Dakota Diva Book Reviews


  • The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue  by V.E. Schwab
    FICTION / March 31, 2021

    Would you make a deal with the darkness to get what you deeply desire? Would you trade your soul? And could you deal with the reality of the deal gone wrong? Because it always does. I liked this book a lot, even though many have called is somewhat boring. No, it's not an in your face mystery or passionate love story. Instead it kind of meanders through love and the value of life. Addie is a comple....


  • The Priest  by Tiffany Reisz
    FICTION , WOMEN'S FICTION / March 29, 2020

    Three steps forward, two steps back. The Priest was on its way to be my favorite of Tiffany Reisz’s The Original Sinners series. The characters are starting anew in New Orleans after leaving New York City. The story opens with Soren gone, this is not unexpected to the regular reader, new readers might be puzzled. Nora has gained a dog and the pair seem to be thriving together, no small feat for a....


  • The Family Upstairs  by Lisa Jewell
    FICTION , WOMEN'S FICTION / March 02, 2020

    Things can really go off the rails in life! The Family Upstairs is a twisting tale of children caught in circumstance created by parents who seem lost and gullible. Enter in a man and women who take control of these lost parents and also the children.  As the reader swings back and forth between the chapters we are taken through the story by Libby, who has just inherited a huge house, then by Lucy....


  • The Peacock Emporium  by Jojo Moyes
    FICTION , WOMEN'S FICTION / February 05, 2020

    This was almost a DNF.  I found it somewhat slow. No, really slow. I know readers love her other novels, but based on this one I don't think I'm a fan. Save yourself and your time : read something else.


  • Where I End & You Begin  by Preston Norton
    FICTION , YOUNG ADULT / January 21, 2020

    This book caught my attention and although I thought it a bit slow at first I have decided it was worth reading just because I am so out of touch with the teenage experience. It's been a long time since I've been one and this book reminds me why I never want to be one again! It's tough! Anyway, it's a body swapping (yes, you read that right) life's not fair, experimenting with sexuality, family is....


  • Theater Nights are Murder  by Libby Klein
    FICTION , MYSTERY , ADVANCE READING COPY / December 01, 2019

    Theater Nights Are Murder is the latest mystery by Libby Klein. It is cute and quick. Nothing exceptional in this reviewer's opinion and in fact I found the murder almost uninteresting, instead finding Poppy's love triangle with Gia and Tim the best part of the plot. Still, readers of the "cozy" will probably enjoy the book.


  • The Hiding Place  by C. J. Tudor
    FICTION / May 30, 2019

    I wish I liked The Hiding Place more. True, the main character, Joe, is somewhat interesting to follow along with, but the plot doesn't come together for me. Gambling debts, childhood secrets, and what seems to be a "Pit" with mystical powers spin around in the book, not fully fleshed out in my opinion.  It was a quick read, but I don't think I will remember it in a week.


  • Dracul  by Dacre Stoker and J. B. Barker
    FICTION / April 28, 2019

    Holy Cow, this book blew my mind! Dracula is one of my all time favorites so when I saw this I decided to give it a try. It is a combination of fact and fiction, woven into a prequel of sorts to Dracula. In it we meet Bram Stoker, who is inserted into the story as if he is a fictional character.  We meet his family too, and a slightly odd nanny named Ellen. This nanny is the source of the creepy, ....


  • Baby Teeth  by Zoje Stage
    FICTION / February 13, 2019

    Whoa, just whoa. This book isn't just fiction, it's horror. Old fashion "The Omen" or "Carrie" horror.  Written as a domestic suspense novel, Baby Teeth is the story of Hannah, a terror of a child and her parents who are bewildered as they try to raise her. Hannah is intelligent, manipulative, and down right evil. A nightmare. My only criticism about this book is that I thought it wrapped up a bit....


  • The Rose  by Tiffany Reisz
    FICTION , EROTICA , ADVANCE READING COPY / February 13, 2019

    If you are a fan of Tiffany Reisz you might as well skip this review and go purchase The Rose.  I say this because I think this is one of the author's best offerings. It is explicit, actually sometimes just a touch beyond explicit, if that's even possible. Still, it is written as a combination of erotic fantasy and Greek mythology which is a perfect match.  The story begins with the characters of ....