Cover Your Eyes by Mary Burton

October 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

EYES
Cover Your Eyes by Mary Burton
Publisher: Zebra Books
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (392 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

Don’t Look

At first, they struggle to escape. Then a torrent of blows rains down upon their bodies until their eyes cloud over in final agony. The killer shows no remorse–just a twisted need to witness each victim’s last terrified moments.

Don’t Speak

Public defender Rachel Wainwright is struggling to reopen a decades-old case, convinced that the wrong man is in prison. Homicide detective Deke Morgan doesn’t want to agree. But if Rachel’s hunch is correct, whoever fatally bludgeoned young, beautiful Annie Dawson thirty years ago could be the source of a new string of brutal slayings.

Just Prepare To Die
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Rachel’s investigation is about to reveal answers–but at a price she never thought to pay. Now she’s become the target of a rage honed by years of jealousy and madness. And a murderer is ready to show her just how vicious the truth can be. . .

I’ve never read a Mary Burton book I didn’t like and Cover Your Eyes was no exception. It had all the necessary elements of a first rate romantic suspense novel, secrets, danger, and of course, a budding romance.

I liked the character of Rachel, while tough; she showed a vulnerability for helping the people she believed in. Ms. Burton certainly kept me in suspense knowing if the DNA from a previous crime matched that of her now client, Jeb.

Deke was at times a little arrogant but you like him nevertheless because you know in the back of your mind he’s going to be right about his beliefs and maybe save the day.

I enjoyed the way this story unfolded. A clue here and there, another character thrown in just to keep you on your toes about guessing the story’s outcome. And while I did guess correctly on some of the clues, the ending was perfect for a die-hard mystery reader like myself.

And speaking of other characters, all the secondary ones in this story drew you into their tale. Ms. Burton made them as well rounded as Rachel and Deke.

I also liked the setting. So many stories feature New York, LA , New Orleans or Atlanta but I can’t think of a romantic suspense I’ve read that’s set in Nashville and the music industry. It was a refreshing change which I felt added another layer to the story.

Pacing is actually fast despite this book’s length and I think the “I have to turn the page” quality of Cover Your Eyes had something to do with that.

If you’re looking to add a romantic suspense story to your upcoming winter reading list, I’d recommend this one.

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

A Pretty Mess, An Astonvale Novel by Carla Caruso

October 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

MESS
A Pretty Mess, An Astonvale Novel by Carla Caruso
Publisher: Harper Impulse
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (247 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Sometimes, to come clean, you’ve got to get your hands dirty …

Celeste Pretty, a self-confessed neat freak, has found the job she was born to do: a professional organiser, de-cluttering people’s homes and workplaces. Her new business gets off to a cracking start when she lands her first client, health and fitness guru Natalia Samphire, in the well-heeled suburb of Astonvale. But things get messy at Natalia’s mansion when Celeste finds a blackmail note and other mysterious items. And then there’s Lenny Muscat, the sexy builder renovating the place, whose constant presence is muddling Celeste’s usually organised brain.
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When things get decidedly suspicious at the mansion, she and Lenny have to team up to investigate. But will Celeste emerge with her heart and professional reputation unscathed?

Celeste, a neat freak, and Lenny, the man with a plan, learn that sometimes the best decisions are the spontaneous ones. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they don’t try staying in control at all cost, until they realize it’s simply not worth it.

In their case, letting life surprise them is a good thing. It does take the whole novel for them to realize it, though. But it’s a fun read and I loved following them as they struggled, trying to keep a balance between what they thought they wanted from life and what life was actually offering them. Their romance developed slowly, and I appreciated how Celeste was not willing to rush things even after she dumped her sort-of boyfriend Mitchell. She was content staying single, which showed her strong character and independence. I loved that.

I really liked the characters of Natalia and her fiancé Mike and I would love to read more about them. Same goes for Celeste’s assistant, Flip. Celeste herself was a good character as far as characterization goes, but a smidgen too tidy for my taste. Obviously, Lenny wasn’t hard to warm up to, despite his occasional arrogance. The sparks between him and Celeste — or fireworks, as Lenny described them — were fun to watch. Their relationship was far from boring.

The suspense of the blackmailing plot helped keep the fast pace of the novel and also helped describe Natalia’s character. It was, however, a bit too predictable; a twist or two would make the story more original. I also stumbled over a handful of syntactical mistakes that had me re-reading the sentences a few times before I got the meaning.

This novel is far from a mess – it’s an enjoyable read with wonderfully written protagonists and a bunch of quirky secondary characters that make for a compelling read.

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

Chasing the Flames by Cheryl Adnams

October 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment

FLAMES
Chasing the Flames by Cheryl Adnams
Publisher: Random House Australia
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (191 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Sometimes the hottest fire burns with an old flame.

Trisha Carne has loved Brian Muller, of Muller’s Field vineyard, for as long as she can remember but the moment has never been right. Then an unexpected kiss on New Year’s Eve has Brian looking at her in a new way. Has she finally caught his attention?

Brian’s been doing it tough since his wife left him, and has retreated into the safety of bachelorhood. So he’s surprised to find this new fling with an old flame is starting to bring him back to life.

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Will Brian and Trisha let their pasts keep them from finding true happiness? Or will they have the courage to chase the flames that still smoulder between them?

Just like the first book about the Muller boys, Chasing the Flames features a hot romance and hot boys, but this one also has some hot flames that need to be doused – quite literally.

Both main characters are familiar from Bet on It, the first book in the series. Despite that, the book can be easily read as a stand alone since the characters and situations are written detailed enough and enough background is given for the reader to be able to understand the intricate relationships. Because the relationship between Trisha and Brian is indeed intricate!

Trisha is a wonderful character. She’s complex, comes from a sad, abusive background, but she’s fought tooth and nails to succeed. People judge her because of her mother’s mistakes and because in a small town gossip is the main hobby. Few people know her real story and what a wonderful woman she is. One of these people is Brian, with whom she’s been in love for almost three decades. Needless to say, he’s blind to her feelings.

He is also the reason why, for me, this book didn’t quite garner five stars. He was a good character and fun to follow throughout the story. What bothered me was his indecision when it came to his ex-wife. It seemed unconvincing because prior to her showing up at the estate, he was very adamant about how he felt about her.

Brian and his brothers were also members of the local Country Fire Service, and I appreciated the author’s descriptions of the bush fire scenes and the CFS’s efforts to contain the fire. It was wonderfully realistic and very descriptive of Australian landscape and climate.

Seth from Bet On It is still my favorite character in the series, however Chasing the Flames was a wonderful romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. I can’t wait to see what Adnams has in store for the youngest brother, Andrew.

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

The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane by Elizabeth Boyle

September 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment

VISCOUNT
The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane by Elizabeth Boyle
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (235 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

She has no desire for love…

As she arrives in Mayfair, Louisa Tempest is horrified when her incorrigible cat bolts from the carriage and dashes into a neighbor’s house, where she comes face-to-face with the reclusive Viscount Wakefield. But even more dismaying than his foul temper is the disarray in which she finds his home. Convinced his demeanor would improve if his household were in order, Louisa resolves to put everything to rights.

…until she meets the viscount who lives down the lane.

Much to his chagrin, Wakefield finds it impossible to keep the meddling Louisa out of his home, invading his daily life with her “improvements,” and his nights with the tempting desires she sparks inside him. Wounded in the war, he’s scorned society ever since his return . . . until Louisa opens the door to his heart and convinces him to give love a second chance.

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Elizabeth Boyle takes the reader to the time in England after the Napoleonic Wars when so many men had returned crippled in body, mind, and spirit. Pierson Stratton, Viscount Wakefield is one of these men. He has hidden himself away in his dark, foreboding house feeling he has no right to a normal, happy life after so many of his comrades suffered and died.

He has intimidated his family and the servants until they leave him alone to wallow in his misery. When Louisa Tempest and her cat Hannibal (possibly the ugliest and most tenacious cat in England) invade his territory, he is furious. He bars her from his house, but it is too late to bar her from his life and thoughts. As for Hannibal, he turns a deaf ear to the viscount and makes himself at home in the viscount’s library where he found a suitable chair near the fireplace.

While Louisa holds fast to her declaration that her efforts are “Neighborly Kindness,” Viscount Wakefield thinks she is a “meddling piece of muslin, a bossy minx, a busybody handful and as annoying as the ray of sunlight that seems to find its way between the drapes into his dark bedroom in the mornings.” But, he is reluctant to rule against the changes she’s made in his household because his life is SO much better.

Louisa is in London to suffer a “coming-out” season because her twin Lavinia desperately longs for one and hopes to find a suitable husband. Louisa doesn’t want a husband. She just wants to survive the Season and go back to her quiet life in a small village.

When their dead mother’s reputation begins to be aired even after all these years, they are cut by the “good ton.” Life becomes a tangle but it gets interesting and is not without its fits and spurts of humor. Hannibal, that ugly cat, made me laugh, giggle, and smile. When Elizabeth Boyle ascribes to him the look that says, “Tell me I didn’t waste a perfectly good rat on you, did I?” as he looks at the irate viscount from the safety of Louisa’s arms, I gave a yes vote to that intrepid feline and to his mistress who has a lot of the same attitude.

The side stories of Lavinia”s adventures during the Season and the revival of a love long denied between the widow Lady Aveley and the love of her youth enhance the story.

The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane bustles with happenings. The historical time is very evident as the reader sees the plight of children orphaned by the war, the working class seeking a say in government, and the lines blurring between the peerage and the rich who have worked to make their money. These things are woven into the story but do not overshadow the upbeat, “we-can-fix-it” attitude Louisa Tempest bring with her. I love a strong heroine. ENJOYED THIS ONE!

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

An Independent Woman by Frances Evesham

September 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment

WOMAN
An Independent Woman by Frances Evesham
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (306 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

With nothing left from her childhood except a tiny portrait of a beautiful woman, some skill with a needle, and the knowledge of a dreadful secret, Philomena escapes her tormentor, Joseph, and the dank fogs of Victorian London, only for a train crash to interrupt her quest for independence and freedom.

Trapped between the upstairs and downstairs occupants of the great country house, Philomena hears whispers of the mysteries and lies that lurk in empty corridors and behind closed doors. Her rescuer, the dangerous, enigmatic Hugh, Lord Thatcham, wrestles with his own demons and makes Philomena’s heart race, but she must fight her passion for she can never marry.

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Philomena has a secret (a shock to this reader). It overshadows her every effort and decision. Moreover, at the death of her kind, caring guardian, she becomes a target for his ne’er-do-well son. Disguised and without much planning, she runs. The train she’s on from London to Bristol wrecks. At the wreck, Philomena and Lord Thatcham’s lives become entangled with the reader immersed in it all. I felt as if I were there feeling the tensions, the suspense, the uneasiness, and the inching in of love that seems to be hopeless.

Lord Thatcham, a widower with a four-year-old son, takes his responsibilities and his position as a peer of the realm seriously. He sees and understands change as the business and trades people in the country gain wealth and power. He is not a snob like his mother, but he does feel his importance and authority.

He does not intimidate Philomena though. At one point she tells him he is bad-tempered, proud, and thinks others are beneath him. She stands toe to toe with him and speaks her mind, offer her opinions, wins the heart of the precocious four-year-old John, and gains the respect of the servants at the Thatcham estate. She and his sister Selena become friends, but the mother is another thing altogether. Her devious, underhanded ways really do rev up one’s blood pressure.

There is an undercurrent of what really happened to the late Lady Thatcham and her connection with the hated neighbor Arthur Muldron. The coincidence that involves how Muldron came to own the estate next to Thatcham House and how he knows Philomena may be a little bit of the stretch, but the story is so good and so compelling, I couldn’t stop reading until I knew all about it.

What seems like an impossible situation that brings everything to the climax leaves precious little wiggle room for Lord Thatcham and Philomena to have a chance at a happy-ever-after. There are some tense times as two antagonists conspire against Philomena in order to secure their own place in society.

Frances Evesham slips the reader into a time of rapid change in England, uses light and dark character traits, light and dark places, and love that will not be denied to create a page-turning story.

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

Frostbitten by Heather Beck

September 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment

BITTEN
Frostbitten by Heather Beck
Publisher: Enchanted Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (296 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Great beauty hides dark secrets…

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Can Anastasia and Frost’s love really overcome anything, or are their fates much darker?

They say that moving to a new town can give you a fresh start in life. If only Anastasia knew what to do with hers.

The worldbuilding in this story was strong. Cedar Falls is so insular that it can be incredibly difficult for outsiders to feel welcomed there. The idea of a small town being suspicious of new people and resistant to change is a stereotype, of course, but Ms. Beck fleshed out why this particular community behaves this way so well that I never felt like anyone was being pigeonholed. The reasons provide so much fodder for plot development that Cedar Falls felt like a real place to me.

I was initially interested in Anastasia’s tale because the hints about her past were so tantalizing. Serious trouble could mean just about anything, and I couldn’t wait to figure out what it was she did that damaged her mother’s trust so completely. It was disappointing to discover what it was she did due to how little she seemed to have learned from it. There was minimal character development for anyone in this tale.

Bigotry comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s a blatantly obvious act of hostility, but it can also be communicated in incredibly subtle ways. I enjoyed this book’s exploration of what it’s like to live in a community that rejects people who stand out in some way from the crowd. The anxiety and fear that this experience can create was reproduced incredibly accurately within the characters who are dealing with it.

Frostbitten introduced me to a world that I wish I could visit again. This is a good choice for anyone in the mood for a fun, paranormal romance.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Text Me by Shelley K. Wall

September 25, 2014 By Leave a Comment

TEXT
Text Me by Shelley K. Wall
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (160 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Carter Coben is having some serious communication problems lately. First he mouthed off to a project manager at work and got fired, now his girlfriend’s dumped him and trashed his cell phone. About the only place he hasn’t got his wires crossed these days is at the anonymous texting app, Justchat.com. Carter thinks he might have found a real connection with “She Hearts Dogs,” but little does he know he’s already quite acquainted with this cunning canine-lover…

When Abigail Jeffries gets a random text message from a stranger saying he’s been dumped, she can’t help but answer it—and recommend he send his ex some flowers from her new shop. When she delivers the bouquet though, she finds out his ex was cheating on him with his best friend—the same best friend she’s impersonating via text! Abby feels guilty, but she can’t help responding. But what will happen when Carter finds out that Abby is not only the face behind the texts, but the reason he got fired at work and his mysterious mutt-loving pal on Justchat.com?

Will they ever manage to sort out their mixed signals, mistaken identities, and misunderstandings to find real love? This madcap, modern-day You’ve Got Mail for the texting generation will delight romantic comedy fans.

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Some of this may be due to their ability to mess up royally whenever they meet, some is simply due to who they are: determined to be self-reliant and fearing commitment because there are more cons to it than pros. Abby started off as a very likeable character, while Carter struck me as a bit too macho type. But as I got to know them, their characters changed.

Because of an awkward phone number mix up, Abby suddenly finds herself unintentionally spying on Carter. At first she just wants to help him, then she becomes too embarrassed by everything she’s done in the name of Carter’s friend Jax – the person all those messages were intended for – to tell Carter the truth. While all this miscommunication was a lot of fun to follow, there came a point in the story where the misunderstandings became plain old lying.

There was a scene towards the end of the first half of the novel where Abby spilled water on Jackson when he was trying to explain some of the mix up to Carter. Of course Carter thought he was telling him that Jackson had an affair with Abby, so she doused Jackson with water to stop him. It was obvious that this was done purely to keep the plot of the mix up continuing, although the misunderstanding could’ve easily been rectified by either Abby or Jackson.

It was at this point that I couldn’t really root for Abby any longer because I didn’t feel her actions were justified. Carter however became a much more likeable person, and a lot of his previous actions were explained and the motivation behind them became clear. I also enjoyed reading about Caroline, Abby’s friend, Jackson, and another of Carter’s friends, Roger. It’s always important for novels to have strong secondary characters, and Text Me has them.

Perhaps if the plot were a bit simpler, with fewer unlikely coincidences and mix ups, it would’ve been a bit easier to follow, and perhaps then it wouldn’t seem like Abby was lying on purpose. I really wished I could like her, but as the plot developed I felt she became less and less likeable and her actions were less and less reasonable.

Text Me emphasizes the very important message that we shouldn’t rely on modern technology to fall in love. Doing it face to face is far more enjoyable and reliable.

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

The Broken by Shelley Coriell

September 23, 2014 By Leave a Comment

ROKEN
The Broken by Shelley Coriell
The Apostles Series
Publisher: Forever-Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (375 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

He took her life, but left her alive.

Three years ago, reporter Kate Johnson was the first victim—and only survivor—of the Broadcast Butcher. Scarred both physically and psychologically by the brutal serial killer, Kate lives life on the run, knowing that one day, he will find her and finish what he started.

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Agent Hayden Reed spends his life chasing monsters. The only way to stay sane is to detach, but the second the Broadcast Butcher case crosses his desk, Hayden knows this is the case that might just cost him his soul. To catch this vicious murderer before he strikes again, Hayden must find Kate and earn her trust. For it’s her darkest secrets that hold the key to stopping this madman once and for all . . .

No matter what genre you enjoy, romance, mystery or suspense, I think you’ll find something to enjoy in The Broken. The opening chapter drew me in, threw me off course a little too, but we’re quickly introduced to Kate Johnson, the serial killer’s only surviving victim, and Smokey Joe, a blind Vietnam war veteran who was actually my favorite character in the book. Both his and Kate’s survival seemed bound together and when you cheered for one you cheered for the other.

As much as she’s been able to, Kate’s run away from the horror and begun a new life as Smokey’s minder, but like all good stories there has to be conflict, and in The Broken that’s in the form of the discovery of another woman killed by The Butcher, the serial killer who attacked Kate. Also, into Kate’s world walks FBI Agent Hayden Reed, who has issues of his own.

Kate thinks her brother is the killer but as the story unfolds, you along with Kate realize all is not what it seems. Bodies start turning up and also body parts, and there are lots of twists and turns that keep you reading. While the identity of the true killer wasn’t a sure thing, I had a pretty good idea who it was and was intrigued to see if I was right.

And there’s the relationship between Kate and Hayden. Both come to it with huge issues but you feel that they’re right for another and the only person who can heal each other’s wounds.

All the secondary characters were fun too. The pacing is fast and towards the end you find yourself just wanting to finish reading the story to figure out if your inclinations were right.

I’m not sure if the author is intending to write more about Kate and Hayden and yes, of course Smokey Joe, but I’d like to see where their next adventure takes them.

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

Love’s Prey by Meg Xuemei X

September 23, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000037_00023]
Love’s Prey by Meg Xuemei X
Publisher: Silver Wheel Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (201 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Xirena’s life has never been an easy one. Deemed a thief, a brute, and a slut by one’s own family and schoolmates might take its toll on your average fifteen-year-old, but Xirena makes no apologies. Then she meets seventeen-year-old Kai, smoking hot and hell-bent on seducing her. But Xirena isn’t having it. Kai must prove to Xirena that his attraction is something more. When he does, Xirena opens to him. Softens around the edges.
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Problem is, Kai’s ex-girlfriends are none too happy about this. They won’t allow anyone, especially an outcast, to have the boy they want and will stop at nothing to ruin Xirena. But Xirena stands her ground even if it means wrecking her one and only chance of escaping these backwoods forever.

Love is an incredibly powerful thing. Can it really heal every wound though?

Xirena’s abusive home life reveals itself almost immediately. Some of my favorite scenes in this book show how she’s learned to survive in such a dysfunctional environment. The coping mechanisms that work for her at home don’t always get the same results from emotionally healthy people. Knowing this part of her history so early on also made Xirena’s character development even more interesting than it would have been otherwise.

This book is full of poetry. The characters quote classic pieces of it to each other from memory and sometimes even write new ones. It was surprising to see it pop up in contexts that really surprised me. Most of the poetry I’ve read doesn’t cover the kinds of topics that it does in this tale. While the dialogue in those sections was beautiful, it was also distracting. I was never quite sure if it was intended to be a stylized version of how these characters actually speak or if I was supposed to assume they were literally speaking those exact words.

The budding romance between Xirena and Kai is sweet. The fact that he was older than her and much more worldly made me raise an eyebrow at first, but I was quite pleased to see how respectfully Kai treated her. He is careful to never cross the boundaries Xirena sets with him. That made me like him even more than I would have otherwise.

I’ll be recommending Love’s Prey to the people I know who don’t usually read stories about romance or teenagers. This is a solid introduction to either genre for anyone who is curious about them but not sure where to begin.

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

You Jane by Elizabeth Fountain

September 22, 2014 By 2 Comments

JANE
You Jane by Elizabeth Fountain
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (147 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Jane Margaret Blake’s problem isn’t her drinking. Sure, she’s missing work, and forgetting she’s already fed her cat, who’s getting a little fat. But Jane’s real problem is the reason she drinks: she writes stories that come true and wreak havoc in her life.

In her “fables” animals, people, angels, and the Universe itself conspire to destroy Jane’s last chance to be with her old love, or, just maybe, to bring her into the arms of a new love. Years ago, a fable pushed Jane’s best friend Charlie into marrying another woman. Now another fable shoves Charlie’s little boy in front of an angry dog – or worse, a wicked spirit bent on getting Jane and Charlie to face the truths they’ve spent a lifetime avoiding.
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As her drinking and writing spiral out of control, Jane must finally discover how to write her own happy ending.

It’s hard to heal without acknowledging exactly what’s been broken. Will Jane be able to face her demons before it’s too late?

Jane’s flaws are serious and deep, but there was something about her that made me smile from the very first scene. There is something to be said for a protagonist who wrestles with her demons without having any indication beforehand of whether or not she actually stands a chance of beating it. It’s not necessary for me to like a protagonist as long as I believe in their mission and feel comfortable rooting for them. What surprised me the most about Jane was how quietly she grew on me as I plunged ahead into scene after scene with the hope that she’d be successful in her mission.

There were some issues with the pacing. The plot jumps from past to present so often that at times I had trouble remembering what Jane had been doing with her life before the last flashback. The flashbacks themselves gave me a clearer understanding of why Jane made certain choices, but they would have been even more powerful had there not been quite so many of them.

I really enjoyed the fables Jane comes up with when she goes into an altered state. They were original and beautiful. Just like traditional fairy tales, some of them had meanings that weren’t always immediately apparent. Attempting to figure them out was a nice interlude from the sad themes in this book, especially once the dark side of Jane’s personality becomes more apparent.

You Jane was one of the most thought-provoking stories I’ve read in a long time. This is a good choice for anyone in the mood for something that asks as many questions as it answers.

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