Slivers of Memory )Chosen Legends, #0) By A. J. Dasher, A Book Review

 

This was a fun read. The action and intrigue were non-stop. A page turner that didn’t end on the last page. Now I have to buy the sequel. Probably all of them.

The characters were being developed page after page, but leaving you wondering and yearning for more information. I love this type of writing. It keeps you glued to each page until there are no more to read.

Arctic, what a great name for this character. Once you read about him you will understand why. River, another awesome name for her. I have nothing bad to say about this book. The story, the writing, and the characters are all wonderful.

Buy this book if you like fantasy and intrigue. You will enjoy it. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Year Of The Lynx By Lizze Lane, A Book Review

 

This was a long book for me. The story was interesting, but I felt like it took too long to get to the end. There were a lot of things happening, but it didn’t hold my feet to the fire, a must-see what happens next feeling. Maybe the love interest should have started sooner, I don’t know.

The main character, Morcant, I came to enjoy and feel for. But it took a long time to get there. Lizzie wrote the characters well; you knew how they thought and what they felt for the most part. They were woven into the story well, also, so I am not sure what exactly slowed me down from staying deep into it, anxious to know what would happen next.

I did enjoy the story overall; it is a good read, and others will certainly enjoy it. The writing is done well, the story is constantly moving, and history abounds, so it is an interesting read. History buffs would certainly love it. Due to the second sentence above, I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Dark Secrets By Ruth Milligan, A Book Review

 This story was surprising. The characters, scientists, worked at a lab in an advanced future that had destroyed our planet. That travesty caused mutations that normally occur to be amplified in animals and transferred to humans. Finding the cure was a race and fraught with ill intent, psychological trauma, and dedication to do what is right, humane and urgently needed to save lives.

Surprising, because I expected the characters to be more explored, or exposed, might be a better word. I wanted to root for them, but I didn’t have a character identified enough that I loved and cheered for. Maybe a more in-depth creation would have helped that. Anyway, if I were asked about Adam or his fellow scientists and what made them tick, I couldn’t really tell you.

It is a good story, but I feel it glides over the top of the details that would draw one into the center of it, making it memorable and wanting more. It is a page turner because you want to see if they succeed in their mission, and the pace is well done. And there is a character you instinctively dislike; writing about her was not mistaken or questioned, really.  How Ruth set the adversary up is how she should do the others.

I would still recommend reading the book; it is a good story and as I said, a page turner. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Out Of The Box Awakening By Jennifer Theriot, A Book Review

 

This story is a romance novel with the older generation, but it didn’t dampen or dull the senses due to the age of the characters; it woke them up. I felt it was sometimes patronizing of the elderly, as if age mattered concerning emotions. We put the limits on what people of certain ages can or should do, so I wasn’t in favor of that subtle nuance.

The main character was lovable and fun, but almost too much. Her new companion was a great person, and a little too perfect. Together, they were fun to follow, but left me doubting it could ever be true, believable, which taints the story a bit. I want happy endings, fun lives, and exciting adventures, but real life just doesn’t walk that easy path. So I wavered. My faith in the story, the characters, and the path became questions and doubts. Olivia was strong-willed, but without the confidence to venture forth alone, no matter what she thought about it. Some of the steps in the story were left unresolved, which piled onto the already questionable actions. Ash, the compliment to Olivia, was a little too perfect. With no flaws, he became a fairytale, one you couldn’t even see in the ending as real.

I did enjoy the story mostly, but I was disappointed in the holes and doubts the characters' personalities created. I think it should be tweaked and revised to bring the reader into the story to root for and hope for their great moves to successful growth, not just happiness because of others. I felt as if the character couldn’t have accomplished this on her own; she needed the perfect Ash to get her there. It was a dependent resolution, and that was unfortunate. The writing, overall, was good, though, so I still gave it 4 stars out of 5.

The Siege of Baradesh By Brad Stucki, A Book Review

 

A story to learn from and a delight to read. The book is well-written, well-versed, and told in a way that keeps you reading and your mind engaged with many thought-provoking ideas.

Reading the author’s notes at the end gripped me, making the story even more stunningly important. This book tells a story, a lesson we all should heed, learn, and practice. What a different society and culture we would have today if we had and did heed the lessons of the story.

Caleb, the heir, is not only brave and intelligent, but he also absorbed the knowledge given and utilized the keys to wisdom that Silas, his guardian, taught him. Recognizing the tragedies of the past is one thing, but creating a better future with wisdom is quite another. This story is not only entertaining, it is also a valuable lesson for everyone to learn, and hopefully, wisely, enact.

This is a timeless tale that everyone should read, and all will thoroughly enjoy.

Winter Star in the Scottish Highlands Book 2, By Lizzie Lamb, A Book Review

 Lizzie Lamb is an author who never disappoints. Another ‘hit it out of the park’ book that you enjoy too much to put down. This is the second book in this series; the first one is ‘Dark Highland Skies’. At the end of this book, Lizzie says Tor and Halley are her two favorite characters, and she’s not ready to let them go yet. I don’t want her to let them go yet either, but there are only these two books in the series, so…I will have to deal with that.

The writing is so involved, showing intrigue, passion, truths, deceit, and even contrition, giving the characters depth and relevance on each page. I can’t get enough of her novels, so I am sure you will see another review of another one of her books soon. If you read one, you will read another. Enjoy.

My Darling Bride (The Darlings, #1) By Ilsa Madden-Mills, A Book Review

 

What a fun read. The story was a pleasure to dive into and enticing without fail, page after page. The pace was constant, void of boring pauses, and the characters were lovable. That keeps you reading even if the story is not very good. Thankfully, it was a great story and entertaining.

There is some explicit sex, but not the whole book, for those who don’t read explicit romances. The characters shine in Lisa’s writing, leaving you with a sense that you really know them in real life. There are funny parts I had to laugh out loud at, and even exasperating parts that actually felt real, meaning my friends or I would have done that sort of thing.

A lot of romance novels are predictable and tried-and-true, with nothing new or fun. This book hits the mark; I would recommend it to everyone who likes romances. You will enjoy the story Lisa weaves.