Reflected Realms, Kiss of Life, Rooftop Suitor

I've grouped these three books by EE Everly together because they're all short stories that can be read in thirty minutes or less.

Bite-sized and thoroughly enjoyable. These short reads are perfect if you want a good story but not want to be up until the early hours of the night saying, "Just one more chapter." 

If you think such a quick read would have underdeveloped characters, then you'd be mistaken. Ms. Everly masterfully crafts whole beings that you can easily identify with. They hopes and obstacles. 

Perfect for when you need a quick romance fix. 

Reflected Realms. Kiss of Life. Rooftop Suitor. 

AMAZON

Rooftop Suitor

He is the last man she expected, on a rooftop, no less. She is drowning in her mother’s expectations. What they both need is a change of perspective.

Kathryne flees from horrible suitor after horrible suitor, each one more atrocious than the last. After a particularly vexing engagement with a drunken cad, she attempts a desperate escape from a rooftop.

When her exit is more dramatic and dangerous than she expected, a gallant hero comes to her rescue.

Kathryne believes she’s found the perfect suitor, until an awkward truth crushes the hopes she has to ever find happiness.

AMAZON

Kiss of Life

Sometimes the difference between life and death is just a single kiss.

No one seems to notice the young woman wandering the estate, slipping between the onlookers in the crowd.

Those who do turn and run.

When his eyes meet hers, flaring with recognition, it’s enough to send her racing away into the safety of the gardens, because nothing feels as it should.

And there’s not a familiar soul she can turn to for help.

AMAZON

Reflected Realms

Mirrors should not be portals. Pixies do not exist. And dance partners with mystically blue irises should not be so mysterious.

When Kassidy meets a reflection pixie after dancing all night with a handsome stranger at a benefit gala, she thinks she’s had too much to drink—until she falls through the hotel room mirror into a magical world.

With the mirror passage closed and everyone thinking she’s a lady about to marry a lord, Kassidy has no one to trust but the pixie to get her home safely.

With This Ring

Not sure why I ended up starting in the middle of this series, but now I want to read all the books and see what happens to each sibling.  

Really enjoyed how Ms. Clopton crafted the story of Levi and Jessica. They both have issues, her even more so as a widow with a son to raise. 

Solid story. Strong emotion. Flows like a clean romance should. 

A little more editing would've been nice, but likely won't distract the average reader. 

AMAZON

The Sinclair brothers have watched their sisters fall in love and now...it's their turn ready or not!
After her small son, Kevin, asked both God and Santa for a new daddy for Christmas, and then didn’t find him under the tree, school teacher, Jessica Lyons is starting the new year out with a very unhappy six year old on her hands. Kevin can’t understand that she’s only been a widow for 2 years and she can’t imagine marrying again—not yet at least. But, unknown to her Kevin has a plan and has decided that if God and Santa won’t give him what he wants then maybe the police can!

When the very handsome Chief of Police, Levi Sinclair shows up as Kevin’s Show-and-Tell he believes, as does Jessica, that her son has asked him there to show him off as the "police chief"—It’s a little awkward when Kevin introduces Levi as his next daddy!

 

The Unexpected Groom

Ms. McConnell takes a different tactic with this romance. 

Instead of following one couple, we're following mulitple couples and characters as things change at the ranch. I enjoyed having multiple points of view but the book didn't feel like Ellie's book. Her romance came off as the side romance to Olivia's. 

I had several unanswered questions at the end. 

This book felt more like the intro to a family saga series than a standalone. And perhaps that was the intention. Hook you into each of the characters, then continue reading through the Lime Peak series to get the answers. 

The writing is solid as always. I have read other books by her I've enjoyed more. 

AMAZON 

Ellie Dumont is in love with the wrong man. Logan Labrum is the son of her family’s biggest business rival Joe Labrum. Joe’s made things difficult for the Dumont family for years but that doesn’t stop Logan from turning Ellie’s head. They’ve been dating on the sly for months. As their love deepens, Ellie is torn between family loyalty and the man who stole her heart.
George Dumont wants one thing: to have his family under one roof again. Carol left, taking their son, Levi, a couple years ago. Unsure how to approach a reconciliation with the redhead who lights a fire in his soul, George stumbles forward. 
After a tractor accident cost Olivia Dumont the use of her left hand, she learned to hate doctors and the limitations they laid before her. Which is why she takes an instant dislike to their new renter, Dr. Robert Canton. Robert signed up for the Lime Peak Ranch experience and she’s going to make sure he gets it. Hauling five acres of hay bales in from the field is a good start. But Robert doesn’t complain and he doesn’t tell her she shouldn’t be using her hand or baby her like her family does. But Robert is holding back and Olivia can tell. The closer they get, the bigger the questions become.
Bonnie Ruggles is the heart of Lime Peak Ranch, but her heart isn’t in it anymore. After years of carrying the burden of infertility and mysteries that started long before she married Dallas Ruggles, Bonnie is worn thin. Will their history together be enough of a reason to stick around or will the past be what pushes her off the ranch?

Follow this family full of heart and love and loyalty as they work to navigate the bumpy roads ahead.

Apprentice to the Villain

I loved Assistant to the Villain and the sequel didn't disappoint. 

I wondered how Ms. Maehrer was going to keep Evie and the Villain's growing attraction from overtaking the story and keeping it interesting enough to work in the upcoming third book. She managed it beautifully with the right amount of angst, pull, and some very well timed and well deserved kisses. 

There was so much going on! Obstacles fell like a rainstorm and kept me anxious to see how each character would navigate the mess. 

You need to read book one to appreciate this one. 

I can't wait for the third installment. 

AMAZON

NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. —Mgmt

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs—Kingsley’s included—point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?

Gallant

This is my first read by V.E. Schwab, and it is excellent. 

She masterfully creates Olivia's world at the school and at Gallant. 

What an exceptional, emotional, page-turning adventure. 

I think what amazed me the most was the whole story was told without Olivia ever uttering a word. Incredible. 

I don't want to spoil the story. Read the book. It is worth your time. 

AMAZON

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from. 

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

Dating the Prince

Ms. Armstrong can be relied upon to serve up a swoon worthy romance. 

Goodness there were so many crazy obstacles thrown between these too, not the least of which was a crown. 

Talk about opposites, but the most important thing they have in common is their good hearts. 

Fun to watch the prince interact with the child and how Libby did everything she could to help her parents. 

In the end these two stick to their values. 

AMAZON

He’s a prince with a PR problem. She’s a free spirit desperate for money. Can a fake engagement solve both their problems?

His Royal Highness Prince Alexander of Durham has a serious PR problem. His cheating celebrity ex-girlfriend destroyed his heart and spread lies about the breakup in the press. With a new crisis manifesting daily, Alex will do anything to get back in his country’s good graces.

Libby needs a new beginning, and Durham seems like the perfect choice. Her ex was a cheater and bankruptcy has brought her parents to the brink of divorce. At least her new job as a nanny will help ease her family’s financial burdens while offering her a fresh start.

When a lucky penny nearly gets Libby arrested, Alex is her unexpected hero—she just doesn’t know he’s also a prince. After their first disastrous date is caught on camera, the public swoons over the possibility of a new relationship. A fake engagement could solve both their problems. Can these two opposites commit to a lie, or will the sparks between them burn down the entire charade?

The Spellshop

Ms. Durst is a genius. 

The twists, turns, and fun never stop in this delightful tale of a people adverse heroine with a sentient spider plant as her sidekick. No Disney princess here. 

I loved how Kiela overcame every obstacle with her brains, determination, and a little dose of magic. Plus, she learns how to get along with people, even trust them, then finally love them. 

Kiela is the type of girl you want as your friend. And of course, I liked the romantic thread as well. 

Definintely a page turner for the romantasy fan. 

AMAZON

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she’d never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair.

The empire, for all its magic and power, has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that, but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library, Kiela feels partially responsible for this, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island’s first-ever secret spellshop.

Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.