Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Book Blitz for Dragon Descending by Jennifer Allis Provost with a GIVEAWAY

 

Dragon Descending
Jennifer Allis Provost
(Fire and Claw, #2)
Publication date: September 1st 2026
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Dragons value family above all else—but when a dragon shifter can’t shift, how will he protect the ones he loves?

Lochlyn Blackmoor, the last dragon shifter in Alessia, has lost his ability to shift. Heartened by a prediction that he will shift again, Lochlyn retreats to Dragon Ridge with his beloved wife, Rosalie. They’re content to enjoy a quiet life, until they receive unsettling news from the capital city.

The king’s seer has been marked for death, all because she helped him free Rosalie’s sister from the king’s clutches.

Despite his current weakness, Lochlyn embarks on a mission to rescue the seer with his brother-in-law and spymaster in tow. Almost immediately, one of their few allies—Arthus Flameborn, Grand Master of the Order of the Phoenix, who also happens to be Rosalie’s grandfather—abandons them. As they run out of time and options, Lochlyn turns to a former foe for assistance: Basilisk, the same rogue shifter he freed from the Order’s dungeon, and nearly killed him.

Basilisk proves himself a worthy ally, and his vast knowledge Alessia’s royal family comes in handy more than once. As more of Basilisk’s past is revealed, Lochlyn learns Alessia’s darkest, most dangerous secret, information so deadly It could unravel everything he’s ever known. To make matters worse, the ruthless Grand Master wants to form a relationship with his granddaughter, Rosalie, and he doesn’t care who he hurts in the process—not even Rosalie.

And only a dragon can overpower the Grand Master.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

Lochlyn Blackmoor hated waiting.

Yet it was all he’d done for months—waiting for blowback from Serpens about their daring rescue of Caterina and Curran. For news of the rampaging basilisk he and Curran had freed from the palace dungeons. Or for the Grand Master to appear in the courtyard demanding to see his family.

Waiting to be able to shift again.

Nothing happened.

Lochlyn set his hands on the balcony’s railing, and watched the early morning activity in the castle’s courtyard. While he appreciated the calm days and nights they’d enjoyed at Dragon Ridge, retribution was inevitable. He’d insulted the king, committed several acts of treason, and set the palace on fire. King Olivar wasn’t a forgiving man; he was more likely to take Lochlyn’s head and mount it on his wall.

Still. Nothing.

Perhaps Olivar was taking his time so Lochlyn would slowly descend into madness.

Laughter floated toward him, a bright sound that Lochlyn would know anywhere. He turned toward the gardens, and saw Rosalie walking with her sister, Caterina. They both carried baskets of flowers, but behind Rosalie’s basket was her rounded belly, and inside her belly was their child.

Their child’s birth was something else Lochlyn was waiting for, and for that he was most impatient of all.

He and Rosalie already had three adopted children, and he loved them and his nephew, Jonathan, dearly. Somehow, he found yet another measure of love in his heart for this child he’d yet to meet, a babe who would be a dragon, like him.

As the strongest of the Otherworldly creatures, Lochlyn’s own dragon blood meant the child would definitely take after him, but they wouldn’t know if the child would be able to shift until he was around a year old. While Lochlyn could attain both dragon and warrior forms, his eldest brother could only shift to warrior, and his middle brothers couldn’t shift at all.

Whether the child could shift or not didn’t matter to Lochlyn. Either way, he couldn’t wait to meet their baby. Before Rosalie fell pregnant, Lochlyn had been the last living dragon in Alessia. Now both his kind and his name would live on, thanks to his beautiful wife.

“Lochlyn,” Rosalie called from the courtyard, waving to get his attention as if he hadn’t already been entranced by her every move. “There were some daisies in bloom, and the birds spared us some blackberries.”

“And elderberries,” Caterina added, holding up her basket. “Madchen can make more of her famous wine.”

Lochlyn laughed softly; there were enough casks of Madchen’s elderberry wine in the castle’s cellar to get half of Alessia drunk. “Are you two coming in for lunch?”

Rosalie opened her mouth to reply, but whatever she said was drowned out by the thunder of a dozen hooves. Lochlyn looked toward the gate and saw three gigantic stags enter the courtyard. The central and largest stag approached Rosalie and bowed.

“Hello, Cervus,” Rosalie said as the stag’s antlers scraped the ground near her feet. “And you really don’t need to be so dramatic. Will you join us for lunch?”

Cervus raised his head, and after he glanced at the balcony, he and his two companions went toward the stables. Lochlyn watched them depart, then he returned his gaze to his wife. His leisurely afternoon with Rosalie would have to wait. As Lochlyn’s spymaster, Cervus had been in Serpens for the past three weeks, gathering information. For him to personally return to Dragon Ridge instead of sending one of his messengers, he must have learned something especially dire.

Author Bio:

Jennifer Allis Provost writes books about faeries, orcs and elves. Zombies, too. She grew up in the wilds of Western Massachusetts and had read every book in the local library by age twelve. (It was a small library.) An early love of mythology and folklore led to her romantic fantasy series, Fire and Claw, and her degree in environmental science helped shape her urban fantasy, Poison Garden. When she’s not writing about murderous plants or sexy dragon shifters she’s working on her MFA in Creative Nonfiction.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Newsletter


GIVEAWAY!

Dragon Descending Blitz


Spotlight for The Treasure House by Amy Matthews

 

The Treasure House by Amy Matthews

Published:  September 1, 2026 by Dell

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

 

Taken from Goodreads:  In this tender-hearted slow-burn romance, a single mom's fixer-upper may also open a new door to love—from the award-winning author of Someone Else's Bucket List.

Zoe Copeland and her daughter Florence need a new start. The only problem is she can’t really afford one. . .

So when Zoe stumbles across a listing for a charming cottage in Maine that is in their price range, she has no choice but to seize the opportunity. The catch? It’s a treasure house—filled to the brim with junk, and being sold as is.

Eight-year-old Florence, who’s always longed for a room of her own, loves the old house full of cat figurines and other people’s memories, but Zoe is daunted by the mess and the cost of fixing the place up. Her grumpy new neighbor, Jake, thinks she’s crazy for undertaking this task—though that doesn’t stop him from lending a hand, and it’s not long before Zoe starts daydreaming about the handsome handyman.

As the air turns crisp and fall sets in, Zoe becomes increasingly intrigued by the woman who lived there before them. Who was Marly, and how did her beloved home end up in such disrepair? As she digs for more information, Zoe can’t help but draw parallels between herself and Marly . . . but what does it say about her future if she’s still stuck in the past?

This was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to give Florence the security she never had. But as Zoe uncovers Marly’s secrets and her own past comes crashing into the present, Zoe’s life is quickly becoming even messier than the coastal house she’s renovating. With her heart and her home on the line, can Zoe put all of the broken pieces of her life back together?

 

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

Book Review for The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury

 

The Oxford Guide #1

The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury

Published:  September 1, 2026 by Minotaur Books

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Mystery

 

Taken from Goodreads:  Set against the backdrop of post-WWII Oxford University, The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies is the irresistible debut from Kate Westbury that seamlessly layers mystery, romance, and a dash of academia to introduce the Crown’s newest undercover operatives.

Oxford, England, 1951 - The Honorable Ginevra Bishop likes red lipstick, clever retorts, and earning top marks in her tutorials. She’s following her mother’s footsteps by studying at Oxford, eager to prove she’s more than a debutante.

Sidney Braithwaite likes brooding, Latin, and ignoring his nightmares. He’s determined to forge a new life for himself at Oxford, far from his childhood mining village and free from memories of the war.

Though Gin and Sidney have little in common, the British Security Service is keen to unite her charm with his espionage experience: there’s a Soviet spy at the university, and the agent tracking them down was poisoned. MI5 wants Gin and Sidney to pick up the trail and identify the informant before more sensitive information is compromised. As a team, the pair of undergraduates clash in personality, upbringing, and taste––but have a connection neither can deny. Gin and Sidney must unite their respective talents to follow the clues before they’re caught in the traitor’s crosshairs…if the sparks flying between them don’t blow up the operation first.

My Thoughts:  Spies, espionage, and mystery.  Sounds wonderful!   The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies has a lot going on.  Gin and Sidney are college students trying to live life as they get pulled into a murder mystery involving a campus employee.  

I enjoyed Gin and Sidney’s adventures.  I am not always sure that they were going about their spy work in the right way and a few times I was sure they were on the wrong path, but it always seemed to work out for them.   Their relationship had a light romance feel, and I am excited to see where that will head.   These two are characters that I need to know more about and see where the future heads for them.  

The Oxford Guild to Scandal & Lies is not a quick read.   There is a lot of attention to details, sometimes too much attention, which slows the book down.  But the storyline is fun and I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you Minotaur Books for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.


Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon



Meet the Author (taken from her website):  Kate Westbury grew up a voracious reader of detective fiction, and unraveling plot twists became her favorite pastime. She now puts her whodunnit obsession to good use writing historical mysteries. Beyond the page, Kate teaches Latin and dreams of moving to an English village with crimes to solve.

 


Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Release Blitz for The Black Orchid by Loreth Anne White

 

The Black Orchid by Loreth Anne White is now live!


A propulsive true crime–inspired thriller of masks, murder, and long-awaited justice by Washington Post bestselling author Loreth Anne White.

By invitation only, nine elite guests board the luxurious Black Orchid for its maiden voyage through the mythic Aegean Sea. Not all of them will survive.

Poppy Buchanan, personal assistant to legendary war photographer Lillith McGregor, sees the cruise as her chance at a better life—if she can edge her way into Lillith’s will. But their exclusive company includes Lillith’s disinherited stepson and his ruthlessly ambitious fiancĂ©e, a silent Israeli businessman with a dangerous past, a charming Dutch antiquities dealer with an agenda of his own, and a retired FBI profiler hunting a serial killer he believes is aboard. Each passenger is a piece in a deadly puzzle decades in the making.

Within three days, their paths will collide during a catastrophic storm. Long-buried secrets surface. Masks fall away. And the ensuing revelations trigger a chain of events that leads to one of the most devastating maritime disasters in recent history. But the sinking of the Black Orchid is no accident—it’s a reckoning.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://amzn.to/3PJx6XG


Audible: https://adbl.co/4wRoLB5

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3NHstwB

Book Review for Library of Forbidden Books by Mario Escobar

 

Library of Forbidden Books: A sweeping historical fiction novel about a librarian protecting banned books in Nazi Germany by Mario Escobar

Published:  September 1, 2026 by Thomas Nelson

Genre:  Historical Fiction

 

Taken from Goodreads:  In a world of burning books, one woman will risk everything to keep stories alive.

Berlin, 1933. The vibrant cultural heart of Germany is darkening under the shadow of the Nazi regime. For Helene Nathan, one of the first female librarians at a prestigious German library, the books she cherishes are no longer just sources of knowledge--they are targets. As the government begins its systematic purge of literature, compiling lists of "forbidden" works and orchestrating public book burnings, Helene realizes she cannot stand by as her world turns to ash.

Determined to resist the encroaching tyranny, Helene and her colleagues embark on a perilous mission of secretly collecting and hiding the very books slated for destruction. It's a dangerous act of defiance in a city where every neighbor could be an informant and the Gestapo are a constant, looming threat. Her quiet rebellion is especially complicated by the fact that Helene is half-Jewish, and Rudolf Kummer, a ruthless Nazi official, seemingly has a personal vendetta against her.

As the stakes escalate and friends and neighbors begin to disappear, Helene must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice. Her fight is not just for the pages she saves, but for the very soul of her country and the freedom to think.

Based on the heroic true stories of librarians who fought back, Library of Forbidden Books is a gripping tale of courage, the profound power of literature as resistance, and one woman's struggle to preserve humanity in the face of absolute evil.

 

My Thoughts:  A librarian wanting to save books from the Nazis, sounds simple enough but nothing involving Germany and Hitler is simple.  Helene is a hero.  The way that she consistently fights for what she believes in while trying to protect her family and herself makes her a hero of WWII.   She is a quiet hero, not well known, not being seen, just doing what she needs to do. 

I enjoyed learning about how the libraries were targeted during WWII.   It was eye opening as to how the Nazi’s viewed books and the way that they got rid of them.  My heart broke at the thought of so many great books being lost to the world.  The number of people who worked together to save them is incredible.   They put themselves at risk of great harm but understood that they had to save the books, they are part of a great history. 

WWII is my favorite era to read about.  Library of Forbidden Books is a wonderful look at a different way the war affected Germany.   War is not only about the actual fighting and killing, it affects so many aspects of life.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

 

Book Review for A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin

 

A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin

Published:  September 1, 2026 by Hanover Square Press

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Witches, Historical Fantasy

Taken from Goodreads:  Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries—or be silenced forever, in the dazzling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin.

Lilith Legare’s life is unraveling. Since her mother’s death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.

Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.

In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.

Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women’s power for generations—and dare to claim their voices before it’s too late.

 

My Thoughts:  Madeline Martin wrote a book that brought me right into the time of the witch trials.   I was living alongside Lilith and Sybil.  I felt the chills when Lilith was searching for a way to save Sybil.  The pain that Sybil felt while being accused of being a witch was real to me.  

A Time of Witches is a phenomenal book.  The paranormal parts of the story were my favorite.  I love seeing today’s characters interact with yesterday’s characters.  The twist of Lillith desperate need to save Sybil is unique.   Both POV’s kept me entertained and wanting to read more. 

Thank you Tall Poppy and the author for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon