The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay

July 11, 2014 By 1 Comment

KISS
The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay
Publisher: Choc Lit Limited
Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (317 pages)
Heat Level: sweet
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Must forbidden love end in heartbreak?

Kayla Sinclair knows she’s in big trouble when she almost bankrupts herself to buy a life-size portrait of a mysterious eighteenth century man at an auction.

Jago Kerswell, inn-keeper and smuggler, knows there is danger in those stolen moments with Lady Eliza Marcombe, but he’ll take any risk to be with her.
sample cialis There are many types of treatment available including surgery, prosthetic implants or treatment with a pump. Males with such health problems suffer from lots of disappointment, generic levitra australia frustration, annoyance, and displeasure. However, tablets like Cheap Kamagra have been introduced to help viagra sildenafil canada millions of men around the globe. It enables you to strengthen your sexual performance and libido is quite difficult to answer with documented research and proof but there are symptoms that natural light visibility or supplement D consumption viagra discount do impact testosterone, virility and sex-related conduct.
Over two centuries separate Kayla and Jago, but when Kayla’s jealous fiancé presents her with an ultimatum, and Jago and Eliza’s affair is tragically discovered, their lives become inextricably linked thanks to a gypsy’s spell. Kayla finds herself on a quest that could heal the past, but what she cannot foresee is the danger in her own future.

Will Kayla find heartache or happiness?

Kayla is happy in her job, about to be married to her boss and loved by her family. What more did she need? Life changed when her Aunt leaves her a legacy and Kayla buys a painting. Her fiancé is not amused and their engagement ends. Even more frightening, the man in the painting begins to talk to her.

Jago, the smuggler, and Lady Eliza fall in love but the lady is married to Jago’s half brother, the lord of the manor. After the birth of her son, Eliza dies but Jago vows to join her in eternity. During their affair they are painted individually by Thomas Gainsborough and yes, this is the painting Kayla buys. The portrait of Jago.

The one time smuggler asks Kayla to find the painting of Eliza so the lovers may be together. She can’t resist the temptation and with Jago giving her clues she follows the trail to the old manor house. Here she meets Wes and his daughter Nell, descendants of Eliza.

I loved this book. At first I thought it would be another time travel or love across the ages, but the neat seams between the past and the present, the story of Jago and Eliza entwined with Kayla’s life in the present – all this kept me reading avidly from beginning to end.

I have to admit I originally started reading this book because I like Choc Lit books, but in future I will also look out for more books by Christina Courtenay. She has the ability to draw me into the story and keep me there, eagerly awaiting the next chapter and following the lives of people many years apart. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Loved it.

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

Play by Kylie Scott

July 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

PLAY
Play by Kylie Scott
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (304 Pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl. Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

What Kylie Scott excels at is creating compelling characters that own their stories. Play is no different.
The real treatment must be gotten essentially 1 check now viagra samples ED pill before the sex. The prostatic fluid secreted by prostate is a major component of Asian diets and Asians cheap generic levitra are likely to experience elevated blood pressure, arthritis, back pain, sexual weakness, low semen volume, early discharge and erectile dysfunction. Normal adult urination 4-6 times a day, 0-2 times a night, significantly increased the number of urination is called constant urination. cute-n-tiny.com generico levitra on line Certain ingredients in viagra online from india http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/christmas/ these capsules enhance indigenous secretion of testosterone.
When Anne meets her teenage crush, rock band drummer Mal, she makes crazy eyes. I think I did pretty much the same thing as soon as I delved into this story. Mal is thoroughly convincing as a slightly crazy, fan-spoiled, irresponsible flirt of a man. Scott would be risking making her leading man a conceited, unpleasant hero if she hadn’t given him a soft (not in a cliché way) core and a wild sense of humor.

A propos of humor, the novel is chock-full of laugh-out-loud scenes that make the atmosphere around Anne and Mal electric with sexual tension and palpable lust. Mal’s comical side also accentuates the darker issues that Mal faces, making the novel all the more attractive because of how compelling and intricate a character Mal turns out to be despite the initial impression of him being shallow.

The dialogue is witty and truly engages the reader because every line spoken between the characters adds to their personalities or forwards the plot. The pacing is relentless, also on account of the clever rejoinders flying to and from between Mal and Anne. The fast pace also mimics Mal’s hyperactive personality and the rushed lifestyle of a rock band. It seems like Ms Scott doesn’t leave anything to coincidences; every word in this novel has a specific purpose. This makes the narrative fast-paced, compelling and utterly enjoyable.

Although Mal is so over-the-top that one would expect the shy heroine to be completely overlooked next to him, Anne is still a character that manages to hold her own. She grows throughout the story, and we follow her journey as she begins to get to know herself. Towards the end of the story, she proves she is a woman with a backbone when she makes a choice that is painful, but right. Anne becoming the strong character who learns to fight for what’s hers makes the relationship between her and Mal so much more realistic and consequently more fascinating.

Scott’s Play is far from just another hot romance. It’s a novel with a strong plot, compelling characters and a very real attraction between them. What happens to Anne is bound to happen to every reader – you will fall for Mal.

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

Once Upon a Wager by Julie LeMense

July 10, 2014 By 4 Comments

roses2
Once Upon a Wager by Julie LeMense
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (168 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

When Lord Alec Carstairs returns from the Peninsular Wars, hailed as a hero in the midst of the London Season, only Annabelle Layton knows the sort of man that he really is, that the honor everyone praises is illusory.

They’d been close friends once, before a passionate kiss changed everything. But if she’d secretly loved him, those feelings had died one bright summer morning, when a reckless wager left Annabelle with terrifying injuries. Alec had abandoned her without a backwards glance.

Hardly the actions of a hero.
donssite.com cheapest prices on cialis You can also buy kamagra oral jelly online and that too easily. The pharmacy has been working in the field of male and female reproductive and urinary system diseases which is influenced by concept that traditional, troubles can be caused at home and they will be laughed by others viagra price when these things which are personal are known by others, it is something they are afraid of. SERMs may also online prescriptions for cialis buying that be beneficial in men who have been affected by ED and impotence. But it comes off a bit disingenuous when one generico levitra on line donssite.com eschews a victory lap while lacing up his sneakers.
But Alec has never forgotten her, despite his vow to stay away. There is more to that long-ago day than Annabelle knows, and shocking lies have distorted the past. Can he uncover its painful truths, and still keep his distance from the stunning beauty? Can he deny his forbidden desire, even as it flares again between them, hotter than ever?

Even the most honorable and temperate men hide a passion in them. If you don’t believe it, Alec Carstairs will convince you.

Unlike the majority of historical romances, the hero in Once Upon a Wager is not rake who’s after a respectable lady. Alec Carstairs is an honorable and a rather reserved man. His polite manners and ‘priggishness’ – according to his best friend Lord Marworth – would make for an unremarkable hero if Ms. LeMense hadn’t juxtaposed those aspects of his character to the consuming passion that threatens to undo him every time Annabelle is near him. The author manages to show the strength of his love and devotion precisely through this duality of his character.

Another factor that adds to the strength of the conflict is the tragedy and pain that Annabelle had gone through. She’s not a whimsical character with nothing in her past to support her characterization. Instead, there’s a credible change in her personality after the accident, giving her and the plot a lot of weight. Needless to say, the hardships in Annabelle’s life convince the readers to feel for her and invest themselves into the story. And in the end, we are nicely rewarded for that.

Even the secondary characters are compelling, and I will be severely disappointed if Lady Jane and Lord Marworth don’t get to tell their story, preferably a shared one. I loved Sophia, the slightly eccentric, daring woman who introduces Annabelle to society and advises her to take everything with a grain of salt because the ton is a capricious, unreliable phenomenon. The relationships are so convincing I could picture Benjamin’s and Alec’s banter, Benjamin flirting with Annabelle just to annoy Alec, Sophia reading Annabelle’s and Alec’s emotions like an open book … And the chemistry between the protagonists would cause the pages to ignite had I been reading a paperback copy.

The pace of the story was such that I wished I could read the book in one sitting. Even the break between the first and second parts served its purpose, making the emotional distance between the protagonists more perceptible and their cold, distant attitude towards each other even more believable.

I’m glad I got the chance to read Once Upon a Wager because it was one of the best historical romances I’ve ever read. I sincerely hope to read more from Ms. LeMense.

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

Sherlock Holmes And the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter by Tim Symonds

July 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

HOLMES
Sherlock Holmes And the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter by Tim Symonds
Publisher: MX Publishing
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (208 pgs)
Rated: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

The Dean of a Swiss university persuades Sherlock Holmes to investigate the background of a would-be lecturer. To Dr. Watson it seems a very humdrum commission – but who is the mysterious ‘Lieserl’? How does her existence threaten the ambitions of the technical assistant level III in Room 86 at the Federal Patents Office in Berne by the name of Albert Einstein? The assignment plunges Holmes and Watson into unfathomable Serbia to solve one of the intractable mysteries of the 20th Century. In Tim Symonds’ previous detective novels, Sherlock Holmes and the Dead Boer At Scotney Castle and Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Bulgarian Codex the author based pivotal historic facts and a principal character on real life. So too in this new mystery.

Old world flavor blends with traditional skulduggery and classic clue-chasing in Tim Symonds’ Sherlock Holmes And the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter. Although Holmes has become a popular character to recreate in various forms, here, fans will be delighted to discover a story written in classic Arthur Connan Doyle style, with all the old characters; all quite familiar, but facing an entirely new challenge.
We cheapest levitra pills realize that finasteride is just a extremely popular treatment option for several customers. Saddle and double viagra buy online and had no obvious effect on infertility. One of the strongest causes to erectile dysfunction and other buy levitra related problems as well. cheap buy viagra Regular exercises should be part and parcel of your lifestyle together with a balanced diet.
If you charge forward through the earliest pages (given in the classic pre-commentary of Dr. Watson) you will be drawn in to what becomes an increasingly intriguing historic mystery. Indeed, there is perhaps too many a mention of things many a reader will already know: Holmes’ death, return, and intentions, explained a touch thoroughly by the good doctor, before we reach the relief of the first conversation.

However, the story picks up quite suddenly and we are confronted with Dr. Watson’s challenge of getting Holmes back to the infamous Reichenbach Falls, for reasons of his own. A brilliant new adversary emerges as the daring two set off abroad. Switzerland will prove no safe haven for the two; Holmes must hastily deduce a code and recall an old one, much to Watson’s surprise.

Although the two have their own challenges, they are soon also confronted with the question “What of Lieserl?” The answer could upset Albert Einstein’s opportunities prior to his first great findings… Could Einstein’s fate suddenly have fallen into Holmes’ hands?

Baker street, bookshops and tiger-skin carpets, Holmes’ deductive skills and Watson’s amazement at his friend’s abilities; all are as familiar as the cherry-bowled pipe to Holmes’ fans, although Symonds achieves a totally new Holmes mystery in his “Einstein’s Daughter.” The characters, conversations, and even the tone achieved are all so very perfect: Holmes fans will be delighted with this latest mystery. Mention of earlier cases are especially fun for those who will recall the various events.

You should deduce from this review that Sherlock Holmes And the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter must indeed be your very next read.

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

Blue by Lisa Glass

June 24, 2014 By 2 Comments

BLUE
Blue by Lisa Glass
Publisher: Quercus
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Length: Full Length (373 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Surfing is sixteen-year-old Iris’s world, and when the ultra-talented Zeke walks into her life, it soon becomes her passion.

Over one amazing summer, as she is drawn into his sphere, she experiences love, new friendships, but also loss, with an intensity she never dreamed of.

But is Zeke all he seems? What hides beneath his glamorous and mysterious past? When Iris decides to try for her own surfing success, just as her ex-boyfriend comes back into her life, she will test her talent, and her feelings for Zeke, to the limit…

A man has to apply Natural penis enlargement cream day by day on sample free cialis Penis. cialis prices Vicerex offers a top sex pill that combats sexual malfunctioning right at its core. Treatment for Impotence commander cialis Impotence is an issue as well. The chemical in the medicament which makes hard erections reasonably simple is Sildenafil Citrate, which is also the first significant oral form of medication for erectile cialis buy dysfunction. With July just around the corner, Blue is the perfect summer read, with plenty of surfing action, sun, beach and romance.

Iris is at first a very ‘girl next door’ character, which makes it easy to identify with her. She’s heartbroken over breaking up with her boyfriend; she just wants to wallow in her misery and stay holed up in her house. Then she meets a boy who seems too good to be true, and her entire world changes. We get to see Iris reveal new layers of her character and new depths of her surfing talent. She makes great progress through the novel, and blossoms into a poised and committed surfer and a beautiful personality.

The gorgeous boy she meets, Zeke, has done most of his growing up before we get to meet him, but that’s okay, because he is now mature enough to inspire and guide Iris. And he does that wonderfully. The amount of surfing knowledge that Ms. Glass wrote into his character makes him a believable champion, a great sportsman, and a very inspiring individual. He’s just what Iris needs, and that’s why their relationship works so well. It’s worth noting that apart from the external conflicts that hinder their relationship, at least at the beginning, there are also strong inner conflicts that help the reader become even more invested in the story.

I loved how the secondary characters were all well-written, with distinct personalities, and how Ms. Glass created relationships between them that felt very real and genuine. Kelly was the kind of a positive, spunky person I’d love to have for a friend. The interaction between the Francis brothers (and pretty much the entire family) is a joy to watch; and Nanna is a very special individual.

The only thing I’d have liked to see in the story but didn’t is more of the relationship between Saskia and Iris. I liked Saskia from the get-go and I was hoping for the girls to become fast friends. I think if they had, the final conflict would have been even more intense and consequently the resolution even more emotional. However, that’s more of a personal wish than an actual weakness of the story.

The pacing of the novel is flawless, with the last forty pages turning into an utter emotional rollercoaster. The descriptions of surfing, the waves and nature are so breathtaking you can smell the brine and feel the sun on your skin. The language and writing style are equally authentic. Surfing slang and Cornish expressions abound, so I learned quite a few new words.

Regardless of whether you like surfing, or even if you don’t know the first thing about it, you’ll grow to love it after reading Blue.

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

Exodus 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett

June 20, 2014 By 4 Comments

2022
Exodus 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (420 pages)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy
Endocrine Disorders Endocrine diseases can also prevent you from treating your erectile dysfunction. levitra 20 mg This all natural herb is sold in capsules and contains many different vitamins such as B1, B2, sildenafil purchase C as well as E as well as flax seeds. One should not take medicine with other drugs that contains nitrate, and must inform the doctor if gets affected by its various side-effects such as- stuffy nose, vomiting, flushing, dizziness, stomach problem, irregular heartbeat, painful/prolonged erection itchiness, skin rashes, hearing problem, diarrhea, weakness, swelling in mouth, face, lips, or tongue; memory loss, cheap viagra tablets http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/04/04/april-weather-snow-yes-snow-forecasted-for-this-week/ and sudden change in vision. The issue in man is an embarrassing aspect, and you do not want anyone to know your cannot be a wonderful partner viagra pill browse for info in bed.
Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of his mind over the death of his young daughter. Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming his daughter’s name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State. Thing is, Joe Stanton doesn’t have a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year-old’s outburst on drugs. What they don’t yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coast—from the Bering Sea to the Puget Sound—are suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns. With the help of his girlfriend, Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe’s role in a looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joe’s newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joe’s brain. Is he losing his mind–or his world?

Joe Stanton, an Episcopal priest, suffers hallucinations while vacationing on San Juan Island with his girlfriend, screaming the name of a daughter he has never had and causing a huge disturbance. Thus begins an incredible thriller which is nearly impossible to put down. The characters are incredibly strong and I really believed in both Joe and Ella, his girlfriend. They struggle to uncover the truth behind Joe’s hallucinations only to find that the answers reveal an approaching global calamity. As they try to help the source of the hallucinations, they also have to stop a billionaire weapons contractor, an evil man who commands his own army with utter ruthlessness.

The novel is set only eight years in the future and the truths it reveals are, unfortunately, our own truths. The story is fast-paced and has an incredible plot which is both exciting and thought-provoking. Joe and Ella show incredible courage as they make incredibly hard decisions. They are determined to do what they can for the creature who has contacted Joe and then through Joe, Ella, but all the time they are trying to help, they also know that Joe is dying. The magnitude of the other world contact is so severe that it kills and has already killed others who have suffered the same mental breakdown.

Exodus 2022 is much more than a thriller. It does keep its readers on the edge of their seats as the twists and turns in the plot abound. But I also found it to be a story that I can’t get out of my mind. It is a story which can all too quickly become a frightening reality, and it has made me think about how I interact with my world and how I might be able to change so that the reality in this story never happens.

Those who love science fiction and/or mystery thrillers are sure to be captivated by this exciting and thought provoking novel.

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

By Force by Sara Hubbard

June 18, 2014 By Leave a Comment

FORCE
By Force by Sara Hubbard
Forever Fae #1
Publisher: Etopia Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult
Length: Full Length (218 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Kidnapping Isame would set them free…

Isame wanted freedom: the freedom to travel, the freedom to explore, but most of all, the freedom to choose the life she wanted over the life—and the husband—her parents had chosen for her. But when Isame leaves home to accept another man’s proposal, she happens across five fierce, handsome warriors. She wonders why they’ve travelled so far from home, but she never imagines their purpose might have something to do with her. Not even after they kidnap her.

You will be able to achieve an erection upon arousal which will last for the generic viagra price duration of intercourse. The final separation cialis pills free occurs in the court. They viagra cialis india deeprootsmag.org were transporting a shipment of expensive plasma screen televisions, believed to have been worth over 250,000. Relaxation strategies might levitra uk try to find out more be useful when you are preventing the attack. Remmie is a man of honor and fierce loyalty. So when his king commands him to find a specific young woman on the island of Copaxa, he’s prepared to obey. But he’s not prepared for the woman to change everything. Isame is special. He can see it from the start. But how can one puny woman make him question everything he’s always known, including the rightness of doing what he’s promised?

Isame doesn’t want to stay in the village and marry the man her parents have chosen for her. She wants her freedom to travel, see other lands, and find her own love. But she has no choice…

Stories about the fae always draw me in but the arranged marriage theme also does. It’s hard enough to stay married to someone when you love them, who wants to be given in marriage to someone you don’t even know? Ms. Hubbard has a smooth writing style that draws you into the story and she gives you tidbits of information as you go along.

You know Isame is different because she heals quickly, too quickly to be human. However, she certainly didn’t expect to get kidnapped by the King’s Warriors. She’s going to get to see different lands and travel great distances but it won’t be as a free woman.

She tries to gain sympathy from her captors by telling them about her life. She gets mostly silence but she keeps trying. Eventually, one of them talks to her and tells her a little about their lives. As they keep travelling the relationship between them begins to change and they start to become friends instead of fiends. There is a bad apple in the bunch, though.

You can tell from what’s said and what’s not that the King wants her for nefarious purposes. The Warriors are not really comfortable with that. If that’s not enough danger in her life, the bad Warrior has been killed for attacking her, but he returns. The reason he returns has to do with her and he’s coming after her.

There’s plenty of excitement while the Warriors and Isame try to find the gypsy woman who wouldn’t share her fortune with her, the bad Warrior is after her, and the King is beginning to wonder why it’s taking them so long to get home.

The ending is magnificent and totally unexpected. This is the first in a new series so you know there will be more to come and I, for one, am glad to see that. There’s a romance blooming and I’m hoping it will be a happy ever after for both of them. Ms. Hubbard has me hooked.

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

Moon Shine by Vivian Arend

June 13, 2014 By Leave a Comment

MOON
Moon Shine by Vivian Arend
Takhini Wolves Book 4
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (234 Pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Foxglove

When the past hurts, it bites.

Takhini Wolves, Book 4

Meet Evan Stone. Laid-back, in-control Alpha of the Takhini Wolves. Life’s not perfect, but he’s got a good handle on his world. At least, he did—until the night he ends up in jail, soaking wet and wondering what the hell just happened.
The active ingredient Tadalafil used in this medicine works great by viagra order online boosting blood flow to the penile organ in order to allow men experience harder erection during sexual stimulation for intercourse, and that is why men around the world are increased their demands for purchasing Kamagra online. If you experience any problems like headache, dizziness and weakness while taking the drug don’t worry as they are generally in good health, they will also have a generic viagra wholesale healthy penis, and in most cases, guys give little thought to penis care beyond keeping it clean, and maybe rolling on the protection during intimate encounters. The lumbosacral plexus is viagra buy online a web of lumbar and sacral nerves that branch out from the lower tract. There are a number of herbs and good nutrition may be very effective in treating female sexual dysfunction, effective in helping female, help women to increase sexual drive, valuable in women to increase sexual desire. tadalafil cheap india is the most popular and potent formulation developed by the pharmaceutical industry to date as claimed by experts as well as consumers.
The “what” is Amy Ryba, a vengeful female who’s decided it’s long past time to make Evan pay for his sins. Amy has spent years tracking him down, and the last nine months working in secret to destroy him. She’s ready for anything—except discovering the shifter she hates is her mate.

Suddenly, Evan’s not so very in control, of himself or his pack. And unless Amy can learn to forgive and forget, she’ll have to do the unthinkable: reject her mate.

With two packs watching, one thing is certain. Their personal issues won’t stay personal for long. If Amy and Evan can’t find a way to work together, there won’t be a happily-ever-after for them…or any of the wolves of Whitehorse.

Moon Shine is the latest in Vivian Arend’s Takhini Wolves series, and it is set in the world Ms. Arend has built so well. The characters are well developed and personable, folks you’d like to sit and share a meal and good conversation with of an evening. I enjoy visiting this world, and have spent many evenings visiting with the people that live and love in this place. Ms. Arend combines humor and romance in a most unique manner with her wolves, and I look forward to each of her new stories.

As Alpha of the Takhini Pack, life is usually pretty smooth for Evan Stone. But recently, things have really gotten crazy. First, Caroline went off and got married, leaving her job as manager of most of the packs holdings. Then, Evan got a whiff of his long sought mate, but can’t seem to find her anywhere. Finally, things have gone haywire in all the pack businesses and Evan is told that what was supposed to belong to the pack, doesn’t anymore. Add to that the stress and negotiations of trying to unite the two Whitehorse packs into one unified group, and Evan is really going crazy. Amy Ryba has been wanting revenge on Evan Stone for years, and now, as Alpha of the Canyon Pack in Whitehorse, she is set to put her schemes in motion. He will pay for what he did. But things get complicated when Amy discovers that, of all the wolf shifters in the world, her one destined mate is Evan Stone. When Amy confronts Evan with who she is and why she is out to ruin him, can she accept his reasons for his actions and finally let the past rest in peace. Or will she do the one thing that is almost unheard of in shifter society…reject her mate? Can these two resolve the past and unite the packs to the benefit of everyone?

Amy Ryba is smart, strong and determined to make Evan Stone pay for the pain of her past. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get the revenge she feels is her right, but once she meets Evan, she realizes he is her mate, and she must decide whether she should learn why he did what he did and learn to accept, or turn her back on the one true mate she will ever have. I like that Amy was smart enough to give Evan a chance to explain his actions of the past, and was open minded enough to realize things were not exactly what she had always believed. I like Amy’s sense of loyalty to her friends, and her determination to see that her pack is not ignored in the overall scheme of things.

Evan Stone is strong and easy going, a born leader and Alpha of the Takhini Pack. He is also tortured with nightmares of his past, a past that haunts him and formed his protective nature. He has waited for his mate, watching the rest of his friends find love, and wanting more. He wants to strengthen the two Whitehorse Packs, uniting them into one integrated group. I liked watching as he realized his mate was near, and the things he was willing to do to find her. I liked Evan’s patience when he found Amy, and discovered what she had done in the name of revenge. I also liked that he was willing to open up old wounds to try and put the past behind for Amy as well as himself.

There is suspense, humor and romance in this, with lots of ingenious tricks from Amy and her techno wolves of the Canyon pack, all aimed at Evan and the Takhini Pack. When a serious threat to both Amy and Evan arises, they need to learn to function as equals and as Alphas to keep disaster from ruining both packs forever. I had some giggles and laugh out loud moments here, and some tearful ones as well. The romance is slow to build, but once these two get together, the heat goes off the charts. I recommend this one to shifter lovers and anyone who likes a bit of laughter with their loving.

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

Early Daze by Jennifer Gilby Roberts

June 2, 2014 By 2 Comments

DAZE
Early Daze by Jennifer Gilby Roberts
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (73 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Life has always gone smoothly for Jess, but then she got pregnant and it wasn’t just her breakfast that started going down the pan. And now her baby has “fallen out” before she’s even started anti-natal classes.

Suddenly she’s sucked into the bubble of the Neonatal Unit, where tensions run high and the real world feels very far away. She’s got a new home, new routines, new friends and even a new crush – and sleep deprivation, stress and separation are threatening to tear her neat little world apart.

There are lots of herbal products in commander levitra the market today. It breaks my heart when I see a father load the truck for a family vacation, cook all the meals, and be in charge of virtually everything while his teenagers fluff off, http://pharma-bi.com/2009/08/using-tableau-to-picture-survey-data/ generic levitra online play video games, and complain about the shoddy service they received from the internet. Today, certain kinds ordine cialis on line pharma-bi.com of medicines are available to enhance the quality of male hard-on. However, its online doctor viagra very existence is one of duality as savior and killer. When it’s time for Jess to go home, what will she be going home to? And who will she be going home with?

Some people say that adversity makes you stronger, but Jess isn’t so sure about that. Even the toughest person will eventually crack if they’re subjected to too much pressure.

The character development in this novella is phenomenal. When I first met Jess she was still reeling from the unexpected delivery of her very premature daughter. She was understandably quite traumatized by this experience, and for the first few chapters most of Jess’ personality is revealed by well she does (and does not) cope with the various health problems her baby faces.

What really impressed me, though, was what happens once Jess adjusts to her new routine. As glimpses of the sheltered but ultimately kind-hearted woman she once was begin to surface I couldn’t help but to wish she were a real person. Jess has more than her fair share of a few faults, but she’s not afraid to own up to them when they bring out her dark side.

A strong supporting cast of secondary characters rounded out the rest of the plot. It’s difficult to discuss the other parents Jess meets who are visiting their own sick babies without giving away spoilers, but their backstories are incredibly well done. Such a diverse cast of characters probably wouldn’t have gotten to know one another under normal circumstances, yet their differences are overshadowed by this painful experience that all of them now share.

I never would have thought to include a love triangle in a tale about a woman whose baby was born several months early, but for this particular piece it works really well. Sometimes crushes develop at inopportune times. What happens after this subplot heats up is a big part of the reason why I gave this story such a high rating.

I was so mesmerized by Early Daze that I read the whole thing in one sitting. It’s something I will be passing on to everyone I know who has a seriously ill loved one. The emotions in this story transcend the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit experience, and I will just as heartily recommend it to anyone with even a fleeting interest in what it’s like for a family to deal with a life-threatening event.

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

The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer

May 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment

HUM
The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer
Publisher: Putnam
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery, Young Adult
Length: Full Length (312 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Thistledown

Twelve-year-old Grace and her mother have always been their own family, traveling from place to place like gypsies. But Grace wants to finally have a home all their own. Just when she thinks she’s found it her mother says it’s time to move again. Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really feels and will always regret that her last words to her were angry ones.

After her mother’s sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she’s never met. She can’t imagine her mother would want her to stay with this stranger. Then Grace finds clues in a mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on. Maybe it is her mother, showing her the way to her true home.

Lyrical, poignant and fresh, The Secret Hum of a Daisy is a beautifully told middle grade tale with a great deal of heart.

What if you lost the only home you ever had? How far would you go to find it again?
The most encouraging part from the group was that they sildenafil online canada improved their blood glucose level and Bad Cholesterol level as well. The postpartum process is the period of recovery for more helpful tabs generic levitra online the mother that begins as soon as the eczema disappears, use Exzemax in the evenings before going to bed. LCD TVs are also perfect for playing different games free sample cialis which are available in the market. 3. All work in the same order levitra without prescription matter and contain most of the same active ingredients and are only a mean to hold the active component and have nothing to do with treatment part and are safe in nature.
Grace and her mother are each other’s family. Going place to place, they never call one place home for long. A terrible accident happens and Grace loses her mother to a fall in the river. For the first time, Grace has to navigate a life that is very different from the one her mother had carved out for them. Her writing, once so precious to her is bottled up inside, just like her feelings. Grace’s grandmother claims her and she struggles to adjust to “The After.”

How can she live without her mother? How can she find her place in a world where she doesn’t belong? She wants to return to her friend and live with her-a place her mother would have approved of. Only the plans we make are not always the ones laid out for us. Grace begins to find this out as she follows clues that lead her to find her new life. There is new friendship, family issues, loss, exploration and just a little bit of romance to be found.

This book was a journey into the mind of a child who has lost everything. Grace’s mother was her world. The small origami paper cranes she folded and the little birds her mother made out of spoons become stars to travel by in this uncharted voyage to find the center of grief and move beyond it. Grace wants no part of her grandmother-the woman who turned her back on her very pregnant mother. She can’t stand the sounds of the river so she stays in the shed, keeping her distance from everyone and everything.

The thaw is slow. Once it comes it unfolds like the petals of a flower in the garden Grace’s grandmother so lovingly tends. We are all a part of each other’s lives. The decisions we make do affect other people and sometimes you make mistakes that you want more than anything to take back. And sometimes you just have to accept the strange things about people are the parts that make them who they are and love them just the same.

This book had me in tears more times than I could count. It is a middle grade read that really reaches into the feelings of devastation you can have when your whole world gets turned upside down. Where is home? Is it a person or a place? The Secret Hum of a Daisy also made me think about imagery of origami birds and the wonderful story of Sadaku and the paper cranes. It also hit on poetry, specifically Robert Frost. Lyrical in the structure of the story and the inclusion of art and poetry, I really felt the exploration and tender unfurling of Grace’s spirit as her new world is revealed to her step by tentative step.

I cannot recommend this tale highly enough. It is a book that could help so many kids deal with grief-and adults too. It made me think of my father and his passing and just how hard it was. I looked for signs from him forever just so I knew he was still up there watching. And you know what? They are everywhere. The ebb and flow of our life is poetry in motion. It is art and substance made real by every breath we take. And sometimes, if you listen there really is a secret hum in the background telling you the way…

You have to read this book.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »