Review: Crimson Shore

Crimson Shore by Brenda Rothert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

📘 Crimson Shore by Brenda Rothert
(BAI Series 2)
📚 Format: Audiobook
🎧 Narrated by Gideon Frost & Angelina Rocca
💫 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sometimes the most dangerous battles aren’t fought with weapons, but with the beliefs we’ve been taught to accept.

💙 Brutal dystopian world order
💙 Government experiments
💙 Survivalists
💙 Strong FMC
💙 Morally gray MMC

🌋 Crimson Shore may be a little less physically intense than its predecessor, but don’t mistake that for a lack of excitement or substance. In fact, I found this second installment every bit as compelling, perhaps even more so, because of the psychological and political complexities woven throughout the story.

🔬 What initially appeared to be a story centered around survival and scientific experimentation has evolved into something far more intricate. Rothert peels back the layers of a society shaped by manipulation, conditioning, and control, revealing the motivations and power structures behind the island’s current regime.

One of my favorite aspects was watching individuals who had been conditioned to view one another as enemies begin to challenge those perceptions. Trust isn’t freely given. It’s earned, sometimes reluctantly, through shared experiences and the realization that their differences may not be as great as they’ve been led to believe.

🌿 And then there’s Marcus and Briar.

I appreciated that their relationship wasn’t without conflict. Briar’s determination to reclaim her life and find her sister gives her a singular purpose, while Marcus struggles with the responsibilities, regrets, and emotional burdens of his past. Their differing perspectives create genuine tension, but they also make their relationship feel authentic.

🔬 Marcus, in particular, is a wonderfully complicated character. His instinct to protect others is admirable, but there’s a heartbreaking quality to the way he shoulders responsibilities that perhaps no one person should have to carry.

Even some of the more morally ambiguous characters are given surprising depth. Rothert reminds us that understanding someone’s motivations doesn’t necessarily excuse their actions, but it may reveal the possibility of change.

🌋 For me, Crimson Shore isn’t simply a bridge between the first and third books. It’s an essential part of the series, expanding the world, deepening its characters, and challenging readers to consider the difference between surviving oppression and finding the courage to overcome it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ~ I’m eager to see where this story takes us next.
🎧 And the narration! Gideon Frost and Angelina Rocca were incredible. I wasn't simply listening to their story—I was immersed in it.

📚 Broken Wing Books Review
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Review: Promise

Promise by Chelle Bliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

📘 Promise by Chelle Bliss
Men of Inked Sinners #6
📚 Format: Ebook 💫 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

♣️ What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas…unless you wake up and discover that one very unexpected night has changed considerably more than your relationship status 💍

Promise took me a little while to settle into, particularly when it came to Amelia. At first, I struggled to reconcile the woman we’re introduced to with some of the choices she makes in Vegas. Amelia is the responsible one. The serious one. She’s much more likely to choose a quiet night with a book, room service, and a bath than a wild night with strangers.

But the more I thought about her character, the more my perspective changed.
I may not have loved all of her choices, but I understood them better once I looked at her journey that way.

♥️ Amelia has spent much of her life fitting herself into certain expectations. She even recognizes that there are different versions of herself—the person she is with her family and the person she allows her friends to see. Vegas felt like Amelia giving herself permission to step outside that familiar pattern and find out what might happen if, for once, she did something completely unexpected.

♠️ Reed, however, was the character who really won me over. What I appreciated most about him was that his commitment never felt like something forced upon him. When life takes a very unexpected turn, Reed doesn't disappear or look for the easiest exit. He shows up. Again and again. And there's an important difference between staying because you believe you're obligated to and staying because you've decided this is exactly where you want to be.

For me, that became the heart of Reed's character.

There was also something lovely about watching their relationship develop beyond the craziness that originally brought them together. Beneath the unusual circumstances are two people trying to figure out whether something completely unexpected might actually become something real.

By the end, I saw Amelia differently, too. Her journey isn't simply about becoming part of a couple or a family. It's also about allowing herself to stop compartmentalizing who she is and realizing she doesn't have to remain the version of herself everyone expects.

♥️ Amelia is discovering who she wants to be.
♠️ Reed is discovering where—and with whom—he wants to be.
♦️ And somewhere between those two journeys, they begin figuring out what it means to become a we 🏡

🎵 Book Song: “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” — Big & Rich
Because sometimes you just have to lean into the cowboy energy. 🤠



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Review: Our Journey

Our Journey by H.K. Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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📘 Our Journey by H.K. Brown

📚 Format: Ebook 💫 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Grief changes the shape of a heart, but love teaches it how to beat again.”

What an emotional journey!

I loved how this story came together. H.K. Brown has a wonderful way of developing her characters, allowing their histories, emotions, and relationships to unfold naturally. I felt incredibly close to Benedict “Buckie” McAlester and Evelyn May Dixon (Evie), and I was genuinely invested in how their story would come together.

What I especially appreciated was how Brown explored the effects of grief, misplaced trust, and the consequences of allowing someone else's version of events to shape our understanding of the people we love.

There were moments when I wanted to reach into the pages and tell Evie to trust Buckie! But I also understood how vulnerable she was following her father's death. Grief had left her emotionally fragile, and sometimes the pain we're already carrying makes it difficult to see beyond what we believe to be true.

Their journey wasn't simply about finding their way back to one another. It was about confronting the past, accepting difficult truths, and learning how to move forward without allowing those experiences to define the rest of their lives.

And then there's Maria. ❤️

I absolutely loved Buckie's devotion to her. His determination to protect her and put her well-being first was one of the most beautiful elements of this story. It speaks to what truly makes a family. Love isn't always defined by blood or biology. Sometimes it's defined by the people who choose us, love us, and stand beside us.

Initially, I viewed Jenna as the manipulative other woman, someone whose behavior seemed rooted in jealousy and those familiar mean-girl high school dynamics. However, as the story progressed, I realized there was much more to Jenna than I had originally believed.

I appreciated that Brown gave her character complexity without dismissing the consequences of her choices. More importantly, I loved how Evie's response demonstrated her own emotional growth. Rather than allowing resentment to dictate her future, she began looking beyond her pain and considering the well-being of those around her.

Another element that touched me was Evie's relationship with her mother. Following her father's death and what she believed was Buckie's betrayal, Evie felt the need to leave everything behind. I understood her desire to escape the pain, but in doing so, she lost out on so much, particularly precious time with the people who loved her.

I appreciated how Brown explored the complicated emotions surrounding their relationship. Sometimes grief isn't simply about losing someone. It's also about mourning the time we've lost, the things left unsaid, and the relationships we wish had been different.

And that brings me to one of my favorite elements of the story: Evie's personal journey.

I loved watching her gradually find the strength to confront the past rather than continue running from it. Her growth wasn't immediate or effortless. It came through difficult conversations, painful realizations, and the willingness to open her heart again.

Brown beautifully captures the idea that strength isn't always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it's simply finding the courage to get out of bed, ask for help, or take that first step toward something new.

For me, Our Journey was so much more than a second-chance romance. It was a beautifully emotional story about grief, forgiveness, misplaced trust, and learning that moving forward doesn't mean forgetting the past.

Sometimes it means finding the courage to build something new.

Five stars for a story that reminded me that home isn't necessarily a place. It's the people who love us, the family we choose, and the life we find the courage to build together.

BROKEN WING BOOKS · FEATURED QUOTE

“For the first time since coming home, I’m not running from the past. I’m walking toward something new.”

— Our Journey by H.K. Brown

https://linktr.ee/ravenblackbird74

Review: A Rhode to Love: Wayfinder Series

A Rhode to Love: Wayfinder Series by Manda Mazanec
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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📘 A Rhode to Love (Wayfinder Series) by Manda Mazanec

📚 Format: Ebook

💫 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I’ve come to realize it’s okay to grow. It’s okay to move forward in life without forgetting my past.”

🚗 Road Trip Romance

💞 Forced Proximity

⏳ Age Gap

💜 Grief Representation

🌲 Adventure

🌙 Fade-to-Black Romance

💜  Violet's life is unraveling. She's grieving the loss of a patient, facing trouble at work, looking for somewhere to live after the end of a relationship, and carrying memories of a loss from years before.

Jamison is carrying a different kind of grief. He loved his wife, Felicity, and lost the future they were supposed to share. Violet was the unexpected connection that came afterward—and one he hasn't been able to forget.

🚗 When circumstances bring Violet and Jamison together again, their road trip gives them a chance to see one another differently and confront some of the assumptions, guilt, and grief standing between them.

🌲 My favorite part was their time in the Catskills. With a funny nod to Dirty Dancing, an unexpected rainstorm, plenty of mud, and an ex-girlfriend who simply will not take a hint, Violet and Jamison finally begin laughing together. Beneath all the chaos, Violet also starts to recognize something important: Jamison has been looking out for her all along.

I enjoyed the underlying message of their story—that moving forward doesn't mean forgetting the people or experiences that shaped us. Sometimes it simply means allowing ourselves to grow around them.

💞 A sweet, adventurous, fade-to-black romance about two people discovering that honoring the past doesn't mean they have to stop living in the present.

🎧 Broken Wing Soundtrack:

🎶 Wayfinder Bus Playlist

🍹 Escape (The Piña Colada Song) — Rupert Holmes

💜 The Story — Brandi Carlile

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Review: Burnout

Burnout by Rebecca Jenshak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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📘 Burnout (Holland Brothers #1) by Rebecca Jenshak

📚 Format: Ebook

💫 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

On the bike, Princess…

🖤 He Falls First

💖 Healing from an Injury

🖤 Constant Banter

💖 Calls Her Princess

🏍️  Knox Holland has spent most of his life taking care of everyone else. After losing his mom and watching his father walk away, raising and protecting his younger brothers became his responsibility. Relationships aren't really part of the plan—partly because his life is already full and partly because he's terrified of becoming anything like his father.

🏅 Avery is fighting a different battle. An Olympic gymnast attempting a collegiate comeback after a devastating injury, she knows exactly what she's capable of—or at least what she used to be capable of. She loves gymnastics, but the possibility of returning as a lesser version of herself may be harder to accept than walking away altogether.

💖 I really enjoyed watching Knox and Avery find their way toward each other. On the surface, they don't seem to have much in common, but underneath, they're both carrying tremendous pressure and fear. As they begin training together, they also give each other something neither realized they needed: a place to step outside the expectations and responsibilities weighing on them.

Their relationship develops with a sweetness I really enjoyed. They encourage each other, challenge each other, and slowly become a safe place for one another while still pursuing their individual goals.

And after everything Knox has spent his life trying not to become, watching him finally allow himself to love—and hearing Avery realize, Knox Holland loves me—made for such a satisfying moment.

💖 This was my first time reading Rebecca Jenshak's work, and Burnout was a sweet introduction. I enjoyed her balance of sports, family, personal struggles, and romance, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the Holland Brothers series goes next.

A sweet sports romance about family, pressure, perseverance, and finding someone who helps you remember that you don't have to carry everything alone.

🎧 Broken Wing Soundtrack:

🎶 The Burnout Playlist 

🏅 Avery — “Try,” P!nk

🏍️ Knox — “Whatever It Takes,” Imagine Dragons

💖 Knox + Avery — “The Bones,” Maren Morris

#BrokenWingBooks #BookTok #ARCReviewer #Bookstagram #Burnout #RebeccaJenshak #SportsRomance #CollegeRomance

Review: Blue Arrow Island

Blue Arrow Island by Brenda Rothert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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📘 Blue Arrow Island by Brenda Rothert

(BAI Series #1)

📚 Format: Audiobook

🎧 Narrated by Gideon Frost & Angelina Rocca

💫 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fantastic. Hauntingly insidious. Absolutely breathtaking, heroic, and heartbreaking.

💙 Brutal dystopian world order

💙 Government experiments

💙 Survivalists

💙 Strong FMC

💙 Morally gray MMC

🪷 Blue Arrow Island slowly reveals itself like the very flower they’re searching for. Layer by layer, the world expands and the truth underneath it becomes more disturbing. The themes are so well constructed and woven through intricate overlays that I was genuinely shocked when it ended. I was not ready to leave this world 🪷

🌿 And then there are Marcus, Pax, and Briar—the wolf, the snake, and the vines. Three very different characters, each with their own strengths, instincts, and scars, but somehow they fit together. I loved the symbolism woven into who they are, especially as the story explores what happens when people are deliberately stripped of the very things that make them human 🐺

🪷 Briar's struggle especially stayed with me. The experiments may give people extraordinary strength, but that strength comes at a terrifying cost. Watching her fight against what the chemicals are doing to her—fighting to remain Briar—made the story as heartbreaking as it was thrilling.

🎧 And the narration! Gideon Frost and Angelina Rocca were incredible. They reached into their characters’ tone and motivation in a way that made Marcus and Briar feel completely alive. I wasn't simply listening to their story—I was immersed in it.

This is such a departure from what I’ve previously read from Brenda Rothert, and I loved seeing this side of her writing. The world she created is brutal and unsettling, but there’s something incredibly human running through it.

💙 I loved this book so much that when it ended…I immediately started it again. Blue Arrow Island has earned a permanent place on my shelf, and I cannot wait to continue the series 💙

🎧 Broken Wing Soundtrack: Three songs for a story about holding onto your humanity, fighting against what you're becoming, and discovering the animal within...

🌿 Bring Me to Life — Evanescence

💙 Human — Rag'n'Bone Man

🐺 Wolf — Spencer Lee

#BrokenWingBooks #BookTok #ARCReview #Bookstagram #BrendaRothert #BlueArrowIsland  #AudiobookReview #DystopianRomance #FiveStarRead

Review: Fully Loaded:

Fully Loaded: by Samantha Wilde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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📘 Fully Loaded by Samantha Wilde 

(Bad Company #2)

📚 Format: ebook

💫 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🚨 Fully Loaded is a fun, fast-paced read that kept me turning pages—I finished it in a day 🚨

🔐 It takes a thief to rescue a thief 💾

 Ex-lovers

 Lots of Banter

 Touch her and die

 He never moved on

🔐 What I enjoyed most was Dani and Brock’s relationship. From the beginning, it’s clear that their love for each other is unfinished. Despite their difficult past, time and distance haven’t diminished what they feel for one another. There’s still hurt between them, but there’s also a connection neither has really been able to leave behind.

When Brock rushes across the country to help Dani, he inadvertently lands himself right in the middle of a vigilante group’s secret bioterrorism plot—one that has Dani’s face plastered across the news and her name on the FBI’s watchlist. 🚨

👠 But Dani is no damsel waiting for Brock to rescue her. She’s talented, confident in her abilities, and more than capable of taking care of herself. She’s a tough opponent and no one’s victim. I especially liked watching Dani and Brock work together and seeing Brock come to understand that protecting her doesn’t mean taking over. Dani is his equal partner, and their relationship is stronger because of it.

💥 With plenty of action, danger, and a second-chance romance at its center, Fully Loaded was an entertaining read and a great way to spend the day.

🎧 Broken Wing Soundtrack: “Run” — OneRepublic

💘 There really couldn't be a much better soundtrack for Dani and Brock: unfinished love, danger constantly on their heels, and a relationship that quite literally keeps them on the run. Even a romantic night in Paris beneath the Eiffel Tower can unexpectedly turn into a fight for survival. Apparently, date night is an adventure for these two 💘

#BrokenWingBooks #BookTok #ARCReview #Bookstagram #SamanthaWilde #FullyLoaded #RomanticSuspense  #BookReview