Sandy's Story by D.F. Jones ~ Review

Title: Sandy's Story (Ditch Lane Diary #3)
Author: D.F. Jones
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Length: 204 pages
Publisher: Indie
Release Date: Septemer 12, 2016
Source: Review Request
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Forbidden romance, angels, and demons, supernatural warfare, Sandy's Story is a thrilling paranormal romance and the last book of the Ditch Lane Diaries. 

Sandy is clairvoyant and works as an investigative reporter for Channel 3 News in Nashville. She is following a lead on a murder near music row that unleashes a chain of life changing events. 

Sandy's guardian angel, Baldric the Warrior, helps her to solve the crime while fighting the growing attraction to her. Falling in love with his Ward breaks all the rules of heaven. 

When someone steals Luc's Testament, all sorts of hell unleashes. Luc uses Baldric's ward to get his book back with the help of his demon angel, Caiojezeal, and his army. 

The Campbell Ridge wards and their warrior angels must come together to save one of their own in an epic battle between good and evil. 

But at what cost? Will love be enough to fight the lord of all darkness? 

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The final book in the Ditch Lane Diaries series is full of action. Sandy's investigative reporting seems to flip the switch from agressive tactics to all out war. The Wards of Campbell Ridge are going to have to come together and train hard if they are going to survive - and not all of their allies will make it to the end.

In the middle of all this chaos, Sandy and her guardian, Baldric, fall in love. Now, this is a big no-no with heavan, and they will need to fight not only their enemies, but to be allowed to stay together. Heaven and Earth are about to be moved, but I'm not going to tell you how all the pieces fall. This series has been an exciting ride. And while it won't be a favorite read, it was definitely one that I enjoyed.

**I voluntarily recieved and review copy of this book**

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Ditch Lane Diaries

Ruby's Choice #1

Anna's Way #2

Anna's Way by D.F. Jones ~ Review

Title: Anna's Way (Ditch Lane Diaries #2)
Author: D.F. Jones
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Length: 296 pages
Publisher: Indie
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Source: Review Request
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

The Ditch Lane Diaries continues with Anna's Way. 

Anna the healer, Ruby the dreamer, and Sandy the soul reader are The Wards of Campbell Ridge. 

Anna discovers that she has a guardian angel named Ralph. He is a part of the elite warrior angels that has been sent to train The Wards of Campbell Ridge against the forces of darkness. Ralph teaches Anna how to use her divine healing power while she learns as much as she can about modern medicine. As Anna’s power grows stronger so does her drive to become a doctor. Anna receives a full ride out of state scholarship for medical school, but she is in love with Jerry. 

Will Anna pursue her divine calling at the risk of losing true love? 

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Book two of the Ditch Lane Diaries moves on to Anna's story. Anna is a healer and had lots of big dreams. But her dreams may cause her to lose the love of her life, Jerry. As she prepares to move away for college to become a doctor, Jerry begins to pull away from her and move on with his life.

But there's an influence at play here that no no on notices at first. But she is set on the path of quite a knock down drag out fight to get her man back. I really loved seeing more of the paranormal aspects at play here and getting to know more about the warrior angles.

The angels are getting ready for a war. We see in bits and pieces that something big is coming to a head in the war of good versus evil, and the Wards of Campbell Ridge are going to be right in the middle of it all.

*I voluntarily received a review copy of this book*

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Ditch Lane Diaries
Ruby's Choice #1

Ruby's Choice by D.F. Jones ~ Review

Title: Ruby's Choice (Ditch Lane Diaries #1)
Author: D.F. Jones
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Length: 184 pages
Publisher: Indie
Release Date: July 23, 2015
Source: Purchased
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Ditch Lane Diaries: Ruby’s Choice is the debut novel by D.F. Jones and book one of the Ditch Lane Diaries. Ruby’s Choice is a coming of age story set in the late 1970’s in Middle Tennessee with a splash of paranormal which will blossom in the second and third books of the series. Ruby’s Choice-Everglade, Tennessee, 1977 Stuck in the Middle with Two Ever since Ruby discovered an amber-encased spider web in the Campbell Ridge Cave, she has had dreams of births, deaths and glimpses into the future. Ruby’s dreams have foretold the daughter of her high school friend, Cathy, the death of her beloved Aunt Sammie, and the coming of a new love in her life. Ruby’s shift is coming to a close at Everglade General Store. As she stacks the last row of bath soap, Ruby recalls the delicious dream she had the night before. In the dream, a gorgeous guy is kissing a tickle spot, just behind her left earlobe, sending shivers up her spine. If only that dream could come true, instead of the one where a state trooper gives her a seventy-five dollar speeding ticket! Ruby snaps back to reality when she hears the store’s front door bells chime. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say the frickin’ Adonis from her sexy dream just walked through the door. Reed Jackson and Brent Brown introduce themselves to Ruby as members of the local baseball team her brother, George, manages. Brent mentions they specifically came out to the store to meet George’s hot, little sister. Ruby is slightly confused when she hears Reed murmur Tap It under his breath, but then she remembers the rumor going around campus about Reed and Brent’s dating game, where the two best friends compete to have a girl profess undying love to one of them. And Tap It is a winner takes all—all of what, though, Ruby has no clue. Ruby decides that she’ll play along, but according to her rules. She’ll suss out if either of these players is worthy of her love and respect. One thing is for sure, Ruby is no pawn. Who will be Ruby’s Choice? 

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On the surface, Ruby's Choice doesn't read like much of a paranormal romance. Many of the struggles Ruby fights against are ones that any young woman could encounter. But if you look a little deeper, you'll see the supernatural forces at work in her life. Not just in her life, but in the lives of her closest friends as well. This supernatural force becomes more and more prevalent as the story continues through Ruby's younger life. I enjoyed the nice, gradual introduction to the supernatural aspects of this world.

There is a ton of manipulation and game-playing between Ruby and her two love interests. At first, it was a little funny - typical college dating games - but after taking up most of the story, it did get a little tiresome. I was ready for everyone to grow up and move on, but it took too long to happen.

Once it did happen, things really took a great turn. Facing past mistakes, growing into a better person. and learning to live with loss. But that ending....

Overall, this was a fun read from a debut author. The ending was not my style - but for personal storyline preferences, not for any concrete wrongness about it. I just felt like I had read the whole story and it hadn't really mattered in the long run after all. The ending fit the story well, it just wasn't quite a fit for me.

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