Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Precipice by Melissa Luznicky Garrett

Julia has found herself in a dead end marriage. She's also figured out she's in love with her best friend's boyfriend. What's she to do? Should she end her marriage? Should she explore her feelings for Wes, her best friend's boyfriend?

I enjoyed reading this book. I don't think it's anything to write home about though. Jim, Julia's husband, is way older and not a very likable character. Wes is charming and sweet. Kris, the best friend, is a wonderful best friend. I wouldn't read it again, but it was worth my time as being just something to read.

Stars- 3
Passion- 2
Length- 191 pages

Monday, January 30, 2012

Shane and Trey by Anyta Sunday

Shane has just realized he's gay. Unfortunately, it causes him to lose his best friend. Not only that but he's just found out he's going to be rooming with his twin sister's boyfriend, Trey, for freshman year. Shane is scared of Trey because he's big and in the past has bullied Shane. Being roommates shows Shane that there's a lot more to Trey than meets the eye and he soon finds himself falling for Trey. Follow Shane through his guilt of loving his sister's boyfriend and then his first homosexual relationship and sex.

I loved this book. I loved how sensitive Shane and Trey both were. I loved that these characters were real and not cheesy. Shane has some wonderful wit and I found myself laughing several times throughout this wonderful read.

The sex scenes were not extremely graphic and there was some adult language.

Stars- 5
Passion- 3
Length- 270 pages

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Blood of the Rainbow (A Vested Interest) by Shelia Chapman

Jared has had dreams of is perfect match for most of his life. They started when she was ten and continued until he met Sara. He has loved his dream girl since that first dream.
Sara isn't sure she believes in all the destiny crap Jared tells her about. He dreamed of her? Really? Only time will spell out these two characters destiny.

I thoroughly loved this book. It did seem to be drawn out just a little and got really sluggish about 3/4 of the way through. I persevered and finished and I admit it was a very likable book. I loved Sara's sweet innocent nature and Jared's loving nature. Jared did tend to run a little hot and cold, but when he was hot, he was definitely hot. I also loved that part of the book was set in Shreveport. The other part of the time was spent in Arizona. The secondary characters were wonderful and Steve provided his own entertainment.
Now, all the good qualities finished, let's start on the cons. The book started out being very amateurish with horrible dialogue. Jared is a doctor so he's at least in his late 20s when in the book he speaks and behaves as if he's sixteen. During the middle of the book the writing progresses to a wonderful writer tell a wonderful, balanced book. That last third of the book was in a completely different writing styles with a point of view from other characters. This had not been in the book up until this point. Still, give this book a shot. It will definitely give you something to read and a new hero to love.

Stars- 4
Passion- 2
Length- 471 pages

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Shades of Blue by Lynn Henry

Megan has found herself widowed and pregnant. She's alone in her large home at Wentworth Hall with a sister-in-law that's colder than ice and can't stand Megan. Megan decides to leave Wentworth Hall and get the Wentworths out of her mind and life.
Nathanial can't believe it when he gets the call that his brother-in-law has died in a car accident with his mistress in his car. To top it off, the mistress is pregnant. To save his sister and family from certain humiliation he decides to say that the mistress is his fiance. Then to keep the humiliation at bay, he marries her.
Can these two people find happiness through all the deception? Can they admit their love for each other when it all comes out?

I liked the story line. I liked the characters. I hated that this book needed an editor in the absolute worst way. This book was filled to the brim with repeated paragraphs, typos, and punctuation errors. If not for that and the fact that Nathanial was a real piece of work, this book would have been very enjoyable.

Stars- 2
Passion- 2
Length- 117 pages

Friday, January 27, 2012

Drew in Blue by J.M. Kelley

Drew wasn't sure what to do when he found out he was going to be a father. His best idea was to write a check and walk away. Four months later, the mother shows up on his doorstep and says she doesn't want it. What's Drew to do with a baby? He doesn't know anything about babies and doesn't even want this baby. Drew can't bring himself to turn Nick over to child welfare to live life as Drew did as a child. He decides to call his best friend Kris. She's a woman. Surely she can help him. After all, she's got boobs so surely she has maternal instincts. Kris is wonderful with Nick. She loves him like he's her own. Unfortunately, she's not his mother, which Drew keeps pointing out. Then he hits her with a bomb. How's she supposed to respond to her best friend after he tells her something like that?

I really enjoyed this book. It was told from Drew's point of view. I kind of liked reading a book solely from the male perspective. I thought that Drew was very witty and charming. He could also be a jerk, but from my own perspective, that's just a trait of the male species. Kris was a woman who knew what she would and would not take from anyone and I loved her for it. Of course, Nick really stole the show. It was the gummy smiles and drool that did it for me. Set in the Appalachians, Kelley really wrote a beautiful small town story complete with festivals and nosy old biddies.

Stars- 4
Passion- 2
Length- approx. 267 pages

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Amanda's Blue Marine by Doreen Owens Malek

Amanda is an ADA who has apparently garnered the attention of someone she helped put away. She goes to the police to get some protection. What she gets is super sexy Detective Brendan Kelly. Detective Kelly is a retired Marine turned cop. He's amazing at what he does even if he is a bit of a wild card. He also can't help but get to know the beautiful red head he's assigned to protect. Unfortunately, she's rich...and engaged to a congressman. To someone with Kelly's past, it's inconceivable that someone like Mandy would even be interested in him for longer than the time it takes to eliminate the threat to her.

I loved this book. I know I say that about most of the reviews I do, but I do love most of the books I read. If they engage me like Amanda's Blue Marine did, then I love it. This book pulled me in and I was just as worried for Amanda as everyone else was. Something I also thought was unique, and I have never seen before, was that this book had two epilogues. Really. Two. They summed up the story very nicely. I would like to read more by Doreen Owens Malek.

Stars- 5
Passion- 2
Length- 308 pages

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Intuition (The Premonition Series) by Amy A. Bartol

This is the sequel to Inescapable (The Premonition Series)
Evie is evolving more and more. She's still looking over her shoulder for Alfred. Reed is still wonderful and Russell is still the best friend she could ask for. Unfortunately, Evie has discovered the danger she produces for Reed and Zephyr. Evie talks Russell into running away with her to protect those she loves and to help keep Russell hidden from Dominion.

I loved this book just as much as Inescapable (The Premonition Series). I almost couldn't put it down and when I really  had to, it was all could think about. I was completely swept away by all the love, action, and drama. I never wanted the book to end. Now, I'm just waiting on Indebted to be released. I can't wait to continue the wonderful story of angels and the Fallen. Also, there's some new bad guys to try and conquer. That just keeps the story interesting. I also loved and hated that this book was broken up into key players. We start with Evie and everyone else, then it goes into the story from Russell's point of view, then it goes into Evie's until everyone is reunited. The book is mostly told from Evie's perspective as it is.

The only thing that bugs me about this series is Ms. Bartol's perspective on the southern dialect. She writes people's accents wonderfully. Okay, my beef - Ms. Bartol writes Russell's language wonderfully except she doesn't seem to really know how to use y'all. That word is plural and she uses it relentlessly when speaking to and about just one person. Singular is still 'you' while plural is y'all. I still loved this book and devoured it like it was the last time I might ever get to red.

Stars- 5
Passion- 1
Length- 394 pages

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Blacke Harbor by Lisa Adcock

This book is mostly about a man named Erik. I say man because in the first couple of chapters he's returned from a vampire to a human. He is staying with the doctors who help him beat the virus. Catherine is one of his doctors along with her grandfather Jurgis. Erik and Catherine fall in love.

 There's not a whole lot to say about this book. There's no grammatical errors. I was really bored with the whole thing until the last chapter. There's some mystery in the book that will make you wonder what's going on and who's doing it, but other than that this book was very....boring. I don't know what else to say for it.

Stars- 1
Passion- 2
Length- 246 Pages

Monday, January 23, 2012

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

Ashton Gray, the preachers daughter, is the perfect girl who has the perfect boyfriend. Unfortunately, Ash has a bad girl dying to come out. That's where Beau comes in.
Beau, his cousin Sawyer, and Ash have been friends since they were young children. Now, at seventeen, Ash and Sawyer are the perfect couple. Beau sits on the sidelines and wonders what happened to the mischievous trouble maker he was in love with.
Sawyer is away for the summer and Ashton is home. When she bumps into Beau one night, she decides she has missed her best friend. She wants to rekindle the friendship. When that friendship turns to love Ashton has a choice to make. Can she defy everyone and hurt Sawyer to be with the town bad boy?

I loved this book. I felt with Ashton. I felt with Beau. I felt with these characters, not for. I couldn't help but fall in love with the bad boy any more than Ashton could. There were a couple of grammatical errors and typos, but not enough to really affect my reading. I only noticed because if there's a missing word you tend to notice such things. All in all, it's a book I will definitely be reading again.

Stars- 4
Passion- 1
Length- approx. 174 pages

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Rebecca Danced by Ezzy Black

Rebecca has always walked with braces and crutches. Now, after having surgery on both knees, she's in a wheel chair. Not only that, but she's starting a new school. That's how she meets Tony and Tina. A brother and sister that have volunteered to help Rebecca get around the school which isn't handicapped accessible.

Tony, is a sixteen year old saint. He is beyond polite to everyone. Loves his younger sister Tina like there's no tomorrow, and loves Rebecca with his very soul. Not to mention, he's extremely generous. To make him even more perfect, he's in an incredible band.

I loved the sweet story line. I did think it was all a little too sweet. There was absolutely no conflict and in a high school, there would definitely be some sort of conflict with the new girl coming in and "taking" the golden boy off the market. Not to mention the fact that she's in a wheel chair. I mean, these are high school kids not saints and angels. Still, it makes for a very nice read if you're just looking for something to pass the time without reading high school drama. Also, the songs listed throughout were pretty great.

Stars- 4
Passion- 1
Length- 232 pages

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Lucy's Story by Lindsey Walker

Lucy has been in love with Jackson since she was just a little girl. Jackson has always acted like more of a big brother. When Lucy's father dies and leaves a stipulation in his will stating Lucy has to marry before a month of the reading of the will, she panics. She doesn't want to lose her school Meredith Acres. Jackson decides he has to help her. Can Lucy make Jackson believe in forever?

I thought this was a very cute book. I loved Lucy's smart mouth and witty sense of humor. There were a couple very funny moments in the book that actually had me laughing out loud. What I didn't like was the indecision until the very end. He doesn't love me, she doesn't love me. That's all you hear until the VERY end of the book. I think someone should have sucked it up and spit it out just a little sooner.

Stars- 3
Passion- 1
Length- 201 pages

Friday, January 20, 2012

Doing Ireland! by Kate Hoffmann

Claire O'Conner has had a really crappy day. She lost her boyfriend, her job, and her apartment all in the span of six hours. Her grandmother tells her about the island of Trall in Ireland that has a Druid spring. If you share a cup of water from the spring with someone then you will be eternally bound. So Claire hops a plane to Ireland to get her some Druid spring water. She wants her boyfriend back!
Will Donovan runs the inn on Trall. When a very wet and muddy American sloshes through his door he can't help but notice the mess she makes - on the floor and in his life. He's instantly attracted to her. Is this the curse the Druid priestess placed on him or is this something else? Will doesn't know, but he really wants to find out more about the pretty American.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Harlequin romance. I usually find Harlequin books to be all the same. They all have the same sweet story with the same sweet ending. I thought this was wonderfully sweet with some good doubts thrown in and a wonderfully happy ending. The descriptions were very pleasant and appealing. The accents were wonderful and the secondary characters were charming and memorable.

Stars- 5
Passion- 4
Length- 256 pages

His Wife for a While by Donna Fasano

Ben is going to lose Reed's Orchard unless he marries within 21 days, according to his grandfather's will.
Chelsea wants a baby more than anything in the world. She proposes to Ben that they get married so he can keep his orchard - with one stipulation; Ben has to get her pregnant and then sign over his parental rights when they divorce.

I thought this book would have been a lot better if there was more to the story. It was too short and resolved too easily because of it. Chelsea won't let anyone in and doesn't trust Ben even though she's in love with him but when he says he loves her she just jumps on board. It should have been drawn out more with her growing to trust him or making him show her more or something. I don't know. It was just lacking. I can't really put my finger on it. I also would have liked to hear more from Ben. He was just kind of thrown in there occasionally. Majority of the story was told from Chelsea's perspective, which would have been fine if Ben was actually in the story more. This was a simple love story that was in no way remarkable.

Stars- 2
Passion- 1
Length-144 pages

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Vittorio's Woman (Vittorio Series) by Kimberley Reeves

Simon Vittorio is the ultimate ladies man. He's gorgeous, beyond wealthy, and charming. Until a car accident leaves him paralyzed and blind. During his downward spiral of depression, Simon's sister Milano calls in the best of the best physical therapists, Claire Barclay.
Claire never gives up. She won't just walk away, no matter how cranky Simon is. She's determined to get the beautiful man she saw at a party back up onto his feet. At least, if she can keep her feelings to herself and not let Simon know how attracted she is to him.

I thought this was a very sweet love story. Simon was wonderful. He didn't have too much self pity and he could be a little devious in getting what he wanted, but I still cared for him anyway. Claire was a beautiful person in appearance, heart, and soul. She was strong and vulnerable at the same time. There were some funny moments, some very steamy moments, and some extremely sweet moments. This book also had a wonderful epilogue for those out there that want to really know what happens to the characters after the story. This one tells us several years worth and not in a rushed or uncaring way.

Stars- 5
Passion- 4
Length-203 pages

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Edwina by Patricia Strefling

Edwina likes her stale, boring life. She's a librarian who lives in a tiny apartment and spends her time reading books even at home. Edwina likes it that way. Then her step sister talks her into going to Scotland for two weeks. While at the airport, Edwina's sister gets a phone call and rushes off to England, leaving Edwina to continue to Scotland on her own. She ends up being literally swept off her feet by a Scottish laird in the hotel lobby she was supposed to stay in. He talks her into coming back to his castle for a couple of days until she can get her reservations settled out. Later, he offers her a job. A job she finds that she loves.

I thought this book had beautiful descriptions, especially of the Scottish countryside. It also had very beautiful cover art. Other than that, I didn't like the book. I will say it's a Christian book. There's lots of praying and referring to Him. If that's not your thing then I would avoid this book. That was probably some of the reason for my dislike. I also couldn't figure out how Alex and Edwina fell in love. They were actually around each other, with conversation, less than a days worth in the whole book. Alex dropped her at his farm in Scotland and flew to America. Literally. There were also a lot of references to Cinderella. I just did not enjoy this book.

Stars- 2
Passion- 1
Length- 384 pages

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Anywhere But Here by Jenny Gardiner

Mary Kate has spent the last twenty years being married to a man who insists on spoon feeding her in restaurants, making sure she only cooks what he wants on certain days of the week, and she stays almost invisible to the world. She has to be utterly plain jane making sure she never draws attention to herself. On the spur of the moment, Mary Kate decides to pick up her very first hitchhiker.
Smoothie has decided that after catching his wife in bed with another woman that he hasn't much left. When Mary Kate offers him a ride he decides to just go with it. Together they decide to drive from Virginia to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Along the way, Smoothie gets Mary Kate to start coming out of her shell and making her own decisions.

I loved this book. It made me smile and feel for Mary Kate. Especially when she was fantasizing about shooting her husband in the head while he spoon fed her foods she absolutely hated in the restaurant. Ms. Gardiner didn't make it pretty that women who are utterly controlled have thoughts like that. It made the book more real to me. It made Mary Kate more real to me. I would definitely like to read more of her work.

This book contains explicit language and one fairly non-graphic sex scene.

Stars- 5
Passion- 1
Length- 198 pages

Monday, January 16, 2012

Colters' Woman (Colters' Legacy) by Maya Banks

Holly is running. Now, she's run into something good. Well, someone. Three someones. Adam, Ethan, and Ryan own the Three Brothers Hunting Lodge. When Adam finds an unconscious, nearly frozen Holly in the ditch down their long drive, he starts counting his lucky stars because he knows he's found the one. The one woman for the three of them. The problem? Holly is on the run from her murdering, abusive husband. He'll stop at nothing to keep Holly quiet.

First of all, I love Maya Banks. Her books always make me smile, laugh, and yes, a little hot. Okay. Really hot. This book has got some of the hottest bedroom scenes I have ever read. And, yeah, there's that one in the barn also. Still, the writing is beautiful and flows very well. There's some great action and I don't just mean in the bedroom.

Stars- 5
Passion- 5
Length- 280 pages

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Blood Past (Warriors of Ankh #2) by Samantha Young

This is the sequel to Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1).

Eden is going to Scotland to locate the last living relatives of her mother. There she meets wonderful Neith, skeptical Neith, and even some questionable Neith. Eden starts her training and makes a new best friend and things start to develop between her and Noah. We also see someone from Eden's past. Will he destroy everything? Make sure you read Blood Past to find out.

I was just as engrossed in Blood Past as I was in Blood Will Tell. I couldn't put it down. This book was also exceptionally longer than the first. Still, Samantha Young has brought us a book worth holding onto for dear life. It's beautifully written. She makes you feel like you're right there in the good times and bad with the characters.

Stars- 5
Passion- 1
Length- 335 pages

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1) by Samantha Young

Eden is a soul eater. Or about to be anyway. Noah is an Ankh. His job is to save her.

Eden Winslow is trying to fend off her parents about her Awakening Ceremony. They want her to take someones entire soul. Eden doesn't want to be that monster. After years of hearing the screams and knowing what her father done to humans, she can't bring herself to be that way. Her best friend Noah is what's known as an Ankh. His job is to kill soul eaters. His orders now are to save Eden from going through with her awakening ceremony and becoming a true soul eater.

There's a lot more going on there with some great action scenes and a little mystery. I don't want to give too much away because then there's no point in you reading it. Just know that there are lots of lovable characters as well as a nice trip to Scotland.

Stars- 5
Passion- 1
Length- approx. 151 pages

Friday, January 13, 2012

Out of Time by Deborah Truscott

Kathy Lee is a lost woman and mother. She has an absentee husband and a crazy mother. She's spending more and more time at her mother's and a couple days at home, but she still doesn't feel either place is right. When she inherits Uncle Bennet's house, she makes a startling discovery in her shed. She finds Robert Upton from the year 1777. Kathy Lee leaves her kids at her mother's and her and Robert drive to her mother's beach house to try and figure out how to get Robert back to his time without anyone finding out about him.

I liked this book very much. I also fell in love with Robert. I thought Kathy Lee was very intelligent and brave, which I personally like a lot more than a simpering airhead. I did think the climax at the end should have lasted just a bit longer instead of being completely resolved in a couple of pages. I also couldn't really figure out why the epilogue was from Lila's (Kathy Lee's mother) point of view when none of the rest of the book was. All in all, the book was well worth the read.

Stars- 4
Passion- 1
Length- approx. 324 pages

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Dream Stallion (Horsemen, Book 1) by Kate Hill

A whole new breed of shifters. We don't hear about these wonderful men who are Horsemen. These wonderfully strong half man, half horse. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book in this series.

Terra, a Fighting Carrier, has been dreaming of his soul mate, Inez. When he finally finds her in Horneview he decides that he has waited long enough for this strong Gatherer. It's a horseman's job to fly Gatherers to the south or north to gather what's called Rock Blood to help humans fight the plague. The north is frozen and dangerous due to ice lizards while the south is very tropical and the extreme heat can kill. This book is about some of Terra's trips as Inez's carrier to the north for this Rock Blood. It's also about their love for each other and it also has a couple bad guys who don't like Terra and Inez. Full of fantasy and steamy love scenes, in which Terra is in his Huform (human), this book will keep you turning the pages.

Stars- 5
Passion- 5
Length- 211 pages

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

A Prince of Norway by Kris Tualla

This is the sequel to A Woman's Choice.

In this book, Nicolas and family travel to Norway where Nicolas has the opportunity to become king. There are lots of dirty tricks and backstabbing going on. As we know from the first book, Nicolas and Sydney are two very intelligent people who also know what's right. Here we see Nicolas in his element as land owner and as a possible king. He is very diplomatic and caring about people's rights.

I ended up loving this book as much as the first. Throughout I was filled with love, hope, unbelief, sadness, and happiness. At times I wanted to jump into the book and punch Nicolas in the face. This one had a lot of mystery to it. I was completely riveted towards the end when some details were revealed. I was in utter shock. I also thoroughly enjoyed some of the new characters in the book. Leif, the young stable boy, grabbed onto a spot in my heart.

Look for the third installment, A Matter of Principle.

Stars- 5
Passion- 4
Length- approx. 279 pages

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

A Woman of Choice (The Hansen Series) by Kris Tualla

Missouri Territory, 1819. Nicolas Hansen finds a battered unconscious woman on his land and takes her back to his estate to try and save her life. When the woman awakens she discovers she doesn't know who or where she is. That's when she meets to formidable Nicolas in all his sullen Norse glory. He's hardened his heart to everyone except his best friend Rickard and his two employees Addie and John. Nicolas doesn't even let his 5 year old son Stefan in. Slowly, "Sydney" starts to get under his skin. There's too many questions left unanswered. Is she married? Was her accident an accident or something more sinister? Sydney starts to fall in love with the stoic Nicolas and shows him how to let love in.

This is a wonderful book. I couldn't put it down. It captured my attention from the first paragraph to the last. I fell in love with Nicolas and was charmed by Rickard. Sydney is the kind of woman I like to read about. She's not a pushover but is also willing to concede the point. She's not overly stubborn like some romance novel heroines.

There is a sequel to this series called A Prince of Norway. I have started it so it will be reviewed on here tomorrow. So far it's as captivating as A Woman of Choice.

Stars- 5
Passion- 4
Length- 302 pages

Monday, January 9, 2012

I'm Saying Yes by E.N. Holland

Think Brokeback Mountain...only better. I have to say I loved this well written novel.

1970s. Allen and Jim have known each other since they were 16 and met as ranch hands on Rattlesnake Ranch. they have also been meeting up a couple times a year except for a short break while Jim was in the Army. The novel starts with Allen waiting for Jim to show up for one of their week long get aways. This week Jim decides to tell Allen to either suck it up and be his or not call him anymore because a month before Allen blew him off after his divorce was final.
Allen says yes to Jim's ultimatum and this starts off the next four months. Jim telling his wife he'd like a divorce and them finding work and a place to stay at the Lazy L farm in Texas.

This book also shows you a lot of the fears a gay couple can experience and the ignorance of people about a gay couple. It also shows you how good of friends people can really be and look past the fact that they are gay. It's really a beautifully written novel that had me wishing I was there with them. It also had me crying I was so emotionally invested.

Stars- 5
Passion- 5
Length- approx. 315 pages

Clay's Way by Blair Mastbaum

This book is about a 15 turns 16 year old boy in Hawaii named Sam. He is in love with a boy named Clay. Sam is very angsty. He lives for pot and Clay. His pastimes include trying to be someone he's not, masturbating, and trailing after Clay trying to make Clay think he's cool. Clay, is a 17 year old surfer who has the tendency to adopt the personality of whoever he is with. He's really into partying and drugs.

I didn't particularly care for this book. It was well written and maybe it's just not my kind of book. I'm not really sure but it seemed that Sam had way too much angst for any teenager. He would go from "I love Clay" to "I want to hit him in the face until he bleeds". It just seemed that this kid was more on the verge of mass murder/suicide than anything else. I never really could figure Clay out other than he just wouldn't show anyone the real him.

This book is definitely not for a young audience as there is extensive marijuana use, cocaine use, drinking, and tons of masturbating.

Stars- 3
Passion- 4 If you don't mind constant masturbation
Length- 256 pages

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Protection by S.A. Reid

1930s Wentworth prison. Gabriel MacKenna is the top dog. You don't get on his bad side but try to get him as your protector. Joey Cooper is an Oxford trained physician who arrives to find out prison life isn't so easy. Gabriel decides to offer Joey his protection....for a price.

I thought this was a wonderful novella. It's not your typical romance in any fashion. It can get a little graphic where injuries are concerned but not so much that I couldn't read it and get through the brief descriptions. I thoroughly enjoyed Gabriel's tough but vulnerable personality. His loyalty was astounding. Joey was a charming man you would have been honored to be friends with.

Stars- 5
Passion- 5
Length- 33k novella

Saturday, January 7, 2012

A Chance in Time by Ruth Ann Nordin

Penelope lives in the middle of nowhere 1898. She has been completely on her own since her husband died a year ago. She decides to leave and go to town where she can actually talk to someone...anyone. On the way into town she sees a man lying face down in some tall grass. When she discovers she's alive she decides to take him back home to nurse him back to health. This is how her and Cole meet and fall in love. If I tell you anymore then there really will be no reason to read the book because I'll have pretty much told you all you need to know.

I personally love Ruth Ann Nordin's books. I've read a lot of negative reviews for her books, but I ignore them and thoroughly enjoy her books. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat. It could have been a more rounded out book. There were time periods that were skipped. It would jump two weeks, a month. So it made you wonder how Penelope and Cold could have fallen in love without saying anything to each other.

Also, for those who have read Restoring Hope, Ruth Ann's Native American book, you will recognize Penelope, after of course, she brings Martha (Woape) home.

Stars- 3
Passion-1  One sex scene at the very end of the book and not extremely graphic.
Length- 84 pages

Friday, January 6, 2012

Virgin River by Robyn Carr

I love this book! I have read it several times and I just have to share it with you.

When nurse practitioner/midwife Melinda Monroe loses her husband in a tragic robbery she decides she needs to get out of L.A. and go somewhere small and safe. She decides to take a job in the small mountain town of Virgin River, pop. 600. When she gets to the charming cabin she's supposed to get rent free for the next year, it's so run down there's a birds nest in the oven. Mel decides to hit the road the next morning, but not before stopping for some coffee at the only bar in town. The handsome owner, Jack, can't talk her into staying so he decides to walk her out. That's when they find a baby on the old doc's front porch. Mel decides to stay...for a bit.

This is really a wonderful read. Mel is someone you want to be friends with and Jack is someone you want to fall in love with. The Virgin River series is chock full of retired Marines. The secondary characters make Virgin River a town you want to live in.

Stars- 5
Passion- 3
Length- 416 pages

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Unto These Hills by Emily Sue Harvey

Unto These Hills is a book about beautiful Sunny from the South. She has an inner beauty to rival a saint and an outer beauty to rival an angel. This book spans her life from about 14 to, I'm thinking, her 60s. It's really wonderful to see her love for everyone, especially her wonderful boyfriend Daniel. Her story covers the gamut from betrayal to sibling rivalry to rape to horrifying confessions to death. Through a very unhappy life Sunny has learned to shut off her emotions to get her through anything. All the while, she still sees the good in everyone.

Unto These Hills is a very beautifully written novel. Emily Sue Harvey uses words to make you feel exactly how Sunny feels to the point you think they're your own emotions. You couldn't help but love, laugh, hate (or at least strongly dislike), and cry. You will really get into these characters. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading how these characters talk. Ms. Harvey nailed the southern dialect.

Now, as for my own personal taste, I felt the book was a little poetic in the beginning and it kind of drug out. I could also see why it was so flowery and poetic in the beginning. That was just part of Sunny's personality. But, I am being objective here and my personnal feelings don't count into my review.

Stars- 5
Passion- 1
Length- 450 pages

The Haret (The Haret Series) by Denise Daisy

For those lovers of the paranormal out there, I present to you, The Haret. This is the first of the series.

This book is about , almost, a fairytale. Felicitas is a wonderful daughter, girlfriend, and best friend. She's the minister's daughter and spends her free time during and after high school helping her fellow female students. She has a wonderful and supportive boyfriend named Ian. He has stood beside her through all her purity choices. Unfortunately, Felicitas can't stop having vivid dreams about a very handsome man named Raine.

Is it possible to get pregnant in a dream? Apparently in The Haret it is. You get to go through the stress and crazy accusations of Felicitas being a pregnant virgin. That doesn't count the fact that she disappeared for a week and has no recollection of the time gone by.

The only person who seems to be able to help is a crazy grandmother that no one has been allowed to have contact with in many years.

I definitely can't wait to read the sequel to The Haret. Denise Daisy did a wonderful job capturing and holding my attention. The characters were well rounded and had depth. I also really enjoyed the different aspect of paranormal. Nowadays it seems to focus on vampires and shifters, but not this book. You'll just have to read it to find out all the strange happenings.

Stars- 5
Passion- 1
Length- approx. 236 pages

Breath(e) by Ruth Madison

Breath(e) is the sequel to (W)hole. It's a little shorter but I still felt it was worth the read. It continues Elizabeth's story as a freshman just entering college. It goes through more of her emotional roller coaster with being a devotee and coming out to her mother.

I liked Breath(e) although I wasn't as enraptured as I was during (W)hole, which sometimes happens with sequels. I kept reading because it was still interesting to read more of Elizabeth's story. It did, however, leave me with some unanswered questions. What happens with Elizabeth and Ethan? Is there going to be another in the series? I'm hoping in the future to find out.

Stars- 4
Passion- 3
Length- 232 pages

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

(W)hole by Ruth Madison

(W)hole is a book about a young woman named Elizabeth who is a devotee. She has an acute sexual attraction towards physically disabled men. This book shows self hatred for her "evil" feelings, a bubbling of hope when she meets Stewart, and the let down and pain of losing your first love.

I read this book in a day and was very pleased that I did decide to read it. I found it to be a very interesting subject. I have never heard of a devotee before. I wanted to read this and get some insight into this fetish. I was fascinated by the depth of emotion from Elizabeth and the authors description of her feelings.

Stewart was also charming. A former athlete who is now a parapalegic, trying to forget his past due to guilt and, I felt, some shame. He tried to come off as uncaring about his past and well adjusted to being in a wheelchair. This was done to the point that he hadn't even seen his friends in several years and moved across the country to completely disappear from the surfing world.

As Elizabeth starts to explore her sexuality with her new para boyfriend, tensions start to rise between her, friends and family, and even Stewart as she still tries to hide her secret feelings and her boyfriend.

Ruth Madison wrote an incredible book with lots of insight into a "taboo" subject. It made me tense and I could feel Elizabeth's anxieties and fear. The characters had such depth, the story drew me in, and I couldn't put it down.

Stars- 5
Passion- 2
Length- 256 pages

Book Reviews

Hello Everyone!

I'm going to be writing reviews on the books I read. Hopefully, on a daily basis. If not that often, then every couple of days. I sometimes read two books a day so there will always be new reviews on here.

To the authors:

I will be honest with my review. It's very hard for me to find a book I can't get through. I will persevere and finish a book in hopes that it gets better towards the end. Most books provide good entertainment for me and stick with me for a bit.

I rate on a scale of 1-5. Stars being the overall and Passion, since I read mostly romance, is of course, the steaminess of the story. I will also leave the length whenever possible. I read on my kindle and there aren't always pages available.

Please leave comments. I would like to hear from everyone.


Stacie