The Burning Desire Dupe and Father F'in' Christmas

Happy Tuesday, fellow readers!

The holidays are upon us, and here in Pennsylvania so is the snow. Atleast there are plenty of good books, right? This week, I have a great mystery book for you called "The Burning Desire Dupe" by James Blakley, and since it's the holidays, I have a spicy little holiday morsel called "Father F'in' Christmas" by R.L. Merrill. We'll start with "The Burning Desire Dupe."

First, the trigger warnings.

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Triggers:

Mention of explosives

Guns

Fighting

Death

Injury

Alcohol and drug abuse

Mentions of sex and innuendo

There isn't anything too racy despite a "gentleman's club" being involved. The book focuses on the cases and revolves mostly around the female main character, Luna Nightcrow, and her co-investigator, Kelly.

Both characters are strong, smart, successful investigators and both are people of color, with Luna being a native American. It definitely checks all of the diversity boxes. I enjoyed Luna as a main character and admired how she used her freelance status to bend the rules when she needed to. She is a lady after my own heart.

The pace got a bit slow in spots with a lot of technical jargon and explanations, but it picked back up. The pacing was what pulled me to a four star instead of five. While it was interesting to learn the ins and outs of fire investigation and fraud investigation, it just felt like a lot to take in and it took away from the excitement. The other parts did pick up the pace again and made the mystery feel more real and dangerous.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns and not being able to fully guess what happened right away. I enjoy it when a book keeps me guessing.

Here is my official review:

"The Burning Desire Dupe" has quite a few twists and turns. If you enjoy mystery you'll like this one. Luna is a great FMC, and Kelly is a great match to team her up with, in my opinion. It does involve a lot of explanations and in depth investigations which slows down the pace in places, but overall, it was an interesting book and satisfying in the end.

If you are ready to meet Luna and try to solve the mysteries, you can get "The Burning Desire Dupe" here: https://a.co/d/7oVxth9

As a bonus, be sure to check out the main page of my site for an interview with Luna Nightcrow.

Now, on to that spicy holiday treat that I promised. After a word from these trigger warnings...

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Trigger Warnings:

Explicit language

Death

Grief

Alcohol abuse

Sex

Mentions of r@pe

Human trafficking

This may be a short novella, but it packs a big punch. This little gem goes from zero to sixty in no time flat. It made me sad, hopeful, angry, and happy. I had a few laughs. The characters were fabulous, and I loved the Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson inclusions. You even get some insight into what cats are thinking along with your spice and some sweet second chances. Overall, it's a fantastic holiday read.

Here is my official review:

Darkness, death, grief, second chances, redemption, spice, humor, the Rock, and hearing the thoughts of cats; this novella has it all! I devoured this thing like I'd never read a book again. I was not expecting this little bite to be so delicious!

If you have a spare moment, be sure to grab this cup of holiday cheer called "Father F'in' Christmas" here: https://a.co/d/9UbKfoM

That does it for me for this week, dear readers. Please join me again next week for another wonderful recommendation. Until then, curl up with a good book.