Author Unpublished

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, YA Fiction

Rating: 4 (almost a 5) Stars

Description/Synopsis: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

So, first thing's first, I'm going to put forward the negatives of this story, or rather, what made me give this a 4-star rating rather than a 5 star. First off, going into it I found the writing a bit flowery. You get used to it fairly quickly, but there does seem to be a bit of needless description all throughout the book that's there sole for the purpose of coloring the narrative. It's not horribly obtrusive, but it did catch my eye in the beginning.

Second, for me at least, the book did drag in the second half. There was a lot of backstory and flashbacks involved that I didn't find nearly as entertaining as the rest of the story. I believe that a good part of this may be attributed to the character we're following around: Madrigal, who is part beast. I don't know what it is about having a character that's not at least mostly human looking that bothers me. Watching her romance with Akiva set me on edge. I guess I can call it the "human-factor". I want my romance couples to at the very least, have a mostly human appearance.. when you start swaying into animal faces, I start to get a bit uncomfortable. (Shapeshifters are fine, people with one animal feature... like wings, or a tail, or cat ears, etc don't bother me..but leave the face alone.) It's like watching a handsome guy make out with a goat. Creepy.

That being said, I did actually really like the book as a whole. The lore in this book and world-building is absolutely fantastic. The plot is complicated and incredibly engaging. The characters, for the most part, were interesting, but I will admit some of them were a little 2-dimensional. Though I really like Karou for the most part, and I LOVED Brimstone, a lot of the other chimera characters, and all of the angels lacked any real substance. Many of them seemed to be present in the story only to make sure the plot was still moving and not to provide any real contribution. Even Akiva, the main male lead was rather single-minded throughout the story. There wasn't a whole lot of depth to his character as far as I could tell.

I think a lot of what I liked about this book was wrapped up in Karou and Brimstone's relationship. They have this sort of standoffish love/hate thing going on that is so deep and beautiful - you can't help but love these two tragic characters (even if that means I have to love Madrigal too). Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I'm looking forward to reading the others in the series. It WAS a really great read - but there were some parts that I found sub-par. I'd still recommend it to anyone who wants an intriguing fantasy read. Brimstone has become my favorite secondary character of all time now. If nothing else, read it for him.

Title: His Reluctant Rancher

Author: Roxanne Snopek

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: The last place city girl Desiree Burke expected to find herself was living at and working on a ranch, much less butting heads with the ranch’s sexy cowboy owner, Zach Gamble. But that’s exactly where she ends up after an incident at work leads her to her best friend Rory’s doorstep. Desiree is a gifted physical therapist, and Rory knows exactly where her brand of tough love is needed the most.

Zach’s been through hell and back. A devastating car crash left his brother gone, his father paralyzed, and him with mental scars a mile wide. His survivor guilt alone makes him sure he doesn’t deserve to find love. But as Des works her way into his ranch, his family, and his life, suddenly the last person who belonged there is the only one he believes belongs…with him.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I picked up this novel on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and let me tell you; I had no idea what I was in for. I'm a big fan of what I call "Sure-Read"s... That is, formulaic, well-written romance. Why? Because I know what I'm going to get when I go into it. I don't care if the plot is cliche because that sense of romance I get from the book is familiar and cozy. So understand that when I picked up this book, I thought I was going to get a familiar, cozy, but predictable read out of it.

I was wrong.

This book was very well written. At first, I didn't like the main female lead, Desi. Like some of the characters in the book, I felt her fake-Latina persona was phony and not endearing. That may be because I live in a heavily Latin-influenced area. (I live in El Paso on the border of Texas/new Mexico/Mexico). However, as the story wore on and that fake side of her personality started to melt away, I learned to like her more and more. It added a depth to the story that I wasn't expecting. As the other characters in the story grew close to Desi, so did I. It was a unique experience, and though I'm not sure it was planned, I really enjoyed the outcome.

This story was full of characters with unique personalities and complicated emotions. I really enjoyed Joe, Desi, Zach, and Rory just to name a few. They were funny, witty, endearing.. I could go on and on. And though at first the plot seemed to be like every other sure-read I've come across in the past, it quickly turned into a very unique and personal tale of these character's lives that were basically torn apart by tragedy... and how they worked to overcome it. There were a lot of endearing, heart-warming moments, but I'd like to share one of my favorites:

     "Maybe this will change your mind." Rory took a small cardboard box from next to the door.

     "Zach just dropped it off."

     Her heart started to thump wildly. She untucked the top flaps. A little gray head popped out. Attached to his neck was a loose bit of twine, with a note attached.

     You forgot your cat.

I mean seriously, how can you read that and not go "awwwwwww"? He gave her a freaking kitten. Okay maybe it doesn't have the same impact when it's not in context, but it certainly had me smiling.

There was a definite feeling of attraction and passion between the main couple, Desi and Zach. I'll admit sometimes I wanted to shake my fist at them because they both seemed so clueless, and a lot of times they made obvious bad decisions, but I have to say, the end to this book was absolutely PERFECT.

I don't cry when I read books. I've read so many romances that I'm completely immune to their effect for the most part. I teared up with this one. Even just thinking about it makes my throat grow tight. I cannot put into words how epic and endearing this love story was. If you're going to pick up a romance anytime in the near future, pick up this one. You won't regret it.

Title: The Bane [Eden Trilogy 1]

Author: Keary Taylor

Genre: Sci-Fi, Futuristic Dystopian, YA

Rating: 4, nearly 5 Stars (I'll explain)

Description/Synopsis: Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.

Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.

Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.

The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.

Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and rereleased as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

So, I received this novel for free on NetGalley with the promise to review it. Surprisingly, I didn't realize until AFTER I'd read it that I recognized the author! The name sounded familiar, but it was only after I'd gone back through my many archived reviews that I found out that Keary Taylor also authored another favorite series of mine (The Fall of Angels Series)!

That being said, I loved this book! I'll be the first to admit that I'm a huge fan of anything dystopian, post-apocalyptic, or romance. I can't get enough of it. Obviously, I devoured this book in a handful of hours and couldn't seem to put it down. (At one point I was sitting on the floor next to an outlet so my kindle could charge because the battery died and I didn't want to stop reading.)

When the story first started, I'll admit that my first thoughts were "oh man.. this is really not connecting to me." The main character seemed distant and the narrative was kind of stiff and disjointed. I pushed on, but it was probably nearly an entire chapter before I realized in an epiphany, that this weird style was an intended characterization and not due to poor writing.

When the story starts, the main character, Eve, (all though this doesn't get explained till way later) has no emotions. She doesn't understand human emotions at all... so when a friend dies, she really doesn't know how to handle it. She sits a little off from the spectacle not really sure what to do or how she's supposed to act.

It took me awhile, but eventually I came to really like her sort of off-kilter view of the world. Eve was tough, stubborn, and very practical in her views of the world. She was also brave, selfless, and ... well... I guess a guardian to her group. As the plot wore on, and the people of Eve's group of refugees/survivors battled the Bane (the cybernetic evil remains of what were once humans, taken over by nanobots and transformed into killing machines)... who reminded me of the Borg in a more mindless-drone sort of way, we discover that Eve was the first cybernetic person. She's effectively a non-evil robot-person-hybrid.. and didn't even know it. (Boy, I made that real clear, didn't I?)

Of course, this brings up a whole host of issues not only for her group, but for herself. Imagine finding out that you're basically a better version of the thing you hate/fear most in the world. That'll certainly mess with a girl's mind.  I thought the author did a fantastic job with the pacing and narrative throughout this book. I was pulled along from scene to scene and didn't care - I was just hungry for more.

Now, the only reason this book didn't get a whole 5 stars is this... (and I'm still giving it a tentative 4 nearly 5 rating.. ) I really disliked the ending.

I realize I'm just being whiny, but I was really cheering for West.

That aside, and on a more serious note, I did think the ending was wrapped up a little too cleanly. I think had the love triangle between West, Eve, and Avian not been cleared up at the end of the book (and maybe saved for the second) It would have been a stronger ending. I got so used to Eve waffling between the two and not really understanding her own emotions that when it got to the end and suddenly she knew who she loved, it felt a little forced. She went from no emotions to bubbly and dreaming of wedding dresses in just a few chapters and it felt like maybe it was moving a bit too fast.

That aside though, everything else about this book, I absolutely loved. I think the way the characters were portrayed in the narrative (especially Eve) was brilliant. The narrative was engaging and fast-paced, and the Bane as a "villain" of sorts was really entertaining. I think the synopsis was spot-on when it described this story as a mix between Terminator and The Walking Dead.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Survival novels. Maybe not so much romance... it has romance, but I think a larger part of the story is about the struggles of the people living in this post-apocalyptic setting.. not necessarily the love triangle (though it certainly plays it's part). It truly was a great read... and I'm probably only holding back that last star out of spite. Team West all the way baby.

Title: The Border Laird's Bride

Author: Allison Butler

Genre: Historical Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: To fulfill his father's dying wish, border laird Jamie Graham must marry and sire a legitimate heir. But his marriage will be one of convenience for he has vowed never to open his heart to betrayal. While guarding his cattle from thieves, Jamie catches the spirited daughter of a neighboring laird stealing his horse.

Despite viewing an arranged marriage as a death sentence, feisty Kenzie Irvine has no choice but to wed the domineering Jamie. But she has sworn an oath never to bring a child into an uncaring world. And Kenzie also has a dark secret she has no intention of giving away - even if she finds herself her on the wrong side of the law…

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

So, cover first: It's gorgeous. They did a great job picking the model/image for the cover, and it's nice to see a cover on a historical romance novel that isn't your usual bodice-ripper cover. My hats off to the cover design team.

As for the story: I absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down! I'll admit I'm a sucker for historical romances and what I consider "sure-reads" (which this is) - meaning usually formulaic high-end-publisher-quality romances. This was extremely well written. The characters were full of depth and had defined, unique personalities. Each seemed to have their own goal and motivation (which is sometimes lacking in romances, so it's great to see it in this one).

Yes, it is what some may consider a cliche plot: The unwilling bride. That being said, I really don't care. Unlike some, I don't have a problem with reading a plot I've read before as long as the characters and story are entertaining and engaging. This falls into that category.

I totally fell in love with the character of Kenzie. She is determined, stubborn, thinks outside the box, and goes to the greatest lengths to help those she can (even if sometimes her plans are a little foolish). When bad things happened to her, I felt sympathy for her plight. Jamie too was charming and warm-hearted, but got his hands dirty and really became a force to be reckoned with when the wrong people crossed his path. I liked that he wasn't just a laird, but a genuine noble character that sparked fierce loyalty and camaraderie among his people. I desperately hated Kenzie's father and sister Jeanne, just as I was supposed to, but also on a certain level I couldn't help but feel sorry for Jeanne. I left the story with a feeling that there was a lot more to her character than what was presented on the surface - and that's very difficult to do with a villain.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I read it in a handful of hours (when I was supposed to be doing something else), and ended up staying up until the wee hours of the morning to get it finished (despite the fact I got about 4 hours of sleep). I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romances, or even just endearing love stories with a lot of emotional turmoil thrown in. This one is staying on my shelf.

Title: Vale of Stars

Author: Sean O'Brien

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Jene Halfner awaits the end of a hundred-year-long, deep-space colonization journey begun by her ancestors generations before. She has spent her life preparing for planetfall on Epsilon Eridani III, taking care of the growing number of victims of interstellar radiation aboard Ship.

What she will find upon arrival will change her perspective on life, and she and her descendants will live to face the incredible challenges their new world holds.

As generations pass, the women of the Halfner line uncover stunning secrets about their original mission, their new home on Epsilon Eridani III, and the future of the human race. Secrets that will challenge what they believe in, who they trust, and their perception of the ones the love.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

First off, please don't judge this book by its cover. Let's face it, the cover is ugly... and really doesn't represent the book all that well. That aside, I loved this book. It was absolutely fascinating.

The story is somewhat of an epic time-lapse of a society told through four generations of one particular family as they are forced to make hard decisions that ultimately effect not only their descendants, but their entire species and planet as the story progresses.

The story begins with the social-exiles of planet Earth aboard a spaceship headed into deep-space to colonize a planet named EE 3. As the generations pass the descendants of this one particular family deal with a range of moral and social issues including genocide, prejudice, genetic engineering, cloning, all-out-war, and imminent destruction of an entire Eco-system. As the story evolves through the generations, the humans evolve into three separate species and encounter a fourth, and the women of this bloodline are forced to make impossible decisions that affect each generation after them, and all the other species as well.

It was absolutely fascinating to see how each woman's decision not only affected the future of their planet, but also their direct descendants. The story is split up into four "books" one for each generation of the Halfner bloodline, and I'll admit that the third book (Yallia's story) dragged a little for me. I think it's because I just didn't like Yallia all that much. She felt betrayed by her mother before her and held a lot of anger. In my opinion she acted childishly, though her actions eventually lead to a reuniting of her species - I just couldn't seem to enjoy her as a person like I could the two generations before her, or the one after. Jene (book 1) and Sirra (book 4) were probably my favorite out of the family, and I really loved Sirra's relationship with the Vix (the native alien race).  I thought the author did a great job trying up the plot through the generations and showing how the consequences of each generation's actions affected the planet as a whole. No, the science isn't realistic... this is science FICTION, but if you can get past that, the story was really engaging.

Unfortunately, it seems quite a few readers gave this book a rather lackluster review, but personally, I really loved it.This is going on my shelf as a keeper. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction, alien species and cultures, and likes complicated tales with equally complicated decisions in them.

Title: The Convict's Bounty Bride

Author: Lena Dowling

Genre: Historical Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Life as a convict in an Australian penal colony was brutal, but James Hunter had the advantages of raw physical strength and courage on his side. He survived, and now he is back; a self‐made man of means, determined to take the bride he was promised.

Lady Thea Willers knows nothing of the bargain her father made to save her brother, nor does she have any interest in marriage. It might be a radical idea, but what Thea wants is a career.

The revelation that her brother’s liberty depends on her marrying James Hunter is devastating. But nothing, it seems, has the power to shake Thea’s world upside down like James himself, or the way he makes her feel.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I'm going to try and keep the spoilers to a minimum because this book has not yet been published, so bear with me. I received my copy through NetGalley in return for some feedback/a review. First off, have you seen the cover? It is GORGEOUS. I love it when a book has a great cover (because yes, I do judge books by their covers sometimes. So sue me.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and strong-willed. The story was full of humor and crazy antics by the heroine, Thea, and there was some definite sizzling passion between Thea and James. (Can I have him now? Thea doesn't really need James.. I'll just.. borrow him, you know?) My only real complaint is that maybe the book was too short. I wanted more. A lot more. It's not that anything felt missing from the story... I'm just super greedy with the stories I love, and I didn't want this one to end. It was well-written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves romances, bold heroine's, and Harlequin books. I sped through it in about 2 hours, so it's a great quick read for anyone who doesn't have a lot of time to wade through a larger novel.

Title: When The Siren Calls

Author: Tom Barry

Genre: Contemporary Adult Fiction

Rating: 2 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Restless and neglected, Isobel is suffocating in a stagnant marriage. Suave and charismatic Jay is fighting for survival. An invitation to visit Jay's resort in the hills of Tuscany sparks Isobel to imagine a life of freedom and excitement.

Dismissing her husband’s objections, Isobel pursues Jay to Tuscany on the pretext of searching for a holiday home. After fighting anguished guilt, she abandons herself in a passionate affair, with her controlling lover encouraging Isobel to push beyond her sexual boundaries.

But all is not as it seems in the idyllic Tuscan retreat, and Isobel finds herself trapped in a web of intrigue, deception, and betrayal. She is one player in a dangerous love triangle, unsure whether Jay is her savior, or her nemesis. As her world falls apart, she must choose between the woman she thought she was, and the woman she has become.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

First thing's first: Forget the cover and the title because they have absolutely nothing to do with this book. At all. That being said, I received a copy of this book off NetGalley after Tom Barry himself messaged me on Goodreads. I'd entered into a giveaway there, thinking the book looked interesting and didn't win. Lucky for me, Tom is a very nice person and suggested I pick up a free copy over at NetGalley in return for an honest review. Well, you all know what an insane person I am around free books, so I ran over, grabbed a copy, and started reading. That being said, I apologize in advance for everything I'm about to say.

The book was bordering on awful. I pushed - I pushed hard to keep myself reading this book, but in the end it took me more than a week to finish. The first chapter started really promising; there was action and intrigue and a colorful scene full of description. I felt I was there in that market square with Isobel as she was being dogged by a crowd of greedy street urchins. I loved it, honestly. I remember thinking "Yes! This book is going to be awesome!" and I eagerly pushed onwards to read more.

Unfortunately, after the first chapter the engaging quality of the text started to die a slow death. By 27% into the book, I wanted to close it and never open it again. The characters were unlikeable and boring. The scenes kept switching back and forth between Jay and Isobel, and what they were showing me wasn't pleasant. By that 27% mark, I had come to the conclusion that there was very little redeemable about the two characters. Isobel was naive and snobbish, and Jay was womanizing and well.. a man-whore. That's all there is to it. But, I pushed on.

Around the time I hit 40% in the book, things started picking up again. I think for the most part it was because they'd started in on the deception plots, explaining more about how everything was going to fall apart, and by then (finally) Isobel and Jay had met back up. As much as I hated the two characters individually, together they were entertaining... maybe in part because I felt they deserved each other.

On the one hand, I was glad to see things starting to progress about mid-way into the book, but on the other hand I have to say that if I hadn't felt the need to write a review, I probably would have given up on this book long before I'd reached mid-way. The book failed to keep my interest that far in - and as an author, it's a failure when you can't keep your audience past the first chapter.

As the story wore on, I found myself spending more time reading and less time turning my kindle on and off in an attempt to avoid looking at the book. (I'll admit one night I forced a family member into watching old episodes of tv shows so I'd have an excuse NOT to read the book). I wish I were kidding. The story got really entertaining in the last 1/4 of the book as everyone's deceptions started to fall apart and more time was spent on the relationship between Isobel and Jay.

I'll admit that in that last part of the book, I was desperately hoping Isobel would leave Peter and marry Jay. I hated them both vehemently, don't get me wrong.. In fact I think the only character that was at all decent was probably Isobel's friend. She was at least honest with herself and everyone else. She told it like she saw it. I have to admire that.

I'll also admit that I secretly liked Lucy for a few small moments near the end of the book... but overall, I just hated all the characters. Still, I was cheering for Isobel and Jay - hoping they'd end up together and maybe he'd quit being such an ass.. not because I liked either of them, but because they so obviously deserved each other, and I think in a way, Isobel really loved Jay. I'd like to think Jay loved her back, but he's such a jerk that I wouldn't hold my breath for it.

Overall, I didn't really appreciate the book as much as I'd hoped. I didn't find it engaging, the characters weren't likable for the most part, and the pace just seemed to crawl in large sections of the story. However, once I got over the hump of the first half the book, the second half was much more entertaining. I like Jay and Isobel as a couple (though not as individuals). I can appreciate the sort of tragedy that was their relationship, and I enjoyed watching their lives fall apart in some sadistic sort of way. Would I read it again? No. Would I have read past the first 27% if I hadn't felt obligated? No. Would I recommend it to anyone? Possibly.

I think someone with a greater love of business talk and complicated deceptions would have liked the book more than I did. There was certainly a quality of intelligence to the twist and turns of the plot. I generally prefer the romance of a book - something this lacked to a degree. The writing itself was clear and well-written, it's just the story itself that had me wanting to put this down. I think what I was looking for when I went into this was a romance or at least a hot erotica, and what I found was in part, more of a tragedy and sad depiction of how two people unhappy with their lives could tear down not only their own lives, but those around them in a desperate attempt to dig themselves out of misery.

Title: The Deepest Cut

Author: J.A. Templeton

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Riley Williams has been able to see ghosts since the car crash that took her mother’s life and shattered her family. Guilt-ridden over the belief that she’s somehow responsible for her mom’s death, Riley is desperate to see her mother’s elusive spirit to gain her forgiveness.

When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley believes her life couldn’t get worse––that is until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her purposely cutting herself. An uneasy truce quickly turns into friendship, and soon Riley’s falling hard for Ian.

Riley believes her gift could help Ian end the curse that has kept him tied to the land for centuries, but that would mean letting him go forever and she’s not sure she is strong enough to do that. As if her life wasn’t complicated enough, the spirit of the woman who killed Ian returns and she’ll stop at nothing to keep Riley from helping Ian find eternal peace.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

Wow, I don't know what to say about this book. As usual, I went on a buying spree on Amazon in the free books category and somewhere in the mess of 300 books, this made its way onto my kindle. That being said, like most of the books that grace my Kindle, I had no idea what this was about until I read it. I actually like that fact most of the time because it means the synopsis of the book isn't going to sway me one way or the other. I go into a book with no preconceived notions of what it's supposed to be about.

That being said: I loved this book! Reading through the reviews on Goodreads after I'd finished this book I came across what seems to be a very wide gap in the opinions on this book. Either people loved it, or they hated it, and I think part of that comes from the way they went into the book. It seems a lot of people were under the misconception that this was going to be a creepy horror story, and that's not what it is. It's a paranormal romance - no doubt about it. So if you went into this thinking you were in for a thrill, you'd be rather disappointed to find some teen making out with a ghost. This is one of the reasons I'm glad I don't read synopsis' or genre titles before I pick up a book.

This story was about a girl named Riley and her small family. They move from Portland, Oregon to Scotland to get away from some troubles in their lives. Not too long ago, both Riley and her brother Shane got involved with some less-than-desirable friends, and as a consequence, Riley spiraled into a life of booze, drugs, and self-harm. Unfortunately, her lifestyle leads her into a late-night car crash in which her mother dies.

After the accident, Riley is disconcerted to learn that she can now see ghosts. The mentioning of which leads her father and a team of doctors to believe that she's gone crazy. In a bold move to save his family, her father moves their family to Scotland - where our story begins.

As the story progresses, Riley becomes friends with a ghost boy named Ian who died in the castle next door to the family's dilapidated Inn. Soon, Riley begins to learn the story of Ian and how he was murdered and vows to help him cross over (even though they are quickly falling in love with one another). Enter Laira. Laira is a vindictive ghost of a servant who poisoned Ian and cursed him to never pass on from these lands. She's creepy, mean, obsessive, and really hates Riley's guts.

Honestly, I thought the story was very well written. It was clear, engaging, and full of endearing and entertaining moments between Riley, her live friends, her brother, and Ian. It was fun to watch Riley's character slowly start to separate herself from her guilt over her mother's death and the self-harm she'd come to depend upon as her relationships with the people around her grew stronger and more stable.

The characters were full of depth, and I particularly liked Riley, Ian, Shane, and Laira. The whole situation between Ian and Laira was tragic on both sides, and though I felt the use of black magic was a little cliche, it didn't detract from my view of Laira as a complex figure. There were a few bits of this story that were left unexplained, but seeing as this is just the first book in a series, I hope I can reasonably assume that some of these things (that didn't bother me all that much) will be explained down the line.

Overall it was a quick read (I was so engaged I got through the whole thing in just a handful of hours), and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys ghost stories or paranormal romances. Go grab it while it's still free on Amazon!

Title: Glimmer (IDelaney's Gift)

Author: Amber Garza

Genre: YA Paranormal

Rating: 2 Stars

Description/Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Delaney Scott is not your typical teenager. She is one of ten Ekloge Warriors,born with the purpose of protecting the town of Edenly. Only it’s a duty she wants to shed like a pair of dirty, worn-out shoes.

However, a daring rescue alters Delaney's life forever. Now there is no running from her calling, and things will never be the same again.

(This is a very short teaser story which includes the first three chapters of Dazzle, Book One in the Delaney's Gift Series)

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I have an unfortunate love-hate relationship with Glimmer. You see, when I downloaded it, Amazon listed it as a "novella" (not that I was paying attention), but it's not a novella, it's the first three chapters to an actual book. So going into this story, I wasn't forewarned about what I would find.

That being said: I found it ridiculously short. (DUH - but I didn't know that when I read it). I had trouble getting into the story right away; the story is written in first person present tense, which I absolutely loathe. I don't mind first person POV (heck, I write in it), but there's something about present tense that rubs me raw. I find it jolting enough that it pulls me out of the story... it just sounds so juvenile - and not in a good, appropriate for the character sort of way, but an inexperienced writer sort of way. Hopefully no one here feels particularly defensive about that type of writing, but I just don't like it. Flat out.

I tried very hard to ignore it however and continued to read. It wasn't a great idea. Not knowing this was the first three chapters to a book, the plot seemed missing, the main character was constantly talking about things in her paranormal world that I didn't understand and had never heard of... I just didn't get it.

The writing wasn't particularly engaging and there was nothing in those first three chapters that just... grabbed me and wouldn't let go. As authors that's one of the first things we're taught: your writing should grab the audience from the very first paragraph and not let them up for air. If your readers have a hard time getting into the story or get bored with it, they aren't going to get far. This book failed to do that to me.

I don't think the premise for the book was bad, but it was a little cliche.  (Teen has visions of people dying just in time to save them). Usually, I can look past that, but with the writing being less than stellar, I just didn't feel the need to bother with the whole book. You may like this story more than I did, and if it sounds interesting to you, then by all means, go pick up the first three chapters while they're free, but I won't be recommending it.

P.S. Anyone else think it looks like the girl on the cover has a bunch of bruises on her arm? Or is that just me?

Title: Daisy Madigan's Paradise (Morgan Sister 1.5)

Author: Suzy Turner

Genre: YA Paranormal

Rating: 3 Stars

Description/Synopsis: When tragedy falls upon 15-year-old Daisy Madigan, she escapes to the only place she feels safe, the cemetery of Abney Park. There, in the company of the dearly departed, she realises she is changing, growing stronger and faster by the day. But in the darkness lurks a terror even she can't imagine facing.

Daisy Madigan's Paradise is a Morgan Sisters novella. Check out The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, the full length first novel in the series.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

Have I mentioned that I dislike novellas? This wasn't much of an exception. It got off to a promising start: Daisy Madigan, a red-headed girl finds out that her mother has died in a car accident, and with news of this tragedy, her father falls apart. Previously a happy, healthy family, Daisy's father Beau becomes a neglectful alcoholic and ends up abandoning his daughter. The ever resourceful Daisy tries to cope with her father's inability to function as best she can, but amidst the emerging of some strange new powers and a tattoo that pops up on her back out of nowhere - Daisy's a bit overwhelmed.

In the end, Daisy's father disappears in a drunk stupor, and Daisy is left on her own. They lose the house, and she quickly becomes a homeless squatter in the local cemetery. She survives off the charity of a local Indian couple and her friendship with an older boy who hangs out in the cemetery sometimes. That is until her friend dies in a fire that takes the lives of his parents as well.

That doesn't stop Daisy from seeing her friend however, because she's got a newly acquired power: she can see and communicate with ghosts. Unfortunately, not long thereafter, an evil group of teenagers (two of which turn out to be werewolves!) start sucking the memories and energy out of the cemetery ghosts that Daisy has sworn to help.

Now, I had a problem with the beginning of this book. It was well-written, and it was engaging - BUT, without having read the cover synopsis, I had no idea what age Daisy was to begin with. Daisy's voice in the narration was so juvenile that I honestly thought she was in elementary school (maybe 7-10) until much later when it was explained that she was actually 15. It's not good when we can't tell the relative age of a character by their voice alone. I think this was a case of the author trying too hard to sound young (I assume she is an older adult), and overshooting her reach a bit.

For the most part, I found the writing clear and easy to feel engaged in - but there was a lot of glossing over time (as is pretty common with novellas, unfortunately). I really hated Daisy's father Beau as a character. The author paints Daisy's parents as the ideal parents - loving, involved... and then with his wife's death, Beau just falls apart. He doesn't pay bills, he doesn't go to work, he ignores Daisy entirely. He just drinks himself into a stupor (despite the fact that he knows what's going on with Daisy and her new powers). For whatever reason, he just can't seem to care.  I can understand a person being grief stricken, but I don't know that many parents who wouldn't suck it up to take care of their children. Maybe they wouldn't be perfect anymore, but they'd at least put forth a little effort. I found myself greatly disappointed in Beau.

I liked Daisy. She was determined to make it even with so little help from her father. She had morals, and she stayed optimistic. Her friend (I want to say his name was Jack, but I honestly don't remember at this moment), was also a nice boy - though at first he came across as a bit creepy... Daisy's words, not mine. He was a good friend and refused to pass on into the light simply because he knew Daisy needed him. I really liked the friendship between these two characters and was only slightly disappointed when he passed on with the words "I love you." I'm hoping they meant as friends, because romantic they were not.

I'll admit I didn't read the first book in this series - I don't even know what it's called, but I do think I've missed something by not having read it. Even at the end of this short novella, I had no idea what was going on with Daisy and her wacky powers. I knew werewolves existed and they were working with these evil soul-sucking teenagers, but I don't know why.  A lot of questions were left unanswered.

Overall, it was a good little story, but I wish there had been more to it. I'd love to have seen some explanations of what was going on, and I wish the author hadn't skimmed over events as much. I'd still recommend it as a fun afternoon read though

Title: To Love a Thief

Author: Darcy Burke

Genre: Novella, Victorian-England Era Historical Romance

Rating: 4 Stars

Description/Synopsis: To set things right, she has to be very wrong…

Former constable Daniel Carlyle hasn’t the foggiest notion how to be a viscount. No one is more shocked than he when his father’s second cousin and his son die on the same day. When a prominent earl offers to guide Daniel through Society and the House of Lords, he’s grateful to have a champion. Things seem to be falling into place when he meets a lovely young woman he intends to make his viscountess. Until he catches her stealing from his mentor.

The moment Jocelyn Renwick glimpses her family's stolen heirlooms in the possession of a wealthy earl, she demands their return. He dismissively insists they’ve been in his family for generations, and she privately vows to get them back at any cost. But the law-abiding Lord Carlyle foils her plans, and she reluctantly partners with him to solve the theft of her property. When they discover the earl is up to his ears in criminal acts, he threatens to link Daniel to his gang of thieves. Jocelyn must decide if justice for her family is worth risking a chance at love.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Novellas. I don't like writing them, and I don't like reading them. Why? Because I want to get so engrossed in the stories I'm reading that I can flip through 400+ pages and still think it's too short. When a book really is short (200 pages or less) it feels like I've missed part of the story - not to mention novellas seem have a bad habit of being written in a very quick manner. Sometimes information is glossed over, there's tons of time jumps, or worse: the ending comes out of nowhere - quick and wrapped in a little sparkly bow. Man that irritates me.

That being said, I can assure you that when  a novella does cross my desk, 98% of the time it's a complete accident. Like this one.

Did I like this story? No. I loved it. This is one of the few novella's I've run across that was nicely paced, descriptive, took it's time with the characters, but still managed to work in a solid plot. I couldn't have asked for more. The general character premise was a little tired, I'll admit: it's the same old story of the nearly-shelved society darling meets the recently-appointed society prince, BUT I won't hold that against it. It doesn't bother me when stories have cliche ideas as long as I find the book engaging. As far as I'm concerned, it's like picking up an old favorite - a familiar plot - and seeing it reworked in a new way with unique characters.

A few things that did stick out at me though were (A) the fact that throwing all society-manners to the wind, the two main characters hooked up with very little thought to the fact that the female lead would be "ruined", as is generally the case in these sorts of novels. This bugs me a little, just because I've read a lot of Victorian-England era romance novels, and I know that this practice is generally frowned upon. That aside, it was only a minor twitch at the edge of my periphery because it showed the characters had passion for each other. Neither one of them was right in the thick of society (him being new to it and her being thrust off in a corner somewhere) so it didn't matter so much in their situation.

The other issue I had (B) was that the ending did wrap up a little too quickly for my tastes. After the main female lead (I'm sorry, I can't be bothered to look up their names, I finished reading this yesterday and it's been a long day) gets kidnapped and held hostage and several people have died... well, it cast a bit of a sour shadow to the ending. It was hard to be happy for the couple who were rushing into a marriage (though awwwwww... they luff each other) when they'd both just witnessed two murders and they were letting a criminal get away scot-free. It didn't feel very heroic, and to immediately follow it with a chapter where they were already married and living together... I don't know. I guess it felt like I'd missed the happy punchline somewhere in that mess.

Those things aside though, it was a great afternoon read, and a nice change of pace to read something so well-written. I needed a break from being inside Calliope Reaper-Jones' whiny, juvenile head.

Title: How To Be Death

Author: Amber Benson

Genre: Urban Paranormal Fantasy / Mystery

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis: All Calliope Reaper-Jones ever wanted out of life was a fabulous job in New York City and a really hot boyfriend. But now, she's the brand-new President of Death, Inc. With the Board of Death breathing down her neck and her dad's copy of How to be Death (A Fully Annotated Guide) unopened, Callie's really feeling the tension. And when the guide book is stolen at a fancy formal dinner, Callie has to figure out how to be the boss--before the powers held within the book get out and destroy humanity forever...

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

I loved this book. In my opinion, it was much better than the previous three, and a good part of that is because of the way Amber Benson handled the plot. Rather than the usual Calliope Reaper-Jones novel plot, this one was a "Who done it?" murder mystery. It was like watching a Holiday Special episode of your favorite TV show: The characters you love are all there, it's in the same universe, but the plot was so wildly different than what you're used to. It was fun.

The basic plot goes like this: Each year on Halloween the office of Death throws a big party for all the supernaturals to attend. Callie doesn't really want to go, but she really doesn't have a choice. She's hosting. Unfortunately, this is also the single time of the year that all the supernaturals lose their magic abilities (and therefore immortality) and are completely vulnerable. It's also the one night of the year that Death's Handbook can be handed over to Death (which aside from all the rules and information one could ever want on how to actually be Death, also contains instructions for starting the Apocalypse). Whoever holds the book at the stroke of midnight then owns the book for the next year, and has completely dominion over Death and all its sub-offices.

Unfortunately, Callie's in for one hell of a night. She's vulnerable this one night, and like usual, there is a whole host of people vying to snag her job. What ensues is a grand murder-mystery as Callie and her supernatural friends fight to keep, and then get back, Death's Handbook as unknown parties start killing off supernaturals - and even try to kill Callie.

I love murder-mysteries and I will admit that I totally got caught up in this one. The plot was so complicated and intriguing that by the end I had no clue who was perpetrating all of these crimes and I couldn't wait to find out.  I was also extremely happy to see Callie and Daniel back together throughout this story as they dealt with the aftermath of Callie's sexcapade with Frank in the last novel. For once you could really tell how much they both loved each other, and how hurt they were by the events in Serpent's Storm.

Callie really matured a lot during this particular novel, and it was a relief to see her step out of her "whiney juvenile" voice and start acting a bit more "I am Death and I am going to kick your ass." I'm really looking forward to seeing her grow in the next novel (which I don't have yet. D: ). Unfortunately, most of the other characters were one-offs for this particular novel, or simply didn't get as much screentime as Callie - but I didn't really feel the loss from their lack of presence. The plot carried well even with their short cameo's.

I can honestly say that if you enjoy murder mysteries, you'll probably love this addition to Callie's story. Just don't go into this expecting your typical Calliope Reaper-Jones novel. (It's so much better.)

Title: Serpent's Storm

Author: Amber Benson

Genre: Urban Paranormal Fantasy

Rating: 3 or 5 Stars (dual rating)

Description/Synopsis: Calliope just wants to make it big in the Big Apple like any other working girl. But Callie is also Death's Daughter, no matter how much she tries to stay out of the family business. And now her older sister has made a deal with the Devil himself to engage in a hostile takeover of both Death Inc. and Heaven-once they get Callie out of the way.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

Serpent's Storm is the 3rd book in the Calliope Reaper-Jones series, and so far, the best one I've read yet. (Hence the slightly higher dual-rating). Callie's life is thrown out of whack unexpectedly when out of nowhere - she's become death again. How'd that happen? Someone has staged a coup in purgatory, and the real Grim Reaper (Callie's father) is now dead.

Whether she wants the job or not, Callie steps up to the plate and starts trying to figure out what is going on. What ensues is an adventure full of double-crossing, curses, and a full out war in Purgatory and Hell.

I really have to say that I enjoyed this book a lot more than the previous two. There were a few parts that were a little lackluster (I didn't enjoy the entirety of the dank little island village or it's inhabitants), and I really didn't understand why Callie had a 5-minute sexcapade with Frank in the subway. (Come on.. that was just gratuitous... it had absolutely no bearing on the story what so ever), but over all, I really liked Callie more in this story. She was a bit less whiny and self-centered this time around. Yes, she still continued to get herself in situations that could have or should have been avoided - but she also came into her own a little in this novel. She saw what needed to be done, and she did it without pausing to worry over what everyone else would say.

The result, of course, was that this book was a tad more serious than the previous two. Don't get me wrong, there was still plenty of silliness and snarky comments, but instead of throwing tantrums every five minutes, Callie was at least trying to do what was right.  It's nice to see that Callie's character is growing through these novels and I hope that at the end she turns out to be as awesome as I'm hoping.

If you were on the fence with the previous two books of this series, give this one a try, you may like it more.

Title: Cat's Claw

Author: Amber Benson

Genre: Urban Paranormal Fantasy

Rating: 2 or 4 Stars (another dual rating)

Description/Synopsis: Calliope Reaper-Jones is Death's Daughter. She owes a debt to Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the gate's of hell-a debt that involves a trip to Purgatory, Las Vegas, ancient Egypt, and a discount department store that's more frightening than any supernatural creature she'll ever encounter.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

Ah, another Amber Benson novel. I'll admit that going into this series I was a little taken-aback by the writing style. As I said with the last book in the series, you really can't go into these expecting a serious work of fiction akin to Harry Potter or The Hobbit. This is a lot like Piers Anthony's work with the Books of Immortality and Xanth: humorous, silly, and fun. In the right mindset, however, these books are very entertaining.

I must admit though, that I don't like Callie (the main female lead) much as a person. She's whiny, juvenile, and a bit self-centered. Her one redeeming quality is that she constantly puts her foot in her mouth whenever she opens it, and hilarity and crisis inevitably ensue.

I found the plot to this particular story a bit more complicated than the last one, which was pleasant though perhaps a bit too complicated to really be engaging. Even as the characters explained what was going on to the reader I had a hard time grasping just how complex it was. Too many characters, too many deceptions... at the end I was left saying "But it's all good now, right?" I got a little lost - though I'll admit part of that may just be that I was so exhausted yesterday I just couldn't retain the information.

I liked that several of the characters from the first book were once again in the second book, though they didn't seem to get as much screen time. I was overjoyed to see Daniel make another appearance - and pissed off at Callie for reacting to him the way she did. I'll admit I'm a little attached to Daniel as a character. He's too good for Callie - even if he is the devil's protege.

Another character (and a new addition to the story) that I really liked was Senenmut. The first impression I got of him did NOT do him justice, but by the end of the book, he was my new favorite "Daniel" of the group. I was half-hoping Callie would start falling for him, but then I was glad she didn't. She would have ruined him. *keeps Senenmut to myself*. There's just something strangely appealing to that kind of guy - the one who's only waking thought is "I need to be with the one I love." *girl sigh*. Okay, moving on.

Overall, I had an easier time getting into this book - now that I knew what to expect as far as Callie went, it was easier to ignore her annoying personality quirks and get into the meat of the story. Unfortunately, Callie is even less pleasant the second time around. I find myself disliking her more in this book than the previous one though I'm starting to like the other whiny characters more. Weird how that works out.

I'll be starting in on the third book in the series today - we'll see how that goes.

Title: Death's Daughter

Author: Amber Benson

Genre: Urban Paranormal Fantasy

Rating: 2 or 5 Stars (Dual rating, I'll explain)

Description/Synopsis: Calliope Reaper-Jones so just wanted a normal life: buying designer shoes on sale, dating guys from Craig’s List, web-surfing for organic dim-sum for her boss...

But when her father—who happens to be Death himself—is kidnapped, and the Devil’s Protege embarks on a hostile takeover of the family business, Death, Inc., Callie returns home to assume the CEO mantle— only to discover she must complete three nearly impossible tasks in the realm of the afterlife first.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

Okay, let me explain the dual rating above. There are aspects of this book that are both really well written, and horribly written, and depending on your state of mind going into this book, your opinion of it may waver greatly from one end of the spectrum to the other.

This book is written in the very casual, sometimes silly and energetic voice of the main lead character, Calliope Reaper-Jones (Callie). Now, normally I'd give props to any author who could successfully write an entire book in the  voice of its main character - it's hard not to slip into your own manner of speech when you've been writing something so long, and in this way I feel the story is well-written. However, if you happen to not like the main character, this also means that you could really hate this book.

Callie is the daughter of the Grim Reaper. She resents being immortal, she resents being related to Death, and she mostly just wants to be left alone to live a normal life.  Her comments are often sarcastic, whiny, and negative - and she has a penchant for objectifying men. If these traits bother you, you may have an extremely hard time getting through this book.

I found the plot to be extremely engaging and interesting though some of it I considered superfluous. As the story starts, Callie is just an average girl working for a New York company as an assistant. She hates her job, she hates her boss and has no free-time to be social. As the story progresses we learn that she is also the daughter of the Grim Reaper though she doesn't remember it because she cast a charm on herself in order to forget. Why did the author bother to waste a chapter on the character being normal? I don't know. Like I said, bits of this were superfluous.

It is shortly introduced thereafter that for unknown reasons, Callie's father and his entire board of trustees at Death Inc. have been kidnapped, and it has now fallen onto Callie to step up and become Death - a job she really doesn't want. This request leads to an adventure as Callie tries to complete three tasks set before her in order to gain the office of Grim Reaper that leads her through Hell (literally).

All is not as simple as it seems however because Satan has also enlisted his protege (Daniel) to try and complete the three tasks as well, hoping to gain his own henchman into the office so that he can control Death. What ensues is an entangled web of mystery, ridiculous challenges, and assault as the people around Callie turn on her (sometimes seeming to contradict themselves) in order to keep her from becoming Death. Even her own family plots against her! What Callie doesn't realize, is that there's a third unknown party working to thwart her that is manipulating the people around her.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the complicated twisting plot. It was fun to try and guess why certain characters were acting strange at different times during the book, and trying to figure out who had kidnapped Callie's father in the first place. I knew something not right was going on, but I couldn't pinpoint what.

However, I also feel I have to mention that the actions and dialogue of the many colorful characters of this book left something to be desired. Like Callie, most of the characters acted juvenile (even though many of them were ancient gods). There were tantrums and whining all throughout this book that left me feeling like I wanted to scold the entire immortal realm.

The book ended up being such a mixed-bag of great plot / horrible execution that the only way I can emphasize that you must go into this book with the right mindset in order to enjoy it is this:

If you like Piers Anthony, you'll love this. It is very reminiscent of Piers Anthony's voice as he wrote the Books of Immortality series, and perhaps even a little bit of the Xanth series. There's a certain quality of unabashed silliness and humor to the writing that you can't help but enjoy the story despite the many flaws in the writing.  This book cannot be taken as a serious fantasy such as The Hobbit or Harry Potter  - it isn't written to be serious, just fun.

If you can set aside that serious quality, you should really enjoy this book. If you're looking forward to a serious, realistic fantasy on what it'd be like to be Death's Daughter, you'll be disappointed.

Title: The Virtuous Ward

Author: Karla Darcy

Genre: Regency-Era Historical Romance

Rating: 4.5

Description/Synopsis: If you love Downton Abbey and Jane Austen you’ll love The Virtuous Ward! This is book #5 in the Sweet Deception Regency series that brings you the adventures of the gentlemen of the ton who are members of Sweet’s Racing Club and the women they love. Lord Maxwell Kampford has kept his ward in seclusion but now must sponsor her in society in order to marry her off. Unsophisticated and trusting, Amity is set up by Max's jealous fiancée to fail. Max is confounded by the loyalties of the girl who seems to champion every orphaned and abused animal and turns his bachelor household upside down. Will he discover love or let this charmer get away?

Readers Love Karla Darcy, RWA Golden Heart award winning author.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

First off, I have to say that the cover to this book while very pretty, doesn't do a lick of justice to the main heroine, Endurance (Amity). Out of all the regency-era romance novels I've read, Amity may be one of my favorite female leads of all time. Despite being raised by parents that didn't care about her in the slightest, then losing said parents and ending up a forgotten ward of a virtual stranger, Amity makes it a habit to be positive and look for the joy in life despite her circumstances.  She is outgoing, mischievous, optimistic, kind-hearted, and willful while maintaining manners and class. In so many regency-era historical novels the women come across as boring, simpering, delicate, even downright stupid at times, so it was a breath of fresh air to find a novel where the main female lead wasn't any of those things.... without crossing too far over the line and becoming downright tomboyish or brash.

On the other side of the spectrum, the main male lead (and Amity's guardian) Maxwell, was a stodgy man who was all about order, class, and propriety - until he met Amity. I loved the combination of these two characters as they became friends in-good-humor and eventually grew to love each other.

This book was what I consider a "sure-read": it was fast paced, clear, well-written, and the plot was easy to follow and not complicated (despite the tenuous relationships between all of the characters). Though I can't say it was the best, or even most exciting book I've ever read, I can say that it was right up there with what you'd find in your typical regency from harlequin despite the fact that it was e-published... meaning quality and easy to enjoy.

I think the real pull of this particular book was the colorful characters and the way they interacted. Amity and her abigail (and friend) Betta were a great pair, not to mention the pairing between Maxwell and his plain-jane cousin. All of the characters (except for the villainous Honoria and the dour Ophelia) portrayed such camaraderie and humor in their interactions that it was hard not to fall in love with all of them. Overall it was a very light-hearted romantic romp - and if you enjoy regency-era historical romances, you'll enjoy this.

The only point of contention I had with this book was that the relationship between Amity and Maxwell lacked much passion (though that seems to be fairly typical of the era itself). I would have liked to see more sparks fly between the two. That being said, it was still a really nice afternoon read, and I recommend you give it a look.