that’s wrong with his life. Once—just once—he did something reckless and it has haunted him ever since. Romance is the last thing he needs. But then a tall, dark, and sexy stranger checks into the hotel... Detective Cole Sawyer’s life is a complete clusterfuck of his own making. His lies have ruined his chances at a fresh start, and his anger and insomnia constantly get the better of him. Cole has no business getting involved with the honey-sweet night auditor. But with every late night encounter staying away gets more and more difficult. When a dangerous stalker targets Hunter, Cole realizes just how far he’s...