Almost purely for posterity purposes (and roughly 5% ego stroking) I’m making this post sticky to give people a look at some of the editorial reviews for The Blue Ridge Project (which you can buy here) and help you make up your mind whether to buy it now or later. I’ll update it as more reviews come in.

Bloodthirsty Muses (Heather A. Fowler) –

“Part of why I do reviews (even though I’m an author myself) is that I get to read tons of books–for free–that I might never be exposed to otherwise. It helps me experience other purveyors of my trade, and learn from them. It especially allows me to stretch my genre horizons. Writing reviews for them means I never skim right through — I read cover to cover to make sure I really get immersed in the story (hopefully) and base my opinion on the experience of that story, rather than ignorance or stereotype of an unfamiliar genre.

Well, in this instance, I’m SO glad I do! THE BLUE RIDGE PROJECT is a tasty tome full of terrifying technology and monsters, with great noire and suspense flavor. A modern cross between Frankenstein story and cautionary tale, with dashes of mystery thrown in. I was riveted all the way through.

It’s difficult to describe the things I loved the most without spoiling the good stuff that makes it hard to put THE BLUE RIDGE PROJECT down. The three-dimensional characters, their individual arcs, and the way they weave together is like the best kind of puzzle. In addition,  the rich prose is reminiscent of Stephen King — as is the sometimes gruesome story. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart! (But if you love a good horror tome, you’ll love that aspect.

All-in-all, I’m really pleased I got the chance to read THE BLUE RIDGE PROJECT, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series. This wild, scary genre hybrid gets a hearty

 4.5 Batty Moons!”

The Recipe Fairy (Crystal Easterwood)

This was an absolutely awesome read! I was immediately captivated from the very beginning and almost obsessive about reading this as fast as I could! The writing was just phenomenally great! The storyline was very unique with tons of twists, the characters were very complex and intriguing, and the descriptions were exquisite. This story definitely fed my darker side with some gruesome crime scenes and some thrilling sleuthing work. There were plenty of twists and intrigue that kept me sitting on the edge of my seat and devouring this book as quick as I could. I absolutely enjoyed this thrilling book and would love to read more from this author! I would strongly recommend this book to anybody who loves thrillers, crime novels or just a really intriguing read.

The Drifting Paige (Morgan P. Billings)

Rochford writes dark suspense in a jaw-dropping, enticing style. The novel is a quick read and is incredibly hooking – it was hard to stop reading this story, especially when the characters are so beautifully flawed and the mystery so tantalizing.

Andrea is one of the few characters I’ve read that appeared so put together and intelligent on the surface, but acted in such disparaging, angry outbursts that I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the mess that is her life. I felt a bit guilty of being so enthralled by her actions, because I knew there would be something wild and reckless to come next, but never was it written in a contrived or cardboard cutout kind of a way. Her intelligence is obvious (that’s why she’s on the police force), but her issues are complicated and chaotic and made her an incredible character.

I also truly enjoyed Robert, who is probably the opposite of Andrea in every way. Cautious, self-degrading, but not pitiful, Robert is a wise and caring character who makes his way through the book passively but without coincidence. Rochford’s artful dynamic made the two point of views so intriguing and genuinely made the reader look forward to each alternating scene.

The mystery plot was well written, but there were a few parts in which I wished the characters allowed more dialogue to conclude an especially important conflict. I also thought the resolution of some scenes were a little too easy. I wanted the characters to have to fight harder or use their intelligence to turn a conversation rather than just violence. However, this is merely the first novel (out of three, I believe), so maybe Rochford will use that kind of a transition as a character arc/character growth.

I give this novel 4/5 feather pens because of its amazing characters, its great pacing, and its easily resolved plotline. I wish Rochford had made the roadblocks a bit more difficult for the characters and had made the characters more proactive (it seemed like a lot of coincidence drove them to the conclusion), but Andrea and Robert are truly well-written characters and have a ton of potential for growth and leading the plot through the next couple of books.

For fans of character-driven novels and fantastical mystery stories with some dark, mature tones woven in, I would definitely suggest this book!

Featured Image: Pixabay