Yearly Archives: 2016

August 18, 2016 · 5:00 am

Deceptions by Dana Mansfield (Book Review)

Jack Petrov, lead singer of a successful rock band, is spending the Thanksgiving weekend with his wife and children in the Poconos. He has been out of the limelight for two years after a terrible car accident that resulted in the deaths of two of his children. Traveling with the family is the children’s nanny, Penny Shepherd. Penny and Jack have been best friends since their days at Princeton. After a verbal fight with his wife, Jack orders Penny to drive him after he gets buzzed in the lodge’s bar. Before they can return, they are abducted by kidnappers hired by someone called the Employer. Although treated okay at the beginning, their treatment worsens as the Employer demands information from Penny. After the truth is revealed, the Employer leaves after a final goodbye and Penny and Jack are left to try and survive, still as captives.

 
 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
I must warn you, before you decide to purchase Deceptions, you are in for page after page of torture. The gruesome acts against Penny were more brutal than anything Jack endured.
Why, you may ask? Because she took the brunt of any defiance by him and because the mastermind behind their abduction hated her with a passion. 
 
Penny suffered blows from a sledgehammer, sexual assaults, burns, and the grisly list goes on. It was very difficult to read. Yes, Dana described it all in much detail which takes talent. On the other hand, the book was nearly start to finish with one deplorable act after another. 
 
For her writing capabilities, I do respect the imaginative skill behind such an emotionally draining story. However, for me, all the violence became too much to take. 
 
I, like Jack and Penny, wanted a reprieve from the torture. The times they did have a moment to recover, they pondered who was the mastermind — the Employer. For the boss, I was hoping I’d be surprised who’d be unveiled. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. 
 
I’m sure you won’t be shocked who comes to visit them. 
 
I also want to make note Deceptions ends with a cliffhanger. I can’t imagine how much more these two can endure. I almost afraid to find out. 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤1/2
 
 
 
I was born, raised, and still live in northwest Iowa. I enjoy the intricacy and problem solving of creating stories and thankful to have achieved remission from leukemia to have the chance to see my literary dreams come to fruition. I teach reading to at-risk high school students and spend my time writing, watching cooking and clothing competitions on television and being an overprotective mom to my two cats, Boots and Joey.
 


Feel free to visit my website where you can find more of my writing – http://www.danamansfield.com

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August 16, 2016 · 5:00 am

Lady Gallant by Gini Rifkin (Book Review)

 

Disowned by her father and still mourning the death of her fiancé, Josephine Posey joins Florence Nightingale’s brigade of nurses bound for the Black Sea. Thousands of British soldiers desperately await these angels of mercy and a new life awaits Josie. Amidst the chaos of death and despair, she finds a spark of hope, lighting the flame once more inside her soul.

In search of the truth, Garrick Allen, one of Britain’s first war correspondents also journeys to the Crimean Peninsula. To him the soldiers seem all but abandoned by Queen and country, and as he smokes his cheroots and makes friends with a bottle, he writes his bold but honest dispatches for The Times. Not wanting anything more than to finish his job and go home, Garrick is blindsided by a nurse with attitude who offers him a new slant on life and a reason to love.

 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)  
 
With any war, we are well aware of the horrors the brave men and women face on the battlefield. However, we sometimes overlook or take for granted the doctors and nurses who treat the fallen soldiers. They, too, feel the pain of combat. They get attached to their charges, lose friends, and push on to “fight” another day. 
 
In Lady Gallant, Posie fought to heal the soldiers while attempting to keep their spirits high. A prime example was the Christmas tree she procured for them. She didn’t have to but it was in her nature to go the extra mile. 
 
Mose (her invaluable helper) was equally dedicated to his job, too. It was a shocking and sad moment when Cholera took hold of his body. The love bestowed upon him while in his sick bed was extremely touching and showed his worth in the eyes of his friends. 
 
Garrick: He started off gruff but it didn’t take long before he showed us his romantic side. He could easily be described as a  knight in shining armor because he literally rescued Posie on more than one occasion. 
 
The last time solidified their relationship which ended with……. you guessed it, a happily ever after. 
 
Now if I had to change one thing about this story is would be to add more moments with Posie’s best friend, Gemma. 
 
Their interactions added a bit of lightness to a rather (at times) intense story. 
 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
 Score: ❤❤❤1/2
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gini Rifkin writes adventurous romance, past present, and into the future. Her settings include the American West, Medieval England, Victorian England, and contemporary fantasy. When not reading or writing, she has the privilege of caring for a menagerie of abandoned animals including ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, donkeys, and cats. She was born and raised in Illinois where she went to school to become a registered nurse. When struck by wanderlust, she moved to Colorado and met her husband Gary. They shared the journey for 30 years, spending vacations canoeing, doing Mountain Man reenacting, and traveling around this great country. Although Gary has passed on, he left her with the skills to soldier on alone, and a little bit of him lives on in every hero she creates. Her writing keeps her hungry to keep learning new things, and she considers family and friends her most treasured of gifts.

 
 

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August 14, 2016 · 5:00 am

Love on a Train by Colleen L. Donnelly (Book Review)


The moment Martha noticed Raymond on the train, everything her mother warned against erupted – romantic notions, palpitating heart, the desire to write it all in a novel and tell the world. Martha lived and wrote that love story until the day Raymond handed her a sketch. “Want to see a picture of the girl I plan to marry?” The penciled profile resembled Martha… But when Raymond went away, she knew. She wasn’t the girl he planned to marry.

David was her father’s apprentice, everything Martha’s mother said made a good husband – hardworking, no romantic nonsense, no tolerance for writing about it. Martha added a fictional happy ending to her and Raymond’s story and published it. Cleansed herself of romantic love, and prepared to marry David. Until a copy of her book appeared. Full of sketches – Raymond’s version of their love story, drawings that enticed her heart to beat once again – for the wrong man.

PURCHASE LINKS: 
PAPERBACK / KINDLE
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
You know the saying, “If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours; if they don’t they never were.” (Richard Bach)
 
The quote summarizes Love on a Train beautifully.
 
As with any true love story, this one had a happy ending. 
 
Maybe not for their Martha and Raymond’s respected fiancés. 
 
As much as I enjoyed the near misses between Martha and Raymond, the love story within a love story (<— confused? It’ll make sense after you start reading the book), I empathized with the hurt the fiancé’s suffered. 
 
Martha didn’t handle the situation with David very well. She knew her heart belonged to another, went about finding him, and that speaks volumes to a marriage that’s slated for doom before it even gets started. And Raymond, he didn’t handle things any better. 
 
With that said, Colleen hammered home an important point. In life, we should never settle. Marriage is a serious commitment so before you say, “I do,” be certain. Make sure you are on the right path for you. For your fiancé. 
 
 Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5
(highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤1/2
 
PURCHASE LINKS:  PAPERBACK / KINDLE

 

 



Colleen L. Donnelly has her roots in the rural Midwest of the US, but moved around and explored other cultures as an adult. Those other areas were fun and they were exciting, but…there’s no place like home, so she’s back in the Midwest.

Colleen works as a laboratory technician by day, but spends her evenings writing, poised in front of her laptop until she can’t think any more. Her story ideas come from observing people, pondering their dilemmas, and adding a twist of her own.

Other interests are/have been bicycling, antiquing, anything outdoors, furniture refinishing, and raising pets or small barnyard types of animals. Last thing in the world she would be caught doing – “vegging” in front of a television. She loves a good movie on occasion, but most of the time, the TV is off.

 

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August 12, 2016 · 5:00 am

No Pants Required by Kim Karr (Book Review)

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I, Makayla Alexander, am on a mission to reinvent myself. So when a super hot guy boards the plane and flashes his rock hard abs, I pay attention. When he sits next to me and offers me his nuts, I can’t resist. But when I choke on them and he tells me I need to work on my gag reflex, I realize I might be in over my head. 

Before I know it we’re in the lavatory and attempting to join the Mile High Club. Let me just say this…anyone who tells you it’s easy to get it on at 37,000 feet isn’t telling you the truth. After the flight attendant busts us for getting frisky in the air, the only thing that can ease my total and complete mortification is the simple fact that I am never going to see him again. 
    
Hours later, I can’t help but wonder if fate will ever allow me to become a new version of myself.Because Fate, she’s a fickle bitch.Case in point…my seatmate is my new next-door neighbor.Even with the whole fate thing we have going on, we are so not meant to be together. He’s all cool and sexy in that make love not war kind of way. Guys like him are dangerous. With that bring-you-to-your-knees body, that handsome-as-hell face, and that dirty, dirty mouth, I guarantee one glance from him wets every girl’s bikini bottoms. 
    
And then there’s me…the quirky girl looking to find herself in California. All I want to do is learn to let loose. Say words like peace and groovy. Bury my toes in the sand. Who knows, maybe even have sex on the beach. 
 
Unable to get him out of my head, I entertain the thought of being more than just friends. I know the idea is absurd. And yet, I go with it. You see Camden Waters gets me. Really gets me. Like no other guy has before.On this 7-mile stretch of paradise, I decide to keep things simple and just have fun…that is until fate decides to screw with me, again. 
 
Can two people hell-bent on finding themselves realize the search should have ended the day they met? Find out in No Pants Required–a sexy, funny, romantic stand-alone, that will have you hurrying to grab your bathing suit and rushing to the beach to check out every lifeguard on duty.
 
 
 
 
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Our first introduction to Camden (Cam) is not flattering. Unbeknownst to Cam, Makayla is in the private room when he gets oral satisfaction from Vanessa. She’s also there to witness his rudeness before, during, and after the blow job. If you’re like me, you’ll be thinking and calling him all sorts of names… dick, douchebag, asshole. The list goes on. However, once he explains his behavior towards Vanessa, you kind of forgive him. With that said, based off what she did to him, I wonder why he allowed her to suck him off again. Oh wait, he wasn’t thinking — at least not with the head positioned squarely between his shoulder blades.
 
When Makayla and Cam’s paths cross a second time they are aboard the same flight. She doesn’t recognize him because, from her vantage point in the dark room, she never saw his face. While they are seat mates, the fun and their chemistry really heats up until they are caught trying to get some lovin’ in the sky. HOW EMBARRASSING!! 
 
Their flirtatious antics could’ve been restarted if she didn’t notice his chest tattoo (while in the bathroom) and recognized him as the bastard from the club. 
 
Now in the real world, the story would be over but this is the land of make-believe so the show must go on. 
 
They meet again and, this time, they lay all their cards on the table. He explains the club incident and what led up to it. This is the point of the story where you stop calling him a dick and start calling Vanessa a bitch.
 
This is also the point of the story where the sexiness levels goes from from eh to whoa momma!
 
There’re so many funny and sexy moments in this story. Times you laugh so hard you snort and then there’s times you’ll be so turned on you think you’re going to combust from sexual frustration. 
 
Hey, if you find yourself in this situation, do what Makyala did and grab a toy or rub one out like Cam.  😉 
 
On a final note, even though No Pants Required ended on a happy note, Cam pissed me off again towards the last third of their story. For a man who loves her so damn much, why couldn’t he let her in and explains his fears of the future, his plans for himself, and for them. Instead, his ugly side showed up again and this time, I didn’t find myself forgiving him so easily. The end goal was sweet, romantic, but he didn’t have to treat her like an acquaintance when she was supposed to be his everything. 
 
 

Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤

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August 10, 2016 · 5:00 am

Solace: Fae Warriors, Book 1 by Gini Rifkin (Book Review)

 

Solace Goodeve, one of Mother Nature’s favorite Fae Warriors, is assigned to Earth to help save the planet. Reptile invaders, disguising themselves as humans, are waging a takeover—and Mother is mad enough to eat asteroids. Solace is ready to prove herself as a warrior, but having a human for a partner is not in her battle plan—even if the man is rugged, ripped, and ready for action.

Army Ranger, Tanner Jackson, has seen his share of black op missions. The last one took a toll on both body and soul. Tanner isn’t looking for love, even though his new partner is six-foot-tall and drop dead gorgeous. However, after Solace shows him a new meaning to working undercover, he may have to reconsider that possibility.

As the Reps plan to sabotage NOAA, Tanner and Solace must learn to trust one another. But as they’re trying to save the world, Solace and Tanner might just lose their hearts—and that takes the most courage of all.

 
 
 
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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
Science fiction lovers, I’d like to proudly introduce you to your next favorite book. 
 
In Solace, you’ll watch the Fae Warriors battle Reptilian/Men. A battle which began in chapter one and didn’t let up. In fact, the action will continue in Bliss (Fae Warriors Book 2). FYI: A sneak peek is found following Solace’s glossary.
 
The initial fight scene was pretty extraordinary. Her opponent was no one I’d like to run across in a darkened alley or one heavily lit up either. Reptilians are bad mojo. Let me describe them to you. 
 
Imagine this showdown: Watching a “man” slowly morph into a Reptile… thick green skin, elongated nails, and sporting a lizard head. A creature with lethal pointy teeth, outweighing you by 200 pounds and harboring a very deadly weapon —- a tail. A tail that grew right before Solace’s eyes. Oh, lets not forget he wore scaly body armor. Freaky!!!
 
If I faced one of those abominations, I would definitely develop a full blown case of herpetophobia — fear of reptiles. 
 
If you think you wouldn’t, you would after taking a gander at its genitalia. Huge and thorny. I mean, I’m ok with a little pain with my pleasure but I’m not in the market to get ripped wide open. No way, Jose. This chick would become celibate. 
 
Luckily for Solace, she didn’t have to remain celibate. She found herself an Army Ranger who literally plucked her out of the sky. 
 
With moves like that, I can see why she fell for the human. 😉
 
I’m not sure how long they will stay together since she’s not a human but, for now, their relationship is full speed ahead.  
 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2
 
 
 
 
 

Gini Rifkin writes adventurous romance, past present, and into the future. Her settings include the American West, Medieval England, Victorian England, and contemporary fantasy. When not reading or writing, she has the privilege of caring for a menagerie of abandoned animals including ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, donkeys, and cats. She was born and raised in Illinois where she went to school to become a registered nurse. When struck by wanderlust, she moved to Colorado and met her husband Gary. They shared the journey for 30 years, spending vacations canoeing, doing Mountain Man reenacting, and traveling around this great country. Although Gary has passed on, he left her with the skills to soldier on alone, and a little bit of him lives on in every hero she creates. Her writing keeps her hungry to keep learning new things, and she considers family and friends her most treasured of gifts.

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