Friday, April 25, 2014

Random Lit... His Bahamas Affair

 

 
 
My Review - 3.5 stars
 
 
My overall impression of this book is that it had a good plot that kept me interested in wanted to know what happened next. I most enjoyed the fact that the author was able to bring two unlikely characters together while giving them a twist that was unexpected. The book wasn’t sickly sweet, but it had moments where Reno was the epitome of what a romance novel should revolve around. I liked that in spite of her struggles and what she had been through Lori was able to be everything Reno needed and more, even when he was too stubborn to realize it. Christina Ow also did an mazing job on the erotic scenes (although I expected there to be more).

What I didn’t like about the book is something that I’m struggling to put into words. This was book two of a series and although it read like a stand alone, I found myself wanting to go back and read book one. I felt like I was missing some essential character development. The many references to Reno’s ex-wife left me wanting a lot more background on her. While I liked that Lori was able to put her issues aside, it made t seem unrealistic that she would actually do as much as she did for Reno when he basically abandoned her. What I really didn't like was Lori's way of testing to see if she had been raped; that made absolutely no sense to me and again it seemed unrealistic.

While this book didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, I think I would still recommend it to a few people.
 
 

 

Friday, April 11, 2014

Random Lit... Mortis by Hannah Cobb

 

 
Synopsis
 
In an underground school rife with duels and deadly classes, Jane hides in the shadows
to stay alive. She is the invisible assassin. But as she prepares to graduate from Mortis,
Jane stumbles across secrets that reveal dark truths about her school.
Will she embrace the darkness, or betray the school that raised her--and the boy she loves?
Once Jane sets herself against her school, there is no turning back, because in Mortis,
failure always means death

My Review
 
I must admit, when I began reading this book, I found myself asking, huh? I felt a slight pull to keep reading, yet I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. Then I was completely sucked into a vortex and when I finally emerged I realized I’d unknowingly lost six hours of my life. The good part about that, I didn’t even mind.
My overall impression of Mortis is that it was quite intriguing. Most of the characters were well developed and there was just enough description to make me feel as though I was an integral part of the story. What I liked most was that it didn’t dissolve into a teenage love triangle. I believe this was simply because Jane spent so much time questioning herself and her mysterious mentor that she neglected to focus on the dazzling men in her life, Felix and Nathan. I also enjoyed the fact that there wasn’t an over-abundance of make-out sessions and teenagers with out of control hormones. Although they were trained from infancy to be deadly assassins, there was still something childlike about them. Jane was undecided (at least in her mind) on whether or not she loved Felix, based off of Willy’s perception of love, but that didn’t automatically lead her to swoon helplessly to Nathan (although I felt an air of attraction from her where he was concerned – not that I could blame her).
The main thing I didn’t like was that for a good portion of the novel, Jane was basically “dead-on-her-feet.” She was injured to the point of near death and yet she was able to stand against two of the strongest adversaries she would ever face; a bit unrealistic, but then again this was a world of sorcery and kill or be killed. Another thing that frustrated me was I felt cheated by the lack of information on Willy’s character. She disappeared so much and Jane only questioned this to herself instead of aloud (the way a true best friend would do). I also wanted more information on Nathan’s character; how can he see Jane when others can’t and how do his purple eyes play into that? What makes him captain material (as compared to Felix’s obvious leader characteristics)?
Hannah Cobb was able to formulate a perfect balance of give and take that kept you wanting more. I forward to reading more from her.
 
Find Her:
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Random Lit...My Review of Benders by Mark Eric





An easy-going young man, Monty has spent his life at a distance from those around him as he hides his unique talent to bend people’s thoughts to do anything he desires. Unaware that these abilities are being monitored, Monty exposes himself with a reckless act and puts himself in the crosshairs of Hazelton, a power-hungry uber-patriot who hunts down each bender for execution to ensure his attempt at seizing global power comes to fruition.

Mieko, Monty’s fiery lover, partners with his oldest friend in a race to find and rescue the best man she’s ever met and the only one powerful enough to save the world from Hazelton's insane plan. Those that know Monty are willing to risk it all for him. Do they have what it takes to accomplish their mission, or will their sacrifice be in vain?

Mark Eric, an up and coming indie novelist, bursts into today's fictional landscape with a refreshing blend of realistic heroes within larger than life plots. He pours his creative energy onto the page in a way that both thrills and entertains as he infuses his stories with characters that become fond friends and dreaded enemies that beg to be destroyed. 

My Review

**5 stars**

Imagine speeding down the autobahn, at least 100 MPH. Imagine the car you’re riding in is an Aston Martin Vanquish Volante; convertible top back, sun beaming on your skin, hair billowing in the wind…now imagine pushing that beautiful machine to the maximum speed and yelling at the top of your lungs as you do it. THAT is the unbelievable ride this book will take you on!

When I initially started reading this book, I was a little put off by Tristan, but only because I had read the summary and I was only expecting Monty to be the one with the “gift.” Then I found myself rooting for Tristan, wanting him to survive and escape the people chasing him. By the time Monty made his debut, I was completely enthralled with the story.

The thing I loved most about this book was the back and forth banter between Monty and Mieko. I’m a sucker for a beautiful love story and boy did Mark Eric deliver with them. I liked that it wasn’t over the top cheesy, but just enough to see how their feelings for each other were true. I loved the mercenaries, but mainly Dark – I wish there was more on him. I enjoyed every moment with Push; I would love to hear his accent to compare it to what I hear in my mind!

There wasn’t much about the book that I didn’t like, but there were a few things. One was the length of the chapters; some of them were barely a page long. When I got to chapter 70, I found myself wondering what was the point. I think if the chapter were more combined, the book would have been better. I also found it a bit odd that the entire time the mercenaries were working for Hazelton, it never occurred to them what he was actually doing to the people they caught for him. I also wished the cover was more inviting. This one didn't draw me in at all.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and it was definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.