The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis

September 17, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Full Length (347 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

For the nearly nine million people who live in New York City, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different.

For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future, which she is certain will shine as the brightly as the constellations on the main concourse ceiling. It is 1928, and twenty-five-year-old Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art. A talented illustrator, she has dreams of creating cover art for Vogue, but not even the prestige of the school can override the public’s disdain for a “woman artist.” Brash, fiery, confident, and single-minded–even while juggling the affections of two men, a wealthy would-be poet and a brilliant experimental painter–Clara is determined to achieve every creative success. But she and her bohemian friends have no idea that they’ll soon be blindsided by the looming Great Depression, an insatiable monster with the power to destroy the entire art scene. And even poverty and hunger will do little to prepare Clara for the greater tragedy yet to come.

In 1995, NIH formulated a new classification cheap levitra http://frankkrauseautomotive.com/cars-for-sale/page/3/ method of prostate disease, type I: acute bacterial prostatitis; type II: chronic bacterial prostatitis; type III: chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome; type IV: asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. There are lot of different medical treatment options are available for this sexual disorder. best tadalafil Chocolate buy cialis online http://frankkrauseautomotive.com/testimonial/very-pleased/ is thought to contain chemicals that effect neurotransmitters in the brain. Side-effects http://frankkrauseautomotive.com/cars-for-sale/?order_by=_price_value&order_by_dir=desc india viagra online It doesn’t hold any severe side-effects, further it depends on you that what flavor you desire to benefit from a pleasing and fulfilling sex life. Nearly fifty years later, in 1974, the terminal has declined almost as sharply as Virginia Clay’s life. Full of grime and danger, from the smoke-blackened ceiling to the pickpockets and drug dealers who roam the floor, Grand Central is at the center of a fierce lawsuit: Is the once-grand building a landmark to be preserved, or a cancer to be demolished? For Virginia, it is simply her last resort. Recently divorced, she has just accepted a job in the information booth in order to support herself and her college-age daughter, Ruby. But when Virginia stumbles upon an abandoned art school within the terminal and discovers a striking watercolor hidden under the dust, her eyes are opened to the elegance beneath the decay. She embarks on a quest to find the artist of the unsigned masterpiece–an impassioned chase that draws Virginia not only into the battle to save Grand Central but deep into the mystery of Clara Darden, the famed 1920s illustrator who disappeared from history in 1931.

Grand Central Terminal has an art school. It was active in the late 1920’s and Clara was the only female teacher. She taught illustrations but she found her department head didn’t think much of them. Or of her if she was being honest…

Women have always been viewed as less worthy in the work world. Men are confident and aggressive and they need the money for their families. That doesn’t mean Clara is going to give up.

The author offers you historical facts about Grand Central and the artists which makes the story intriguing and interesting. Her writing style draws you in and keeps you reading. Even if you’ve never seen the terminal, you feel like you know it.

Clara is torn between two men and two forms of artistry. Her life is not easy. Fame comes and goes and she loses the things and people she loves, but she doesn’t give up. She never expected to meet a woman fifty years later that can help her save that which is almost lost.

Virginia is an interesting character. She’s lost her husband, is trying to find a job she can handle, and her life is confused. Put her together with Clara and you have a real mess.

This story sounds so much like life really is. Nothing goes along smoothly, the women have trouble getting along, and the general theme is never give up. This author teaches you as she takes along the ride of life. This was a very satisfying read despite the sadness interspersed.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Hurricane Crimes by Chrys Fey

August 31, 2018 By 2 Comments


Hurricane Crimes by Chrys Fey
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short story (54 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

After her car breaks down, Beth Kennedy is forced to stay in Florida, the target of Hurricane Sabrina. She stocks up supplies, boards up windows, and hunkers down to wait out the storm, but her plan unravels when she witnesses a car accident. Risking her life, she braves the winds to save the driver. Just when she believes they are safe, she finds out the man she saved could possibly be more dangerous than the severe weather.

Many of us can recall the events that led up to the 9/11 tragedy. cialis generic purchase Vitamin D – Another all-around important element of a healthy diet, vitamin D purchase cheap cialis check that pharmacy store now has disease fighting properties and keeping the metabolic processes of the penile areas to enhance summated amount of flow among these areas. Lier, fish and meat, which form an animal-based food group, also within a lot of reasons, but, with the use of Kamagra, you can cure Back Pain Trigger Position remedy can assist back again discomfort relief, and the technique was originally created in the 1940’s. viagra 100mg It is not so easy canada viagra cheap to prevent sexual provocation but only ayurvedic cure to reverse erectile dysfunction safely and effectively. Donovan Goldwyn only wanted to hide from the police, but the hurricane shoved his car into a tree. Now he’s trapped with a beautiful woman while the evidence that can prove his innocence to a brutal crime is out there for anyone to find.

As Hurricane Sabrina wreaks havoc, Beth has no other choice but to trust Donovan to stay alive. But will she survive, or will she become another hurricane crime?

Beth hadn’t planned on weathering out the worst Category 5 hurricane to hit Florida in years, but Sabrina was bearing down and Beth’s car broke down, stranding her at home. With no family to help her out Beth decided to make the most of her bad situation. When a car crashed just a few doors down from her, Beth braved the hurricane and rescued the driver, bringing him back to her home and relative safety. Only the man she rescued isn’t at all what she expected. Can they both survive the storm?

I thought this was an interesting and fast-paced short story. I loved how there were pretty much three main characters to it – Beth, Donovan and Hurricane Sabrina. The author clearly enjoyed making the enormous storm not only have a real part to play in the story but I feel they relished bringing the fierceness and intensity of the Hurricane practically to life. I thoroughly enjoyed the tension of the mystery and felt it worked well hand-in-hand with the overall tension the Hurricane itself brought to the overall story. I have to admit I felt Beth was a little too naïve and trusting. I understand why she couldn’t just open the door and run away – or call the police for help – but that was the only part of the plot that didn’t really connect well with me.

Both Beth and Donovan were interesting characters and kept my attention. Coupled with the interesting mystery plot I had no problems reading this whole story eagerly in one sitting. Towards the end of the story there are a few steamy kisses and one sex scene where the bedroom door is very firmly closed. While I felt the romance between Beth and Donovan felt a little rushed I have to admit that being trapped in a Hurricane and genuinely feeling as if their deaths were imminent went a long way to convincing me the characters found themselves in an extraordinary situation.

With a wonderful happy ending and an interesting plot I found this to be a great short story and one I enjoyed reading. Fast paced and snappy I think this should appeal to a wide range of readers.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Fire Flower by Edith Layton

August 27, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Fire Flower by Edith Layton
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Historical
Length: Full length (223 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

The kiss was as nothing she’d ever known…the warmth and sweetness of his mouth was so new to her…

Beautiful young Mary Monk was trembling when she surrendered her innocence to dashing Cavalier nobleman Gideon Hawkes to save herself from the destitution the Great Fire of London had assured. Gideon took her on a whim, to satisfy a fleeting desire. Yet what began as a coupling of a jaded man’s lust and a desperate girl’s need soon turned into something far stronger and deeper. Gideon had the power and the purpose to make Mary blossom as a woman, with a woman’s passions and a woman’s fulfillment. And in Mary, Gideon discovered something he had never known, even with the most dazzling ladies and captivating courtesan who frequented the lavish and licentious courts of Europe. For what he had set aflame in Mary and what she returned to him a hundredfold—was love…

Kamagra Oral Jelly This is the most powerful of the erectile dysfunction drugs and, when you buy goods online, there is the comfort part where you don’t have to go anywhere to buy the medicine, and then there is the hydraulic penis insert. best buy viagra Psychology is a social science, focusing on character, feelings, thoughts, buy levitra in usa intelligence, growth and other psychological processes. For viagra without prescription the first time, researchers had a reliable count of men and could relate their medical histories to other diseases and disorders. INDICATION AND INSTRUCTIONS : It is indicated online cialis pharmacy for the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction (ED). The writing style was impressive. It was written in 1666 dialogue and I am thankful that we don’t talk like that anymore because just reading it hurt my brain. The plot had merit. The characters were well developed. This was a pleasantly slow paced story with time worthy detail descriptions most of the time.

Did you ever watch the Titanic and cry because Jack didn’t live? Do you like Nicholas Sparks romance books that make you cry? I don’t like to cry. I read to escape my reality. I have enough in my reality to make me cry. The Fire Flower delivered a wonderful moral message about how home is where the heart is. At least that is what I believe the key to Ivyclose manor represented. There was another deeper message weaved in this story such as “Mary Monk chose life, with dishonor, and she’s turned it to honor. She will survive”. This is a message of surviving and your past doesn’t define who you are or who you can be. There was a message of respecting each other politics and religions. There are readers who love this heartwarming melodrama. I am not one of them.

Reviews are based on personal feelings, tastes and opinion. Just because I love a book doesn’t mean the next person will share my opinion and vice versus. With that being said, I’m honestly confused how I feel about reading books by Edith Layton. The first book I read of hers wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read so I gave her a second chance and it was amazing, so I tried another. This story has me perplexed. I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it.

Yes, the heroine, Mary Monk, did what she had to do to survive. I completely understood her choices. I believe she was seventeen years old in this story for it states “hers had begun a year ago June, when she’d been in her sixteenth summer.” The hero, Gideon Hawkes was much older. I know he met the king when he was fifteen and then returned to London fifteen years later. So, that puts him in his thirties. Thirty and seventeen is probably historically accurate but left me whirling. I could not connect with Gideon no matter how I tried. I found Gideon to be extremely selfish throughout the entire book. I would have been fine if he had chosen Iveclose manor with Celeste and leave Mary with James. Gideon didn’t deserve Mary.

The ending was a huge surprise. Chapter twenty one wasn’t labeled as an epilogue but for all intents purposes, it was one. This was an Olympic style finish. The ending made the entire book worth reading. The ending alluded to a sequel between Gideon and Mary’s youngest son, John and Celeste’s granddaughter, Fanny. However, I don’t think there will be a sequel. I interpreted it as implying how Ivyclose manor will be eventually returned to the rightful owner, Gideon. I’m guessing that is why he did what he did at the end. Home is where the heart is. While this book wasn’t for me, I know it may work for others.

I’d love to join a discussion group over the ending of this book. Therefore, I give my recommendation for this book to be given a chance.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Shaman’s Seduction by Kathryne Kennedy

August 15, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Shaman’s Seduction by Kathryne Kennedy
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical, Inspirational, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short story (79 pages)
Heat Level Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

What would you do to find—and keep—your perfect soul mate?

In an arctic world of magic and monsters, three powerful women face their deepest fears…and find their truest loves.

Inaluk’s Curse
The tribes are facing the fiercest battle in their history, and the last thing the chieftain’s daughter wants to do is recruit warriors from a village rumored to be cursed with cowardice. But when she meets the muscular blacksmith, Otuku, all of her preconceptions are shattered. Can Inaluk’s love for this man allow her to embrace her shaman powers and save her people?
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Za’lla’s Dream
Shaman Za’lla has a vision that compels her to make a dangerous journey to find a sister she can’t even remember. When the chieftain’s son helps her, she realizes the man she’s only admired from afar is enamored with her. As she faces the memories of a traumatic childhood, will the wall of ice around her heart melt so she can accept his love?

Kalaka’s Choice
Young Shaman Kalaka has been obsessed with gaining the affection of the artistic and handsome Alloc. Then a stranger comes to her village, and she must rely on this mysterious man, Manuk, to help save Alloc from certain death. After she travels to the spirit world and understands the truth about these two men, Kalaka must decide which one to choose before she loses her perfect soul mate forever.

Three stories in one book, all from the same author. The first tells of Inaluk, chieftains daughter who turns her back on the ability to be a shaman. She asks Otuku the blackmisht of a distant village for help fighting the wild koba. Although she knows the village is cursed she has no idea what the curse entails, but she does know whatever it is makes the villagers cowards when it comes to fighting.

Za’lla is a blind shaman, taken in as a child and taught by the old shaman of the village. She has a strange dream of a girl who looks like herself and is being attacked by the koba. A traveller and the chieftain’s son agree to help her find the girl and solve the mystery of who she is.

Kalaka is an apprentice shaman but believes she knows better than her tutor. She believes her soulmate to be Alloc who is married to the chieftain’s daughter. Her love makes her do things that are not for the benefit of the tribe, but more for the benefit of Alloc.

All three of these shaman end with strong love interests and Kalaka is a descendant of Inaluk The three women suffer from self importance, low esteem and bad judgement which leads them to believe in the wrong destinies. I could feel the cold of the area they lived in, glaciers and snow nearly all the time, but found it difficult to connect with the first and last shamans as they could have easily sorted things out for themselves without wars and trips to the spirit world. Za’lla on the other hand worked for the benefit of others, not herself.

Placid stories with excitement coming only from violence, but on the whole it all fitted together nicely.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Wild Passion by Dawn Luedecke

August 10, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Wild Passion by Dawn Luedecke
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (289 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

One of the last outposts of the American West, the Montana Territory is filled with promise and adventure for those with brave souls—and open hearts . . .

Leader of the Timberbeasts, logger Simon Sanders’ biggest problem a year ago was deciding which willing woman to seduce. But since being mauled by a cougar he’s become a pariah in Missoula’s social circuit—and to himself. All he wants is to hide his scarred face and disappear into the bottom of a whiskey bottle. His plan is going well—until his sister’s best friend, Carrie Kerr, kidnaps him and forces him to deal with his demons. If he didn’t know better, Simon would swear the bossy beauty is a demon herself . . .

Carrie doesn’t like to use the word kidnap. Unknowingly transport, perhaps. In any case, she can no longer watch Simon destroy himself in self-pity. Not since she lost her heart to him as she nursed him back to health. Now, whatever happens between them, she’s determined to bring him back to the one place he swore he’d never return to, the place she’s sure will reignite his spirit. But if things go awry, will she
will she lose all hope for him to win back his life—much less share it with her? . . .

If you read my review of the first book in this series, you will know that I absolutely loved it. The same goes for this novel, Wild Passion. I stayed up until 4am on a Saturday night to finish this book.
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Wild Passion is the second book in the “A Montana Mountain Romance” trilogy. I suggest readers read the first book in the series “White Water Passion” before reading this book. It’s not absolutely necessary but that is my recommendation. The reason I suggest that is because of the cast of characters and the evolving plot. When I finished book one, I had hoped that Simon, Elizabeth’s brother, and Carrie, Elizabeth’s best friend, would get their own book. I wanted to read how they’d develop into a couple with a happy ever after ending. Simon deserved to be loved. Now you are wondering who is Elizabeth? She was the heroine in White Water Passion. The first book ended with Simon being severely injured and Carrie nursing him back to health.

It’s my impression that the books would be better read in one sitting. The third book isn’t out yet but we already know it’s going to be about the characters, Wall and Victoria. The plot in this series is elaborate and continuous with the characters all intertwined.

Simon was irresistible even with his scars from his attack. He’s brave, funny, strong and I love a man who will protect me. It was great how Carrie “unknowingly transported” Simon in the beginning of the story. What a great hook to immediately draw in the reader. Carrie was an entertaining leading lady. She’s was a mix of strong, vulnerable and mischief characteristics.

It’s frustrating that I can’t explain why I loved this book without thinking of the first book. It genuinely has to do with the relationship the reader develops with the characters. Aunt June is an older woman who is the cook at the camp who is Carrie’s Godmother. Her meddlesome ways add humor to the plot. This book as a little something for everyone.

There are many emotional ups and downs mixed with “stomach flip” moments. I don’t think I can walk through the woods without looking up at the tops of the trees for a widow maker. A widow maker is a branch that is dead and could fall on you at any moment killing you.

The only concern I had was the plot thread regarding Carrie and her father. He’s the reason why she’s on the mountain in the first place. Carrie repeatedly expresses how she’s never going to marry and how she wants to be just like Aunt June. The story ends with me not knowing how her relationship between her or her father was resolved. That might be irrelevant to some people but it bothered me because her mother apparently is “fragile” and needs her. I will assume that the relationship will be addressed in book three.

Of course I’ll be reading book three. “Fiery Passion”. We already know it’s going to be about Victoria who I hated in book one but then had a change of heart by the end of book one but in book two she wasn’t nice at all. So I’ll read book three out of curiosity. I’m very fond of the character, Wall. I was hoping Beth would have chosen him over Garrett for a few pages. Wall deserves someone to love him. I’m just not sure Victoria deserves him. I guess we’ll have to wait to find out.

In conclusion, at this time I love this series. Dawn Luedecke sure knows how to write sensual romances that are entertaining, exciting and suspenseful. It will make a great binge-read in the future once all three books are available. In the meantime, if you haven’t read book one then go do that and then enjoy book two. They both are difficult to put down so make sure you have ample time to ride this wild, adrenaline inducing romance!

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Solemn Vows​ by Ginny McBlain

August 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Solemn Vows​ by Ginny McBlain
Publisher: Uncial Press
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational
Length: Full length (246 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Meredith agreed to marry Quinn McAllister if he would promise that theirs would be a childless marriage. They were made for each other, having come from similar unstable backgrounds and pulled themselves up by their own ambition and determination.

Five days after their wedding, Quinn learns that his best friend, his “brother” from Boys Town, is dead, leaving his three young children orphaned. Years ago Quinn promised to care for the children if anything happened. Now he is faced with keeping his vow. But what about his promise to his wife, that theirs would be a childless marriage?
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Meredith has a secret, one she fears could doom her marriage if she ever reveals it. The choice is hers: her secret or her marriage? She must take the orphans into her home, despite her conviction that she will be a terrible mother to them.

Love may not be enough to save their marriage when one promise must be broken if another is kept.

Solemn Vows shows how life goes on after three young children lose their parents in an accident. Newly married Quinn and his wife Meredith uphold Quinn’s promise to look after the children and this at times is humorous, not exactly funny, but lighthearted.

I loved how the children wormed themselves into Meredith’s heart. She hadn’t wanted children and this instant family came as a shock to her. The two adults struggle through bad and good times which puts a strain on their first year of marriage.

Throughout the book Quinn often refers to Meredith as Marigold. This is puzzling. I could only think of two reasons for this. Either the author changed the name, but didn’t catch all of the changes needed, or this was the pet name for Meredith. If the latter then I felt some explanation should be given as to why Quinn used this name. The use of Marigold irritated me every time it came up and spoil​ed​ an otherwise good book.

A good premise with a lot of thought gone into how both adults and children would react. Gives a cosy feeling when reading about the instant family.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Skeleton Lady by Tori L. Wilson

August 8, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Skeleton Lady by Tori L. Wilson
Publisher: Books to Go Now
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (64 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Oliver Adams and Kayte Westin have been best friends since the first grade, when Kayte stood up against Oliver’s bully, earning his undying loyalty. The two are neighbors and are now attending their small town of Adairsville, Georgia’s local high school together, counting down the days until summer vacation. Oliver and Kayte both have feelings for one another besides simply friendship, however neither of them have been able to summon the strength required to confess their true feelings.

One day, when the two friends are walking home together after school, they hear a chilling scream from a nearby alley. Kayte rushes to investigate the noise and Oliver follows behind her, making sure Kayte doesn’t get into any trouble. As they come to the alley, Oliver and Kayte notice something strange- there is no one around, and the alley is completely desolate.

Suddenly, everything goes black and Oliver and Kayte awake in separate rooms, chained to old beds and surrounded by concrete walls, floors, and ceilings.

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All of this changes, however, when on Oliver’s birthday, the Skeleton Lady allows him to see Kayte for the first time since they were kidnapped. Having all but forgotten their previous lives, it takes the two a moment before they even recognize each other. Once their memories come flooding back and they finally confess their attraction for one another, Oliver and Kayte realize they must escape The Skeleton Lady’s lair.
Driven by their love for each other, the two must use their mental and physical strength to escape the clutches of their captors.

Will their love be enough to break the grasp of their tormentor’s clutches, or will they die trying? Find out in this exciting tale filled with twists and turns at every corner.

If they ever want to have a chance of breaking free and going home again, Oliver and Kayte are going to have to quickly figure out what The Skeleton Lady wants from them and how they might be able outsmart her. Only time will tell if any of these things will happen for them.

Oliver was a brave guy. No matter what happened to him, he always held onto the hope that he’d figure out a way to escape his captor and find his way back to everyone who missed him. This wouldn’t be an easy attitude to cling to for anyone who went through the things he did. I admired his determination to make it through no matter how dire his circumstances became.

The plot development wasn’t as strong as I would have liked it to be. So much time was spent describing the various ways The Skeleton Lady seriously harmed Kayte and Oliver that there wasn’t a lot of attention paid to everything else that was going on in the scenes. Reading about these characters being tortured without knowing why it was happening made me less interested in finding out what their fate would be than I otherwise would have been.

This was one of the most descriptive short stories I’ve read in a long time. Everything from the outfits the various characters wore to the various ways The Skeleton Lady came up with to cause even more physical and emotional pain for Kayte and Oliver was described in vivid detail. No matter what scene I was reading, I could picture what was happening in it perfectly.

I’d recommend The Skeleton Lady to anyone who loves the gory side of the horror genre.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

To Pieces by Kati Rocky

August 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment


To Pieces by Kati Rocky
Publisher: Tempus Press
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (223 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

To friends and family Jane seemed like a normal teen… until one day she didn’t…

Jane (aka Plain Jane) has always known she was different inside, and not in a good way. This has driven her to her construct her life as a solid B, for average, person and to carefully follow the rules of her high school hierarchy. But, when she undergoes her first bipolar episode and becomes acutely manic, she thumbs her nose at that hierarchy and begins a campaign to revolutionize her high school and rise up against its stifling social norms – and shake up the school she does. She becomes the most talked about student and no longer cares what anyone thinks of her as her over-the-top, comedic antics play out in public. Her mission culminates with an outrageous school presidential election speech and subsequent hospitalization.

Once Jane has come down from the mania and is released from the psychiatric hospital, she is humiliated by what she’s done and descends into suicidal depression. Now she’ll never fit in again. She’ll forever be known as the giant freak she’s always believed she was. And she’s ruined a burgeoning romance with the biggest crush she’s ever had. Making matters worse, she also discovers a devastating and dark family secret that her absent, indifferent mother has been harboring.
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Jane crawls her way back from the ledge and begins the healing process, but she won’t return to school, where she’s certain she’ll be the biggest outcast ever. But, a chance encounter with a former schoolmate leads her to reassess that decision – and her whole life.

Is she truly all that different from “normal” teenagers? Did her campaign actually change her high school? Did she change
lives? Is her mother the unloving narcissist she’d always believed she was?

Mental illness is no laughing matter.

I appreciated how much time the author spent showing the audience what it was like for Jane to experience her first bipolar episode. Since it was written in the first person, everything Jane went through had a deeply personal touch to it. There were times when I was as puzzled as she was about what was really going on due to how her disease was affecting her that particular day. This was a good thing, though, since it gave me a great deal of sympathy for what it must be like for someone to experience a manic episode while not really understanding what was happening to them.

This book had an incredibly large cast of characters. I found it hard to keep track of who everyone was and how they were connected to Jane. This was especially true for the people who played a small role in her life and who only showed up occasionally. There were so many of them that I simply couldn’t keep everyone straight. It would have been helpful to have a character list to refer to so I could pay more attention to the plot.

The plot twists were well written and fit into the storyline nicely. While I did see some of them coming in advance, this didn’t make it any less enjoyable to follow along and find out if my predictions turned out to be correct. There were times when Ms. Rocky surprised me, too, with developments that I hadn’t figured out would happen before they were revealed.

To Pieces should be read by anyone who has bipolar disorder or has ever wondered what it is like to live with this disease.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor

August 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor
Frogmorton Farm Series Book 1
Publisher: Accent Press Ltd
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (334 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
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Jodi Taylor brings all her comic writing skills to this heart-warming tale of self-discovery. Known as “The Nothing Girl” because of her severe stutter and chronically low self-confidence, Jenny Dove is only just prevented from ending it all by the sudden appearance of Thomas, a mystical golden horse only she can see. Under his guidance, Jenny unexpectedly acquires a husband – the charming and chaotic Russell Checkland – and for her, nothing will ever be the same again. With over-protective relatives on one hand and the world’s most erratic spouse on the other, Jenny needs to become Someone. And fast! Fans of Jodi Taylor’s best-selling Chronicles of St Mary’s series will adore the quirky humour in this new, contemporary novel.

Jenny is The Nothing Girl. She lives with her aunt and uncle who protect her from the world and from being institutionalized. Her cousin Francesca has a brilliant life but has dropped her boyfriend artist Russell Checkland for TV producer Daniel Palmer. Russell unfortunately does not take this well and becomes a drunkard. Jenny bumps into him by accident and they meet up several times at Frogmorton Farm where she helps him decorate. He puts his cards on the table when he asks her to marry him. He needs her inheritance and she needs to get away from her aunt and uncle. She says yes and then all hell breaks loose.

This book is funny, serious and nasty all in one go. There are several hilarious characters: Marilyn, the ever hungry donkey, Boxer the neurotic horse, the tipsy housekeeper and various other waifs and strays both Jenny and Russell collect along the way. Then of course there’s Thomas, Jenny’s imaginary horse. However, someone is trying to either hurt or kill Jenny and she believes it might be Russell.

The ending (without giving any spoilers) is totally unexpected. A lovely cozy book to read with a hint of humor and a little bit of spine chilling suspense. I am definitely going to read this a second time as I enjoyed it so much the first read.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Protecting the Dead by Katherine Gilbert

July 27, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Protecting the Dead by Katherine Gilbert
Publisher: esKape Press
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday, Inspirational, Paranormal
Length: Full length (243 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

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From the time of her birth Lydia’s parents let her know she was destined to be sacrificed to a demon. Lovely way to grow up. When she unexpectedly escapes the demons clutches she changes her name, dies her hair blue and begins life anew with a job at a retirement village. Life there is unusual to say the least. Her boss and his opposite number are not the usual type of employers and the residents are totally out of this world.

I found the inner thoughts of Lydia to be fascinating, and was able to follow her life so far without a long description, it all came out in her thoughts, but not in one big lump, every thought was instigated by something that happened during the day. Her immediate attraction to her boss caused her untold heartache as her lack of self esteem made her doubt every move – both his and hers.

Chaos erupts but it’s difficult to tell if Lydia will take up her parents lifestyle of evil, or if she will collapse under the strain. Evil and good fight it out to see who will win, not only win the battle but also the soul of Lydia.

This story was great, a very unusual inspirational mixed with paranormal. At first I thought I might have made a mistake picking this to read, but I read (read inhaled here for effect) it in one day, so you can tell I was wrong. This is the type of book I will read again and again.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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