Category: New To Me Author

A Murder at Cinnamon Falls by R.L. Killmore

On By TracyIn Contemporary, Mystery, New To Me Author, Part of a Series, Re-Release / Updated Edition, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Murder at Cinnamon Falls (Cinnamon Falls, #1)Murder at Cinnamon Falls by R.L. Killmore

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Cinnamon Falls #1

Release Date: April 7, 2026

When a heartbroken Nia Bennett left Cinnamon Falls six years ago, she had no plans to return. But now just a couple of weeks after finishing her graduate degree and landing a coveted research position at one of Atlanta’s most prestigious law firms, her life is upended once more when she learns the man she has been dating for the last two years, the man she thought was her future is married! She doesn’t even think, she bolts and returns to her family in Cinnamon Falls. She knows going home won’t be easy, she will have to mend broken relationships and figure out how to heal the wound that caused her to leave in the first place. But before she can even come to terms with the huge changes in her life, she is dealt yet another devasting blow when a woman who was like a second mother to her is murdered just hours after they were reunited. She will do whatever she has to do to find the murderer!

Jesse Shaw was left heartbroken when Nia, the love of his life, broke up with him and left without another word. For six long years, he has tried to move on, first by serving in the military and then returning to Cinnamon Falls and working in law enforcement. His well-ordered world is rocked when Nia returns and immerses herself in the murder investigation of Rosslyn Rose AKA Rosie, the owner of the town’s popular diner and the mother of Nia’s late friend Sienna. He has barely had time to wrap his head around Nia’s return and Rosie’s death when the killer strikes again. Will he be able to find the killer before anyone else is hurt?

This small-town mystery was not exactly what I was expecting. I enjoyed the mystery and thought the author did a good job of keeping the reader in suspense for most of the story. I wanted to love this book, but there were just some things that bothered me about this story, especially Nia, I found things about her almost impossible to believe. Add to that the author’s use of some very odd phrases that pulled me out of the story. Overall, it was a well-done mystery interwoven with a low-key second-chance romance, but the writing was a bit off, so this was a book that I am glad I read, but not one I would read again.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

 

Summoned to the Wilds (Deluxe Edition) by A.K. Caggiano

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Re-Release / Updated Edition, Romantasy, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Summoned to the Wilds (Villains & Virtues, #2)Summoned to the Wilds by A.K. Caggiano

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Villains and Virtues #2

Release Date: March 24, 2026 (Update Edition)

Lady Ammalie “Amma” Avington, heir to the Faebarrow barony, fiancée to the Marquis of Brineberth and apparent captive of blood mage Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne, is on the run from her home, which is currently overrun by the undead, thanks to Damien. But not everything is as it seems and Amma is far from unhappy about her current circumstances. Well, it would be better if she wasn’t the receptacle of Damien’s talisman and spellbound to him, but overall, she is not mad that she is with Damien. They are on a quest to save her home and to remove the talisman from her person preferably without killing her. Along the way, Amma will learn a lot about herself and discover her own untapped magic, but at the end of this quest will she be able to give up Damien?

Blood mage Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne is trying to find a way to rescue his demon father from his crystalline prison. He created a talisman that he believed would help him accomplish the mission but wanted to test it first – which is why it currently resides in Amma. But what at first seem so simple; test the talisman, kill the girl to retrieve said talisman and then rescue his father, has become complicated and involves messy feelings – not that he would ever admit that out loud. But despite being evil to his core, he can’t bring himself to kill Amma and so they will need to find another way to remove it. But even if he removes it, he knows he could never be what Amma wants, right?

OK, I did not read the first book and that was a HUGE mistake on my part, this is the second book in an epic tale and I was completely lost – I didn’t understand the world, the magic or Amma and Damien’s relationship. The author did give some backstory, but not enough to bring me completely up to speed, so I don’t think I fully grasped the gist of this story. I felt like I was dropped in the middle of a story, so I had no beginning and since this is the second of three books, I had no real ending, basically it was like reading just the middle of a really long book. The story was well-written, and I enjoyed the banter and the humor, but I found the slow-almost-no-burn romance a bit frustrating, and the bonus chapter that was included was just more of the same. The book is filled with magic, vampires, fae, imps, witches, an evil fiancé, some frenemies, a lot of stifled romantic moments, some very vivid action scenes, a bit of heartbreak and finally a cliffhanger ending that did resolve somethings but opened the door to a lot more questions. I am definitely going to go back and read the first book and then dive into the last book, because now I need to know! This is the second book in the series, and I would strongly recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *