Dance on Ice by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey Release Blitz

For the figure skater and the hockey player, their sport demands total devotion, but can falling in love come first?

My name is Shaun Stanton, and I’m bisexual.

In hockey-obsessed Chesterford Academy, Shaun Stanton stands out as the star player and captain of the Chesterford Coyotes, and his exceptional skills have already attracted the attention of NHL scouts. He lives and breathes hockey, but there’s more to his story. His father wants Shaun to be the star he never was, and their relationship is a complex mix of guidance and intimidation. Worse, while hockey is Shaun’s sanctuary and a key part of who he is, he harbors a secret his dad can never discover: Shaun is gay He’s caught between the future career he’s destined for, and the truth he has to hide. There’s one bright light in his life, the vibrant figure skater who shares the early morning practice ice, a friend he worries about, but has now become something more—Kenji is everything Shaun wants and can’t have.

My name is Kenji Kelly, and I need to be perfect.

Kenji Kelly is a young man who walks two worlds: his family is a beautiful mix of American and Asian cultures. He loves both figure skating and hockey, and he’s a out and proud pansexual teen. While it seems to the world around him he has it all, deep down Kenji has a secret that’s slowly becoming harder to conceal. His life is the ice and his coach does not believe in failure. The one person who knows his hidden secret is Shaun, the captain of the Coyotes and a friend from youth hockey days. Shaun’s gaze towards Kenji, once filled with concern, now seems to hold something deeper, unsettling Kenji but also igniting similar giddy, burgeoning feelings in him. As their feelings for each other become stronger, the secrets both young men carry grow heavier and more distressing with each passing day.

Trigger Warning: mention of an eating disorder.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Chesterford Coyotes series!
For book one, Off the Ice, click HERE.
For book two, On Thin Ice, click HERE.

 

 

Book 3
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Paperback (US)

 

 

There was a heated exchange of words, Kenji skating backward and away, almost at center ice. All I needed to do was to push forward on one skate, and glide there, and we could say hello. We’d been best friends once, and if I apologized—if I was honest with him about how I’d messed up—maybe we could go back to being friends. As the argument escalated between my dad and Kenji’s coach, I felt a knot form in my stomach and I was paralyzed by my own insecurities. I watched Kenji and cursed myself for not having the courage to reach out to him.

Dad was becoming more animated, Kenji’s coach just as loud, gesticulating wildly.

I didn’t have the balls to skate to the center ice.

And Kenji didn’t turn to look at me.

Dad returned, as scarlet as me, but where my reaction was shame and confusion, his was temper and hatred.

“You’re sharing the ice,” he snapped.

He was so angry, and I didn’t know how to feel. He’d sacrificed everything for me; worked three jobs to keep me in hockey gear, drove me to every practice and game, and even volunteered as a coach for the team. The thought of letting him down filled me with guilt.

I owed him.

He’d poured his heart and soul into my hockey career, and it all centered on us practicing six days out of seven on this ice, and today we didn’t have the ice.

I should feel territorial, right? It was what Dad wanted me to feel, I was sure. Instead I felt… weird. Then something hit me. Why was I sharing the ice that was for the school? I was somewhere for the Academy teams to practice and play, and it wasn’t open to the public, courtesy of a shit ton of funding from very rich benefactors at our very wealthy campus. Why was someone from outside Chesterford Academy on our ice?

“They’ll let anyone join this damn school, freaking twirly shit getting in our way. Fucking girls out here on our ice.”

“He’s—”

“No!”

I wanted to defend Kenji, to explain that figure skaters were as valid as hockey players, same as I’d done when Kenji had left hockey for the figure skating and begged to be allowed to be friends with him still. But my dad’s hatred had spilled over and scared me.

“Shut your mouth and listen up,” Dad snapped. His reaction stung, his threats left me feeling powerless and defeated, and small.

So small.

“Figure skaters are boys as well,” I word-vomited, thankful the boards were between me and him when Dad stiffened and sent me a stare that would kill other people. Dad had never touched me, apart from fixing my hockey hold, or straightening my back, but his expression was murderous, and that meant the curses would fly and he’d take out his impotent rage on me with words. He leaned over the barrier, and my heart skipped, my chest tightened. I held my position and tilted my chin as he lowered his voice, hate dripping from every word.

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third in the series, and is another great book from the talented duo of V.L. Locey and RJ Scott. This time we get an interesting pairing of two very different ice sports – the oversized, slightly brutish hockey player, Stanton, and the diminutive ice dancer, Kenji.

Both guys are now training on shared ice in the early hours of every morning, their respective coaches bullying them on the ice, using horribly negative slurs to get them to improve. I really hate this style of coaching, so was super angry at both of them and very relieved when things change.

Though they were great friends as youngsters, there was a rift, and it is really touching watching them retrieve the friendship, admit that it might well be much more than just a friendship, and navigate a possible future, all whilst dealing with their coaches hounding them to be better. For Stanton, he has to find the strength to live his own dream, rather than his father's. For Kenji, the road is much more complex as he has a coach who demands his weight stay at a set point, something he feels he can only achieve by starving himself most of the time. It is difficult to read, but the authors have done an amazing job of providing balance and insight.

I definitely recommend this book to you – and for series fans, there are plenty of links to earlier books, which are very satisfying.


Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
Dance on Ice is the third installment in the Chesterford Coyotes series. It can be read as a standalone – and the trigger warning for an eating disorder should be taken seriously. If this is a topic you yourself have struggled with or can't read this type of story, please skip this one, as it is a big topic in the plot.

Kenji and Shaun were the closest of friends when they were younger. They played hockey together until Kenji was pulled more toward the figure skating world. Shaun's dad took issue with that and refused to let Shaun remain friends with him. Shaun hated that he was no longer a part of Kenji's world, but he owed his dad for all his sacrifices. Kenji is proudly out as pansexual while Shaun is hiding deep in the bisexual closet even though there are very well known, out hockey players. His dad pushes him hard to be the best and make the NHL at any cost. And Kenji's coach bullies him for his weight – having daily weigh-ins; the stress to be perfect pushes Kenji to an eating disorder. Kenji wants to hate Shaun, but he can't. Shaun wants to protect Kenji and be the one he can lean on. They fight for a regained friendship but they both want more.

The bullying they both experienced was heartbreaking. Seeing Shaun finally stand up against his father was everything, as was Kenji's coach being exposed, unfortunately at the injury of Kenji. There friends stood behind them both and became the support they both needed.

Another great story from this duo of authors!

 

 

USA Today bestselling author RJ SCOTT has written over one hundred and fifty romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.

She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.

Connect with RJ Scott!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Twitter  ~  TikTok  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: RJ Scott – Special Secret Group
Facebook Group: MM Hockey Romance

 

V.L. LOCEY loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.)

She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

Connect with V.L. Locey!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: V.L. Locey – Vixens Reading Group
Facebook Group: MM Hockey Romance

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Dance on Ice (Chesterford Coyotes #3) by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey to read and review.

Fake Famous by Dana L. Davis

In this breezy novel from the author of Somebody That I Used to Know, one Iowa farm girl—a dead ringer for a global pop star—gets an unlikely shot at stardom. Will she choose fame… or the family farm?

Red Morgan is fresh out of high school. With signature red curls and a remarkable singing voice, the bubbly teenager is a devoted daughter and big sister. The world should be her oyster. But Red already knows exactly where her future lies: the family farm in Orange City, Iowa.

Zay-Zay Waters is at the top of her game. The Brooklyn-born singer has it all—talent, fame, even a smokin’ hot boyfriend. But life in the limelight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when a video of Red singing in the mud—looking and sounding exactly like Zay-Zay herself—goes viral, the pop star begins to hatch a plan.

Red is the key to Zay-Zay’s scheme. With much-needed money on the line, Red agrees to step into Zay-Zay’s famous shoes for one week. But when planned appearances start to go off script, Red may be in over her head. Can she really pull it off?

 

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Audiobook (US) Narrated by Dana L. Davis
Hardcover (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
~ Also Available to Read & Listen with KindleUnlimited ~

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆
Red Morgan has the chance of a lifetime when a mishap on the family farm lands her in the crosshairs of pop star Zay-Zay Waters. Red is a dead-ringer of Zay-Zay, and Zay wants her to pretend to be her while she spends a week at a retreat. With what Zay is offering Red, she can help save the farm, but will she lose herself in the process?

I enjoyed this story for the most part. I wanted to head slap Zay-Zay at times but then again, she is a pop star, and she can pay for what she wants. It is a good story, and I was rooting for Red to win in the end. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it too.

 

 

DANA L. DAVIS is an author, actress, and voice-over artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. She has starred in Heroes, Coach Carter, Franklin & Bash, Veronica Mars, and countless other film and TV productions. A few of her animation credits include Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Craig of the Creek, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Dana is a classically trained violist and the founder of the LA-based nonprofit Culture for Kids, LA, which provides inner-city children with free tickets and transportation to attend performing arts shows around LA County.

Connect with Dana L. Davis!

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided with a free copy of Fake Famous by Dana L. Davis to read and review.

On Thin Ice by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey Release Blitz

A young adult hockey romance filled with making amends, family, friends, and discovering the real person inside while juggling the crazy, upside-down world of high school.

Jonah Robinson has really messed up. He’s spent the last year hanging out with someone who wasn’t leading him in a good direction. Now that Felix has seen the light, perhaps it’s time for Jonah to do the same. Making amends is not going to be easy when he’s not exactly been the nicest guy at Chesterford. With the help of his family and a special friend at the school, Jonah is ready to try to make things right with those he wronged. The first person on that long redemption list is Tyler, the brightest player on the Coyotes, at least in Jonah’s eyes. He’s taken a thousand pictures of Tyler for the school paper, but he’s going to have to learn how to develop more than just negatives if he wants to grow close to Tyler.

Tyler Corrigan’s dad has left, his mom is terrified he’ll come back, and it’s Tyler who’s left to keep his little family in one piece. The only respite from real life is playing hockey, and he’s an important part of the Chesterford Coyotes. Despite not being the biggest person on the ice, speed is his superpower, and the team has his back during the worst of the bullying he’s had to endure. His friends make him feel safe when his real world is full of fear, but no one can protect his heart when an awkward and messed up Jonah—one of the worst of his bullies—is suddenly around every corner, wanting to make things right.

Sorry can be a difficult word to believe, but trusting your heart is everything.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Chesterford Coyotes series!
For book one, Off the Ice, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Kobo  ~  Smashwords
Paperback (US)

 

 

A shadow fell across my books, and I sighed, hoping to hell it wasn’t someone who wanted to talk to me because this essay on evolutionary principles wouldn’t write itself. I waited for the shadow to leave, or move, or something, but it seemed like I was waiting in vain, and finally, when I couldn’t ignore it any more, I glanced up.

Jonah.

My flight instinct kicked in, but eased almost immediately when I realized it was just Jonah and there was no sign of Miles. Talk about a Pavlov’s dog-type reaction.

Jonah was mostly okay when it was just him, a bit of a dick for watching things go down, but okay when he was solo. Not that we talked, because if we were on our own, he would move away to avoid me, and then scurry off in any direction he could find. Only, here he was standing in the light and staring down at me, and I could see his mouth moving.

All I could hear was the chorus of Defying Gravity, and I gestured to my ears to indicate the buds under my layered pink hair.

He nodded and indicated I take them out. Fuck. If I removed them, I’d have to talk to him, and I didn’t have it in me to have a heated chat about whatever made Jonah look so determined.

He stared at me.

I stared back.

Then, with a sigh, I pulled out the buds and the song stopped.

“Hi,” he said after a pause. I glanced past him, making sure Miles hadn’t in fact made his way into the study room and was waiting to pounce on me. He’d already threatened me with payback for turning him in and said that in the less than thirty seconds he’d had before his father pushed him out of the main door.

I’ll get you for doing this. That was what Miles had snarled at me. It didn’t help that Miles’ dad had sneered, snorted in disgust, and then, shoved his son in the back. The parting words from his dad were just as nasty as Miles were—the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

You couldn’t take that kid out? Didn’t raise you to be a freaking loser.

I knew all about shitty fathers, and for a moment, I recognized the hate in his father that meant maybe Miles never stood a chance. I knew how hard it was to fight out from under all the hate, but I’d had Mom, and she’d been my guiding light every single day of my life.

Maybe Miles’ mom was as much of a loser as his dad?

He couldn’t be more wrong about me making the complaint—nothing good came from involving outside parties after threats of intimidation—just ask my mom. I had no idea who’d accused the two boys of bullying, given it was anonymous, but it definitely hadn’t been me. If I thought it was worth bothering with, I would have reported things long ago, but I had knowledge of bigger bullies than Miles, and had terrifying firsthand experience of what happened when an aggressor was backed into a corner.

“And?” I prompted Jonah, who was bouncing on his toes a little, as if he couldn’t stay still. I waited patiently, and when he opened his mouth a couple of times, just to shut it again, I was about done with waiting for him to talk and picked up the buds to continue my research.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted, his dark eyes shining with emotion.

I could feel the gaze of all the students in the study room focused on whatever was going on here. I should have gone to the library—no one goes there to study except the kids who actually had to try really hard to do well in subjects. Now was the perfect time for me to make a big thing of him standing there; humiliate him, shout at him, rail at him for all the times he could have done more than just watch.

Instead, because I was so torn between understanding and the hateful need for revenge, I deliberately replaced my earbuds and bent my head to the book open on the desk. He was still there. Still bouncing.

Then, he placed something on the corner of the desk and walked away. I refused to watch him leave.

He’d left me a candy bar, my favorite—Snickers—right there with a Post-it note stuck to the front. It held one word. Sorry.

Only then did I glance the way he’d gone, to find him watching me through the glass of the door, a hopeful expression demanding I acknowledge the weird-ass gift.

I nodded.

Then immediately pretended to go back to studying.

It was safer not to engage.

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
On Thin Ice is the second book in the Chesterford Coyotes series. It can be read as a standalone, but I think it would read better if you read in the order the authors intended. On Thin Ice is a young adult, high school hockey, teen-angst, enemies-to-friends-to-boyfriends read.

Jonah is newer to Chesterford and is there on a scholarship. He was shy and somehow got in with Felix and Miles. He hated the bullying Miles did but stood by while he did it. So he was as much to blame as Miles was. Jonah wants to be a better, kinder human and the best way to do that is to distance himself from Miles and make amends to those he hurt, starting with Tyler. Tyler happens to be best friends with Soren, who is now dating Felix, and Felix and Jonah have a lot to work out between them.

On Thin Ice is a super cute at moments very heavy read. I loved how Tyler made Jonah work for his forgiveness. I can't wait to see what's next for this series! I am not a usual young adult reader but I am so invested in these characters!

 

 

USA Today bestselling author RJ SCOTT has written over one hundred and fifty romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.

She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.

Connect with RJ Scott

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  TikTok  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: RJ Scott – Special Secret Group
Facebook Group: MM Hockey Romance

 

V.L. LOCEY loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.)

She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

Connect with V.L. Locey

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: V.L. Locey – Vixens Reading Group
Facebook Group: MM Hockey Romance

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of On Thin Ice (Chesterford Coyotes #2) by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey to read and review.

Off the Ice by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey

A coming-of-age love story with high school, hockey rivalry, friendship, family, and coming out.

Soren’s life changes in an instant when he and his younger brother are adopted by hockey royalty. Making sense of his new life is hard enough, but when he’s enrolled in a private school it means facing a whole new set of problems. Navigating friendship, family, and hockey is one thing, but being attracted to the boy who vexes him is a whole new thing.

Felix has a reputation to protect. He's the kid who seems to have everything but looks can be deceiving. Spinning lies about his perfect life, he’s created a fantasy world that even he has started to believe. Only, it’s not long before everything crumbles, all of his pretty lies are revealed, and only his closest rival sees through his pain and stands by him.

Fighting is easy, friendship is hard, but love is everything.

 

 

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Kobo  ~  Smashwords
Paperback (US)

 

 

Just as I was thinking of Felix’s face meeting a fist, he shot to his feet, gave Tyler a shove, and jumped on the smaller guy when Tyler fell off the bench to the floor. I reacted instantly, and was into the fray in a second, rolling Felix off Tyler with a body check that would have cleared any of the Railers off their skates. Not really, but it sounded boss. Tyler was smaller than most, a speed demon on ice, but we protected him—I protected him.

“Get the fuck off me!” Felix snarled, swinging at me as we grappled for control. He was strong, about my height and weight, but I had the advantage. Or I thought I did. He swung back in a flash, clocking me in the mouth. My front teeth dug into my lower lip, and I tasted blood, which kind of pissed me off. We wrestled around amid shouts from our teammates until I managed to get him under control. Mostly.

He was splayed out on the floor, his face pressed into a pair of wet sneakers lying in front of a locker. I put my knee into his back while the other guys scrambled to get Tyler on his feet.

“What the hell, Sinclair?” I barked down at Felix. We never used our full last names, not since he’d decided that having gay dads meant I didn’t deserve to inherit both last names. Whatever. He hated that I responded in kind and that was just one more point against the freaking idiot.

“Get off my back, Rowe!” he snarled, adding something else to the comment, which was hard to make out since his face was jammed into a skanky, soggy grey and black Nike belonging to one of the guys who had run here across the sodden field hockey field. Caleb had kicked them off to wring out his socks but had yet to dress his smelly feet yet. Caleb liked to hear us complain about his foot stink for some reason. Dude was weird.

It sounded like Felix might have used a queer slur, but I couldn’t be sure it was the F-word although I’d heard him use it before. He’d should think twice about using that in front of me. My new family was all kinds of queer, as was I and a few other players. Coach also did not put up with any racist, sexist, or queer slurs. I’d already hit him once, way back, when he started shit about my dads, but that had ended up with me in an office with my new dads and wondering if they were going to send me back in the system.

Of course they hadn’t—they loved me and Milo and wanted us as their sons, along side their daughter. We were family and it was all official and everything. Still the thought that I’d disappoint my dads meant I genuinely tried not to rise to Felix and hit him again.

But he’d jumped Tyler, and that wasn’t right.

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
Off the Ice is the first book in the Chesterford Coyotes series. It is a coming of age, young adult, enemies-to-boyfriends, hockey read full of teen drama and I'm here for it!

Soren hasn't had the easiest childhood. He was adopted with his brother by two hockey gods. He's extremely protective of his family and his friends. Felix, on the other hand, plays the part of the snobby rich kid with a chip on his shoulder. As you learn about his family dynamic you understand why he's so angry all the time.

Felix is just figuring out who he is, and Soren is bringing up feelings in him he's not used to. Soren takes the time to actually get to know the real Felix instead of the bully he pretends to be. I was so invested in this quick read. I loved seeing the way Felix gave his dad a chance and his dad finally put him first. Not a huge young adult reader but I can't wait to see where this series goes!

 

 

USA Today bestselling author RJ SCOTT has written over one hundred and fifty romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.

She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.

Connect with RJ Scott

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  TikTok  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: RJ Scott – Special Secret Group
Facebook Group: MM Hockey Romance

 

V.L. LOCEY loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.)

She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

Connect with V.L. Locey

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: V.L. Locey – Vixens Reading Group
Facebook Group: MM Hockey Romance

 

 

ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Off the Ice (Chesterford Coyotes #1) by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey to read and review.

House of Gods by K.A. Linde Release Blitz

USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde returns to the Royal Houses series with House of Gods: the story of Kerrigan Argon, a half-Fae, half-human as she seeks her place in an unforgiving world filled with magic, mayhem, and romance. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and V.E. Schwab.

On the other side of a portal, Kerrigan Argon lands in the home of the gods—alone.

She's lost everything: Her family. Her magic. Her world.

Even her dark Fae prince, Fordham Ollivier, has disappeared. She has no where to turn, and no idea how to survive in this new world.

The first kind face in the crowd gives Kerrigan hope. Until her would-be helpers, kidnap and deliver her into a new kind of hell and the only chance to get home—the gladiator ring.

Win the gladiator tournament and receive a gift from the gods.

Kerrigan is determined to gain that boon to save her people.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Royal Houses series!
For book one, House of Dragons, click HERE.
For book two, House of Shadows, click HERE.
For book three, House of Curses, click HERE.

 

 

Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
House of Gods is the fourth installment in the Royal Houses series, and it cannot be read as a standalone or out of series order. Since there isn't much of a rundown of previous events at the start, no info-dumps, if you are a reader who needs a refresher, I do suggest a bit of a reread. If not, Linde does an amazing job of slowly revealing what had happened in the last installment without the reader being inundated with a pacing-destroying rundown.

Un-put-down-able. I told myself I could read a chapter or two before bed. Next thing I knew, I was finished and dawn had crested the horizon.

Zero spoilers, I won't give a rundown on events as I wish the rest of the readers a cover-to-cover in one sitting experience as I enjoyed.

House of Gods starts off immediately after House of Curses ended. Kerrigan and Ford landed after being propelled out of the portal, only to end up in her birth mother's land. Kerrigan spends four hundred pages doing all she can to get back home and save her realm.

Action. Adventuring. Huge roadblocks in Kerrigan's way. Unexpected allies. Eon's old enemies. Heartbreak. Injustice. Fear. Gladiator battles. Family reunions, both good and bad. The making of friends and the tightening of relationships. House of Gods had the gamut of emotions from start to finish.

As Kerrigan suffers the absence of magic, she leans how to live and survive without it, so someday she may thrive with it.

I cannot wait until the next installment. While House of Gods doesn't not end on a cliffhanger as previous installments, it does set up the epic battle to come.

 

 

K.A. LINDE is the USA Today bestselling author of the Avoiding series, Wrights, and more than thirty other novels. She has a master’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia, was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of the Duke University dance team. She loves reading fantasy novels, binge-watching Supernatural, traveling, and dancing in her spare time.

She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband and super-adorable puppy.

Connect with K.A. Linde!

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: K.A. Linde Books

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of House of Gods (Royal Houses #4) by K.A. Linde to read and review.

Followilled by Erica Chilson Release Blitz

What does it mean to be a Followill?

Embarking on the lifelong journey of true adulthood, Rayna Scott is about to graduate college and return to Followill. Rayna experiences a gamut of emotions for falling into her new role so easily, much to the surprise of the Followill family.

More than just a prop for Governor Followill’s campaign.
More than just a stubborn housemate.
More than just an obligation for her chosen parental units.
More than just vows made to Daddy and Momma.

A precarious balance as Rayna struggles with who she used to be, who she is today, and who she will become versus who she would’ve been had her life not been altered by tragedy.

Moving forward and refusing to look back, just as Rayna makes peace with what it means to be a Followill, she’s thrust into the knowledge of her paternal line. After the solitude of a small family, no burdens of responsibility or pressure of obligation, Rayna is tapped out with the Followills. She has absolutely no desire to engage with the family that abandoned her daddy.

Secrets buried beneath lies, Rayna discovers Peri is just one of many relatives hiding in plain sight.

What does it mean to be a Devereaux?

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Followill series!
For book one, Followill, click HERE.
For book two, Followill Loyalty, click HERE.

 

 

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the strongest finale that we could have dreamed about for this wonderful trilogy. If you have not started it yet, then you are very lucky to be able to read all three books together, rather than having to wait! You absolutely need to read them in order – so if you have found this first, do yourself a favour and go back to Followill or you will miss out on why this is such a great book.

From the get go I was excited that this book takes us straight to the end of college days for Rayna and her peers. Yes, we get some of the intervening years filled in, to give us some insight into why she might be feeling as she does, but it is this post-graduation stage of her life which is going to be the most revealing!

One truth from her childhood drives Rayna, the need to study and be the best she can – and certainly she has not let herself or her daddy down. She will return to Followill as required and be the very best at her predetermined career. On that score there is little doubt... but her understanding of her family, her future, and true love? That is more than a little complicated – but utterly delicious.

I really do not want to say more, because peeling back the layers of crazy is the most exciting thing about reading one of Chilson's novels, and this is no exception. I loved every bit of this whole trilogy, and really feel that this installment just brought all the eye rolls, the chuckles, some gasps, and, by the end, a serenity which isn't saccharine, but which is earned and deserved... even if unconventional.

I am looking forward to hiding away over my Christmas break and reading all three back to back... with some handy snacks and a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on my door!


Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Oh, my goodness! So many twists and turns, so many secrets and lies, so many subtle leaks and some really good, in-your-face revelations that left my mind spinning, and it all made for one heck of a rollercoaster ride. More than once, I’d be reading along, just going with the flow with Rayna and BAM, a sudden drop from a happy high had me white-knuckling my Kindle. Gah! It wasn’t even my life and I was an anxious mess while reading at times. And I FREAKING LOVED IT!

Nearly four years have passed since the end of Followill Loyalty, with Followilled being partially centered around another Followill wedding, but this wedding is one Rayna is happy to be a part of, even if it isn’t well-timed either, with it taking place towards the end of her final semester at college. Poor timing or not, it gives readers a chance to see just a bit of Rayna’s college experience, to see how she’s grown over the past four years, and how she hasn’t. Her biggest personality flaw remains her inability to actually hear what is being said by and about Charlie. The girl still has blinders when it comes to that man and they’re not the good kind of blinders, but at least this time around, Charlie seems to have a better grasp on Rayna’s blind spots. So much so, that he actually encouraged one of her misconceptions and enjoyed the look on her face when she learned the truth. Charlie. Charlie. Charlie. While it was funny, he failed to anticipate just how far down the rabbit hole that misunderstanding took her.

We finally got to go to CAMP!!! It was everything I expected and then some. Oh, so much more. Those Followills sure are some naughty buggers. As fun as it was to watch Rayna experience Camp for the first time, to get to meet some of the different branches on the Followill family tree, to fumble while learning the secret language of Camp, and to finally fully comprehend Charlie’s place, and hers as his intended spouse, in the Followill family, it was the verbal showdown between Rayna, a Followill elder, and a guest that had me unable to peel myself away from the book. I was wholeheartedly on Rayna’s side on this one. I was as baffled and frustrated as she was by the Followill elder’s inability and refusal to see past his cock. He was far more condescending than I expected when he treated her complaint as if it was due to Rayna’s age and not because the transgressor was so far in the wrong that criminal charges could be filed. I don’t blame Rayna one bit for losing her temper and “outing” the transgressor publicly at Camp, especially when the transgressor tried to defend her actions and play the victim. Considering the transgressor’s profession, I wanted to bitch-slap her myself for her actions. My only problem with that scene came later in the book when Rayna includes the transgressor in an event, as an olive branch, because she was ashamed of her “childish” behavior of airing her grievances publicly at Camp. I thought Rayna’s outburst was more than justified because she had already spoken to the transgressor privately and it accomplished nothing. Sorry, but the public naming and shaming was well deserved for both the Followill elder and the transgressor because everyone in the family needed to be aware of the risks the transgressor posed. I’ve probably confused you, but trying to write about a scene while avoiding spoilers can be a bit tricky.

I know the author released the Followill books, intending them to be a trilogy, and they do well as a trilogy of Rayna’s story. However, I really, really, really hope that Chilson’s muse comes-a-pestering and won’t let up until we get more stories from the residents of Followill because there are so many characters whose stories need to be told. And I would seriously love the chance to catch up with Rayna, Charlie, and Paul (and Felix) to see how life, politics, and the Followill legacy is shaping their lives… or how Ms. Rayna has changed the shape of the Followill legacy for the better.

 

 

 

ERICA CHILSON does not write in the 3rd person, wanting her readers to be her characters. Therefore, writing a bio about herself, is uncomfortable in the extreme.

Born, raised, and here to stay, the Wicked Writer is a stump-jumper, a ridge-runner. Hailing from North Central Pennsylvania, directly on the New York State border; she loves the changes in seasons, the humid air, all the mountainous forest, and the gloomy atmosphere.

Introverted, but not socially awkward, Erica prides herself on thinking first and filtering her speech. There are days she doesn’t speak at all. If it wasn’t for the fact that she lives with her parents, giving her a sense of reality, she would be a hermit, where the delivery man finds her months after expiration.

Reading was an escape, a way to leave a not-so pleasant reality behind. Reading lent Erica the courage she gathered from the characters between the pages to long for a different life. Writing was an instrument of change, evolving Erica into the woman she is today – a better, more mature, more at peace thinker.

Erica has a wicked mind, one she pours out into her creations. Her filter doesn’t allow all of it to erupt, much to her relief. Sarcastic, with a very dark, perverse sense of humor, Erica puts a bit of herself into every character she writes.

Connect with Erica Chilson!

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: M&M of Restraint

 

 

 

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Followilled (Followill #3) by Erica Chilson to read and review.