THE KATERINA TRILOGY, Vol 1: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

The Katerina Trilogy, Vol. I: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It had its moments. I liked the action, the pull to the Grand Duke as well as Katerina's fear that someone would find out her secret. The Montenegrins were sufficiently evil and cunning, but I did think for Katerina wanting to be a doctor, she could have been a bit smarter in some of her choices. She is a teenager in a certain time with restrictions on her conduct. I just thought that since she was so willing to buck the system by wanting a career, she would have done things a little smarter.

All in all, it was a quick and entertaining read.

View all my reviews

THE WARRIOR HEIR by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was a lot of fun to read. It felt like a mix of Harry Potter meets Percy Jackson. I found myself tearing up a bit when Jack has to make a decision about what he will do. I was very upset at Leander in forcing the issue.

Very well written. The story moved quickly with little time for lulls. There was lots of action, which I like at the same time telling the story of teenage travails, the emotional ups and downs with hormones flying everywhere.

I understood who Ellen may be early on in the story, but was still shocked when her place in the story was revealed.

The only reason I'm not giving the book five stars is because no matter what I did, I found it hard to figure out which character was Fitch and which was Will. Meaning that they seemed interchangeable to me and weren't distintive enough. I liked the, but wasn't sure who was the gentle jock and who was the smart goofy nerd.

Now I will have to read the rest of the books :-)

View all my reviews

BzzAgent Time!

I just received the coupons to start the trying the Private Selection products. Since I'm spending Thanksgiving on my own this year, I think its the prefect time to try out some great frozen goodies.

I also got an oven mit. While this may not be excited to many, I am thoroughly thrilled as I've needed a new one with the heat protection lining and had been dreading shopping for it. Now I've got one that's cool look...

END MALARIA via The Domino Project (BzzAgent Campaign)

Received this book through my BzzAgent campaign for The Domino Project and it's very inspirational. Makes you want to step outside of yourself and give to others.



Check it out on Amazon.com. $20 from the sale of every copy in any format goes to Malaria No More, an international advocacy organization working to end malaria deaths in 2015.

StyleFind

Check out this site for new and fun products at great discounts. I learned about it from my BzzAgent campaign.

THE RUBY KISS by Helen Scott Taylor

The Ruby Kiss by Helen Scott Taylor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting! I haven't read a romance novel in a while and that's exactly what this book is, with a major fantasy element to it. I liked it for what it was, a quick, guilty pleasure read. I read it in about 5 hour. The story starts a little quickly, answering some questions a before they can even be asked. I like when the the discovery is a little more subtle. The writing was descriptive and clear, but lacked any energy. Even the fights didn't cause feelings of anticipation or anxiety. The intimate moments were clear and palpable, but may have been too many for such a small book. I also felt like there were several ending to the book. Every time there was an obstacle, it seemed easily conquered then there was another, conveniently put into place. A little too formulaic.

I know it sounds like I didn't like it, but that not the case. Basically if you read a lot of thriller, fantasy, ya but still enjoy a romance novel, then this is a good palate cleanser. You will read it quickly and enjoy and be ready for the next masterpiece to read.

View all my reviews

DEARLY DEPARTED by Lia Habel

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The story was okay. Each chapter was from a different character's point of view, but with several of the main characters being in that person's chapter, it was hard to know who was speaking for the chapter. Sound confusing? So was the story in a lot of ways. There's still no clear explanation for Wolfe's actions, or what he really thought he would accomplish. There seems to be no experimentation to find out where the virus comes from, who the Punks really are, why they and the New Victorians hate each other so much, why Paula who seems to be so prim and proper defies her parents at every turn to jump into the fray, and why her brother would run after her. Lets just say there's a lot of confusion in the story. I, unfortunately, wouldn't look forward to reading a sequel. The only reason I didn't give it one star is because I actually finished it. I reserve that for books I can't even get through, which is pretty hard for me not to do. I always feel that a book may redeem itself somewhere. This had some great fighting. I liked the action and that's the only reason for the 2 stars. Sorry.

View all my reviews

THE MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER by Melanie Dickerson

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying I would have given it three stars out of 5 if it weren't for the fact that it got kinda corny at the end. I hate saying that because that is where it got most overly religious, which I don't mind, but it was a bit much.

This book has remnants of Beauty and the Beast as well as Cinderella with a religious overtone.

Ranulf Le Wyse comes to Glynval to start anew. His is the only one left in his family after they had died in the pestilence. The same thing had happened to Annabel's father, who had been a wealthy merchant. Her mother and two bothers were selfish as the sisters and step-mother in Cinderella, using her to make their lives easier. Annabel chooses work as a servant for Lord le Wyse for three years in order to pay off her families debt instead of marrying the lecherous Bailiff Tom, who was her father old friend and age.

Annabel being so sweet and of good heart softens the hard Ranulf and that part of the story is nice. I even like the fact that she reads the bible to him each night bringing them closer. The ending and how easily it was all tied up is my issue.

If you are into religious romance, this is the book for you.

View all my reviews