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Fearless by Tawny Weber

November 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment

FEARLESS
Fearless by Tawny Weber
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (99 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Promising career: check

Amazing apartment: check

The best of friends: check

Sex life: MIA

There’s just one thing missing from Gia Renyard’s life: sexual adventure. And the one man she’d like to have it with is her hot co-worker, Luke Monroe. If only company rules didn’t prohibit her from asking him out. So Gia comes up with a plan: make herself over into a fantasy seductress, follow Luke to a convention in Sin City, and have her way with him for one erotic weekend. The man will never even know who did him.
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Everything is going according to plan—until Gia discovers that Luke is perfect for her outside the bedroom too. And suddenly she’s no longer content to let what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas…

This story explores the sexy and hot dilemma of what happens when what you do in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. It causes complications and Ms. Weber gives readers a lively tale of cat and mouse.

This novella is a short treat. It’s a quick read because it flows so well, the pace is brisk and the plot is simply fun because its pages are rife with entertainment. The dialogue between characters was chatty, comical, and insightful or it just moved the plot along where it needed to be.

Everyone has a fantasy but not many have the courage, liquid or otherwise, to take the steps to make it come true. It’s also accurate that living a fantasy can have ramifications in the real world once the fantasy is over that may shock the socks one or both of the participants.

The author knows how to write some seriously hot sexcapades. There is no doubt in my mind that after the fantasy was over, both Luke and Gia should have had a hard time walking after the fact. I’m wishing that the number of ‘finish lines’ that Gia reached are possible because that is one amazing imagination if not. The things the heroine does to the hero are fascinating. As this book is a tale of fiction, I guess it’s to be expected that Gia is so responsive and unconventional. It sure made the hero happy.

The book starts off with sex – talking about it, thinking about it, planning and eventually having it. What makes this book a winner to read is the emotional fall out later on and the extreme steps Gia takes to try to sweep it under the rug. She didn’t count on getting her heart involved. What a mess. The author wrote some effective scenes that leave a reader in no doubt that Gia is in over her head. Yet, she’s a strong gal as a reader will come to know when she’s handpicked to be on a team project. It was a wonderful conflict.

Luke is perfect and initially, boring. That’s the point. When I first read about him, it’s surface only. As Gia gets to know him, when the author lets me into his head, is when the real Luke shines through. He’s a very naughty guy, full of confidence and yet showed himself to be willing to listen, to take chances and to admit when someone is right. Even when he didn’t know who she was at the time.

When the mystery is solved, in a most unexpected manner, I was thrilled. It was very Cinderella-like but Luke is not a lame, one dimensional prince. The story ends more like a happy for now but there’s a very strong tell that it will eventually become a full HEA. Only Gia and Luke know for sure. The only thing I am sure about is that they have fallen in love. Ms. Weber made it very clear because some scenes have them sounding like mooning puppies. I giggled at all the clever ways Gia fought it and cheered when Luke convinced her that what they found in Vegas wasn’t fantasy but wonderfully, beautifully, real.

Fearless is the perfect title for a story about busting out of your comfort zone and finding out the world offers more than you ever dreamed. It’s a book that has all the elements of romance and sizzling heat to make it fun. This is escapism at its most delightful. Try it and see.

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

Out of the Darkness by Anne Patrick

November 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

DARKNESS
Out of the Darkness by Anne Patrick
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (140 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

FBI profiler Alex Michaels’ life was shattered when a sadistic serial killer murdered her twin sister and left Alex with a career ending injury. Hoping to put the past behind her, she sets off across country with a truck driver she barely knows.

Royce McIntire knows Alex is on the run from something or someone, but he doesn’t care. He’s fallen in love with her and is finally getting his life back on track and wants to win back custody of his son.

The killer is hot on Alex’s trail though, determined to find the one victim who got away. As more bodies turn up dead Alex has no choice but to tell Royce who she really is. Will the love that has blossomed between them be strong enough to sustain them, or will the killer get to Alex before they even have a chance to find out?

Alex’s job was her life. What will she live for now that her career is over?
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In just a few minutes, Alex lost everything that she cared about. Determined to leave her past and the pain of her losses behind her, Alex cuts ties with everyone she knows and takes off with Royce, a complete stranger. At first, Alex manages to find some semblance of happiness. Unfortunately, it soon becomes clear that Alex can’t hide forever, and the killer will never let her go.

Alex is obviously a tough woman. Not only did she survive the death of her sister, but also a career ending injury. When she quits her job and sets off across the country, some might assume she is simply running away. I don’t see it that way. I see a woman who needs some time and space to evaluate her priorities, her faith, and salvage her sanity. One of the things I like most about Alex is her rare ability to be direct and honest without being rude. Her straight-forward manner made me chuckle several times as I read, especially when Alex met Royce’s former mother-in-law.

Despite the odd way Alex and Royce met, their relationship felt very natural. There were a few awkward moments in the beginning that stemmed from Alex’s trust issues. However, it wasn’t long before their common faith in God, and Royce’s patience and gentle manner won her over. When Alex and Royce are together, it just seems right. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched them inch their way to a happy ending.

Alex is definitely the focus of this book, and as much as I liked getting to know her, I do wish some of the secondary characters had been more rounded. A few characters, like Royce’s son and Alex’s coworkers, had potential, but they never really grew beyond being types. Consequently, they didn’t seem as real to me as Alex.

Ms. Patrick did an excellent job building suspense around the serial killer stalking Alex. The sections of the story that focused on the killer gave me goose bumps, but weren’t overly graphic. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how close the murderer was to Alex and when he would make his final move.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Out of the Darkness. It is a chilling, fast paced suspense laced with romance. Anyone looking for a quick and entertaining read should definitely give Out of the Darkness a try.

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

Immortal Revenge by Mary Abshire

November 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

REVENGE
Immortal Revenge by Mary Abshire
The Legacy, #1
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (244 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Verbena

Grief stricken Katie Dillinger is on a mission to claim revenge for the death of her lover. In a race against time to find the murderer, Katie reaches out to Riker, a man listed as her boyfriend’s emergency contact. The cold-hearted man comes to Katie’s aid, but she doesn’t completely trust him. To keep her friends safe, she insists they leave town immediately. But her efforts come too late. A friend disappears and a clear message is left in the wake: surrender or more people will die.

Katie’s world is turned upside down when she discovers Riker has vowed to protect her. She’s involved in a prophecy, one which her lover had been preparing her for before his murder. All the combat training he gave her suddenly makes sense, and as Katie fights to keep her friends alive, she’s forced to prioritize. Revenge now, saving mankind next.

For Katie Dillinger, there’s nothing sweeter or more anticipated than revenge. She’d spent years learning how to defeat a vampire. Now it was time to put all that training to good use. But at what cost?

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Katie has suffered one loss after another. You’d think that finding her boyfriend beheaded, on fire, and nailed to a cross in the front yard would be enough to break her down into a wailing pile of mush, but not this tough girl. She mourns as best as she can, but quickly re-gathers herself and begins formulating a plot of revenge. With the aid of some unusual and unexpected allies, she collects her weapons, devises a plan, and sets about avenging her vampire lover. And if friends and daggers aren’t enough, she has a secret weapon stashed in her purse that will help tip the scales in her favor. Even though Kyle gave her many gifts, this last part of him might just be what she needs to succeed. It’s certainly something her enemies don’t expect.

A friend of Kyle’s from many years past, Riker pledged to protect Katie should anything happen to his comrade. When he gets the call that his friend has been destroyed, he wastes no time fulfilling his promise. Problem is, Katie is willful, headstrong, and just plain won’t listen to reason or rationality. She’s a real pain in the ass. And yet, Riker believes in her purpose, even if she doesn’t, and is determined to guide, coax, and protect her along the way. We really don’t get to know Riker very well. He’s big, broody, and bossy. It’s pretty comical to envision this hulking immortal ranting and raving to a much smaller human female who completely ignores and undermines his orders throughout the entire story. Still, I can’t help but think there’s more to this guy than just stringy hair, big muscles, and a bad attitude. I wish the story had allowed for a more thorough character development with him.

In Immortal Revenge, Ms. Mary Abshire has penned an urban fantasy that is both interesting and entertaining. It wasn’t quite the page-turner I’d hoped, but it did keep my interest well enough and I was curious to see what the ending had in store. The killer for this story for me was the multiple editing errors. The first few I pretty much ignored, but as the story went on, I found them riddled throughout. The point-of-view violations were minimal and not really a distraction. The main errors I found were with incorrect word usage, missing words, and some that just didn’t make any sense. I don’t feel these were things that made the story unworthy of reading or a waste of time because I enjoyed it nevertheless. However, these are certainly things that some better editing could easily correct to take this story from okay to good. A bit of a romantic at heart, I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t any romance in this tale, but this was not a romance story so the fault lies in my own personal tastes, not the author’s writing.

Overall, I felt the story was certainly worth my time and I enjoyed getting to know the characters, even if only on a surface level.

If you like kick-butt, don’t mess with me, slice ‘em and dice ‘em heroines and broody, fang-toting, muscle-laden heroes, then you’ll likely find Immortal Revenge worth your time. Be sure to find a comfortable spot before you get started, though. This is a lengthy tale that takes a while to read.

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

Welcome Back to Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand

November 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

GROVE
Welcome Back to Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (315 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

There’s no place like home ~ Grace Mulcahy thought she’d finally gotten Apple Grove, OH, out of her system. Until she’s lured back for a family barbecue and spies a broad-shouldered hottie hanging out at the grill. He somehow seems utterly at ease, whether flipping burgers or horsing around with her hellion nephews. Why didn’t her brother-in-law tell her he had such gorgeous friends? Suddenly her mouth is watering for more than her best friend’s famous pie.

When firefighter Pat Garahan sees Grace, it’s like a five-alarm bell goes off and he’s the one ablaze. She says she wants to leave Apple Grove, but he will do whatever it takes to keep her around. The life of a firefighter isn’t an easy one, though, and he’ll have to prove their immediate sparks can have a lasting chance at love…​

This is the book to scoop up when in need of a novel powered by pure romance. Welcome Back to Apple Grove is the epitome of a character driven tale that reaches in and touches the sentiments of the heart. The story closely follows two people who thought they were only friends, but through fate and family machinations soon discover they are the answer to each other’s long held hope of finding ‘the one’. How they reach that conclusion is the treat.

I’ve read Meg and Cait’s stories and I enjoyed both of them. This time around it’s Grace’s turn. The one consistent trend about Ms. Admirand’s series is that each one is a solid standalone. Every book embraces well developed, believable and likeable people who find love when they least expect it. The dialogue is the window to their souls and the key to understanding what an amazing community the author created for her characters. There are important secondary characters that flavor the story and showcase the strengths of the main protagonists. Many have been woven in and out between all three of the books I’ve read and if you’re lucky to have read them all as I have, I believe that sense of connection increases the enjoyment. There is a benefit to having read the series to be sure, but Grace and Pat can hold their own and they do so, with style.
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Grace is the baby bird that flew from the nest thinking the world beyond was going to provide her the good life. The heroine is a hard worker, a bit of a data geek and a little self-conscious about her weight. She has a few insecurities and dreams many a reader can relate to. She also belongs to a loving family and Ms. Admirand was very effective in getting that across. It’s almost to the point of sugar-shock. But since I adore Meg and Cait and their very yummy husbands, I can forgive the overabundance of cotton candy sweetness. It sort of made me wish that a community that tightly woven and supportive truly existed in my own little part of the world. As it is, it worked for this book.

Pat is a firefighter with an emotional boulder on his back. He comes from a rather large and from the sounds of it, rambunctious and loving family as well. He’s great with kids, does his job to the best of his ability and he’s perfect for Grace. In fact, the descriptions of his physical prowess were hot-flash inducing at times. But for all that perfection, when it started to sound like he was too perfect, the poor hero totally botches it with Grace. It takes a bit of help from his firefighter brothers and a bit of manly persuasion from Grace’s side to make the man see sense. In fact, that whole scene towards the end was extremely well written. I could envision all that went into waking Pat up and making him coherent enough to listen to reason. It brought him back down to earth and I liked him all the more for it.

There is a bit of light drama that I believe served to illustrate just how strong a character Grace was, how amazing and close the community was and poked a bit at another aspect of Grace and Pat’s personalities. The author chose to use it as a tool to make a point without deviating from the basic fact that Welcome Back to Apple Grove is 100% a romance story about two people falling in love. They don’t fight it with false insecurities. The author kept all over the top internal angst and drama out of it. This is a book that is a pleasure to read because it’s about love: falling in love, being in love and exploring every little delightful nuance.

For readers who enjoy moments when a hero and heroine satisfy their built up yearnings and desires culminating with doing the sheet rumba and the sexy truck tango, this book delivers. Ms. Admirand knows how to make her heroine swoon and a reader right along with her.

Conflicts are mostly light and internal. I could understand one of Grace’s. Pat’s, on the other hand, seemed too drawn out for my tastes. I agree it’s a good and believable conflict, but it seemed to me, based upon his internal POV that he would have been ready to share it, hint at it, or deal with it earlier on. And, I might have missed it, but I would swear that one of the things that Grace was also reticent to disclose, about her own hurt, never was revealed to the hero. So if there was no intent to reveal it, why give it any importance at all, right? Other than those two items, this book was a smooth reading experience.

Welcome Back to Apple Grove is a romance reader’s guilty pleasure. It’s fun, entertaining, lighthearted and thoroughly driven by love. This is a feel good book, meant to take a reader on a journey where they can smile, relax and enjoy and forget about life’s cares for a while. I heartily recommend this story for those reasons. It’s a little treasure.

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

The Crowded Kingdom by Louella Dizon San Juan

November 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

KINGDOM
The Crowded Kingdom by Louella Dizon San Juan
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (182 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Imagine that you and your sister wake up as tiny as dandelions and find there are elves and fairies living in New York City.

That is what happens in The Crowded Kingdom, where sisters Jada and Jinny find that someone or something has shrunk them to just a few inches tall!

In their quest to return to their normal size, the girls discover the crowded magical kingdom within New York City, that elves and children are very much like, and that a rebel purple fairy, with a passion for science and a penchant for power tools, could also be their friend. But Jada and Jinny also learn that the magical world has declared war on mankind, and that something more sinister than the old fairy rivalries…has awakened.

The Crowded Kingdom is a children’s fantasy for ages eight through eighty, and is the first in a series of books featuring the girl heroines, Jada and Jinny.

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What makes The Crowded Kingdom something I plan to read over and over again is the unforgettable imagery in it. From the creative explanation of why it’s sometimes so difficult for humans to walk up steps to the truth about what really happened to dragons over the last millennium, I chuckled my way through this engrossing adventure.

Jada and Jinny are brave, resourceful sisters whose reaction to their predicament is much calmer than mine would have been. Their ages are never directly stated, but I imagine them to be somewhere in the range of 6 to 9 years old. I really enjoyed watching these sisters take on new challenges as a team. They honestly seem to like one another as individuals, and while they don’t always agree on everything it was refreshing to see siblings get along so well.

Some footnotes eventually became distracting for me. Even though they contain factual information that enhances the reading experience (especially for the age group for which this book was intended), in some sections this writing style is used so often that it slows down the plot. I suggest skimming the footnotes to anyone reading this book aloud and only sharing the ones that their listeners are not already familiar with. In general the footnotes in the beginning were more helpful than the ones that occurred later on. This is a minor critique of an otherwise wonderful story, though.

While the first half of this tale may be quite appealing to younger readers, the age recommendation should not be ignored. The second half includes creatures and events that are far too frightening for toddlers and preschoolers. There is no upper age limit on this piece. Some of the references are actually meant for readers who are adults or much older kids, and the plot is complex enough to appeal to the whole family.

The illustrations in this book appear to be simple sketches at first glance, but after looking closer I realized how beautiful and appropriate they are for the scenes they highlight. More than once I found myself wishing I could see how the author imagines a particular event only to scroll down and have my wish fulfilled. I figured out early on that the author was also the person who illustrated this work. Her passion for this tale shines through in every stroke of her work, and I, for one, am eagerly anticipating future stories from her. The final pages assured me that Jade and Jinny will return for more adventures, and I can’t wait to discover what they do next.

I never wanted The Crowded Kingdom to end. This is an excellent choice for anyone who loves the fantasy genre, especially if they’re interested in a modern twist on old legends.

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

Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh

November 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

HEAT
Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh
Psy-Changeling #2
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Genre: Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (340 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Cactus

Hailed as a major new talent in paranormal romance, Nalini Singh takes us deeper into the world of the Psy and the changelings in her latest extraordinary novel, where a gifted woman sees passion in her future – a passion that is absolutely forbidden by her kind…
Used to cold silence, Faith NightStar is suddenly being tormented by dark visions of blood and murder. A bad sign for anyone, but worse for Faith, an F-Psy with the highly sought after ability to predict the future. Then the visions show her something even more dangerous – aching need…exquisite pleasure. But so powerful is her sight, so fragile the state of her mind, that the very emotions she yearns to embrace could be the end of her.

Changeling Vaughn D’Angelo can take the form of either man or jaguar, but it is his animal side that is overwhelmingly drawn to Faith. The jaguar’s instinct is to claim this woman it finds so utterly fascinating and the man has no argument. But while Vaughn craves sensation and hungers to pleasure Faith in every way, desire is a danger that could snap the last threads of her sanity. And there are Psy who need Faith’s sight for their own purposes. They must keep her silenced – and keep her from Vaughn.

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Visions of Heat is the second book in the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh. Although you could read this one on it’s own, I’d recommend reading the series in order to fully appreciate the various relationships and connections. Not to mention all the background and world building. The second book builds on the foundation and information offered in the first book. That said, I read the books back-to-back and I was definitely more annoyed with this book because of that. The two books are so similar it set my teeth on edge. Some readers definitely look for a familiar and comfortable formula with books and they may love that the second book so closely resembles with the first with a few obvious differences. For me, this hurt my enjoyment.

The book simply feels like a carbon copy of the first story. Here the gorgeous, but fragile Psy is Faith and her dominant, overbearing, highly sexual mate is Vaughn, a jaguar in a leopard clan. The two are immediately attracted to each other but must overcome the changeling’s hatred of all things Psy and Faith’s emotions slowly emerging. At the same time, there is yet another Psy serial killer that they must stop and Faith (of course) has a unique connection to the murders. These elements aren’t bad on their own and even together they can still make for an entertaining erotic romance for the right reader. I found myself frustrated by the obvious similarities when I wanted something more unique to each couple.

The writing is decent though I find it at times overly melodramatic and hyperbolic. There are also many overused phrases such as “nightsky eyes.” I wish the author had come up with a different descriptor, especially since the same phrase was definitely overused in the first book too. Here reading one book so close to the other easily affected my view and enjoyment of them both. I also got frustrated with the continual painting of the entire Psy clan as evil and wrong. There is no nuance or subtly to the characters, they’re very one dimensional and good or bad. There’s no in between.

What I did like about the book was its ease. I listened to it, rather than reading it, and found the narrator had a pleasant voice and was easy to listen to. The story was engaging enough to keep my attention but not complicated or intricate to need a lot of effort. There are a lot of sex scenes and a main focus of the story is the erotic romance. Faith slowly experiences an awakening of her emotions and needs – all Psy are virgins of course, but never have a bad first time – and Vaughn is the romantic jaguar that loves her to a ridiculous amount and will never let her go. The serial killer subplot keeps the players moving around and the book progressing forward while giving more insight into the secondary characters that will eventually have their own books.

While I didn’t love either this one or the first one in the series, it’s an easy series to read/listen to. It’s not great for me and it’s one I’ll need a lot of space between books to appreciate it more but it has the elements of popular series. It has a ton of romance and sex and those are the main focus with an action subplot to keep things interesting. I’d recommend it for fans that like more formula books and series.

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

The Reasons by Kevin Craig

November 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

REASONS
The Reasons by Kevin Craig
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (110 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the midst of absence, death, and insanity, Tobias longs to make his family whole again.

With a mostly absent father, a deceased older sister, a younger sister on the verge of invisibility, and a certifiably insane mother, Tobias Reason is forced to grow up quickly. Though he tries to be a surrogate parent to his sister, their broken mother, Maggie, takes up a lot of his time. Annabel falls to the wayside and becomes a ghost in their chaotic existence.

When Maggie flippantly hands her mother’s house over to Tobias, he sees an opportunity to learn how and why his family became so shattered. Be careful what you wish for. When his world begins to collapse from the weight of unburied secrets, he focuses on a stranger from his parents’ past. Only by eliminating the past, he believes, can he make his family whole again.

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Tobias’ reaction to growing up in a dysfunctional family is so realistic I briefly wondered if this story was based on true events. Every single member of the family has been damaged by Maggie’s illness in some way, and seeing how each one of them reacts to their chaotic surroundings is utterly fascinating. Despite sharing DNA and the same environmental influences each character’s personality heavily influences his or her reaction to Maggie’s unpredictable nature. This tale was so compelling and well-written that I skipped out on sleep in order to finish it. The author packed a novel’s worth of character development into the first half of this novella alone, and I couldn’t wait to find out how it would end.

It took me a while to figure out that this book was meant to have a contemporary setting. Maggie’s mental illness is so severe that at times I had trouble believing that she was allowed to retain custody of her children without any investigation from The Children’s Aid Society in Ontario or Quebec. She regularly neglects and abuses her kids, and when she does something much worse than that later on the plot I was stunned by how the other adults react to her dangerous choices. While I understand that not every case of abuse is reported to the proper authorities much less prosecuted, it would have been helpful to to know why so many people looked the other way when they noticed something was terribly wrong with the Reason family over the approximately 30 year time span in which Maggie has minor children living with her.

With that being said, Mr. Craig’s decision to write some chapters from Maggie’s point of view was a fantastic one. Due to the severity of her illness not everything Maggie fervently believes actually makes sense, but seeing the world through her eyes gave me valuable clues about her probable diagnosis. It also helped me understand why her mood shifts so quickly and why seemingly innocuous questions make her so furious. Once I understood the nature of the disease I believe she has I gained a great deal of sympathy for someone who otherwise would have been a fairly two-dimensional character.

I was also pleased with how smoothly the plot transitions from past to present. Every flashback serves a vital purpose, most of which are apparent almost immediately. During the course of reading this book I actually wished there could be more flashbacks because they taught me so much about how Tobias and Maggie in particular came to be the people they are in present day.

While reading The Reasons I felt asleep each night wondering what would happen to Tobias and his little sister next. This is a great choice for anyone who loves character-driven plots that keep the reader on his or her toes from beginning to end.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Oliver Muncing, Exorcist by John Paulits

October 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Oliver Muncing, Exorcist by John Paulits
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (150 pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

After a catastrophic invasion of elementals from “the other side” kills his grandfather and leaves him crippled, Oliver Muncing vows to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and dedicates his life to investigating other-worldly phenomena.

The problem with piercing the veil and connecting with the spirit world is that not all supernatural beings have good intentions, as Oliver is about to find out.
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Imagine trying to prevent others from doing something they don’t realize is extremely hazardous. Most of the people in Oliver’s world don’t realize that seeking out the spirit world is fraught with danger until they’ve invited something into their homes they can’t control. Oliver’s responses to these emergencies aren’t always graceful, but seeing him leap to action to save strangers made me wish his adventures would never end. The first chapter in particular was so intense that I couldn’t imagine where the author intended to take the plot once that scene ended. It was rewarding to see how quickly Oliver leaps from one case to the next as well as how he handles the elementals he meets who are not necessarily friendly beings.

This is a fast-paced, plot-centered novel that is far more concerned with how Oliver relates to the elementals than his personal development. While I was able to intuit a thought-provoking explanation for Oliver’s sometimes obsessive habits it would have been nice to have my theory clearly confirmed or disproven at some point. Had the author included a few additional scenes to explore and further develop Oliver’s idiosyncrasies I would have easily given this tale a Best Book rating.

The foreshadowing, atmosphere, and pacing were absolutely perfect for the sci-fi/fantasy and horror genres. Mr. Paulits knows exactly how to slowly build tension through the addition of small detail that in any other type of story could easily be brushed off as mere coincidence. I had not heard of this author before reading Oliver Muncing, Exorcist, but now that I’ve been introduced to him I can’t wait to read his back list.

If you love supernatural horror I highly recommend checking out Oliver, Muncing, Exorcist. It’s spooky atmosphere and diverse cast of otherworldly beings is an excellent tonic for anyone in the mood to be frightened.

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

Operation: Date Escape by Lindsey Brookes

October 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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Operation: Date Escape by Lindsey Brookes
Publisher: Self
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 3.5 stars
Review by Poppy

Since her divorce two years before, Kelsie Collins has been determined to guard her heart and steer clear of seemingly ‘perfect’ men. An easy task considering the kind of men her matchmaking mother and her best friend, Nanci, keeps setting her up with. She allows them to set her up, knowing their hearts are in the right place and that there is no risk of her letting any man close enough to hurt her again. Her growing experience in ways to slip out of those ‘dates from hell’ prompts her to start writing a bad date survival guide. One aptly titled – OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE. And it’s during one of those escapes that sexier than sin firefighter Cole Maxwell comes to her rescue.

Cole isn’t sure what to think when the sexy redhead he’s just ‘rescued’ from a bad date informs him that he’s too ‘perfect’ to date. That’s a first. He’s had relationships end because the women couldn’t handle the risks that go along with his chosen profession, but never because he’s too perfect.

When his crew gets called out to rescue someone who is stuck in a tree, Cole finds himself once again coming to Kelsie’s rescue. This time he’s not about to let her get away without agreeing to give him a chance, even holding her high heels hostage to make it happen. She finally gives in and things heat up between them like a 3-alarm fire. But there’s more than passion between them and Cole sets out to prove to Kelsie that he’s nowhere near ‘perfect’, but he is the ‘perfect’ man for her. Can he get past the wall she’s built up around her heart? Or will he end up being just another chapter in her book of men she ran from?

So, they invest generico cialis on line more millions in establishing the cause. This is the online viagra basic demand for patients with various kinds of diseases. Film Connection Los Angeles Film School 6253 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA (800) 755-7597 School psychologists help children and the youth succeed academically, socially, and cialis viagra generico emotionally. What do Snoop Dogg and Sylvester Stallone have in common? Unfortunately it’s not a hot new musical viagra professional uk collaboration. Operation: Date Escape is a fun read for any time you just want to escape and smile. Kelsie is a nice girl who just wishes her mom would stop setting her up with any man she meets. She’s divorced and determined to never risk her heart again, but can’t seem to say no to the dozens of blind dates she keeps having with unacceptable men.

Hence her “date escapes”. She keeps a notebook of them … ways to get out of a bad date without hurting the feelings of the guy she’s with. Okay, so maybe climbing out the window of the bathroom of a strip joint isn’t very subtle, but she did get to see that hot fireman again. Too bad he’s perfect. She has a real problem with perfect men … her ex-husband was one and look how that turned out. The author definitely showed some creativity with her date escapes and I wouldn’t mind reading the book Kelsie was writing. I bet it would be a hoot.

I have to say I loved Cole. He really was perfect. I don’t think he had one flaw. Handsome, smart, funny, patient, heroic, determined … in fact, I think the only time I thought he might actually be human was at the very end. As much as I loved him, though, I really wish he’d have had something wrong with him to make him more real.

I utterly adored Nanci, Kelsie’s best friend. She was smart-assed, straight talking and a hoot and I was tickled pink she hooked up (pretty much literally — Nanci’s all about sex all the time) with Cole’s buddy, Joe. They were quite possibly the best part of the book and made me laugh more than once. They were involved with Cole and Kelsie without being overtly manipulative, had some awesome one liners and just made me grin every time they showed up on the page. I hope they stick it out to their own HEA because, while they weren’t perfect, they sure were perfect together.

I wanted to smack Kelsie’s mom. I didn’t find her particularly endearing … I think I was supposed to, but between telling her daughter she needed a boob job, and shoving men at her all the time, refusing to listen to Kelsie, she just grated on me. I know moms aren’t perfect, but I kept thinking she’d grow and change a bit. And I really, really wanted Kelsie to tell her off.

The author is quite skilled with words. I have no complaints with the mechanics of the story. Her descriptions were perfect, her dialog real and believable, the editing was clean. She’s clearly amazingly talented and while I didn’t love the story (mostly because I spent much of the time wishing Kelsie would grow a spine), I’d absolutely pick up another book by her. Operation: Date Escape had its shining moments — and it’s a book I’d recommend to folks looking for a light, funny, sweet and romantic read.

 

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

Autumn Blessing by Dvora Waysman

October 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

BLESSING
Autumn Blessing by Dvora Waysman
Publisher: Prism Book Group
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (39 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Autumn can be a desolate season. For Dorothy, after losing her husband, the autumn of her life stretches before her lonely and uncertain. But a change, a new hobby, and new friends prove this new season to be bountiful with blessings.

How old is too old to reinvent your life?

Grief can turn an active, 60-year-old woman into someone who acts decades older than her true age. If Dorothy lived in a fairy tale she’d make a wish or find a magical amulet and suddenly feel like her old self, but in real life she has to figure out how to feel better on her own. I was intrigued by her gradual transformation and her occasional tumbles into old thought patterns. The path to recovery is rarely a straightforward one, and it was nice to see a character take two steps forward and one step back as she struggles to find her way out of the fog of grief.
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As much as I was rooting for her to find lasting happiness, the change in Dorothy’s habits happens so rapidly that it was a little difficult for me to believe it would be a longterm part of her daily life. When she ignores some troubling information that pops up later on in the plot it had even more trouble believing everything would work out for the best for her. It seems out of character for someone who worries as much as she does earlier on in the plot to ignore the signs that everything might not be as it seems in her world.

Dorothy’s strong relationship with her adult children and grandchildren gives me hope for her future. Ms. Waysman reveals the unbreakable bond between them with such subtle turns of phrases that I felt as if I was eavesdropping onto real conversations. The ending didn’t answer all of my questions, but it was so realistic and heartwarming that it works wonderfully for this tale.

I smiled my way through Autumn Blessing. This warm, gentle story is like a cup of hot tea on a chilly afternoon, and I’d recommend it to anyone who needs to read something to brighten their day.

 

 

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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