After the Rain by Amber Palmer

After the Rain by Amber Palmer -- 470 pages

Cleo Hayes is done with looking back. After a painful divorce and years of trying to outrun heartbreak, she returns to her parent's ranch in Texas seeking one thing—a fresh start. No drama. No distractions. And definitely no second chances. But then Grady Wilde shows up.

Once her high school sweetheart, Grady is now a country music superstar looking to settle down. When an unexpected reunion brings them face-to-face for the first time in over a decade, they are both faced with emotions they thought were long gone.

Cleo never expected to see him again, let alone feel the familiar pull of the boy who once held her heart. And Grady knows he made the biggest mistake of his life when he let her walk away. Now, older, wiser, and with a daughter who’s softened every edge of him, he’s ready to prove that love like theirs doesn’t just fade.

Cleo built walls to protect herself. But Grady is the only one who’s ever known how to slip through the cracks, and maybe, just maybe, he’s the only one who can help her feel safe enough to let them fall.

Emily Wilde's History of Dark Faerie by Heather Fawcett

 

Emily Wilde's History of Dark Faerie by Heather Fawcett | 384 pages | 2027

Driven by an insatiable scientific curiosity, Emily Wilde has made a name for herself as the world’s foremost scholar of faeries. Along the way, she’s rescued a faerie kingdom and helped her now-husband—fellow professor Wendell Bambleby, dashing and infuriating in equal measure—regain his throne. And while understanding her fellow mortals has never been her strong suit, she’s also made a small number of friends.

But two years later, one of those friends goes missing in the beautiful but faerie-haunted Black Forest in Germany, a region of picturesque villages and sinister Folk. And if she’s to save him, Emily will have to reckon with the darker side of her own nature, and how ruthless she’s prepared to be to solve the most tantalizing of scholarly mysteries: the history of the ancient and long-lost realm she’s named Dark Faerie, the only place the Folk fear.

But Emily is not alone—she has her beloved Wendell, and her niece Ariadne, who hopes to follow in her footsteps. Told from the perspective of all three characters, this installment of the Emily Wilde series opens a magical portal to the most wondrous and dread faerie realm of all.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

I have loved the Emily Wilde series so far, and was excited to return to this world for another expedition, this time to the dark and mysterious realm of the Black Forest in Germany. Our story begins from the point of view of Ariadne, Emily's niece, and brings in so many of the familiar cast of characters. The book has all the twists and turns I craved, just the right amount of macabre balanced with sweetness, and the signature voice of Emily, at once dry and full of heart. I enjoyed it immensely.

This installment ends in a way that sets up another book in the series, so Emily and crew will return!

Absolute Martian Manhunter, Vol. 2 by Deniz Camp

 Absolute Martian Manhunter, Vol. 2 by Deniz Camp-160 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Comics superstars Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez bring their surreal, smash-hit reinvention of a DC icon to an unbelievable conclusion!

After the mind-altering events of the White Martian’s first foray on Earth, the Agency—a shadowy group with unlimited governmental authority—comes to investigate the strange occurrences in Middleton. John must juggle his job, hiding the Martian, his expanding abilities, and his crumbling relationships, all while living out of a motel. Meanwhile, Bridget wrestles with the revelations John shared with her before his departure while single-handedly taking care of Tyler!

Superstar writer Deniz Camp (20th Century Men) and Eisner Award-winning artist Javier Rodríguez (Zatanna: Bring Down the House) continue their mind-bending, transcendental interpretation of the Absolute Martian Manhunter!

Collects Absolute Martian Manhunter #7-12.

Thoughts: This was pretty good. It's pretty trippy, just like the first volume. I continue to enjoy reading the Absolute DC Comics series. My favorites at this point are Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman. 

Bleach, Vol. 4: Quincy Archer Hates You by Tite Kubo

Bleach, Vol. 4: Quincy Archer Hates You by Tite Kubo

Bleach, 192 pages

⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

A new reality-show craze is sweeping the nation, garnering legions of screaming fans (the majority of them being teenaged girls). But this program comes with a supernatural twist - the host, a media-savvy spiritualist, travels to local hotspots and performs exorcisms, live on national TV!

Surly Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki has his doubts about this primetime prima donna, and his assumptions are about to be put to the test - the show is heading straight for his neighborhood. what effect will this unprovoked media presence have on the fragile balance between Earth and the spirit world?

Crown of Destiny by Ashton E Dorow

 

Crown of Destiny  by Ashton E Dorow  370 pages

In the kingdom of Aerilon, ruled by a queen paranoid of losing her throne, keeping your head down and staying silent is the only way to survive. And for Ayleth of the Jusaren Kindred, a quiet, obscure existence tending sheep on her family farm is exactly what she wants. She knows all too well what comes from speaking out against the queen, and dreads doing anything that could endanger those she loves.

But everything changes the day a Master Scholar arrives with a shocking message: the Eternal One has chosen her as the next ruler of Aerilon.

Terrified of her so-called destiny, Ayleth wishes to forget the old man’s prophecy. That is, until a shocking betrayal forces her to flee for her life with the Scholar’s mysterious companion, Kane, as her protector. Thrust into a perilous journey, separated from all she’s ever known, and leaning on a stranger for survival, Ayleth can no longer avoid the decision she must make… Will she keep to the safe and easy path? Or remain obedient to the Eternal One—no matter the cost?

Book 1 in the Crown of Aerilon series, an epic, non-magical fantasy retelling of King David and King Saul.

I do not usually read Fantasy books, but I was in a book club that read this book.  I have to say I am hooked into this series.  This is the retelling of the story of David in the Bible in which the character is a woman.  This author is new to me, she is a Christian author and I actually got to zoom with her at our Book Club meeting. I am not used to reading war scenes or anything that has dragons in it, but when I go to the end I am so upset I have to wait until January for the second book to come out.  

The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

 

The Night War  by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley  284 pages

It's 1942. German Nazis occupy much of France. And twelve-year-old Miriam, who is Jewish, is not safe. With help and quick thinking, Miri is saved from the roundup that takes her entire Jewish neighborhood. She escapes Paris, landing in a small French village, where the spires of the famous Chateau de Chenonceau rise high into the sky, its bridge across the River Cher like a promise, a fairy tale. But Miri's life is no fairy tale. Her parents are gone, maybe alive, maybe not. Taken in at the boarding school near the chateau, pretending to be Catholic to escape Nazi capture, Miri is called upon one night to undertake a deadly task, one that spans the castle grounds, its bridge, and the very border to freedom. Here is her chance to escape; hopefully to find her parents. But will she take it? One thing is certain: The person Miri meets that night will save her life. And the person Miri becomes that night could save the lives of many more.

I read this book because it is a Mark Twain nominee book.  I love reading stories about World War II.  This one was written from the perspective of a Jewish young girl.  Some of it seemed way above what a 4-6 grader would understand, but I could be wrong.  It was a very sad book and moved slowly, but overall a very good story.

You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose

 

You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose - 292 pages

Grace Evans, an overworked New Yorker looking for a total escape from her busy life, books an Airbnb on a ranch in the middle of Wyoming. When she arrives, she's pleasantly surprised to find that the owner is a handsome man by the name of Calvin Wells. But there are things Grace discovers that she's not too pleased about: A lack of cell phone service. A missing woman. And a feeling that something isn't right with the town.

Despite her uneasiness and misgivings from Calvin's friends and family, the two grow close and start to fall for one another. However, as her departure date nears, things between them start to change for the worse. Grace grows wary of Calvin as his infatuation for her seems to turn into obsession. Calvin fears that Grace is hiding something from him.

Told from dual points of view, You Shouldn't Have Come Here is a thrill ride and a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when you open up your house and your heart to a total stranger.

I read this b/c it was a recommendation, but I was a bit disappointed.  About 90% of it felt more romance than thriller.  The whole "will they, won't they" did keep me curious only b/c I was waiting for the shoe to drop and for the thrilling part to happen.  It did happen the last 10% of the book and boy was I disappointed.  Not Jeneva Rose's best work.