Outlaw Jane (Rimrider Adventures, #2) By L.A. Kelley, A Book Review

 This second book of the series is just as good as the first, but with a little less action, which is fine. The story itself didn’t lose any punch because of it.

The characters kept you engaged and turning the pages when the story slowed a bit. Well, I can’t really say it slowed, but it just wasn’t as busy as the first one, I guess. Anyway, I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Quite creative.

As with the first book, I now must read the next one, and I am happy with this author's creative mind. I have a feeling all her books are great, and I intend to find out.

If you like sci-fi with adventure, creative aspects and scenes, laughable moments, and even a little romance, you will definitely like this series. Great read. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars, and it was well deserved.

The Ex She Feared By J.C. Moore, A Book Review

 

This was a quick read. A story that’s based on a victim of domestic violence no longer having the normal, so-called protection in a functioning society due to an event, possibly global, that cuts the power, phones, and electronics. I say ‘so called’ because the protections offered in normal life are not even close to real protection for these victims. Anyway, the story is written to feel like you are in it with them. Looking over your shoulder, not trusting anyone, walking softly, quietly, observing everything. Crazy, and yet so real.

The characters are tuned to the current situation they are in. Few references are made to their past lives or their future goals. The present details and what is happening occupy their minds and actions almost 100 percent. So you can’t predict too much but wonder just the same. That does not bring me into their world to know, understand, or hope for them greater than the situation they're in.

The story was interesting, and one of the reviews made me wonder whether the reviewer had even read the book. None of what they said was true; it was just one of those people posting a low rating for their fun. It’s sad when I see that.

There were times when I had to go back and reread a part because I thought I had missed something. I didn’t; the story just skipped information. Not vital information, but for the flow, it was needed.

If you like psychological thrillers, you will like this story. Except for the skips, it was well done. But because of the skips, I could only give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

An Ear For Secrets (The Apex Kingdom #2) By LC Whitehouse, A Book Review

 

This, of course, is the second book of this series, and definitely not the last. Another interesting and fun story to read, and it pushes my need to get the next one when it’s published.

The characters, even though I feel I really know them from the first book, held some surprises in this one. The tender love between the two main characters keeps you glued to their trysts of thievery for the sake of justice and humanity. Rooting for them. Laughing with them. Enjoying their banter.

The loyalties amongst the group will keep you fixed in one direction, until you aren’t. The beliefs in them that emerge suddenly get questioned. Never assume - is the lesson here.

You will wonder what happens next, what lies hidden beneath each character's façade, and how they will each get through to the end. It’s a laid-out plan that never goes as planned and keeps you turning the pages to see what is next.

Another well-done story that thumps your heart and flutters your soul. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.

A Taste For Lies (The Apex Kingdom #1) By LC Whitehouse, A Book Review

 

This story surprised me with its creative flair. Sometimes when the setting is outside normal reality, the authors have a hard time conveying the scene and emotions well enough for the reader to comprehend and dig into what is transpiring. Also, implanting thoughts or motions that hinge, enlighten, or prophesy other parts of the story are key to keeping the story a discovery.  These opportunities often get missed. Thankfully, this author did not disappoint. I think it was well done every time, from the beginning right to the end of the book.

The characters were developed, showing their past and present emotions with solid moves, thoughts, and conversations. Their interactions were realistic enough to evoke concern, irritation, and adoration, mixing these emotions at many levels, supporting the different scenes in the story. It kept me interested and glued to the story, compelling me to read the next book in the series. Which I will.

Well done, LC Whitehouse!

The Crimes of Colleen O’Byrnes By Jennie L. Morris, A Book Review

 

This is a story of surprise and worth reading. The main character, Colleen, was too aloof for me to fully understand or predict, and purposely so, I believe. It was a story that moved at a good pace, kept you guessing and trying to predict the next move, making it a mystery to solve.

The ending was totally unexpected because I thought I had a grasp of the characters’ psyches, but alas, I was mistaken.

It’s a quick read, if you like crime and suspense, that keeps you in the story throughout. I gave this 4 stars.

Allie’s War: Episode 1 by J.C. Andrijeski, A Book Review

 

I purchased this book some time ago, as a quick read to see if I would enjoy the author’s writing and storytelling.

The story was interesting, but I had a hard time following the action. I believe the characters went into other dimensions, or the ether, or something. I never quite figured it out. The characters had some depth established, but their connection to each other was not yet revealed, meaning you would have to continue to the next book for resolutions.

Moving forward was not a compelling thought for me, because I had such a hard time grasping the story in this short read, so I will not be moving to any other books at this time. I could only give this book 3 stars.

Rimrider(Rimrider Adventures-Book1) By L.A. Kelley, A Book Review

 This book was fun. I had adventure, creative aspects and sceness, laughable moments, and even a little romance. I enjoyed the whole story, and actually want to read more by this author, including the sequels to this book.

I did not know about this author or any of the other books she wrote before reading this one, so I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. This novel is great, and not a run-of-the-mill sci-fi so many now are.

The characters were engaging and emotionally felt from start to finish. The main characters were wonderfully real, and their emotions and actions felt like they were right there beside you. I found myself smiling, sad, laughing, and rooting for them as their adventure unfolded. Great job.

I will be noting this author in the future; she’s a good one. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.

Moon City By Martin van Balkom, A Book Review

 This was a fun read. The story was an adventure with punctures of realities that aren’t too far-fetched. In some instances, harsh and real possibilities, if history and current events of people and their nature are any indication.

Even though thoughts of ugly truths ring in your ears at times, the story still entertained. Going to the moon as easily as the story writes is probably not so far off the mark. The set on the moon is believable and then not. Using guns for control, ripping holes in the containment system, you know, so people can still breathe and live in a vacuum environment, wouldn’t be the smartest move. But then again, I felt like the book is showing just how dumb and self-absorbed people are, can be, and may very well rise in the worst of times.

Next, we have the normals and intellectuals who rise above the chaos but won’t escape the destruction caused by the controllers. There are always controllers in these situations.

It was sad, exasperating, and yet entertaining throughout the book. A lesson on people is what I took away, and the facts and creations from the exploration and colonization of the moon were all fun and interesting.

I really enjoyed the story, and I believe any sci-fi person would like it as well. Although I didn't expect the ending, it is intriguing. For the entertaining story, and clean writing, I gave this book 5 our of 5 stars. 

Closure By Charles Brass, A Book Review

 This was not my type of story, but it is listed on Amazon as contemporary fantasy, so that is what I had expected. I feel this is more of a horror, paranormal book. The story is darker and grittier than usual and depicts disturbing sequences, albeit without ill intent. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Aside from that, the story read well, with no skips or holes, and was creative to a degree beyond the norm. The characters were described well enough to get a sense of their being, but none of them grabbed me to fight for or against. The deep emotion did not connect for me.

I’d like to say this was a new area of work to read for me. I am not compelled to try another, though. For those who like darker tales, you may enjoy this story. I could only give this 4 out of 5 stars because I believe it is in a category not correctly representative of its nature.

Harleigh Sinclair and the Raiders of the Lost Ankh By Tamara Grantham, A Book Review

 This was an interesting story. I really like stories tied to ancient mysteries and lore, especially when there seems to be a tinge of truthful possibility ringing in the air. It’s just fun to imagine and ride the creative weaving lines written. 

The story was short and sweet, but don’t worry, there are more books for the main character and her heart-stopping comrade. And of course there is a catch, yet to be revealed, why he can’t or won’t let them be together. Keeps the saga interesting, intriguing, and enticing to read the next book. I’m in. Always attracted to the love stories inside of other stories. 

I didn’t find any story skips or plot holes, and the characters were developed to keep you invested. Knowing other books follow, I am sure they will be developed even deeper emotionally, keeping you enthralled with each one of them. 

The theme of ancient artifacts, I believe, runs through each book, as this story actually continues to the next find. I am invested now and will be reading the others. Great job, Tamara. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.

The Prince and the Fool By John Cronshaw, A Book Review

 I thought this was the last book in this series, but no, it is just the last one published so far. So, my sought resolutions to the story are not to be had yet. That did not take away from the story, though, at all.

I really enjoy this series. I hate when people do dumb stuff all the time in stories and movies, meant to create chaos or drama, and it is only irritating to me. Certainly not insightful or entertaining. That doesn’t happen with this author, so it was fun and interesting to read each and every book. 

I like the author’s style and his creative plots. I will definitely be reading more of his books, and I would recommend them to everyone who likes a creative series set in early times, as in a stone's throw from Neanderthal times. Kidding. Somewhat. I had to give this 5 out of 5 stars; it is well deserved.

The Knight and the Rebel By John Cronshaw, A Book Review

 This is the third book of the series, and again the saga continues, keeping pace with the first two, driving the reader to keep turning the pages. It is yet to be continued in a fourth book, which I have now purchased to see what the ending brings.

The story doesn’t appear to stray from its path, yet it introduces concepts that create more conflict, more intrigue, and prompts thoughts about how to resolve them all.

As expected from the first two, the story was well written and detailed, creating pictures of it all in your mind and immersing you in the scenes as if you were really there. The two main characters again are presented with real and individual personalities that mesh with their world of upbringing and future ambitions to right the world as they believe it should be. Then we have the current conditions and episodes of fate that alter their views or actions to propel the story in more ways than imagined.

The two characters still don’t know what the other is doing, but they are forging their own paths as they feel is best. It can only culminate at some point in the final book, and that will be very interesting to read. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars. A wonderful gift to read.

The Wolf and the Wyvern By John Cronshaw, A Book Review

The second book of this series does not disappoint my expectations from the first book. The storyline continues without revealing the whole plot, keeping you turning the pages, enjoying the chapters, one after the next.

The era setting is, of course, once again, with swords, daggers, castles, and a little magic that brings a very different reality to life that the reader can totally immerse themselves in for a little escape from the norm, since it is a continuation of the first book.

The two main characters, Maja and Ragnar, win the favor of the reader for their wit, compassion, and love for their lost home. The need to see them succeed is strong and compelling. Without giving the story away, the fight to regain their home, not knowing yet what either of them is doing to that end, captures your heart and imagination through the whole book.

Wonderfully written, with details that not only immerse you into the story, but also create a new reality which gives you pleasant sights and smells, dark and dangerous passages heightening your senses, and feelings of connection to the characters. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars and believe everyone would enjoy this series.

The Fall of Wolfsbane by Jon Cronshaw, A Book Review

 This is a story made into a series with a lot of twists, turns, and unexpected action that keeps you turning the pages for the battle outcomes, character connections, and story resolutions. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and even the not-so-nice ones.

The era setting is also one, with swords, daggers, castles, and a little magic that brings a very different reality to life that the reader can immerse themselves in for a little vacation from the norm.

The book’s ending is a ‘must read the next one’ tide pulling you out to the next book, so you can return to the comfortable new reality and find out what else happens. Yes, I did just that. I am now on the third book as I am writing this review.

There are some issues with flow or story holes: I had a clear sense of what was happening to each character as I was reading, but then something is stated that creates a whole different scene for that one character. I backpedal, thinking I missed a passage or something, but no, I didn’t. So, I just accept the new view and keep moving. Other than that, this is a well-written, detailed, and sagacious story.

I would recommend this book to any parent looking for a great adventure, with a fairly clean discourse. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars for being clean and well-written, and a good-paced story. How anyone can give this story a 1,2, or even 3 stars is outside of my comprehension unless they were expecting something beyond the age group it was intended. What an unfair shot to the author. 

Melody:A First Contact Techno-Thriller By David Hoffer, A Book Review

 First off, I think the book should have been named Danica, because Melody is actually Danica, and I’m partial to that name. Oh well, he spelled her name with a k too. But still.

Anyway, the story was interesting. Being a Sci-Fi book, it is not beyond the realm of possibility since that has been proven time and again in other Sci-Fi books. The author's explanation of the concepts, though, was a little tougher to follow in some parts. Is it because I don’t have a totally scientific brain, or too much of one, which leads to boxing creative flow or dimming the understanding? I don’t know, but suffice it to say, I had a hard time in some parts. It just didn’t flow with ease for me.

This book has a sequel, and I was really curious to see where the second book goes until I read the blurb. Now I have to think about that for a bit. It seems like a second-time-around kind of story, and I’m not sold on that right now.

For the first book, for the reader who meets sci-fi, it was great, and for the reader who knows and is used to sci-fi, it is still good. This book kept me engaged to the end. The story answered all the questions, maybe not the way I would have written it, but I didn’t have any holes from a lacking plot. I would recommend this book for any readers who like sci-fi with twists. It was a fun read and had interesting concepts. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Psychotic Obsession (The Edge Of Darkness Trilogy) By Leigh Rivers, A Book Review

 This is an afterthought of the trilogy, because I think it was written after the series was complete, to further show the interaction between the main character, Kade’s mother and father. It untangles the intricacies of Kade’s mental development and, hence, how it all started. I am glad she wrote it because the series left a lot of questions unanswered that this book supplied.

Some slow-moving parts weren’t done in the other books, but it still hit the suspense and shock at times that the other books did. And, thankfully, the questions were answered, and I enjoyed the story.

If I had known this book was out, I would have liked to read it first. It doesn’t propel you to read the next one with a hanging ending. But the storyline is still there, moving to the next generation, and it is intriguing.

I recommend the whole series if you like intrigue, suspense, or just sexy, steamy scenes. Fair warning, for those who don’t like explicit, these books definitely are explicit, both sexually and dark, graphic murder, and even torture. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Restitution (The Edge Of Darkness Trilogy) By Leigh Rivers, A Book Review

 This is the third book of this series, and thankfully, I was satisfied with the ending. I have to say, though, reading through, I wasn’t sure if it was going to make it. This author is really great at making you wonder and shocking you with twists you don’t see coming. The psychological aspect is unbelievable and gripping.

I enjoyed the series, although it should also be under the horror genre, because some of it was really in that category. I am not a real fan of graphic horror, but the author’s ability to develop her characters and craft a realistic, suspenseful tale keeps you engaged. It makes you want to fight for them and turn every page to make sure they win in the end.

There is now a fourth book, which is really a back to the beginning of how this all started book, that I have now started reading. I am quite certain there will be twists I don’t see coming, and characters developed that again keep me turning the pages.

I would recommend the series, just warning of the explicit sex, which is expected in this genre, and also some very graphic and horrific things that stomp on your brain. I just read past it and keep going. If you, as a reader, can do that, then the story and characters will be an enjoyable read you won’t soon forget. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.

Voracious (The Edge Of Darkness Trilogy) By Leigh Rivers, A Book Review

 I enjoyed this book even more than the first. Explicit sex scenes, but I didn’t feel any of them were used as filler this time, and the story was great. This is a trilogy, and it didn’t disappoint, leaving the reader no choice but to get the final book after completing this one.

The characters were created and well written, giving the reader a solid footing to enjoy, and even hate and cry for them and the events that happened as the story developed. It was a great read, and most people will enjoy it. The scenes showed a very strong and heartfelt love between the main characters that no matter what happened, Stacey and Kade could not lose or have taken away from them. 

It is touching, loving, heartbreaking, shocking, and emotional throughout, keeping the pages turning and the story engaging without fail. Everyone would enjoy this romance even though parts of it are dark. It shows light and love triumph, which keeps our hearts pounding, and curiosity plunges us forward to read the end. 

This book doesn't just propel you to the next book; it demands it. Truly, you have no choice but to read the final book unless you want to dwell on suppositions about the ending forever. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.

Insatiable (The Edge Of Darkness Trilogy) By Leigh Rivers, A Book Review

 I was surprised. The book was promoted as a Young Adult book, and reading the ad caption, I thought it would be interesting. It was interesting all right, and now I want to find out what happens next, but I was totally unprepared for the content.

It is definitely not a YA book. When I went to Amazon to post a review, I looked to see what category it is in: Romantic Erotica. So, I am sure you now realize, it is completely explicit sex and some romance, but also suspense, and twists of a tale book.

I can read pretty much anything, but I don’t like thinking a book is one thing and realizing it is something else entirely. I did enjoy the story, but I thought the sex scenes were much more than necessary. It felt like filler sometimes, to add more pages, but it didn’t enhance the plot. Well, maybe to some it does. But for me, it stole time from the story's progression, stalling the plot.

I did enjoy the characters, though, which made it much more interesting and fun to read. Of course, now I have to read the second book because I am so curious as to where the author is going to take this. 

If you like to read steamy and explicit sex scenes with romance, you will enjoy this book. The story was well thought out and enticing you to read the next book as well. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

The Day We Destroyed Earth By S.K. Apollo, A Book Review

 This story is apocalyptic, but the characters and the writing of the events make it seem real. Living it with them, turning the pages to stay in the story, was my reaction. I found it a great story and a fun adventure.

There are times in the book where I didn’t like parts, like spiders. I hate spiders, and I really don’t want to read about them, but it was still real and engaging enough to keep me reading. There were some writing issues, but nothing that would deter me from completing the book and thoroughly enjoying it.

The characters were interesting and actually true to real-life actions, mentally, emotionally, and physically. I could believe it from every angle. The parts about our and the world governments are so true, it is disturbing. Then the passages of what we, the people, need and must do are also true to a frightening degree.

I would suggest reading this book for numerous reasons, but the first is that it is a great story you will enjoy, and it will leave you thinking about it even after it's read. More than once. I gave this 5 out of 5 stars.