Archives for September 2014

Unreliable Histories: A Tale of Cartography, Magic and Other Perils by Rob Gregson

September 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

 

HISTORIES
Unreliable Histories: A Tale of Cartography, Magic and Other Perils by Rob Gregson
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (324 Pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

If you enjoy tales of epic battles, fearsome dragons and dark, brooding evil, then you’ll almost certainly enjoy the works of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, who, in addition to being very good at that sort of thing, had possibly the most splendid name in the history of the fantasy genre.

On the other hand, if you have a penchant for lovelorn vampires, feisty warriors and unnecessarily cryptic ancient prophesies, then you should have absolutely no difficulty in finding something suitable – albeit not in this particular novel.
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But on the other hand (and this being a work of fantasy, having three hands is not entirely out of the question) if your keenest wish is for a strange and digressive saga about cartography, magic and perhaps just the small matter of changing history itself, then you’ve hit upon a niche in which this book is largely without peer.

What would you do if you discovered that you have a history, one in which you were a participant, but which you now have absolutely no knowledge of? This is what Myrah discovers, and she has an understandably hard time believing it.

“Of course, two total strangers informing you that you’ve participated in some great quest carries very little weight in comparison to the certain knowledge that you’ve never done any such thing. However, there was also the fact of her occasional sense-scape departures and the two strange but especially telling encounters with herself—during which even she appeared to be saying much the same thing.”

The Western Reaches is a wild new world where it appears that history can, and in fact is, being re-written. Myrah and her friends get caught up in a dangerous adventure without fully understanding what their mission truly is. Myrah’s uncle sums things up admirably when he said:

“As I understand it, you plan to pursue some enormously ambitious but poorly conceived scheme that will almost certainly entail a long and dangerous expedition across uncharted territories, with little or no idea of what awaits you therein.”

Unreliable Histories is a fantastic adventure, filled with excitement, a healthy dose of humor, and a rich use of words to create a reality. Or is it real? Myrah is a wonderful character, complex, thoughtful, bumbling along at times, but still firmly convinced of her path even when she can’t figure that path out. Her companions, Alaethar, big, friendly, and harmless, but with a surprising ability to protect her, and Nevigorn the Enlightened, a wizard who knows things, sort of, are well-defined and very interesting characters as well. Alaethar has a hard time believing in a past which he can’t remember, in spite of the evidence that he really did have a different past. Nevigorn has no trouble with that, but he focuses on “Here,” saying that “there’s only what’s Here. If you’re not Here, then you’ve gone.” Myrah has to navigate her mission with the aid of her companions, something which isn’t always easy, but which is always exciting and frequently humorous.

Unreliable Histories is the first book of The Written World, a world which I found to be totally captivating. I am eager to return to this world in the second book, The Endless Land, and follow Myrah, Alaethar, and Nevigorn on their further adventures. Unreliable Histories comes to a satisfying end, after a lot of magic and excitement, and it works fine as a stand-alone. However, having entered into Myrah’s adventures, I’m very eager to continue with her.

Lovers of fantasy, especially those who enjoy the study of words and philosophical musings on reality, will love exploring the Western Reaches with Myrah and her friends.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

Dangerous Lust by Lila Dubois

September 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

LUST
Dangerous Lust by Lila Dubois
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (91 pgs)
Other: BDSM, M/F, M/F/M, Menage, Anal Play, Forced Seduction, Fetish, Toys, Spanking, Voyeurism
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Thistledown

Leona is playing a dangerous game. To outsiders it might seem as though she’s a normal college senior with good grades, an internship and a post-graduation plan. But all the studying and partying in the world isn’t satisfying her. Not even her best friends know about her secret desire—to be a sexual submissive.

One night, lonely and frustrated, she arranges to meet with a Dom she’s been chatting with online. Master Clay is everything she imagined, but the experience is more intense and frightening than she’d anticipated. Bit by bit she slips into the world of sexual submission, addicted to the intensity of each experience.

Leona’s secret sex life leaves no room for anyone else in her life, even Brad, the geeky-sexy young computer programmer she meets at her internship. Until a chance run-in with Master Clay in the outside world leaves her reeling, and she turns to Brad for comfort and in lust.

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Leona looks like any other college senior but she has a secret. She has been in a relationship with a Dom online and makes arrangements to meet him. Heart in her throat, she connects with him and begins a cat and mouse game that just might land her in some hot water. Bit by bit she falls into Master Clay’s world, becoming more addicted with each session. When she by chance sees him out of the playroom in the real world, her carefully constructed barriers begin to collapse.

Master Clay is a man who gets what he wants and what he wants right now is Leona. Fresh and young, she is lovely and oh so pliant. She does the things he tells her to do but isn’t prepared for the depths of his desires.

Brad is the carefree app designer with a hidden life. He is set on a collision course with Master Clay. When Leona comes to him for comfort and sparks fly he knows he has to step in, but in doing so he may just bring the wrath of Master Clay down on both of them.

This story was a good one but I had a few technical issues with some of the scenes. During Leona’s sessions with Master Clay there were times when he manipulated her anally without lube and then times where he used it. There were other inconsistencies regarding nipple clamps. At one point he threatens to leave her in them all night and that physically cannot happen.  There was also the issue with the contract at the end-one minute she couldn’t be with anyone else and the next she is getting it on with Brad.

Overall the tension was good, the characters compelling and the neat twist at the end was great. Leona is a girl trying to figure out her kinky side and she has two very different men to choose from. Will she choose right? You’ll have to read this one to find out.

For a walk on the dark side, give Dangerous Lust a try.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

You’re Not Safe by Mary Burton

September 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment

SAFE
You’re Not Safe by Mary Burton
Publisher: Zebra / Kensington Publishing Corp.
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (392 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Camellia

He Will Never Forget

The broken body hanging from a tree in Texas Hill Country. . .the frozen figure huddled in a meat locker. . .only at second glance does the truth become apparent. What seems like suicide is far more sinister, and the terror is only beginning…

Never Forgive

One devastating moment changed Greer Templeton’s life and ended two others. Now, with a body found on her property and Texas Ranger Tec Bragg on her doorstep, Greer’s nightmare has returned. With each new victim, her link to Tec’s case grows, and soon it will be too late to run.

And Never Let Them Live. . .

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Murder with unsettling, eerie elements grabs the reader’s attention from the get-go.

Mary Burton weaves a tale of mystery and suspense that made me shudder at times. She takes the reader into the setting so one can almost feel the sweltering heat in the hill country of the dry Texas summer as the temperature soars above 100 degrees regularly, while all the time pulling the reader into a tale that put down roots in events that happened twelve years earlier. Now, the things that grew from those roots are ripe for harvest—what a horrifying harvest it is.

Texas Ranger Tec Bragg is back in Austin after his stint on the border fighting drug cartels. The media coverage of his warrior deeds on the border make people a little leery of him. He goes about his duties with polite manners and soft-spoken words. Yet, the hard glint in his eyes and straight forward questions make it clear, he tolerates no nonsense. He is not happy when his nephew Mitch, who is back from Iraq with PTSD, goes to work for Greer Templeton, a person of interest in a murder investigation..

At age fifteen, Greer Templeton disappeared from Austin society after she was injured and her brother and his fiancée were killed in a car accident when she was driving. She cannot forgive herself and neither can her parents. They put her in Shady Grove, a ritzy place where “broken” rich children were sent to be “repaired.” Her Aunt Lydia, who owns a vineyard, comes for her when she is released from Shady Grove. With her aunt’s unconditional love and hard work day in and day out, Greer makes a life for herself.

Fulfilling a promise, she made to her dying aunt; Greer hires Mitch, a person Dr. Stewart at the crisis center recommended. This “good deed” really puts her in Ranger Bragg’s sights. He keeps close tabs on her and her activities.

As bodies pile up, all of them people who’d been in Shady Grove when Greer was there, the situation gets tense. Is she the killer? Even with this being a possibility, Ranger Bragg is attracted to her and she to him.

The possible suspects and spooky activity along with unidentified characters that slip in and out of the story, keep tension high. As new characters enter the story, I just knew I’d be able to guess who the killer or killers were. WOW, did I get a surprise!

Mary Burton never drops a single thread as she weaves a tale that involves so many characters with so many problems it makes one head swim. YOU’RE NOT SAFE is a gripping tale about people surviving the best they know how—some winning the battle and other losing.

Mary Burton delivers a scary suspense/ mystery story along with an in-depth look into the characters’ troubled personalities. EXCELLENT READING!

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Pistols and Petticoats by Barbara Ankrum, Adrienne deWolfe, Sharon Ihle

September 19, 2014 By 1 Comment

PISTOLS
Pistols and Petticoats by Barbara Ankrum, Adrienne deWolfe, Sharon Ihle
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Full Length (343 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

ETHAN’S BRIDE
Violet Bradford desperately wants a child. Believing herself barren, she answers Dr. Ethan Walker’s advertisement for a mail-order bride in Colorado, knowing he only wants one thing: a mother for his young daughter. Surely the joys of motherhood can compensate for a loveless marriage. But Ethan’s broken heart won’t stop tugging at hers. And Ethan soon realizes he must risk his heart again or risk losing it all.

SHADY LADY
Fiery singing sensation, Sadie Michelson, thinks falling in love is bad for business—until William “Cass” Cassidy, a hotheaded gunslinger, sets his sights on wooing her. But when a Texas Ranger arrives in Dodge City to extradite Cass for a crime of passion, Sadie must use all her wits and wiles to lure the law from her man’s trail. And that means risking everything—including Cass’s love.

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Expert horsewoman, Shannon Winterhawke runs away from home to join the Buffalo Bill Wild West extravaganza. Shannon is hired on the spot, but the show’s head horseman, Seth Edwards, simply sees another flighty gal looking for a cowboy fling before settling down with some unsuspecting fool. But all bets are off as Shannon slowly sneaks into Seth’s heart and lassoes him with his own rope.

He never expected her to be pretty…

Cowboys have always seemed sexy to me, so that led me to read this anthology. There are three stories included about different points of history and they are all good reads. Why not jump on your imaginary horse and go along for a ride through the book?

In this anthology, we have ETHAN’S BRIDE by Barbara Ankrum, SHADY LADY by Adrienne deWolfe, BAREBACK BRIDE by Sharon Ihle and all three authors write a story with an interesting plot.

My personal favorite of the three was Ethan’s Bride. She’s a mail order bride and he’s a widowed doctor. He almost panics when he meets the train because she’s prettier than she appeared to be in her picture. After all, all he wants is a mother for his child; he’s not looking for love. If sex happens, that’s fine. It’s not a thing of love, it’s a need. For some reason, this does charm his new wife, Violet. She is in love with his child and it doesn’t take long before she can see behind his façade and understands it’s hurt from his past that is making him not take a chance with the future. Life for them gets much more interesting until things settle down. Ms. Ankrum touches on the civil war and its dead and how that influences the living. That added depth to the story and made it more enjoyable read.

Shady Lady is about a prostitute who has big plans for her future. They don’t include a kid from the past who now has a reputation as a fast accurate gun and a nickname of Rebel Rutter. When he wants to rent her for a month, she quotes him $6,000, knowing he can’t ever raise that much. She tells him he can’t rob a bank. So he does sharp shooting and others bet on him. He makes the sum but he’s not won the babe… Ms. deWolfe writes of sharp witted, mercenary prostitutes and cowboys that have barely been tamed. This is lot like the real west was and it’s not always pleasant.

Bareback Bride was fun. She’s part of Arapaho and a trick rider and shooter. He’s the horse boss and he first tests her on the back of bucking bronco without telling her, of course. When they incorporate a kiss in the Wild West routine they do, it sparks an extra interest in them both. This talks about Wild Bill’s show, throws in a protective family and ends on an impulse. It’s a fast read with no real surprises, but good fun.

There’s something here for everyone. If you haven’t read much about the west, you have some new territory to explore.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Cowgirl and the Stallion by Natasha Deen

September 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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The Cowgirl and the Stallion by Natasha Deen
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (260 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

A dying man’s wish, a son’s desperate struggle. To acquire the land his father always wanted, CEO Mason St. John will do anything—even lie about his identity…

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The slightly misleading title of The Cowgirl and the Stallion perhaps makes the reader think the action takes place in the stables and pastures of Aya’s ranch, but in truth, most of the action happens in Aya’s and Mason’s hearts. And there’s plenty of the emotional sort of action.

The most remarkable achievement of this novel is how both Aya and Mason grow in front of the reader’s eyes as the story progresses. When we meet Mason (or Nate), he seems to be arrogant and flirty, all with the purpose of tricking Aya into selling her land. She, in turn, is stubborn and won’t listen even to the people closest to her when they try to help her and steer her in the right direction. But their meeting teaches them both a big lesson; it just takes time for them to realize it.

Spencer, Aya’s son, was a delightful character and I was very happy that he was so important to the story and wasn’t just a complication in Aya’s and Mason’s relationship. He was very charming with his pre-teen awkwardness and unexpected intelligence and it was wonderful to follow his interactions with Aya, but more so with Mason.

The biggest drawback of the story was that the roles were stereotypical. Mason was the big bad corporate beast and Aya was the helpless but brave small farmer. With a more original conflict between the two their story would have been even more powerful and deeper.

The Cowgirl and the Stallion shows that sometimes a win is actually a loss and that it takes courage to admit it. Despite the predictable plot, the strong characters make the novel a good read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Reluctantly Royal by Nichole Chase

September 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment

ROYAL
Reluctantly Royal by Nichole Chase
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (384 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Quince

Maxwell Jameson Trevor, prince of Lilaria, hates his royal role. Despising the limelight, he takes solace in his art studio and steers clear of any drama. But when one of the newly discovered royals passes away, Maxwell’s brother Alex asks him to break the news to the old man’s granddaughter. Though he hates to be the bearer of doom and gloom, he doesn’t want the poor girl to find out from the tabloids. For Maxwell knows all too well how devastating that could be.
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Coming from a broken home and modest background, newly ordained Lady Meredith Thysmer has seized her chance to make a better life for herself and her son. She’s not afraid to use her best assets to get what she wants. But when the unpretentious yet devastatingly handsome Max delivers his news, her plans for the future come crashing to a halt. In the challenging days ahead, Max’s compassion, humor, and steadfast loyalty to Meredith and her son win her over. She quickly finds herself doing something she swore would never happen again: falling in love. And yet Maxwell still refuses to completely drop his guard. Somehow Meredith’s got to find a way to seduce this reluctant royal.

Reluctantly Royal is the third story in the Nichole Chase’s “Royal” series. Like previous two stories in the series (Suddenly Royal and Recklessly Royal) it is set in fictional kingdom of Lilaria. The main characters of this story are Prince Maxwell Jameson Trevor D’Lynsal and Lady Meredith Thysmer.

Maxwell (Max) and Meredith are polar opposites in every possible way. Max is the middle child of the Lilaria’s royal family, but he is not very fond of the crown related duties; he particularly dislikes being in the spotlight. The reason lies in the fact that he found out from the tabloids that his father died. Meredith is, on the other hand, born in relative poverty, and she, together with her family, was invited recently to return to Lilaria in order to retrieve their title and lands. Also Meredith is a singer and is, actually, on her way to fame and success and the spotlights are inevitable part of her future career.

Two of them meet under very sad circumstances. Max was the one who had sought Meredith in London and informed her about her grandfather’s death. From London they went back together to Lilaria, and there the rest of the story took place. The story happened over the course of one week – a few days before Meredith’s grandfather funeral and a day after it. The part of the story related to Meredith being in Lilaria preparing the funeral has nice pace, and it is lovely written. But the part related to the Max and Meredith’s romance I find a bit rushed, because they felt the attraction, had sex, fell in love and Max proposed in the course of that one week. And all that while Meredith was going through very sad and hard period. Their relationship would be more realistic, and probably I would feel Meredith’s grief deeper if the pace of the romance was slower. Also the other shortfall of the story was Meredith relationship with her father. The author never fully revealed the root of his anger and bitterness toward Meredith. But even more frustrating for me was that their relationship never got a proper conclusion.

Regardless of these flows I enjoyed reading Reluctantly Royal. Besides being a funny and warm story, I enjoyed it because of the reappearance of the characters from the two previous books in the series. The other reason was that it had lovely characters and it was situated in magic Lilaria. For all of you who are planning to read this series please note it does not need to be read in order, but I highly recommend it because it will provide you better insight of the characters and it will give you better insight into royal family of Lilaria. I enjoyed all three books and they are definitely worth reading.

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Theirs to Share by Trista Ann Michaels

September 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment

SHARE
Theirs to Share by Trista Ann Michaels
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (201 pages)
Other: BDSM, M/F/M, Ménage, Anal Play, Spanking, Voyeurism
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lisianthus

FBI agents Grayson and Parker have a very strange mental connection, which is a side effect of the spell their twin mothers put on them when they were young. Whatever one feels the other does as well. Which is great for knowing when one is in trouble or hurt. Not so great when it comes to women.

One of the best examples of peptides in cute-n-tiny.com cialis for order our daily life is proteins. To make sure your medicines work for you, you can speak to your doctor and ask for oral medications that have positive effects when it comes to levitra 5mg treating ED. What are the side effects? This tablet is a general edition of viagra line, but it’s a instant solution and does not lead to complete cure of this disease. So, buy generic cialis in australia Kamagra jelly now if you want to know about the roll of insulin. Cheyenne has found herself in a mess. As witness to the torture and murder of an undercover FBI agent, she has no choice but to go into witness protection. While in hiding with Parker and Grayson, she’ll find out some interesting things about herself and her unusual sexual desires.

Performing open heart surgery? Piece of cake. Taking on two men at once? Much more fun than she ever imagined.

It’s in a doctor’s nature to rush to help someone in pain, this need is what causes Cheyenne to witness the execution of an FBI agent while in the woods camping. She is then rushed into Witness Protection with FBI agents Grayson and Parker as her protectors.

The tension between the men and Cheyenne only ramps up as they hide out and she learns that the cousins like to share women. She’s intrigued but fights the attraction for a while, and I had to admire her strength. She had two very hot men wanting to worship her body and she held out. I like Cheyenne, she was a strong heroine, and new her mind and went for what she wanted.

Grayson and Parker were great heroes, who seemed together to complement each other perfectly and in such a way that a permanent ménage is very believable with these three. There is a paranormal angle that is unique, but not necessarily needed for the story to work. I liked it, but this could have been a solid story without it.

I enjoyed the suspense, the chemistry and the way the author handled all the elements in this story smoothly, I definitely recommend it to ménage romance fans who like a bit of action in their stories.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cast of Characters from In Bed With a Rogue by Samantha Grace – Guest Blog and Giveaway

September 19, 2014 By 4 Comments

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Samantha Grace, whose newest book In Bed With a Rogue was recently released. Enter the Rafflecopter below to win a copy of the book.

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Hello, everyone! I’m Samantha Grace, author of the historical romance series Rival Rogues. It’s great to be here today at Long and Short Reviews. Recently I recalled my love for reading plays in my high school and college literature classes. Anton Chekov, Neil Simon, William Shakespeare, the Greek tragedies… It didn’t matter if I would like the story by the end—although 9 times out of 10 I did—I always experienced a rush of excitement when I opened the play and found the cast of characters. Maybe it was the sense of possibilities with each characters—what role would they play? What secrets would they hold? Would they be exactly what they seemed to be on the surface or was there more depth to them? I thought it might be fun to share the “Cast of Characters” for my newest release IN BED WITH A ROGUE and what role they play in a story I truly love.

Sebastian, 2nd Baron Thorne—hero; a rogue by reputation; jilted by the heroine in ONE ROGUE TOO MANY, whom he wanted to marry to help improve his sister’s standing in Society; son of an officer in the King’s military who was granted a barony for his service. Sebastian’s goals: Help his sister reenter Society and complete his father’s work for housing for homeless soldiers. Barriers: Gossips are spreading rumors that he is mad like his father; No lady of high standing will help his sister since they are giving her the cut direct (turning their noses up and shunning her).

Eve Thorne—Sebastian’s younger sister; abandoned at the altar 2 years earlier and her reputation suffered greatly; the ton assumed her fiancé had learned something horrible about her; spunky and resilient despite everything.

Lady Helena Prestwick—heroine; a viscountess; widow with a sterling reputation recently arrived from Scotland; has a secret past she wants to keep hidden; in London to search for her younger sisters whom she hasn’t seen since her father lost her in a card game to Lord Prestwick and he took her to his castle in Scotland; independently wealthy since her husband had no heirs. Helena’s goal: Find her sisters and provide a better life for them in Scotland. Barriers: She can’t search the fashionable brothels where one of her sisters is rumored to work because she is not a gentleman.

Fergus—Helena’s champion; he is her deceased husband’s land steward; Scottish; he is a father figure to Helena and a bit of a pushover when it comes to her; very protective.

Olive, Lady Eldridge—Lord Prestwick’s cousin who has taken Helena under her wing; a busybody and gossip, but good hearted; she caused a few problems for Sebastian in ONE ROGUE TOO MANY.

Lavinia Kendrick—Helena’s sister who is rumored to be working in a brothel.

Cora, Pearl, and Gracie—Helena’s other younger sisters.

Other characters play a role in the story, too, but these are the ones closest to Sebastian and Helena. Fergus and Lavinia are definitely favorites when it comes to secondary characters. Maybe they’ll each need a happy-ending of their own some day.

Not only do I enjoy reading plays, I love attending the theater. I had a chance to see “Wicked” onstage when the Romance Writers of America met in New York a few years ago and it was AMAZING! I kept thinking how each performer was at the top of their games. It was very inspiring for me as a writer. It made me want to be at the top of my game some day, too. Have you ever seen a professional performance of a play? Was it something you enjoyed or would you prefer sticking to movies?

To connect with Samantha…

Samantha Grace Author | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

9_19 Samantha Grace Author PhotoAbout the Author: Historical romance author Samantha Grace discovered the appeal of a great love story when she was just a young girl, thanks to Disney’s Robin Hood. She didn’t care that Robin Hood and Maid Marian were cartoon animals. It was her first happily-ever-after experience and she didn’t want the warm fuzzies to end. Now Samantha enjoys creating her own happy-endings for characters that spring from her imagination. Publisher’s Weekly describes her stories as “fresh and romantic” with subtle humor and charm. Samantha describes romance writing as the best job ever.

Part-time hospice social worker, moonlighting author, and Pilates nut, she enjoys a happy and hectic life with her real life hero and two kids in the Midwest.

Website: http://www.samanthagraceauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Grace/264436686918343

Twitter: @SamGraceAuthor https://twitter.com/SamGraceAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4946067.Samantha_Grace

 

9_19 Samantha Grace9781402286612-mHe’s the Talk of the Town

The whole town is tittering about Baron Sebastian Thorne having been jilted at the altar. Every move he makes ends up in the gossip columns. Tired of being the butt of everyone’s jokes, Sebastian vows to restore his family’s reputation no matter what it takes.

 

She’s the Toast of the Ton

Feted by the crème of society, the beautiful widow Lady Prestwick is a vision of all that is proper. But Helena is no angel, and when Sebastian uncovers her dark secret, he’s quick to press his advantage. In order to keep her hard-won good name, Helen will have to make a deal with the devil. But she’s got some tricks up her sleeves to keep this notorious rogue on his toes…

 

 

 

 

Buy: Amazon | B&N | BAM! | IndieBound | !ndigo | iTunes

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Up The Tower by JP Lantern

September 18, 2014 By 8 Comments

UptheTower

Up the Tower by JP Lantern
Publisher: Brainstorm Publishing
Genre: Futuristic/Sci-Fi, Dystopian, YA
Length: Full (247 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Snapdragon

In the dystopian slum of Junktown, death is commonplace, trust is a liability, and friendship is a curse. But disaster brings everybody together. A cloned corporate assassin; a boy genius and his new robot; a tech-modified gangster with nothing to lose; a beautiful, damaged woman and her unbalanced stalker—these individuals couldn’t be more different, but somehow they must work together to save their own skin. Stranded in the epicenter of a monumental earthquake, there is only one way to survive. These unlikely teammates must go…UP THE TOWER.

Up the Tower offers us the events following a disaster in the future City of St. Louis. There is that which is familiar in any American city – the ordinary lives, the everyday events. Then there are the futuristic elements, like the mega-corp of the police department, and cultural ones, as well. Then, there is the sudden life-altering change, showing us the impact of the disaster on individuals.

The opening sets the stage, from a distant, perhaps arms-length perspective. I felt interested, yet uninvolved. Abruptly–and this author can handle “abruptly”–we plunge into the ‘ordinary’ lives of these future people.
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The quick, frank yet conversational style can occasionally become quite confrontational and tense. Yet, some things are reported matter-of-factly; we accept the strict classes of people almost without second thought. You’re a shareholder–in luck! Or no–a gangster, too bad. It’s the luck of draw, or what you can afford to pay for in this not-quite-familiar future world.

We meet ‘Ore’ first – horrible and horrifying as she is, you do kind of feel for her. She’s tough, but maybe she is what her world made her? Even Victor (I mean, he’s an assassin!) manages not to be a simple, black-and-white character. You can understand his effort to avoid thinking of the dead people; we want to believe some part of him cares. All Mr. Lantern’s characters are distinct beings; more than distinct, they are unique and …well… incredibly individual.

There is even a romance mixed in, along with a sense of character’s insecurity- perhaps a sample of the style is the best way to share:

“Today was Gary’s day. He could feel it in his bones. Somehow, someway, he’d run into Ana. He dressed with vigor. Form-fitting khakis. A button-down shirt. His hair slicked back into a neato pompadour. Leather jacket hanging loosely around it all, hiding the outline of pudge that had been steadily building ever since he finished high school. He looked killer. He looked hip. He was neato, daddy-o. That was how they said it, right?”

Strange world though it seems, anyone can identify with Gary’s hope, as well as his efforts to fit in.

Events in Up the Tower are important, yet are given less attention. It is the results that are important. Even the disaster at the start is merely reported, not so much lived and felt.  Junktown, within St. Louis, is central, but never well described.

The style is far from my favorite, but Author JP Lantern manipulates readers emotions like a magician. In fact, but for a few moments of confusion here and there, I might well have assigned it five stars. Although listed for young adult readers,  anyone of any age who likes the genre should enjoy Up the Tower.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Heart on a String by Susan Soares

September 18, 2014 By 4 Comments

Cover_Heart on a String

Heart on a String by Susan Soares
Publisher: Astrea Press
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Length: Full (186 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rated: 4.5 stars
Review by Poppy

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Marissa tells lies.

To herself, about the fact that her brother abandoned her.

To her grandmother, when she says “everything’s fine.”
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To the world when she pretends her mother is at home or working late. When she doesn’t tell them her mother is dead.

She doesn’t even question the wisdom of living in a world built on lies anymore—until she meets Brandon. Unlike Marissa, Brandon faces his grief head-on. As their relationship sweetens, Marissa realizes the value of letting someone in and not letting her grief destroy her. But when her past filled with denial catches up with her, Marissa is forced to tell Brandon her darkest secrets, or risk losing him.

The only thing harder than lying about her life? Facing it.

Aptly named, Heart on a String is one of the most touching books I’ve read in some time. From the start, when Marissa literally finds a heart on a string–a heart shaped balloon stuck in a tree–and “saves” it, I was hooked.

I lost a parent to cancer many years ago. True, I was an adult (a very young one, but still an adult), but it was no less heartrending. Marissa not only loses her mother, though, but also her brother who abandons her. And though her grandmother does her best, nothing can fill that gap in her life.

The strength of this novel was the author’s ability to create real, unique characters that I cared about from the moment I met them. From Marissa, to her grandmother, to her friend, Zoe and, of course Brandon, each person was well crafted, real and exceptional.  Even the secondary characters were solidly three-dimensional. They behaved as I would expect them to, though sometimes I wanted to slap Marissa silly for her behavior and I didn’t always like her. Even then, though, it was well within the realm of possibility. I have a teenaged daughter, and know how incredibly emotional and dramatic they can be.

Brandon was a dream come true. A truly good guy who’s learning to deal with his grief–the loss of a brother–in a much healthier manner than Marissa does the loss of her mom. I don’t want to share spoilers, but I really loved what he did at the very end. I nearly cried happy tears.

Deciding on an age recommendation wasn’t easy, but if your younger teens can handle deeply emotional stories involving the loss of a parent, then there really isn’t any else in this story to worry about.

All-in-all an impressive book. Not without a few things that annoyed (mainly some of Marissa’s behavior), but any irritation was well overshadowed by the emotions the author elicited from me. I cried, I laughed, I empathized and I hoped … the book impacted me and touched my heart. I recommend it.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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