Thursday, September 7, 2023

 

Seventeen Days by Jaqueline Penny

 

 

 

Summary:

 

In the Chill of Winter, Love Finds Its Warmest Refuge…

Chloe Holland’s life as a conscientious, organized accountant is about to change, only she doesn’t know it. After embarking on a weekend road trip designed to add variety to what she sees as her stereotypical existence, Chloe makes an unexpected stop in the tiny town of Deer Lodge, Montana when a fast-moving blizzard catches both her and the town by surprise.

When she discovers that her unique set of skills can be useful to the handsome Captain of the police force in managing the disaster, Chloe jumps into the crisis to help save the town. Things are going well for the make-shift team until two criminals break into the police station with only Chloe there to greet them.

While healing from a literal fight for her life, Chloe’s personal demons of depression and anxiety threaten to stand in the way of true happiness as she is pursued by the town’s golden boy, Captain Carter Mitchell. Chloe’s belief that she is not worthy of love is countered by the Captain’s stubborn desire to help her learn how to break through the walls she has built.

Review:

First off, I’ll start by saying I’m giving this story a 3-star review.

 

The flow of the story is flawless, the development of the characters is very well done and they feel real and very likable.  I love how you’ve captured the emotions, which I can feel.  These are essential for a well-balanced story and you nailed them.  Where the 3-star review comes in is the editing is very bad, I’ve read stories from twelve-year-olds with better editing.   The pure amount of grammatical and overall paragraph flow is some of the worst I’ve seen, but I like how you ask if anyone wants to join your beta team to help ensure future stories don’t have those errors.

 

I love stories where they know in an instate this is the person I want to be with because I lived that. As I said the story flow is what kept me reading.  I checked out your other review since there is only one and that person didn’t even give the story a chance I feel she missed out.

 

I received this book for free from NetGalley for my honest review.


Tuesday, September 5, 2023

 

Birth of the Storm By Valerie Storm


Summary:

For wolf-demon Kari, these define her every waking moment. Her parents are dead, slaughtered by human hands, forcing their only daughter to masquerade among their killers to save her own skin. Now she dwells among them, hiding her lightning-based abilities and plotting a terrible revenge, believing her schemes are all she's good for now. But when she discovers unexpected solace among a group of humans who look past her monstrous nature, Kari finds herself questioning everything. Her mission. Her dreams. Even the hatred festering in her heart.

Review:

I’m giving this book a 4-star rating. This book took me by surprise and I’m glad I chose it. The only reason it doesn't get a 5-star review is that there are a few locations where the flow of the sentences isn't correct and this makes it tough to fully enjoy the story.

 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others?  YES

Is this book a full-length novel or novella?  Full-length novel

Would I read other books by this Author?  Yes


 I received this copy free for my honest review

 

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Inheritance

 

Inheritance by Nora Roberts


Summary:

Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts—a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations.

1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about—and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth—and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.

Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease—and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.” It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it…


Review: 4-Star

I so wanted to give this story a 5-star rating, but sadly I can’t, and the reason why is repeatedly each time Sonya goes out and watches the whales of the cost of Maine Nora refers to it as sound, but when a whale comes to the surface of the water it’s called a breach.  This is the first time I’ve read one of her books.  I’ve always heard she was a great writer and I now concur with that. This first installment in this Trilogy is a page-turner and you can’t stop until you’ve finished and then you get so made that it ended in such a cliffhanger and you’re itching to get your hands on the rest of the story. The world she created is wonderful the characters feel so real.

 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others?  YES YES YES

Is this book priced correctly?  E-book is way over priced, Hardback priced fair, but auto and Cd form are over priced.

Is this book a full-length novel or a novella?  Full-length novel

Would I read other books by this Author?  Yes


 I received this copy free for my honest review

 

 

 

Fury of Misfortune

 

Fury of Misfortune by Coreene Callahan


Summery:

When honor demands the ultimate sacrifice…

A skilled covert operator, Scottish dragon-warrior Levin moves in shadowy circles, risking death every night to protect his pack. But when the balance of power tilts, the world he knows spins out of control, leaving an innocent woman in his enemy’s crosshairs. Caught between his mission and duty, he hesitates to save her, causing him to question his tactics along with his integrity.

Investigative reporter, Priya Burman has dedicated her life to righting wrongs. When a panicked message sets her on the trail of a cult leader, she steps into the line of fire to help her friend, only to be taken prisoner by a madman who will do anything to keep his followers in check. As sinister forces grow more powerful, she and Levin navigate a perilous landscape, battling the darkness to drag the truth into the light.

Can a dragon-shifter with an agenda and a reporter with a cause work together to bring about justice? Or must one sacrifice it all to eliminate the threat?

Review:

I’m giving this book a 3-star rating.  It didn’t hold up to the other books in this series; it felt rushed and like something important was left out.  I did love the new twists Coreene brought in and look forward to discovering how these new twists add to the series.

 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others?  Unsure

Is this book priced correctly?  Yes

Is this book a full-length novel or novella?  Full-length novel

Would I read other books by this Author?  Yes


 I received this copy free for my honest review

 

 

 

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier

 

 

 

 

 

Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier

 

Summary:

A dark YA fantasy debut perfect for fans of House of Hollow and Small Favors. In the wake of her father's death, a teen girl discovers a side of her family she didn't know existed, and is pulled into a dark—and ancient—bargain she is next in line to fulfill.

Kit’s father always told her he had no family, but his sudden death revealed the truth. Now Kit has a grandmother she never knew she had—Agatha Starling—and an invitation to visit her father’s hometown, Rosemont. 

And Rosemont is picture perfect: the famed eternal roses bloom all year, downtown is straight out of the 1950s . . . there’s even a cute guy to show Kit around.

The longer Kit’s there, though, the stranger it all feels. The Starling family is revered, but there’s something off about how the Starling women seem to be at the center of the all the town’s important history. And as welcoming as the locals are, Kit can’t shake the feeling that they're hiding something from her.

Agatha is so happy to finally meet her only granddaughter, and the town is truly charming, but Kit can’t help wondering, if everything is so great in Rosemont, why did her father leave? And why does it seem like he never wanted her to find it?

 

Review:

 

This review is only a 3-star review.  It was well written and very well edited the reason for the 3-star review I struggled to connect with the characters and the book was easy to put down and walk away from it sometimes for a few others until the next day. A good book grabs you from the first chapter a great book grabs you from the very first page. This is just an Ok book.  It was refreshing to see the quality of editing, as so many books nowadays have way too many errors.

 

 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others?  NO

Is this book priced correctly?  Yes, the E-book is overpriced.

Is this book a full-length novel or novella?  Full-length novel

Would I read other books by this Author?  NO


 I received this copy free for my honest review from NetGalley

 

  

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Eyes of a Hawk By Sean Crowe

 

Eyes of a Hawk by Sean Crowe

 

 

Summary:

Leaf bound by Intrif II, a maddened delinquent obsessed with the early Hedonistic Historians, the ancient poem ‘Eyes of a Hawk’ follows the demise of the woeforging, lifedraining, soulsearing Valestian Primacy at the sword-bitten hands of Ilyia, Hawk, and their amassed force.

In the final battle abreast the snow laden fields of the Untyal Valley, under the watchful eye of the eternal green emerald-dragon Yggdrasil, the blinding judgment of an eternity is unleashed. Their arduous journey through smouldering conflict simmers over a century, taking Hawk from the petty and poverty-stricken colonial hinterlands of Askilt, along the vivid and blossoming village steeped forests and bird stoked steppe lands of the Shorelands, through to the plague-ridden and flame-stained city of Yeli, before its tragic fall and violent purge.
 
Fighting monsters and giants, demons and despots, aberrations, cultists, soldiers, and tyrants, Hawk in his duties as a member of the Guild is forced to confront the chaos of crises in command. From blackouts to plague-pox, ambushed by assassins, beasts, and climatic tavern fights, the catastrophic fall of the Valestian Primacy is the slow death of an empire founded upon violence and subjugation, sealed, and incinerated, as all are, by a divine, celestial force.

 

Review:

I’m sad to say this was a DNF for me and here’s why.  The different fonts used hurt the eyes of this senior who wears bifocals. They needed to be a larger size.  Need to remember not everyone has good eyesight.  I understand the reason behind using different fonts and I can say what I read was well thought out and the flow was great.

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

 

Island Eight by M.Z Medenciy


Summary:

In a world on the verge of repeating a cataclysmic history, Sophia, a Salinian entertainer, unknowingly holds the key to the world's salvation. She intentionally overlooks their king's tyranny to ensure her happiness, but not even the gods can protect her when the eyes of the castle alight upon her town. After narrowly escaping death with the aid of a mysterious man who whisks her away to once-forbidden lands, Sophia is unwillingly sucked into the brewing war she had so desperately evaded.

In Island Eight by M.Z. Medenciy, Sophia embarks on an unprecedented journey where she encounters new dangers through magic-wielding Fae, discovers a resilience within her she never thought possible, and uncovers a history of the gods and their planet that will change the lives of all forever.

 

Review:

I finished the book a few days ago and have been struggling with how I’d review this book. And I have to say I was very disappointed with this book.  One it’s miss classified. On NetGalley It says Mystery/Thriller, Sci-Fi & Fantasy and it’s not a Mystery/Thriller if another classification is needed it should have been Apocalypse World as that is what this series is.  Second, throughout the book, there are multi-editing errors.  Sentences that are missing a word. If the book was self-published, I’d overlook those errors, but this comes from a publishing house.   On the plus side, the book is well-written, and the characters are well-developed and believable.

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others?  NO

Is this book priced correctly?  No overpriced.

Is this book a full-length novel or novella?  Full-length novel

Would I read other books by this Author?  NO


 I received this copy free for my honest review from NetGalley