REVIEW - FIELD OF LILIES - BOUQUET OF LIES DUET BY DV FISCHER

  

Title: Field Of Lilies 
Series: Bouquet Of Lies Duet
Author: DV Fischer
Publisher: Love N Books Press
Release Date: 20th January 2026

BLURB 
Some sins don’t stay buried.

I’ve always had a weakness for the wrong kind of man—red flags and all. But I never thought I’d actually kill someone. And I definitely never thought I’d end up being hunted.

Running a quiet B&B in Fairview was supposed to be my peace. My escape. But that illusion shattered the night everything went wrong.

Now someone’s hunting me.And I’m not sure if the man staying in my B&B is here to protect me… or ruin me.

Killian is rough. Closed off. Hiding something dark. He says he’s just passing through. But trouble follows him like a shadow—and I’m about to find out what it means to stand in the path of a storm.

Goodreads Link 

REVIEW 
I love the cover and how well it complements bk 1. I love the theme of flowers! It’s the chains on the cover that hint at sinister/scary elements.

The book begins with Tori driving her car in torrential rain, which makes visibility poor. When her mobile phone slips to the floor, she would normally leave it but the floor is wet and who knows she might need the phone to hand in this weather so she reaches for it, glancing away from the road. When she looks back up she see’s a black van and then suddenly a woman is running into the road directly in front of her. Tori is unable to stop her car in time and hits the woman. Tori immediately jumps out of the car and shouts for the black van driver for him to help, but the figure in the orange raincoat simply climbs back into the van and speeds off, leaving Tori alone, she rushes to the woman’s side, its then she notices that the woman is visibly quite far along in her pregnancy. Tori touches the woman to check for a pulse but sadly and devastatingly for Tori there is no pulse. Tori has hit and killed the woman. Tori calls the Police and its not long until the newly appointed Sheriff Pierce Hilton arrives, like a knight in shining armour. Tori has history with Pierce, she slept with him once, and now he wants more and she doesn’t so the way he tries to comfort Tori feels awkward. The only person Tori wants is her best friend Tegan, so Pierce calls her and its not long before Tegan and Cole turn up to offer sympathy, and emotional and practical help for Tori.

Killian Savage strolls into town, a mysterious loner who happens to walk into Derek’s store and ask about a play to stay. Derek directs Killian to Tori as she has a small studio type accommodation behind her home that she rents out. When Cole sees Killian, he recognises the attitude and dangerous air around him and isn’t afraid of expressing his immediate dislike for the man. Killian arranges to meet Tori and fills in the relevant forms to rent the property. Killian sees a tired, troubled woman in front of him and likes what he sees but he isn’t there in the Fairview area for romance he is there tracking the man who killed his wife and children and nothing is going to get in his way of vengeance.

Though tired and distracted because of the accident Tori can’t help but notice how “easy on the eye” Killian is, though she gets the feeling he is hiding a secret or two. Tori ponders that Killian may be the distraction she needs right now, because she only wants the one-night stand kind of relationship, she isn’t the marrying kind and she certainly doesn’t want children.

If Tori doesn’t have enough to deal with, she is dealing with the new Pastor, Kent Hilton who happens to be Sheriff Pierce Hilton’s Uncle. Where Pierce likes Tori and wants to be around her more his Uncle Kent despises what Tori stands for. Tori has a pagan shop which Pastor Kent accuses her of leading people astray and says her shop is the devil’s work. Pastor Kent also happens to be in the realtor business so in direct competition with Tori with that too.

Sheriff Pierce reveals to Tori that he cannot find out the identity of the woman she collided with. Rather sinisterly the woman’s finger prints have been burned off and her teeth removed. The only possible identifying mark on the woman is the lily on her wrist, which Tori finds rather ironic as the accident occurred at the side of the field of lilies that were planted in the memory of Neil Wordon. Tori describes the man in the orange raincoat and that he was the same build as Pastor Kent Hilton. Sheriff Pierce shrugs off the description of the build of the man in the orange raincoat, saying Tori is jumping to conclusions as she doesn’t get on with his Uncle and that Derek has a whole store full of orange raincoats he is selling to anyone he can.

I immediately fell for the quiet, moody, long haired, steamy hot Killian. I really like the character quotes/statements within the book such as “I'm not the marrying type. I'm not the happy-ever-after guy. Not anymore. ~ Killian Savage” Which kind of makes him a male version of Tori as she isn’t the marrying kind either”

It's not long before Tori and Killian are giving into temptations at every opportunity and Tori is breaking both her only once rule and her they don’t sleep in my bed rules! Killian slowly opens up to Tori about his past and why he is in Fairview, when he mentions the relevance of a Lily brand/tattoo Tori contacts Pierce. Tori doesn’t know if it’s the stress from the accident or if she really is being followed. Its not long before her stalker makes themselves known by living a Lily in her house. Killian immediately knows what this means his past and present are about to collide. He vows to protect Tori from the man he is hunting. However, despite all his efforts and those of her friends, efforts to keep her safe, Tori is kidnapped and is forcibly given her very own lily brand/tattoo. Can Killian, Cole and Pierce work together to find and free Tori, and what state will she be in by the time they find her. After a discussion with Cole, Killian realises he has feelings for Tori, he loves her and wants a future with her, but has he realised this too late?

The book is of a medium/fast pace, I soon became hooked and didn’t want to put it down. I easily grew to love the characters and I even enjoyed hating the bad guys! The book had a great twisted plot and I loved all the world building and back story of the Fairview area. There are some explicit scenes within the book, but if they aren’t your thing you can skim over them. They are within the context of the plot. I’ll admit they were a little too explicit for my usual taste but they didn’t spoil the overall enjoyment of the book.

My immediate thoughts were that Field Of Lilies is an action-packed story with mystery, suspense, danger lurking, steamy explicit scenes.

Summing up I love the characters in this duet/series and the darkness that seems attracted to, and enjoys lurking in the Fairview area. I loved the hint of humour within the explanation of why the field of lilies were planted, that Tegan thought Neil would have had enough of Roses. I adored and immediately fell in love with the tough, previously broken but ready to be fixed (though they may not know it until they meet the right woman) main male characters of this book duet. I fell in love with Cole first in Bed Of Roses, then Killian in Field Of Roses, I even grew to quite like Pierce in Field Of Lilies.

 

 

REVIEW - AFTER THE ESCAPE - SURVIVORS OF THE NEW DAWN BY GRACE HAMILTON

  

Title: After The Escape
Series: Survivors Of The New Dawn
Author: Grace Hamilton
Publisher: Relay Publishing
Genre: Post Apocalyptic, EMP, Disaster
Release Date: 14th JAnuary 2026

 
BLURB
After the world went dark, every road became a battlefield.

Before the global EMP shattered the grid and sent civilization spiralling into ruin, a single bullet could end a life. Now, it guarantees a slow, agonizing death. Rob is bleeding out in a world without doctors, medicine—or mercy. And time is running out.

Claire has one mission: find help—fast. But in a lawless wasteland crawling with killers, slavers, and scavengers, every step is a gamble. Worse still, the Carringtons are hunting them, and they won’t stop until Rob’s body is in the dirt.

When a brutal militia razes the last refuge the Taylors called home, they're forced to flee into the unknown, chasing desperate whispers of a hidden sanctuary deep in the wilds of Washington State.

Along the way, they encounter fellow survivors—each marked by trauma, each with their own secrets. Trust is rare. Mistakes are fatal. And as enemies close in from every direction, the Taylors must confront a brutal truth: to survive in this world, it’s not just about how far you’re willing to go…

It’s about what you’re willing to become. 

Goodreads Link

REVIEW
The cover fits really well with the cover of bk1. This cover probably represents a scene from within the book. I’d guess that the people on the cover are Alejandro and Claire, who have come together and are slowly rekindled their relationship despite the fact they were at a lawyer’s office in the process of divorcing at the beginning of bk1 when everything in the world changed when the global EMP hit!!

The After The Escape timeline picks up right were it left off in After The Fallout. 
Pregnant Lydia is out hunting rabbits with her teenaged son Bobby. Lydia is hoping that doing things together will encourage Bobby to open up and speak to her a little more. Lydia tries teasing him about his gun skills but the humour doesn’t land quite right with Bobby. They are then interrupted when they hear male voices…….Lydia and Bobby take cover and discover that it is a small team of Carrington Militia men obviously having been sent out to spy of the Taylors homestead, or what is left of it after the earlier battle. The men are talking about the Boss being eager to move onto the next part of his plan regarding the Taylors.

When Lydia and Bobby return to the homestead a meeting is called and it is decided that there is no other option but to leave. John Anderson and his Carrington Farm Militia Men easily outnumber them, so it would be suicide to stay and fight. The Taylors & their now extended family decide that travelling out on the roads in an effort to settle somewhere else is the lesser of two evils. They are well aware that there will be other gangs to contend with as well as the conditions being out on the road, but the decision is made. Before they totally leave the area, they decide to call at Buck and Sandra’s large home to gather supplies, hopefully find something to treat Rob’s gunshot wound and have a good night or twos rest before getting fully on the road. They think that John Anderson and his Carrington Farm men will attack the homestead and will not think of the Taylors group going to Buck’s house.

Meanwhile Anderson is injured from the battle at the Taylors homestead but he is angry and vengeful. He decides to raid nearby properties for anything useful and him and his gang come across the home of Buck and Sandra. Whilst ransacking the house John Anderson notices a photograph of Buck and Sandra which makes thing a bit more personal, it further inflames Andersons unstable irritation and he orders the house to be burnt to the ground despite pleas from his right-hand man Dirk to just take what they need and leave.

Dirk sneaks away from the Carrington Farm multiple times to plead with Sophia, John Anderson’s daughter, to just come back, that things will be different, he promises he will stand up to her father and help her. The Taylors make sure that Sophia knows she is welcome to stay with them and travel with them if that what she wants, despite them knowing that Anderson is likely to follow them in an attempt to grab back his daughter. Sophia chooses to travel with the Taylor family group.

Things take a turn for the worse when Rob collapses due to the gunshot wound being badly infected. There’s little choice but to risk going into town to visit Rob’s one other friend for help. Rob is treated with old, limited medication with both, Agata and Lydia foraging for herb to make herbal remedies to help fight the infection too. Though Rob hates the taste of the teas they make and the ointment/poultices they make sting he is willing to try anything and everything to fight the growing infection.

The Taylors are aware they are being followed by the increasingly desperate John Anderton and his Carrington Militia, they are also being tracked by bounty hunters employed by the Hartley’s to capture the now visibly pregnant Lydia as well as meeting strangers whilst on the road and the possibly disastrous choices of who to trust and who not to trust. The With nowhere in particular to go the Taylors decide to head to Agata’s distant relatives. Whilst on the road the Taylors hear about a ferry that takes them to a safe place where the army keeps peace etc. Agata disagrees and wants them to continue to her relatives but Alejandro thinks the ferry to a safer place is the better option and will put them further out of the reach of John Anderson & the Carrington Militia. The decision if put to the vote and all but Agata vote for the ferry. They meet up with a trio of travellers, Sam, his father Whiskey and his son Micah and continue their journey together. The trio seem trustworthy though Sam is reluctant to have any type of gun or weapon for fear of provoking other travellers they may meet, whilst the Taylors try to explain to him that a weapon is not just for offense, it is a deterrent and for defence if and when needed, though they do not try to force their views on him.

The characters face the larger threats and hurdles whilst dealing with other day to day issues and sometimes fraught relationships. The relationship between Bobby and Sophie continues to blossom. Sophie does consider turning herself over to her father but it soon becomes apparent her father would not let the Taylors simply leave even if Sophie sacrificed herself and returned to him. John Anderson is set on vengeance and he doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process.
Claire & Alejandro's love seems to be rekindling as they become closer and work together to protect the rest of their group, taking on more of the leadership whilst Rob is out of action. Lydia is rightfully so, fearful of who the Hartleys will send after her next and how far they are prepared to go to get her and the baby she is carrying.

Sam, Whiskey and Micah seem to integrate into the group well, but Sam soon becomes dangerously resentful of the fact the Taylors did not reveal they were being followed. Sam blames the Taylors for putting him, his son and his father in more danger but seems to forget that travelling in a larger group has in fact increased their safety. However, a hurt and angry Sam makes a huge mistake by making a deal with the enemy, but later puts his own life at risk to try and put that wrong, right again.

Though he isn’t the only putting their life on the line for a relative strange as when there is a crush on the docks and Micah is separated from his family, quickly becoming lost in the crowd, Bobby sees this and leaves his own family and rushes to save Micah from being trampled in the crush of people. Unfortunately, in doing so, he put himself firmly in the sights of a fever driven Murdoch who is set on revenge because Bobby shot him.

Such a lot happens in this book, there’s growing love between characters, the death of a character, betrayal and dangers at every turn to be dealt with. As the book ends the Taylors are wondering if they made the right decision as those in charge don’t seem to know what they are doing and there really aren’t enough of them to deal with any major assault or riot.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing reading After The Escape were, Oh wow! what an action-packed, nail biting, edge of your seat book! I loved it!

Summing up, I really enjoyed reading After The Escape. The loss of one of the main characters we were introduced to in bk1 was sad, but as the group quickly learns, if you want to survive, you have to move on quickly and grieve when you can. The group learn lessons about who they can and cannot trust, sometimes the hard way! As it states in the blurb the Taylors must confront a brutal truth: to survive in this world, it’s not just about how far you’re willing to go… 
I can’t wait to read the next book!

 

 

MY BOOKISH WISHLIST FOR 2026

 So here's the list (so far....) for my bookish 

2026 WISHLIST 

 MARCH RELEASES

Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz

Ava by Victoria Dillon

 

 

The Best Little Motel in Texas by Lyla Lane 

Sabotaged World by Grace Hamilton 

 

Beneath by Ariel Sullivan
To The Death by Melissa Welliver

 The Other You by Carys Green

 

APRIL RELEASES

 

 

The Verdant Cage by Jess Lourey 

 

 MAY RELEASES

 

The Girl With A Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean 

Death's Daughter by S.A. Barnes 

 

JUNE RELEASES

 

Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer

Tell Me My Future by Eileen M Ruvane 

 

JULY RELEASES

 

 

All Her Ghosts by Cynthia Prith

To Drown A Witch by Lindsey Olsson 

 AUGUST RELEASES

 

Death Card by Jasmine Smith

After The Storm by Grace Hamilton 

 

to be continued......

 {and probably added to aswell......}