Author Unpublished

Title: The Inconvenient Duchess

Author: Christine Merrill

Genre: Historical Romance, Regency-Era

Rating: 3 (3.4) stars

Description/Synopsis: "Dear Cici and Father," "I have come to Devon and married a duke. And I'm more tired and hungry than I have ever been in my life. Please let me come home."

Compromised and wedded on the same day, Lady Miranda was fast finding married life not to her taste. A decaying manor and a secretive husband were hardly the stuff of girlish dreams. Yet every time she looked at dark, brooding Marcus Radwell, Duke of Haughleigh, she felt inexplicably compelled--and determined--to make their marriage real

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

This book was another of what I like to refer to as a "sure-read". Like most of Harlequin's novels, it was clear and well-written. The story was fast-paced, and I enjoyed it immensely. In fact, I had trouble putting it down.

Marcus was your typical brooding-but-good-natured male lead with a tragic past. Like most of his kind, he had a temper, but he had trouble trusting others around him - and with good cause. I'd have trouble trusting people as well if I (god forbid) were related to his brother, St John, or his horrible mother.

Was I bothered by the fact that he was obviously formulaic? No--because when I go into reading a book such as this, I expect it. The reason people keep coming back to this type of book is because we do feel comforted by the cozy sense that we've been here before. We know what to expect from the characters, and that sense of familiarity makes it easy to fall into the story. We get caught up in it, and take it for what it is: a fun, afternoon romp through a far away place and another life. So while there may be some readers who frown on this type of formulaic book, you won't find that here. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm okay becoming a sheep for an afternoon. I'm cozy in this side of my pasture, thank you.

Miranda, on the other hand, was not quite what I expected. It's so easy in these types of regency-era books to have the female lead fall into one of two categories: either she's a simpering virgin or a hard-willed hellion. In this case, Miranda was both. It was interesting to see a female lead that was so obviously uncomfortable in society life trying to cope with the sudden position she found herself in. Miranda was a stubborn, no-nonsense type of woman, but she was unsure of herself when she was pushed outside her station and comfort zone. It was interesting to see how the author handled the contradictions in her personality and her situation, and I think Ms. Merrill did a fantastic job.

That being said, there were some parts of this story that I thought lacked the polish of perhaps a more experienced author. Though the book was formulaic, and it should have been an easy follow-through of events, I did feel as if it were a bit rushed. There were a lot of conflicts presented in this story between St John and Marcus, and, of course, Miranda was thrown in the middle -- but I almost feel as if the tension and conflict were glossed over. Any arguments between Miranda, St John, Marcus, or even the staff of the household, were very quickly handled. No one was left to stew for more than a page, so while the points of tension were there, I don't feel like they were given enough of an impact.

I would have loved to see more time spent on the detail and the tension in this story. Even a little more intrigue would have been welcome. I guess, in the end, it felt as if maybe the story was wrapped up in a little too neat of a bow. On the whole, I liked the book. It took maybe two hours for me to read through the whole thing, and it was a fun little romp into the regency-era for the day, but I think it could have been handled a little better had a little more patience been used.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick historical romance to wade through on the bus or in a doctor's office. It was a quick, enjoyable read, and while a bit predictable, that didn't diminish its entertainment value.

Title: Legally Addicted

Author: Lena Dowling

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: 4 Stars (I rounded up from 3.5)

Description/Synopsis: A fast-moving, high stakes battle-of-the-sexes story with a Hepburn/Tracey flavor (and a hot one-night stand!).

Georgia Murray’s one-night-stand with fellow Sydney lawyer and billionaire property magnate Brad Spencer was supposed to be just that – one-off, fun. Case closed.

But Brad knows something Georgia doesn’t: their lives are about to become entwined in an unavoidable way. The tension smoulders towards ignition point, and Georgia is terrified to find herself contemplating more from Brad, even the possibility of love – a concept with the power to frighten her more than anything else in this world.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I went into this book expecting to love it having read another of Ms. Dowling's books previously. In some respects, I was right on par, and in others, I feel a little letdown. I came away from this book feeling like Ms. Dowling's writing strength may lie more towards the historical fiction than the contemporary but, on the other hand, this was still a good book. I'll explain why.

I found the writing in this novel quite a bit drier than the last, but I don't want anyone to think I'm saying that negatively. In the context of the story between these two lawyers, I found the rather formal writing to really fit the personalities of the main characters, and in that respect, I think the author has an extraordinary ability to get into her character's headspace and really write the story in their voice.

It wasn't easy to get into the writing like with her last book, but once I got used to it, it fit well. I noticed right away at the beginning of the story, that unlike her previous story where the romance of the language of that period really drove the narrative, in this story the narrative went from one chronological action to the next. The story was very methodical in the way it was written, and in a way it really captured the way the main characters, Brad, and Georgia, observed their world quietly rather than waste a lot of time talking. Because of this, like I said, the narrative was very dry and action-driven rather than dialogue-driven, and it was a bit harder to get into... but I found it appropriate to the characters.

Something I really did enjoy about this story was the humor. I wrote myself notes all throughout reading this story and there were more than a dozen times I literally laughed because of the character's internal thoughts. Likewise, there were many moments where I literally gasped aloud and covered my mouth, shocked by the character's actions. If there's one thing that can be said for the author's writing, it's that she's very good at eliciting a response towards her characters. Without even really realizing it, I began to root for the characters, who were unbelievably obtuse at times--but I'll get to that. Here are some of my favorite moments:

"There was no loving, and no leaving. Just dinner, okay?"

"I'll believe you, but thousands wouldn't," Miriam said in a singsong voice as she left the office to return to her own workstation.

(two paragraphs later...)

"Is he as good in bed as they say?"

Miriam's head had reappeared back around her office door.

Without thinking Georgia answered. "Yes. What? No. How would I know?"

"Ha! Gotcha. You said yes first."

Damn it.

aannnnddd....

"I owe you an apology Georgia."

"What?"

Georgia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked at the empty glass, disbelieving. How strong was this stuff? Had Brad's butler drugged her?

I did find the dialogue in this story a little unnatural at times - mostly concerning the butler, Jeffrey, who was often not as formal and concise in his speech as I was expecting. It was almost as if he was trying to be formal, but it just wasn't convincing. There were also a few times I cringed at Georgia's responses when I felt she wasn't being nearly as professional as I'd expect from a woman who'd just become a partner in a law firm, but these moments were relatively rare. For the most part, I was comfortable in the other character's dialog, and there were a few that I genuinely loved.

As for the characters, Jeffrey and Miriam had to be two of my favorites. There were moments when that sly dog of a butler made comments that had me sitting here tongue in cheek snickering:

"Oh dear, sir. Well, it comes to us all eventually. None of us is getting any younger. Perhaps you should think about settling down."

and Miriam had me wanting to high five her:

"Dayton Llewellyn Murray, Georgia Murray's office, how may I help you? Yes, Mr Spencer."

Georgia automatically looked over in the direction of Brad's office, but it was empty.

"Sure, I can check her diary for you."

Georgia mimed "give the phone to me" hand signals, but Miriam carried on talking.

"Yes, Georgia's weekend is free."

"Of course, Mr Spencer, I'll check."

Miriam pressed the mute button on the phone.

"He wants to know if you can go away with him for the weekend."

"I don't know, Miriam. Tell him I'll have to think about it."

Going away for the weekend was a significant step along the path of seriousness. She would have to chew it over before she could commit to something like that.

Miriam released the mute button and recommenced speaking, "Georgia says she would love to."

As supporting characters they really shone in the way they interacted with Brad and Georgia--Miriam especially. Miriam is my home girl as far as I'm concerned. *Thumps chest in solidarity.* The way the author painted the characters was amazing, and I'm not sure everyone would have picked up on it. There are so many moments throughout this story when I sat back in wonder at the tiny ways Ms. Dowling had used the narrative of the story to really paint a picture of who here characters were. I cannot get over how amazingly she portrayed her characters, as flawed as they were.

As for Brad and Georgia, most of the time I wanted to slap them upside the head. They both had so many inner issues and were so absorbed in themselves in a way, that it was no wonder when their relationship became super-complicated very quickly. This wasn't a hot-steamy romance in the way I expected, but a fumbling, awkward, but sweet romance between two characters that were still both children emotionally. They made bad decisions and said stupid things. A lot. They threw tantrums and acted unprofessionally. A lot. Still, at the end of the day, their romance was endearing, because despite their self-sabotage and doubt, it was easy to tell that they both really loved each other... they were just terrified to admit it.

Unfortunately, there were some definite downsides to this novel, and they are the reason I marked this down to 4 stars. First, the copy I got was from NetGalley, and probably a pre-edited version, so forgive me if this is inaccurate to the version sold on Amazon, but there were a lot of punctuation and general grammar mistakes. Those may be cleaned up in the for-sale version. I don't know.

That being said, another issue I constantly ran across was the seemingly random bits of narrative that just didn't fit into the story. At times the writing would become extremely informal and out-of-character. For instance, when Georgia, the lawyer, started talking about "bling" and someone getting "all up in her face". I'd expect that from a teenager, but from a lawyer? Not so much. Another time was when Brad referred to "she-balls" and then later in the story, Georgia used the same phrase. As a writer myself, it stuck out at me. It's not a common saying, and to see two characters use the same phrase stuck out as sloppy writing. It was an obvious author-preferred phrase rather than a character derived one.

Another problem for me was the constant use of slang. The author used phrases like "OMG" and "perving" (which I don't consider a valid verb), and in one instance substituted "uni" for university. Now, I realize the author is from a different part of the world where "uni" may be a common slang term, but here in the USA where "college" is more common a phrase than "university", using the slang "uni" stuck out like a sore thumb. I would have preferred to see the longer "university" which I could at least understand without much thought. I'm willing to let it slide because the book was written as being in Australia, so the slang was probably appropriate for the characters, but as someone from another country, I found the various slang terms very confusing at times. I didn't know what half of them meant. (For instance: What on Earth does "paps" mean? or "coalface" ?) There were also a lot of word spellings I wasn't familiar with (such as "kerb" instead of "curb") but I can only assume those are the Australian-English spellings, and are therefore appropriate.

All of those negatives aside though, I really liked the story. The writing was superb as far as inflections go. Not once did the author have to say "he was angry" or "she was nervous", the way the characters responded to each other inferred everything I needed to know about how they were feeling without it ever having to be said, and that is a sure sign of amazing writing. I feel as if there are going to be a lot of readers who go into this book, skim, and say "eh.. it's a dry romance" and are going to completely miss the subtleties of the writing that really make this story amazing. Maybe it's just easier for me to see as a writer because these are the things I look to do in my own work. Ms. Dowling may not have many books under her belt, but from what I've seen, give her a few years and she's going to be amazing.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a less-standard romance. There are some steamy bits, but that isn't really what this book is about. It's a very real take on two people just trying to figure out a complicated relationship, and all the mistakes they make along the way.  It's a quick read, and very funny - I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

By the way, isn't that cover gorgeous?!

Title: The Testing [The Testing 1]

Author: Joelle Charbonneau

Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I absolutely loved this book. I only got the book earlier today, and having nothing better to do, gave the prequel a read. Well, the prequel was enough to perk up my interests, and so without further ado, I picked up The Testing. Several hours later I emerged. Somehow I managed to ignore my entire family during my reading and turned down going to a movie. Do I remember this? No, but I've been told it happened. I was so completely absorbed in the story that I haven't moved in hours.

I could not put this book down! The characters were all wonderfully interesting (and some of them devious and mean D:), the writing was clear - I was hooked from the start. I think my favorite part about this book though, was the mystery it presented. There was a definite and unique world-building and history to this story. It was dystopian, and yes, like all dystopians, mankind had screwed over the world, and now we were paying the consequences.

Unlike most dystopians though, humanity had put into use some very practical views of the world and about community and the greater good. Given a choice, this is probably the dystopian I'd be okay living in. Even with the mutated humans and poisoned rivers. Yes, there was a sense of foulness attached to the government and how it worked with the people - just like you'd expect, but I never felt that the system was wholly evil like I'd expected.

Sure, things were done in the testing that were obviously morally questionable or just plain wrong - but I could see the point of view of the people involved. Even though their actions seemed evil, it wasn't hard to stretch my imagination around the fact that they were just doing what they could to ensure their future. It was nice to find such a solid platform for the fictional workings of this world.

I have to say Cia was definitely one of my favorite characters. It was easy to see that the author had spent a good amount of time fleshing out the characters - they were all unique in their interactions within the story, but Cia was something special. All the time in books we are told that a character is "clever" or "really smart" but that doesn't always translate in their actions. In this case, I believed them. Cia WAS clever. She always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone else - and not in a formulated scripted way. Her brain just worked a little faster than most, and she stopped to consider things before she rushed headlong into situations. She also came with an innate humility that made it hard to feel threatened by her obvious intelligence. Her interactions with the other characters in the story and the situations she was forced into really made me appreciate her as a character. If I had to pick a leader for my dystopian world, it'd definitely be her.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was engaging, well-written, the characters were interesting and unique. The plot was intriguing, thought provoking, and kept my attention from the very beginning. From here on out I'll definitely be stalking the series and following up on the author in the future.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA fiction and dystopian post-apocalyptic stories. This was full of adventure, mystery, romance, and true shining moments of humanity. You will regret it if you pass up this book. Book is safe for younger teens (12+), but still really enjoyable for adult readers as well.

Title: Ghost Planet

Author: Sharon Lynn Fisher

Genre: Science Fiction, Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world—a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she'd struggle with the requirement to shun these "ghosts." She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet.

As a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy—creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone—oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love—Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence.

But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man that she loves.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

This book was FANTASTIC. Right away, the rich world-building pulled me into the story. The concept of a planet that spawned ghosts of loved ones as a mechanism of survival was such a fresh idea, and it hooked me from the start. Then, the author threw me a loop, and I discovered the main character was actually one of the ghosts - only she didn't know she was dead.... it was absolutely fascinating and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

The characters in this book were well-defined and full of depth. For once I didn't have a problem keeping track of the myriad of characters and their names. Their personalities and actions were so distinct. The dialog was invisible - just as any well-written dialogue should be. I didn't feel as if I were reading something someone had constructed--but was simply watching people have a conversation. The narrative too was well written and faded into my subconscious. I was completely absorbed in the story. In fact, it was only after I found myself missing dinner by about 2 1/2 hours that I realized I'd gotten so absorbed into the story that I'd forgotten everything else. I could not put this down!

I will say that I'd pretty much figured out the ghosts' connection to the planet and the colonists from the very get-go. In fact, I found it somewhat frustrating that it took so long for the characters to clue into the situation - they'd previously seemed so bright and clever, yet somehow missed the obvious. Still, there were lots of surprises left in store.

The plot of this story was so incredibly clever and interesting - I really have to hand it to the author. This was an entirely new concept than anything I've read before, and it was done amazingly well. I was astounded to find that this was a first novel. I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for any further works from this author.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys light sci-fi, romance, and adventure. There were a lot of fast-paced action/adventure scenes in this story, a lot of romance (though I don't feel it was the strongest aspect of this particular book), and superb writing as far as science fiction goes. It's definitely going on my keeper shelf.

Title: Trail of Bones

Author: Chris Salisbury

Genre: Middle-Grade, YA, Fantasy

Rating: 2 Stars (Adult), 4 Stars (MG / YA)

Description/Synopsis: Magnus, the runt of a litter of Shade Wolves, wants nothing more than to be a loyal, strong member of the pack. But when an ancient enemy threatens his friends and family, he faces a choice that could tear him from all he's known and loved.

Born in captivity, the giant panther Kelor knows nothing but suffering and loss. He struggles to find his place in this world of terror, and he battles to protect his family without succumbing to the darkness lurking inside him.

Falling captive to the evil Warden, the two are forced to fight in the battle of the beasts known as 'The Trail of Bones'. How will Kelor and Magnus learn to work together? How will they escape a fate of despair and death? How will their choices affect their comrades? Their enemies? And the forgotten magic that could doom all life of their world?

Let the adventures begin!

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I think from a child's point of view, this is a really great book. It's full of conflict, magic, great beasts, and interesting characters. The narrative is full of colorful description, and the dialogue is dramatic and funny.

From an adult's point of view, not so much. As an avid reader of YA fiction, I'd probably place this book in the middle-grade genre. It's really intended for a younger audience. I think most teens could probably get through it without too much hassle, but as the audience's age get's older, it's a little harder to get through. As an adult, I found the narrative poorly written. From a technical standpoint, there was a lot of passive sentences, needless piles of description that really didn't add to the scene (every single page had a moment where the narrative stopped, dumped a bunch of description, and then continued on with the story) and a whole lot of telling vs showing.

The dialogue was awkward, unrealistic at best, and fraught with drama. For a younger audience, that's great. They expect the dramatic speeches, but as an adult, I found it almost comical and started to shake my head every time a character spoke. Not only that, but the thoughts that swam through character's heads sometimes made me sit back and stare at the page in awkward confusion. They were monologue's of ideas that should have been written into the narrative, but instead, were put into a character's voice.

Also, the point of view seemed to jump around quite a bit. It was written in 3rd person, but there didn't seem to be any breaks between where the narrative jumped from one character to another - and no indication that it was going to happen until suddenly you were reading about a different character. At other points, the narrator became omniscient and began to meta-narrate, or tell the audience things that the characters wouldn't know at that point in the story, before jumping back into a character's POV. It was jarring and made it very difficult to follow along.

There were so many instances were it seemed dramatic narration and dialogue were forced into the story, and then on the other side of the coin, places where tension and drama should have been cultivated were completely left by the wayside. The unfortunate side effect, was that the writing came across as juvenile.  As an adult, in the end I couldn't like the book. As a parent though, I would have gladly given the story to the children in my family. I honestly think they would have greatly enjoyed it.

I would recommend this book for younger audiences with a warning that there is cruelty, battles, and blood involved. YA and adult readers may like it if they enjoy fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously, but for those serious literary readers who tend to prefer the epic fantasy genre and gravitate more towards writers like J. R. R. Tolkien or George R.R. Martin, this probably isn't for you.

Title: Dark Wolf [Spirit Wild 1]

Author: Kate Douglas

Genre: Paranormal, Erotica, Romance, Shape-Shifters, Fantasy

Rating: 3 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Sebastian Xenakis is still coming into his power as a wizard. He can shapeshift by magical means and runs as a wolf using the power he draws from the elements. But young women are dying—raped by a human and then slaughtered by a wolf. Suspicion falls on the shapeshifting Chanku, but Sebastian wonders if he might somehow be guilty of the crimes.

Then he meets Lily Cheval, the uncrowned princess of the powerful Chanku, and realizes he will do whatever it takes to clear his name and win her love. But evil walks where Sebastian goes, and there are mysteries neither Lily nor her father, the powerful wizard, Anton Cheval, cannot unravel. Is Sebastian the perfect mate for Lily, or is he instead, one she should fear?

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

First off, I need a disclaimer. I don't read a lot of erotica. I don't particularly care for it because usually what I'm looking for in a romance, is the actual romance - not necessarily the sex. unfortunately, I didn't realize this was an Erotica when I picked it up, so I was a bit thrown at first when I discovered it was.

Overall, this was a good book. There was intrigue, obviously bad guys, and some wonderful world building that I enjoyed. I did find the sex scenes a bit blunt for my liking, but again, I'm not a huge fan of erotica. I got used to it after awhile, and it didn't really detract from the story for me - but usually I do prefer my sex-scenes to be integrated a little more smoothly into the story. With this book, it seemed there was a sex-scene just about anywhere one could reasonably be thrown in.

Now I have to take a moment to talk about the erotic side of this novel. There were quite a few sex-scenes, and that's wonderful, this is an erotica after all. Yes, they were a little blunt for my tastes, but again, not a huge fan of erotica. I don't think it would have bothered most readers. I do have to applaud the author for making it clear that in the Chanku society there really aren't any reservations when it comes to gender. I sort of wish I'd been warned about the gay/lesbian/orgy scenes beforehand. I don't have a problem with it, but it doesn't interest me to read about it, and, unfortunately, the cues about this being normal in Chanku society didn't appear until AFTER it had already happened. By then, it was a little too late.

The whole scenario was really written to sound blase, which I found helpful - but later when the main male character kept thinking about his first male/male encounter, I couldn't help but feel that maybe too much of an issue was being made over the encounter. It's hard to say "it's not a big deal" and then turn around and make it a big deal... and then expect your readers to keep agreeing with your first message.

I also found it somewhat strange that the Chanku seemed to put importance on having "one true mate" that they were wholly devoted to, but on the other side of the coin, didn't seem to have a problem sharing their mates (or themselves) with any person who possessed genitalia. I found it to be contradicting and I almost wish the author had just stuck with one side of the argument. Either have them sexually open or have them devoted to one person. I'm not sure you can pull off having both at the same time. It made the whole situation very confusing.

Another point I'd like to take the time to mention is the wolf sex. I don't know if it's just a me-thing or a human-thing, but reading through animal sex is not enticing, it's gross. I could have done without hearing the intimate details of several wolf-couples mating. I really wish it had been glossed over, rather than reading through all the detailed narrative of what it'd be like to have sex as a wolf. It was a neat idea - I'm glad the author had the tenacity to write sex from an animal's point of view - but it certainly wasn't high on my list of things I wanted to read about.

I'll also admit that I was somewhat thrown when I started reading a paranormal shape-shifter book only to discover part way in, that I was actually reading an alien shape-shifter book. It was only mentioned in passing that the Chanku were actually descendants of extraterrestrials from another world, but perhaps the reason I found it so jarring, was because it was only mentioned in passing. It almost seemed as if the author wasn't quite ready to commit to the story line, so instead lots of different elements were thrown together. (Kind of like how the wolves had one-true-mate but also participated in mass orgies) In this case, it seemed it wasn't enough that there were necromancers, mages, and shapeshifters, there had to be aliens too.    I think the fact that there were so many different elements to the story took some of the credibility of the story away. It didn't feel as real and solid to me because I wasn't sure what was going to pop up next. I didn't get the sense that I could trust the author to stick to the world-building. Maybe that's just because of the way it was executed, or maybe it was the number of unbelievable elements. I don't know - but it left me with the feeling that things weren't as cohesive as they should be.

All negative aspects aside, I did really like the characters - particularly Lily, Alex, and Annie. I wanted to like Sebastian, but he just seemed so lost most of the time that I found it hard to appreciate him as a male lead. He sort of radiated a certain weakness to his personality that didn't convince me of his very masculine role. I certainly don't feel he came away from the story looking anything like the guy on the cover.

Lily, however, was a very strong, independent female character - and I thoroughly enjoyed her personality. Annie was adorable in a soft girl-next-door sort of way, and Alex I think fit into the male lead role very well. It's actually a shame that he and Lily weren't destined to be together - but on the other side of things, I really enjoyed their deep relationship. They were what friends should be. They loved each other greatly and were comfortable enough  in their relationship to have sex, and talk about intimacies with other characters without feeling insecure or jealous. It was a beautiful relationship - and I found it endearing that Alex tried so hard to make Sebastian feel at home with their group.

I do really wish there had been more of a plot twist to the story. It wasn't a surprise to find that the main evil guy of the story was ... well... doing evil things (not to reveal too much!) It also wasn't a surprise that rogue Chanku were helping him. The author took every opportunity to hint or explain things in a way that really didn't leave much to the imagination as far as plot went. So when we got to the big end-all scene where the good guys fight the bad guys, it lacked a sense of satisfaction. Instead of going "omgosh I can't believe that's what was going on!", it was more like "Yah yah, get the battle over so we can see the squishy romance bit at the end."

For the most part, I enjoyed the book - mostly the character relationships and the detailed narrative that really gave me a sense that I was there. From a technical standpoint, the story was well written. On the other side of the coin though, I think a lot of things could have been written better - or at least cleaner. I'm leaving this review with a solid 3 stars. This one was a mixed bag. I'd still recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal fantasy stories full of magic and shape-shifting, or anyone who enjoys erotica. Just be forewarned about he gay/lesbian orgies and the animal-sex, and I think you'll be prepared. It was a fun afternoon read, but not what I'd consider a serious fantasy novel.

Title: The Baron

Author: Juliana Garnett

Genre: Historical Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: In Juliana Garnett’s enchanting romance of medieval England, a dashing nobleman and a seductive aristocrat on opposite sides of the law discover that the heart knows no boundaries.

Tré Devaux, Third Baron of Brayeton, has just been appointed Sheriff of Nottingham. His first task: to rid the land of the Saxon outlaws who undermine the Norman rule . . . or face the wrath of his vengeful king. Tré is determined to let no one stand in his way, not even the captivating Lady Jane Neville, a known sympathizer to the Saxon cause whose unbridled spirit evokes feelings in Tré he thought were long buried.

Although she seems to be the very definition of the perfect English lady, Jane Neville is much more than an elegant noblewoman. She is the niece of the infamous outlaw Robin Hood, and has inherited her uncle’s fierce courage. But even with her warrior’s blood, Jane cannot resist the broad-shouldered, strong-willed Tré, a man whose love comes with harsh consequences. By surrendering to passion, Jane and Tré put themselves in the middle of a civil war that may cost both their hearts—and their lives.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

It's exceedingly rare for me to find a book that's rife with political drama, language I don't altogether understand, and takes upwards of a week for me to read that I enjoy - but lo and behold, it has happened.

The Baron is a historical romance set in a time shortly after the exploits of Robin Hood and his band of merry men. Some years have passed, the old gang has grown up and moved on, and that is where this story begins - with Robin Hood's niece, Jane. I am hesitant to call this novel a bodice ripper (though at least one bodice was ripped!) because the writing of this novel was so supremely elegant and rich. This isn't a quick read you pick up on a Walmart shelf.

The Baron was full of romance, passion, loyalty, political miss-conduct, brazen outlaws, and thrilling plots against the crown. Though admittedly the language wasn't wholly accurate for the purpose of keeping it easy to read, I still found it accurate in an edited fantasy sort of way. It seemed every few pages I was checking my Kindle dictionary for a word that had just popped up and then proceeded to wonder at the fact that the author had even found out it existed. Who knew there was a special title for a horse belonging to a jousting knight? I sure didn't! Little details like this where the language of the age was seamlessly knitted into the fabric of this story made this a delight to read and really served to pull me into the story.

I also found the characters and locations full of depth and believable as real people and places. There wasn't a single scene where I didn't feel like I was right there on the jousting field or in a dim torch-lit assembly hall right alongside the characters. The descriptions were detailed but faded into the narrative with so little effort that I never felt like they were just being thrown at me (as they are in some books).

It really struck me that the author put so much time and effort into making this story feel real and believable. Her writing was clear and wonderfully well-written, and it's clear she really did her research into the history and facts of this story. This was an excellent read. I'd recommend this story to anyone who enjoys historical romance, robin hood, or is maybe looking for a bodice ripper that goes above and beyond. This book shames "bodice rippers" as a genre and sets a whole new level for them to strive towards. I almost want to hold it up and say "behold!" and stare pointedly at the historical romance section of the bookstore. "This is what you should be doing. Aim higher."

Title: The Eternity Cure [Blood of Eden 2]

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Dystopian, Vampires, Post-Apocalyptic

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I didn't think it was possible to top The Immortal Rules, the first book in the Blood of Eden series by Julie Kagawa. I was wrong. I absolutely loved the second book. Despite the fact that I had a ton of work to do over the past two days, I hunkered down and read through this book - forsaking work - because I simply couldn't put it down.

I was so glad to see the return of Zeke, Allie, Kanin, and even Jackal. I hated the bad guys (just as I should) and loved the good guys. I applauded their attempts (although sometimes foolish) to do the right thing and was glad to see that time apart hadn't changed Zeke and Allie. I have to admit a certain fan crush on Jackal at this point. He's so evilly charming and entertaining - I hope he stays in the series until the end.

The end had me absolutely screaming out in rage. Was I mad at the author? Not in the slightest. I loved the ending! I was so angry at Sarren by the end of the last page that had I been a character in the book, I would have grabbed up a weapon and gone charging after him alongside Allie. I hope that guy gets what's coming to him.

As with the first book, this story was fast-paced, deeply engaging, and full of captivating characters. The worst thing I can say about this book is that the next book in the series won't come out for a long time. Waiting is going to be akin to being strung up in Sarren's torture cells.

Write faster Julie Kagawa. Write faster.

Title: Impersonation

Author: Tamsin Kate Walker

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 2 Stars

Description/Synopsis: “I caught a glimpse of myself today...I saw my description in the pages of a book, in the words of a man I have never met.”

When Ruth receives a new novel from her book club, she is immediately intrigued. ‘The Ruthlessness of One Man’ claims to be about a real-life London commuter and, as Ruth delves further into the dark tale, she makes a sinister discovery.

She is that commuter.

As Ruth reads on and becomes convinced that the author, Mr Walden, intends her to be more than just his muse, she must unravel the story to uncover just what he has in store for her, both on paper and in reality. Ultimately, she only has the book itself to piece together Mr Walden's identity and motive. But can she do it in time to stop herself from becoming the victim of a twisted literary plot?

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I had a very difficult time getting through this book - but perhaps I should explain first. Impersonation is a story about a woman, Ruth Morton (who oddly enough shares my last name!), who one day receives a copy of a book in her mail from a book club and upon reading it, discovers that she is the protagonist. Somewhere in the world a man she doesn't know saw her on a London commuter train and decided to write a book based on her appearance. The problem is, the image he paints of Ruth isn't flattering, and worse still, as she continues to read the story, it starts to take a dark turn. Through the course of the book, we learn that Ruth is being stalked by parties unknown, and this stalker is hell-bent on inserting himself into her life.

Now, understand that I am not a great lover of first-person present tense, so getting into this book was already quite difficult for me. I'm a strong advocate for 1st or 3rd person past tense and felt it difficult to connect to the characters through the impersonality of the format. That being said, as I read on, I found it nearly impossible to like or even feel particular sympathy for any of the characters. Their personalities were flat, their actions wholly unbelievable, and there was an almost overwhelming and tragic sense of desperation for each of the characters portrayed.

There were a few instances in this book where I literally paused and wrote myself a note about the ridiculousness of the character's actions. For example, at one point Ruth meets a man by the name of James. The portrait we're painted of this man is that he's an older, divorced man working in a dilapidated building that smells of urine. At the time of their meeting, Ruth believes he may actually be her stalker, and even runs away from him. Despite this, by the end of the day she's willing to sleep with him, and ends up pining for him for the rest of the book (despite the fact that he showed little more than superficial interest in her). I couldn't find the appeal or even the attraction in their relationship, and it seemed absurd at the time that she would throw herself into a relationship with this stranger (when she already had a boyfriend at home I might add) amidst her obvious paranoia.

At another point, her mother hires a private investigator to follow her own daughter around. Why? Because she doesn't speak to her often enough for her own liking and wants to contrive a way to insert herself into her daughter's life (A theme that continues until the very end of the book). Quite frankly, her mother came off nearly as creepy and disturbing as the stalker. By the end of the story, I was utterly disgusted at this woman's meddling.

Another part of this book I had trouble with was the random dropping of crossword puzzle questions all throughout the narrative. The first time I came across it I had no idea what it meant - it was a jumble of words that didn't seem to make any good English sense, followed by a series of numbers. It was not explained and was simply dropped into bits and pieces of the narrative. I was so put off by these odd little additions that I actually deleted and re-downloaded my copy of the book to make sure it wasn't some sort of strange publishing error. Upon finding that it was indeed, intended to be in the book (and it was later hinted that these were crossword references) I simply chose to ignore every instance of italicized text after that point to avoid confusion. Though the back of the book had the answers to the crossword questions and it became obvious (after I'd read the book) that the answers pertained to the story itself, I found their use distracting and needless. The story read fine without the insertions, and there didn't seem to be any clear reason why they were added in the first place. Crosswords were only mentioned twice in the entire book, and only in fleeting mention.

All of that aside, the story was interesting, and after attempting to ignore the actions of the main characters and the crossword bits, I was able to appreciate the mystery of the storyline. Watching Ruth being stalked by the mysterious book writer was very much like watching a train wreck in that it held a macabre interest. I wanted to see how the story played out, and quite frankly, I was hoping to see the main character get killed. Not only that, but the characters themselves were so... at odds with the world around them - so muddled in their thoughts and actions that I could only sit back and watch them fall apart from the sidelines.

I don't know that I would recommend this book to anyone but the very clever, and the very disturbed (which I'll admit I am) who think it fascinating to watch a series of characters fall apart. I didn't walk away from this book with a positive feeling of where the plot ended, nor towards any of the characters themselves. It's like driving by a car crash.. you just want to peek at the misery and drive away with as little guilt as possible. I left this book with an impression of uneasiness that was not easily shook at the time of this review, nearly 2 hours later.

Title: After The Ending

Author: Lindsey Fairleigh, Lindsey Pogue

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Paranormal

Rating: 4 Stars (4.5)

Description/Synopsis: When people started getting sick, “they” thought it was just the flu. My roommate, my boyfriend, my family…they’re all gone now. I got sick too. I should have died with them—with the rest of the world—but I didn’t. I thought witnessing the human population almost disappear off the face of the earth was the craziest thing I’d ever experience. I was so wrong. My name is Dani O’Connor, I’m twenty-six-years-old, and I survived The Ending.

The Virus changed everything. The world I knew is gone, and life is backwards. We’ve all had to start over. I’ve been stripped of my home, my dreams…all that is me. I’m someone else now—broken and changed. Other survivors’ memories and emotions haunt me. They invade my mind until I can no longer separate them from my own. I won’t let them consume me. I can’t. My name is Zoe Cartwright, I’m twenty-six-years-old, and I survived The Ending.

We’ve been inseparable for most of our lives, and now our friendship is all we have left. The aftermath of the Virus has stranded us on opposite sides of the United States. Trusting strangers, making sacrifices, killing—we’ll do anything to reach one another. Fear and pain may be unavoidable, but we’re strong…we’re survivors. But to continue surviving in this unfamiliar world plagued by Crazies and strange new abilities, we have to adapt. We have to evolve.

And more than anything, we have to find each other.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

This book came very close to a five-star rating from me. Very close. I found it very engaging, I loved the variety of characters and locations, and before I knew it, I was sucked into the book. Unfortunately, there were just a handful of things that had me making this a four-star rating rather than a five.

This story at it's heart, is about two girls - best friends - separated from each other and learning to deal with the aftermath of a devastating plague that kills off 90% of the Earth's population. Each chapter switches back and forth between the two friends as we follow along their journey through illness, recovery, death, looting, and just plain surviving. As the girls desperately try to meet up, they exchange e-mails back and forth, and each tries to deal with their own obstacles in surviving.

Although it was a little hard to get used to in the beginning, I found the e-mail writing between Dani and Zoe to be clever, and interesting. The story would have been fine without the recounting of the scenes we'd already seen, but I think it helped to engross me as a reader to see these two girls communicate with each other through this difficult time. It really gave me a sense of their strong bond as friends and their concern for one another.

For the most part, I loved almost everything about this story to be honest. It was a very different take on a post-apocalyptic novel than what I'm used to. I've read a lot of these types of books, but usually we follow one character or one group in their journey to survive. In this case, we got two complete groups with different personalities and struggles.

It was fascinating. I also really enjoyed the paranormal aspect of this book and how the survivors of the plague started mutating to gain super-human abilities. It was fun trying to guess what type of ability would pop up next and how they'd handle it - and even learn to use these abilities to their advantage. It also helped to create some truly evil villain characters that had me cheering on the two friends as they struggled against them.

Now, there were a few things that bothered me about this book that I feel I need to point out. The first being that the girls' "voices" were very similar if not identical. Without the labels at the beginning of the chapters I wouldn't have been able to tell the two apart even though the authors kept reminding me how different they were in personality. I didn't see that big of a difference to be frank.

Second, there were some unfortunate corollaries between the villains and struggles between the two groups that I think could have been written better. One group would deal with crazies, then the other group would deal with crazies. One group would meet an enslaving-evil-female... the second group would meet an enslaving-evil-female. It was predictable and I would have liked to have seen a little more differences in the obstacles the girls faced.

And last: I really hated the ending.

It wasn't a satisfying ending to me.

Still, overall, I really enjoyed the book, and the few things that bothered me about it weren't enough to diminish the entertainment value. I'm certainly interested to see how the next book in the series will turn out. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic settings in novels, or enjoys paranormal stories, romance, and endearing events. There were a lot of really good moments in this book between friends and couples, and the authors did a fantastic job of making me indecisively jump back and forth between the many love interests in the book. They were all so interesting and adorable in their own way!  I certainly enjoyed reading this amazingly entertaining journey with Zoe and Dani.

Title: Rogue Alliance

Author: Michelle Bellon

Genre: Thriller, Science-based Paranormal

Rating: 5 stars

Description/Synopsis: Trying to escape a horrific past, Shyla has immersed herself in life as a tough, sassy cop in the bustle of LA. When the case of a lifetime takes her back to her hometown of Redding, she is thrown into a world of organised crime, deceit, and bitter reminders of her childhood.

As Shyla’s path crosses that of Brennan, an unwitting and troubled sidekick to the ringleader she’s intent on taking down, she is forced to re-evaluate everything she believes about herself, her job, and what she knows about right and wrong.

Can she face the demons of her upbringing and learn to trust again? Her life will depend on it.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

This book was FANTASTIC. Thrillers and crime dramas are always 50/50 with me usually. Sometimes they're great, other times they're boring as heck. Luckily, this one is one of the great ones. I honestly don't know if there's anything negative I can say about this book.

The writing was clear, well-paced, and descriptive. The characters were unique, memorable and had depth. The voices were all unique, and really, the whole story was just fascinating. I am actually baffled by how amazing the writing was.

Michelle Bellon was able to do something for me that most authors can't; She took a seriously flawed main character with an addiction, and made me not sneer in disgust. I don't usually enjoy characters with drug or alcohol addictions - I find it unappealing to read about, and certainly don't usually find myself on  a level  with the character where I can even like them. In this book not only did I like the main character, I was cheering her on whole-heartedly. Bravo Ms. Bellon. Bravo.

This story is definitely a solid crime-drama / thriller type of book but also has a unique element: One of the characters is a science-driven paranormal creature. In fact, he's a man-made vampire, or at least as close to a vampire as he can get with genetic engineering and microchips. What's absolutely wonderful about this book though, is that it took a supernatural monster that we're all familiar with (and now sneer at due to all the media over vampires lately) and created something new. He's a vampire in the sense that's important: he does drink blood and actively feed on people, but, he's also very human and dare I say: endearing. I was rooting for Brennan from the first moment he made an appearance in the book. He was the perfect mix between hard-headed male ego and a lost child that wasn't sure where he fit in world, or who he could trust. I just wanted to give the man a hug.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller or crime-drama, but I'd also recommend it to anyone who's just looking for an engaging, endearing love story. You will not regret this buy. I know I'll be looking for more of Ms. Bellon's books in the future.

Title: Secrets [Guardian Trilogy 1]

Author: Liz Schulte

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Rating: 4 Stars

Description/Synopsis: While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the Abyss gazed back at her. Mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

This is one of those books where I really wish I hadn't read any reviews before I read the book. I -rarely- listen to other reviews, but when I do I have this tendency to focus on the negative ones. Why? Because usually I find they're the most honest (though not always). In this case, I couldn't disagree more with the negative reviews, but I realize that not everyone will share my opinion.

I think in a lot of ways Secrets is a really good paranormal romance. It manages to do something that not a lot of books in its genre do: it keeps the paranormal part of the book secret until really far into the story. I really appreciated the fact that as I was reading, I knew there was something paranormal going on, but it wasn't until more than 2/3 in that I realized what kind of paranormal it was. Was the book epic and mind-blowing? No. Not really, and there were a few editing mistakes that should have been cleaned up in the first draft... but it was a very good book, and it managed to do a couple of things that I almost always base my good ratings on.

First, the characters were full of depth. Yes, I wish I had gotten to learn more about the histories of the characters, especially Holden, but despite the lack of explanation of his background, I found all of the characters had unique personalities, and they portrayed a lot of emotions without being horribly angsty. I can appreciate that. On the flipside, however, I do think the author had a bit of trouble differentiating the gender of the different voices in this novel. Maybe it's because the story was written in first person, and maybe it's just because the author isn't great at creating unique voices, but I'll admit that sometimes Holden narrated like a girl. I can't really explain the difference between how a male and a female character sound different when narrating, but you can almost always tell the difference when you read them. In this case, it was hard to figure out who was speaking until you ran across a name or the actions betrayed who they were.

Second, I think the author did a spectacular job of portraying the romance and attraction between Holden and Olivia. It was clear they loved each other, and it was clear that there were a lot of obstacles in their way. The two characters fought with themselves as well with each other, but their attraction always won out in the end and thank goodness, they were both willing to sacrifice for the sake of each other. I have to tell you, I was really surprised by the ending. I didn't think Holden had it in him to shoot Olivia - and was quite startled when he did even though clearly it had been an option for a long time. On the one hand, I was really upset with him for shooting her but, on the other hand, I think it was a perfect tragic end. He needed to shoot her in order to show just how much he really did love her; it really locked in their relationship for me.

I also really liked the twist of the mythos in this book. There are a lot of demon and angel stories, but rarely are they pulled off in such a unique way, and so convincingly. It didn't feel like this was another angsty-demon superior-goody-two-shoes-angel story.Whatever their labels, it was very clear that they were solid people to me. Whether they were good or evil was a side note, and very much a Whatever their labels, it was very clear that they were solid people to me. Whether they were good or evil was a side note, and very much a grey area between them. That balance in character where an evil character can do good things and a good character can do bad things is something a lot of authors skim over, and I thought the author did a wonderful job of balancing their personalities and actions.

I do have to say that one thing I didn't absolutely love was the way the chapters were set up. There'd be one chapter from Olivia, and then the same chapter from Holden's point of view. While it was interesting to see how the scenes played out from both character's side of the story, in Holden's case, because his chapter always followed Olivia, a lot of the time we were re-hashing the same scene and skimming over the same conversations got rather repetitive. Did that stop me from reading the book? No, but it did bother me at times.

Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed the book. There were some things that maybe weren't handled the best way, but in the grand scheme of things, that didn't keep me from enjoying the book. I was engaged, and I read through it without feeling the need to put the book down and do something else. If an author keeps my interest, then they've won me over. Despite the fact I gave this book 4 stars, I have already added the second and third book to my wishlist, and fully intend to read them both. I'm hooked.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal romance or fantasy with a little bit of mystery thrown in. Right now it's FREE on Amazon, so grab it while you can. You have nothing to lose.

Title: Love at First Sight [A Cupid, Texas Novel]

Author: Lori Wilde

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: From the author of the Twilight, Texas books comes the first in a dazzling new Cupid, Texas series. Lori Wilde welcomes us to Cupid, where every wish for love comes true...

Natalie McCleary couldn't believe her eyes-a lean-muscled, darkly tanned, nearly-naked man stood in her path…and then it hit her: love. Everyone always told her it'd hit like a thunderbolt, and she never believed them. But now she knew: practical, sensible Natalie was head over heels in love-with a stranger.

But ex-Navy SEAL Dade Vega wasn't about to be a stranger for long. He'd ridden into Cupid on his motorcycle, vowing to keep a promise he'd made to a military buddy. But a single glimpse at Natalie-soaking wet and unexpectedly tempting-changed his life forever.

But how can he offer her is love, when he can't even promise to stay in one place for longer than a week?

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I adore this book. I'll admit that I was thrilled to get this in the mail only to find it had a cowboy on the cover. I can't explain my obsession with cowboy-romances. Was this a cowboy romance? No - and I don't even care. Cover aside, this was a heart-warming story about who individuals, both scarred literally and figuratively by their pasts who find out that true-love at first sight really does exist. The main couple, Natalie and Dade, fall head over heals for one another despite all their protesting to the contrary, and a steamy, fast-paced relationship ensues.

This book had heart-warming moments, humorous antics, and dire mysteries to solve. I couldn't put it down! So who cares if the cover has a cowboy on it and there are no cowboys in the story. I could care less. This was awesome, and if you love true romance stories that aren't all about the sexy-times, but more about the emotional attachment, you'll love this story. (Not that it didn't have some steamy moments too!)

The writing was extremely well done: clear and easy to follow, the characters unique and memorable, and the pace was just right. If you're a big fan of sure-read romances and feel-good afternoon stories, be sure to pick this up in May. It's 369 pages of loveable goodness.

Title: Filling The Void (original title) / Accidental Love 

Author: Harmony Bryce

Genre: Romance, Short-Story, Contemporary

Rating: 2 3 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Adopted at an early age, Jin Anthony seems to have everything. His job in the medical profession affords him a lifestyle of luxury, he's well liked by everyone, and he always seems to be in control. To those on the outside, it looks as though Jin's living the American dream.

Hailing from a more humble background, Mei-Ling is a beautiful holistic healer who can't speak a word of English.

Jin and Mei-Ling's worlds, and cultures, collide when their paths cross at a medical convention. And while this chance encounter seems insignificant at first, it quickly blossoms into a once in a lifetime love.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

First of all, let me say that I got this book directly from the author, Harmony Bryce, who is quite a lovely lady and she offered to send me a free digital copy in exchange for a review. She was nothing but pleasant, and I get the impression that she's a very kind woman. I can appreciate good people when I see them.

That being said, I am not a great lover of novellas and short stories. I'm willing to give them a read when I get them, but in general I tend to find them too rushed and unbelievable. I don't know if it's the format that makes them this way, or if I simply haven't read any good ones.

Right off the bat, I had trouble getting into this story. I wasn't aware at first (until I looked it up on google) that the story was a short one, so my overall feeling the first page in was "wow... this is moving kind of fast." There wasn't a lot of description of the people or the places they were in. One minute we were in a living room, the next, we on a plane to China. Now, I realize that there's only so much you can do about this sort of location hopping when it comes to a short story, but I did find it jolting. When I read a story, I want to feel immersed in the world and the lives of the people in it. With this, as with so many other short stories I've read, I felt like I was flipping through a picture book instead. The images were there, but there wasn't a lot of supportive writing to add that depth that I so desperately needed.

My second issue with this story was the tense in which it was written. At certain points for no apparent reason, the writing switched from past tense, to present tense. It was extremely jarring and unfortunately, I don't think anyone else seems to have noticed this  - as every other review I've read on the book gave it 5 stars. Combined with the dialogue which was stiff, and awkward, it was clear to me right away that the author was new to writing - and I don't mean that in a derogatory way, but the mistakes I spotted in the writing from a technical standpoint, were mistakes that should have been caught in the first draft.

I felt absolutely no connection with any of the characters, and they all very much displayed the same "voice". If not for the constant name-tags within the dialog and narrative, I wouldn't have been able to tell who was speaking.

All that being said, the story itself was a sweet one. Jin, the main character (which wasn't entirely evident until the third chapter or so) grew up in a mixed-race adoptive family. His adopted mother, Mavis, loved all her sons, which is clearly evident, and raised them to be strong, independent, and well-adjusted men. At some point, (though for whatever reason, this is done off-stage) Jin meets the girl of his dreams and proposes. This causes a bit of an issue as he is introduced to her very strict family and all sorts of hijinks ensue while Jin tries to figure out his past, adjust to his birth culture, and win over the hearts of his fiance's family. It's a good story. It's endearing, and interesting, and full of conflict. Unfortunately, a good portion of that was lost in the way it was written.

I think the biggest punch to the face I got reading this story, however, was in Jin's own description of his fiance. Despite the fact he was raised in a multi-racial, multi-cultural family, he proceeds at one point to describe his fiance as having "chinky" eyes. I did a double take. For those of you who aren't aware, "chinky" is a derogatory slang word stemming from the racist "chink" descriptor of people of Chinese descent. It's akin to calling a black person "nigger" (please excuse me for printing both these words in my article). I could not believe that this word made it past the first-draft and into this story. It essentially threw out everything I knew of Jin's upbringing and rendered it false. Please read the second amendment statement at the bottom of this review relating to this paragraph and all gray text in this review.

In the end, I can't in all honesty recommend this book to anyone. I refuse to promote racism, and honestly, it just wasn't that well written. My props go to the author for trying to write an endearing story of acceptance and life-long-love, but I would suggest running any future stories through a more comprehensive editing phase before publishing. I think, given another run through a proof-reader, this could have been a really great, heart-warming short-story. Unfortunately, it just didn't make it there.

Without the racist bit, I probably would have given this 3 stars.

AMENDMENT:

Amazon.com wouldn't let me post this review. Why? Because it contained racist words. Apparently they don't approve either.

As a second amendment, the lovely Harmony Bryce e-mailed me again this morning to assure me that she wasn't aware of the word's negative association, and has assured me that the word has now been edited out of the book. The removal of this word has bumped my opinion of this book up to a 3 star rather than a 2.

Title: Katana

Author: Cole Gibsen

Genre: YA Fiction, Historical, Reincarnation

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Skater girl or supernatural samurai? Rileigh Martin wants to believe that adrenaline gave her the strength to fend off three muggers in the mall parking lot. But adrenaline doesn't explain the voice in her head giving her battle tips and warnings.

While worrying that she's going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she's harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.

Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana--a deadly Japanese sword that's also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she's always been and embracing the warrior inside her.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I very nearly gave this book a 4-star review. In fact, I pondered over it quite a while before I settled on 5 stars. Why? Because there is so much of this story that was screaming "mary sue" at me when the story started. Here's this blonde haired, blue eyed girl who suddenly finds out she has ninja (excuse me, samurai) super-skills even though she's never taken a fighting class in her life... it's a walking talking example of what happens when you take an anime fangirl and give them a pen.

That being said, I'm still giving it five stars. The author managed to take something that should have been horribly mary sue and made it into an action-packed, captivating story. By the end of the book I could have cared less what mary sue qualities the book came with, it was awesome-sauce on a stick.

Now, I will agree that the characters (read: Rileigh and her ridiculous name) were a bit juvenile - but I didn't find it as annoying as I'd expected. This is a YA fiction after all, and I think the author did a decent job of making her characters fit the genre. They sounded like teenagers - take that however you will. I probably wouldn't recommend this book for a serious adult reader... but if you enjoy youthful imaginative stories or you're a YA yourself, then you'll probably love this story.

I think my favorite part about this whole book was Kim and Rileigh's relationship. Don't worry, there were no inappropriate scenes for the younger audience, but I can definitely say that their relationship was bordering on steamy. I had no problem imagining the pull of attraction between these two. I also really appreciated the friendships throughout this book - they seemed genuine.

I even liked the bad-guy (I won't spoil who he is) despite his betrayal. In fact, the only character I didn't particularly care for was the doctor. What a pansy... and it's creepy that he was dating her mom. It gave me the heebie jeebies just like it gave Rileigh the heebie jeebies. I could write more, but I think you get the gist: I really liked the book. It was engaging, fast-paced, and well written. Plus, I don't want to have to spell Rileigh's name ever again. For the love of all that is good in the written-worlds... don't name your characters ridiculously-spelled alternatives. Riley would have been okay.

Title: The Immortal Rules [Blood of Eden 1]

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Dystopian, Vampires, Post-Apocalyptic

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what, and who, is worth dying for… again.

Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I ADORE this book. I know, I know, everyone wants to whine about how vampire books are overdone, but I really don't care. I love vampires - and this isn't a vampire tale like any other. The vampires in The Immortal Rules are ruthless, savage, sometimes even rabid, beasts. There's no seductive, sparkly vampires here. In fact, the closest we come to a "nice" vampire is the main character, and even she'll admit that you should never trust a vampire.

I really liked Allie ... and well... all the characters. They each had distinct personalities and depth to their characters. I even liked the villains.. and usually I don't. I think my favorite part of this book though, was Allie's struggle with humanity. She came from a background where even the humans were barely human and had to decide to become the one thing she hated more than anything - a vampire. Even up until the very end though, she struggled to maintain her humanity, not just in the "I'm going to show compassion" way we normally see... no, Allie took the more complicated route.. She still didn't trust people or vampires, but she did her best, struggling with her nature, and the nature of those around her in order to protect what little humanity she could still find in the world. I came away from this story with a great respect for this tragic individual who was willing to sacrifice everything in order to save just a handful of humans even though she knew in the end she'd have to leave them. Allie may be one of my favorite book heroine's. She was naive at times and often made bad decisions, but she wasn't a whiny, helpless heroine. She sucked it up when it mattered and did her best to atone for the mistakes she made. The girl had guts.

I also really appreciated Zeke. It would have been so easy for him to become a character much like Stick -  a helpless, naive human that depended on others. Instead, despite his horrific situation in the group (I hate you Jeb - in a loving way.), he tried his best to see the good in the world and help every person he could - even when it turned out the people he trusted betrayed him. Despite his deep-seated hatred of vampires, he struggled to hold on to that hope, and eventually was able to see Allie for what she was : Just a girl that made a hard choice and struggled to be what everyone said she couldn't be... a vampire that retained some semblance of humanity.

I thought the ending was perfect.

I feel incredibly blessed to have been given a chance to read the sequel on NetGalley directly after this one, and I can't wait to get started!