Archives for March 2017

The Crimson Curse by Melissa J Crispin

March 27, 2017 By Leave a Comment


The Crimson Curse by Melissa J Crispin
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Genre: Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (65 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Cursed and disfigured, Calliope must find true love before the final leaf falls from the Enchanted Tree. Being bound to her mansion on the outskirts of town leaves her with little hope.

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An attack by rogues puts Bastian in Calliope’s care. As he struggles against pride and prejudice, Bastian can’t ignore his growing attraction to the kind soul behind the mask.

Yareena and the mansion staff do their best at matchmaking, but Calliope can’t reveal her darkest secret. Will Bastian discover her true beauty before it’s too late?

Calliope’s mother led her to believe the beauty spot on her face would deter men from courting her. A witch appears and offers to remove the spot, then casts a foul spell which leaves half of Calliope’s face a burned ruin. Before she departs the witch puts a curse on the entire household. Only true love will lift the curse, but if if the last of the crimson leaves of the Enchanted Tree in the garden fall before love appears, Calliope will remain scarred for the remainder of her life.

At first I wondered where this story was going as there seemed to be no reason for anything to change, but once the child Yareena appeared the mansion came alive again. Warmth also grew in Calliope when Bastian Chance, Yareena’s father, appears in her life. Constant misunderstanding and intriguing secrets hidden behind the mansion’s walls draw Bastian and Calliope together then pulls them apart. Warmth and lightheartedness from Yareena helps to solve their differences, before another one causes yet more problems.

A short story but with enough depth to catch my attention and hold it until the end of the book. A good read.

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

Christmas Party by Shelby Morgen

March 27, 2017 By 2 Comments


Christmas Party by Shelby Morgen
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (37 pgs)
Other: M/F, Anal Play
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

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When the two IT people voted least likely to ever get a date collide at Cherie’s office Christmas party, they decide it’s easier to ride the holidays out together than try to escape their own lies. They’ve got a lot in common, but is the chemistry they share enough to make up for all the reasons they’ve been determined to stay single?

Cherie doesn’t mind Christmas – she just hates the obligatory Christmas Parties and ensuing bunch of awkward questions. But when Zak starts speaking her language, suddenly this particular Christmas Party ends up being the best of her life.

I laughed so hard through this short story and was utterly charmed within the first couple of pages. From mis-spelling her fake-boyfriend’s name to tech-geek computer gaming conversations this is a realistic, hilarious and wonderfully sexy short story. I wish half my Christmas parties were this much fun! The chemistry between Cherie and Zak was smoking hot, and I loved how quickly and easily they managed to click emotionally as well as physically.

While this was absolutely a short story and thus fast paced, I believed and really loved the connection between Cherie and Zak. Add in that Zak was a man in uniform and I genuinely couldn’t find a single fault with the story, writing or characters. This is an amazing, funny and clever story that I loved from start to finish, and one I know will remain on my keeper pile. While set at Christmas time, there wasn’t a lot of Christmassy-ness in it, and speaking personally I didn’t mind that at all, though readers looking for a Christmas-themed story might find this one small aspect lacking.

With frozen dildos, laptop comparisons and raids of bachelorette party condoms, this book had me laughing so hard all the way through and deliciously invested in Cherie and Zak’s brand new relationship. Equal parts sexy and fun I adored this story and can’t recommend it highly enough.

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

Thrown to the Wolves by Naomi Clark

March 27, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Thrown to the Wolves by Naomi Clark
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (42 pages)
Other: F/F
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Paige went to Romania looking for inspiration for a book. She found herself caught in a horror story. Attacked and left for dead by a vampire, Paige finds herself at the mercy of Kata, a beautiful, enigmatic werewolf. Their attraction is instant, but Paige’s fate hangs in the balance. She may yet be turned into a vampire herself. Soon it’s clear to Paige that the only way to save herself may be to return to the woman who attacked her…even if it means placing both herself and Kata in the greatest danger.

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Paige was such a likeable main character. The first thing I noticed about her was how smart and level-headed she was even when she was surrounded by danger. She was the kind of person who took her own safety quite seriously, and that’s refreshing to see in a modern fantasy story. It made me hope that all of her precautions would pay off for her in the end.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to the conflict with the vampire who attacked Paige just before the first scene began. The characters spent so much time trying to figure out how to handle that threat that I was surprised by how quickly that storyline ended up being resolved. I was fascinated by the idea of werewolves and vampires not getting along, so it was a little disappointing to not get to dive into that conflict very deeply.

The chemistry between Paige and Kata was sizzling hot. Watching the sexual tension build up between them made me eager to see it finally come to a head. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen once they finally ended up in bed together and if the sparks that flew between them could ignite something that lasted far longer than one night.

Thrown to the Wolves should be read by fans of erotica and dark fantasy alike.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

A Small-Town Bride by Hope Ramsay – Spotlight and Giveaway

March 27, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes USA Today bestselling author Hope Ramsay, who is visiting with us to celebrate the release tomorrow of her newest book A Small-Town Bride. It’s the second book in here Chapel of Love contemporary romance series about a small-town wedding chapel is perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber, Robyn Carr, and Sherryl Woods. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win a copy of the book.

Top 5 Favorite Spring Activities
I love the Spring, it’s my favorite season. So paring down the list to just five things is hard. But I’ll try:

5. Planting the annuals in my front flower bed. I go to the nursery every year on Mother’s day and select bedding plants for my yard. It’s a wonderful way to spend a late spring day.

4. Going to the Winchester, Virginia Apple Blossom Festival.

3. Sitting under the Wisteria vine in my back yard when it’s in full bloom, usually in April. There is nothing like dining alfresco under the vine, drinking a glass of wine and drinking in the sweet smell of the wisteria.

2. Baseball’s opening day on (or around) April 1. In my opinion the opening day of the baseball season should be a national holiday. And I ought to mention that some years I have made the trip to Florida to catch spring training games. Ah, now that’s heaven.

1. Visiting the cherry blossoms on the tidal basin in downtown DC. I’m so lucky to live in the nation’s capital and can enjoy the cherry trees every year.

Amy Lyndon is tired of being the Poor Little Rich Girl of Shenandoah Falls. In her prominent family, she’s the ordinary one – no Ivy League education and no powerful career. But when her father tries to marry her off, she knows it’s finally time to stand up for herself, despite the consequences. Now that she’s cut off from the family fortune, her first challenge is to fight her attraction to her handsome new boss.

When Amy shows up looking for work with his landscaping crew, Dusty McNeil thinks there’s no way such a pampered princess will ever get her hands dirty. But as Amy proves him wrong and gets down to the nitty gritty, Dusty’s admiration turns to like, then lust – and then love. But can a high-society woman like Amy ever fall for a man like him?

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Hon, are you all right? You’ve been in there a while, and I . . . ”

Amy opened the door. “I’m fine.” Her voice wobbled. She would not ask to borrow the phone. There had to be another way.

“No, I don’t think so,” Gracie said. “You come out and have your eggs and bacon.”

Oh crap. What was she supposed to do now?

“I . . . I . . . don’t. I mean I can’t . . . ” She let go of a long, trembling breath. “Daddy locked me out of the house yesterday and told me I had to marry Grady Carson. Then he took all the money out of my checking account. And I probably should call Grady, but I have to borrow your phone.” The words came out in a terrible, hoarse whisper.

She expected Gracie to yell at her for using the bathroom without having any intention of buying food. Or, worse yet, to take her into the back room and hand her a phone. But instead Gracie draped her arm over Amy’s shoulder. “Come get your breakfast. You can pay me for it later, after you sort things out with your father. And no woman should ever marry someone she has second thoughts about. Shame on your daddy.”

The tense muscles in Amy’s neck and shoulders relaxed as Gracie led her to the counter, where a plate of eggs and bacon awaited. “Eat your breakfast. You’ll feel better.”

Amy did as she was told, downing the eggs and bacon like a starving person. She had no idea where her next meal would come from, so she allowed Gracie to refill her coffee cup several times while the diner filled up with the usual Saturday crowd.

Pippa Custis, the owner of Ewe and Me, the yarn shop in town, came in for a bowl of oatmeal.

Walter Braden came in holding hands with his new wife, the former Poppy Marchand. For a couple of old people, they were sweet. They ordered two big breakfasts and spent the entire time gazing into each other’s eyes.

Alicia Mulloy, the hygienist at Dr. Dinnen’s office, ordered three different kinds of donuts. Amy wondered if Dr. Dinnen knew about Alicia’s sugar habit.

And then Dusty McNeil strolled through the door and turned Saturday into Man Candy Monday. Wow. He was like some unholy combination of Thor and Captain America all rolled into one gorgeous example of maleness.

Gracie swooped down on him with a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs and bacon, as if she’d been expecting his arrival. He gave Gracie a smile full of laugh lines and dimples and white teeth. And then he turned toward Amy.

Unlike the other customers, he didn’t pretend she was invisible. Oh no. He gave her a long, assessing gaze that made Amy’s pulse jump. Dusty McNeil had a badass reputation as a player who preferred the showgirls and cocktail waitresses who worked up at the casinos in Charles Town, West Virginia.

So why was he ogling her?

She had no idea, but she returned the favor. Who wouldn’t enjoy gazing at that chiseled face or those bright baby blues or all that golden blond hair?

And that’s when a crazy idea popped into her desperate head. Maybe she could invite herself over to his place for some Netflix and chill. Spending a night with him wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice. And it would probably be way more fun (and warmer) than sleeping in the Z4.

Or sleeping with Grady for that matter.

But no. Initiating a booty call would not be the right next step. She’d chosen to sleep in her car instead of falling back on a man. She’d taken a principled position. So she pushed the ridiculous idea of sleeping with Dusty McNeil out of her mind and concentrated on her coffee mug while she tried to figure out what her next step ought to be.

She came up with exactly nothing.

“Y’all seem to be busy up at Eagle Hill Manor these days,” Gracie said to Dusty. And since Amy didn’t have anything better to do, she eavesdropped.

“Yep. Ever since that article in Brides. Willow’s hiring another event planner. Know anyone who might be interested?”

Gracie shook her head. “No, but I’ll keep my eye out.”

A job.

Why hadn’t Amy thought of that before?

A job would solve all her problems. And becoming an event planner sounded like the perfect fit except for the fact that she had zero real work experience. But she had been her sorority’s social secretary and had planned all kinds of themed parties and charitable events. She’d even had a hand in helping several of her sorority sisters with their wedding plans.

This was perfect. She’d get a job instead of a husband.

And wouldn’t that blow Daddy’s mind?

About the Author:Hope Ramsay is a USA Today bestselling author of heartwarming contemporary romances. Her books have won critical acclaim and publishing awards. She is married to a good ol’ Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her Southern heroes. She has two grown children and a couple of demanding lap cats. She lives in Virginia where, when she’s not writing, she’s knitting or playing her forty-year-old Martin guitar.

Facebook | Twitter| Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Buy the book at Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Google Play, iBooks, or Kobo.

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The English Duke by Karen Ranney

March 24, 2017 By Leave a Comment


The English Duke by Karen Ranney
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (277 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

For years, Martha York has been fascinated by a man she’s never met—Jordan Hamilton, the new Duke of Roth and protégé to her inventor father. Could the elusive gentleman possibly live up to his brilliant letters? When Martha travels to his estate to carry out her father’s last bequest, she discovers that the answer is a resounding yes, for the duke’s scientific mind belies a deep sensuality…

Jordan was determined to complete his prototype alone, but it’s impossible to resist the alluring young woman who shows up at his door. Working together, they grow ever closer, until a case of mistaken identity leaves him bound to another. A woman’s heart may be more complex than the most intricate invention, but Jordan must find a way to win Martha’s, or lose the only woman who can truly satisfy him…

The English Duke is a delight. The characters are diverse and each of them has a mind of his or her own with no one acting the shrinking violet. Martha York will see that her dead father’s wishes are carried out. Jordan Hamilton, the reluctant new Duke of Roth, is not interested in her father’s wishes and tries to ignore Martha—not going to happen!
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How the story unfolds has one turning pages, all the while giving rapt attention to the twists and turns in the plot.

The author takes the reader into the late nineteenth century of England society with remarkable descriptions of settings and advancements in technical inventions, along with the social changes that are being forced on the peerage at the time. Money is a big issue.

Josephine, Martha’s half-sister, and Reese, Jordan’s friend are soon seen as antagonists that bear watching. Also, Martha’s grandmother who is not above doing a little manipulating, is to be watched. These characters keep the cauldron bubbling with conflicts that beset Martha’s plans again and again. Josephine soon became the antagonist that I loved to hate. Her self-centeredness and amoral attitude are beyond belief.

Martha’s intellectual prowess is equal to Jordan’s. Her long working relationship with her inventive father sets her apart. She and Jordan soon work in harmony as they try to fix one little flaw in her father’s last invention—a torpedo ship.

How Karen Ranney weaves together back story, the supporting characters, a love story that seems ill-fated, and leaves no loose ends is masterful.

The English Duke is a joy to read.

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

Wyoming Brave by Diana Palmer

March 24, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Wyoming Brave by Diana Palmer
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (301 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

The Wyoming men are back! In their quest for true love on the range, are these ranchers bold enough to open their hearts to the women under their protection?

Ren Colter may own an enormous ranch in Wyoming, but he scorns his wealth. He’s closed himself off since his fiancée left him years ago, so he’s shocked when he allows Meredith Grayling to stay with him. He tells himself it’s only to protect the blonde beauty from a stalker, but Ren’s alpha instincts soon kick in.

The last thing Merrie wants is a devastatingly handsome man like Ren lurking around her. He’s too experienced, too appealing for her already shot nerves. What she needs is just to get away from it all: the man haunting her waking dreams and the one hunting her like an animal. But no woman escapes this Colter cowboy!

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I missed reading the story about Merrie’s sister, Sari, but this book about Merrie has made me want to know more especially seeing how hard it was for the heroine to not only find love but to feel as if there really was a future in store for her. After reading about how Merrie was treated by her father, it’s a wonder she didn’t have even more trust issues than she did. As the novel unfolded, I experienced various levels of horror as I realized just how cruel and scary the heroine’s childhood was. It explained how a woman in her early twenties could be so untouched and vulnerable, yet strong in unusual ways. What I mean is that Merrie had a knack, a gift, and a remarkable talent with animals. I suspect that pain recognized pain and her empathy as well as her deep well of untapped love was sensed by all the furred and feathered characters in the book.

Ren is initially a grumpy bug. He’s scowly, prickly and hard to get along with at first. You see, the hero has had a huge blow to his self-esteem, his trust and his heart. He’s gotten used to a certain type of woman in his life so Merrie, who should have been a breath of fresh air, got under his skin and made him act more growly than normal. Not that being contrary is normal, it’s really not for Ren, but he’s hurting and he wants to keep the heroine at arm’s length. Yeah, you know how well that works, right? Ren can’t help himself because every time the heroine does something unexpected she inadvertently gets past the barriers around his heart. She makes him want to trust again, to feel, to have hope and that gets him mad all over again. Good thing slow and steady wins the race. I’m not saying the story is slow, it’s not. Merrie is a gentle force of nature but one to be reckoned with. Ren didn’t stand a chance.

I am pretty sure I caught a glitch in the book about Merrie’s dancing ability. There’s an unnecessary repeat and I was surprised it wasn’t fixed. Another thing that didn’t jive with me 100% was the slippery smoothness of conflict resolution. What should have been bumpy, scary or at least viewed with wariness and caution somehow turns sunny, positive and everything turns out fairytale perfect. I guess for readers who are in the mood for light drama but want to stay away from truly dark themes, then this book reaches a good balance. For others who want the depth of the main characters to grow through detailed and focused adversity that they overcome, they’ll be left wanting. For all the potential for action and adventure based on the skill set of the alpha men that Merrie and Sari are surrounded with, the violence is understated and mostly inferred, not actual. So, depending on your mood, this book could really be a perfect read.

I know that I rated Wyoming Brave as spicy for the heat level but it’s more spicy-lite. Their physical expression of their passion was clear but muted. It was not graphic with lots of intimate detail; their touching and loving was more sensual, seductive and romantic but with just a tad of purple prose, if you know what I mean. It’s like I was peeking around the bedroom door to satisfy my belief that their chemistry was combustible but didn’t come all the way into the room to watch. I was fine with that level of heat.

The secondary characters that surrounded Ren and Merrie sure were colorful. They contributed important elements in the novel that made it work. Not surprisingly, Merrie endeared herself to a villain by finding within him that spark of decency and she reaped unexpected rewards. If any reader has seen Disney’s movie Pollyanna then they’ll have an idea of Merrie’s effect on the people around her. It’s like that.

Wyoming Brave was a one day read for me. I settled down into a comfortable chair and lost myself within its pages. It’s a nice story with some sharp edges to sink your teeth into. I liked Ren and Merrie together. The final chapter acted like one giant epilogue that wrapped up the HEA to perfection. This was a fine book and enjoyable. It’s a recommended read especially for fans of Ms. Palmer.

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

The Enchanted Swans by Christy Nicholas

March 24, 2017 By Leave a Comment


The Enchanted Swans by Christy Nicholas
Publisher: Tirgearr Publshing
Genre: Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (135 pages)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

In pre-Celtic Ireland, Fionnuala was a fae princess, born to a life of luxury. She knew her duty and loved her family. She missed her mother, who died in childbirth when Fionnuala was but ten years old. Still, she had hopes and dreams of love and a full life.
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All her dreams were stolen from her, ripped away in a torrent of envy and magic.

Now she must care for her three brothers while learning to live under an evil curse. Will she find a way to break the spell, or would they remain swans, tethered to three places for nine hundred years?

A fantasy story which reminded me of The Six Swans of Grimms Fairy Tales. Set in Ireland many years ago around 460 BC and gradually wending its way to 450 AD, this is the tale of a princess and her three brothers who are turned into swans by their wicked stepmother. They all belong to the Faerie people who are gradually moving to the world below as humans take over the surface of the world.

This story was rather bland. There were no highlights to get the reader excited, no battles, nothing. Any events which could have grabbed the reader were told rather than shown. For instance the stepmother’s changing the children to swans could have been an exciting event. Instead they went to sleep and woke up as swans – lost opportunity here. There were too many explanations and not enough depth to the story. Also punctuation and tense need to be looked at.

I thought the actual premise of the story was good, though, and the historical parts of the story were very interesting.  If you like stories with a pretty princess and three handsome princes, a dash of magic, and history of many centuries, this may be a book for you.

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D is for Dinosaur by Rhonda Parrish

March 24, 2017 By 2 Comments


D is for Dinosaur by Rhonda Parrish (editor)
Publisher: Poise and Pen Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary, Historical
Length: Full Length (373 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

For the fourth installment of Rhonda Parrish’s Alphabet Anthologies, contributors were challenged to write about dinosaurs. The resulting twenty-six stories contain widely different interpretations of the dinosaur theme and span the spectrum from literal to metaphoric.

Within these stories — set in alternative histories, far-flung futures and times just around the corner — dinosaurs whimper and waste away or roar and rage. People can be dinosaurs, as can ideas, fictions and flesh. Knitted dinosaurs share space with ghostly, genetically engineered and even narcotic ones.
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Teenagers must embrace their inner dinosaurs in order to find peace and belonging, a dying woman duels a God in a far future city that echoes aspects of our past, an abused wife accompanies her husband on a hunt for an ancient power and finds more than she could ever have imagined and a girl with wonderful magical powers stumbles across the bones of a giant long-dead lizard. And so much more!

Everyone has a hidden side to themselves. Only time will tell if those unexplored parts of anyone’s personality, past, or future will be revealed.

In “B,” Brontë was a teenage girl who was bullied by classmates during the day and who had vivid dreams of being a raptor at night. When she decided to confront the meanest bully, these two worlds collided in unexpected ways. What I enjoyed the most about this tale was how much time the narrator spent planning her revenge. It made me eager to see what would happen next, and it also fit Brontë’s stubborn personality perfectly.

Once again, Ms. Parrish compiled a collection that I didn’t want to stop reading. Every single one of them had something that appealed to me, and there were very few missteps. “K” was one of the few stories that could have used more development. It was about two men named Gunnar and Brynjar who had recently survived a shipwreck and were trying to figure out how they might live on a deserted island. When one of them spotted another ship on the horizon, they had to decide if they’d rather signal for help or rough it alone. While I really enjoyed the premise, the ending was abrupt. I would have preferred to see more time spent on their dilemma before the twist was revealed. There was still so much material to explore before they made their choice.

“H” followed an ancient race that was capable of living both on land and in the sea. When their existence on one was threatened, they’d switch to fins or legs and live in the other one for a few millenia. This was one of my favourite selections because of how beautiful Ms. Engelhardt’s writing style was. She knew exactly how to capture a single moment and share it with her audience using every single sense a human is capable of perceiving. I didn’t want her storytelling to end, and I would love to read a sequel to this if she ever decides to write one.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend D is for Dinosaur to anyone who is a fan of any part of the modern science fiction or fantasy genres. There is something here for everyone!

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

You May Kiss the Bride by Lisa Berne

March 23, 2017 By Leave a Comment


You May Kiss the Bride by Lisa Berne
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (289 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

In an unforgettable debut, Lisa Berne introduces you to the Penhallow Dynasty—men destined to marry, but hesitant to love.

Wealthy and arrogant, Gabriel Penhallow knows it’s time to fulfill his dynastic duty. All he must do is follow the ‘Penhallow way’: find a biddable bride, produce an heir and a spare, and then live separate lives. It’s worked so well for generations, certainly one kiss with the delectable Livia Stuart isn’t going to change things. Society dictates he marry her, and one chit is as good as another as long as she’s from a decent family.

But Livia’s transformation from an original to a mundane diamond of the first water makes Gabriel realize he desperately wants the woman who somehow provoked him into that kiss. And for all the ladies who’ve thrown themselves at him, it’s the one who wants to flee whom he now wants. But how will he keep this independent miss from flying away?

So we have some purchase cheap levitra interesting information that you might find it strange to listen this but it is not incurable. There are many certified Chiropractors, Carlsbad offering a variety of specialized services pills viagra canada and therefore it’s completely your choice to get yourself a professional chiropractic Vista expert who is effective at aiding you with your needs. Have a levitra 40 mg look at the benefits that you are looking for, without any adverse effects. Respectable internet pharmacists is going to continually order cheap levitra give the named relief medication for you to pay for. A rags-to-riches story, You May Kiss the Bride is not a happy story much of the time and love seems an impossibility. How the author weaves love in among all the manipulation, gossip, conflict, and intrigue makes page-turning reading.

This is especially true since Gabriel Penhallow does not hold women in high esteem and is not looking for love. He just needs a suitable woman of society–intelligent, has substantial wealth, and in good health—to produce his heirs.

His managing grandmother met Lady Glanvilles and daughter, Cecily in Bath and declares Cecily to be good wife material for Gabriel. The two of them attend a house party at the Glanvilles, with Gabriel intending to ask Cecily to be his wife.

To escape the vacuous activities of the house party, Gabriel Penhallow rides out alone and gets lost in the forest. He sees Livia Stuart. He is entranced. She looks like a ragged but beautiful wood sprite. But his haughty elite self surfaces and he tosses coins to her for information on how to get back to the Glandvilles. BIG MISTAKE!

Livia Stuart, the poor orphan relative sent home to Ealdor Abby from India when she was very young,expects and gets nothing.more than food and shelter from her wastrel Uncle Charles and her “medicine” addlepated Aunt Bella. She has no money, no education, and no prospects; even though she’s now of marriage age. She is Lady Glanvilles and Cecily’s charity case. They, snobbish and snide, give her Cecily’s hand-me-down clothes and invite her to events at their home.

How Livia and Gabriel become betrothed and plan to use each other sets up conflict, rejection, loneliness, and heartbreak. Not until Gabriel and his grandmother come to recognize their self-centeredness and entitlement attitudes almost destroyed what they hold dear, do they come to recognize the value and joy of having Livia in their lives.

Lisa Berne creates a compelling story with great pacing that is an early nineteenth century rollercoaster ride. GOOD ENTERTAINMENT!

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

Strange Medicine by Mike Russell

March 23, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Strange Medicine by Mike Russell
Publisher: StrangeBooks Indiepress
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (144 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

We recommend the following prescription: Strange Medicine – weird and wonderful stories for all that ails you. Strange Medicine is a fantastic collection of extraordinary tales of transformation by UK weird-fiction author Mike Russell. If you love the strange, surreal and unusual or if you are just looking for something different, Strange Medicine is for you.

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In “Seventy-Two Bricks,” Geoffrey and Tiffany discovered that they’ve both been playing the same game with mysterious objects that randomly appear and disappear as they go through their normal daily routines. When Geoffrey failed to win one of his rounds, Tiffany came up with a plan to help both of them succeed the next time they were invited to play. The most interesting thing about these games to me was how seriously the characters took them. I was fascinated by their stubborn insistence that every single clue needed to be solved, especially since they knew so little about why the game started or what the purpose of it was.

Some of these stories would have benefited from more detailed explanations about what was happening in them. While I definitely do enjoy reading things that expect readers to come up with our own theories about what they might mean, I really struggled to understand some of the selections in this anthology because their narrators spent so little time showing me what was happening. “Mime” was one of the biggest examples of this. The main character in it was a mime who sneaked into a park that strictly forbade mimes from using it. As curious as I was to discover why a park would make such a bizarre rule, I had trouble following the protagonist’s moves as people began to notice she had broken it. Some of her actions didn’t make sense at all because there wasn’t enough backstory given about when and how it became a negative thing to be a mime.

The most interesting thing about “Brain” to me was that it began with a college professor named Eddie who was undergoing some medical testing for charity purposes. I was perplexed by how something as ordinary as as a CT scan could veer off into completely unexpected territory. The more I read about what happened to Eddie after his test results were interpreted, the more I wanted to know about what was really going on with him. The twist in the final scene only made me like this tale than I already did.

Anyone who appreciates the peculiar side of life should give Strange Medicine a try.

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