Sunday, December 15, 2013

Review~Lost: One Pair of Rose Colored Glasses~Shay Ray Stevens~4 Stars

****4 Stars****


I started this book on the recommendation of a friend, as I don't often read this genre of book. I am ever so glad I did! I am not quite sure how Shay Ray Stevens did it, but I think she got into the minds of every newly married woman (and those of us who have been forever) in America. I loved that it was light hearted and humorous, and while eye opening to women of all ages and marital status, it was not nasty or condescending. Written from a woman's perspective, this book poignantly captured the emotions and the struggles of the first year of marriage from adjusting to living with another person, to finding your place in his family, to the financial struggles, and even caring for the pets. I find that Emily's character was totally relatable, in fact, I kept thinking, when did she meet my husband? I believe that Miss Stevens hit a home run with this book and I am anxiously anticipating starting the second in the series! I have to know what happens with Ben and Emily next!

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Sunday, December 1, 2013

Review~Villere House~C.D. Hussey & Leslie Fear~5 Stars


*****5 Stars*****



Y’all y’all y’all y’all y’all! This was one creeptastic read! I really hate to admit this, but I do sometimes judge a book by it’s cover. This cover promised me a creepy ghostly mystery and the authors delivered! What more could a little Cajun girl want, than a mystery, a centuries old curse, the French Quarter, New Orleans, Voodoo queens, Papa Legba, hauntings, ghosts, vampire bars, cemeteries, evil spiteful spirits and more lagniappe than you could shake a stick at? Oh yeah, a love story too! The imagery that these two managed was nothing short of fantastic. I swear I could smell the perfume of the South that New Orleans exudes from every bend of the river.

This story moves at a lighting pace, no boring moments, and there was no fluff. Everything was relevant to the story line. And what a story! The relationships that Lottie has with her friends and the relationship that Xavier has with his family are vibrant. I wanted to be their friends too! The sexual chemistry between Lottie and Xavier was off the charts, and you also saw it mirrored in the relationship of Laurent and Elise. I think the authors did a great job of blending their two styles almost seamlessly, it never felt that I was reading the writing of 2 different authors. The characters were strong and rich. I loved the way the historical flashbacks were done, the dream sequences were outstanding.

I must say, the way they wrapped this up and melded everything together kind of blew my mind. How did I not see it? I said this to myself more than once. The story was so engrossing that my mind didn’t wander off on its usual jaunts to figure out the answers! I am looking forward to book 2!

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Saturday, November 2, 2013

Review~The Restorer~Amanda Stevens~5 Stars


*****5 Stars*****



The first line of the book, "I was nine when I saw my first ghost," set off the alarm bells in my mind. I cannot begin to explain the primal and visceral reaction I had to this one. There were times when I literally had to set the book down to shudder and smooth away the goose bumps. It was as if she called all my family and friends and asked them what my phobias were, to a tee. From ghosts to snakes, to spiders, to claustrophobia, to looking out the window at night! But I can 100%, without a doubt tell you that I absolutely loved this book, every moment of it.


The freaky paranormal aspect of this book wasn't the only thing that drew me in, it is rich with Southern traditions, well researched history, and interesting settings. The intriguingly sinister ghosts, that were not your run of the mill misunderstood specters that will go to their rest if you find Grandma's doily for them. Her writing flows so well. I loved that she made use of seldom used words and phrasing, lots of southern colloquialisms and didn't feel the need to over explain the `big' words, because contextually they were unmistakable. She even used phonetic Gullah in some conversations, which added to the vibrancy of the novel.

Amelia is someone I would like to call my friend. She is a cemetery restorer and also has a blog named, "Digging Graves," that were it real, I would totally be stalking. She is a bit odd, reclusive maybe and standoffish with most people, but heck y'all if I were seeing ghosts, you might have already committed me! Because of her, let's call it `talent', she doesn't do relationships well, and when the hot John Devlin shows up, sparks fly, and collide. He is a man with a past, and still hung up on his late wife and child....and they on him. So while there is a romance element to the book , and a pretty smoking smutty scene, it is more of a hum in the background because she knows that she can't be with him. I will leave it for you to discover why.

The murder mystery which Amelia gets drawn into was well done, with lots of twists and turns and you totally don't see the complete picture until the very end and what an ending! While on campus of Emerson University for the restoration of Oak Grove Cemetery, she becomes the target of the murderer, for what the murderer thinks she knows. The murderer taunts her using her blog and using grave stone art and poems found throughout the cemetery as well as the symbolism of Emerson's elite secret society, knowing that she is the only one who will be able to "read" the symbolism in the clues.

I eagerly am looking forward to the next novel, The Kingdom (The Graveyard Queen #2), as I am dying to know more about Amelia and her family, as there were a lot of questions left unanswered about her family, especially her parents. I for one cannot wait to see what kind of mystery Amelia gets dragged into next and what role the cemetery art and symbolism will play.

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Friday, November 1, 2013

Review~The Blood Gospel~James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell~5 Stars


*****5 Stars*****



Just when you thought, there couldn't be yet another Vampire series out there, along comes Blood Gospel-The Order of the Sanguines #1.

History, adventure, vampires, creatures, budding romance, intrigue, and a awesome cliffhanger! I love James Rollins! As with any James Rollins book, when you open it and read that 1st word, you are whisked away into a well researched and superbly plotted adventure. This book is co-authored with Rebecca Cantrell, add in Ms Cantrell's gothic style and suddenly it becomes a novel to cross genres. (I am looking forward to reading her novels as well!) I highly recommend this one, but be prepared, as it is not one you will want to put down until the final page. Looking forward to the second installment of this book, due out next year! Happy reading!

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Review~The Scent of Rain and Lightning~Nancy Pickard~4 Stars

****4 Stars****



The Scent of Rain and Lightning. Nancy Pickard wrote a solid one here. I usually can figure out who-dun-it very quickly, though I love reading through to see how the author gets there, and to make sure I am right of course. I can honestly say, I thought just about every character in this book "dun-it"! The plot was well played out. The characters were likable/lovable and hated/pitied. The story compelling. The twist at the end, now that I did not see coming. Well done Ms. Pickard, well done! I encourage you to read this one!



Available from Amazon.com: 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Review~Anything But Civil~Anna Loan-Wilsey~4 Stars


****4 Stars****


As a huge fan of historical mysteries, I was excited to receive this ARC for review. I thought the description of the story was intriguing. I can honestly tell you that I was not disappointed! From the start I noticed 2 things; the first being well developed characters. There was no apathy toward any of them really, you despised the jerks and you loved the heroine, I never felt like they lacked anything. The second was the author’s research into the time period. This novel is set post-Civil War, in Kansas, during the Victorian period. The author did a fantastic job of illustrating the class divide, structure and customs of the time period.

While I found at least 2 of the characters practically reprehensible, there were several more that I completely enjoyed, however, I can’t help but have fallen in love with Hattie. She is a remarkably written woman. I particularly like that the author wrote her to be a strong, independent, self-sufficient woman in a time period that authors commonly write women to be weak and needy, and often uneducated in worldly matters. Hattie handles herself with class and dignity, gives the illusion that she knows her place, and as it happens, this illusion puts her in a better position to get the information that she needs to solve the murder, especially after her employer is arrested for murder!

All in all, I will say that Anything But Civil should be high on your TBR shelves. It was a roller coaster of twists and turns, where there are tons of suspects and little in the way of clues. It will keep you guessing until the very end! I will definitely be checking out the author’s first novel, A Lack of Temperance, and eagerly anticipate the third in the series.

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Monday, October 21, 2013

REview~The Curse of Malenfer Manor~Iain McChesney~5 Stars


*****5 Stars*****



This is a book about a curse, cast by a vindictive witch, on the Malenfer family generations ago. Far be it from me to say that she didn't have her reasons, for she certainly did; however, this book isn't one dimensional in that it doesn't focus on just the curse. This book is also a war story, a ghost story, and a love story. Completing this book is a complement of elements: a threatening mystery, the witch, an ancestral curse, a creepy graveyard, hidden rooms, an angry mob, murders, greed, revenge, regret, but above all, a story of redemption and renewal, with a wicked twist. This, to me, is a true Gothic novel, complex in plot, with quite a few subplots branching out that leave you guessing until the very end..."WHODUNNIT?"

The descriptions of the people and places are very vivid, yet subtle. The author didn't get carried away. His characters are superbly written to fit into this story. There isn't one that is extraneous; everyone has a purpose to fulfill. Not one of them feels "innocent" throughout the book. They all feel like they are slightly off, some downright nefarious, and therein lies the twist. The two main actors in this tale have such dimension, without a lot of fluff. Dermot is haunted by what he did and saw during WWII and is especially distraught over the death of his friend. Arthur, who happens to be a ghost, is haunted by the loss of his family to the curse and enlists Dermot to try and make sure it doesn't happen again. What you don't get at first is that Dermot is actually haunted by not only the war, but with the guilt he feels about how Arthur died. Imagine his surprise when he is in a café drinking away his pain, and Arthur walks by. And thus it begins...

There is so much I want to say about this one. I hesitate because I don't want to write a spoiler. So much happens in this book that it is also difficult to focus on one aspect of the story. Contrary to what you would think with this many side stories, it is not a jumbled mess. I love the way each component fits into the other. It just feels complete to me. All the story lines are wrapped up at the end, leaving you feeling satisfied. I saw a description in a review recently that this was sort of a ghostly French Downton Abbey. I would go a little further and say a French Downton Abbey that meets the creepiness of The Woman in Black.
If you are looking for an engaging, seat of your pants, gothic ghostly creeper of a story for Halloween, this is it!

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Friday, October 18, 2013

Review~Death Notice~Alicia Dean~4 Stars

****4 Stars****




Now this is my kind of read, twists and turns, beautiful character development, plot that unfolds like a freshly laundered sheet...The ending literally took me by surprise, I thought I had figured out! There were characters you loved, characters you hated, all strongly written. The book flowed very well. As you can see, I am not giving anything away on this one!! You will have to read this one for yourself to understand why I can't wait to follow Monroe Donovan into her next adventure.

Available from Amazon.com:

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Review~The Pillars of the Earth~Ken Follett~5 Stars

*****5 Stars*****



12th century medieval England, Royals, peasants, a singing jongleur, accused witch, Frenchmen, Englishmen, castles, cathedrals, monastic orders, murder, mayhem, love, sex, betrayal, rivalry, intrigue, treachery, deception... (No Emma, no vamps!)...I could go on for days! This book has. it. all!

At 1000 pages, even I must admit, I was a little hesitant to dive in. The story begins a little slowly, as do most epics of this magnitude, it spans 1123-1174 during the 12th century in England, civil war about to erupt, the time of King Stephen and the Anarchy. But just hold on, because it is an emotional ride! I could barely function in the couple of days it took me to devour this book. I remember standing at the stove, spoon in one hand, book in the other trying to make dinner for my family. (Unlike Tay, I still was able to cook for my family LOL) You will be writhing in your seat, holding your breath, livid with indignation, shouting for justice, swooning at the love stories, crying in sadness and joy. (I also read the follow up to Pillars, World Without End, and it is just as good).

Lets start with a short cast of characters shall we, as expected, there is a host of major, semi major and minor characters in a novel this epic. Ken Follett did an amazing job developing and bringing them to life. The story is really centered around 3 major characters and their families, friends and enemies. The central plot revolves around the building of a new cathedral in Kingsbridge after the old one tragically (and conveniently) burns. Prior Philip wants to glorify God, Tom Builder wants a job. You are swept through the turmoil, joys and daily lives differently with each character, which is quite surprising in its captivating detail. You get to experience the major events of the time with the characters, through each wildly differing perspective. This novel is like a complex wine. (can you tell this is one of my favorites yet?!) This is a novel where you actually come to care about the characters, whether cheering them on, praying for things to go their way, or those characters you just want to stab in the eyeball with an ice pick and hope get crushed under a cathedral stone in a sewer filled street. (OK, so I am a tad passionate!)

Tom Builder (Total Hottie) A man looking for for work to feed his starving family. He desperately wants to build his dream, the most beautiful and unique cathedral in all of England, but can't find work even as a basic stone mason.

Prior Philip A kind hearted & devout monk, sometimes too devoted to the Bible's teachings, who wants to reform and make grand again the Priory of Kingsbridge and build a cathedral.

Lady Aliena (Total Babe in every sense of the word....I am totally not biased!) The beautiful and strong daughter of a the powerful Earl Bartholomew who is imprisoned, stripped of his title and lands, and dies in his support of Maud over Stephen for the crown. She at one time is betrothed to William, subsequently rejects him, loses everything, gains it all back, with a little revenge thrown in for good measure.

Minor characters

Jack Jackson (Builder), Son of Ellen and the Jongleur. A gifted artist, somewhat mysterious at first. Falls in love with Aliena at first sight.

Ellen, daughter of a knight, love interest of Tom Builder, accused of being a witch for cursing a priest. Watches the love of her life swing in the gallows.

Richard, Aliena's younger extremely whiny brother. Wants to be a big boy, but always dependent on our lovely heroine.

Alfred Builder, Tom's son, husband of Aliena. A despicable creature.


Waleran Bigod, (Even typing this name gives me the willies.) Total villainous douche bag, he has other plans, he wants to build a bishops castle and gain power, feathering his own nest if you will, at the expense of Kingsbridge. He also has some very deep sins to hide.

Agnes, wife of Tom, mother to Alfred and Martha, dies in childbirth.

Lord Percy Hamleigh, This guy is totally in the same league as Bigod. Wants Bartholomew's Earldom and will go to any length to secure it.

Lady Regan Hamliegh, wife of Lord Percy, who thankfully gets her comeuppance. She is a nasty, haggard creature, scheming and deceiving to get the Earldom for her husband and son.

William Hamliegh, son of Lord and Lady Hamliegh, was betrothed to Aliena, unfortunately, due to the nature of my despisal of him, I don't believe has any redeeming qualities.

There are still a host of other minor characters, but this list should totally suffice to whet your whistle.

Ok, so now lets talk plot...The long and short of it....This is an intricately woven tale of plots, subplots , and counter plots that carefully and intricately come to fruition. Meaning that somehow, someway each character is linked with the other somewhere in the tale. In the interest of trying to do this novel justice, we decided to use the authors synopsis of the book because I, well, talk too much! Suffice it to say, Ken Follett hit it out of the park with this novel!


Currently Available from Amazon.com:

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Review~The Healer's Gift~Barbara Cutrera~3 Stars


***3 Stars***



While this type of story is not my general cup of tea, I went into it with an open mind, and was surprised at flow and depth of this one. The main characters were Ainsland, the 18 year old virgin widow who is trying to escape from her husband's murderer and Collum, a much older healer that has some supernatural abilities. Collum rescues Ainsland when he finds her passed out in the woods and heals her injuries. From here begins a tender love story.
I was most impressed at the clear demarcation that Mrs. Cutrera was able to make between good and evil, demonstrating to us the goodness that is inherent in most human beings. The trials and tribulations suffered by the two main characters were horrible at best, beatings, whippings, kidnapping, & miscarriage. However, this allowed the author to illustrate some impressive familial bonds, even after being estranged for some time. All in all, for being a novella, there was a ton of information packed in. I am giving this one 3 stars. While not my general type of reading, it was a story of love between two gentle people and the unbreakable bond of family.


Currently available from Amazon.com: 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Review~The Ghost in the Graveyard~Genevieve Jack~4 Stars


****4 Stars****



WOW! That was my first thought when I finished this one. I was entertained from the opening words to the last page. Seriously y'all, I cannot believe this book is free on Amazon. I feel so awful about this one being free I might just send Miss Jack price of the book.

The characters are well developed, intensely likable and totally believable. A very fast paced read, seemingly leaving you breathless in some parts. I read this one practically in one sitting, mostly because I didn't want to put it down.

Vamps, demons, zombies, winged things, ghosts, and witches. It had all the elements of fun! The sex was pretty hot, but left enough to the imagination to make it tasteful. The thought of living practically in a cemetery is super creepy too! I can't wait to read the next one to find out who Grateful Knight (super awesome name!) chooses, will it be the hot, hunky, chiseled love of her lives, Rick, or will it be the needy, green eyed, super coffee maker, chef extraordinaire spectral (sort of) Logan? I know who I am rooting for! Could it be Gary? Or will Gary become even more of a JERK? Will Mr. Hellborine be revealed? Are they in store for a supernatural war?? I need to know!
I would like to know more about her past. I was slightly disappointed that the aspect of the book wasn't fleshed out more.
All in all, this is one for the favorites shelf! Looking forward to the next book! Get this one before Miss Jack realizes that it is still free! LOL


Currently available from Amazon.com:  GHOST IN THE GRAVEYARD

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Review~Little Joe (Round Rock Series)~Michael E. Glasscock III~4 Stars

****4 Stars****





**I was provided an ARC for an honest review. All opinion are my own.

An authentic portrait of life, unfettered by the demands of our modern lives, in small town America in, the period leading up to WWII. A story of innocence, loss, uncertainty, prejudice, unlikely friendship, acceptance, forgiveness, and love. I was captivated from page one, the author recreated a world most of us have only read about. I enjoyed the scenes of small town farm life he depicted in this book. I am greatly looking forward to following Little Joe over the next novels to find out where his story leads and to see who he becomes.

The depth of emotion that I felt for Little Joe exceeded what I envisioned when I read the synopsis. I was drawn into a world, that while in a state of anxious anticipation for a war that we were being drawn into, was still innocent and loving. When we meet him, in the hospital, just learning of the death of his parents, he meets his grandparents, whom it seems he doesn't really know. He is thrust into their world by cruel fate, and seemingly has a hard time adjusting to his new life. His grandparents seem distant and almost uninterested at times. But you soon realize that they are guiding and shaping him to become a caring and responsible young man.

I would have no problems recommending this book to people of all ages.


Currently available at Amazon.com: LITTLE JOE



Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Review~The Paris Architect~Charles Belfoure~5 Stars


*****5 Stars*****



**I was provided an ARC of this novel for an honest review and all opinions are my own.


I find it hard to believe that this was a debut novel. Mr. Belfoure has produced a fast paced thriller that not only brought the characters to life, but made me feel their emotions and produced a visceral reaction to what the atmosphere of Paris must have been like in Nazi occupied France during WWII. Life during WWII and the occupation was difficult at best, food was scarce and rationed, neighbor was against neighbor. You did well to stay to yourself and cast suspicion on everyone around you. Life was endured, not enjoyed. The dialog was at times uncomfortable, so hard to believe that people thought and felt that way about a group of people.



This is the story of Lucien, a struggling architect, trying to make a name for himself. This is also the story of inner conflict. When you first meet Lucien, he is really apathetic to the plight of the Jews, and scared to death of the Nazis. He is more concerned with the internal struggle of his wants and needs versus being turned in or caught and tortured and put to death, than what would become of the Jews he is helping to hide. Then, in a twist of fate, he becomes a double agent of sorts, designing factories for the Germans, all the while still helping Jews to hide. What happens is all to real. What happens will make you think. What happens will keep you reading this one through the night.



I give this one *5* stars. I am definitely a fan of Mr. Belfoure, and eagerly anticipate his next novel.

Currently available at Amazon.com:  THE PARIS ARCHITECT

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Review~Muse (Descended From Myth)~Erin McFadden~5 Stars

*****5 Stars*****



******I received Muse as an ARC for an honest review.*******


I waited after finishing this book to write this review to see if after a couple of days my thoughts on it might change. Nope! Simply put, I loved this book, from start to finish. I loved the characters, the story, the action, the sarcasm, the obscure references to television shows and movies of my youth. There were awwww moments, there were angry moments and there were moments that were truly laugh out loud. It was a coming of age story, a love story, an action packed roller coaster wrapped up in a neat little package.



I was unsure how this book would play out. Ms. McFadden managed to pull off something extraordinary here. She wrote this entire book in first person. The chapters vacillated back and forth between the 2 characters, entirely in the first person aspect of each. It was never repetitive, never boring, and the story flowed as well as if it were written from a single character's perspective. For that, I applaud you. She also managed to captivate my imagination, I understood everything she was telling me, but she wasn't overly wordsy. So here goes, I will try not to give anything away because this is a must read.



The plot was well researched, well thought out, and excellently executed. There were no moments of lag, the flow was smooth, the resolution complete. I look forward to the next books in the series as there is a lot more I want to know about the supporting characters and their stories, especially the Brotherhood of the Guardians...I WANT MORE!!



The characters are well developed, strong and are interesting enough that they could develop into lead characters with little effort. The main characters are well written. Unlike most novels in this genre, they are not unbelievable in their strengths and weaknesses. They are down to earth, strong, likable, and seem very very approachable.



Anna, what can I say about Anna? This girl is amazing, but not unbelievably so. She comes from a loving home, with doting parents. She was adopted at a young age and she has always wondered where she comes from and what happened to her parents. She is slightly naive, a little dingy, totally down to earth, totally real, and the kind of person I could see myself being friends with. I don't know how she did it, but I could totally see myself doing some of the things she did.



Daniel, one word. YUM. Down to earth, chiseled hottie, who only has eyes for his Talent. He is funny, he is handsome, and totally dedicated to his job and family. He is completely in love with Anna, but is torn because he has seen the road that Talents usually take and knows that he will get his heart broken. I love that no matter what she can do to him, he is always on her side and loves her without hesitation.



Unlike most, I started this book with no expectations beyond the interesting premise, but was sucked in immediately and entirely. I will not hesitate to read anything else that Ms. McFadden puts to paper. Mark my words, this girl is going to be BIG!


Currently Available at Amazon.com:  MUSE

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Review~Inheritance~S.K. Whiteside~5 Stars

*****5 Stars*****



Ancient Egypt - Vampires - Werewolves- Ancient Egyptian Deities in Modern Day New Orleans...Yes Please!!!


I loved this book! From the snarky humor, to the awesomely described outfits, to the total warrior goddess that is Syn (also known as the warrior goddess Sekmeht), to the interesting story of why the Guardians and Azura came to be part of our world. I enjoyed that Ms. Whiteside took Ancient Egyptian mythology and brought it to life in modern day, in a totally, at least to this reviewer, modern way. A lot of books are written using ancient mythologies, but she took this to new heights, using the Egyptian Deities themselves and writing them in to modern day places and situations, but still retaining their ancient mythological qualities and quirks. The cast of characters is amazing, she didn't feel the need to over expound on their backstories, she just let them flow and develop naturally, which quite worked in her favor. I would have to say that Echo is simply amazing, mind bending! Just a question Ms. Whiteside, can I have more of him please!!??

Lots of adventure in this roller coaster of a tale, lots of butt kicking, mystery, intrigue and humor, just enough light romance, and lots of questions left unanswered that will leave you wanting for the next installment. I am dying for more stories about Syn, Echo, Malachi and Isira! I don't want to give much away, so I will sum this up in 3 words....READ THIS BOOK!!!




Available now from Amazon:  Inheritance