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Please welcome our guest reviewer today! Let’s see what she has to say. Take it away, Jamie! Thank you! ♥ Moonlight Beach by Yurie Kirie This book was a page-turner. However, I would not classify it as romance. While there is a one-sided love story and some kink going on with the witchy business, there was never really any romance. It also ends in a cliffhanger, which I hate. Had it not been categorized in romance, I would have probably left 5 stars! NOTE: I was provided a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Four stars only, because of mislabeling it as a 'steamy paranormal, multicultural romance with some mystery' and sending the review request to a romance blog! Hence, why we put the book review over here on this 'all genres accepted' blog. What we can say is that the story hit us as a paranormal mystery leaning more toward an erotic horror.  Book Blurb: -Winner of the 2020 Hollywood Book Festival’s award for Genre Fiction. -Chick lit Café Awards First Place to Moonlight Beach: Murder and Magic by Yurie Kirie for best Paranormal Thriller, Crime & Mystery - April 2023. What is shattering the idyllic, seaside community of Rancho, California? Grisly death. Bodies washing up on nearby Moonlight Beach. It’s downright disconcerting to the privileged one percent living in their gated communities in one of SoCal’s ritziest enclaves. Worse, they have no idea what or who is behind the slaughter. Is it sharks? Something supernatural? Greedy venture capitalists? Maneaters are known to inhabit the waters off Moonlight Beach, but shark attacks are rare. What about black magic, satanic rituals? A coven of witches lives nearby. Or could it be the venture capitalists, whose latest company harvests human organs for transplant, exploiting the vulnerable to save the wealthy elite? The Violence Shows No Signs Of Ending Two more people are killed on a cliff overlooking the beach – and all their organs are missing. This bloody terror isn’t slowing down. It’s accelerating. What the hell is going on? They better figure all this out before more people get butchered or, God forbid, Rancho’s inflated property values plummet. Universal Reader link: https://books2read.com/u/b5dJPG Here’s an excerpt from the book… In the ocean off Moonlight Beach, Mark waited for the perfect wave. He loved to surf at night. There were no other surfers, the waves were just as good as during the day, sometimes even better, and the rising full moon bathed everything with incredible beauty. Mark felt his board being sucked backwards by a large wave. He leaned forward and paddled hard to match the coming wave's speed. The slope steepened and he thrust his board forward then leaped up and rode it toward the deserted beach. "Yesss!" Mark yelled. "Yahoooooo!" He cut back and forth then turned down the steep face of the big wave. It was a much larger and steeper wave than he thought but he rode it gamely. Suddenly he felt the nose of the board dig into the wave's curving face. The board stumbled and he fell off head first. He tried to dive but ended up in a belly flop and hit the water hard. The massive wave's strength pushed him down further and deeper. Mark held his breath under water as the wave tumbled him around like an old tennis shoe bouncing in a washer. He rolled on the bottom of the beach and tried to push up but in spite of his flotation vest, the rushing water held him down then rolled him over again and again. He started to black out then he caught a glimpse of the moon's light through a fleeting clear patch of foamy water. He relaxed, trapped where he was beneath the pressing waters and thought about death. It wasn't so bad, he thought. He didn't feel any pain, all he had to do was relax and he could sail up to the moon like a puff of smoke. He imagined himself as an astronaut then he thought about his mother. "Mom!" he tried to cry out but couldn't; he only swallowed salt water and gagged. He struggled some more then passed out as another wave pounded over him. When the rush of the wave finally subsided, Mark's unconscious body floated up to the surface where it mingled with a huge tangle of seaweed slowly drifting towards the almost deserted beach. While Mark and the seaweed floated towards shore, a woman’s naked body fell into the surf where it could drift away. So, what are other people saying about this book? "A captivating blend of mystery and supernatural elements set against a picturesque coastal backdrop. It's an interesting mix of genres, blending the traditional murder mystery with fantasy elements. The story follows a determined protagonist who finds herself entangled in a series of mysterious events after a murder occurs at the beach. Kiri’s writing is engaging and atmospheric, vividly bringing the beach setting to life while effectively building suspense. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motivations and secrets, which adds depth to the mystery. The incorporation of magical elements adds an intriguing twist, making the plot more than just a typical whodunit. Moonlight Beach...keeps you guessing until the very end, perfect for curling up with on a rainy day!" ~Phillip Stern, Amazon "My favorite part about this book was the attention to detail. I could clearly picture the characters and the environments they were in. I have never traveled to California but I got a feel for it just by reading this book. Overall, this book is entertaining and I look forward to reading the sequel to this book. I’d recommend this for anyone who likes crime stories or anyone who likes reading about witches and the paranormal. This is a perfect mix of true crime and fantasy." ~Brooke, Amazon “Even if you aren’t so much into the paranormal, the other aspects of the books are going to pull you in before you even realize what is happening. To the author, what a brilliant job! I have no complaints whatsoever! This book could easily be turned into a movie or TV series and I am hoping to see it someday!” -Moose and Charlie, Amazon BOOK INFO: AUTHOR: Yurie Kiri TITLE: Moonlight Beach (Murder and Magic Series, Book 1) Genres: Paranormal Mystery, Supernatural Thriller, Erotica, Horror, Multicultural Fiction THEMES: Multicultural influence, heavy on the witchcraft (probably not true Wiccan religion) RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2019 PUBLISHER: Indie Published ISBN/ASIN: B07RT7DYNP OUR RATING: 4 stars REVIEWED BY: Jamie Manous Guest Blogger/Reviewer Bio:  My name is Jamie Manous. I am a single mom with two adult kids, both in college. I also have three fur babies, two dogs, and one cat. When I am not working or caring for my family, I spend my downtime reading and writing reviews for books and products I like. I like reading because it allows me to escape the world for a couple of hours and destress. I have done countless reviews for Amazon, and I have reviewed many authors including Michelle Major, Jo McNalley, Eva Moore, and E.M Shue. Most of the authors I review write Romance/Harlequin. But I enjoy reading genres like Romance/Harlequin, Murder Mystery, True Crime, Historical Nonfiction, and Historical Fiction. On very rare occasions, I read Fantasy Literature like Harry Potter or Twilight. I have reviewed for many years and still prefer a good ole paperback any day and own a personal library with about 7,000 books. This book looks intriguing! ♥ We’ll check it out… Thanks for this review, Jamie, and for stopping by the blog! :) Check out our latest Writing in the Modern Age blog post here. 
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Please welcome our guest reviewer today! Let’s see what she has to say. Take it away, Jamie! Thank you! ♥ New Zealand by Lance Morcan This book is very well written in the historical time period and it's truly believable. My only thing is this main character ended up being with three different women, and that part was not a bit romantic! In no way should this be considered a romance. Maybe just historical fiction, but well written on that aspect. The cultural aspects were intriguing. The story does end in a cliffhanger, though! NOTE: I was provided a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Four stars only, because of mislabeling it as a romance and sending the review request to a romance blog! Hence, why we put the book review over here. A true romance tale has a happy ending, even if it only works for that moment in time. Whereas a drama can include elements of romance, but the couple does not necessarily end up together at the end.  Book Blurb: New Zealand: A Novel is a sweeping tale of discovery, destiny, and forbidden love in which the old and new worlds collide. Spanning five centuries, this tale begins in the 1300’s when daring Pacific Islanders set sail from Hawaiki, chasing whispers of a bountiful land they believe awaits them far to the south. Those who survive the treacherous voyage discover a place they call Aotearoa – land of the long white cloud. Shrouded in mist, it’s a place of beauty, danger, and intrigue. The last sizeable slice of undiscovered land on Earth. The new arrivals become Maori, forging a rich and complex culture spoiled only by the fierce and bloody intertribal conflicts that spread far and wide as the lust for land, food and influence increases. These herald an age of slavery and cannibalism. Centuries later, Captain James Cook’s bark the Endeavour appears over the horizon. Maoris call the white intruders pakeha. Their arrival heralds a clash of two vastly different ideologies as European civilization collides head on with indigenous culture. As Cook begins his circumnavigation of the new land, he realises he has rediscovered a country Dutch explorer Abel Tasman discovered 127 years earlier. A place called New Zealand. Among the more engaging crewmembers aboard the Endeavour is Nicholas Young, the popular Surgeon’s Assistant whose willingness and thirst for adventure endear him to all. Nicholas soon finds himself caught between duty and desire when he meets Anika, a fiercely independent and captivating Maori princess whose world is about to be upended. As Cook charts the unknown, Nicholas and Anika chart a course of their own – one fraught with peril, passion, and the weight of two civilizations at odds with each other. Their love defies the boundaries of culture and time, blooming in the shadow of misunderstanding, bloodshed, and upheaval. New Zealand: A Novel is a story of passion born in the eye of history’s storm. Adventure, romance, and the resilience of the human spirit converge in this unforgettable journey to the bottom of the known world. Universal Reader link: https://books2read.com/u/4XqZy6 Here’s an excerpt from the book… Nicholas, seated near the front just behind Tupaia, had already decided Tahiti was everything he’d dreamed it would be, surrounded as he was by beautiful wahines. Already one or two of them had caught his eye. Any thoughts he had for them vanished the second he laid eyes on Queen Obadia. She emerged from a cluster of large bures that comprised the royal living quarters. At her side, but always one step behind, was her consort Hercules. The massive rangatira towered over her, but everyone had eyes only for the queen. At the sight of Queen Obadia, the air was driven from Nicholas’s lungs. It was as if Hercules himself had punched him in the gut. She’s beautiful! Nicholas fought for breath as he took in every feature of the royal figurehead who was now standing only a few paces from him. He knew there wasn’t a more exquisite creature on the face of the planet. Others around him were equally impressed. Despite the fact that she was probably nearer forty than thirty, her radiance and beauty outshone that of the prettiest wahine. Statuesque, her golden skin was unblemished, and beneath the colourful cape that hung from her graceful shoulders her body was, in Nicholas’s opinion, perfection personified. When she moved she glided gracefully, like the dancer she once was. High cheek bones gave her face a rare and exotic beauty, but her most riveting feature was her almond eyes. Large and hypnotic, they roamed over the faces of the visitors seated before her, settling for one magical instant on Nicholas’s face. In that split-second he thought he saw something register in the queen’s eyes. Then it was gone as she turned her attention to others. Nicholas had noted the ever-present Hercules was the only villager who remained standing while the others bowed down before their queen. Knowing he was the queen’s consort repelled him. He couldn’t imagine so beautiful a woman sharing her bed mat with such a grotesque hulk. The feast that followed was worth the wait. Throughout proceedings Nicholas tried in vain to catch another glimpse of the queen – his queen, for that’s how he thought of her now. He was aware from the first second he laid eyes on her he’d fallen hopelessly in love. She was his first true love. Unfortunately, he never saw more than a fleeting glimpse of her again that day as she remained surrounded and largely hidden from view by throngs of her admiring subjects. Nicholas’s reaction to the queen’s stunning beauty hadn’t been lost on his crewmates who, to his everlasting embarrassment, began ribbing him mercilessly. It had also been noted by Tupaia. He’d seen the surgeon boy’s star-struck reaction to the queen’s appearance. It didn’t surprise him. Over the years, he’d seen many others come under her spell – himself included. More significantly, however, Tupaia had noted his queen’s reaction upon seeing the lad. It had only been a fleeting one, barely lasting a second, but Tupaia recognised it. She’d once looked at him like that. His loins tingled at the memory of the solitary night of passion that had followed. It was a memory he nurtured and would carry with him to the grave. So, what are other people saying about this book? "At its heart, this is a novel about discovery — of new lands, new cultures, and of oneself. It left me thinking not just about New Zealand’s early history, but about the timeless human instinct to explore, to clash, and to find connection across differences. A vivid, compelling historical novel that still feels relevant today." ~Elisabet Norris, Amazon "After reading it, I’m awed that the Maori were able to take advantage of brief periods when the prevailing winds favored their journey. Morcan’s account of life on an 18th century ship is almost equally terrifying. Apart from being a compelling story about a distant place and time, the adventures of the main character, an innocent young surgeon’s assistant on Cook’s ship are page-turners. Lovers of adventure, exotic locales, and history should enjoy this read, which reminds me of James Mitchener’s novels in breadth and detail." ~Kathleen Buckley, Amazon “Wow, what a fantastic novel. Lance Morcan has that special talent of being able to pull you into the story, so you can vividly picture everything that’s going on. The struggles of the indigenous people are not something one can possibly imagine, and courage it must have taken to leave their home in search of a better place. I always enjoy reading about Captain Cook, and this has been incorporated really well into this story..” -Todd Simpson, Amazon BOOK INFO: AUTHOR: Lance Morcan TITLE: New Zealand Genres: Historical Fiction, Maritime Fiction, Action/Adventure, Multicultural Fiction THEMES: Cultural History RELEASE DATE: December 7, 2024 PUBLISHER: Sterling Gate Books ISBN/ASIN: B0DPTJTDCQ OUR RATING: 4 stars REVIEWED BY: Jamie Manous Guest Blogger/Reviewer Bio:  My name is Jamie Manous. I am a single mom with two adult kids, both in college. I also have three fur babies, two dogs, and one cat. When I am not working or caring for my family, I spend my downtime reading and writing reviews for books and products I like. I like reading because it allows me to escape the world for a couple of hours and destress. I have done countless reviews for Amazon, and I have reviewed many authors including Michelle Major, Jo McNalley, Eva Moore, and E.M Shue. Most of the authors I review write Romance/Harlequin. But I enjoy reading genres like Romance/Harlequin, Murder Mystery, True Crime, Historical Nonfiction, and Historical Fiction. On very rare occasions, I read Fantasy Literature like Harry Potter or Twilight. I have reviewed for many years and still prefer a good ole paperback any day and own a personal library with about 7,000 books. This book looks intriguing! ♥ We’ll check it out… Thanks for this review, Jamie, and for stopping by the blog! :) Check out our latest Writing in the Modern Age blog post here.  |
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