novel – Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

Review: Jailed by Robert P. French

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

Jailed is the seventh book within the Cal Rogan Mysteries, but the first one I have had the pleasure of reading. I was concerned that not reading books 1-6 would leave me completely lost. I was delighted to find out that this is not the case! Each book is a stand-alone story but based on the core character group.

Jailed is about a young man, Micah, who claims to have been wrongly convicted of the murder of his girlfriend. Cal and the rest of the Private Investigation team set out to get Micah out of jail. While Micah is in jail, there are two rival gangs, one wanting him dead and the other protecting him.

The book uses a first-person narrative, which is often poorly done. Robert, however, did a fantastic job of giving us the characters’ perspectives without being inundated with ‘I did.’ When I first started reading this book, I was a little concerned about this perspective because each chapter is through the eyes of a different person. It was weird wrapping my head around who would be speaking for the first three chapters because I am not used to reading books written from this perspective.

It worked so well for the progression of the story. Not only did we view the story through various sets of eyes, but the thought processes were interwoven so smoothly. I would not have wanted this book any other way!

The story kept me wanting to read on, and the twist I thought would happen didn’t. But there was a twist. If you like detective books, this is a must-read!

Get your copy here. (affiliate link)

Blog, Reviews

Review: Locked Out Of Heaven by Danielle M Orsino

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

This is the story of how the Fae came into existence, angels being locked out of Heaven. The book includes various characters and their journey within the Court of Light and the Court of Darkness.

The idea of this book was interesting, and I enjoyed the explanations of how each type of Fae came into being; pixies, mermaids, etc. Much of the story centers around Queen Aurora and how she began leading the Fae.

The beginning of the book was tedious to read. There were many metaphors and similies used to describe the characters and set the scene. Less is often more, and I prefer to let my imagination fill in some of the blanks.

Overall, the book was well written. The language was mature but not difficult. Once more dialogue was used, the story progressed and blossomed into an excellent story. For those who enjoy fantasy and the Fae, this is a great read. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series.

Get your copy here (affiliate link).

Blog, Reviews

Review: Knuckle, Crack, Bone by Derek Scarzella

Posted on January 12, 2022January 11, 2022 by Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

The book draws the reader in right from page one, which shows a glimpse of someone who tries to steal money from the mafia. It isn’t pretty. We follow along with three friends who are part of this mafia and the lengths they will go to for each other.

There is excellent character development seen throughout the story. Delving into the backstories of the three main characters and why they are in this predicament. At times the author will jump scenes, and it isn’t always clear that this is about to happen. A few asterisks between those shifts will help with that for future books.

My favourite part of the book was the ending and how it made the entire story and character development come together. It was a very satisfying ending.

Get your copy here.

Blog, Reviews

Review: Nanagin by Haley Kilgour

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

I got sucked into this book right from the start. There was no preamble, and the story got moving from page one, which I enjoyed. From there, we got to know many of the central characters and could see the power dynamics that would take place throughout the book. As the book progressed, we met the rest of the main characters and many other secondary characters. The author does a great jo Book Cover b of giving life to the secondary characters just as well as the leading group.

There were times that I felt like I was watching a movie instead of simply reading a book as I was transported into a different world. There was enough description to visualize each setting without going overboard. I became invested in the quest taking place, and with each turn of events, I wanted to know more.

The build-up was immense in the final chapters (don’t worry, no real spoilers), and I couldn’t put the book down. Even though there was strategically placed foreshadowing when the twist happened, it was still had to take. The only downside I had while reading the book was the last page – ‘To be continued.’ I wanted to know what happens next, but I will need to impatiently wait until the next book is released.

Get your copy here.