The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

September 4, 2013 By 3 Comments

CRAYONS
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
Publisher: Philomel
Genre: Preschool, Fantasy, Picture book
Length: Short Story (40 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 3+
Rated: 5 Stars
Review by Poppy

Crayons have feelings, too, in this funny back-to-school story illustrated by the creator of Stuck and This Moose Belongs to Me

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.

What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?

Thoroughly enjoyable, this clever book about a crayon revolt was just a plain fun read. Even my teenager laughed all the way through.
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When poor Duncan decides to color and opens his box of crayons, he finds letters instead. The crayons are tired of being mistreated.

The letters are well constructed and the pictures are just perfect. My heart broke a little for poor beige (he’s so defeated in his picture … tired of being called “light brown” or “dark tan”) … I couldn’t get him out of my head even after I finished, I felt just awful for him.

And peach! I laughed at him hiding in the box, naked because he’d been used so much his paper was peeled off.

Yellow and orange argue about who is the right color for the sun … and so much more.

If you’re looking for a just perfect book to teach words and colors to your preschooler, I highly recommend it. It’s amusing for parents as well as kids and just so well done.

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

Taking The Stage by Heather Long

September 3, 2013 By 2 Comments

STAGE
Taking The Stage by Heather Long
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (130 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Daisy

When the tiger meets his tamer, “hot” doesn’t even scratch the surface.

Soulgirls, Book 2

Roseâtre takes one look at the white tigers that the stage manager has brought in to shake things up at the Midnight Mystery Lounge, and nearly has a heart attack. It doesn’t matter that the beautiful creatures’ handler raises her pulse and makes her want to purr. The tigers are sure to recognize her—and arouse her need for the hunt.

Pride outcast Anthony diNapoli wasn’t expecting to encounter an Amazon princess when he brought his white tigers to the lounge. The lucrative show will go a long way toward securing his future, but not if he gives in to the urge to make her submit to his dominance, and claim her as his mate.

No matter how desperately her body aches for the sun-kissed stranger and his completely lickable abs, Roseâtre is no man’s prize. Yet she finds herself hungering for Anthony to defeat her and take her for his own.

It’s show time in the Arcana Royale’s Midnight Mystery Lounge and all bets are off.

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Dialogue between the main characters Roseâtre and Anthony is quick and shows the character of both. These are not flat characters. They have aims, pasts, and a future that they will work out together.

In the process, the reader is brought along for the backs and forths of their sexual dance and its playful mirror in the show they perform. They want each other and yet they cannot have each other. There are drawbacks to their union and hidden benefits. They can help each other but will they?

This is the balanced conundrum which keeps me reading and intrigues me. In many romances this dance can seem contrived but this has the right back story for the dance to seem legitimate and even necessary, more so when the conclusion is considered.

The novel reaches its climax in the jungle environment of Anthony’s apartment. The exotic flavour the tigers and jungle foliage brings heightens the instinctive connection between the characters and gives the sexual tension a base and natural character, like their connection is meant to be.

Implicated scents and feels of earth, trees and animals also has the subtle effect of making a sexual union a natural conclusion to this meeting; it is an extension of the immediate sensory luxury of the jungle – the feel of soil under feet, bark under palm. The sex is heated and passionate but never cliché. It got me wishing for an exotic holiday and a man to match, even as the book placed me in the room with the lovers.

Heather Long did not put me in the person of Roseâtre as our personalities are too different but she did succeed in creating a story which captures the imagination and the senses. I felt the heat of the romance, smelt the fresh, trodden earth, felt the slow burn of the sun, and wanted some for myself, which can only result in a “well done” from me.

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

Till the End of Tom by Gillian Roberts

August 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment

TOM
Till the End of Tom by Gillian Roberts
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (160 Pages)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

Traditionally, Old Philadelphians keep a low profile. They associate with one another and leave life as discreetly as they have lived it. So Philly Prep English teacher Amanda Pepper, who thinks her only current problems are keeping her well-meaning family from hijacking her wedding, is understandably stunned to discover a perfect specimen of the species dying at the foot of the school’s marble staircase.

It is anybody’s guess what led to Tomas Severin’s apparent fall and, indeed, why he was in the building in the first place. More questions arise when Amanda enters her otherwise empty classroom and finds a take-out cup of herbal tea laced with the party drug her students call roofies. Why would a middle-aged Philadelphian have a date-rape drug in his tea? Why does he have Amanda’s name scribbled in his pocket notebook?

Hired by a member of the Severin family household, Amanda and her fiancé, C.K. Mackenzie, realize that many people felt their lives would improve if Tom’s life ended–-making it seemingly impossible to determine who’d been harassing Severin with threatening phone calls. Tom Severin leaves behind angry ex-wives, one recently dropped fiancée, and the current (about to be exed) Mrs. Tomas Severin. As secrets are unearthed, and cruelties old and new revealed, it’s apparent that the end of Tom is just the beginning of the grief he caused.

Diet also plays an important role in the lives of adult children of domestic violence cheap pfizer viagra divorce. This herbal pill is developed using mouthsofthesouth.com generic cialis pure extract of herbs that increase sex power. And that’s not all, the acai berries also help in improving the blood circulation prescription for ordering viagra in order to give satisfaction to their partners when it comes to sexual pleasure. Causes of heavy menstrual bleeding: Generally, this condition can still affect you as long as you have had a full examination by your GP and cialis online cheap you have not obtained the medicine without a solution then you ought not to take this measurement more than once every day. Amanda Pepper, an English teacher at Philly Prep, finds a dying man at the foot of the school’s marble staircase, and once again, Amanda is in the thick of a major mystery. Tomas Severin dies and only his aged mother seems distressed. He leaves behind numerous ex-wives, a current wife, a current fiancée, and even a current girl friend. Amanda and her fiancée, C.K. Mackenzie, are hired by Tomas’ mother’s secretary, and soon they realize that Tomas was universally hated. His death is seen as a blessing by nearly all who knew him.

Amanda is a fully developed character and I really enjoy watching her juggle her very busy life. She spends her days coping with teenage angst as she tries to teach her students the ins and outs of English grammar and literature. As difficult as her students can be, it is obvious from her interactions with them that they really do get the fact that she cares about them. Many of her students have never before felt that caring in any productive or meaningful way. But teachers are not paid well, especially at Philly Prep, so Amanda and her fiancée, C.K., also work as private investigators to supplement their income while C.K., a retired policeman, finishes graduate school. The final element in this wonderful mystery is that Amanda and C.K. are supposed to be planning their wedding, and they are being bombarded by advice from well-meaning, but a bit over-bearing family members.

Gillian Roberts manages to weave all these elements together into a fast-paced mystery full of intrigue as the skeletons in the wealthy Severin family come to light. The characters in this novel are drawn with real skill. Not only are the main characters of Amanda and C.K. fully developed, but so are the minor characters, including the students in Amanda’s classes. Suspects abound, and the plot twists and turns before it reaches a most satisfying conclusion as Amanda solves the riddle of the mysterious death of Tomas Severin.

Once again Roberts has written an absolutely marvelous cozy mystery. This is the twelfth in the series and after discovering and really enjoying Amanda in her ninth adventure, I went back and started at the beginning. Each novel is a unique story which stands totally on its own, so don’t feel that you have to read the entire series. However, if you are like me, you’ll want to. The advantage of a series is that a skillful writer can develop the main characters over time, and that is just what happens with these stories. Till the End of Tom is a wonderful mystery in its own right, but it is also all the richer for the past history many of the characters share. The bottom line is that you can’t go wrong when you leave the detecting to Amanda Pepper.

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

Bitten By Ecstasy by Naima Simone

August 29, 2013 By 2 Comments

BITTEN
Bitten By Ecstasy by Naima Simone
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi Fantasy
Length: Full Length (156 Pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Fuchsia

A brutal attack left Bastien Sarris for dead. But a chance encounter with a mysterious female drags him back from the brink of death—and transforms the hippogryph healer into a monster he doesn’t recognize. Now a terrible hunger consumes him—one that is becoming impossible to satisfy. Desperate for a cure, he hunts the cruxim who cursed him to a hellish existence. But the petite warrior ignites a fierce desire for her body that overwhelms the sweet call of blood.

For three hundred years Sinéad lived and hunted as a cruxim—a winged vampire hunter. But one sacrificial act stripped her immortality, leaving her human, vulnerable and unprepared for the reappearance of Bastien in her life. The hippogryph is harder and colder than she remembers…and he triggers an onslaught of need within her that is as powerful as it is unfamiliar. She craves his kiss, his touch. Yet even as she surrenders to this newfound passion, she faces a crucial decision—betray the man she’s come to love and regain her immortality, or save Bastien and condemn herself to a human life and death.

First let me say that I have read quite a few of Naima Simone’s books, Bargain with the Beast, Sweet Ultimatum, A Perfect Fit as well as the first book in this Dark Judgment Series, Under His Wings. Every one of these books was a great read. I thought that my favorite book of hers was Under His Wings, but sadly I was mistaken. Bitten by Ecstasy was by far the most enjoyable book I have read. This book had everything you could possibly want, there was a strong capable kick ass female who also let her vulnerable side show, and you had a strong alpha male who realized the strength the woman had and respected it. There were villains, fighting, Vampires, Wendigo’s, a blood cross and supporting characters that helped add more dimension to the story without overdoing it. These characters were so likeable that you as the reader couldn’t tear yourself away from their tale.

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Sinead, a Cruxim which is a winged Vampire Hunter, is the one who found Bastien clinging to life and nursed him back to health. This one unselfish act ended up stripping her of her immortality, and she is now doomed to live the rest of her life as a human. She is unprepared when Bastien once again enters her life as he is when he finds out what her good deed cost her.

I loved that the story centered around Bastien trying to find a way to rid himself of the hunger that lived within him, while trying to keep the attraction he had towards Sinead at bay. He wanted to get his life back but he also knew that this hunger for Sinead would not easily go away. However when he slept his dreams of being with her were very vivid and steamy which had this reader reaching for a fan. I liked that they didn’t jump into bed within the first few chapters, instead the author built the anticipation up until you as the reader was chewing your bottom lip as you waited for the explosion you knew would come once these two got together. This reader also loved the humor in the story, since Sinead became human her world revolved around her television. She would reference TV shows when talking to Bastien which promted him to raise an eyebrow and threaten to take away her remote.

Bitten by Ecstasy can be read as a stand alone, however I would suggest that the first book in the Dark Judgment series Under His Wings be read first. This is simply because some of the characters from the first book appear in this one, while others are mentioned. It also helps you get to know a little of what and why the villain who tried to kill Bastien did so. In my opinion, Bitten by Ecstasy is a must read, and I hope that when you get the book you enjoy it as much as I did.

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

Amanda in England: The Missing Novel by Darlene Foster

August 28, 2013 By 7 Comments

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Amanda in England: The Missing Novel by Darlene Foster
Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (118 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Amanda Ross is visiting England and taking in all the sights. She gets lost in the maze at Hampton Court, does some shopping at Harrods, meets the ravens in the Tower of London, explores Windsor Castle, and rides the London Eye. When she discovers a vintage book is missing from a collection, she is determined to find out who stole it. Amanda befriends a pair of tough teenagers from the streets of London, an elderly bookshop owner, and a big, friendly, clever, Maine Coon cat named Rupert. Follow Amanda through cobblestone streets, medieval castles, and underground tunnels in her quest to find the missing novel!

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The most memorable scenes in this story involve Amanda discovering the cultural differences between her hometown in Alberta and London. Everything from clotted cream to the advanced age of certain buildings is new and exciting to her. Amanda’s joyful reactions to the rich histories of the places she visits piqued my interest in learning more about them.

What made the plot even more rewarding was how slowly the mystery of the missing books unfolds. Amanda has to work hard to uncover every single clue, and none of them are easy to piece together. I expected to figure out what was happening much earlier on in the plot than I actually did, and it was quite rewarding to finally come to the correct conclusion.

This is the third book in the series, but I had no issues catching up with the highlights of Amanda’s previous adventures. If anything the tantalizing glimpses of the mysteries she’s attempted to solve in the past made me want to go back and read the first two instalments! Amanda is intelligent, resourceful and plucky, and those traits make reading about her adventures a real pleasure.

Amanda in England: The Missing Novel is a delightful romp through modern-day London. I highly recommend it for readers in late elementary school or for anyone who loves solving playful mysteries that do not reveal their secrets easily.

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

Dame Topaz Treasures by Carrie S. Masek

August 28, 2013 By 1 Comment

DAME
Dame Topaz Treasures by Carrie S. Masek
 A Collection of Spirits, Ghosts and Magic
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (128 pgs)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Spirits, Ghosts and Magic: Five fantastical tales from the treasure chest of Dame Topaz.

The Topaz Locket: A stolen locket haunts an antiques dealer’s dreams and leads him to a woman in a coma and true love.

Special Delivery: A woman joins St. Nicholas on a very special Christmas Eve.

Trick or Treat: Two children, one witch and a magic “trick” that turns the worst Halloween ever into the most exciting…and terrifying…night of their lives.

Topaz and the Lucky Seven: In a world ruled by luck, true love may be the most powerful magic of all.
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There is a bit of everything in this anthology. You can end up in Hell, find a locket and love, meet St. Nicholas, get tricked by a witch or find true love that’s hard to keep. It’s all fantasy and the stories are interesting reading.

The author creates stories that are different. Each one has a plot that is fascinating and captivating. They all flow well, you hope the story will turn out pleasantly, and the last story is about being in hell and trying to escape the devil.

Ms. Masek creates stories that contain magic, love, life after death and more. They are entertaining and captured my interest quickly. My favorite story was Topaz and the Lucky Seven. A young princess is to choose her mate and potential suitors come to visit. Someone is making people sick and putting them to sleep and it’s not apparent which suitor is doing this. It seems there is no hope for a happy ending, but more than one person is joyful at the end of the story. Another tale I liked: Special Delivery. An old woman visits a graveyard and sits on a bench to wait for the next bus. She gets picked up by a unique individual in van. She also finds herself able to play guardian angel with young ones.

I found all the stories easy to read and liked the variety. I’m going to buy a copy of this anthology for my personal library because I was impressed by the tales and will enjoy reading them again.

Why not give them a try and see if you can figure out how the stories will end before you get there? She teases you with the story line and I had to see just how she ended them.

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

The Water Sign by C. S. Samulski

August 27, 2013 By 9 Comments

Cover_TheWaterSign

The Water Sign by C. S. Samulski
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: Full (392 pgs)
Rating: 5 stars
Review by Poppy

The teachers taught us how to kill and made us dream for death. It is the only place the Struggle leads. And even it was a lie.

I am too old to be a child. Still too young to be a soldier. But I am trapped as both.

My name is Ayax, though some call me the Water Sign – and this is the story of how I died so that the world might live. In a future torn apart by catastrophic climate change, biological warfare, and geopolitical upheaval, corporations have taken over the role of nation states. Protected by the re-purposed United Nations and their dreaded Peacekeepers, these corporations and their mercenary armies wage endless wars across all that remains of civilization. And hidden in this chaos, someone or something is stealing children and programming them to fight. The warriors that emerge at age fourteen are vicious and unlike any the world has ever seen.

Exploited by his teachers, and pursued by others who would use him for their own ends, Ayax must navigate our dystopian future filled with treachery, unlikely allies and forbidden AI technology. Is he the Water Sign as the Kafkari believe he is, or merely another experimental weapon?

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This isn’t an easy read, or a quick one. The world building and the plot are incredibly complex and require full attention in order to process and understand just exactly what is going on. Even with that attention, there were times I felt just a bit lost.

There’s quite a mix of different things here: religion, politics, love … there are mentions of Elohim and Buddha, of countries like the United States or major cities like Paris and Tokyo. Even the UN exists. But all familiarity ends with the words for those things (except perhaps the UN which is very similar to my perception of how it works currently).

Interestingly, Ayax didn’t feel male to me at the beginning. Even with the clear indications of his gender, he felt softer than a male. Perhaps because the females in this story are not particularly soft, so the distinction between genders isn’t as well defined. As time and pages passed, however, Ayax became quite certainly male. There is even the currently popular and seemingly requisite love triangle here.

If you’re at all politically aware, you’ll find much about this story — set on a future earth — that will resonate with today’s society. It’s a bit frightening, but perhaps something we can all learn from. When I saw this was the author’s debut novel, I was honestly surprised. His prose is polished and I didn’t see many of the “rookie” mistakes many first time novelists make.

Overall, The Water Sign was impressive. Perhaps not a perfect story as there were some inconsistencies and a few times when the narrative was a bit too description and lacking action so my attention wandered. But even so, it’s very worthy of 5 solid stars.

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

Beneath An Irish Sky by Isabella Connor

August 27, 2013 By 1 Comment

SKY
Beneath An Irish Sky by Isabella Connor
Publisher: Choc Lit
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (428 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Stephantois

The past is never over …
Jack Stewart thought he’d put the past behind him. On the surface, he has everything – success, money, a big house and he is never short of an attractive woman by his side, but a tragic road accident shatters his world.

Raised as an Irish Traveller, Luke Kiernan hasn’t had it easy, and when he wakes in a Dublin hospital to find the man he’s hated since childhood at his bedside, he’s hungry for revenge.

Two very different worlds collide, bringing new dangers, exposing past deceits, and unearthing dark family secrets buried long ago. But from tragedy springs the promise of a fresh start with two women who are intent on helping Jack and Luke mend their lives.

Can new love heal old wounds, or are some scars there for good?

Husbands are burdened with get cialis without prescriptions so many responsibilities family, kids, professional life… and the list goes on. Solution like loved that levitra fast shipping Zenegra helps in causing a man with great erection and this assists in providing man with enjoying a good time with the partner. Libido is order generic viagra http://www.dentech.co/?shop=3282 a conscious or unconscious sexual desire. Hectic life has made people suffering from prostate disease, but is the most modern centre offering complete urological solutions.” Choosing a brand viagra pfizer Continue Shopping BPH treatment involves careful consideration to determine if the treatment is safe, effective in relieving symptoms and restoring urine flow, long-lasting and easy to use. I’ll admit up front that I love stories either set in Ireland or with Irish characters and that was one of the reasons I opted to read and review this book. And I wasn’t disappointed because this was a fun read from beginning to end.

The author(actually there are two of them) did a wonderful job drawing me into the tale and keeping my interest throughout. A couple of times I thought I’d sit down and read for fifteen or twenty minutes and when I looked at the clock almost an hour had passed because I was anxious to know what happened next.

Every single character is well drawn and come across as real people. I especially liked Luke from the minute he was introduced. My heart ached for him at times and I was hoping they’d give him the happiest of endings for all the hardship he’d been through, not only in the story, but in his life leading up to the point where the story begins.

Dialogue was another thing I really enjoyed. It sounded like real people talking and not a word was wasted on anything that wasn’t necessary for you to know. And of course, setting won me over and I felt like I do was in Ireland…and England too.

This is Isabella Connor’s first book and I hope it won’t be the last because I eagerly await the next story.

If you’re looking for a great book to finish out your summer reading, I recommend this one to you.

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

The Outlaw Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

August 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

TOK
The Outlaw Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (560 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

A Deadly Rival.

An Ancient Family Dispute.

An Impossible Love.

He should have known better than to fight with the future King John. Ruthless and feared, John is not one to forget or forgive. But Fulke FitzWarin couldn’t help himself, and now the vindictive John has insured that Fulke will never become lord of the castle he loves.

Instead of accepting his fate, Fulke rebels. He begins an affair with Maude Walter, the wealthy widow desired by John himself. Negotiating a maze of deceit, treachery, and shifting alliances, Fulke’s route to success is blocked at every turn. And when the turmoil of the Magna Carta rebellion combines with a shocking tragedy, everything Fulke has fought for is thrown into the path of destruction.

THE OUTLAW KNIGHT is a magnificent, vibrant story set in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries—a time that boiled with trouble to the point King John, under duress, signed the Magna Carta.

While this is a tale of fiction, it brings out the king’s excesses, childishness, shameful ways, and his misuse of power that finally bring a longstanding problem to a head.
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The characters Elizabeth Chadwick creates to go along with the historical characters make this a book that brings that time in history to life. Adrenaline-pumping action, enduring love, daily living activities, and how honorably or dishonorably characters deal with each other create emotional highs and lows that sweep the reader along into the thick of things.

Fulkes FitzWarin, an outlaw knight, tries to forge a life, stay an honorable man, hold on to his properties, and make a life for his family. But a set-to with Prince John in their youth dogs his tracks relentlessly. John’s vindictiveness seeps into every aspect of Fulke’s life. But, early on in his life, his mother instilled confidence in him and taught him not to fear challenges. His father instilled in him the need to reclaim Whittington keep and lands that were rightfully their near the Welsh borders.

Fulke’s tutor in arms, Theobald Walter, Theobald’s brother Hubert the priest at court, and Theobald’s squire Jean de Rampaigne are strong threads in this tapestry of yhis tale. They impact Fulkes’ life on many levels. The undercurrents in their relationships intrigue.

Elizabeth Chadwick weaves the women into THE OUTLAW KNIGHT in unique ways. True to the times, many of them were married as soon as they reached childbearing age. Maude, the daughter of Robert le Vavasour is offered to Theobald, a man old enough to be her father, but their properties join and it seems advantageous for both families. How Fulke figures into this marriage is a subtle thread that is scarcely visible, but is ever present. After Theobald’s death, Maude and Fulke are wed. Theirs is a fiery relationship at times and the suggested love scenes that one can imagine or sizzling. But the love they have endures; it is patient, and withstands adversity with unfailing strength.

Oonagh FitzGerald of Ireland, even though compelled to marry men of others’ choosing, knows how to use men to get what she wants out of life. Her connection with Fulke is a growing up experience for him. It is surprising who she ends up with.

Clarice, a ward of Hubert the priest, comes to live in Fulke and Maude’s household when she is eight years old and stays unwed long past her ‘prime’ even though she is wealthy and desired by many. She is one of the most unique characters in the story.

Elizabeth Chadwick has a magical writing style that lures the reader in and sweeps her along on a vicarious adventure in a time of history that brought out the best and the worst of human nature. Her memorable characters—protagonist, antagonist, and all the characters in between are so well developed, the reader feels as if they are acquaintances that stir emotions that range from hate to love and admiration. Excellent reading!

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The Shivering Sands by Victoria Holt

August 23, 2013 By 1 Comment

SANDS
The Shivering Sands by Victoria Holt
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (331 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

In 19th Century England Caroline Verlaine, a young widow, travels to the Coast of Kent in search of her sister who disappeared while investigating some nearby ruins. She finds work at an old estate overlooking the shivering sands, powerful quicksands that have been known to swallow entire ships. Her employers are a strange, distrustful family, haunted by the past. Caroline nonetheless finds herself drawn to them and to the son, Napier Stacy, in particular. The further Caroline becomes involved with the family, the more she learns about their secrets and, even more shockingly, about what happened to her sister.

Victoria Holt’s The Shivering Sands is an absolute classic of the genre. The story is set in an isolated spot of England’s coast in the late nineteenth century. The host family is slightly aristocratic, but has seen tragedy. The son of the household is a dark character that insists he did not commit a terrible crime, but we are forced to wonder. The main character is a lovely, yet somewhat tragic figure herself. All of the key ‘classic’ points are there.

The main character, Caroline, is very much a character of her times. She’s clever, but careful, she’s investigating (and very motivated) but not a demanding or confrontational person. I found her believable. She’s suffered her own tragedies, but nothing like the Stacy family. She’s an enormously easy character to sympathize with, although the modern reader might wish for her to be a more take-charge woman.

Much of the story is revealed in conversation, and this is certainly an older ‘style.’ Modern readers might find the action a bit slow, and the discussions slightly unrealistic (phrasing meant to reflect the time). However, the writing is beautiful, and I find that the style helps create and maintain a haunting aura. Suspense builds as the story continues; both in the romantic sense, and in the sense of impending danger. We slowly grow more and more sure that there is a malevolent force out there…
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The intrigue is complex and very well done. One part, our initial motivation, is Caroline’s missing sister, Roma. Caroline wends her way into the Napier home in an effort to find Roma. There are family secrets, scandals, and a piece of coastline famed for shipwrecks. You have a sense that anything could happen and be covered up – and soon, we readers are worried for Caroline. Usually, romance readers worry that the romance will work out as hoped – in this case, we are hoping for survival really.

Holt was a true master though: There are points in the plot we are hoping for, while others, we cannot guess.

This is not a light romance with a hint of suspense, but truly an evocative (even eerie) page-turner with a strong sense of imminent danger.

If you haven’t read Victoria Holt before, this is truly a change of pace. If you are familiar with the author – then this might seem a touch ‘in the formula,’ yet it is still intriguing. The Shivering Sands is a great read.

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