Indie Book Club Reviews

In February 2024 after joining Threads, a new text based social platform someone on my feed suggested starting an Indie book club. (I’m following only other writers here.)

Another book clubber mentioned writing reviews of the books we read for the club. I wrote back saying if we ALL wrote a review and linked to the author we could grow our audience exponentially.

So look to this page for reviews and links to all the books we read.

Fate’s Captive 
CJ Holmes 
My Review: 

Thoroughly impressed with this first book. Started on Saturday and I couldn’t stop. Even at the expense of my own writing. CJ Holmes captivated me from the first page. And that ending. Wow! I need to find out what happens. 

 

CJ Holmes
Twilight’s Secrets

This is the second book I’ve read by CJ Holmes and once again a winner.

Calla, the protagonist of Twilight’s Secrets has entered into a bargain she didn’t really want in order to save her brother from a debt to someone higher up on the “food chain.” This is another page turner and I have yet to be disappointed in any one of my indie book group’s books.

Be prepared for some spicy scenes but these only lend more to the story. They are not thrown in for merely throwing them in.

If you like urban fantasy with a touch of fae and a touch of enemy to lover romance, I highly recommend this book and while you’re at it you should definitely check out Ms. Holmes other books:

Inked
Sienna Zini
My Review of Inked:

Escaping his father’s Mafia family is more difficult than Nick thought. He thinks he’s found a way. But like that famous line from the Godfather:
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.  

This book is a page turner, and Sienna Zini deserves a wide audience. 

Inked has romance, intrigue, and is unputdownable. It’s the second book in the past week that I read in a matter of days. Inked is so engaging that I picked up the sequel and am now thirty pages into Engraved. 

Inked was so engaging I picked up the sequel immediately following Inked.

The Only Way Out is Death

A short review for this book because I don’t want to give any spoilers: 

Twelve people in a locked room mystery. Possible death at every corner. Who is responsible? Red herrings everywhere. 

 

Varun Gwalani has written a page turner not to be missed.

 

Sandra is Phoenix
Greg Neyman 

Didn’t know what to expect when this was the next book in my new Indie Book Club.  

Definitely an interesting read. Part super hero, part tech with a mix of quantum science and and a bit of reincarnation theory if you look hard enough and are steeped in that paradigm. I’m big into the Many Worlds Theory and there is some of that here as well. For all these reasons and more I found this book fascinating.  

 

Once I understood what was going on, I couldn’t stop reading.    

 

I liked Sandra as Sandra wasn’t your typical woman, that she was a little out of shape. It gave her a more realistic appearance. I also liked that she only looks for people to help.  

 

This may not be something you would typically read. But I think you’d be missing out. 

The Cursed Thief
Natasha Yentrouc

A cursed thief? A barmaid? An apprentice priest? All of these things and more finds her tribe in a group who look to break another curse placed on their realm.

Adventure and almost betrayal await this ragtag group as they search for a solution to the curse. Someone close to Loki’s personality has placed this curse and if this group can break it, will all return to the normal?

Guess you’ll have to read The Cursed Thief to find out.

 

The Forgotten God by Amy H

Another winner from my indie book club tells the story of Birger, a Norse god of old.

He gets bound to a Teresa, human girl and they both attempt to discover why. In the process of Birger helping Teresa when she needs him they begin to develop feelings for each other. 

Will this end in happily ever after or something else? 

You’ll have to read the book to find out. 

And trust me. You won’t be able to stop until you’ve read the last page. 

Phil the Killer by Tas Kronby

As with every other book I’ve read in the Indie Book Club I’m a part of I found Phil the Killer to be difficult to put down.

Phil is definitely not for everyone. He’s a serial killer, but the title suggests that. So, readers should be prepared for the story as it unfolds.

I read the book in two sittings. It would have been easy to read in one if I started at an earlier time.

There is some dark humor throughout. And that ending? Wow!

Is there a planned sequel?

The Sepa Project
J. Moody

From the first page I couldn’t stop reading Intrigue, betrayal and loss all play a role in this book. Loss most of all.

The Sepa Project has overtones of reincarnation, but that may just be because I’m so steeped in that paradigm.

As with many books I read, the closer I arrived at the end the more I wanted to read but the less I wanted the book to end because then it would be over.

You won’t be disappointed in this book and I’m guessing if you start you won’t want to stop. An amazing story all around.