No Apology Book Reviews - authentic reviews and insightful interviews for inquisitive readers

Interview with Maisey Yates (Outlaw Lake and Lonesome Ridge)

February 27, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Outlaw Lake and Lonesome Ridge by Maisey Yates continue the story of the Rustler Mountain series. Yates is at it again with her stories involving love, family dynamics, and personal growth. Her characters are strong and relatable rugged cowboys and cowgirls. These modern westerns take readers on a wild ride through Oregon where the feuds between family descendants of outlaws and lawmen are still very much alive. Outlaw Lake has Carson Wilder and Perry …

Bloodlust by Sandra Brown

February 26, 2026February 23, 2026

Title: Bloodlust Author: Sandra Brown Series: stand alone but shares characters with Blood Moon Much thanks to Sandra Brown, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I won’t lie, I was sucked in. Read this in about 24 hours. Brown knows how to keep the pace fast and the tension high. But if you’ve read Brown’s work before, you’ll find this is pretty much cut and paste. • …

Interview with Patricia Johns (Still Waters and An Amish Baby in Her Arms)

February 20, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Still Waters and An Amish Baby in Her Arms by Patricia Johns have gripping plots. The characters in the stories must navigate their Amish life with their desires and wishes. Still Waters has two of the female characters trying to navigate the Amish world versus the English world. Tabitha Schrock left the Amish faith because she wanted to become a veterinarian. Although she has no regrets about that choice, she decided to come back …

Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward

February 16, 2026February 14, 2026

Title: Crown of War and Shadow Author: J.R. Ward Series: Kingdoms of the Compass #1 Thank you to J.R. Ward, Tor, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’ve heard good things about J.R. Ward for years, saw she was hopping on the romantasy trend, and figured that’d be as good an introduction to her as any. But then I decided to try her famed vampire series (Black Dagger Brotherhood) before …

Interview with Ellie Curzon (The Lost Orphans and The Lifeboat Orphans)

February 13, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Lost Orphans and The Lifeboat Orphans in The Runaway Evacuees series by Ellie Curzon, the pen name for Catherine Curzon and Helen Barrell, are two books that have touching, heart-warming, and heartbreaking moments, with a tinge of humor. The setting of London during the Nazi blitz of WWII shows how Londoners faced fear, survival, loss, and horror, but also were courageous, kind, brave, and strong. Both books are historical fiction based on the …

Interview with Jenna Blum (Murder Your Darlings)

February 6, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum has the author venturing into the thriller genre. Formerly known for her historical novels, she still maintains some semblance by making her female lead, Simone “Sam” Vetiver, a historical novelist. This suspenseful novel had love, grief, and revenge. Readers meet Sam who is finishing up a book tour while searching for some ideas for her next plot. She then receives a fan letter from best-selling author William Corwyn …

Interview with Donna Everhart (Women of a Promiscuous Nature)

January 30, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart is a compelling and fascinating read. This historical fiction sheds light on a lesser-known subject of how women were wrongly imprisoned. There are vivid scenes and compelling characters who fought their injustice with determination. The story was told from multiple points of view: two of the girls, Ruth Foster and Stella Temple, as well as the Superintendent Dorothy Baker. This allows readers to get an understanding …

Interview with Kathleen Donnelly (National Forest K-9 series, Colorado K-9 Rescue)

January 23, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Chasing Justice, Hunting the Truth, and Killer Secrets are the first books by Kathleen Donnelly of the National Forest K-9 Series. She is an author that should be put on everybody’s radar. Having been a handler for a private narcotics K-9 detection company, she is able to use her experiences to craft realistic stories in these novels. Each of the three books explains more of former Marine Maya Thompson’s and Deputy Sheriff Josh Colte’s …

Interview with Lisa Childs (The Cowboy’s Claim, Christmas Security, The Unknown Colton)

January 16, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Cowboy’s Claim has lawyer Maci Bluff trying to win a lawsuit for the Lemmon Brothers, Blake, Brett, and Levi. They were ranch hands for Frank (the owner) who has died and left them the ranch. But his birth daughter, Trish, and Maci’s best friend, are contesting the will. Maci has feelings for Blake but is trying to set them aside because she does not want a conflict of interest. Christmas Security has biophysics …

Review Roundup Winter 2025-2026 – Part 1

January 12, 2026

A roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Winter 2025-2026. Beware of spoilers! Title: 100 Days of Sunlight Author: Abbie Emmons Series: Tessa and Weston #1 This author has a “writing how-to” YouTube channel that I’ve watched a few times, and when I learned she’s published a book with an interesting premise and it was available at my library, I wanted to check it out and see if Emmons can walk the walk or just talk the talk. DNF 19%. …