One for Young-at-Heart Romantics

Linnet and the Prince 

by Alydia Rackham

My rating on a 100-point scale: 94

My recommender: 

     The author herself e-mailed me and asked if I'd read and review her book. I was provided with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

My synopsis: 

     Linnet is the younger of two princesses of Hilrigard. When Hilrigard is overtaken by the formidable Badi people, the Badi prince Rajak gives the Queen a choice: give him a princess for his wife or force him to slaughter the whole Hilrigard kingdom. Linnet, the tougher of the two princesses, chooses to go in her sister's place, and is tasked by her mother to kill the prince on the eve of the Water Gathering festival, two months hence. But the prince is not what he seems, and Linnet slowly but surely falls for the gentle and kind prince. And things get very complicated when her mother's "brother" assassins come to rescue Linnet the eve of the Water Gathering festival.

My review:

     I very much enjoyed this book. The characters are loveable; the story is captivating; the cultural elements are intriguing; the politics are realistic; and I couldn't help but wish for more story to come at the end. I very much appreciate the author's straight-forward, no-beating-around-the-bush, quick and simple way of telling the story, as this makes for a quick, yet intriguing and enjoyable read. 

     However, I must mention the negative: Characters "hiss" when they speak, and I'm not sure how this is possible or true. There were very little typos, but I did catch a few, including one which I think was supposed to be "every" but was actually "emach," or something along those lines. The formatting was slightly skewed in a few places. Also, the ending, the more I think about it, is a mite puzzling, but I won't provide any spoilers here.

I recommend to: 

Anyone and everyone who enjoys a good story, especially those involving clean and believable romance. 

I do not suggest this book for children under the age of 10, due to elements of mild gore.

Warrior's Woman 
by Johanna Lindsey

My rating on a 100-point scale: 90 

My Review:
     This isn't the best romance I have ever read, but it is pretty decent, in my opinion.
     There is much to love about this book: the science fiction elements, the future mixing with the past, the political reasons driving the story, and the unique mixing of cultures and beliefs, among many other things. The sensual scenes are relatively satisfying to read, as well, though a little cliche at times.
     However, there are a few things that one could very well dislike. Such as: A strong modern heroine being conquered by an animalistic feudal leader, who just happens to be exactly what she needed. The over-bearing male dominance in this novel is nearly sickening, however well it plays into the romance side of things. I have to admit that I was a bit like, "Really, that far?" when the male main character was first introduced. I feel like a few elements were just a bit overdone, that's all.
     Overall, this book is a good read. I highly recommend if you're a romance genre fan who may like a little science-fiction, futuristic element.

I recommend to: 
Fans of the romance genre.
  
I would not recommend this novel for anyone under the age of 15 due to multiple scenes of a sexual nature.

One for the Detectives in Us All

Collateral Damage
An Annie Ogden Mystery 
by Frederick Lee Brooke

My rating on a 100-point scale: 94

My recommender:

Novel Publicity provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My synopsis: 

   Annie Ogden has moved in with Salvatore D'Angelo, who propposes marriage to her the same day she's attacked on her morning jog. But her attacker ends up being Annie's old fiance from Iraq, and he's come to take her back into his arms of sunshine and passion. Annie has to choose between a man who treats her right and her burning flame for an ex-con she knew as a soldier in Iraq. And then a murder happens, and Annie's old flame is the prime suspect...

My review: 

   This is an awesome book! It's thrilling and intriguing, even if you can guess early on who done it. The characters are great, and realistic. The plot is clear and has some nice twists. The writing is generally good, but there are a few things I could complain abot. There were definitely times that I was like, "Wow! What great imagery!"
   Check out some of my updates while reading this book below. To read the full comments, check them out here on Goodreads.

Stay tuned after my review of Cameron's Law and interview with author Mia Darien for info about her latest book.

Cameron's Law (Adelheid #1)

by Mia Darien

My rating on a 100-point scale: 91

My recommender: 

Masquerade Tours

My short and sweet synopsis: 

   A law is passed making all preternatural creatures public citizens, but that doesn't mean it's safe for them to come out into the open, as Sadie Stanton is bound to be reminded time after time.

My short and sweet review:  

   Though this text isn't technically perfect, it is an adventure worth the time. I enjoyed it and know many others will, too.

I recommend to: 
Fans of supernatural fiction, specifically that involving vampires and werewolves.

Suggested restrictions: 

I don't suggest for anyone under the age of 13 for gore, etc.

Links for Cameron's Law:
Get it for FREE from Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Get it in print from Amazon or Createspace for less than $5.
It's also available as an audiobook for $2 here.

Check out the second in this series here, the third here, and the latest here.

My interview with the author:  

   Hello Ms. Darien, and welcome to my book blog! I noticed you have a blog as well, and a very interesting website. Tell us, what do you typically blog about and what other interesting things can we discover on your site? 

Image from Amazon.com.

   Thanks for having me! These days, most of my blog posts are author and character interviews with my fellow authors and their respective characters. I've been doing those for over a year now and they're a lot of fun, I think. Otherwise, I try to keep my site simple and informative: (there are) pages for each series and my stand-alone works, (an) archive of interviews, biographical information, a page where I keep a record of what I'm writing/how far I am and what I'm reading, and a page on freelancing services (that) I offer for self-publishing authors. 

   Cool beans. The first of your Adelheid series, Cameron's Law, is free on Smashwords and Amazon. Will it always be free? Do you have any other works offered for free? If so, from where? 

   Yes, I intend for it to always be free. It's my gateway to the series, and I think I've had (a) good response from that. Otherwise, my only works for free are some short stories that I released before Cameron's Law. They are available from Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, but not Amazon. It's not easy getting a book free there and I focused that effort on Cameron's Law. 

The Second in a Series

Daughter's Justice
by Thaddeus Nowak

My rating on a 100-point scale: 91

My review:
   If you've read the first in this series and liked it, you'll definitely want to read this one. Stephenie's fight with her circumstances continues in this adventurous tale. I highly recommend to fans of supernatural/fantasy who like books with female heroines.

   Though there are a couple things I could complain about ("However" and a single technical error every 20 or so pages), this book was well worth the time. I cut back on my screen-time reading during this book, but it had nothing to do with the novel, only the format I had it in. I enjoyed this read immensely and think many other readers will too.

This sequel's predecessor: 
Mother's Curse

My recommender:  
   I recently participated in a blog tour hosted by Novel Publicity for this series. Though I didn't finish this sequel during the tour, I still feel the need to share my thoughts on it. 

Suggested restrictions:
There is some foul language throughout and a little gore, so be forewarned. I personally don't think anyone under the age of 14 should read this without parental guidance.

Mother's Curse Contest

Your picture may be worth $50 or a Kindle Fire

   Get your creative brain pumping, take some awesome themed photos, and you could find a brand new Kindle Fire waiting for you at the post office! Come celebrate with Novel Publicity and author Thaddeus Nowak as we close down the Mother's Curse whirlwind tour with a giant book appreciation party! Get ready to grab your e-reader, nun chucks, and perhaps even your wizard robes, but first read on for the full contest info. These contests have been extended until Friday, May 31 at 12 noon EST. Be sure to get your entries in before then.

The Mother's Curse Photo Contest

The Set-up: Put your thinking cap on and come up with a fun pictorial way to represent Mother's Curse. The most creative photo wins a Kindle Fire. We’ve also got two $50 Amazon gift cards to the folks who take the most epic fantasy photo and the most kick-butt combat photo. Just remember the book cover has to be visible in order for your entries to be eligible.  

What to do: Submit your photo entry at the official contest page or email it to emlyn@novelpublicity.com. *The cover of Mother's Curse must be visible in the picture on an eReading device.* You may submit multiple entries for more chances at the prizes, but you can only win once! So be original, show us your creativity, battle prowess, or love for epic fantasy.  

The Prizes:

• Most Creative: Kindle Fire
• Most Kick-Butt Battle Scene or Warrior Pose: $50 Amazon Gift Card
• Most Epic Fantasy: $50 Amazon Gift Card

A Witch, a Ghost, and Tour - Oh My!

Mother's Curse by Thaddeus Nowak

My rating on a 100-point scale: 92

My short and sweet review:

   This is a great novel! Adventurous, romantic, and entertaining. It's well-written and holds the attention of the reader. I highly recommend for anyone who likes fantastic supernatural stories, as I'm sure this one will not disappoint. 

   The only reasons I can't allow myself to give this a higher rating is: "however" is repeated too often, I think, and there is one single typo or technical error every 20-50 pages. I'm easily distracted by these types of things, and I know I'm a nitpicker, but I just have to mention them for my own piece of mind.

There is some foul language throughout and a little gore, so be forewarned. I personally don't think anyone under the age of 14 should read this without parental guidance.  

My recommender:

   This week, I'm participating in a blog tour for the above book and its sequel. Be sure to check out the tour page by clicking on the image to the right. There are also tons of reviews by others, so don't just take my word for it - learn more! 

An Excerpt:
   Feeling slightly better for having a bit of light to keep with her, she continued down the street, occasionally looking through a window to see the remains of a room.  After the third storefront she passed, she wondered at the reason all of the furniture and even drapes, carpets, and accessories had been left behind.  Even in the desperate flight from Antar, people were still taking their belongings.  They removed their drapes, even ones far less decorative then what Stephenie suspected were here.  Why would everyone desert a city and yet leave almost everything behind as if they were simply going across town to visit a friend?  She was hesitant to consider an answer.  This city had been deserted and abandoned for a long time.  Antar castle and city above had been there for as long as memory could recall and the original castle even before then.  Had any of those above known about a city deep in the rocks under their feet, there would have been stories.

A Classic

Image borrowed from http://www.repeatfanzine.co.uk/Reviews

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

My rating on a 100-point scale: 98

     When I read books considered to be classics, I am always a little disappointed. I think this is because everyone who likes these books tends to raise them up to such a high level with their praise that the books can't possibly live up to the expectations. Wuthering Heights, as well as Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice, though both great books that are very well written , both fall into my category of Classic Slight Disappointments. 

     As an example, in the comedy movie The Proposal, Sandra Bullock's character mentions that her favorite book is Wuthering Heights and that she reads it every year during the holidays. Though this is only a character in a movie, being someone's favorite book to the extent of taking time out to read that one book every year is fascinating. And that may have been a deciding factor when I was looking for my next book. I had to subconsciously, if not consciously, ask myself, "What book is so good to read so consistently?" and the search for the answer is a reason I have now read Wuthering Heights.

One for the Medical Profession

With a Vengeance by Eileen Dreyer


My rating on a 100-point scale: 96

   This is a well-written and intriguing find. The characters are well-developed and the plot is exciting. Though this novel is slow and predictable at times, it is a great read and worth the time. And besides the pretty well constant profanity, which I personally am not a fan of, the end makes it all worth while.


I would not recommend this novel for anyone under the age of 14 due to the common use of profanity and scenes of both an adult and sexual nature.