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Uncaged Review – City of Souls by Mel Harding-Shaw

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

City of Souls
Mel Harding-Shaw
Urban Fantasy

Bounty hunter Hel’s life depends on staying below the radar and passing as human. But when the infuriating Lord of the City of Souls discovers her hidden power is the key to solving his problems, he reclaims her bond-debt and drags her into the spotlight. He’ll protect her secrets on one condition—that she does everything he asks.

Winged necromancer Bastion would do anything to save the city he rules from the strange magic menacing their world. Even blackmail the angry, intriguing bounty hunter who despises him. As the rulers of the elemental courts converge to face the threat, he’s not sure who hates him more—them or Hel. The only way to keep her close is to make her pretend she’s his.

With dark magic tearing at the fabric of reality and betrayal lurking behind every corner, Hel and Bastion’s fake relationship becomes the only thing either of them can rely on. But Bastion’s past might just come back to kill him.

And Hel’s might kill them all.

Uncaged Review: Hel is a bounty hunter trying to pay off an old debt, and to get the payments, she takes on some tough jobs, but Hel isn’t human – and she hides her powers, but even she’s not sure what she is. Bastion is a reawakened god, and his territory and others are being threatened, and to find a way to close the seal between realms, he must find the archivist, and when he finds out that Hel almost had him and can detect him, Bastion buys her contract and bonds her to him. But there is betrayal in the elemental courts with the other rulers, and to stay alive, they will need each other.

This is an enemies-to-lovers trope working here and it’s a fast paced book that doesn’t let up very often. There is great character development and growth throughout the book, and the supporting cast are just as enticing as the main characters. This is a urban fantasy and thriller and the ending was not my choice, but the next two books are out, so it takes the sting of a cliffhanger a little easier to handle. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Winter of Solace by Kathryn Le Veque

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Winter of Solace
Kathryn Le Veque
Medieval Romance

Caius d’Avignon, the knight known as The Britannia Viper, finds himself on the opposite side of William Marshal… and the Executioner Knights are caught in the middle…

Welcome to another Executioner Knights’ tale!

When Caius d’Avignon is sent north at the request of a cousin of William Marshal to help in a dispute between neighbors, Caius couldn’t have imagined how his life would change. Caius is one of the Marshal’s premier knights, a man who served in The Levant with many of the Marshal’s agents, but he had one distinct difference – he’d been branded The Britannia Viper by the Saracen commanders for his hard strike. There is no one fiercer in battle.

Therefore, William Marshal has great confidence that Caius will solve the situation – if not by diplomacy, then by the sword. But Caius is caught off-guard by the situation when he arrives. The Marshal’s cousin is an unscrupulous and cruel man who has all but decimated his neighbors and demands they be destroyed. When Caius goes to speak to the neighbors to demand their unconditional surrender, the first thing he sees is a woman of astounding beauty. Emelisse de Thorington is that woman.

Caius is drawn into the feud whether or not he wants to be. He comes to discover that the Marshal’s cousin is wicked and has harassed a noble family for years while telling William Marshal something quite different. The man is a thief and a liar. But Caius can’t tell the Marshal that without jeopardizing his relationship with the man. There’s also the not-so-small fact that he’s fallen in love with the strong but battered Emelisse. Will the career knight choose love over his career?

Find out in yet another exciting Executioner Knights adventure!

Uncaged Review: As we hit the 5th book of The Executioner Series, we have Caius and Emelisse and their story. There is a problem with some land barons and Caius is called in by William Marshal to find out the issue. Marshal’s niece has been married off, and Marshal feels Caius can handle the situation and find the truth of why de Covington, the Earl of Winterholde who is trying to overthrow the neighboring lands of Hawkestone, from greed and power. Caius takes an army, and to find the truth of the matter, and that Covington has taken the daughter prisoner and thrown her in his vault to use as leverage.

In this 5th book, we get to see Sean de Lara and Maxton again, along with Edward de Wolfe and even a very young William de Wolfe, who gets his own story later (The Wolfe), but this was great to see how William started. This author knows how to pull the reader into the story and this is a fantastic series. Even though you could easily read any of these books as standalones, it was fun to revisit old friends. As a master of medieval romance, Ms. Le Veque captivates her readers as only she can do and Caius (known as the Brittania Viper) and Emelisse have fast become favorites.
Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Broken and the Bold by Leslie Voddard

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Broken and the Bold
Leslie Voddard
Medieval Historical Romance

She’s the captain of her ship…and his heart.

Captain O’Bannon needs to rescue her twin brother, who is captive on a pirate ship, before he is worked to death. Little does anyone know that Captain O’Bannon’s true name is Fionola, and she is marauding the Atlantic disguised as a man. When she rescues a captive from a pirate ship who knows her brother, they team up to find him. But her inconvenient attraction to the man she rescued turns into something more after he saves her life and learns her secret.

Charles de Vere joins Captain O’Bannon’s crew to save the man who kept him alive for two years after being captured and enslaved on a pirate ship by a traitor to the crown. One night, he learns that the captain is a woman, and sparks fly—but their clandestine passion threatens everything they’ve worked to achieve. When circumstances put her secret identity at risk, they flee to his family in England, hoping to find her brother on the way.

But coming home with a pirate bride turns out to be more difficult than he imagined.

Uncaged Review: This is the third book of the de Veres series and in this story Fionola MacMurrough, better known as pirate Captain O’Bannon of the ship Draconis. Fionola’s main goal is to save her brother Liam, held captive by Black Stephen. When she comes upon the Midas and frees the prisoners, her brother isn’t on board, but Charles de Vere is. So Fionola asks Charles to come with them on an urgent mission to find Liam. Charles is happy not to be a slave any longer and goes along with them. As Charles slowly gets better, Fionola not only enjoys talking to him but is starting to feel a strong attraction to him too. Fionola must hide her identity and does a very good job of it because no one even suspects who she truly is. When Fionola spies the Gorgon, she orders her crew to attack. Fionola knows she is so close to finding her brother, but when she is badly injured, will Charles finally figure out who she really is or will her love for him be her undoing?

I usually avoid sea-faring historical romances because, for me, they just aren’t that interesting and imagining the visuals is a hard thing for me. This book, though, had everything! An engaging twisty plot, stunning imagery, and lovely characters from major to minor that were easy to see in your head. The tale is just beautifully written with non-stop action that never lets up until the very end! So, yes, this novel just grabbed me from the get-go. Fionola was just the perfect woman; strong, feisty and determined. Definitely a girl after my own heart that even I fell half in love with her just like Charles did. Sure, Charles did kind of pale in comparison to her, but after he got better and didn’t fade into the backdrop than, he was just as charming as Fionola. I really regret reading this book first when I should have read the other two in the series, and now I might just go ahead and do that. Luckily, this book stands wonderfully alone. Definitely, Ms. Leslie Vollard has my attention so that I can’t wait to read more! Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Foxholes by Travis Tougaw

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Foxholes
Travis Tougaw
Suspense Thriller

Suspicious deaths and political ambition collide in Foxholes. Follow Vince Marcotte and Hadley Collins as they join forces to solve a pair of murders before they become the next victims.

Combat veteran Vince Marcotte has hung up his uniform in favor of a quiet, comfortable life. But, ghosts from his past are raised when Nick Batson announces his Senate campaign. Vince is convinced Nick got away with murder 15 years ago when they were both deployed to Afghanistan. When another person close to Nick dies under mysterious circumstances, Vince enlists the help of amateur detective Hadley Collins to prove Nick’s guilt. As they grow closer to the truth, they become Nick’s targets and soon learn that he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his political goals. As Nick barrels toward a campaign victory, Vince races to discover what really happened in Afghanistan. Will he survive long enough to bring Nick to justice?

Uncaged Review: As a debut novel for this author, and the first book in a series, this one is done very well. Readers who like military suspense will meet Vince Marcotte, retired from the air force and working as a paralegal. The book shifts timelines almost every chapter, with his flashbacks of his military life to the present. When his old superior from the military decides to run for Congress, Vince is sure that the man committed a murder years ago and his self-conscience wants to bring it all in the open. So, he teams up with Eddie Fleck, a private detective, and with Hadley Collins – a new detective.

There is plenty of action and suspense to keep a reader turning the pages. The tricky part for me was the time jumps, just when I was in an interesting part in one timeline, I was tossed to another by the next chapter. There is also a lot of military jargon that I had to keep track of. Not ever being in the military, it was not something I am well versed in, so it did slow me down. But this is a good suspense with plenty of twists and is a good book for thriller readers.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight by Jennifer Ivy Walker

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight
Jennifer Ivy Walker
Medieval Fantasy Romance

Wielding a trio of enchanted Elven weapons to battle a dark wizard and a legion of diabolical dwarves, Tristan is faced with the impossible choice between saving the woman he loves or defending his endangered kingdom. Inexplicably compelled to remain in the sacred forest where he hears the voice of her heart, the heir to the throne of Cornwall incurs the wrath and scorn of his army when he decides to hunt for his captive mate.

Her verdant magic greatly enhanced by the mystical Morgane la Fée, Issylte must summon a coalition of Naiad nymphs and celestial fairies to destroy a nascent evil as she fights to reclaim her rightful crown.
When the Black Widow Queen unites with a malignant menace and a ghost from Tristan’s haunted past, the Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight must ally with a triad of shapeshifting warrior tribes to defeat a Viking Trident and defend their trinity of Celtic kingdoms.

Interwoven fates. Otherworldly mates. Destiny awaits.

Uncaged Review: What a great ending to this trilogy. Issylte will come into her own to battle the evil and take her rightful place as the Queen. Tristan will set out to battle a dark wizard and evil dwarves. The two will need everything in their powers and together to claw their way to the HEA. There is action, danger, romance and enough magic and lore to keep the reader glued to the pages.

This book is rich in Celtic mythology and the author has done her due diligence and woven it effortlessly into the story. The descriptions of even the smallest details will pull the reader into the story and will have a very hard putting this down. I would recommend starting out on the first book as the reader will be lost if they jump into this book before reading how everything got to this point. A fantastic ending to an almost perfect trilogy, one I plan to read again.
Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Viscount to Avoid by Tammy Andresen

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Viscount to Avoid
Tammy Andresen
Historical Regency

What if this princess didn’t wish to leave her tower?

Fern liked being alone, tucked away from the rest of the world. People had a way of being so…disappointing.

But when a viscount knocks at her door, he makes her an offer she can hardly refuse. Help him gain revenge on her evil stepsister, the very one who chased her into the tower, and he’d give her the means to pursue any future Fern wished.

It was the perfect solution except for one detail. Leaving meant facing the demons of her past. And as attraction crackles between her and her new partner, the Viscount with a vendetta of his own, and a million reasons to double cross her, she has to decide, is the adventure worth the risk?

And what if all her reasons for hiding away from the world turned out to be exactly right?

There was only one way to find out.

Uncaged Review: This is a shorter read that I read in one day, and it starts out and pulls you into the story almost immediately. Fern and her sister has had a difficult life, even though her sister is now married, and Fern is living on their estate. She escapes to a old tower on the property that she is away from people with her books. Enter Ash, a Viscount that has been kept captive for months and is out for revenge, knowing that Fern’s stepsister and her husband are responsible, so when he visits his friend and brother-in-law to Fern, he hopes to be able to locate the stepsister and husband for revenge. But when he meets Fern…

There is danger, romance and a lot of things will come to pass pretty fast in this book and Fern will come out of her shell and help Ash to heal. This is a good read from this author, and I’m a bit disappointed that the series is over, but this is a good series for historical romance lovers and this author never disappoints. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Undone by a Lady by Elizabeth Rue

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Undone by a Lady
Elizabeth Rue
Historical Romance

She must marry to escape her gilded cage…
Lady Cecelia Sinclair is determined to control her own destiny—even if it means marrying without her family’s approval. But her plans are ruined when her brother’s mysterious friend, James Wright, stops her from eloping. To gain her brother’s blessing, she agrees to delay her marriage and spend a month at Mr. Wright’s estate. She never expects to find him so intriguing or that her visit will prove so life-changing for them both. When—all thanks to her—Mr. Wright’s shocking past is exposed, how far will she go to save him?

He can never take a wife…
James Wright has retreated from the world, hiding from a dark past that makes marriage an impossible dream. To help his friend, James reluctantly agrees to stop the troublesome Lady Cecelia from eloping and to welcome her as a houseguest. After years of avoiding attachments, having the captivating beauty disrupt his peaceful life is unsettling enough. But she also threatens to expose his dangerous secret—a revelation that could ruin his life. Will he finally confront his past for a chance at a future with the lady who has captured his heart?

Uncaged Review: It’s been quite awhile since I read the first book in this series, Undone by the Earl, and this one centers around Lady Cecelia and James Wright. Lady Cecelia wants to escape her domineering Aunt, and she agrees to an understanding with William Trent that they will go off and elope, but when he doesn’t meet her in London like they planned, Lady Cecelia’s brother Adrian asks his good friend James to find her and bring her back. But things go awry and to have things cool down, Adrian asks that she stay at James estate for a month and then the Earl will rethink the marriage between Cecelia and William Trent.

This book has a slow-burn romance, danger, suspense and unforgettable characters. This book was a bit slow starting off, but it really picked up and it was hard to put down. I thought the ending was satisfying and the epilogue was a nice touch. I was very happy to see this author continuing with the series.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Dastardly Damsels Anthology by Various Authors

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Dastardly Damsels
Various
Horror Anthology

A transcendental anthology of women in horror, altering all you know by revamping traditional lore while exploring the unfathomable and the obscure.

Prepare yourself for a harrowing journey through Dastardly Damsels, an anthology that redefines horror with a powerful lineup of female authors. This collection dares to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and the supernatural, presenting a diverse range of chilling narratives that will captivate and unsettle you.

From the Victorian Era’s haunted secrets to futuristic global disasters, Dastardly Damsels serves up an array of stories that blend psychological fear with mythological intrigue. Dive into tales of revenge with a twist, where women wield dark powers and confront terrifying entities, from cannibalistic horrors to vengeful ghosts. Experience the suspense of a secretive stripper turned avenger, a gladiatrix with a taste for brutality, and a peculiar elevator with a sinister personality.

Each story promises a unique thrill—whether it’s the heart-stopping tension of a final girl like no other or the unsettling aftermath of witchcraft gone awry. The anthology’s gothic and steampunk elements enhance its eerie atmosphere, while the psychological twists ensure that each page turn brings a new shock.

If you’re ready for a blend of suspense and horror narratives that push the boundaries of traditional lore, Dastardly Damsels is your ticket to an unforgettable reading experience.

Uncaged Review: A collection of short stories of horror, thriller and suspense, some I could actually see expanded into full length stories, a couple I didn’t really care for, but most were very well contained stories that do a nice job on the creepy side. Although I don’t read a lot of anthologies, it’s a very good way to introduce a reader to new authors that they may not have read before.

What was fun about this group is women are the ones that come out on top in every story and the men that wrong them, pay the price. I really was interested in a couple, one where a girl begins making things with the wings of insects and then graduates from there. There is a story where an elevator gets a bit upset with the manager who forces retirement on the elevator operator that has a “relationship” with the elevator.

Some cool and creepy stories to pass the time and discover a few new authors. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Bride Games by Beth Carter

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Bride Games
Beth Carter
Contemporary Romance

I wanted a dream wedding, not a nightmare.

Single mom Emma Miller is finally going to have a chance at happily ever after with the man of her dreams. At thirty, she’s swept away by her daughter’s former kindergarten teacher—Mr. Handsome, er, Mr. Hansen. But her idyllic wedding day isn’t supposed to start, nor end like this. Who objects to a wedding? People really do that? Apparently. The bride and groom choose a charming venue that couldn’t be more perfect, but a showdown on her wedding day is the last thing Emma expects. How did this go from being the best day of her life to possibly the worst?

After a spectacular rise to fame and a shocking fall to defeat, Paige Daniels, a TV star who is best known as a popular sideline sports reporter—a job she expected to hate—races to get her career and love life back on track after social media trolls stage an online smear campaign. Who would do this? She has a probable list, but the suspects keep changing. Meanwhile, a gorgeous sportscaster is clearly after her job—and her boyfriend. But is someone playing checkers while Paige plays chess?

Will best friends Emma and Paige ever find happiness? And why do people keep playing games with their lives?

Uncaged Review: Paige and Emma are back, and this one is a heck of a doozy. This started a tad slow for me, with a bunch of wedding planning and decisions and some mundane relationship stuff with Paige and Zach, but it found it’s groove after I got about a third of the way through. As for Emma and Lucy, Eli proposes in a most original way and then it’s full on stress mode for Emma. Paige on the other hand is facing a smear campaign against her, and is pulled off the air for awhile until it dies down all while her new relationship with Zach is getting some curve balls thrown at them so early on. Our favorite characters are back, including wedding dress shop owner, English Nigel and a couple more we’d like to throw under the bus.

There is humor, a clean romance, a crazy almost in-law and a lot of other shenanigans going on with this one. There is also some very heartwarming moments that will make the reader smile. And the beloved Coconuts is still the place to eat. But that wedding. Wow, the wedding that is both one helluva lot of fun and original. I bet readers won’t read that often. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Gods’ Battleground by Ella Summers

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Gods’ Battleground
Ella Summers
Urban Fantasy

The final battle for the fate of the universe is about to begin.

Leda Pandora joined the Legion of Angels to level up her magic and gain the powers she needed to save her brother. Five years later, she’s gearing up to save her family one more time.

Leda’s sister Bella has fallen victim to a powerful curse that’s robbed her of her free will and transformed her into a deity-killing weapon. To save her sister, Leda journeys into the Veil, an ancient, long-forgotten territory now ruled by warlords and pirates.

But what begins as a hunt for the cure to Bella’s curse soon unearths a consortium of old enemies that refuse to stay buried—and escalates into a battle for the fate of the whole universe.

Uncaged Review: The final book in this 12 book series, and it’s been a great ride. This book wraps up a lot of questions, and even takes you on a journey through Leda and Nero’s past. The God’s and the Demon’s will have to come together for the final battle, that threatens not only Leda and Nero, but their daughter Sierra as well. This will test the bonds of not only Leda and Nero, but of all the family and those we’ve come to know throughout the series, plus a couple extras. One part of the story is finding a cure for Bella, and within this part of the story, Leda and her family will come together as never before to not only save Bella, but to save the worlds.

This series has everything I love in a series, and one I would absolutely read again and even put this series on my bookshelves. Even though this is the end of Leda’s story, and I’m a little sad about that, the story will continue with Sierra in time. A highly recommended series for those that love the urban fantasy genre as much as I do. This is a 5-Star series.
Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

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