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Uncaged Review – Junkyard Druid by M.D. Massey

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Junkyard Druid
M.D. Massey
Urban Fantasy

Every druid knows…

Dealing with the Fae is a death sentence.

So why risk your life helping an evil Faery Queen?

A year ago Colin swore off druidry, and for good reason.

These days he hides himself behind six acres of scrap iron, steel, and magic wards, where the fae can’t bother him.

But when a Faery Queen with god-like magical powers calls, you don’t send her to voicemail.

Now Colin has no choice but to find out why evil incarnate has requested his presence.

One thing’s for sure…

If he gets dragged back into the supernatural world, there’s gonna be hell to pay for it.

You’ll love this urban fantasy with a twist of suspense, because everybody loves a down on his luck magician who has to fight to save the people he loves.

Uncaged Review: Colin McCool is trying to live his life and go to college. His years as a Hunter did not end well, with his partner dying, by his own hand. Colin was cursed by an evil witch who is trying to get back on everyone in his bloodline. This is a well written story, although I didn’t get a good handle on Colin as I’d like with his powers and his angst was a little over the top at times but I enjoyed his snarky attitude even though he seemed too young at times. But I enjoyed the story well enough to keep reading the series, and I liked the 2nd half of the book as it really picked up from there. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – A Total Mismatch by Madelaine Grant

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

A Total Mismatch
Madelaine Grant
Contemporary Romance

Fate brings polar opposites Samantha (Sam) Peabody and Jordan Hart together. Free spirit Sam is an artist, occasional belly dancer, and sloppy housekeeper while Jordan is a lawyer, fitness and neatness freak, and lover of ice cream. 

The one thing they have in common is their dislike of big, fussy weddings.

After a fight with her oldest sister, Andrea, Sam decides not to attend Andrea’s lavish wedding. When Jordan is invited to a wedding, he asks Sam to accompany him, not knowing it’s Sam’s sister’s affair. Complicating Sam’s busy life is an offer from a local craft beer company to belly dance for a TV ad and become the symbol of their new beer company. 

Sam’s disastrous first marriage and the difficult dynamics in her family make her insecure about a new relationship. Besides, she hates the idea of marriage. Can Jordan’s persistence win Sam over and dissolve her fears? 

Uncaged Review: A fun romance book featuring Sam a shy insecure girl who does not know her right from left. But hides a hidden talent that will become public very soon. Just not for the right reasons. I thought Sam’s character was quirky and adorable. This was such a fun book to read.
Reviewed by Jennifer

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Instant Enticement by Samanthya Wyatt

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Instant Enticement
Samanthya Wyatt
Contemporary Romance

A naked woman in his shower . . . 

Craig can’t believe his eyes. A practical joke on his friend turns out to be a naked beauty standing before him in all her fine glory. He is too shocked for words. A man who has had his share of women suddenly finds himself speechless before this exotic creature. She is an aching temptation. Surrendering to his passion could cost him his best friend. Yet, he yearns to taste, to touch . . . but she is hands off.

Kelly has given up on men. All men are liars, except for her best friend. The only man she would ever trust. At least that’s what she thought . . . until she meets his best friend, Craig. He turns her world upside down and has her rethinking her vow. She yearns to taste the ecstasy his dark eyes promise. But he holds back. And now she must convince him she is innocent of betrayal.

Uncaged Review: This is a Contemporary Romance book filled with emotion and lots of passion. Kelly runs to her best friend after she finds out the shocking truth about the man she has been seeing. This was a enjoyable read with lots of twists and turns. Reviewed by Jennifer

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Forced to Love by A.M. Costello

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Forced to Love
A.M. Costello
Fantasy Romance

Destined to reign since infancy, the revelation of an ancient law forces Princess Quigalla to make a choice: marry before coronation or hand over her title to a neighboring kingdom. 

Faced with the prospect of a war with her uncle, who wants the crown for his son, she plans a secret mission. 

Will her need for independence be her downfall, or will the arrogant Sir Felix Quon be able to save her from danger?

Uncaged Review: Princess Quigalla, the daughter of Queen Quenessa, is the heir to the throne of Qualla. In the first chapter, King Ronan, Quigalla’s father is ruling the country. The princess is out practicing her archery when a badger threatens Pauline, one of the young servants of the castle. To save Pauline, Quigalla ends up getting bit on her leg, necessitating a trip to the healer, delaying the start of the council meeting she was to attend.
The country of Vulster is ruled by her mother’s brother, Venus. His son Vaylor is the heir apparent. The backstory is that Venus wanted to rule Quigalla but the rules said the female was to rule the country. He moves away and makes his own kingdom which he rules with fear and terror. He is planning on invading Qualla, still wanting the throne there.
Once everyone but Quigalla agree to discover it the Lord of Vulster is planning to attack before doing something about the, King Ronan brings up what he calls a delicate subject. Quigalla must marry before her coronation or a distant male relation will be chosen for the throne. Her coronation is in two months on her eighteenth birthday.
Of course, Quigalla, who doesn’t believe she needs anyone to help her, denies she is going to marry until Breasal, a counsil member says it’s the law and she must marry. She appeals to her father who says he isn’t going to change the law. As she listens to them saying she needs to marry in two months, Quigalla becomes angry and tunes them out while thinking nasty thoughts of all the council members.
Because her father is set on her marrying, Quigalla decides to defeat the kingdom’s enemy, Vulster and Lord Venus. She would go to Queen Andrea, her grandmother, and enter Vulster from there.
The next morning, her hall if filled with those wanting to marry her. She escapes by the window of her room. She falls when her injured right leg spasms, falling into the arms of a man who is concerned but yet amused at catching her. Enter Sir Felix Quon who is there to help her find a bow suited to her.
This sets the stage for the rest of the book. Felix is assigned as her guard as she goes to her grandmother’s castle and then into Vulster. As one disaster after another happens, she discovers her cousin, Vaylor, is on her side and willing to help her.
I’ll not give away any more of the story, but the story is how Quigalla learns that no person is an island and everyone needs help. It was a fun tale to read and one I recommend as long as you can keep all the Qu’s and V’s separate.
I give it 4 stars. Reviewed by Barbara

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – When the Vow Breaks by Michelle Libby

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

When the Vow Breaks
Michelle Libby
Romantic Suspense

Good cop or bad cop? Colin Rourke takes protecting and serving seriously. When he is notified that he’s being sued for millions in the death of a known drug dealer, he is confident he will be cleared. 

His new wife, Regan Rourke, craves security and stability after spending her teen years in the foster care system. She is blindsided by the knowledge that everything they’ve worked for could be taken away. 

Drastic action must be taken. 

A quickie divorce to strip Colin of all he owns is the only option. Can Regan help clear her husband’s name so they can be reunited, or will Colin’s career and their marriage vanish? 

Uncaged Review: Regan and Colin are engaging characters. It opens with Colin, a police officer, being accused of murdering a petty criminal, Rodrigo Ramirez, by throwing him off a bridge with a video as the evidence. There wasn’t enough to charge him for murder, so the family brought a civil suit against him for their beloved’s death.

Ragan, who is married to Colin and is madly in love with him, grew up in foster homes with nothing to her name. She doesn’t want to lose everything they worked for if the lawsuit goes against them. Her solution is for them to get a divorce prior to the trial so she can hold all their assets in safety until Colin is cleared.
What happens is that everything falls apart. They are jealous of the people they go out with to make the divorce look real which creates problems between them and Colin’s best friend, Jack. Even though they have difficulty staying away from each other, they manage to keep their attraction and love hidden until the party where Regan shows up with Jack and Colin with a new blond bimbo recruit. Colin decks Jack and they all leave in disgrace.

There is a person who is following Regan and he is scaring her. This is after a note was slid under the door to her house. She lets Colin know about the stalker and the note after her adopted brother Brian hires a private security man named Dirk to watch over her.
Things become more of a muddle when Regan discovers Brian is the attorney for the Ramirez family who is suing Colin. She makes the mistake of telling Brian about Colin’s use of excessive force over the six years while an officer. He uses that against Colin in the trial which angers Regan.

Things get more complicated, but I’ll let you read the book to the reasonably predicable ending. It was a good read with interesting characters. For a romantic suspense, it was a fun read and worth the time if you are wanting to be entertained without a lot of thinking involved.

I would give it four stars. The story was well written, predictable but fun. Reviewed by Barbara

4 Stars

Uncaged Book Reviews, July 2019 Now Available

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Uncaged Review – Mann in the Crossfire by R. Weir

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Mann in the Crossfire
R. Weir
Suspense/Crime

Is this the end for PI Jarvis Mann?
A surprising murder of an associate
Sends Jarvis on a trip to San Diego to investigate
A trail of clues direct him to a gang member who wants him eliminated
While a local detective agency is hot on his tail with nefarious plans of their own
Battered and beaten, Jarvis battles to forge on, tracking the evidence
Directing him to a dangerous discovery that he may not be able to fight his way out of
Desperate for backup, with nowhere else to turn
He enlists lethal foes to render essential aid
Will these illicit associations spell the end of his career and possibly his life…
For Jarvis is truly a Mann in the Crossfire.

Uncaged Review: This book can be read as standalone book or as part of the series. It does mention some characters from the previous books. But you should still be able to follow the story and enjoy it without reading the others as I did. Jarvis is back on a case again when he unexpectedly meets up with some old friends. Some of them not so pleasant. I enjoyed reading this. It’s very action packed with a lot of twists and turns. Some I didn’t see coming. Reviewed by Jennifer

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Fool’s Gold by Cari Davis

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Fool’s Gold
Cari Davis
Historical Western Romance

Penniless and estranged from her wealthy family in New Orleans, Widow Doña Melissa Bertrand de Cabrillo must barter her way from California to Louisiana in order to save her niece, even if it means posing as the wife of a perfect stranger.

Gold miner and banker Sebastian Henderson needs to find a wife soon . . . or at least a woman willing to play the role. Doña Melissa provides the perfect solution, but sharing a cabin with the tempting southern belle proves more challenging than their bargain—and more dangerous—after a passenger aboard their steamship is murdered. Melissa is convinced the death is connected to her family’s events in New Orleans.

Thrown together by necessity, united by love, Melissa and Sebastian must unravel a murderous scheme threatening to tear them apart.

Uncaged Review: Doña Melissa Bertrand de Cabrillo must leave the safety of California and return to her family home in New Orleans, Louisiana to check on the welfare of her beloved niece. Except now she is a widow, and penniless, and with no way to secure passage. Enter Sebastian…whom she thinks is the perfect answer to her problem, even if she doesn’t particularly like gold miners. Sebastian Henderson has money, digs for gold for fun and owns a bank with his brother. Right now, he needs to escort a young lady in his care from California to Boston. Per social custom, she needs a female chaperone, so he needs a wife, or someone willing to act as on while on the voyage. Enter Melissa…whom he thinks is the perfect Southern Belle solution to his need.

This is a unique and action-packed story with a growing cast of characters that add to the excitement. Passengers are murdered on the steamship, and Melissa is convinced it’s somehow related to the poisonings that killed members of her family. Her estranged Bertrand family owns those steamships and Melissa is also concerned she is leading Sebastian right into the heart of the danger awaiting them in New Orleans. As the tensions and number of victims grow, so does the mutual attraction between Melissa and Sebastian and their “pretend” marriage.

This story could have been deepened if the author had included more details about steamship travel during this era, since so much of the book took place aboard the steamship. Melissa’s internal and external conflicts were clear, and sometimes painfully so, as she worked her way through them. Sebastian’s internal conflicts were a bit murkier, though he is the quintessential hero and the type of man every woman dreams of sailing with. Reviewed by Ryan Jo

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Dark Stranger by I.T. Lucas

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Dark Stranger
I.T. Lucas
Paranormal Romance

When Syssi’s paranormal foresight lands her a job at Dr. Amanda Dokani’s neuroscience lab, it fails to predict the thrilling yet terrifying turn her life will take. Syssi has no clue that her boss is an immortal who’ll drag her into a secret, millennia-old battle over humanity’s future. Nor does she realize that the professor’s imposing brother is the mysterious stranger who’s been starring in her dreams.
Since the dawn of human civilization, two warring factions of near-immortals – the descendants of the gods of old – have been secretly shaping its destiny. Leading the clandestine battle from his luxurious L.A. high-rise, Kian is surrounded by his clan, yet alone. Descending from a single goddess, clan members are forbidden to each other. And as the only other immortals are their hated enemies, Kian and his kin have been long resigned to a lonely existence of fleeting trysts with human partners. That is, until his sister–a neuroscience professor and a leading researcher of paranormal abilities–makes a game-changing discovery.

Uncaged Review: What a great beginning to this series. At already 26 books strong, and 27 already on pre-order, this is a series that a reader could easily lose themselves in. The world building and back story are quite amazing – and the originality is refreshing and this is not a story arc that has been written over and over in this genre. Although Syssi and Kian’s story continues into the next book, this is a true page-turner of a book. You won’t want to put it down long and getting to the next book will be a priority for many. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Taken by Graeme by Jennifer Siddoway

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Taken by Graeme
Jennifer Siddoway
Historical Medieval Romance

Love is the last thing Elspeth MacDougall expects to find when a fierce pirate captain sweeps her from her home straight to the high seas, demanding she ply her skills as ship surgeon to work off her father’s gambling debt. She’s determined to survive the three month arrangement, but dangers abound and there’s more to this vagabond group of raiders than it seems. As sea battles and intrigues mount, she finds a place among the crew. But can her healing skills save her own heart when her bond with the captain intensifies and passion flares, harder to fight than the crashing waves.

Captain Graeme MacNeil never intended to bring a woman on board his ship–they always cause trouble. Yet Elspeth serves a need he can’t deny. If only she didn’t possess an inner blaze that sparks a fire in him as well. His attraction to the bonnie surgeon only grows stronger when they return to his homeland in the Barra, but lurking in the shadows is an old rival, waiting for the chance to strike.

As they learn to trust each other, hearts are won, but one question still remains: what will happen once her father’s debt is paid? Will Elspeth return to her family, or choose a life with Graeme on the open sea?

Uncaged Review: The last book I read from this author was her Earthwalker’s Trilogy, a dark fantasy – paranormal series, so I already knew the author’s writing style, or I thought I did. This is a complete departure from that genre, a medieval historical romance with pirates. And the author does not disappoint in this genre, and I almost like it better than the dark fantasy series.
When Elspeth’s father gambles away money he doesn’t have, and the pirates come to collect, Elspeth offers herself as a substitute, to go with the pirates and work as a surgeon to pay off her father’s debts, so her younger brothers will be safe. Taking care of her father for the years after her mother has died, has given Elspeth a skill of healing, and the pirate captain, Graeme, takes her up on the offer. As Elspeth truly works her magic and becomes a part of the crew, she knows she has found her calling. But falling for the captain was not in her plans…
A good story, with danger, suspense and enough high seas action to satisfy my pirate loving heart, this is a romance that proves to me that this author has truly found her lane. I look forward to reading more of this series and more. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

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