A Devil’s Advocate is a thought-provoking story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Randal Korn, a deadly prosecutor, has sent more men to their deaths than any district attorney in the history of the United States. When a young woman, Skylar Edwards, is found murdered in Buckstown, Alabama, a corrupt sheriff arrests the last person to see her alive, Andy Dubois. Despite being innocent, all odds are against him since everyone in Buckstown believes Andy is guilty. With no hope of a fair trial, my favourite fictional lawyer, Eddie Flynn, plans to destroy the prosecutor's case, find the real killer and save Andy from the electric chair. But the murders are only beginning—there’s something far sinister behind this innocent woman’s death. Based on what I have read, the Eddie Flynn series is…and I’m not exaggerating, outstanding. The characters are everything. We have a former con artist turned elite defence attorney, Harry Ford, Eddie’s mentor and a retired judge, who has a way with words that I was looking up to him as a mentor, AS A READER. Then we have Eddie’s new law partner, Kate Brooks, a strong, independent woman who is new to the career but doing exceptionally, and Bloch. Bloch is an amazing private investigator who scares me a little but in a good way. This unique group of four is a true force of intelligence—and it's impossible to put the book away. The face, what seems like the impossible, and they capitalize on every minuscule thing and turn it into something big that can completely change the outcome. It’s never written sloppily, where it seems like an afterthought for the author. Whenever I read anything from Steve Cavanaugh, I mentally map things out, and everything comes together perfectly. This makes his writing so addicting! I haven’t tackled this whole series yet, but I’m working on it. It’s easy to read, but at the same time, it’s so intricate. I never feel lost with all the information. I’m mind-boggled but never lost, and I never think I am left with unanswered questions. This story, in particular, was interesting because the reader is so focused on saving this innocent life, the trial, and all the corruption, and you zone in on all that; then, as the story progresses, there’s a bigger picture. This was an excellent story; again, I love the characters, the plot, and the twists; this series will never get old for me; it’s far too exciting! I can’t wait for more! Lucky for me, I still have some of this series to catch up on. Thank you, Netgalley, and Steve Cavanaugh!

Sancta Femina is a dark tale about science, truth and how one woman’s genetic heritage leads to an all-out war. After completing her cadet training on Titan, Hella Nazari is heading back to Earth when a nuclear blast annihilates much of the planet. Without her scheduled destination, the 21-year-old orphan regains consciousness in an unfamiliar territory. Her immediate relief upon discovering a lone laboratory after barely surviving the new and frigid atmosphere quickly dissipates when she realizes it belongs to the monster who destroyed her planet. From bad to worse, Hella faces new worries when the scientist claims she’s the genetic clone of a long-dead religious figure. Hella is destined to serve as his pawn in eliminating survivors unless she makes a grand escape from a seemingly impossible situation. Sancta Femina is not for the faint-hearted. It has a deeply intricate storyline that revolves around dark plots and challenging concepts. With a fearless heroine heading the tale, this story will captivate readers from page one. The first part of the story provides an in-depth background on the catastrophe that has taken place and the reasoning. It provides the necessary details to connect with the main character and understand her actions and emotions—a great setup to keep the reader hooked and wanting more. In the first half, the characters are some of the strongest elements of this story. Not only is it easy to connect with the main character, but the side characters are also interesting and dealing with complex challenges themselves, making the story compelling. A special mention to Ramses, a robotic companion who will win over anybody’s heart within an instant. Following the setup of the story and the excitement of Hella’s challenging situation, there was a section of the story that felt like it was dragging on. There’s a lot of action and explanation in the first bit, which makes a bit of the second part feel underwhelming. As the story progresses, there’s still much to learn, including jaw-dropping information. However, it felt a bit slow. As the story ends, there’s some expectation of a dramatic ending, but there wasn’t much to hook the reader fully. However, the ending does have its excitement and brings about a craving for the next book. This extraordinary science fiction story had a central conflict, complications, climactic events and a resolution. This is a recommended read for all those who love an in-depth science fiction story. I received an Advanced Review Copy on Reedsy Discovery.

Tea You at the Altar’ — the title speaks for itself. Back to the Tomes and Tea Series with Book No. 3! I keep saying it, but I will continue to say: I love Kianthe and Reyna. I love their relationship, their chatter, and everything about them. I will continue to read this series to enjoy more of this wholesome couple. That being said, this wasn’t my favourite adventure of theirs. A Pirate’s Life for Tea was good, but Tea is for Treason will always hold a special place in my heart. Unfortunately, Tea You at the Altar fell a little flat. I don’t have much to say, but I will say I love the characters in this series, but that wasn’t enough this time. This story didn’t excite me, so I had a harder time picking up the book. Kianthe and Reyna are finally getting married, and friends, family, and even the queen are heading to Tawney for this special event. I love that for them! Also, is it even a wedding if there isn’t a side quest to overthrow a queen, specifically Queen Tilaine. How exciting, because she’s one nasty lady. A lot was going on, but it wasn’t capturing my attention. We did get some baby dragons, though. Who doesn’t love a baby dragon? But it wasn't as exciting as I had hoped when it came time for the wedding and overthrowing of the queen. Although I’ll say this is a cozy fantasy, there should have been no expectation from me for some epic battle, so this is a me problem and therefore, I will continue this series, because I do love it! I will always recommend it because it is a cozy, fantastical series with the perfect couple! OH! Also, I need to mention the ending. It had me yearning for more. Waiting for Alchemy and a Cup of Tea will be tough, which we can expect in August!

The Watchers is a chilling horror story that mixes psychological suspense with folklore. This book's premise intrigued me, and I was excited to read it, but unfortunately, the story fell flat for many reasons. Before diving into that, the spine-chilling elements were there. The atmosphere of the forest, the eerie details of the Watchers, had the hair on my arms standing up straight. The thought of being stuck in this situation made me never want to enter a forest again, and since I’m located near a forest, that would not be easy to avoid. Unfortunately, these details were the only thing I thoroughly enjoyed about this book. I wanted to love this book so bad. I had so many questions throughout this book, but I don’t feel like I got answers; if I did get answers, they were not satisfying. It was almost as though the author remembered he left some stuff unanswered, but he also didn’t have the answers and just tossed in a random explanation. Which brings me to my next point, I’m not the type of reader to spot a plothole and take it to my grave, sometimes it is what it is and, for me, it didn’t take away from the story, so I don’t tend to focus on them while I’m reading, or mention them in reviews. However, no spoilers, there were quite a few in this book, and I could not stop questioning them, and it took me far away from the story. I had trouble getting into it because that’s all I could think about. The characters, at the end, the main character, Mina, kept mentioning they were family and they only had each other after all they’ve been through, but the whole family aspect was not believable. The words did not match the vibes, and the vibes were not screaming family, together forever. Lastly, the bird was there for one reason, and one reason only, and that reason was not worth that beautiful bird’s time. Again, love the premise, but I believe this story is more suited for a novella. I also tried to watch the movie in hopes of a better outcome. It also wasn’t spectacular, but I didn’t enjoy seeing the creepy watchers.

I genuinely believe Freida McFadden's books are entertaining; they aren’t my favourite thrillers ever, but again, they are entertaining, with some good twists, so overall, I do enjoy them. A quick and easy read when I need it. However, lately, I feel I can’t keep up; she’s writing faster than I can digest the story. In my humble opinion, the stories aren’t as strong as her older stories; The Crash sent me on a downward spiral of disappointment. It was not a story I enjoyed at all. I was hesitant to read The Tenant, but I miss the old stuff, so as you can see, I read The Tenant. I’m to say, I enjoyed it way more than The Crash. Way more. However, I’ve read nearly all her books so far, so this was predictable from the start. It had a similar feeling to The Surrogate Mother, and I knew immediately what was going on, and I didn’t predict the exact ending, but I was reasonably close. Also, I understand that thrillers are supposed to evoke a sense of stress, but I’m feeling way more stress than thrills. I want the thrill; life is stressful enough, and I need more thrills, less stress. That’s all I’m going to say. At this point, I’m telling myself it’s time for a Freida break, and I am saying that. However, she has another one coming out this year, and I’m a sucker, so I will probably end up reading it the minute it comes out.

Assistant to the Villain is a comedic, slow-burning romance filled with morally questionable office tasks, unexpected emotional connections, and a twisty plot. It took me a handful of chapters to connect with the characters and the story, but the moment I did, my sole focus shifted to Evie and the Villain, which is truly an unexpected romance. I’m more of a slow-burn romance girl when I dive into a romance story, and this one, in particular, is the reason why I adore good slow-burn romances. From strangers to romantic partners, there’s just something about the in-between that can warm a girl’s cold heart, and this storyline was a lot of fun, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with their whole situation. The notorious, high-ranking villain hired Evie as an assistant, but the nature of her office duties remains unspecified. However, Evie quickly supports various staff members with mayhem, terror, and other questionable tasks. Although Evie sometimes thinks twice about her new employment, she has a family to support, which leaves her no choice but to stay. This story was dark and twisted, but in the funniest way imaginable. It was lighthearted and heartwarming, despite the chaos surrounding it. The dialogue between Evie and the Villain had me giggling. The wit and sarcasm throughout the whole story were on point; I couldn’t get enough. I was listening to the audiobook rather than reading it myself, so I believe some of the sarcasm translated better than if I had read it myself. I am focusing on Evie and the Villain, but in all honesty, I enjoyed nearly all the characters; they were unique, and each had a strong personality that stuck in my head. For the most part, they were all quite memorable. I can’t write a review without mentioning the ending. I was so engrossed in the characters and the story that the twist caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting much of a twist and was shocked when it happened. I didn’t see it coming. Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I have heard some mixed feelings about the second book, so I’m hesitant to jump into the next one or if I should just be content with Book 1.