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Description
Knife in the BackCondition: BRAND NEW ISBN: 9781915798763 Year: 2025 Publisher: No Exit Press Description: Chef Charlie Hunter finds backstabbing among the online celebrities living in her little Chilterns village turning to murder, in the third of the Old Forge Caf Mystery series. 'An irresistibly delicious mix of cooking and murder' Tricia Ashley 'An excellent addition to this series' Real reader review 'Very smart cosy mystery with a female restaurateur as the
Condition: BRAND NEWISBN: 9781915798763
Year: 2025
Publisher: No Exit Press
Description:
Chef Charlie Hunter finds backstabbing among the online celebrities living in her little Chilterns village turning to murder, in the third of the Old Forge Café Mystery series.
'An irresistibly delicious mix of cooking and murder' Tricia Ashley
'An excellent addition to this series' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Real reader review
'Very smart cosy mystery with a female restaurateur as the protagonist. Great characters, lovely food references and a fabulous plot' ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Real reader review
'Well done Alex Coombs, another entertaining cozy mystery that kept me hooked and guessing. Glad to catch up with the characters, had fun and appreciated the solution. Highly recommended' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Real reader review
Chef Charlie Hunter is just trying for mindfulness and a work/life balance, if such a thing is ever possible in the context of a busy professional kitchen.
She's found herself a great podcast that's going to help her get there. Until she finds that her online self-help guru has feet of clay - feet which are much closer to her restaurant than seems possible.
Even more disruptive is the attack on a well known writer in Charlie's quiet Chilterns village of Hampden Green, and the arrest of the village's own celebrity shock jock.
Charlie finds herself dealing with more than she can cope with, and never sure where the next attack will come from. Then mere backstabbing turns to murder…
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4.6 ★★★★★
Based on 665 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 4
Enchanting
Format: Kindle
"Queen of Roses" by Briar Boleyn is a delightful and refreshing reimagining of the classic tale of King Arthur, with a captivating twist that places the spotlight on Morgan, a character who has often been overshadowed in traditional retellings. Boleyn's creative decision to shift the narrative perspective to Morgan breathes new life into the story, offering readers an intriguing and compelling look at the Arthurian world from an entirely different angle.
One of the most commendable aspects of this book is its incorporation of Fae elements, which adds an enchanting layer of magic and mystery to the already familiar Arthurian setting. Boleyn skillfully weaves the world of the Fae into the narrative, creating a captivating backdrop against which the events of the story unfold. This addition not only adds depth to the world-building but also provides ample opportunities for twists and turns that keep readers thoroughly engrossed.
However, while the book boasts numerous strengths, it does have one noticeable flaw: the characterization of Morgan. While it is reasonable to create a flawed and complex protagonist, it appears that at times, Morgan's character becomes overly difficult and hard to relate to. Her persistently negative perception of one of the main male characters, who is a potential love interest, despite his efforts to support and assist her, may come across as somewhat irrational and could test the patience of some readers. Striking a balance between a strong, independent character and one who can recognize genuine support and affection could have enhanced the overall reader experience.
Nonetheless, the allure of "Queen of Roses" lies in its innovative approach to the Arthurian legend and its skillful blending of fantasy elements into a familiar narrative. Boleyn's evocative prose draws readers into a world where magic, destiny, and fate entwine, leaving us eager to uncover the mysteries that unfold within the pages.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2023
★★★★★ 5
An action-packed dark romantasy
Format: Kindle
I loved this book! Queen of Roses is an Arthurian-inspired dark romantasy that is the first book in the Blood of Fae series. The story follows Morgan, the princess of Camelot who is rumored to be part fae. Fueled by prejudiced hatred and a mistrust of fae blood, Morgan’s abusive father strips her of her birthright and hands it to her half-brother, Arthur. Instead of becoming queen, Morgan is commanded to join the temple of the goddesses when she comes of age.
However, Arthur turns into a psychopathic, power-hungry, fae-hating king as he ages. He develops malevolent plans and commands Morgan to find an ancient weapon with legendary power. Although Morgan is wary of Arthur’s intentions, she embraces the opportunity to go on a journey and potentially change her fate.
The story picks up from there and we follow Morgan on her quest to find the ancient relic. It’s full of high stakes adventure, mystery, tension, banter, forced proximity, hidden magic, self discovery, and betrayal. This first installment of the series intricately develops the world building and character development. There’s little romance in this book, but it is evident that it is a slow burn that will continue to develop throughout the remainder of the series.
Overall, I loved the world building, the epic fantasy, Morgan’s journey of self discovery, and all of the twists and turns that set the stage for the future installments. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024
★★★★★ 4
Arthurian Fae Quest…say less.
Format: Kindle
A fae centered Arthurian tale unlike any I’ve read so far. The author did a great job at descriptive world building, with scenes easily playing out in my minds eye. There was plenty of action, suspense, and even a touch of horror. An enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, a quest, with plot twist and turns aplenty. There was a love triangle, which I’m not usually a fan of but, it played out well in this story line. The FMC, Morgan Pendragon, was so blatantly naïve, yet I typically expect as much in a ‘book one’ of a series, especially one that features a fairly sheltered princess. I was happy to read that in spite of this, she still showed a strong sense of morals, fire, and spine. Now our MMC? Kairos Draven, aka Void’s Edge. Oh, how I’m a sucker for a smoking’ hot grumpy warrior alpha with a witty mouth, and a strong sense of “touch her and die” attitude, so you know who held all my cards. That ending? Just made me swoon all the harder. Now add a battlecat that rivals the size of a horse…and well Ms. Briar Boleyn you have well and truly stolen my heart. I’m excited to see where the story goes from here, and follow along to see more of the characters growth. I went into this story fairly blind, and I think I enjoyed it all the more because of it.
Once the story got going, it had me in an absolute chokehold and it was difficult to put down.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2024
★★★★★ 3
Not a bad start
Format: Kindle
3 stars
Thank you Netgalley and Briar Boleyn for the ARC!
A camelot/king Arthur retelling with fae. I was hooked by the idea of this book immediately and was eager to jump into this world.
• slow burn
• enemies to lovers
• who did this to you
Morgan Pendragon watched her mother die by her father's hand when she was just eight years old, hiding under the bed. Morgan is believed to have the tainted blood of the fae in her veins and is cast aside so that her fathers illegitimate son, Arthur, can become the king. She's seen his cruel treatment of the fae firsthand, so when he sends her on a journey to find a fae weapon she seizes the opportunity to do more with her life. Along the way, she finds more than she could have imagined.
I don't know a whole lot about King Arthur and Camelot but I had a lot of fun with this story! The plot has some similar tropes to popular romantasy books (From blood and ash) but there's enough originality here that it doesn't feel like I'm reading a copy. I liked how the fae were different in appearance than what is typical in most fantasy books I've read. In this book they have blue hair, violet skin and a wide range of other characteristics. I thought that the world building was easy to follow and I could easily immerse myself into this world. After reading the blurb I kept wondering when she was going to go on the journey to find Excalibur and it doesn't happen until around the 45% mark.
The story is a bit slow at times but starts to pick up once they begin their journey to find Excalibur. The John Wick style Inn was a fun concept that I enjoyed reading about.
There are a lot of similarities to this and FBAA and I would have liked to have it be a little more different, but I'm hoping book two will have the story turn into something of its own. Overall I enjoyed reading this story and I'm looking forward to reading book two especially after that ending.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2023
★★★★★ 5
AMAZING debut novel!!!
Format: Kindle
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️.5
Romance 💘💘💘
Vibes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dual 1st person POV - Ara (26) & Rogue (39 - but looks mid-20s: they can live hundreds of years so this isn't that large of a gap as it could've been which I heavily appreciate lol)
Tropes: enemies to lovers, fae/human wars (deep hatred for each other), shifters (dragons- MMC can only partial shift with wings), one horse, one bed, touch her and d!e, found family, abduction turned to freedom
The Last Storm is the debut novel from JD Linton and let me tell you, you guys NEED to read this. The plot was engaging and the editing was was amazing (especially for a debut novel). Our FMC, Ara, is stuck in her gilded cage longing for a life outside of her small town. She uses her books to escape and live vicariously through the pages (honestly, relatable). After her father announces her betrothal to her childhood friend (to whom she has no romantic feelings for), Ara tumbles unknowingly into a desperate plot trying to stop the humans from slaughtering the Fae.
As one can expect from an enemies to lovers / kidnapper/captive romance, Ara fights her attraction and lust towards our MMC, Rogue (the King of the Fae), for as long as she can. Upon seeing Ara for the first time, Rogue is instantly aware that she is his fated mate (not a spoiler). Since she is the General's only daughter, he plans to abduct her and use her as leverage to stop the brutality. During Ara's time in Rogue's captivity, their banter and chemistry continue to rise until they finally boil over and come together (quite literally, and many times I may add 😉).
Here's what I LOVED:
- Rogue continuously seeks advice from his elders and deeply respects their opinions and life experience and tries to implement their recommendations
- Rogue makes many mistakes in the beginning but we see him actively work on not repeating them as the book progresses. The level of self-awareness and his ability to change his behavior was impressive
- The magic system is intricate and we have only scraped the surface. As the series continues and Ara progresses in her powers, I'm sure we'll get to see more of this. I absolutely LOVE the messaging system that is used in this book.
- Ara's struggles are so human and so raw. She is experiencing so much guilt and pain and hurt and getting to see her work through each of these emotions is inspiring. Especially as her and Rogue get closer and she learns she can lean on him as well, that she is not alone.
- While this is the start of a series, there is NO cliffhanger! There's a bit of a teaser of something major that is going to happen at the start of the next book, but it's not a cliffhanger in the sense that we aren't sure if someone is going to live or d!e or if they'll be separated. For that, I am very thankful! This book was so much fun that I will definitely be returning to book 2, even if it takes several months (or longer since this is an debut author) to publish!
- Lastly, the cover is GORGEOUS! And I love the title!
I'll copy a few of my favorite quotes below so you can have a little taste of the author's writing and the world she's cultivated. 😊
Top Highlights from The Last Storm
On days like this, when my heart was heavy and my mind clouded, I resorted to books— to escape, to forget, to find freedom where I had none.
If I were to marry him, my face would always be turned to the window, searching for more, and if not that, I would be a shell of the person I am now.
I stepped back to admire her, thr0bbing at the sight. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. To ever exist. Nothing, no one, had ever deserved to be worshiped more. All men should be made to kneel before her. But she would have to settle for me.
The taste of her met my t0ngue as my scent merged with hers, forever branding her. Mine. I l!cked the wound. Hers. Completely and utterly hers.
I didn’t claim her in ownership. I claimed her as my one. Devoted myself to one. With that mark, my body and soul were bound to her. I would never be with anyone else, emotionally or physically. It would be her or no one, until my last breath.
“Scream my name. Let everyone know who I belong to.”
I had never really cared about the weather before, but now, clear skies meant everything to me, and I was grateful to see another calm morning.
“There will never be another woman for me.” He paused. “Ever.” I stilled at his words. “What… Why?” “This”— his thumb slid down across the mark—“ is a symbol of… surrender. I know you believe that it was my claim upon you, but it wasn’t. It never was. I bound my body and soul to you, little storm.”
“I also know that it is more than this tiny, insignificant mark on your skin that binds me to you. It’s you. All of you. Your strength and resilience. Your determination to endure no matter what fate throws at you. Your love for love and stories and hope. You are entirely the opposite of everything that I am and I would gladly wear your shackles if it meant I could have you.”
My mate. Mine. And then everything shifted and I understood. I understood everything. The surrender. The deep, soul-craving longing. Bound. I was bound to him. Body and soul. Entirely his. “I would’ve waited forever,” he whispered back, understanding.
Seriously, everyone.. add this to your TBR!!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2022