Rachel’s Random Resources – Page 18

I’m sharing my review for Wolf Six by Alex Shaw #blogtour #thriller #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Killing for a living is easy, living for a reason is much harder

Meet Ruslan Akulov.

In the shadowy world of assassins for hire, he is known as ‘Wolf Six’.

A Ukrainian raised in Moscow, conscripted into Russia’s most covert Special Forces unit ‘The Werewolves’, Akulov is full of loathing for the country that built and then broke him. The only rules he follows now are his own.

Unable to shake the guilt of his past, Akulov has made it his business to seek out those who prey upon the innocent. The name Wolf Six is legendary – whispered by those who know it with fear. But when Akulov accidentally thwarts the armed robbery of a Chicago Bank, he pits himself against both the Russian Bratva and the CIA, setting into motion a spiralling sequence of events which will bring his past back to haunt him, and potentially turn his future to ashes…

His mission of retribution takes him from Chicago to Kyiv, to Havana and back into the US, where Akulov must stop at nothing if he is to remain alive. No simple mission, even for the world’s deadliest assassin.

Perfect for fans of Tom Wood, Vince Flynn and Mark Greaney, this is an explosive action thriller you won’t be able to put down.

image shows the cover image for Wolf Six by Alex Shaw. This cover is in2 halves. The top shows a city scape image and the bottom shows a man walking away from the cameradown a street. The words Wolf Six are in capitals and are enlarged over the two images.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/wolfsix

My Review

Wolf Six by Alex Shaw is certainly a thrilling thriller. It takes the reader from Chicago to Ukraine, Cuba, Russia, and many other places.

Our main character, Ruslan, is usually a cold-blooded assassin, but all that’s about to change as we follow him through this tale of double-crossing and vengeance. There is a split timeline narrative, with some elements explaining how Ruslan came to be as he is while also following him in the present, in which he’s managed to unintentionally get himself caught up in all sorts of difficulties with all sorts of baddies and intelligence agencies.

I very much enjoyed the whistlestop tour of the world through Ruslan’s eyes, and you certainly have to be on your toes to keep up with all the action.

I do have a soft spot for thrillers of this genre, and I will certainly be reading more of Ruslan’s adventures.

Image shows the cover for Wolf Sox by Alex Shaw on a city scape backdrop.

Meet the author

Alex Shaw is the author of bestselling action thrillers published by HarperCollins including the Aidan Snow and Jack Tate series, for which he was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. He will start a brand new action-packed series for Boldwood, the first of which, Wolf Six, will be published in February 2025.

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Image shows the bloggers taking place in the Wolf Six by Alex Shaw blog tour arranged by Rachel's Random Resources for Boldwood Books.

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I’m sharing my review for How to Slay on Holiday by Sarah Bonner, a funny, twisted thriller #bookreview #thriller #blogtour #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

You’d kill for a holiday like this one…

Chloe and her husband Scott are holidaying with their families on the beautiful Greek island of Mykonos. But Chloe has a secret… She has hired a hitman to kill Scott when they return home. This week, her plan is to pretend to be such a happy wife that no suspicion can possibly fall on her after the murder.

But she’s reckoning without Scott’s meddlesome sister, Tori, plus the rivalries and demands of both families. Can she deal with them all while keeping her murderous intentions hidden?

Then Chloe wakes up in their villa covered in blood, next to a dead body, with no memory of the previous night. Panic ensues as she tries to piece together what happened – and just who else on this holiday might be a secret killer…

Fans of Katy Brent, Bella Mackie and Julie Mae Cohen won’t be able to resist this twisty, darkly funny crime thriller.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/howtoslayonholiday

My Review

How to Slay on Holiday is a fun, quick, and easy read. The use of three points of view helps the story move along at pace and also allows the reader to learn things not all of the characters know.

There are secrets aplenty between the two families on holiday and also between all of the characters. At times, I wondered how on earth it could ever be resolved, but resolved it was.

A really fun read, sharp and snappy.

Check out my review for How to Slay at Work by Sarah Bonner.

Meet the author

Sarah Bonner is the author of several bestselling psychological thrillers.

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Bookbub profile: @SarahBonner

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I’m excited to spotlight Escape to the French Riviera by Helga Jensen #newrelease #romance

Here’s the blurb

Can Lucy find her second-chance romance in the glamour of the French Riviera?

When aspiring author Lucy attends a rich friend’s 50th birthday party in glamorous Monaco, she has no idea that her life is about to change forever.

Heartsore after a broken marriage, she is not looking for love so when she meets Elias, and he offers to take her sailing on his employer’s boat, she agrees only as research for the book she desperately wants to write. They bond over their adult children – who seem to want to clip their wings and force them into living like pensioners – and the chemistry is undeniable.

But is he all he seems? And is she ready to trust again?

An uplifting, later-in-life romance perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Jo Thomas and Julie Caplin.

Purchase Link

https://geni.us/Dr52

Meet the author

Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best selling author and journalist. Her debut novel was a winning entry in the 2017 Montegrappa First Fiction competition at Dubai’s Emirates Literary Festival. Her debut was also a contender for the coveted 2021 Joan Hessayon Award for new writers. Helga’s best selling novel, Fly me to Paris, was a finalist for the 2024 Popular Romantic Fiction Award.

Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently finishing a PhD.

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I’m sharing my review for Whisper of War and Storms by CL Mecca #romantasy #blogtour #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

A spellbinding, epic romantasy adventure of tangled secrets and dark magic for fans of Sarah J Maas, Callie Hart, Rebecca Yarros and Jennifer L Armentrout.

A lost princess. A forbidden love. A destiny she never knew awaited her.

When a forgotten ring reveals Mevlida Brennan’s true heritage as the long-lost princess of Aetheria, a kingdom of immortals and magic, her world is turned upside down. But there’s just one problem—Mev didn’t know she was missing.

Thrust into a realm on the brink of war, Mev is caught between her newfound legacy and a dangerous political game. A powerful king holds the key to restoring the ancient portal that connects their realms, but his son, Kael, stands in her way. Brooding, relentless, and dangerously irresistible, Kael is sworn to protect his people—even if it means kidnapping Mev to keep her from uncovering the truth.

As dark forces rise and her dormant powers awaken, trust is a luxury neither can afford, yet their hearts may leave them no choice. Mev must embrace her destiny or risk losing everything. Because the storm isn’t coming—it’s already here.

In a battle of elemental magic, loyalty, and love, one whisper could spark a war.

Cover image for Whisper of War and Storms by CL Mecca

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/WhisperofWarandStorms

My Review

Whisper of War and Storms is a quick read – I devoured it in a few hours.

Our two main characters are engaging and quite fun, and the story and developing romance feel quite like a Regency Romance, with the whole, ‘will they, won’t they’ speak openly about their feelings.

The storyline and backstory have a lovely Narnia feel, and I very much enjoyed the world-building and how the author has set up the story for subsequent books in what I assume will be a long-running series.

A fun and engaging read.

Meet the author

Cecelia Mecca is the author of historical, paranormal romance including the bestselling ‘Bloodwite’ series. She will write romantasy novels for Boldwood as C. L. Mecca, the first of which, Whisper of War and Storms, will be published in February 2025, as well as American small town romance series ‘The Bachelor Pact’ under the name Bella Michaels. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her family.

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Blog banner for Whisper of War and Storms by CL Mecca

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I’m reviewing Crusade by Richard Cullen, the 2nd part in a new historical fiction action and adventure series set in the thirteenth century #blogtour #histfic

Here’s the blurb

Continuing the epic historical adventure series from Richard Cullen, featuring The Black Lion…

Stripped of his birthright, Estienne Wace seeks to prove his worth in the deserts of Outremer!

Egypt 1219AD.

Abandoning the safety of England for the perilous shores of the Levant, Estienne Wace is thrust into the turmoil of the Fifth Crusade. Burning with righteous purpose, he is determined to reclaim the Holy Land in the name of Christ.

War rages along the banks of the Nile as a crusading army besieges the Saracen city of Damietta, certain that the price they pay in blood will return the glory and treasures they crave. But as the Black Lion roars, and the siege grinds on, Estienne’s unwavering faith is tested more and more by the grim reality of this brutal conflict.

As the siege turns on a knife edge, Estienne finds himself thrust upon a journey across the merciless desert. Stripped of everything, and forced into a dangerous alliance, he will grapple with the true meaning of faith, honour, and the price of salvation, in a land where nothing is as he once believed.

Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwell, Ben Kane and Conn Iggulden.

Image shows the cover image for Crusade by historical fiction author Richard Cullen. The image shows a knight's body, holding a sword and mace and with a yellow and green emblem on his surcoat, with a black lion on it.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/CrusadeRichardCullen

My Review

Crusade by Richard Cullen continues the story of Estienne Wace as he decides to join the Fifth Crusade. You can taste the heat and the sand in this one as he steps foot in the Holy Land.

It’s a very busy story. Estienne, quickly realising the rhetoric he’s been told regarding the Holy Land isn’t quite as it seems, begins to question his place there, even as he interacts with people from the local area who call it home. His understanding would perhaps seem a little too ‘modern’ if not for our new POV, that of one of the enemy. Kashta adds a new dynamic to the tale, even though his chapters are only occasionally inserted into Estienne’s tale. But he also comes to question whether the war is worth the cost.

It takes Estienne a long time to see beyond the heat and the sand and appreciate the beauty of the landscape and the people who live there. He certainly has a rough time, as Kashta, his new enemy, dogs his every step as do a few others who would rather see Estienne dead.

The story flows well, and I enjoyed the depiction of the landscape and people. I also appreciated the frank portrayal of the Fifth Crusade and the bickering and infighting between those supposedly in charge of it all. Having recently watched the first series of Rogue Heroes, I could see Egypt and its vast sand and dunes.

I’m curious to see what will happen to Estienne next. Perhaps he needs an easier time of it in the third book:)

Check out my review for Rebellion, the first book in the series.

Meet the author

Richard Cullen is a writer of historical adventure and epic fantasy. Previously published by Head of Zeus and Orbit Books, his new historical adventure series for Boldwood, Chronicles of the Black Lion, set in thirteenth-century England, will launch in October 2024.