Month: November 2016

Review: Billy and Me (Billy and Me, #1) by Giovanna Fletcher

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25663643** spoiler alert ** Oh dear…sorry….but oh dear….it’s time to admit that I don’t hate “chick lit”…okay maybe I hate that term…but I actually do enjoy a light-hearted romantic romp around now and again…

However, this wasn’t the book for me…

I suppose some people might have issues with how fast the romance progressed…ummm…not me…I met my husband and fell in love in four short days once on holiday…today, even on a bad day, I still love him more than I could ever express…more than I ever thought I could…

However, I just don’t think these two people belonged together. I just don’t think Sophie was ready for a relationship. At the end of the novel I still don’t think she was.

I kept trying to put myself in her shoes…and honestly, I can’t understand why she refused to trust Billy throughout the novel. He gave her no reason to distrust him…except for being the exact person he actually is…a famous, attractive movie star. He didn’t really even have much of a past of being a bad boy…sure he dated before Sophie, but he wasn’t portrayed as a dishonest person in those relationships…

Sophie’s only reason for distrust was her doubt of her own self worth…and that certainly wasn’t Billy’s fault as he spent the entire novel telling her how important she was to him.

I didn’t sense a lot of depth in Sophie or Billy either one. To be honest, they were both pretty boring to read about. The saving grace of this novel are two of the secondary characters. Sophie’s mum…who I actually disliked for the first half of the book, but came to appreciate…and of course, Molly….Molly was the best part of the book! However, once again, I felt like as great as these two secondary characters were, that there will still much more that could have been added to even them…

This was a fast and easy read…and don’t misunderstand, I did enjoy it. However, this is one HEA ending that I think would have been better to never have happened….sorry but true…

Until next time…
Urania xx

Buy it now Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Review: The Hero by Donna Grant

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hero What an exciting start to this new series!

Usually when I read a second chance love story, one of the participants is a little slow to embrace the re-connection. In The Hero, it seems that both really want a second chance. While it may not be the best of times, with a kidnapping, attempted murders and government conspiracies, but the heart doesn’t listen to anyone’s timeline.

Owen and his three brothers haven’t been home in over a decade, and when they do it’s to find their aunt and uncle murdered and their dad kidnapped. So now they must come together and put aside all their past feelings and find their dad and figure out what kind of trouble he’s gotten himself into. What it didn’t anticipate was seeing his one and only love after 14 years. How’s he supposed to keep his eye on the prize when he can’t take his eyes off of her?

Even though Owen shattered Natalie’s heart 14 years ago, seeing him again brought all those past feelings right up to the surface. She’s been dragged into the family drama and now must rely on Owen to keep her safe. Too bad he didn’t keep heart heart safe all those years ago. Kinda hard to trust him this time around too.

Donna Grant steps away from her usual paranormal stories to bring us a new romantic suspense series. This installment was non stop action and intrigue mixed in with a nice dose of romance. I am so very curious to see where this series is headed. I can’t until the next book!

~Melpomene

Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220643-the-hero

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2faUBSm
BN: http://bit.ly/1WiqBWU
Nook: http://bit.ly/1YIv2cC
BAM: http://bit.ly/1Tjsx1V
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1TuprXe
iBooks: http://apple.co/1WGpiSy
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1WGjJUX
Tantor Audio: http://bit.ly/2cIuTar

Pre-Order Incentive Information:
There are TWO pre-order incentives going on now for Donna’s new military romance series!!

If you pre-order THE HERO you will be entered for some seriously cool prizes including the **entire** Dragon King series (Dark Heat – Smoke and Fire – including novellas) signed to you, winner’s choice of a bundle of books, Darkest Flame (signed) and some swag, and swag and a coveted DK t-shirt!

But to be entered, you MUST FILL OUT THE FORM. All pre-orders are acceptable as long as you have an order number from the retailer you purchased from.

Pre-order form to THE HERO: http://bit.ly/TheHeroPO

If you pre-order THE PROTECTOR you will receive a bonus scene that features Owen and Natalie from THE HERO. The scene will NOT be shared anywhere else. It will be exclusive to those who pre-order THE PROTECTOR and fill out this form:

Pre-order form to THE PROTECTOR: http://bit.ly/TheProtectorPO

Links for THE PROTECTOR:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29875933-the-protector
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2g57DS7
BN: http://bit.ly/2d49mro
Nook: http://bit.ly/2cG4Ld5
BAM: http://bit.ly/2dmIe9e
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cUHbL7
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2d4a34e
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cG4ozv
Powells: http://bit.ly/2d49NSv
Tantor Audio: http://bit.ly/2d7g7Md

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Date: Thurs., 12/1/2016
Time: 7pm CST / 8pm EST
Link to the FB Event is https://www.facebook.com/events/267169100347430
Hash Tag: #TheHeroDG

Review: Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

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When a book keeps me up until after midnight to finish it, it’s a keeper.  Granted, it was a Saturday night with no school the next day but still.  And yes, it’s another story about a dysfunctional family.  Just trust me when I say it’s really, really good.

Jack and Grace are the perfect couple.  He’s handsome and charming, she’s beautiful and elegant.  His job as a highly successful lawyer allows them to have an exquisite home filled with luxurious furnishings.  Their dinner parties leave nothing to be desired with Grace painstakingly preparing everything herself.  And last but not least, they appear to dote on each other with no sign of their honeymoon phase wearing off anytime soon.

But when the doors close, it’s a different story…

So this is where I’m going to stop.  Yes, I know it’s not much as far as reviews go.  The question is, did I intrigue you?  Did my brief little intro make you want to go get the book immediately?  Because you should.

~Thalia

~Buy It Now:  Behind Closed Doors

Review: Fablehaven Book of Imagination by Brandon Mull

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15135731_1299809816725483_7146308628241356337_n This isn’t my usual review. In fact, this was probably my least stressful review ever. A book of activities. No thought required. Easy peasy. Well, some did require thought, but don’t tell my kids. They may yell at me that they’re “learning” something instead of it being all about playing. When I first saw this Book of Imagination, I knew this would be perfect excuse to have fun and learn at the same time.

My kids have wanted fantasy books, that aren’t fill with romance, so when I stumbled upon the Fablehaven series, I knew this would be a hit. So far, I’m right. My daughter is reading book one right now and she is liking it. That’s huge in my house. We struggle to find books that they like, so we don’t have to force them to read.
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If you have tweens, or young teens, and you’re looking for something to give them a little escape from the real world, I recommend this activity book. Even if they haven’t read the series, they can still do activities. So add this to their stockings and make them happy. There’s recipes and activities to cure boredom and make the holidays run smoother. In fact, I brought this book with us when we went out to eat and it made the time pass much faster and there was no fighting. We all worked on a page and it was fun. We did one of the “How many words can you find?” pages and the next thing we knew, our food was arriving. Working your brain makes time fly. 🙂

This is my favorite page, as I was scrolling through. That girl of mine is such a stinker. 🙂
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~Melpomene

Grab the Fablehaven Book of Imagination http://amzn.to/2g7rvr5

Check out Sadie Mull’s video on how to make the wizard’s slime from one of the recipes in the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruaUdPKNmBY&t=6s

fablehaven-book-of-imagination-blog-tour-image

Review: Christmas in the Park by Laura Lockington

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This is a quirky little story about Sarah who leaves her high-stress tv show career, and decides to start her own baking business. The focus is actually on the next newest thing in Sarah’s life… a dog! If you’re an animal lover, you’ll be charmed by Sarah’s comings and goings with sweet yet demanding Malteaser at her side. He follows her to the cafe where she gains a few clients… and new friends. He also gives her a run for her money at the park! 

What I enjoyed most were the baked goods and coffees, the meeting up with friends, and the new beau… all fulfilling Sarah in a way her old life never could. 

-calliope

Buy CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK

Review: Geisha With Green Eyes by India Millar

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31109220Mixed reviews on this one. I will quickly say that it felt like borderline erotica that was poorly executed. I also think that at the start that the writing style was mimic of the writing style of “Memories of a Geisha”, but where in MoaG it felt authentic, in this novel it just felt amateurish and childish.

Also you had the main character that was obviously powerful in her own right, and at times, she seemed to know this, but most of the time she was still dogeza with the other girls. SHe plainly knew the workings of the culture as it was all she knew…She noted the powers that some of the girls had over the others and noted the powers that her “auntie” had…even though men were always in power at the end of the day…however, it still bothered me that she seemed so subservient to everyone, even though she, in her own right, was put into several positions of power by some of her patrons.

Many times I wanted to put this novel down and place it in my DNF column. There are many parts of the story I would have liked to seen handled differently.

However, at the end of the day, I wanted to see what happened at the end of the story. At the end of the day I think there was some great potential here to make a mediocre novel into something that was very good. Yes it fell short, but I spent a great deal of time imagining and thinking about this novel when I wasn’t reading it. I just couldn’t manage to put it aside and felt compelled to finish it. I didn’t want to walk away and leave it undone. That in itself is something. I have to give credit where credit is due. No it wasn’t written as I wished it had, some parts of it I found silly even, but despite all of that, I had to finish it and I am glad that I did.

Not my best read of the year, but certainly not my worst either…

Until next time…
Urania xx

Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Buy your copy here Geisha With Green Eyes by India Millar

A Postcard Would Be Nice by Steph Campbell

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postcard As you know, I’m not one for reading blurbs. I tend to stick to my favorite authors and if I try a new one it’s only because my friends tell me I should. But for some reason, I felt as though this blurb needed to be read before I preordered it. But from the very first sentence, I had a feeling I was going to need this book. And when I finished reading the blurb, I knew I was going to need this book. I knew this story was going open lots of eyes and bring forth a lot of emotions.

Blurb
Seventeen-year-old Oliver Wu remembers four things about Saturday night.

1. He remembers going to the party and seeing Paloma, the girl he’s had a crush on for years.
2. He remembers the disappointment he felt when Paloma left early, just when he was sure his bravery had paid off.
3. He remembers the room spinning and someone helping him up the stairs.
4. He remembers waking up next to Tarryn, a girl he barely knows, with his clothes on the floor.

There’s just one notable memory missing.
Oliver doesn’t remember saying yes.

When Tarryn laughs off Oliver’s panic and tells him he should take her out for breakfast, he doesn’t say no. He stops himself from saying no to Tarryn for weeks because he’s waiting for what never comes—an honest answer about what happened that night.

With his friends shutting him out, and the rumors swirling, Oliver is turning into himself and just trying to make it through the rest of his senior year with his head down.

But the one person that Oliver wants to hide the truth from more than himself, Paloma, is the one person who won’t back down and accept his changed behavior. Oliver opening up to Paloma not only means facing what happened that night—it means airing a truth that could easily rip Paloma’s world wide open, too.

Tell me I’m right. Well, the blurb has nothing on this story. I was in a constant state of angst. My heart was in my stomach the entire time. This is real. This happens more than we care to think about. I have teens and this scares me. I am buying this book and having them read it. It will be uncomfortable, but I feel that they need to see. I realize this is fiction, but I’m willing to bet that this has happened to someone. I want my kids to know what to look for and how to help.

To be honest, I never think of the guys. I just don’t. But I am now.

Review: My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal

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I’ve been thinking for several days about how to review this book.  It’s not that it isn’t good, which it is.  It’s just one of those stories that is hard to describe, hard to recommend to people without giving away too much of the story.

Leon’s life has not been easy.  His mom is an addict, and his dad is in prison.  But still, he’s a good kid. He helps his mom out more than a child should, especially when it comes to taking care of his baby brother.  That’s not enough to keep them out of trouble, though. When his mom finally gives in to her demons, Leon and Jake find themselves taken away and placed into a foster home.

As foster homes go, it’s a good one.  Maureen is kind and caring even at her advanced age.  Leon would probably be happy staying with her indefinitely.  There’s a little hitch in that plan, however.  Baby Jake is adopted, and Leon finds himself missing his brother terribly.  And when Maureen gets sick, things go from bad to worse.  He’s determined to find his brother, and he becomes angry when he can’t.

Set in the late 70s/early 80s, the story mirrors the racial unrest of the time.  As a black child with a white brother, Leon knows that things are different for him.  He just can’t understand why.  It’s a sad story, makes your heart hurt for a child to go through so much. Quick and easy to read, hard to forget.

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  My Name is Leon

Review: Two Christmas novellas- Forever Christmas & My True Love Gave to Me by Christine Lynxwiler

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November means Christmas reading, so I hunkered down the past couple nights with two novellas in my Kindle’s “Christmas” folder. 

These charming and heartfelt stories felt like full-length novels in that the characters were many and varied, the plots had time to twist and meander a bit, and the main characters were wonderfully developed. 

In Forever Christmas, Kristianna tries to live out her own authentic life, fighting through family pressures and a stressful romantic past. I loved that Kristianna’s best friends never wavered in their love and loyalty to her. I enjoyed Kristianna’s fun dates, her surprise gifts, and the relationships she had with the quirky townspeople. Although saving her town of Jingle Bells from corporate intrusion was top of mind, Kristianna eventually got the message that working together for a solution is more effective than cutting off your nose to spite your face. 

In My True Love Gave to Me, loving wife and mom of two Penny has had it up to here with her newly-unemployed husband’s moping. But when he finally does something to snap out of it, she’s not truly on board with that either. The plan? A family RV trip. The reaction? Horror, as you might guess. However, in the spirit of a good Christmas story, the lessons are in the journey. Lynxwiler gives us an entertaining road trip where relationships are strengthened, trust is built, and true love abounds. 

Both novellas have a Christian perspective, with a mentions of “God’s plan” and positively describing other characters as Christian. They both have a happily ever after, too. 

You’ll be glad to know my Kindle’s Christmas folder is full of myriad holiday novels. These were only the tip of the iceberg! 

-calliope 

Buy MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME
Buy FOREVER CHRISTMAS

Review: Blame by Nicole Trope

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Being a parent is not an easy job.  On the very best of days, children fill us with warmth and joy and hope for the future.  On the very worst of days, they make us wonder what ever made us think we could do the whole parenting thing.  And fair or not, mothers seem to carry an unfair share of the burden.  But still, we keep doing it because of the love.  What happens, though, when your child is not easily loved?  What does a mother do when you are blessed, or challenged, with a child so difficult that on most days you just barely get by?

Anna seemed to find Caro just when she needed her the most.  As the mother of a young child with autism, she finds herself sinking deeper and deeper into herself.  Then Caro reaches out to her, and a friendship is born.  Although they have daughters around the same age, their lives couldn’t be more different.  But their close bond withstands that.

Until the night that Maya is killed in a tragic accident.  Who is to blame?  Is it Caro, who was driving the vehicle?  Or is it Anna, who maybe wasn’t as vigilant as she knew she needed to be?  Their friendship is tested in ways they never thought possible as the truth is slowly unraveled.

I loved the style of this story.  The author alternates between Anna and Caro, narrating from the perspective of each.  Most of the story takes place as each is being interrogated by detectives.  We think we know who is at fault, and then we change our minds.  The author drags it out until almost the very end.  An excellent read!

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  Blame