ForNever (Volume 1)
by Lynette Ferreira
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Heather has lost her faith in love when her parents divorce, then she meets Keiran and Jayden, brothers that want to romance her. They have a lot to try to make up for in her mind, since she is sure that love doesn't exist. What Heather doesn't know in the beginning is this is not the first time this trio has meet and done with dance. Long ago in Salem, the trio was cursed by a witch and they repeat history over and over, forcing Heather to choose between the brothers, and when she chooses wrong, she dies and is reborn. ForNever is a complex title, in that it talks about Heather's believe that love never lasts and that they have been forced to repeat history over and over. Author Lynette Ferreira has developed a story that pulls you in, embraces the present and the past and has you turning pages and reading until the end.
ForNever is actually listed as Volume One, meaning that there is a follow up story of some kind after this book, which is interesting, because where it is going to lead is unknown. Author Lynette Ferreira is a great writer and this book was so compelling and captivating. It had me laughing, crying and rooting for true love. It is a great story and I easily recommend it for all readers of any age. This is really a fairly clean book, there is no sex and little language. I think it would be great for teens and middle school readers, as well as adults. Everyone can find something that fits them in this book.
View all my reviews
A Vampire's Christmas Carol
by Cynthia Eden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ben hated his life, or unlife. Ben was a vampire, and not a happy one. He had never wanted to be a vampire, and he felt like everything in his life was taken from him when he was turned into a vampire.
As a vampire, Ben kills, but yet he kills criminals, feeling that at least this way he can make something good come of his change.
Christmas Eve and Ben is going to have his own Scrooge experience. He is visited by a demon, an angel and a shifter - all as part of giving him some perspective on his life and focused on getting him to change his ways and embrace his life as a vampire and stop trying to destroy himself.
View all my reviews
The Binding
by Victoria Clapton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
For most of her life Sybella Rose has never felt like she fit in. She was the only girl, raised by her father and six older brothers, who were all successful in their respective careers, whereas Syb isn't sure what she wants to do, so she packs up her life and moves to New Orleans, which immediately feels like home. Her apartment is above JoJo's Mojo voodoo shop, which becomes her first job. Josephine, or JoJo is also her landlord, along with her husband Al, who is the chef next door at Gumbo Gris Gris. On her first night in town she meets Demien. He might rub her the wrong way, but she feels these pull to him. The Binding is not only the title of the book, but a pull between two people fated, or meant to be mates. Author Victoria Clapton created a complex story involving magic, voodoo, ghosts, mates and protecting their home, New Orleans.
The Binding is such a complex and compelling book. I have read a number of books of the same title, but this book is completely different, other than the concept of a set of mates bound by something supernatural. This story is so full of layers and issues. First there is the resident ghost in Sybella's apartment, who has a mission for her. Then there is Demien, the strange pull to him that Sybella feels, his pushing her away, and the other people in town. This book had me turning paging over and over until the end. I loved every page and couldn't put the book down until it was done. Author Victoria Clapton was able to create such a complex story that is compelling and captivating. I recommend this book to anyone who loves New Orleans, the south, vampires, voodoo and food!
View all my reviews
Love, Alchemy
by Eden Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Life is not a bed of roses for Davey, her mom is an alcoholic who has no problem using her for a punching bag. All she wants is to make it through her senior year and get out of this place, too bad she has resorted to illegal means to try to finance her plans. Her sometimes boyfriend is the son of a powerful judge, but that doesn't prevent them from getting into major trouble, thanks to Davey's mom Tina. Enter a strange cop, Ethan, who makes it his mission to protect Davey, even though there are major holes in his own memory. As Davey and Ethan end up on the run from a powerful drug lord, they become closer and a lot of Ethan's past starts to become clearer. Love, Alchemy is listed as a romance, and there is definitely that, but there is so much more. Action, adventure, cop chases, murder, lies, betrayal, deceit and a science fiction background. Author Eden Ashley creates an unbelievable story that pulls you and and keeps you until the last page.
Love, Alchemy is a wonderful story that keeps you guessing from the beginning to the end. You never know what is going to happen next, and the science fiction touches make you think of the possibilities for the future and what might be going on behind closed lab doors. Author Eden Ashley makes you feel for Davey, from the way she describes the home life to the need to earn money, from the way that people in town treat her, to her vulnerable emotions. This is a great book, and I recommend it to every reader, although given some of the themes I would not recommend it to younger readers. This book will have you laughing, crying and never putting it down until you finish.
View all my reviews
A Threat of Shadows (The Keeper Chronicles, Book One)
by J.A. Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
In another time, in another place, far away and long ago, those with the knowledge and studies were called Keepers, and they advised the Queen as well as studied everything. Alaric was a Keeper, but for the last year instead of doing his duties, he has searched the world over for a cure to the one poison, rock snake venom that has no cure. Alaric isn't after the cure for the good of many, just to save his own wife Evangeline. His quest has him teaming up with the most unlikely group of treasure seekers, a blacksmith named Brandson, a dwarf named Douglon, a wizard called Gustuav and an elf named Adya. Together the search for what Alaric hopes will hold the cure and in the process get into a whole different mission, that of saving the world. A Threat of Shadows bu author JA Andrews is a complex and captivating story of adventure and redemption.
A Threat of Shadows is called part of the Keeper Chronicles, Book 1, and although it seems to be a complete story, after thinking about it when I was finished with the book, I did see a number of ways a second book could be written off this excellent starting point. Author JA Andrews has crafted a wonderfully complex tale that has many layers and themes. The choices we make in life, how do they define us or do they? It is a story of redemption and atonement, not for sins but from choices and it is well written and compelling. This is an epic adventure story as well and would entertain a number of varied readers.
View all my reviews
Heat in the Bayou (Dark Warrior Alliance, book 4.5)
by Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What can I say, I am in love with this series! Even though this is a very short little story, set in-between two of the novels, it is so worth reading!
Zeke is a panther shifter, and second in command of the pack in Seattle, where most of the books take place. A few books back, Zander and his crew had to go to New Orleans and visit Madame Marie, the voodoo queen. On that visit they meet Tia, and Zander gave her the news that he knew where her fated mate was. So when Zander needed someone to go to New Orleans to look into Angel's Kiss, the only drug around that can effect the supernaturals like shifters and vampires, of course he sends Zeke, but without telling him why.
The minute Zeke walks into the Voodoo shop, he is struck by the beautiful Tia and has no idea why he is acting like a teenager. Tia sees him walk in, and she is sure that he is the shifter that Zander spoke of to her on his visit, and she wants to find out.
This is just a short story of Tia and Zeke, their meeting, getting to know each other and discovering their connections, as well as locating the Angel's Kiss in the area. Cute and romantic, it is a fast paced story that will explain Tia's presence in future books. It also goes back and connects to the original visit to New Orleans in book two or three.
I love the way the authors manage to go back and pick up a small event in a book and make a story out of it that will continue throughout the books. Each character in the series is part of a family, and so as the books progress there is the whole story line of the protecting the world from evil, but each book focuses on a member of the family, and so the whole series draws you in and makes you feel as if you actually known the characters and you want to hear their stories and see them all find love and happiness.
View all my reviews
Dark Siren (Dark Siren, book 1)
by Eden Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Young and beautiful, Kalista was not your typical teenager, she drank of the souls of others, but of course she couldn't tell anyone about this. Adopted at the age of seven, when her parents died, she has always felt a little different, but when she blossomed as a teen and started drinking of the souls, she knew things were off. At the movies one night, she meets a handsome stranger that she can't help but feel she has known, and that begins a strange and dark course for her life that she never could have imagined. Rhane has been searching for Kalista for over 400 years, but she has been hidden from him, when he finds her in the body of a seventeen year old, he is unsure what to do, but losing her is not an option. Dark Siren is a complex story of love and lose, of supernatural forces and coming of age, forgotten memories and revenge. Author Eden Ashley weaves a tale that twists and turns to the point that you never know who to actually trust.
Dark Siren is said to be the first book in a series of at least four books, and that is a good thing because by the end of this book you are left wanting more. The story is complex and there are so many layers of things going on that you are always guessing. Author Eden Ashley creates a story that draws you in, has you wanting to know more, surprised at times, happy and sad within the same chapter and leaves you begging for more. There is some sexual references, but no actual sex in the story and there is a lot of adventure and fighting, but I feel comfortable recommending it for teen readers as well as adults.
View all my reviews
The Witch Lineage
by Marian Lindner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Lena is a gawky, nerdy, teenager who can't wait to get to college and blossom, like her older sister Linda did. For now, though she has to get through her eighteenth birthday with her father out of town. To make matters worse, she had a nightmare the night before, and once she makes it to school, she finds out it actually happened. One of the senior boys was attacked at a bonfire and is in the hospital. This brings out the ever present rumors of witches, which some people swear are false, but with some many people ignoring the rumors, could they just really be true? The Witch Lineage is a paranormal story of witches, lurking just beneath the surface of everyday life, and wreaking havoc on life without anyone the wiser, all because too many people discount the idea of witches. Author Marian Lindner gives readers a well written and complex story about teenagers, witches and legend.
The Witch Lineage is listed as young adult, as the main characters are high school students, but yet adults play key roles in the story as well, so I would recommend it for any age reader. Author Marian Lindner writes a story of a legend of the area where the story takes place, witches and so many people refusing to even entertain the idea of witches, that the witches are able to do so much without notice. It makes for a good story of good over evil, but also about not discounting legends, being aware of the world around you and exploring every avenue. This was a captivating story that draws you in as a reader. It was clean, with no language or sex, so I recommend it to all readers.
View all my reviews
Shifter (The Were Chronicles, book 3)
by Alma Alexander
My rating: 4.95 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Saladin, or Chalky as Mal March has always called him, may not be family by blood, but he is the closest thing to a brother Mal has, and he has always been there for him. It stands to reason that when things get difficult for Mal, Chalky is the one he calls. When it comes to book three in the Were Chronicles, it also stands to reason that it should be Saladin's story. Shifter picks up the story were Wolf ends and continues it from there, while at the same time giving us Chalky's own history and story. Author +Alma Alexander has done it again with a third book in this series that is captivating, will have you reading to the end, while at the same time you will cheer and cry with the characters. Once you sit the book down, you will be thinking about all the events, the social injustices, the outrage and linking it to the current times.
Shifter is the third, and final, book in the Were Chronicles. You might be ok reading them alone, but the story is so much bigger and emcompasses so much more when you read all three together, in order. While it is fun and exciting to read about shape-shifters, there is a socially charged underlying story with the discrimination and forced labeling of their kind. Author Alma Alexander gives you what you want to read in a wonderfully written and page-turning book. Yet when you really think about what she is saying, you will find yourself thinking about the world around you and what occurs. It would make an excellent book club series, even moreso it would be a great series to read in school! I recommend it to all readers, of all ages, and I also recommend that you think and talk about it with others afterwards! This is the kind of book that while it was written for enjoyment, it has the power to change people and thinking.
View all my reviews
Wolf (The Were Chronicles, Book 2)
by Alma Alexander
My rating: 4.95 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Mal March has just set his life off in a complicated and unprecedented journey. He has become a were-wolf, a rare and totally not random shape-shifting form, which means that he will have to leave his family and become part of the wolf pack. For Mal, this means redemption and a way to find answers in his life, but nothing ever turns out exactly as planned. Wolf is the second book in the Were Chronicles, and were the first book was his younger sister Jazz's story, this book is Mal's story. It goes back and gives some history and his view on some things leading up to his turning into a wolf, which occurred at the end of Random. This book takes up were book one ended and goes one. Author +Alma Alexander once again gives a book that is captivating and exciting. You will not want to put it down until you finish it, and then you will be screaming for book three!
The Were Chronicles, book one Random and now book two Wolf, really need to be read in order, although you might be ok if you don't. I was so captivated by the story that I read all three books one right after the other! This book is all Mal's story and takes him from leaving his family through his journey. This book may be a paranormal, fantasy book but there is genetic testing and experiments, forced registration and so much more that is socially cutting edge. Author Alma Alexander gives readers a book that is fun and exciting, but if you sit back and think about it, it could provide excellent book club conversations! This series is my absolute favorite style, something that is fun and gets kids and teens reading, but at the same time has some many unlying socially conscious themes that it forces you to look at life and the world around you at the same time! Everyone should read this series!
View all my reviews
Random (The Were Chronicles, Book 1)
by Alma Alexander
My rating: 4.95 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
At first glance, Jessica March, or Jazz to her family, looks like your typical almost fifteen year old; but one look inside her family and you realize she is far from normal. Jazz, and her family, are Random Weres. This means that each month on the full moon, her parents change shape into their were form, and being random means that it can be anything that first time. Her older brother Malcolm, or Mal is almost eighteen, and still hasn't managed to shift, which is concerning, but when you start delving into her family it becomes understandable. Random is the first book in the Were Chronicles and focuses on Jazz and her life and the family up to the point of her first turning. Author +Alma Alexander creates a complex and socially relevant family saga that will keep you reading from page one to the end.
Random, being the first book in the Were Chronicles, focuses mostly on Jazz, in that it is her story throughout the book. It tells of the family's journey to this country and some history, but Jazz is the focus. This book, aside from being a fun story of were's or shape shifters, is the story of discrimination, forced registration, and social injustice. Author Alma Alexander writes a story that draws you in and is exciting and captivating, while at the same time is thought provoking and scary. One issue is that everyone who is a were, or shape shifter, must register and they have a government id that is unique, with a paw print on it, instead of plain. Humm, is it just me or does that make you think of the forced labeling of Jews during the reign of Hitler? I recommend this book to all readers, while it is fun and a great story, there is plenty to talk about when you really look at the story!
View all my reviews
Robin Hood: Wolf's Head by Eric Tanafon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Everyone has heard the stories of Robin Hood, but what if there was more to the tale than what was told, what if there was something paranormal or supernatural going on in the Sherwood Forest. An old hermit finds a man at deaths door, and nurses him back to relative health. In the evenings he tells the hermit the true stories of life with Robin Hood, who in reality is a werewolf. Robin Hood: Wolf's Head is the classic story of Robin Hood with the twist of making he and his band of merry men werewolves, and not only the men, but a number of women moving along with them. Author Eric Tanafon explains so much of what Robin Hood was able to do with the twist of the paranormal.
Werewolves are all the rage and so much fun to read about, and we are used to reading them in modern tales, but what if they have been around much longer. What if some of our greatest stories exist because of werewolves like Robin Hood? Author Eric Tanafon takes that idea and gives us a character that we want to know more about, that we think we can believe and that is telling us the truth as he weaves his stories about life with Robin Hood the werewolf. Robin Hood: Wolf's Head is a retelling of what you think you know, but yet in such different ways that you are completely caught off guard. He is never violent, unless there is a good reason to be violent. The books itself alludes to relationship and violence but isn't graphic, so I would even recommend it to young adults. A read to make you think.
View all my reviews
Deamhan (Deamhan Chronicles, Book 1)
by Isaiyan Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
You have heard of Vampires, they consume blood, but no one really thinks they exist, but they do. What you may not know is there are also Deamhan, they consume psychic energy, and Veronica Austin has grown up all her life knowing about this because her father's organization studies them. Against her father's wishes Veronica has left California and came to Minnesota, where her mother disappeared, to find out what happened. Her first encounter with both the vampires and the deamhan throw her for a loop because they are nothing like what her father had always told her, oh a few are, but not all of them. Deamhan follows Veronica as she searches for information on her mother and at the same time uncovers information on her father and his organization. Author Isaiyan Morrison weaves a story of power and corruption and people doing whatever it takes to stay on top without regard to who they harm.
Deamhan is slated as the first book in this series, and I can see that, it sets the story, leads to more things to come and yet doesn't resolve all the past. There is so much power and corruption in this story, there is more things from the past that need to come out and more things in the future that need to be resolved. It is shaping up to be a wonderful series. Author Isaiyan Morrison creates a race of people in the Deamhan that you find yourself liking, even though at the beginning of the book you aren't suppose to like them. They are deeper, more complex and there is more to them than meets the eye. This is a great read.
View all my reviews
Graveyard Rose: A Gothic Fantasy Romance (The Rose Chronicles, Book 1)
by Ginny Clyde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Set in the time of fancy dresses and horse drawn carriages, yet not your average paranormal romance. Nothing about Lena is typical, she may wear the fancy dresses to parties when required, but she is a Guardian, the only female in the ranks and she works hard to prove her worth. Far away in Transylvania, The Graveyard Rose tells us the story of a time when a select group of families were appointed as Guardians and their job was to protect the land from the upstart vampires and werewolves. At this time the werewolves are not organized, they do not hunt in packs yet and they haven't been able to access their humanity while in the wolf form. Not only does Lena protect the land, but she protects her younger sister and would do anything for her. Author Ginny Clyde tells the story of her struggles in a patriarchal society and her desire to just take care of her family.
The Graveyard Rose is titled as the first book in a series, but a note inside the book mentions that it is part one of a full novel. However you want to think of it, this book starts off the story of Lena and her life, the area where she is living and the situation going on in that time. Trouble is, it ends just as it is getting intriguing! Of course that is just another good way for author Ginny Clyde to make sure that you are reading the next book. This book has adventure and hints of romance. It combines fantasy, paranormal, historical and gothic. It is reasonably clean, so I would be more than willing to allow my middle schooler to read it. Good read for adults and younger as well!
View all my reviews
Isobel (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 6)
by Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars (This is closer to a 4.75, but I can only pick a 4 or a 5)
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
When you are the Vampire Queen and you are pregnant, nothing goes according to the normal schedule! Just as the Dark Warriors were settling back into life after Rhys recent trip to the underworld, Elise goes into labor and the next generation of Dark Warriors is born in Isobel. The goddess Morrigan appears to Zander and Elise after her birth to let them know that she is a very special child, and they need a guardian angel for her. Good thing Rhys' mate is an angel and can take care of calling for her guardian. Of course, even that cant be easy when Isobel's guardian turns out to be Elise's murdered first husband. Authors +Brenda Trim and Tami Julka do not disappoint, they weave the next generation into the currently generation flawlessly and still give us adventure and trials. Isobel (Dark Warrior Alliance book 6) is a bridge between what happened in book five and the future, yet at the same time you can read this book without reading the others.
Isobel, even though it is the sixth book, stands on its own and just carries the story on from the end of book five. The author team of Brenda Trim and Tami Julka do a fabulous job of making the books flow seamlessly from one to the next, yet at the same time allowing them to stand on their own if readers haven't read the whole series. Of course, once I read one of the books, I knew I was going to have to read the rest of the series. This is still an adult novel, romance, sex and violence are there, but they all have a purpose, it is not violent just for the sake of being violent. Hidden in the fabric of the romance and life stories is a gem of a moral that can be applied to life.
View all my reviews
Hellbound Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance, Book 5)
by Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars (This is way more like a 4.75, but I can only pick a 4 or a 5)
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Returning to the world of the Dark Warriors, authors +Brenda Trim and Tami Julka delve into the history and life of Rhys, the resident cambion demon. Rhys is probably your typical playboy, with stereotypical good looks and a love em and leave em attitude, but then again what more would you expect from a cambion demon, they get their energy from sex. In Hellbound Warrior, Rhys and two other cambion demons must sneak into hell and try to get the Triskele Amulet back before Lucifer can be released from his icy prison. As a cambion demon, Rhys has never really thought about a fated mate, that is until he witnesses an angel trapped in hell. The trip to the underworld just got a whole lot more complicated.
Hellbound Warrior is the fifth book in the Dark Warrior Alliance, but do not let that scare you. You are fine reading this without reading the previous, but let me just warn you, you will be drawn into this world and will end up wanting to go back and read the whole series. The author team of Brenda Trim and Tami Julka are amazing at weaving a paranormal fantasy story with adventure, romance and a bit of a moral that you can apply to live in general. How they have managed to come up with five books in this series, and three that go along with it, and still have fresh and undeveloped concepts is beyond me. This is most definitely an adult book, there is lots of romance, some sex and a little violence. That being said, if you like paranormal at all, you will like this book. If you like adventure you will like this book and if you like romance, well you will fall in love with this series.
View all my reviews
Myth and Magic
by Mae Clair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Coldcreek is your typical small town, with the one ultra wealthy family who tries to take care of everything in the town, with some people liking it and others disgruntled.Stone Willow Lodge in Coldcreek is a pet project of the Breckwood family, but lately things haven't been going according to plan. Lodge manager Veronica Kent, it being taunted and haunted. Caith is a private investigator and a Breckwood, even though he has changed his name, he has scars of his own that haven't healed. The family calls him in to find out what is going on at Stone Willow Lodge, and in the process he is forced to confront his past and the tragedy that shaped his life. Myth and Magic doesn't have any traditonal magic going on, just the chemistry between Roni and Caith, but it explains the childhoods of the friends. Author Mae Clair writes a compelling novel that has you crying and laughing all the way to the end.
Myth and Magic, as a title, had me expecting more paranormal in the story, but it is more a feeling, and upbringing, a way of life in a small town that was once idyllic but turned tragic due to greed. Money is the root of all evil it has been said, and that is the root of all that is evil in this story as well. Author Mae Clair weaves a realistic story that you can imagine being lifted from the headlines of the current newspaper. That realism adds to the magic of the story and has you turning pages as fast as you can to see what happens. Can the wounds of years ago be healed and a family rebuilt? You'll have to read for yourself to find out.
View all my reviews
Spells and Sorcery (The Lexie Carrigan Chronicles, Book 1)
by S. Usher Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
For the most part Lexie is your typical teenager. She has two older sisters, one who annoys her to no end, and they live with their aunt, after their mom passed away when Lexie was born. All that typical life is about to change at midnight, when Lexie turns fifteen. Her aunt and oldest sister inform her that she has magic, and Lexie is distraught at the idea. Her whole world is turned upside down. Then there is the fact that no one is really explaining this whole magic thing, or what to do with it to her. Enter Gavon, who has magic and explains things to her, or is he. The truth may be more than anyone in the family can handle. Spells and Sorcery follows Lexie as she comes to grip with magic, what it means in her life, and tries to find her center once again. Author S. Usher Evans has written a coming of age, fantasy, paranormal tale that may revolve around magic, but there are so many other layers woven into the story that you like.
While Spells and Sorcery is billed as the first book in the Lexie Carrigan Chronicles, it definitely ends with more questions than answers, but at the same time you feel as if Lexie and her sisters have been left out in the cold by a large extended family to sink or swim on their own. Author S. Usher Evans builds a story that you think is going one way, only to have it turned completely upside down at the last minute and you are left wondering, probably feeling the same as Lexie. This is a young adult book, and it is clean with no sex, a little language, but nothing more than kids have heard at school already. I would recommend it for any reader, young or old, and I think you will find yourself understanding the complex issues of life and magic in this book.
View all my reviews
The Witch's Daughter (The Irish Witch's Series, Book 2)
by Leigh Ann Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
All of her life, Alainn has lived between two worlds. Although she was of the servant class, the others didn't like her, thought she was too good for herself because she was given certain privileges, raised and tutored with the master's sons. When she falls in love with the heir, Killian, life gets even more complicated only for her to find out truths about her parentage. The Witch's Daughter is set in Ireland in 1536, and the historical imagery is amazing. The world of rules, the master and Lord and the servant and peasant classes truly divided and not to mix. But this is also the story of love and hate, of curses and revenge, of the excesses of privilege and the heartbreak of the lower class. Author Leigh Ann Edwards weaves a story that draws you in and has you guessing until the end.
The Witch's Daughter is said to be the second book in a series, that being said I have not read the first book, but I was not hindered by that at all. This book stands alone and is easily understood, although it does make me wonder if the first book is the story of Alainn's parents, and if so I desperately want to read that now! Author Leigh Ann Edwards wrote this book with the ability to stand on its own, but if anything it makes you want to know more, the past and the future, how the curse came about and what is to come next. This is definitely an adult book, there is talk of sex and rape, so I wouldn't recommend it for a younger reader, but I think it was a wonderful story all the same.
View all my reviews
The Forgotten Debutante (Book 9 of the Cotillion Ball Series)
by Becky Lower
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
For Saffron, growing up during the Civil War has meant that normal life and all the things she dreamed of doing like her older sisters, has been put on hold. She will never get her debutante ball, or the courting and dancing that she always thought would happen. She's not angry, just tired of missing out, and even more tired of being stuck in her room. When she decides to sneak out to the barn one afternoon, a chance encounter with a Union Soldier trying to make it home to his sick father, becomes an adventure that will fill her dreams for the next three years of the war. Once the war is over, she works beside her brother in the Reburial unit, bringing Union soldiers buried during the fighting back to the North. Suddenly, Zeke Boone is back in her life. The Forgotten Debutante is a heartwarming story of a girl who puts her emotions into something worthy. When she hears of soldiers being buried during the fighting, she makes it her mission to develop a cataloging system to help document their whereabouts. Author Becky Lower gives the reader a story that features something more than your spoiled rich girl.
The Forgotten Debutante is the ninth book in the Cotillion Ball Series, but I will tell you right now, you do not need to have read them all to understand this book. I have not read any of the previous books, and this one stands on it's own just find. Of course there are some references to some of Saffron's sister's and their marriages and I wonder if they might be some of those other books, because I am curious about them now, but it didn't affect the reading of this book. Author Becky Lower did a wonderful job making this book stand on it's own.
View all my reviews
The Key Finder
by Mary Beth Bowman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
For the most part Tony is your average, everyday kid, nothing special about him. His mother sews for a living and no one talks about his father, so Tony gave up on asking. He doesn't really have any friends except maybe Gabriel, and it turns out that Gabriel is exactly who Tony needs in his life. One night a crystal box falls into his room, with directions to use the mirror at a specific time, Tony's mother seems perfectly fine with what is going on, which has Tony even more confused, so he asks his friend Gabriel about it, and to go with him. At exactly 4pm, the boys are transported to another world, where they must choose to embark on a quest to save the king and the kingdom from an evil invading. The Key Finder is a fantasy book, but it is also a coming of age story, as Tony finds strengths in himself he never knew he had along the way. Author Mary Beth Bowman invokes images reminiscent of Dr Seuss creatures in this story.
The Key Finder is a journey, a quest to conquer an invading evil, but it is one that is wrapped in pretty paper. Until you strip about the outer shell and look deep within you can't see the evil, and so many of the people of the kingdom are being swayed by the pretty exterior. This is such a timely and thoughtful book, because we are all swayed by pretty wrappings at times, and forget that what is inside is not always the same. Author Mary Beth Bowman writes a well written, clean book with no sex, language or graphic violence, so I have no problem recommending it to young children, but I think it is a book that parents should read as well, and then use it to talk to your children about what they read and the world around them.
View all my reviews
The Awakening of Magic, Book One of the Wereding Chronicles
by Christian Boustead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
How to explain this novel without giving away the whole story, that has been my biggest question, because I want to give you enough that you want to read this - because it is definitely worth reading!! So bare with me friends, if this goes a little astray, for some reason, I have started and stopped this so many times, finding that I feel like I am telling too much.
Eloo, is a fae and her lover, Kye is a werewolf. They are out in the forest one day and rescue a human, Rose from an attack by someone they call Kain. Now why Kain is trying to kidnap Rose and take her away is a mystery and even after this book, it is still a mystery. We do get some glimpses into the fact that Rose is more than just a mere human, but what all her role is going to be is unknown. I'm still not sure what role Kain is playing in all of this yet, which is amazing! It just makes me want to read the next book all that much more!
Rose, was hard to like a first. She was a bit of a rich child, told to stay away from magic, and so even though she see's it's use for good, she still fears it as evil. There were times in the story that I just wanted to smack her! Honestly! It was like get it through your head that there is good and evil in everything, its how you use it, stop acting like everything is inherently evil. Ugh! But, at the same time, the fact that the author was able to write a character that evoked that much emotion from me was amazing! I usually do not get that upset at characters.
This book is the beginning of a series, The Awakening of Magic, and we watch the magic begin in this story, we meet the characters that will play the major roles in the rest of the story, and learn a bit of their backstory or history and yet it all works very well into a cohesive and compelling story. It's not just a telling of history. There is a purpose for the story.
At one point, the characters are traveling through a wasteland, area that was destroyed hundreds of years ago in a war, and there are the rusting remains of what used to be cars, but no one really knows what they are because they don't have that technology in the present time of the story, and I found that to be the greatest thing! The fact that the story is being told in the future, but that technology has progressed back and magic is more in use. Makes you wonder about our world now, are we over using our fossil fuels to the p0int that this is what we will become? Just a thought.
I found the story to be compelling, the imagery of the author to be breathtaking at times, and I got lost in the story. Yes, I got annoyed at Rose, but I think she can be redeemed, or at least I hope she can. I found like I liked the interplay between all the other groups. The fact that Eloo is a fae and has a werewolf as a lover, I mean that is perfect. Everyone needs to check this one out!
View all my reviews
When Lightning Strikes(Lightning, Book 1)
by Kathleen Rovner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Life for Julie has always been about dance, always about dance and nothing more than dance, and she is an amazing dancer. But after two attacks on Julie, her parents move the family overnight to a small island in the middle of nowhere, where nothing is what it seems. Now Julie is going to a high school with only five kids while her brother goes to a high school on the other side of the island, and she feels like she is forgetting things all the time. Her mom is acting strange and Julie is determined to figure out what is going on and what the big secret is with life on this island. When Lightning Strikes is a young adult, coming of age novel that embarks on a young girls discovery of the secrets that her parents are keeping from her. Author Kathleen Rovner writes a compelling and captivating story.
When Lightning Strikes is slated as the first book in a series, which is a good thing, because this book just ends abruptly and you are thinking wait, I need more. Also, the author Kathleen Rovner classifies the book as paranormal, but that is an underlying concept in the book until almost the end, so it is definitely something that you hope will be fleshed out more in the second book. That all being said, this was a great first book. It drew you into this world, helped explain the attitudes and why Julie's parents made some of their choices, without actually telling their complete story. You got to understand the values and traditions, and you could kinda see where things were moving. Its a unique coming of age story with a paranormal twist that is worth reading, and it is clean - no sex or language so I would recommend it for all ages.
View all my reviews
Liulf, (New Scotia Pack, Book 1) by Victoria Danann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
So I read a book by author Victoria Danann and what can I saw but that I was hooked! She just has a wonderful way of writing.
Liulf is a werewolf book, and if you have read any of the Black Knights then you will have read about the werewolves of the North West, Greyson and their pack splitting and some moving to another dimension.
This time we move to Scotia, or Scotland and meet a nephew who is tasked at taking over the pack as alpha. He has been asked by his dying uncle to move the pack, and so he talks to Windwalker and finds out that it wasn't an old man hallucinations, but there is another dimension, and his Uncle has actually moved there. So he takes a chance and visits this new world and finds it is something he thinks will be good for the pack.
The story follows Liulf and the pack as the prepare and move to the new dimension and start a new life. The one thing Liulf never expected was to find his mate in this other world.
View all my reviews
When Reality Bites: How Denial Helps and What to Do When It Hurts
by Holly Parker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fiction is not the only thing that I ever read, in fact I read quite a great deal of non-fiction. I enjoy books that give help and guidance. Now, that being said I might not be the best person to review this book, because at this moment in time I am dealing with a number of things after starting my life over after 21 years of marriage, but then again that might also just make me the best person to review this book.
Denial. Normally when you say the word denial, we think of the bad ways in which we use denial. The alcoholic who refuses or cant see that they are damaging themselves and/or those around them. The person who refuses to take ownership of their actions, and on and on. The thing is, denial is not always a bad thing, it just takes knowing when and how to use denial to your advantage.
Author Holly Parker has a very easy, conversational tone in this book, and it reads more like she is a friend talking to you over dinner, giving you the information from her vast knowledge to help you through things you are dealing with. She doesn't overwhelm you with her knowledge and training, or make you feel that you can't understand what she is saying. She keeps it in a light and easy manner that allows everyone, no matter your educational background, to be able to understand what she is saying and feel comfortable with it. That is probably one of my favorite things, she doesn't talk over your head, or dumb it down too much that you feel like she is making fun of you.
There are a number of exercises and questions that you can work through in this book to help you understand denial, when it is bad, when it is good, how to use it and how to avoid it. Because of all these exercises, this is a book that you can refer to over and over, when different things come up in your life. Of course, for me, it meant that it took me a lot longer than usual to read this book because I couldn't just skip them, I had to do the exercises and answer the questions. Of course, I still have pages marked in my book to work on again later, to go back and redo and to finish.
This is definitely a great book, and I am extremely pleased that I ran across it at this point in my life, because in reality, there are a number of things going on when you begin life over, being a single parent, and responsible for everything yourself that this book will help me address. I do see myself using this book now, and again later in time.
View all my reviews
Jarod's Heart (A King Brothers Story, #2)
by Elise Manion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Jarod King, the oldest of the trio of King Brothers, may have his dream job as sheriff, but his personal life is anything but a dream. He married his high school sweetheart, thinking she was his true love, only to have her desert him for a life of drugs. His younger brother Josh's best friend Lauren is him administrative assistant and she has no problem giving him grief when she needs to, but Jarod has no idea that Lauren has been in love with him since the day she first saw him when she was just a freshman in high school. Now that Jarod's ex is dead, a long held secret has been dumped in his lap in the form of a daughter, and there is something funny going on with the drug dealings in town. Jarod's Heart picks up where Jason's Princess ended and focus more on Jarod and Lauren. Author Elise Manion has blended a broken heart, a love for family, and an insecure beauty together to weave an amazing story.
Jarod's Heart, being the second book in the series, starts where book one left off, so we still have some of Jason and Julie's continuing story in this book, but the focus is Jarod and Lauren. We learn more of this history of everyone in this one, and the scars that run deep for both Jarod and Lauren. The one thing that just might heal them all is Jessica, the daughter Jarod never knew he had. Author Elise Manion again weaves the tough strong cop and his battle ready brothers into a story of romance and family values that will have you crying to the end! This is another amazing story about the King family. I am dying for the third story to come out!!
View all my reviews
Jason's Princess: A King Brothers Novel
by Elise Manion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed For +Readers' Favorite
Looking for her Prince Charming has not been on the top of Julie's to-do list. She is more worried about raising her teenage brother and providing a safe and comfortable home for him since their parents died. Her best friend Josh, and his band of brothers Jason and Jarod have been there every step of the way, whether Julie liked it or not, but she has to admit that they have been exactly what her brother needed. What Julie has failed to see is that Jason has been in love with her since he first laid eyes on her when she was just a freshman in highschool. Jason's Princess is Julie and Jason's story, what happens when an old enemy comes back into town, determined to settle what he feels are old scores, meant to harm Jason and Julie. Author Elise Manion builds a wonderfully complex story full of emotion and drama. Everything is contemporary and yet, it will restore your faith in family values.
Jason's Princess is the first book in what is set to be the King Brother's series, and although it is Jason and Julie's story, you get to meet the whole family and start learning the history between Jarod and Lauren, and the amazing friendship between Julie, Lauren and Josh as well as the bonds of brotherhood between the King boys. Author Elise Manion may build the King boys up to be tough, battle ready men, but there is a strong family bond, and parents that instilled in them the value of family and protecting those smaller and weaker, never being the bully, and looking out for others. This is an amazing story that had me laughing and cry the whole way through! It's classified as young adult, but the main characters are 25 and up, so it's really a great book for any reader.
View all my reviews
Krystal Blue (The Blue Moon Series, book 1)
by Destiny Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed For +Readers' Favorite
Running away from her foster family was the first step, starting college was the second, but somehow Crystal has ended up in the one town that might be able to answer some questions for her, that is, if she isn't too afraid to actually ask them and let herself believe in the unbelievable. Crystal has always been different, she knew her eyes were unique and she was stronger than everyone else she had met, but she has never really thought about what it really means. Then there is her mother's murder, she has hidden away the facts because they just can't be true. Will Crystal be able to let herself believe and figure out what is going on before something tragic happens. Krystal Blue is a paranormal, fantasy, almost science fiction style book that revolves around college students. Author Destiny Hawkins gives a griping tale of two groups that can't seem to believe in true love across the groups, they stand firmly divided and in the hidden shadows, but Krystal is about to become the turning point.
Krystal Blue is such a unique story, paranormal and fantasy, coming of age, accepting what seems hard to believe and yourself. Author Destiny Hawkins does an amazing job weaving this story together. I think my one beef with the story is that I absolutely hate the Thelopuis character, because of his view that his "kind" is the best and that people shouldn't mix with any other "kind". Although this story is paranormal, fantasy, fiction there are themes of life that abound, and this "racism" by him drives me nuts, I just want to smack him senseless! That is the other great thing about this book, the characters are so well written that you feel for them and want to activate for them or against them! There is some sexual activity in the book, so it may not be for everyone, but it is an amazing story.
View all my reviews
Blood Will Tell
by C.S. Donnell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Living her whole life in a house full of secrets, Amy just wants to be on her own, have a car and find love. But when love finds her in the most unexpected of places, the chauffeur's nephew, a vindictive father with access to more money than the devil, has the ability to tear her world apart. Can she survive, and can she find happiness? Blood Will Tell is a complex story that spans the years, from birth to death and many more years and places. It revolves around Amy, who is naive and sheltered, and unfortunately easily controlled by her father in the beginning. She slowly learns more and more truths, through tragedy and heartbreak, and becomes a stable and solid woman. Author C. S. Donnell builds a complex story with more twists than a spiral staircase. This story will keep you guessing and reading until the very last page.
Blood Will Tell has its amazing love story, it's vindictive and vengeful father figure, who believes he has every right to manipulate people and circumstances for his own benefit. It also spans the period from a young girl coming home from college to middle age, to old age. Wrongs were committed, but the way that people internalize those wrongs and behave doesn't have to be criminal. Author C. S. Donnell builds a story where you want to root for true love, for justice and for the good guy to win. It is such a complex and twisted story that you will be crying and happy all in the space of two pages. Really a great read for all readers.
Tiffany's Writing Project
View all my reviews
Live Fast, Die Young
by Vanessa Barneveld
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Alex has dreamed of going to Yale, becoming a pediatrician and spending his life with his best friend Molly. Molly is just as hard working and dedicated to going to college with Alex and nothing is about to stop her. So when Alex comes back from a recent trip to visit his dad, Big Dave in Sydney and seems to have lost his drive for school, studies and even Yale, Molly is livid. What Molly doesn't know is that Alex has a secret, his trips to visit his father haven't been just that, he has been getting chemotherapy and treatments for Stage IV Melanoma, problem is none of it is working. Live Fast, Die Young is the story of Alex and Molly, as they deal with this diagnosis and a six month sentence. Author +Vanessa Barneveld tells the story from both Molly's view and Alex's view, and brings in real teenage emotion and thought processes.
Live Fast, Die Young is a relatively short novella that it is engaging. You are easily able to understand the characters. It is a great young adult read. The only thing I can think to say bad is that, reading it as an adult, I can see the problems in a few of their rationals, but as sixteen year olds, I definitely see that the author, Vanessa Barneveld has captured the mindset and thought processes of the characters and real life teenagers. It is a cute, short story that is a great read and I enjoyed it quite a lot. It has no sex or real language in it, so I would feel comfortable letting even younger kids read this one. It will remind kids, nothing in life is forever, and to grab what you can while you have the chance.
View all my reviews
