"A Christmas in the Alps" by Melody Carlson

A Christmas in the Alps (Sept. 7, 2021) by Melody Carlson.*

There is something almost magical about the thought of France in the wintertime. Simone Sophia Winthrop is going to see it after discovering a note from her namesake great-grandmamma and lots of pushing from her best friend, Andrea Jacobs. She’s terrified of flying, but meets the handsome and winsome Kyle Larsson. He’s going to Norway before landing in France, while Simone spends time in Paris before taking the train to Avre (sounds like ah-vuh) in hopes of finding a treasure and, perhaps, relatives. It turns out that Kyle has made his way to Avre to apprentice at a clock and watch factory … and the factory is owned by Simone’s long-lost relatives.

            I realize that this is a novella and the story that takes place within must progress at a faster pace due to it being a slim volume and not a full-length novel. Still, I found Simone’s almost immediate crush on Kyle and frequently straying thoughts of Kyle to be off-putting. It’s like she was obsessed with him, minus the stalking and/or creepy, lustful thoughts. That said, this novella reminds me of a Hallmark movie in storybook form, everything from the finding-your-soulmate romance to the idyllic French-Alps-in-the-wintertime setting. Personally, I rooted for Simone to connect with relatives she didn’t previously know existed. To me, that’s the treasure she’s been missing in her life since her great-grandmamma passed away.

 

 * Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Realm Breaker" by Victoria Aveyard

Realm Breaker (May 4, 2021) by Victoria Aveyard.

*This is the first novel in a series.*

A squire who survived (Andry Trelland, age 17), an immortal weighted with guilt (Domacridhan), an assassin seemingly heartless (Sorasa Sarn, an Amhara), a sorceress beyond age (Valtik) and the daughter of a pirate (Corayne an-Amarat, also 17 years). Two more are picked up along the way, because Valtik says, “And we must be seven.” They find an unrelenting bounty hunter (Sigil) and a master forger (Charlon “Charlie” Armont). They are a radically diverse group, but they are the Companions of the Realm, as the first group was almost entirely slain. They’re up against Taristan, a descendant of Old Cor who wasn’t known to exist, Ronin, his red wizard, and the Ashlander creatures, “beings half-alive, driven mad by torment.” Taristan and Ronin serve the Torn King of Asunder. What Waits. Among other names. Taristan and Ronin want to rip Spindles open again; the Companions want to close them up. Taristan has poison in his heart and a Spindleblade that he shouldn’t possess. Not to be counted out is Erida, the 19-year-old Queen of Galland, part of Allward. She seems sympathetic toward Andry’s trauma, but her heart desires power and conquest. Can a motley group of Companions, from all regions of the realm, survive the desperate journey to save the Ward (Allward)? Will Corayne accept that she is of Corblood … Spindleblood?

            Worlds that are not set in our own always have the potential for great intrigue in my mind, as the author has free reign for that world. Allward is easily intriguing, and there’s a nicely detailed map in the hardcover format. However, there’s so much to this world that so little of it is explained in great detail, even with the YA novel counting in at over 560 pages. That aside, this story has a fantastically diverse cast, not only in terms of color, but also the roles that women inhabit (e.g. assassin, bounty hunter, pirate). The inclusivity is refreshing. The expansive realm that is Allward is riddled with high-stakes action, sweeping danger and a cast of characters that are complex and imperfect (like us, except we don’t have to battle the icky, rot-smelling kraken). “Realm Breaker” is full of darkness, but it is exciting. There will be death, and there will be poison, but it’s an epic adventure, a high fantasy. These characters aren’t heroes, but they’re the Ward’s only hope. If you want epic fantasy, read this. They be breaking realms here!

"Hostile Intent" by Lynette Eason

Hostile Intent (Aug. 3, 2021) by Lynette Eason.**

*This is the fourth and final novel in a series.*

Because of her mother’s declining health, Ava Jackson accepted an early discharge from the military (Navy). She’s still grieving her father’s death of only eight months earlier, and with her younger brother (eight years her junior) busy in medical school, she purposely lives close to the care facility her mother resides in. Ava is attacked doing nothing more than walking to her car one night after visiting her mom, but FBI Special Agent Caden Denning arrives in time to help her fight off the attacker. Between her mom and the attack, Caden knows now isn’t the time to put more on Ava’s plate, but he does share that Ava may hold the key to the murders of multiple families (children included). As both mental and literal puzzles are put together, Ava realizes the connection is through her dad. While the killer’s murder spree spreads out over multiple states, it remains clear that the killer has a motive, but what is it? As Ava, Caden and their friends and colleagues find the pattern and fit the pieces of the puzzle together, secrets will come to light and someone thought to be dead may not be dead. They’ll also discover that the killer wants Ava, but doesn’t want to kill her right away. The killer’s intentions are far more grisly than a quick kill. Will they catch the killer before Ava or those she loves become victims of gruesome ruthlessness?

            For me, Eason is one of my two go-to authors for inspirational suspense. I love how her stories don’t skimp on the danger and suspense, yet the writing remains clean, unlike those novels heavy-laden with expletives and other foul prose. The last in her Danger Never Sleeps series is expectedly fast-paced and never slows in momentum. Eason’s novels are populated with independent, tough women and strong men that are all, at turns, vulnerable, which makes them more relatable. That they’re always attractive does get noisome, as though only the most attractive travel in super-skilled, highly-trained, beautiful packs, though perhaps that is how they’re able to manage to fall deeply in love amidst danger in, like, a week, whether there’s a childhood connection or not. Fortunately, that last bit is a triviality that won’t stop me from continuing to read Eason’s books.

            Book One: Collateral Damage

            Book Two: Acceptable Risk

            Book Three: Active Defense

 

** Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”