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Book Review: Dragons In Pieces (Maze Beset) (Volume 1) by Lee French

August 13, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged Dragons in Pieces, fantasy, Lee French, Maze Beset

Dragons In Pieces (Maze Beset) (Volume 1) by Lee French

A Fantasy Novel published by Emily French (6/30/13)

Summary:

“Yes, it is a little disturbing to realize the only thing really preventing you from taking whatever you want is your own commitment to morality.” (Pages 153-154).

Bobby didn’t really have much going for him, but when the feds picked him up for a crime he didn’t commit, he used his upbringing to calm himself. Southern boys are polite, that is, until he was accused of being a terrorist, locked away, and experimented on like a lab rat. After discovering an unusual ability and meeting others with similar eery eyes, Bobby joins together with them to escape. But they find a list with more names then their own, and they can’t leave anyone to go through the hell they went through as lab rats, even if only for several days, and they make it their mission to save all the almond shaped eyed superheroes.

Keywords:

Dragons, Superheroes, Fighting, Powerful, Government, Experiment, Testing, Survival, Friendship, Vampire, Helping Others

My Review:

Dragons in Pieces starts with a focus on Bobby. He seems normal. He acts normal. He talks normal. He does normal youth-ish type things. There is a key difference, though, as Bobby is a Southern boy and he was never well off. He is quick to anger when something sparks the Southern Gentleman in him. His story starts when he takes it upon himself to tell off his mother’s boss and punches him right in the face. He is cooling off when he’s picked up as a terrorist. They must be wrong, Bobby didn’t do anything, just punched one guy.

Waking up hours or days later, Bobby doesn’t know, he is confronted by something quite unusual. Bobby and three others were being experimented on like lab rats and it won’t take long for Bobby and them to figure out why. They have super powers.

I loved Bobby. He had so much character, even if all that he said and did weren’t the best choices or the most smart decisions. Bobby has Southern charm and it’s apparent he has a Southern upbringing and grew up quite different than I did and I found him fascinating for these differences. It’s downright adorable that Bobby says “Heckbiscuits” as a curse word and tries to do what his momma done told him about being polite and how to handle himself in social situations. Bobby is rough around the edges but an extremely likeable main character.

The story was also fascinating and the choices Lee French made for the super powers was interesting. French gives is interesting characters, a compelling story, and a hint at something more going on than Bobby and his friends know.

This novel was published by Emily French on June 30th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Lee French on Facebook

Lee French on Twitter

Book Review: Fractured & Formidable: The Sacred Hearts MC Book V by AJ Downey

August 6, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged AJ Downey, Fractured & Formidable: The Sacred Hearts MC Book V, Romance | 1 Comment

Fractured & Formidable: The Sacred Hearts MC Book V by AJ Downey

A Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (07/01/15)

Summary:

“Taking the long road, doing the right thing, and using your words and actions that didn’t involve letting fists fly, was harder and way more time consuming than just punching a dude in the face a few times and going out for a beer after.” (Kindle Locations 2431-2432).

Autumn Amanda Price is the daughter of a preacher. The stigma of growing up a preacher’s daughter leaves her unprepared to deal with some of the darker parts of reality, but not at all from exploring her own desires. Zander (redubbed Revelator when he patched into the MC) almost shows his interest in Mandy too late and he has to work even harder to win her affections. Mandy’s dark secrets will come out in the open when all her friends don’t let up trying to help her. How will the MC proceed with this new conundrum, will they go back to their old ways or forge a new path?

Keywords:

Romance, motorcycle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, POV change, bad days, sexual content, threesome, darker sides, violence, past life, preacher’s daughter, innocence

My Review:

I love AJ Downey’s writing style and how she describes the world in the Sacred Hearts MC. All her characters come alive and every book is interconnected with the others through the overarching story-line and the characters’ involvement in each other’s lives.

Mandy is the ultimate unreachable girl. She’s a preacher’s daughter and supposedly innocent of the more sexual things, but she is ready to party and ready to play. She’s fun and vivacious, but she’s stuck in her past and stuck in her family secret. It was interesting to watch Revelator get stuck along with her in her family’s problems. A true relationship means that you are involved in your significant other’s family and that your partner’s problems become your own. Rev doesn’t pause to think about any of this, he is ready to lay down the law and jump into problems headfirst if it means protecting or helping his Mandy girl.

Downey changes the game with this book. No spoilers, you have to read for yourself, but leading up to the last book in the series, Fractured and Formidable is full of twists and turns.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on July 1st, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Book Review: Tattered & Torn: The Sacred Hearts MC Book IV (Volume 4) by AJ Downey

August 6, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged AJ Downey, Romance, The Sacred Hearts MC Book 4 | 1 Comment

Tattered & Torn: The Sacred Hearts MC Book IV (Volume 4) by AJ Downey

A Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (03/24/15)

Summary:

“I didn’t know how to process this big horrible no good very bad thing that had taken over my life and my dreams and dogged every step I took.” (Page 44).

Shelly and Ghost have a thing for one another, but with a lack of communication their budding relationship was nipped in the bud with the brutality of the Suicide King’s attack in Cracked & Crushed, until Ghost learns what Shelly has given up for him and Shelly learns why Ghost was so hung up over her past.

Keywords:

Romance, motorcycle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, POV change, best friends, bad days, sexual content, darker sides, past life, protection, love

My Review:

Downey brings together two unlikely characters in Tattered & Torn, the club “bunny” and a Southern gentleman/farmer boy. Their views on sex differ quite a bit, but their attraction to each other is in equal measure. Downey has set up a large personality difference and attitude to overcome for each of them to be able to live with one another and love one another.

This is the first book in the Sacred Hearts MC Series where the book drags until the middle and the relationship can really begin. Downey drowns us in Shelly’s moods and depression following quite the catastrophic incident and her misery is quite negative to float around in.

Ghost and Shelly are more perfect for each other than they realize. They both have their tempers and pasts to overcome. They both are willing to work for what they love and are extremely loyal to the club. What Ghost doesn’t understand, at first, is that the roles of a woman and man in the MC club are completely and irrevocably different.

I absolutely love the fact that Shelly gets her moment in this book. She gets to face her past head on and she gets to prove that even though she has those who will kill to protect her, she is capable of protecting herself.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on March 24th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information:

Book Review: Masked & Miserable: A Novella of the Sacred Hearts MC (Book 3.5) by AJ Downey

August 4, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged AJ Downey, Masked & Miserable: A Novella of the Sacred Hearts MC (Book 3.5), Romance | 1 Comment

Masked & Miserable: A Novella of the Sacred Hearts MC (Book 3.5) by AJ Downey

A Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (02/09/15)

Summary:

Squick has yet to officially tell anyone in the Scared Hearts MC that he’s gay, even though some have already guessed his secret. He had an easier time keeping his sex life private when he had none, but after meeting Aaron at the Open Road Ink tattoo parlor, he was instantly attracted to the slender musician, and life became much more complicated. He must open up to his family at the MC or risk losing them forever, but will they be able to accept the first and only gay member of their club?

Keywords:

Romance, motorcycle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, sexual content, past life, gay, acceptance, rivalry, love, musician, tattoos, artist, male on male sex

My Review:

This book, though marked as a novella, is packed with action. Be warned not to jump from book three to book four without diving into Masked and Miserable, because it moves along the main MC plot and squares away some of the Prospect’s new names. Even if male on male sex is not your thing, there is still romance and inner turmoil and the story of the Sacred Hearts and their struggles against the Suicide Kings going on in this book.

This is the first book in the Sacred Hearts series where a new character is introduced immediately and there is an instant attraction that is immediately acted upon. Get set for sex within the first couple of chapters versus halfway through like Downey’s other books in the series.

Downey still plays up the vulnerability of the characters and gives life to their feelings for one another.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on February 9th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information:

Book Review: Cracked and Crushed (The Sacred Hearts MC Book 3) by AJ Downey

August 4, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged AJ Downey, Cracked and Crushed, Romance

Cracked and Crushed (The Sacred Hearts MC Book 3) by AJ Downey

A Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (12/09/14)

Summary:

“I can’t tell if you’re the storm or my shelter from it…” -Hayden (Kindle Location 1639).

Hayden, Ashton’s friend from Shattered & Scarred, is ready on her wedding day to wed Andy and forget all about the mysterious man from the Sacred Hearts MC she had her eyes on, Reaver. When she gets left at the altar, the only person who can get her back on her feet is Reaver. He takes her on her honeymoon and they both learn that they can balance each other and that they are good for one another. It isn’t just Hayden who has been through tough times, Reav has his own past troubles to deal with.

Keywords:

Romance, motorcycle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, POV change, best friends, bad days, sexual content, threesome, darker sides, violence, graphic violence, past life, B&B, boat

My Review:

Reaver has been the most difficult character for me to get behind, to sympathize with, and to like. He is the most intense character, the most rough, the most animalistic and barbaric. Reaver is the violent one, the one who will take revenge far enough that even the other characters question him. Reaver is also the most sexually deviant from the pack (thus far) and his different kind of sexual appetite scares Hayden at times.

Hayden is the all-around cool girl. Sure, she gets left at the altar and is depressed and sad, but she’s up for anything! Anyone who can have a good time (at least some of the time) on their own Honeymoon for a wedding that didn’t actually happen, is a happy person indeed. Hayden is up for Reaver and his eccentricities. She’s up for MC life. She’s a trooper and fun to watch grow and blossom under Reaver’s protection and love.

I liked Downey’s re-iteration of the phrase “You trust me Doll?” by Reaver to signify their love.

I haven’t mentioned before but I really like how Downey’s covers are unique to the romance genre, they aren’t just bare chested men. Just like her stories aren’t just sex and romance, but also involve a larger story and the bigger picture of the Sacred Hearts MC.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on December 9th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Book Review: Bound by Duty (Bound Series Book 1) by Stormy Smith

July 30, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged Bound by Duty, contemporary YA, fantasy, Romance, Stormy Smith, YA

Bound by Duty (Bound Series Book 1) by Stormy Smith

A Contemporary YA Fantasy/Romance Novel published by Perfect Storm Publishing, LLC (07/23/2014)

Summary:

Since she was born, Amelia has been promised to the Prince, the son of evil Queen Julia. Amelia herself is no Princess, but she is an Elder, one with magical abilities. Her father never wanted her to practice her magic or to leave the safety of their home, to wait out the years until she turned twenty one and had to fulfill her promise to wed the prince. All Amelia thinks she wants is a few years of normalcy, so she leaves home and safety to go to college. At first she only has one human friend, Bethany, but then she meets Aidan. He is gorgeous, but she holds back, knowing she is not free to choose for love. Still, Aidan relentlessly pursues her until she can no longer say no. Amelia’s life has changed so much since she left home, but there are quite a few more surprises ahead for her.

Keywords:

Magic, Mage, Family, Secrets, Loyalty, Prince, Queen, Evil, Promises, Mate, Best Friend, Brother, MMA, Power, Animages

My Review:

Amelia, Micah and Cole keep important and relevant information from each other for apparently no other reason than a “feeling.” This does create plot items, but ultimately doesn’t feel real.

I want to love the main character but at best she was likeable. She was easily overpowered by her own anger and inner magic. She was often selfish to the point of putting others at risk. She didn’t have much of a chance in this book to show if she was romantic or nice (except when she was guilted into remembering she had a best friend etc. and to be nice). She wasn’t mean or cruel, per se, but she wasn’t overwhelmingly friendly. This ties into the boy girl romance aspect I roll my eyes at in most books with a romance. Why does Aidan like her, why does he persist in trying to win her over? Subsequently why does Amelia like Aidan, only because he chose her? There isn’t anything special about him, other than the fact that he likes her, or is there? The author hints and drops clues as to the effect under the skin that Aidan has on Ame, his effect on her magic, the intense way she feels. Still, it was too much love at first sight for me.

My favorite character was Bethany. She was the most interesting of the bunch, and human at that. Bethany was a southern belle, a pageant queen, a beauty prone to mild forms of drama. I can just imagine her being so lively and animated and stealing the spotlight for this book.

Amelia’s story about how she wants to be normal is the main story, but she is also part of a greater and more intriguing story that she is a large part of.

This novel was published by Perfect Storm Publishing, LLC 07/23/2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 4.0

Links for more information:

Stormy Smith’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: The Badlings by Ksenia Anske

July 28, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged fantasy, Ksenia Anske, The Badlings, YA

The Badlings by Ksenia Anske

A YA Fantasy Novel published by Ksenia Anske(07/07/15)

Summary:

Bells, Grand, Peacock and Rusty fall into a book, but not just any book, the Book of Dead Pages AKA Mad Tome. Within Mad Tome reside all the pages that people didn’t finish reading and all the characters who are tired of continuously playing out those pages over and over again. Bells and her friends discover a world of books that have ulterior motives. Are these Badling children here by accident or were they lured into this imaginative world for another purpose? But hey, since books aren’t ‘real’ and Mad Tome is just a collection of pages torn out of other books they should be able to escape easily, right? After hopping through quite a number of stories and meeting quite a number of characters Bells and her buddies will discover that it’s not as easy to escape after all.

Keywords:

Books, Rude Children, Badlings, Goodlings, Morbid Thoughts, Imagination, Doughnuts, Alice in Wonderland, Snow Queen, A Little Prince, Bluebeard, Masque of the Red Death, Sinbad, flying mattresses, Jungle Book, Don Quixote, Dracula, The Little Black Hen.

My Review:

Rusty and I both like doughnuts. Bells and I both don’t how to pick our fights as we choose to battle every time. Grand and I both ramble on when people don’t necessarily want to listen anymore. Sometimes I just want to be noticed, like Peacock. Ksenia Anske builds characters that may be completely different from her readers, but they always have something you can hold onto as a characteristic you can relate to. Which is good, because sometimes her storylines become entirely peculiar.

Anske is a bit like Louis Sachar in that her characters are young and whiny and whimsical. Anske is a bit like Neil Gaiman in that she crafts a story that has creative rhyme and reason to the imaginative twists. Anske is a bit like Lewis Carroll in that the reader can’t quite tell what is real and what is false. In The Badlings, Ksenia Anske gives me some of what I longed for in the Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. The Badlings is young adult and references books I’ve actually read, unlike Eyre Affair with its snooty books for adults.
The Badlings began with a neat little twist, like a less sinister (or so I thought) Jumanji that was all about books! Four kids find an object (a book) and it does something completely out of the ordinary (pulls them in). From there Anske does things a little bit differently. I appreciated the fact that there is a subtle theme for holding books sacred and that you shouldn’t just throw them here or there and that you MUST FINISH THEM or be regarded as a Badling. Everybody should strive to be a Goodling.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the whimsical imagination of Neil Gaiman or appreciates books.

This novel was published by Ksenia Anske July 7th, 2015 and is available on Ksenia Anske’s Website here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Ksenia Anske’s Website

Book Review: My Bittersweet Summer by Starla Huchton

July 23, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged My Bittersweet Summer, Starla Huchton

My Bittersweet Summer by Starla Huchton

A New Adult/Contemporary Novel published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (05/07/15)

Summary:

Margie was bullied relentlessly as a child. It was only when her family moved that she was able to slowly recover and become a stronger and more put together person. It took her six years to gain back her confidence and decrease her panic attacks, but it takes all of one look at the boys who were her biggest tormentors to tear down all the defenses she’d built up. She needs a letter of recommendation from the new chef at the restaurant her parents work at, so she can’t just leave. One boy in particular, Zack, keeps bothering her. He isn’t the bully she used to know, but can she get over the fear she still has of him and the others and of getting hurt again?

Keywords:

Bullying, Strength, Panic Attacks, Restaurants, Chef, Cooking, Summer, Summer Job, Promise of Paris, New England, Romance, Perseverance, Victim, Second Chances, Becoming a Better Person

My Review:

Starla Huchton has done it again. I couldn’t put down My Bittersweet Summer. The book flowed from beginning to end and held its tension and my attention throughout the entirety of the story.

I always love Huchton’s characters. Margie has so much personality and her past, though only told in bits and pieces throughout her present day life, is so alive for the reader. The events in Margie’s past made her who she is and shaped who she has become. Present Margie is a product of Past Margie, but she has worked hard to become a new Margie. Going back to the place where her bullies tormented her would break anyone. Margie is not a super human, she is susceptible to bouts of panic and emotion when she has to confront the same bullies all grown up. She reacts with words and even her fist at one point, but there are other factors that keep her from losing all control. She can’t beat up the restaurant owner’s son. She can’t kill her chance to get that recommendation. She can’t let her parents down. She’s forced to confront her fears and her tormenters and to rise to the challenge Zack presents.

Zack. I love a person who is trying to be a better person. He has a lot of past to overcome as one of those that stood by and let Margie get bullied. The ones who do nothing are just as guilty as those who are at the front of the assault. Zack has a lot to make up for and the way he tries is super sweet. I loved all his gestures and how hard he tried.

I absolutely love Starla’s style and the story of My Bittersweet Summer.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. on May 7th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Starla Huchton’s Website

Book Review: Progeny (The Endure Series Book 3) by S.A. Huchton

July 21, 2015 by rachelauthorbarnard in Book Review and tagged New Adult, Progeny, Romance, S.A. Huchton, Science Fiction, The Endure Series

Progeny (The Endure Series Book 3) by S.A. Huchton

A Sci-Fi/New Adult/Romance Novel published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (12/07/13)

Summary:

“’We always have a choice, Dr. Ashley. It’s what we do with the options we’re given that’s important.’” (Kindle Location 423).
“’You can’t blame yourself for putting people into a dangerous situation you didn’t create.’” (Kindle Locations 3297-3298).

Book three picks up after a bit of time from the end of Nemesis. Lydia has been gone long enough for them to send Dr. Nick back after lack of funding for both off-Endure researchers and she is now by herself in what may became potential enemy territory. With what she has learned and how she thinks Daniel feels, Lydia feels more alone than she’s ever felt before. She continues working on the cure to the bacteria she was studying on the Endure, but is plagued by doubt about everything and everyone. Has she left Daniel for good, or will this genius power couple get back together, even after knowing what they know about each other?

Keywords:

Genetics, genius, underwater, tough, instability, romance, love, hormones, leader, kick-butt female, sex, fighting, training, good guys, testing, banter, skills, technology, hackers, subaquatic living, scientists, the hard way, Marine Biochemistry, Nobel Laureate, ship-shape, selective breeding

My Review:

The reveals are grandiose in this book and the lengths both Daniel and Lydia will go for love are insane. The tension has been building from book one and we get the exciting third book of all hell breaks loose! Some conflicts are resolved, but the grand plotline, the good versus evil theme is still ongoing and yet to be concluded in this third novel. THIS IS NOT A TRILOGY. Progeny is not the final book. Huchton leaves the book with her greatest cliffhanger of the Endure series.

The greater plotline that’s fully revealed in this third book of the series is quite a doozy, meandering in and out of the gray area of genetic manipulation and selective breeding. But Huchton makes it personal. She brings a hypothetical (I hope) scientific concept to life right in front of your eyes with one of her characters and you are in the midst of the emotional ride as this gray area plays out. Who will win in the end? Will there be any winners? This third book is the most apocalyptic of the series, as it delves into possibilities that Huchton might explore in book four concerning a major decrease in population! She pulls out all the stops for this book, but looking back you know she had some of these greater designs in mind from the beginning. There were hints. There were clues. Hopefully in book four we get the conclusion we’ve been looking for.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. on December 25th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Starla Huchton’s Website