January 2026 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: His Choice

Title: His Choice
Author: Sheila Kell
Genre: Romance, Thriller
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Will his choice mean certain death to the woman he promised to protect? In Sheila’s passionate novel of deception and desire, a smoking-hot enforcer and a determined reporter are destined to make choices that will change everything.

Enforcer AJ Hamilton is no longer on the right side of the law. Tangled up with Baltimore’s largest crime boss, he has been tasked to threaten a bothersome reporter. After a heated encounter, his attraction to her is as unexpected as it is unwanted. Failing to warn her off, AJ is forced to protect her from her stubborn self and his criminal boss. With tensions high, their passion flares as they battle to stay one step ahead of a criminal mastermind.

Review:

This is a great romantic suspense novel! Megan was a journalist who took risks to expose a crime ring in the city. AJ was an enforcer who had to distract her from her investigation. They were thrown together in unexpected circumstances which started their romance. There were many twists that kept me guessing until the end.

His Choice is a great suspenseful romance!

Thank you The Wild Rose Press for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: death, gun violence, murder

Have you read His Choice? What did you think of it?

Review: The Basketball Tournament of Dreams (The Super Hoopers #1)

Title: The Basketball Tournament of Dreams (The Super Hoopers #1)
Author: Alberto Casamayor, Palma & Kako
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Editoria el Pirata
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 13, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Basketball has never been so much fun! Meet the Super Hoopers, the most unusual basketball team you can imagine. Although the Super Hoopers are far from being the best team, their friendship and fun-filled adventures fill their novels. The Super Hoopers is a series about basketball with lots of humor, starring a group of nine-year-old boys and girls who go to the same school. You don’t need to be a basketball expert to have the time of your life with Joel and his awesome group of friends. All pages feature colorful illustrations and include dialogue in comic-style speech bubbles. The story is fast-paced and full of humor. It is recommended for children aged 8 to 11. In The Basketball Tournament of Dreams, Joel and his best friend, Bermú dez, will have to step up their game if they want to pass Physical Education this year because their new teacher, Coach Evans, is stricter than a sergeant. It’s time to get in shape, and to do that, they come up with the brilliant idea of… forming their own basketball team and winning a championship! Something that would undoubtedly be much easier if any of the diverse team members had the slightest clue about playing basketball.

Review:

This is a fun middle grade story! It begins with a couple of friends who want to pass their physical education class easily, so they decide to form a basketball team. However, they aren’t good at basketball. They must figure out how to make a successful team. I liked that this book was illustrated so it would be more accessible for reluctant readers. It’s a fun start to this series!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Have you read The Basketball Tournament of Dreams? What did you think of it?

Review: The Wandering Inn (The Wandering Inn #1)

Title: The Wandering Inn
Author: Pirateaba
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 2, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

“No killing Goblins.”

So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.

It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.

In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn.

She’s an [Innkeeper].

Review:

In this story, a human named Erin Solstice discovers an inn in a fantasy world. There are dangerous creatures all over this world and she has to figure out how to navigate around them. She can also level up and learn new skills. I really enjoyed the video game aspects of this epic fantasy novel. The characters could “level up” in their jobs and activities. Though there were some differences between our world and that fantasy world, one thing they had in common is the game of chess.

The Wandering Inn is a fun fantasy novel!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com and The Wandering Inn for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: knife violence, death

Have you read The Wandering Inn? What did you think of it?

Review: Creatures and Corridors

Title: Creatures and Corridors
Author: Bill Sienkiewicz, Andrea Mutti
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: The Lab Press
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 11, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

In the summer of 1992, a forbidden role-playing game called Creatures & Corridors takes a dark turn for five high-school sophomores.

It’s the summer of 1992, and five high school sophomores play a rare role-playing game that was banned for being “too Satanic” — Creatures & Corridors. As the kids play the mysterious fantasy game, it unleashes a curse that warps reality around them: orcs storm the living room, killing their parents. The front yard turns into a moat filled with tentacled horrors. And their basement “game cave” transforms into a literal dungeon, laden with bloodthirsty monsters and terrifying death traps. Now, the kids are forced to play Creatures & Corridors for their very lives, as a devilish Gamemaster judges their every move.

Review:

This graphic novel is about a role playing game called Creatures and Corridors, similar to Dungeons and Dragons. The teens who were playing end up opening up a portal to another world within the game. This story reminded me of Stranger Things, but with a much darker spin. If you’re missing Stranger Things, you should check out this graphic novel!

Creatures and Corridors is a great fantasy graphic novel!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: death, death of parents

Have you read Creatures and Corridors? What did you think of it?

Review: Menilmonea (The Cycle of the Titans #1)

Title: Menilmonea (The Cycle of the Titans #1)
Author: David Catuhe
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 10, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Menilmonea’s life is guided by traditions, rituals, and legends, all centered around worship of the Mother. A mycomanceress, the young girl once received a gift connecting her to nature and mushrooms, though she views it more as a curse.

When the turtle Titan Tunka, protector of their village, fails to awaken from his slumber, Menilmonea and her friend Aureal set out in search of help from the neighboring frog Titan. But never did they expect to feel so shaken by the upheavals unraveling their world, which may well be on the verge of collapse… This marks the beginning of a journey of transformation in which the two friends must face revelations that could shatter everything they thought they knew about their world… and the very history of their people.

A coming-of-age fantasy novel that defies genre conventions and readerly expectations, Menilmonea skillfully weaves together belief, heritage, and the search for identity. Here, the adventure begins when you stop following the rules.

Review:

This is a great fantasy story! The main character, Menilmonea, had the ability to communicate with mushrooms, which I’ve never read about before. It was an interesting exciting adventure story about two girls who go on a journey to save their village. There were beautiful illustrations throughout the book which showed the gorgeous fantasy setting!

Menilmonea is a beautiful fantasy book!

Thank you Bookinfluencers for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warning: death of parents (off page)

Have you read Menilmonea? What did you think of it?