Category Archives: books/book review

Book Review of Erec Stebbins’ Reader (Daughter of Time, #1)

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reader (Daughter of Time)I downloaded Erec Stebbins‘ Sci-Fi novel Reader (Daughter of Time) for review from the Story Cartel.

Description from Goodreads:
She was a VICTIM: enslaved after her parents’ murder. She was made a MONSTER: deformed, modified against her will. She became a MESSIAH: opening the Orbs and leading a galactic rebellion.

Share the cosmic quest of seventeen-year-old Ambra Dawn, Reader, and the most unbelievable step in the adventure – will be your own.

Review:
Reader (Daughter of Time) has an interesting premise. Poor Ambra Dawn never had a chance at a normal life but still proved herself incredibly resilient. The story is told in first person from her perspective when she is about 17. I generally dislike first-person narratives, but in this case, the reader (not Reader) is given a very clear reason that she is telling you her story, so it works.

At about (almost exactly, really) 50% her personality changes quite abruptly from passive victim to strong aggressor. This was absolutely necessary for the plot and the development of her character, but it felt very much like it came out of nowhere. Yes, something happened to instigate the change, but so very, very much had already happened to her that it almost didn’t seem like it should have affected her so much.

I especially liked that everything was tied into science in some fashion. High-level 4-dimensional space-time related science that often flew right over my head, but I appreciated it all the same. There are a lot of really good quotes too. They head the chapters, providing a clue to what is coming.

I have to admit, embarrassing as it may be, that like clapping for Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, I sent my prayer/strong thought/wish into the universe, as requested. Surely, that’s a sign of a book that has affected someone. I believe the book was written with a young adult audience in mind (so the author mentions it in the acknowledgments). Certainly, a teenager could, and probably would, enjoy the book, but it is joyously free of all of the ridiculous angst that usually accompanies YA books. As an adult, I quite enjoyed the book.

Book Review of Bria Hofland’s 42nd & Lex

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42nd & Lex

I grabbed Bria Hofland‘s PNR novel, 42nd & Lex from the Amazon KDP free list.

Description from Goodreads:
A divorce lawyer by trade, I have been soured on love for years. I haven’t had a date in months and now my childhood best friend—you know the über pretty and together one—has hired me to handle her divorce. If she can’t keep a man then there is no hope for me. Then a chance meeting on an elevator changes everything. Lucan O’Reilly is good looking, wealthy, and has an apartment to die for. He always seems to know just what’s on my mind. The perfect man, actually. But is it all too good to be true…

“Shh, I’m ready to tell you,” he whispers and with that I hear him speak a word in my mind. Vampire. Unfortunately, this is the least of my concerns for a new relationship fraught with secret ceremonies, blood hungry enemies, and saving Lucan’s soul. 

Review:
This wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I thought it would be a hot paranormal, if not erotic, romance. It wasn’t. There were a few incredibly mild sex scenes, but the sizzle level was along the lines of ‘we made love until morning.’ Meh.

I did enjoy Abri though. She was a feisty heroine who knew her own mind and didn’t easily bend to the overprotective nature of her literary mate. Said mate, Lucan, was a pleasant surprise in and of himself. He was kind and considerate and even sexy. What he was not was any sort of overbearing alpha male. It was nice to see that mould broken. He was exceedingly wealthy though. (I guess an author can’t be expected to break them all.) An annoyingly large portion of the book was dedicated to showcasing his money–his cars, clothes, jewellery, fancy restaurants, high price real-estate, etc. All of which he, of course, showers her with. After a while it just felt like a plot prop.

The book could do with another round of edits. There are a lot of missing words, mostly pronouns and particles. There are also a few word choice issues. The repeated use of the word least when lest is meant, for example. The story was still perfectly readable, enjoyable even, but it would be hard to miss the mistakes.

All-in-all I found it a sweet little romance novel with a few weak attempts to broaden the plot. The whole Serge drama fell a little flat with me. He didn’t feel like enough of a threat to warrant as much attention as it was given. The whole vampire reveal seemed a bit ho-hum. No one seemed bothered in the least by it. Even the scary high council just felt like cheery geriatrics. Be that as it may, it was still a fun little read.

Book Review: Karma in Camo, by J.D. Wylde

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karma in cAMO COVER

About the book:

Can lives based on lies lead to love?
Joe DeMarco of Nowhere, West Virginia, believes in love at first sight. From the first moment he sets eyes on the gorgeous, long-legged beauty stranded on the side of the road outside his town, he knows. She’s the one. Even if she’s standing in front of him, brandishing a bottle, threatening to blind him with hand sanitizer. He likes her idea of foreplay. He likes everything about her. Even when she’s maligning his character, calling him a terrorist — and he, the chief of police. He should tell her who he is. And what he does. And he would… soon.

Julia Stockton of New York City is having a bad day. Bad year, actually, now that Karma has it out for her. Or maybe it’s because of Karma. More likely, it’s because of the rat bastard of a man she’d loved. The one who lied to her, betrayed her and carved out her heart, taking her savings account and apartment as a departing gift. She’s done with lying men! So why has Karma dropped her on the side of the road in god-forsaken West Virginia? Taunting her with a handsome, blond-haired, broad-shouldered god? The kind of man she harbors secret fantasies about? The kind of man she could so easily love, if she was looking for it. Which she isn’t.

But Joe is very persuasive. And Julia willingly gives him a weekend. One she’s sure she’ll never forget. And then she gives him so much more. She gives him her fragile heart. And for a while, Joe is everything she wants. Until she finds out he isn’t what she thought. Or who. So, is it Karmo in Camo? Or is it love?

Review:

Oh God, I wish I hadn’t read that. Historically I’ve not been a fan of contemporary romances. I often find the female leads weak-willed, and the plots too sappy for me. I know that’s what some people like most about the genre, but me not so much. Despite my hesitations about the genre, I was tempted by the sarcastic tone of the book’s description, and this same tone runs throughout the story. It is just as funny as the description led me to believe, which was good. But I can’t say I much liked the story. Honestly, I’m not even saying it’s not a good book and everything that women who like mushy love stories and frail save me from myself heroines appreciate about the genre. I’m just not one of those women.

At 27% through the book, I posted this status update here on Goodreads,

I’m ~25% in and I know things are going to change, but as of this moment I’ve decided that a more satisfying rewrite of this story would be: Julia was having a bad day, week, month year. Stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire she doesn’t know how to change, Joe stops to help. She is then such a bitch to him that he gets back in his van, drives away and leaves her there like she deserves. Seriously!

The problem is that it didn’t change. Julia remained a completely bipolar, possibly psychotic witch who did NOTHING to deserve Joe–who was, of course, wonderful in every tall, blond, muscled, 8-inch, committed, loving way. I loved Joe, but despite my best efforts I couldn’t like Julia, outside of whether I generally like this sort of story or not. I just found her selfish and flat-out mean.

To top it all off, I don’t get the ‘he lied about being a cop’ theme that the plot hinges on. First off, so what? He a cop, big deal. Second, he DID TELL HER he’s the chief of police. The fact that she didn’t believe him doesn’t negate the fact that he told her. Plus, even if he hadn’t told her, he told her enough of what he does for a simpleton to figure it out. It’s not his fault if she’s just too stupid to read the large, neon, flashing, heroic sign he painted for her. It all left me groaning.

Wylde’s writing is perfectly readable, and, like I said, it is funny. But This was definitely not a good match for me.