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< Back Clean Fantasy Head Over Tails Brianna Tibbetts https://briannatibbetts.com Availability: Amazon, Author's Website Format: ebook Clean Fiction Edition: Spring 2022 Reviewer: ALM Reviewer Website: https://amylynnmcconahy.com Purchase This Clean Fiction Edition Blurb: Their love is true...but is it real? Fear of inheriting his father’s hallucinations and memory loss have brought Jacob’s life to a screeching halt at age nineteen. Now he spends his days alone on the beach behind his home, staring into the endless Hawaiian waves. Mermaid Sevencea is eager to explore life above the water--and cheer up the handsome, lonely young man strolling on the shores. Forming a bond with him is as natural as swimming. All she needs are legs to walk beside him, so Sevencea disappears to trade for the necessary magic. Yet when she returns, Jacob is gone, convinced she was a hallucination after all. And the more Sevencea searches for him, the more she doubts what they have will last. Can love truly exist between land and sea? Review: This book was a recent release in the Winter Edition, and I was intrigued by the blending of a mental health theme with such a well-known trope. I am a lover of mermaids from way back and have personally struggled with bouts of depression. So “intrigued” evolved into “must read” rather quickly. ACTION: There is little to no action in this book in the traditional sense. No fight scenes or anything of that nature. There are a few moments of suspense that help along the story, but overall, it was a rather relaxing read. ADVENTURE: This book has a heart for exploration. Set in the vistas of Hawaii, you will enjoy the beauty of nature on the land as well as the sea. The story does not place a heavy emphasis on the world around the characters, but the descriptions of this tropical place were still very enjoyable. The vast majority of the “adventure” in this book is internal. Within the minds of the two main characters, you will walk with them through difficulties dealing with fear, loneliness, purpose, love, belonging, and the meaning of family. This depth of character development will leave you questioning how healthy your own internal world is. ROMANCE: It is no secret that the main couple is going to face some challenges. The way that Tibbetts solves the land versus sea problem of this trope is unique and less stressful than many I’ve read. The main focus is on the growth of the characters and less on what keeps them apart. If you worry about steamy romance in a book like this, let me put your mind at ease. There is a bit of kissy-kissy cuteness, but nothing else that would raise any type of alarm. RELIGION: The author briefly touches on both land and sea having the same God. There was an intentionality to the sprinkling of Christian belief throughout this fantasy-type story that I was unable to miss. If you are worried about the use of magic in your reading, this author’s use of magic should pass muster and toes the line of the “spiritual gifts” category without coming out to say it. FINAL THOUGHTS: This book is a study on internal conflict. Tibbetts places the very difficult and somewhat traumatic topic of declining mental health into a fluffy blanket of fantasy mermaid cotton. Approaching a difficult subject in a way that can be enjoyed is a good way to ease someone you care for into talking about things that they might be struggling with. As a person who has experienced depression, I found this book comforting. Within every page, the author is coaxing you to believe that you are not alone, that you are cared for, and that there is hope. A - May include mild romance/violence/adventure without much suspense. This is an easy reader. Previous Next Clean Fiction Magazine is a Christian Publication. Our magazine will not include fiction with: descriptive sex scenes, violent gore, glorification of evil, same-gender partners, incest, naked people, and defamation of our Savior.

< Back Clean Urban Fantasy Wishing Against the House Janeen Ippolito https://janeenippolito.com Availability: Amazon Format: ebook, paperback, audiobook Clean Fiction Edition: Spring 2022 Reviewer: ALM Reviewer Website: https://amylynnmcconahy.com Blurb: My city is under attack by shadowfiends. Apparently, this is my fault, thanks to the family I’ve never met. At least the attack interrupted my first couples therapy session with Cendric. Small blessings, right? Then my long-lost dad—yeah, the one that’s supposed to be dead—shows up to tell me that the shadowfiends are controlled by Raith, an old family member who’s here to recharge his magical batteries by any means necessary, including destroying Pittsburgh and me. Oh, and centuries ago, Raith picked a fight with the local dragons, so they’re after me as well. Now I have to learn my family’s magic, stop Raith’s path of destruction, and make nice with the dragons. Speaking of which, did I mention my oh-so-quiet secretary has eloped with one of the dragons’ worst enemies? Personally, all I want for Christmas is to survive until New Year’s. And maybe, a vacation. Review: Having already read the other two books in this series, I of course had to see what Ippolito had in store for her characters in this one. I was looking forward to a generous helping of snark and a heavy sprinkling of multiverse mayhem, and let me tell you, she delivered! ACTION: As has been true in her previous books in this series, this book as well is a chain of one piece of action to another. There are small moments of breather between each tense scene, but for the most part this book speeds into action along with the temperament of its main character. Solve the problem. Think about the consequences later. Note: There is mild use of language in this book in keeping with the style of character that the author has created. ADVENTURE: If you thought that Ippolito’s world was big before, you will not be surprised to know that she has expanded it even further. I am amazed at how easily outlandish pieces of the multiverse fit right in to the somewhat cozy feel she has given the central friend group. I will chalk it up to the writer’s skill, and simply tell you to be open-minded to unexpected twists and turns. ROMANCE: This book has a SPICY streak. Where previous books used humor to deflect things from getting too steamy, this book gives the main couple the room to express their love. (Grandma, cover your eyes for a minute...) There is one scene in particular that was a bit “eyebrows disappearing into the hairline”, but nothing is explicit except that they had...shhhh! don’t say it out loud! (Grandma? You can look again.) This book does not shy away from blatantly stating that married people copulate AND they enjoy it. (Did you just faint? *fans reader franticly* Wake up! This should not be news to anyone!) If this is a surprise to you, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If it is not, I as a married woman enjoyed a more realistic (at least within the confines of a world where genies and shifters exist) view of a married couple that doesn’t act like they have never held hands...even in private. That being said, you have been warned. RELIGION: As I conjectured in my first review of this series, God becomes a more important portion of the story as it progresses. I can attest that the author is a strong Christian woman, and I was so pleased that her character had finally made it to the point where God could be a more active part of her life. FINAL THOUGHTS: None of the things that one might find as negatives should keep you from reading this book. The relationships are raw and flawed. The world is full of complex wonder. The emotions are beautifully broken. Not to say that Ippolito does not use her endless wit to make you laugh, but in this book things get real. We are talking real, real, and because of this, it is her best one yet. B - This is the highest rating included in the magazine. It may include magic/marital relationships/abuse/unwanted physical attention/mild language/more graphic fight sequences/non-Christian religions. Previous Next Clean Fiction Magazine is a Christian Publication. Our magazine will not include fiction with: descriptive sex scenes, violent gore, glorification of evil, same-gender partners, incest, naked people, and defamation of our Savior.

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