Tag Archives: Romance

Book Review: Evolution: SAGE (The Evolution Series Book 2) by S.A. Huchton

by in Book Review and tagged , , , , , , , ,

Evolution: SAGE (The Evolution Series Book 2) by S.A. Huchton

A Sci-Fi/Fantasy/New Adult Novel published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (05/04/14)

 

Summary:

“If you don’t give people a chance to be better, they never will be.” (Page 375).

Evolution Sage picks up right where Evolution Angel leaves off, with a depressed and devastated Candace for what happened and what she did to Adrian. For weeks she gives up on everything, purposeless and wracked with guilt. It isn’t until Jackson makes a comment to her about moving on or giving up and she is given a new purpose by the facility that she is finally ready to move ahead with her life. A new threat lies on the horizon and this enemy has been around for a long time, just now making their move. It is up to the ANGELS to get ready for this new, stronger enemy and they will turn to a higher level of experimentation to improve their already super hero super powers, but what will the consequences be this time?

 

Keywords:

Genetic Manipulation, Superheroes, Comic Books, Books, Tough, instability, romance, love, hormones, leader, kick-butt female, sex, fighting, training, good guys, testing, banter, Hard Decisions

My Review:

The more I read, the more I fall in love with the characters. I absolutely adore and look up to Candace. She’s not afraid to say that she’s wrong or being too anything: too hard, too harsh, or too emotional. She has the ability to self-analyze and adapt. She harnesses her ability and hones her skills, discovers new things about herself and her abilities. When SAGE begins, a new level of herself is opened up and she explores even more new possibilities for her weapon even as she’s haunted by the power she used on Adrian in Evolution Angel.

Jackson. Swoon. He was the bad boy attitude problem, snarky comment, easily angered boy from Evolution Angel. Now that Adrian is no longer in the picture he gets to have his day. All along I’m sure Starla had great plans for Jackson, she was just biding her time and building him up as a person. Jackson is the real romantic fantasy. He is flawed and angry. He has a past that is terrible and hangs over his personality. He cares for Candace, but tries to hide his feelings for her. He is rude at times, but is extremely polite when he needs to be a gentleman. He is also insanely good looking and every time Candace gets too close to him,  she can feel him and knows that she wants him.

The relationship between Jackson and Candace gets its day in book two of the Evolution Series and it’s a wonder to behold. Starla built up this relationship from the first time they saw each other, when they hated one another. “I’ve hated you for a long time. I hated you for making me want someone. I hated you for being with Adrian. I hated you for what you dissolved into after he was gone. I couldn’t stand it, Candace. No one thought I was worth helping, and I believed it. And then you helped me, for no other reason except that you could. You caught me in almost every lie I’ve ever told you. You challenge everything I say. You took everything I thought was true and turned it upside down.” (Pages 249-250).

Jackson and Candace are so emotionally charged when they’re together, so destructive, so powerful, and I could go on and on. The best romances are the ones that happen within a story that already has a powerful plot.

Starla has built a powerful, mesmerizing plot full of characters that are emotionally appealing and fascinating to watch. Candace is tough and rational, but also very prone to feeling sad or weak when everything is against her. She is so real, even as she can control a person through her connection to the water in their veins. I love how she stands by her convictions and sticks to her morals when making decisions and weighing the pros and cons before making a tough decision.
My only critique for this book was that the ending is abrupt and right in the middle of action. Thank goodness book three is already available.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. on May 4th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

Starla Huchton’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Evolution: Angel (The Evolution) (Volume 1) by S.A. Huchton

by in Book Review and tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Evolution: Angel (The Evolution) (Volume 1) by S.A. Huchton

A Sci-Fi/Fantasy/New Adult Novel published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (02/25/14)

 

Summary:

“Knowing what came with great power and experiencing that weight was so vastly different you couldn’t even see the other side of the chasm between them. (Page 241).”

From the very first moment that Candace Bristol and her cousin Gabe saw the ANGELs in action, they knew they wanted to join the project and become two of the world’s superheroes. Fast forward four years when Gabe is already in training and Candace has just sent in her application. Not everyone gets accepted and not everyone can make it because it takes special genetics and a special comportment to be able to make it as an ANGEL.

When Candace is accepted, she is elated and she knows that there will be more going on than she has researched about the ANGELs. When she gets to the training grounds she is overwhelmed by some of the aspects of the project, but she steps up as a leader.

 

Keywords:

Genetic Manipulation, Superheroes, Comic Books, Books, Tough, instability, romance, love, hormones, leader, kick-butt female, sex, fighting, training, good guys, testing, banter

My Review:

Every girl wants a comic book hero to look up to and wish to have their powers. What we get are an assortment of men with superpowers and women who look pretty in skintight clothes with lame powers. What Huchton does in her superhero series is give us a real kick-butt female with real superpowers. Huchton has diverse characters that look and act different and have unique personalities.

Candace is a strong Alpha personality. She’s very curious, very go getter, very nothing gets in her way. She’s an open, up front person who does what she wants to do, says what she thinks, and doesn’t let anyone get her down. She is already a super hero inside. She sees the good in people and makes sure they don’t get away with their nonsense when they’re up to no good.

Adrian is the unassuming librarian with the sexy baritone voice. There was something in his past that gives him a chip on his shoulder and he has trouble thinking he is worth the love and effort of others.

Gabe is Candace’s older cousin and comic relief in the story. They continuously banter and at first Gabe tries to look out for her, but she is too independent and stubborn to let that fly. She would rather fall on her own, then be helped along.

Jackson is the troubled bad boy with an attitude problem. Does he secretly have a thing for Candace? Not going to tell you! “I think he could possibly be motivated to work with others on a team. While he’s abrasive and not a little trying on my patience, I don’t think he’s unsympathetic to others and he knows not to cross certain boundaries. If he’s here at all, it’s because it was his choice, isn’t it?”) (Page 86).

There’s also Ella, Candace’s friend and fellow trainee, True from the first wave of ANGELS, and Hector, etc. There was such a range of characters to get to know and love.

I thought the raging hormones bit was overplayed, but it did add a sense of hilarity, brusqueness, and urgency to the ANGEL’s actions.

The ending was so emotional and so devastating and left me itching for book two. Starla Huchton is a genius and a beautiful story-crafter and this series is a great one to read.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. on Feburary 25th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

 

Links for more information:

Starla Huchton’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Shattered and Scarred (The Sacred Hearts MC Book 1) by A.J. Downey

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

Shattered and Scarred by A.J. Downey

A Romance Novel published by A.J. Downey (06/09/14)

 

Summary:

Trig finds her on the side of the road, barefoot and beaten, walking back to her abusive husband. Without a second thought to the consequences, he loads her on his motorcycle and takes her to the Sacred Hearts MC Club. No woman and no children, but they allow Ashton Granger to soak up the freedom and goodness offered at the club and help Ethan “Trigger” set her up with her own place and job. They go even further for her when her husband hunts her down to inflict the correction she evaded when Trig saved her.

 

Keywords:

Romance, abuse, power, struggle, survival, motorcyle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, different, gruff, POV change

 

My Review:

The buildup A.J. Downey created for this romance was astounding. Downy crafted each of her characters with precision and care. They were alive and real and relatable and vulnerable. It was this vulnerability within her main characters that really pulled me into their story.

Downey also has a knack with descriptions. I like how she describes everything: people especially. Shattered and Scarred was more sophisticated than the average book. The way Downey looks at a scene and describes it is fascinating.

I dislike when anyone calls a woman they don’t know or hardly know, ‘baby.’ In my mind it’s usually condescending so it’s hard to get over the fact that Trig is using it as a calming/placating word.

This novel was published by A.J. Downey on June 9th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

A.J. Downey’s Blog

Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review: Caching In: a Geocaching Love Story by Tracy Krimmer

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

Caching In: A Geocaching Love Story by Tracy Krimmer

A Romance Novel published by Amazon (12/11/14)

 

Summary:

Ally cooper is in a rut; same banking job for six years, no boyfriend, and a day with nothing to do…

On a hike she runs into a Geocaching couple and decides to pick up the hobby herself. At her first find and second Geocaching attempt, she meets Seth at his Bed and Breakfast and he takes her out. Meanwhile, her best friend, Chelsea is in her own type of rut, stuck on a man who already has a girlfriend. When both Ally and Chelsea compete for the same promotion at the bank, Ally’s life will turn on its head and the only constant and stable part will be her growing number of Geocaching finds.

 

Keywords:

 Romance, Bed and Breakfast, Bank Teller, Best Friends, Cheating Boyfriends, Geocaching, Predictable Plot

 

My Review:

From page one of Caching In, I found the novel to be raw. It follows your average girl Ally and she isn’t all Pretty in Pink or perfect manners. She fights with her best friend. She jumps to the wrong conclusion almost every time. She’s almost thirty, but acts like a rebellious and sullen teenager. She is overly melodramatic, but also gutsy and sticks with her convictions doggedly. She is a girl to be admired, though it is difficult to see her as an adult and not as a eighteen or nineteen years old, because that’s how she acts. She gets overcome by her own emotions and drama and sometimes you just want to smack her for overreacting and jumping to the worst conclusions in both her romantic life and in her relationship with Chelsea. Over time she has to get over her romantic past and move one.

“Maybe this was the problem. For so many years, I maintained the same hair, the same job, and the same things always held me back. ” (Page 168).

The author falls into the trap of describing details of Ally’s environment that aren’t always important to the main narrative and I ended up skimming a lot of these extraneous parts. Krimmer also uses phrases and wording that comes off as awkward and hard to read. At times, though, Krimmer punches off a clever phrasing like the previous quote.

This novel was published by Amazon December 11, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 2.75

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review: Heart of Africa by Loren Lockner

by in Book Review and tagged , ,

Heart of Africa by Loren Lockner

A Light Romance Novel published by Loren Lockner (10/10/14)

 

Summary:

Mandy Philips planned her honeymoon in Africa, but when her doctor fiancé replaces her with a younger blonder floozy before they have a chance to get married, she decides to leave her life behind for a safari in the more wild part of South Africa. And now she is by herself. Or is she? Her hired guide Peter shows her the most beautiful sights and wild animals, but their budding romance is rudely sidetracked when Mandy is kidnapped by poachers. Almost no roads. Almost no food. Predators everywhere. Mandy must reunite first with her guide and then make it back to civilization before something else threatens her much-needed and very different kind of vacation.

 

Keywords:

 South Africa, Romance, Strong Female, Relationships, Poachers, Kidnapping, Survival, Animal Wildlife, Safari

 

My Review:

I absolutely loved Mandy. She is a go getter and no nonsense type of woman who still wants her bit of luxury in the wilds of Africa. She is the realistic character that any woman can relate to because she’s afraid of snakes. Well, I think most people would be frightened of 8 foot baby snakes! A few snapping crocodiles, stampeding buffalo, and nasty poachers would also make anyone sit down, cry and give up, but not Mandy. She still cries (wouldn’t you?) but she doesn’t give up. She gets burned and wet and bedraggled, but continues on, even though she knows her sense of direction is hopeless.

I also loved Peter. He was calm and collected, but was still nervous for their survival out in the bush. He was the Crocodile Dundee of Africa, knowing every leaf, tree, bird, and animal that they walked by. He had his own story and his own life prior to meeting Mandy. He wasn’t just thrown into her path for her sake. He was his own person and that’s what makes for the best types of romance. Both characters were their own person before they met each other and didn’t just exist during the time they knew each other. They didn’t just fall in love or commit themselves to each other, though extreme circumstances are known to make people fall in love harder and faster.

Heart of Africa was as much its setting as it was its lovers and story. Lockner gave the setting a life of its own. Through her eyes I saw this small part of South Africa and it was made beautiful. I can’t say I will remember the hordes of animals Lockner describes or that I would myself want to visit, but I came away with a deeper understanding of the areas Mandy goes to during her Safari. I think, after reading this book, that I definitely would never go because I am for sure afraid of snakes longer than a foot, angry wild poachers, wild unpredictable animals, and scorpions finding their way into my shoes.

This novel was published by Loren Lockner October 10th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Loren Lockner’s Website

Book Review: A Woman Lost by T.B. Markinson

by in Book Review and tagged , , ,

A Woman Lost by T.B. Markinson

A Romantic Fiction Novel published by T. B. Markinson (01/02/14)

 

Summary:

She is predictable as pie, always ordering a chai tea when out at the local Starbucks with her best friend Ethan, and avoiding talking about her relationship like they are the plague. She doesn’t like to open up and swoons – inside her own head- at any pretty woman. She feels like she gets cornered into doing what she doesn’t want to do and can’t figure a way out of it, even if all it would take is one conversation. She is a relationship wuss.

 

Keywords:

 Romance, Relationships, Unsupportive Family, Friendships, Lesbians, Tension, Holding in Feelings, Coffee, Chai

 

My Review:

Lizzie isn’t just a relationship wuss, she tries very hard. Her personality holds her back. Don’t we all do this? We’re worried about what our partner will do or say so we don’t bring up those difficult questions at all. Push them to the back of the closet where they can’t affect us, but they always do eventually. Markinson has a way with building her characters. Lizzie, Sarah, Ethan, and Maddie are all realistic layered characters with personality quirks and humors all their own. I really enjoy Markinson’s characters in everything that she writes and A Woman Lost is no exception.

A Woman Lost was built on tension. It was apparent in every word and every scene and I was just waiting for it all to fall apart or blow up. I wasn’t disappointed. Markinson herself describes Lizzie: “You’re so wound up all of the time that sometimes you crack.” (Page 35). Lizzie keeps her feelings bottled up inside, but not just because it adds tension to the story. She has a reason for doing this. Markinson has built her up and given her complication and motivation and backstory to explain who she is and why she does the less applaudable things that she does. If she has such a great girlfriend, why would she pursue the new hot chick? If any of us would succumb, so would a character like Lizzie. The story is realistic and the characters are realistic in this way and that is why Lizzie is so very relatable even while you want to kick her in the pants and tell her to stop being such a ninny. It’s difficult to do that when you’re as stubborn as Lizzie, “I should always go the exact opposite of my gut feeling; however, I was too stubborn to ignore my intuition.” (Page 228).

This novel was published by T. B. Markinson January 2nd, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 5.0

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

T.B. Markinson’s website

Book Review: Moonlight by David Rose

by in Book Review and tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Moonlight by David Rose

A Short Story Romance published by David Rose (04/13/14)

 

Summary:

 Tadao and Yuzuki spent three years together as the best of childhood friends, brought together by the wandering cat Gekkō-san and their loneliness. It is not until Tadao must leave the city with his parents at the age of 14 that he and Yuzuki realize they were more than just friends. The two young kids make a pact by the moon, that in seven years they will meet again in their special place on the beach. “And then, too soon, we were parted, with nothing to sustain us but faith and moonlight.” (Location 419).

 

Keywords:

 Romance, Short Story, Japan, Young Love, Enduring Love, Magical Realism, Cat

 

My Review:

Moonlight is an adorable short novel at just around 50 pages and the entire time I was reading it I was reminded of an animated short. Moonlight has a wonderfully delightful twist to the romance that involves what I would call magical realism. In order not to spoil the book, I will not go into further detail but I will say that it was a well-executed twist that gives the story more depth and meaning.

Moonlight involved a cute story of a romance between two of the sweetest characters. Unfortunately because it was such a short book, the reader is not given much information about the characters as individuals, although I believe the story stands alone solidly without the need for more background or description. Personally I would have liked more information, but that’s because the story was so well-rounded and easy to read that I wanted more of it.

David Rose gives us something a little different with Moonlight and I was thoroughly delighted with this short romance story set in Japan.

 

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys short stories, cute romances, stories set in other countries such as japan, or animated shorts.

This novel was published by David Rose April 13th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 4.5

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Smashwords