Posted on by Jacquie Biggar

A Day Late- #TuesdayBookReviews Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout, One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns @GilligRachel, Serpent and Dove by Shelby Melhurin, Amanda in Arabia @supermegawoman #amreading


I’m a day late from my normal book reviews, but I have this gorgeous sailboat to share. When I win the lottery we’ll go for a ride 🙂

Continuing on my recent fascination with fantasy (thank you, Diana Peach!), I have some awesome recommendations for you, as well as a contemporary romance and a hair-raising Amanda adventure from Darlene Foster.

As usual, click the covers to learn more about each book.

The posts on this site may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission should you make a purchase using a link.

Sentinel: The Fifth Covenant Novel (Covenant Series Book 5) Kindle Edition

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

It’s a beautiful day for a war.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant Series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

Prepare for war!

Alex, Aiden, and Seth are up against the war god himself in this dramatic conclusion to what has been an unputdownable series.
I ached for the losses these incredibly brave warriors endured and prayed Seth would redeem himself in the end. There is so much I want to say about this story, but I don’t want to give anything away to the readers.
Alex and Seth remind me of twins. They feel each other’s emotions. They feed off the other’s attitudes, and even though they drive each other crazy, the bond is undeniable- as is the love.
The gods are arrogant, superior, and yet endearingly childlike at times. And the banter between them and Alex made me laugh.
I’m looking forward to the spinoff series, The Titans, and already bought the first book!

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Rachel Gillig

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

Dark. Dangerous. Dramatic.

Wow, this author’s mind is a scary place, lol. When young Elspeth is affected by a fever feared by all in her village, her father- captain of the king’s guard- secrets Elspeth away to the country where she will be safe from the king’s decree- death.
By a strange twist of fate, the magic Elspeth gains from the fever allows her to absorb the power from any of the precious providence cards she touches. But Elsbeth, in her curiosity, touched the wrong one, and now she has a monster in her head- and he wants out.

“But that would mean I absorbed your soul when I touched the Nightmare Card. Which makes you… the Shepherd King.”
A growl, a sneer—oil, bile. His voice called, louder than it had ever been, as if he was closer. Stronger. Finally, my darling Elspeth, we understand one another.

Gillig, Rachel. One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1) (p. 255). Orbit. Kindle Edition.

This book is unlike anything I’ve read before. It is a dark, gothic, moody fantasy that gave me goosebumps more than once.
A big congrats to a wonderful debut novel. I’m off to get the second in this duet now!

Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Rachel Gillig

Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last—and most important—one remains to be found: the Twin Alders. If they’re going to find the card before Solstice and set free the kingdom, they will need to journey through the dangerous mist-cloaked forest. The only one who can lead them through is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head: the Nightmare.

And he’s not eager to share any longer.

The monster has risen!

The king’s heir, Hauth, is a twisted brute intent on holding his kingdom under the thrall of the mist- strange magic surrounding Blunder that sends the unwary deep into the woods on a crazed hunt for an unforgiving spirit.
Elm, the king’s second son, has known only ridicule and hatred from his brother and seeks to end his family’s five hundred years of cruelty. Rescued from a life of abuse by his cousin, Rayvn, they work to gather the twelve Providence cards needed to overthrow the dark magic that holds them all prisoner. But for every action, there is a reaction. Everything has a cost.
The monster that lives in Elspeth’s head grows stronger, their lives twisting and twining while danger stalks their every step. There is a race to find the last Providence card, the Twin Alders, and to do it, Elspeth must set the Nightmare free.

Edgy, page-turning, suspense. This duet is going to stay with me for a long while and will definitely hold a place on my re-read list- excellent!

Serpent & Dove Kindle Edition

by Shelby Mahurin 

As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an impossible situation—marriage.

Lou, unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, must make a choice. And love makes fools of us all.

A sworn enemies-to-lovers epic romance!

She’s a witch on the run from a coven that would see her dead to end a centuries-old war between magic and the church.
He’s an orphan raised on spirituality and sworn to uphold the church’s edicts, allowing death to witches.
They are a match made in Hell, but love can change even the most stalwart foes.

I love Lou’s character! She acts tough with her sassy mouth but has a heart of gold when it comes to her friends. Reid is the exact opposite of Lou. He’s stern and devoted to the archbishop who raised him. A trained killer of the dreaded witches. Yet, he also protects the weak and is easily embarrassed by crass talk or feminine wiles. In other words, he’s no match for Lou’s cheeky tongue, lol

The Break-Up Pact: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Emma Lord 

Two viral break-ups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates. June and Levi can definitely pull this off without their hearts getting involved. Because everyone knows fake dating doesn’t come with real feelings. Right?

This one was just okay for me.

Two people, June and Levi, who were part of an awesome threesome, including June’s sister as kids, are now together again after going viral for all the wrong reasons.
June’s ten-year relationship with an adventurist ended on live television, and Levi’s fiancée left him for a mega-movie star.
Wounded, they each go back to their roots, the town they grew up in, and face the loss of a loved one, which draws them together and gives the paparazzi a new story to push- the Revenge-Exes are a couple!
While the concept is good, I couldn’t get behind June and Levi’s growing relationship. Rather than feeling organic, it came across as fake as they pretended it was supposed to be for the cameras.
Levi is wishy-washy with his feelings, a definite back-away-before-you-get-hurt in my book, and June kept giving him passes which struck me as wrong.
I love second-chance romances, but this one missed the mark for me.

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask Kindle Edition

by Darlene Foster

Amanda Ross is an average twelve year old Canadian girl. So what is she doing thousands of kilometres from home in the United Arab Emirates?

Lucky Amanda travels to Dubai!

A surprise phone call from her aunt and uncle sends Amanda on the adventure of a lifetime to the UAE, where she meets new friends and even rides a camel.
When Amanda receives an intricate perfume flask from a market owner who claims it is meant for her, she is led into a mystery surrounding an Arabian princess and an arranged marriage. Along the way, Amanda learns about the culture and gains many new friends.
I enjoy Amanda’s many adventures and the author’s insights into countries I would love to visit one day!

The heather is blooming!

38 Replies to “A Day Late- #TuesdayBookReviews Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout, One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns @GilligRachel, Serpent and Dove by Shelby Melhurin, Amanda in Arabia @supermegawoman #amreading”

  2. I hope you win the lottery soon, my friend, so you can go for a ride! 🙂

    I love the book reviews, and am following some book covers for more information. I love finding new reading material. xo

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Woo hoo! I’m so glad I got you hooked on fantasy, Jacqui. I think we like the same sort of books too – a little dark, a little edgy, a little dangerous. I loved your reviews – all books that I haven’t read! Yikes. I’m headed to Amazon to favorite them (and their series).

    One a side note… do you think you’ll write one. I think you’d be a natural (hint hint). Hugs my friend.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. I used to devour fantasy novels in my younger days, but I’m much more hit or miss now. I need to indulge again, LOL.

    Congrats to all the authors. It’s always nice to see one of Darlene’s Amanda books in the spotlight.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I hope you’ll have a boat party and have an open invitation to your blogging friends, Jacquie! Wonderful book reviews. I agree that Diana’s books make us fall in love with fantasy. Your heather is lovely.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Revisiting your reviews, I again nod along in agreement – the epic Covenant finale, chilling One Dark Window concept, and forbidden romance in Serpent & Dove all still intrigue me. Your candid critiques remain insightful upon a second read. Amanda’s adventures never get old! Rereading reminds me of beloved books and highlights ones I missed.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Wow, Jacquie, you really have been reading a lot! As always, I can’t help saying that I wish I were a faster reader… and that my eyes didn’t give out so quickly.

    We’re all benefiting from your reads though. Thanks for all these reviews. Everything sounds great. Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Jacquie, I misread the sentence first time round and was just about to congratulate you on winning the lottery! Lol! Some day, perhaps!

    Thank you for sharing these detailed and engaging reviews. Diana has an innate gift at turning anyone to love fantasy and some here pique my interest. Congratulations also to Darlene, I haven’t read about this Amanda one but totally absorbed in the story already! She has the ability to make one long to travel the country of the story’s setting immediately! A skilled writer indeed.

    Liked by 1 person

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