Author: McKayla Jade

by Lynda

Orca’s Intrigue By Laura Gayle

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Orcas-Intrigue-Book-Chameleon-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B01LW9ULTN

I was given this book as a thank-you gift. It’s definitely not a genre I read often but the cover blurb intrigued me. Yes, that is a play on words. Remember that play on words because others are used for this book. What genre is this I don’t read often? Cozy mystery. That being said, this wasn’t quite the run of the mill cozy mystery as there’s a splash of the supernatural tossed into this mix.

The friend who gave me this book lives on the chain of islands where this book is set and she assured me that the descriptions of the town and the islands is extremely accurate. Okay, great. Chalk one up for realism. The realism of the depiction of the small town and the islands is a character all to itself in this book, which is never a bad thing.

There was intrigue, suspense, the requisite hot law enforcement official. As with most cozies, there’s no real sexual tension (that’s not the point of a cozy mystery) but—and this is the only spoiler I’ll give for this book—there is no resolution at the end, either. As to the dash of the supernatural, the clues are right there in the book blurb and in the series name. Cam has a rather interesting and novel approach to conflict.

Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 stars. Will I get the rest of the series? Probably not. I’m not big on continuing a conflict or mystery out over multiple books before resolution (says the rabid Harry Potter fan). However, for an easy, enjoyable read, Orcas Intrigue fit the bill.

DARE TO KISS A COWBOY

BY Renee Roszel

PUBLISHED ~~ 1994

BLURB ~~ Anna Andrews is a woman who is trying to make it in a man’s world. Thanks to her brother’s foolishness, she finds herself begging Dusty Dare to hire her. Dusty Dare is Half Cherokee and proud of it. Owner of one of the most successful cutting horse ranches in Oklahoma. When his stable manager runs off, he’s forces to hire Anna, but he isn’t thrilled about it. Anna knows that training horses for this man, no matter how good he looks in chaps and a cowboy hat, or traditional Cherokee dress, won’t be easy. Especially when Dusty dare thinks she’s wrong for the job. The wrong sex that is!

This is a book I will never get rid of. Not so much for the story, although it is a top notch sweet romance, but because this was one of the first books I ever read where the main male character was Native American. My family comes from a long line of Native Americans, so this hits close to home. Also I found the story when I was neck deep in an abusive life. This book was my escape and it was a great story. The MFC was a tough as nails young woman who is determined to save her brother and her family ranch all by herself, except to do that she is gonna have to get through one tough cowboy.

MJBooks gives this one 4 stars.

DARK SKYE by KRESLEY COLE

Reviewed by Crystal

Blurb~~ Eternal Obsession
As a boy, Thronos, prince of Skye Hall, loved Lanthe, a mischievous Sorceri girl who made him question everything about his Vrekener clan. But when the two got caught in the middle of their families’ war, tragedy struck, leaving Thronos and Lanthe bitter enemies. Though centuries have passed, nothing can cool his seething need for the beautiful enchantress who scarred his body–and left an even deeper impression on his soul.

Endless Yearning
Lanthe, a once-formidable sorceress struggling to reclaim her gifts, searches for love and acceptance with all the wrong immortal suitors. But she’s never forgotten Thronos, the magnificent silver-eyed boy who protected her until she was ripped from the shelter of his arms. One harrowing night changed everything between them. Now he’s a notorious warlord with a blood vendetta against Lanthe, hunting her relentlessly.

Can the heat of desire burn brighter than vengeance?
With their families locked in conflict and battles raging all around them, will Thronos and Lanthe succumb to the brutal chaos that threatens everything they cherish? Or will the fragile bond they formed so long ago spark a passion strong enough to withstand even the darkest doubts?

Our Thoughts ~~ OK, you could say the blurb hooked me. It’s a good one, but really, I picked this book up because Kresley knows how to write hot, smutty books. The cover had me a bit intrigued I will say, because if you know the world Kresley writes….angels have NOTHING to do with it, but ah no…this hero is not an angel and is in fact sort of an anti hero. But that’s not possible. He comes from a long line of people who are a “bit more” reserved than most and the heroine DOES NOT. Talk about a love hate relationship. This story had me hooked with twists I didn’t see coming. The editing and the cover are on point and as stated the blurb makes an unsuspecting woman snatch this book up. Open the cover and hold on to your coffee cup cuz you won’t put this one down. MJBoooksLLC gives this one 4 and ½ stars.

THE MEANING OF LIFE

Author Bradley Trevor Greive

This book was on the shelves at MJBooks and was NOT submitted to us.

The Cover is cute and green and draws the eye to the photo of the friendly little frog on the front.

The Blurb It’s an age old question that has stumped many great minds in history. What is the meaning of life? In this hilarious and uplifting way, Bradley Trevor Grieve finally provides the answer: Figure out what you love to do and do it.

This book is just what it claims to be. Fun. Uplifting and a great gift. It’s a fast read of course, but I found myself going back through it repeatedly and reading the quotes and laughing at the pictures. MJBooks gives this one 4 stars, as it does and is exactly what it is meant to do.

Book Review

This book was on the shelves at MJBooks and was NOT submitted to us.

The Cover is as simple as the title.

The Blurb Is just as quirky. ~~ A Quirky, compulsive, irresistible list of of the things that make us happy. Items, places, moods, Thoughts, celebrations, and our daily bread. (i guess that’s Christian religion) with 125 tiny illistrations.

It’s first printing was in April of 1990 so some of the things are understandably outdated, however, I found myself nodding my head in agreement with most of these mostly simple pleasures. It’s a fun book as the blurb and cover lead one to believe. It was a nice break to the volumes of more serious books I read on a weekly basis.

So we give this one 3 stars because it was good, but just did not have the wow factor. It would be a cute gift for an office co worker or an acquaintance.

This book is one on the shelves at MJB LLC; it was not submitted to us. 

Reviewer ~~ Crystal

Title ~~ Devoured by Darkness

Author ~~ Alexandra Ivy

Published ~~ 2010 by Kensington Publishing Corp.

Cover ~~ looks very nice. It did in fact draw me in and made me pick up the book. 

The Blurb ~~ Tane is a Charon, sworn to hunt and kill rogue vampires. His new assignment seems like a waste of his talents…until he catches up with the Jinn he’s been sent to capture. Half human, half demon, Laylah has a vulnerable streak that strikes right through to Tane’s cold heart. He should be furious when she uses her powers to bind them together, preventing him from dragging her before the Commission. Instead he welcomes any reason to stay close enough to touch, to taste, to seduce…

Laylah doesn’t know why she was chosen to protect a child who may be the catalyst in a war between good and evil. But the mysteries of her past pale compared to the dangers approaching. Tane is devastatingly strong, breathtakingly sensual. And Laylah will have to trust in every ounce of that strength, because her enemies are drawing near, eager to destroy them both…

So yeah, you could say that drew me in, which is why I picked this book from the shelves. So now on to the rest of the story. This is book #7 in a series, which is stated nowhere other than her website. I find that odd. Why wouldn’t you let readers know there are more? That’s the publisher’s fault though and not the authors. There is only so much an author can protest or change when published by another. 

I could easily set this book aside, which isn’t what I expected from the cover or the blurb. That’s not to say it wasn’t good. It was. The story was good. Solid story, but the emotions or the heart pounding excitement you expect from a paranormal romance just wasn’t there. The two main characters were well thought out and well rounded and grew as the book progressed. All good marks. However, the sizzle just wasn’t there. I wanted to feel it and other than the not so great sex scenes, it just wasn’t there. It was more of a fast paced drama of good versus evil. I enjoyed the story but probably wouldn’t suggest it to a friend or read it again. 

Therefore MJ Books gives this one 3 stars. Good but not great.  

Reviewed By Crystal

Book~~ Dark Possession by Christine Feehan

This one was another good one. MJB gives it 4 stars. Because it didn’t knock my socks off or make my panties wet. So 4 Stars it is. So to start, the cover is a new one. The first edition of this book came out in 2007.

Text design by Tiffany Estreicher

The blurb: Manolito De La Cruz knew he was dangerously close to turning into a vampire. The last thing he expected after being called back to his Carpathian homeland by Prince Mikhail was to catch the scent of his destined lifemate in MaryAnn Delaney. MaryAnn is human, but she knows all too well the overwhelmingly aggressive instincts of Carpathian males. And they’re not exactly the kind of men she’d prefer to be bound to for life.

A dedicated counselor for battered women, MaryAnn has a fulfilling life with no room for someone like Manolito, born and bred in the Carpathian mountains, a law unto himself. But when MaryAnn agrees to go to South America to offer guidance to a brutalized young woman, she has no idea of the trap that awaits her in the sweltering thick of the jungle. She has been lured there by Manolito himself, who has seductive plans for the unaware, irresistibly human female…

From the jump, as with most of Ms. Feehan’s books, this one pulls you right in with the first line. “Manolito De La Cruz woke beneath the dark earth with his heart pounding, bloodred tears streaking his face and grief overwhelming him. OK Ms. Feehan. I’m hooked. And now that I am, lets get down to business. The blurb is lacking that “buy me now” punch that we’ve come to expect from this author, but again, this is an older novel. That aside, The story is ageless. I was sucked in and stayed that way. No part of the plot fell flat or was jumpy or didn’t fit, until the very end. There was the part, as a big fan of Ms. Feehan’s where my jaw dropped and not in a good way. The ending was just too easy and just a little too much like “Because. That’s why and they lived happily ever after.” wah wah wah. I hate saying that about one of my favorite’s, but here at MJB we are HONEST first, then let’s work to make it better. So as a reader, yeah, it’s a good story, but it doesn’t have that wow factor i was hoping for.

By Teresa Keefer

Cover by Tess Russ of Poised Pen Productions

This book comes out tomorrow! 9/20/2024 Go get it!

BLURB: An absent boyfriend… A flirtatious roommate… A red bow… Two broken hearts… Could the discovery of the truth twenty years later lead to reconciliation and love everlasting?

As far as from an editing stand point, this book was nearly perfect. I was NOT able to find a single time where my red editor pen came out. Kudos to Ms. Keefer for an impeccable job on that. As it comes down to the author for a final look through before publishing. The cover is cute and fits the story and the blurb perfectly. The blurb pulls you in, as it should. So score one for the readers. This second chance romance pulled me right in and is one I truly enjoyed. Delayed gratification for vindication for the main character, she had no idea about, gave her a sense of grace and poise you don’t often find in romance novels. There were no predictable parts or scenes that felt too much like they were scripted. It was easy to fall into the story and feel like you were right there in town. The storyline flowed perfectly. At no time did I want to put it down. This was a quality read.

So pick up your copy today and read one of the few books that MJBOOKS gives 4 STARS!!!

BOOK REVIEW by Crystal

Book Data: published by Penquin Group

Copy Wright 2012

Cover design by George Long

The cover is intriguing and gives clues to the story you’ll dive into.

The blurb: Awakening after all this time in a world of absolute darkness and oppressive heat, Dax wonders how the world above has changed. But it’s how he had changed that fills him with dread and loathing. Buried alive for hundreds of years in a volcano in South America….ok what? I’m hooked right there, as if i wasn’t with the author’s name alone. Then she goes on with….His name is Mitro…once a member of the Carpathians, now a evil vampire…bent on escape. Now both have emerged and the ultimate battle between good and evil rages anew. Okay. I’m hooked. moving on…..

The story kept me sucked in. I lost sleep and was grateful the rain kept me from working the next day. Ms. Feehan is truly the queen of suspense and paranormal romance. She has woven another story of a badass hunky hero and an equally badass heroine that perfectly balance each others strengths and weaknesses. If they can look past what they know and are familiar with, they can truly be partners, friends, lovers and life mates without equal.

MJBOOKS gives this 4 full stars only because there were a few times when the sentence structure and sometimes paragraphs were “Telling” not “Showing”, as though a narrator had jumped in to fill us in with details.

Review by Crystal from MJBooks

Ruckus in Raceway City .

This book starts with a great cover and does not let you down with a blurb that intrigues. If you like stories with a backdrop of the city and the criminal elements therein, you will love this one. 

Dr. Bob Benton, thought his days of secrets and hiding were over, until the criminal element of Raceway City threatens the very people he’s vowed to help. He’s secretly making headway, and learning he’s not the only one who’s got an ear to the ground. When a mysterious woman plants herself in his path and threatens everything he holds dear, Raceway City’s criminal element becomes the least of his worries. From the reviewers at MJBooks, we give this one 3 ½ stars. Only because every place there was room for feelings, it lacked them. This is a great, well thought out story and it moves fluidly. However, it could use a bit more racing and heart pounding as one would expect from a city with a criminal element so dark. I, myself, would not have normally picked this book to read, but I found I really did enjoy it and it gave me a change of pace.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-terrors-brian-k-morris/1144387871?