“BLUESDAY”
by Adrienne Thompson
REVIEWED BY: Ellen
Fritz
OVERVIEW
Bobbie Brooks is living the life she's always
dreamed of. A life full of music, success, and love—or so it seems. Suddenly,
her perfect world shatters, leaving her alone, broken, and penniless. In order
to heal, Bobbie must confront the demons of both her past and present. Will she
be strong enough to move into her future and make a new start with an old
flame?
REVIEW
I
cannot remember when last had I enjoyed a good romance as much as I did this
one.
“Bluesday”
is a truly beautiful and inspiring love story - the kind of book you can read
through in one relaxing evening and enjoy every moment thereof.
Set
in the African-American community, this book is delightfully unique and highly
informative about their culture. I really liked the characters and found it
refreshing that the two main characters are not the usual stereotypical
blue-eyed blonde girl and tall, dark and handsome boy.
From
Mamma, the strict family matriarch to the more modern Bobby and the two amusing
granddaughters; I was quite sad to say good bye to them at the end of the
story.
“Bluesday”
is not only a love story, but also a tale of healing and overcoming
tribulations
such
as alcoholism, bitterness, guilt and dealing with the harsh realities
thereof. The romantic relationship
between the main characters is truly beautiful and tastefully described, but of
course, not without a few complications.
It was refreshing to read a love story where the emphasis is on the love
between the characters rather than the possible conflict they might experience.
Of
course there are also moments of suspense - not the blazing guns type, but the
type where you wonder whether the love between the main characters will survive
the odds. The dialogue is engaging and extremely well written with subtle humor
in all the right places.
I
would highly recommend this attractively written romance to anybody who loves a
good, gentle love story and I happily give “Bluesday” a 5 star rating, hoping
that we will see more books similar to this one from Adrienne Thompson in the
near future.
READ more REVIEWS
“Bluesday”
by Adrienne Thompson has 5 reviews on GoodReads. Read it here – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12631823-bluesday
PURCHASE LINKS
Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bluesday-adrienne-thompson/1104173383?ean=9780983756903&itm=1&usri=bluesday
“THREE STEPS TO HEAVEN”
by Pam Howes
REVIEWED BY: Books4Tomorrow
OVERVIEW
It's the 1960's and Eddie Mellor is unhappy in
his shotgun marriage; hates his boring factory job and is not unduly bothered
when he is sacked. His young son Jonny, and his dreams of becoming a famous
rock drummer with The Raiders, a career he was forced to shelve when he married
Angie, are the two things that keep him going. But Eddie's luck is about to
change for the better... Three Steps to Heaven is the first novel in a trilogy
spanning forty years and the lives and loves of the Mellor and Cantello families.
REVIEW
WARNING:
you’ll have difficulty putting this book down!
Everything
about this book screams 5 star read. The characters are realistic and their
everyday lives are what we can relate to – until they become famous, that is. I
for one can’t relate to being a rock star, but it doesn’t mean I can’t go along
for the ride! The plot flows well and keeps you hooked and the author’s writing
is simple and straightforward. She calls a spade, a spade and doesn’t shy away
from controversy. You’ll find yourself nodding your head in agreement from time
to time, or smiling because you can relate to a certain event or just wipe a
tear at times because you can feel what the characters feel, especially when
they are faced with every parent’s worst nightmare.
“Three
Steps to Heaven” has a distinct British flavour to it which I enjoyed for a
change. It also has its own soundtrack and if you grew up in the sixties, this
will certainly take you down memory lane. If, like me, the nineties is more
your thing, you’ll have the second book in this trilogy to look forward to. No
matter what your age though, you’ll love this story and feel you’ve made new
friends, once you finish the book.
I
officially deem myself Pam Howes’ number one fan and can’t wait to get my hands
on every book she’s ever written!
READ more REVIEWS
“Three
Steps To Heaven” by Pam Howes has 4 reviews on GoodReads. Read it here – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8503345-three-steps-to-heaven
PURCHASE
LINKS
Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/three-steps-to-heaven-pam-howes/1101160674?ean=9781907461989&itm=3&usri=three
“THE UNWILLING BRIDE”
by Candy Ann Little
REVIEWED BY:
Ellen Fritz
OVERVIEW
Beautiful and high-spirited Caitlin Gallagher
has no desire to be married, especially to someone born in England. Her family
was forced to flee Ireland and move to America because of the war with England.
This arranged marriage is stripping her freedom away.
Gentle Dillon Cade has lived a quiet life for thirteen years in Norfolk, Virginia. When he agrees to marry a young maiden so she can stay in America while her parents are deported back to Ireland, he gets more than he bargains for. He must now deal with an unwilling bride, who disturbs his peaceful life.
Can Caitlin work through her anger, finding faith in God and love in Dillon’s arms? Can Dillon tolerate her behavior long enough to win her trust?
Gentle Dillon Cade has lived a quiet life for thirteen years in Norfolk, Virginia. When he agrees to marry a young maiden so she can stay in America while her parents are deported back to Ireland, he gets more than he bargains for. He must now deal with an unwilling bride, who disturbs his peaceful life.
Can Caitlin work through her anger, finding faith in God and love in Dillon’s arms? Can Dillon tolerate her behavior long enough to win her trust?
REVIEW
This historical romance had me
riveted to my chair for hours at a time and I read through it in just two days.
Set during a time of war and political upheaval, this book tells the story of
some of those not directly involved but still deeply touched by
it. Caitlin, the main character and the very unwilling bride of Dillon
Cade, at first struck me as a spoiled little girl who was used to getting her
way by stamping her foot, pouting or sulking. However, as the story progresses,
her character develops into that of a responsible but still spirited young
woman.
The author accurately writes about the way of life in late eighteenth century America. Even the dialogue between the characters is accurate to that time. The descriptions of homes and country scenes combined with the historical facts of the time, made me feel as though I was there living the story with Caitlin and Dillon.
I was touched by the gentleness with which Dillon treats his unwilling bride and often felt like all Caitlin needed was a good lesson - one which she gets when a jealous woman and her mother-in-law make a combined effort to wreck her marriage, as well as her life. Believe me, Dillon's stepmother is the personification of evil stepmother and horrible mother-in-law rolled in one.
The romantic relationship between the main characters develops slowly, but when adversity strikes and they need to support one another, they become the embodiment of marital unity. This story is not without its moments of suspense which, several times, made me wonder whether the story can end in anything other than disaster. Of course, that is what the reader has to find out.
For all of us who love a really good and tasteful romance with a strong element of intrigue and excitement, “The Unwilling Bride” is an absolute must read and well deserving of its 5 stars.
READ more REVIEWS
“The Unwilling Bride” by Candy Ann
Little has 8 reviews on GoodReads. Read it here – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10588106-the-unwilling-bride
PURCHASE LINK
“SPELL CHECKED”
by C.G. Powell
REVIEWED BY:
Books4Tomorrow
OVERVIEW
Broken relationships were a constant in Mae’s
life, causing her to swear off men forever. Unwittingly lured to Ireland, Mae
finds herself knee-deep in a hidden world she never knew existed and head over
heels for the very man that tricked her to coming there. His deception is
complicated by his own feelings for the one person that holds the key to
merging the ancient races that once ruled the ancient word.
Mae finds herself in an underground world of witches, and vampires, which are half-breeds of aliens long gone. She learns about her own unique parentage and powers, which she must study in order to control, before they consume her.
Beck and Helen’s love for one another spans across a millennium, her human soul reincarnated to match Beck’s own immortality. This time however the body she occupies is of a being that cannot be eclipsed by her return. After waiting two hundred years, Beck finds himself tormented by Helen’s inability to return and his growing love for her new host.
Some of the underworld creatures welcome her with open arms as a savior, while others seek to destroy the abomination they believe her to be. Will the knowledge of her existence cause a race war when the true power of her blood is discovered? Or will love become her ultimate downfall?
Mae finds herself in an underground world of witches, and vampires, which are half-breeds of aliens long gone. She learns about her own unique parentage and powers, which she must study in order to control, before they consume her.
Beck and Helen’s love for one another spans across a millennium, her human soul reincarnated to match Beck’s own immortality. This time however the body she occupies is of a being that cannot be eclipsed by her return. After waiting two hundred years, Beck finds himself tormented by Helen’s inability to return and his growing love for her new host.
Some of the underworld creatures welcome her with open arms as a savior, while others seek to destroy the abomination they believe her to be. Will the knowledge of her existence cause a race war when the true power of her blood is discovered? Or will love become her ultimate downfall?
REVIEW
Spell
checked? I think not.
I
have no idea where to start with this review. I somewhat enjoyed the book, but
there were so many things “wrong” with it, it’s actually quite sad. The one
thing I can say with certainty, is that a good editor would’ve made a world of
difference. But instead of droning on and on about the things which brings down
the value of this book, I’ll give you a quick run-through of the points that
bugged me. Just humor me and let me have my little rant here, about a book that
has so much potential to be a bestseller if the author is willing to make a few
changes to it.
Let’s
start with the first major point which I found quite annoying: the author’s
fear of using the apostrophe in all the right places. Do not; has not; was not
and are not, contributed to throwing the rhythm of the book off balance. Once I
started reading it as don’t, hasn’t, wasn’t and aren’t, the story read smoother
and suited its characters and setting much better.
The
second issue I had was the grammar errors. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was
noticeable.
The
whole book is written in such a way as to make it an easy read suitable for
young adults, but time and again the intimate scenes between the characters
ended up being pure erotica with unexpected crude language at inappropriate
intervals - thus making it unsuitable for younger readers. It also succeeded in
creating the impression that the author wasn’t sure whether it should be a young
adult novel, or a read suitable for more mature readers.
Magic
was used as a scapegoat to fix every situation to which the author couldn’t
figure out a solution. Abracadabra and the characters got out of sticky
situations in a jiffy.
There
was no point to the plot and not an ounce of suspense. No, really! The blurb
hinted at some action and danger for the main character, but nothing happened.
Mae - the main character - was trained throughout the book to use her magical
gifts to protect herself and others from harm; creating the impression that she
is preparing for a big battle scene or something similar. All she ended up
using her magical gifts for were to heal one or two characters and to knock her
lover off his feet while they were chasing after each other naked down the
passages in their mansion. It was such a disappointment!
The
characters were somewhat flawed, in an effort to make them believable, but it
was still hard to identify with them when all the difficulties they faced were
easily solved with truckloads of money and magic, thus making it hard to feel
any sympathy for them whenever they went through rough patches.
As
this is the first book in this series, I’ll rather believe that it served as a
very (unnecessary) long introduction to the characters who will be the main
role-players in the next books in the series. But other than that, there was
really no point to this story other than character development.
So
why am I recommending this book with 3 stars? Because despite everything I found
“wrong” with this book, I couldn’t put it down. There’s definitely something in
the author’s writing that is captivating enough to grab the reader’s attention
and keep it until the end of the book. This alone is testimony that CG Powell
is a talented author who knows how to engage her readers, but just has to find
the right rhythm for her writing style and some good advice (or a better
editor) on how to add that extra “oomph” to this book. She certainly impressed
me with her knowledge on technology and she has an imagination that can charm
readers out of their socks! Now if only she can find a way to apply it in a
more-showing, less-telling manner...
READ more REVIEWS
“Spell
Checked” by C.G. Powell has 18 reviews on GoodReads. Read it here – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11422831-spell-checked
PURCHASE LINKS
SmashWords – www.smashwords.com/books/view/70974
Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spell-checked-cg-powell/1104215278?ean=2940012844491&itm=1&usri=spell+checked
“NOT TO US”
by Katherine Owen
REVIEWED BY: Ellen
Fritz
OVERVIEW
The roller coaster ride of Ellen Kay
"Ellie" Bradford's story begins when Ellie-a successful editor, a
doting mother, and a loving wife-discovers her perfect world has been rocked by
her best friend Carrie who is having an affair with her husband Robert. It's
been the two couples-Robert and Ellie; Michael and Carrie-since college.
Ellie's world unravels further, when she learns she has breast cancer from
Michael, the brilliant surgeon determined to save her. Both Ellie and Michael
admit to their long-held feelings for one another; and, with an unexpected
pregnancy further complicating Ellie's cancer treatment, the two marry. Intent
on building a perfect life together with their blended families, Michael and
Ellie's intense bond is soon tested like never before. Not To Us is an
insightful look into one woman's personal journey in discovering the only way
to keep her one and only wish is to trust the ones that count, beginning with
herself.
REVIEW
Isn’t
it true that when horrible things happen to others, we are quick to think that
it won’t happen to us? That’s exactly what “Not To Us” is centered on.
Friends
since college, Ellie, her husband and their mutual friends had it all. Each
with successful careers, children and living comfortable lives, when out of the
blue divorce, infidelity, breast cancer, death and betrayal swoops down on all
of them, especially Ellie - cutting a swathe of destruction on many levels
through her life.
At
one point I was asking myself: what else can go wrong in these people's
lives? To add to all the upheaval in her
life, Ellie meets a man who means well but causes the ultimate complication in
an already out of control situation. It thoroughly baffled me that so much can
go wrong between two couples - including a complete partner swop - while they
still try and hang on to their friendship.
The
romantic relationships in “Not To Us” are masterfully described. In fact, the
sweet parts as well as some of the almost poignantly sad moments often brought
tears to my eyes. The romantic involvements of especially the main character is
put under the microscope with the main relationship being put to the test
multiple times until I thought that there was no way in which any relationship
can withstand this much trial. You will have to wait right up to the end to see
whether this happens or not.
The
story is written in the present tense and from the first person perspective of
the main character, which deeply involves the reader in Ellie’s thoughts, emotions
and moral struggles. This makes the whole story just that much more realistic
and believable. The problems addressed are those that happen to people all the
time: Ellie's best friend betraying her again and again, ensuing divorce; the
onset of breast cancer; an unexpected pregnancy - and all of that within the
group of friends who had been together for twenty years and more.
Reading
this book was quite an emotional roller coaster ride for me, as things don’t end
with these trials and tribulations but declines further into more betrayal and sorrow.
This is not your average quick-read romance, but a book to be read at leisure
so as to enjoy every moment thereof. It touches you on different emotional
levels and forces the reader to face many truths; that we have no control over
our lives, no matter how hard we try. What makes the difference though, is how
we deal with it.
Excerpt:
“It's true; my mind
has already begun the slow descent into disbelief. It races with this one
pervasive thought: this can't be happening, not to us.”
READ
more REVIEWS
“Not
To Us” by Katherine Owen has 12 reviews on GoodReads. Read it here – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11477116-not-to-us
PURCHASE LINKS
SmashWords – www.smashwords.com/books/view/57241
Barnes
& Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/not-to-us-katherine-owen/1100170258?ean=9780983570707&itm=4&usri=not+to+us
2 comments:
Great blogsite. Books look interesting, too.
Carole McKee, Author
Thank you for the compliment Carole! It's much appreciated and one that inspires me to keep doing what I'm doing! :D
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