Seven Lives to repay our country by Edward H. Carpenter - Review by Jane

5 Stars

A very touching insight into the minds of a few Japanese soldiers during their suicide mission on the  pacific Islands in World War II. Following a small group of men as they realise that they are not going to make it home we learn how they deal with their fate. This is a very dark story covering a topic that most of us (well me anyway)like to ignore, pretend never happened, because the reality is so disturbing and heart breaking that it’s easier not to think about.

Seven lives to repay our Country is an easy to read short story and shows us once again that Edward H Carpenter is a very talented and able writer with a wide vocabulary. His own personal experiences and information gathered from his fathers time as a WWII pilot enables him to put an authenticity to this disturbing tale.

Copy supplied for review.

Happily Ever after by Edward H. Carpenter - Review by Jane

4 Stars

This short fairytale spoof is very well written and humorous, we have a very grumpy evil princess who wants to take over the land and is everything that our usual fairytale princesses are not! After marrying a young Prince; who didn’t live long enough to become King, she has to find another way to make herself Queen! A ‘hunting’ trip in the dark-forest with her favourite huntsman (wink, wink) was enough to suffice as it ends in a fatal accident for her father and leaves her mother (with the help of our princess) literally dying of a broken heart. Hey-Presto she suddenly finds herself Queen!! Now the fun really begins, she searches for a witch to help her and before long, with a trail of bodies in her wake, her wish to rule her world is fulfilled.

 I was surprised with how entertained I was by this story, I didn’t think I would be…….I’m a little old for fairy tales………. But not this one! Mr Carpenter is clearly a quick-witted and talented writer with a vivid imagination and the ability to get that across on paper. It would be interesting to see a full length novel from him.

Copy supplied for review

Remembering Zane by J.S. Wilsoncroft - Review by Jane

4.5 Stars

Bonnie is devastated by the tragic death of her one true love, Zane. We follow her as she struggles through the days and weeks and learn how she comes to terms with the situation.

This is a very moving short story, the description made it easy for me to put myself in Bonnie’s place and feel her pain. The way smells and colours reminded her of him were true to life and I found those scenes heart wrenching. There were some points that I was unsure of their relevance to the story for instance Bonnies day trip to the ER, I’m not quite sure why it was in there it seemed to steal precious time from the main body of the story and her accidental overdose was very random, and without reason.

The thing I like about novella’s is also the thing I don’t like about them………their length!! I like the fact that we get to the conclusion quickly; I read this in under an hour, but sometimes (if the story grips me) the length makes me feel short changed. This is one of those times, I wanted to read more, I wanted more detail, I wanted more of the good stuff !!! I feel this could easily have been stretched into a full length novel, giving the characters more depth and allowing us to savour the story rather than rushing through it……..This is a good comment by the way because it means I was enjoying the read and didn’t want it to end quite so soon!

Copy supplied for review.

Fourfold by Charles D Shell - Review by Jane

3.5 Stars

An intriguing tale of parallel dimensions and  certain peoples ability to ‘fold’ these dimensions (folding is the ability to bring actions that are ‘normal’ in one dimension into another where it is ‘not normal’……. If that makes any sense…. And I hope I defined it correctly!!) Galen is one of those people, but has been on the run and hiding for 10 years in  the hopes that he won’t be found and killed. Unfortunately his ex- girlfriend Lian accidentally stumbles across him in a café and all hell breaks loose.

The story kind of dragged me in then lost me all in the first chapter! I was curious and interested, the writing was already comfortable and flowing and I wanted to learn what Galen’s connection with the Asian woman standing at the bar was. Once the ‘fight scene’ started my excitement grew but it seemed to go on and on and on, and lasted way too long for me. I discovered as I got further into the book that this was going to be a trend. Any fight scenes were going to be over written, dragged out and described within an inch of their lives and for some reason it really irritated me.  It was like the grand finale, that we normally read half a book to get to, written in every other chapter without the foreplay to get us in the mood!! The pace was just too fast it left me breathless.

The characters were well developed, Arthur was a bit of a wimp throwing up at every second turn (literally!) but then finds out he is actually a mage and has a few abilities of his own! Lian is a very ‘hard-ass’ lady with a softness inside, she is extremely dextrous with a sword, Galen can dodge machine gun bullets but no-way could he defend himself from Lian if she decided to go for his jugular. Galen is the misunderstood and wronged nice guy who is determined to find out and prove what really happened on that fateful night when Lian’s father was killed , which started all this off in the first place.  I think out of all the characters Earnest and Wesley were my favourite. They amused me and at times I laughed out loud at their comments, a walking laptop seemed a bit unrealistic though even in futuristic terms because it would hardly be practical having a little flat thing running around the floor and that was just one more thing that stopped me really getting deep into the book.

There were some typo and formatting errors, for example a new line and capital letter mid sentence, the odd missing word or ‘they’ instead of ‘the’ but that pretty much seems the norm for e-books and may not be an issue in the printed version (if there is one)

I’m not sure in which genre this book is placed, we have advanced machinery, runic illusions and spellcrafts, different/ parallel dimensions and even duplicate people in this very complicated plot, so is it YA? Adult? Sci-Fi? Paranormal? I really don’t know,  but if you enjoy any of those types especially ones filled to the brim with action then this is one to read. 

Copy supplied for honest review.

Blaze of Glory by M Garzon - Review by Jane

 4 Stars

This is a coming of age drama about a seventeen year old girl, her dreams of becoming a show jumper and her first, and very passionate, love. Tea and her twin brother Seth live with their step-father Declan, their mother had died some years earlier and while overall the relationship between the three is generally good, Declan is quite strict and this sometimes causes tension especially between him and Tea. Tea’s life takes an unexpected downward turn after she and her friend are involved in a car accident and Tea has to come to terms with the changes it brings.

The chemistry between Jaden and Tea is palpable from the start,  the fact that legally they are cousins is a little controversial but as they are not actually related by blood I didn’t have an issue with it, I was more concerned about the age difference………later in life it is not so important but if my 17 year old daughter was in a relationship with a 23 year old man I would be concerned!!

I felt a variety of emotions while reading, anger at Dec’s physical punishment and at the fact that he banned Tea from the show she had been training for years to attend…… it was way too harsh, the injustice of it made me really mad at him for her I actually wanted her to go behind his back and do it anyway……..so not a good thought to have as a mum!!! I totally felt Tea’s sadness after the accident, the descriptions of  her feelings were so well written I was there living it all with her. Finally I felt happy with the outcome. The book ended how it should despite my earlier misgivings!

The story reads slow like a well narrated film and has a ‘lazy’ feel to it, begging not to be rushed but savoured and enjoyed. The writing style intrigues me because it reads like an experienced and established author has written it and certainly not like a first time writer or a self published piece of work. I am not familiar with all things equine but M Garzon has a unique way of integrating  the explanations of ‘horsey’ terminology nicely into the story without it seeming like she was ‘explaining the terminology’ which I found quite interesting! The characters were well developed and the dialogue was believable. I think Blaze of Glory is a must read for all ages not just YA or horse lovers and I will follow with interest the career of this exciting new writer.

Copy supplied for review.

Wedding at King’s convenience by Maureen Child - Review by Jane

3 Stars

Jefferson King, a high flying American, really wanted to hire the use of Maura’s land in Ireland for his latest production and was surprised when she said no to his people. He decided  to head out and persuade her him self  and after much negotiating the deal was sealed and the couple celebrated …. Together!! Jefferson went back home totally oblivious to the fact that their night of passion had resulted in a pregnancy, and true to form he had been avoiding Maura’s attempts to contact him. The first he knew all was not well was when he returned to Ireland and received a very ‘frosty’ welcome from the locals, who were very protective of their own and were unhappy with his treatment of the young woman.

I found I didn’t really like either of the main characters, I thought he was arrogant, he was so used to getting his own way and expecting everyone to fall in line that he would do anything to convince Maura to comply with his wishes and clearly didn’t think of the consequences……….which is surprising for a man in his position, you’d really think he would be more cautious just to prevent law suits wouldn’t you!!

Maura was plain greedy!!!………she had every intention of letting Jefferson use her land but she was holding out for more money………what happened to sweet little good hearted females?? She did say his first offer was good but she made him beg and follow her around and keep upping his offer until she thought he might go elsewhere so she finally accepted it.

The story was well written and the characters were well developed I just think the plot was very predictable and not very romantic!

Summer's Journey: Volume Two - Alphabetical Assignation by Summer Daniels - Review by Lindsay

5 Stars

Firstly – THIS BOOK IS HOT!!  THIS BOOK IS DAMN HOT!!

Secondly, I would just like to thank the author for sending me this book for review. Especially since I was so desperate to read it. Just like the first volume this was a very quick read. This book literally took me half an hour to get through.

In my review of the first book I moaned because I wanted to know what had happened between Summer and Mark. After all the build up it just seemed to end. Well! I got what I wanted! This book is damn hot (Yes I said it again). It is so rare to find an erotic novel that is so tastefully written. This book definitely gets you a little (or a lot), shall we say “up for it.”

We now get to find out all about Summers first night with Mark. (So jealous right now) She is nervous at first, but Mark soon calms her and gives her a night she will never forget. We get all the details and I defy any woman to not feel jealous, and “up for it” after reading what the two get up to. If only every woman could experience this – the world would be a much happier place.

Mark sounds delicious, I want one too. I envy Summer completely, I think she should send me my very own Mark lol.

I love this series, I really hope there will be more to follow. I can’t wait to read them.

Summer Daniels is now one of my favourite authors.

Forgiven by Tich Brewster - Review by Jane

3 stars

This is a coming of age drama about the girl next door. Eryc and Makayla grew up as best friends living next door to each other but when they went to high school Makayla decided that  Eryc wasn’t cool so she dropped him in her bid to become popular like Thaddeus her twin brother. The start of senior year found them sharing classes and reluctantly they had to sit beside each other. When the twins Mum is in a car accident Eric does the decent thing, driving them to the hospital in the middle of the night and staying with Makayla while her brother drowns his sorrows in alcohol. We soon learn that ‘Kayla has more skeletons in her closet and the consequences of her summer are going to put Eric’s friendship to the test once more.

Forgiven was written in a style that I didn’t really like, the sentences didn’t flow well for me, they felt abrupt and choppy and the story felt rushed and matter of fact rather than reading like a novel that was written for me to enjoy. I felt like I was being taught a lesson in morality, how I should follow ‘God’s’ rules or else!! Don’t get me wrong I don’t object to people’s belief in ‘God’ and I do believe we should love our neighbour and treat people with respect, but there are ways to get this message across effectively without quoting the bible to me, because that for me personally is just annoying.

There is nothing unique about this story, it’s similar to many stories I have read in the past. Eryc, the son of a Pastor is the squeaky  clean 18 yr old virgin who doesn’t believe in sex before marriage and Makayla is the typical 18 yr old who wants to be popular, have boyfriends and live life to the full. Makayla has to pay the price for her ‘free’ living and the ever reliable Eryc is there for her ‘almost’ unconditionally, I say almost because there is one major part of the story where he believes she did something terrible so he walked away and only came back when he found out she hadn’t done it.

So if you want to give your teenage daughter a lesson in the evil of boys sex and alcohol you can always let her read this short book and hope that it doesn’t totally mess her head up for the rest of time, making her believe boys are bad and alcohol is evil. Teenagers can have fun as long as they exercise caution, use common sense and  always carry condoms!!

                        

Committed by John W. Mefford - Review by Jane

3.5 Stars

Michael Doyle is having a bad week, first he finds out his job is on the line because of a company take over bid, and then, on a rainy day he  finds the body of one of his co-workers in an alleyway. Concussed and unsettled over the discovery, Michael can’t get the image of the dead girls arm out of his head and takes it on himself to find out what happened to her.

This is a steady paced thriller with mystery and suspense, conspiracies and corporate greed. It has a complicated plot with unforeseen twists and turns, and I didn’t predict the outcome (I’m not an experienced crime reader though and only have a few under my belt so my opinion on hidden clues and red herrings is not reliable!)

Michael and Melissa both have their hang-ups but still we see romance and love in their relationship. Being a romantic at heart I had high hopes for this pair and hoped they could both lay their demons to rest, you will have to read the book to see if that worked out for me!!

This is a quick read with short chapters, technically the writing is great and it is well edited but overall it felt quite formal and not as relaxed as the writing I normally read. This may be typical of the genre which isn’t my usual choice. The characters were well developed and real and most of the dialogue was believable. I am definitely starting to enjoy this type of story and will be adding more crime/thriller/mystery to my TBR pile.

Copy supplied for review. Thank you

Sleepy Willow's Bonded Soul by Dicey Grenor -Review by Jane

4.5 Stars

After her aunt is killed in a car accident caused by narcolepsy, Willow is determined to find a cure for the genetic condition that she herself also suffers with. Taking part in various medical trails, seeing a number of doctors and swallowing a whole cocktail of pills don’t help, so Willow decides to make the ultimate sacrifice and become a vampire. Unfortunately it didn’t work, Willow still has the condition and with vampirism now being illegal the world is a very dangerous place for her, she can, at any moment fall asleep and that makes her extremely vulnerable.

Our protagonist, Willow works in a fetish club performing for necrophiliacs, which is a pretty good act for a vampire! Anyone with hang-ups for all things ‘kinky’ should not be reading this book. I personally didn’t find the sex scenes vulgar or crass, I thought they  were as tastefully written as they could be considering the content; which is not  in the ‘normal’ range of sexual tendencies!!

It was a very refreshing change to have an imperfect vampire, we are so used to them being perfection personified, larger than life, almost ‘God’ like, that to find one that has a major defect was quite nice. Narcolepsy is a medical condition where the sufferer falls asleep without warning at any time of the day or night so as you can imagine this can become quite tiresome (pun intended lol) for a vampire, especially if she is feeding or fleeing from danger when it happens.

I loved Willow she was such a fun, strong willed female who struggled with her beliefs and her lifestyle but like the rest of us she just plodded on making the best she could out of her situation. The fact that her parents and brothers are quite religious and thought her narcolepsy was the work of the devil put a sad slant on this tale and because she had to hide her vampirism from them I think she was a bit lonely too.

Aaron was probably the most interesting and complicated person in the book, what a twist? I really don’t want to give anything away about him so its difficult to speak about him, but bringing this person into the book was absolute genius on Dicey’s part, it brought yet more uniqueness to this already very different story.

The last chapter wrapped up things nicely for the sub characters, answering our questions about Aaron’s early life and telling us where the lives of the other club performers were headed, while leaving the story wide open where Willow is concerned, and leaving the reader wanting more. 

So…….. I’m always searching for those few reads that drag me in to the point where I am so absorbed with the story that nothing else matters and up to about 60% of my way through this book I really thought this was one of those books, I couldn’t put it down and only stopped reading when I fell asleep kindle in hand! Sadly the last 40% didn’t keep me as engrossed as the beginning had. I don’t know why, but I think it was at the point where Willow was kidnapped, her vulnerability with the narcolepsy made me like her but the weakness she showed during that incident made me loose some of the respect I had for her and left me groaning out loud at her inability to protect herself against a mere human. At 90% I had no problem putting the book down to go to sleep so I knew at that point that although I was still enjoying the book I was no-longer totally engrossed. It is for that reason alone that I have to take away .5 from my rating.  I liked the writing, the story, the characters, the pace, I enjoyed reading it and the editing was spot on! I am disappointed that the story lost its edge in the latter part but this in no way means the book wasn’t fantastic, because it was. I know my rating system can be frustrating for authors because many reviewers would give this book 5 stars, but personally I have to save  those 5* ratings for books that excel at everything for me and keep me totally 100% absorbed, living the book from start to finish and beyond and this one didn’t quite do it although it came close! I’m so pleased Dicey allowed me to read it and  I can’t wait for the next instalment, maybe that one will be the 5* book I am searching for!!

Everyone’s taste in books varies widely and this review is my own personal and honest opinion.

Copy supplied by author for review thank-you.

                         

Blood Magic by Zoey Sweete – Review by Cheryl

4 Stars

I had this book recommended to me by my sister, also an author at World Castle Publishing. She told me I wouldn’t be disappointed... and I wasn’t.

This book has it all, likeable characters, guys to swoon over and wish they were real, mystery and adventure. The author does a great job at keeping you on tenterhooks all the way through.

Like my sister, I must admit I love the dark lord, I just wish I knew how to pronounce his name properly, I’ve nicknamed him ‘Dam’ for short.

The only grips I had with the book were that it reminded me too much of Underworld at first mixed with True Blood. Because of this is took me a while to get into the story without seeing Kate Beckinsale and Sookie and Bill. However, a third of the way in, the story picked up and gained its own originality and merit.

I have a lot of unanswered questions and am looking forward to reading the next instalment.

Semester Abroad by Elizabeth Kirke - Review by Jane

3.5*

Spending the summer having classes on a ship cruising the ocean was a dream come true for Jen, but after seeing a boy pushed overboard one night she realised things are not always what they seem. Not only are mermaids and vampires real, Jen also learns she is a witch and her life is about to get a whole lot more interesting! Written from Jens POV we ride with her as she learns about werewolves, elementals MES (Magical Enforcement and Security) and more importantly how to tap into her own hidden magic before it’s too late and she loses it forever.

The thing I did like about this book was the unique storyline and the inclusion of so many different ‘magical’ species. There were elementals, fire and water. Mermaids, werewolves witches and vampires, even the familiars were more interesting than the way they are usually portrayed. Each of the characters had distinct abilities, some were stronger than others but all were as important as each other .

All the characters were well developed, we found out a lot of our information from the many questions asked by Jen and I’m grateful for her curiosity! The pace of the story was quite erratic, it went from fast paced and exciting to slow and dull, I think some bits could have been missed out or compacted to keep the reader constantly engaged because sometimes I did find my mind wandering in the slow parts. Some of the waffle felt like it was there to bulk the story but it really didn’t need it and in cases like this I wonder if too much emphasis is being placed on word count. Personally I would rather have a shorter book than read 5000 words of nothingness (that by the way is a random number I am not saying there were 5000 meaningless words in this particular book!)

Elizabeth Kirke has an easy to read writing style that flows well with natural sounding dialogue and has created an interesting world with a story unlike the usual urban fantasy/paranormal YA reads of today.

  

Copy supplied for review, thank-you.