Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Kindle Unlimited ReviewsNOTE: These books were in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program at the time that I posted the reviews. They may not still be in the program, as authors can opt out every 3 months. If you find a book that is no longer in the program, don’t hesitate to contact me, and I will update the review.
The Second Fall by G. J. Ogden
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The Second Fall*
Five Years Later
This is the second book of the Planetsider series, and oh, what a ride it is! First, I have to say I absolutely loved the author’s acknowledgment at the beginning of the book where he stated that it had taken him twenty years to write the first book of this series, stating that people shouldn’t give up if they want to write a novel and believe that they can’t. I hope his readers out there take it to heart. But now, about the story itself! This story is so full of action and drama, yet it also has lovely, small moments between the characters, many of whom we know from the first book. Ethan and Maria have both changed since the last book, and I enjoyed their interactions. I thought that the writer actually handled the “romance” aspect beautifully and in a very adult way that isn’t often seen in fiction. I like how the story could broach bigger themes in a way that isn’t preachy but was rather, instead, more quietly insightful and lets readers draw their own conclusions based on what is happening in the story. The action scenes are balanced well with the scenes that are more about the characters’ relationships. The author has a natural writing style that allows the reader to enter the book’s world quickly, even though the world itself is complex. A delightful space opera; I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
A Seance in Franklin Gothic by Jessa Archer
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A Seance in Franklin Gothic*
Another Murder–Perhaps–In Thistlewood
In another trip to Thistlewood, there appears to be a little mysticism mixed up with a murder! The dead body is found in a circle of candles slumped over a Ouija board. When the body disappeared before the sheriff could get there, some thought it might have been a hoax or a prank. But with Ruth, Wren, and Cassie on the trail, it will be figured out!
I enjoyed this book like I have the others in this series. The author has an excellent way of showing us who Ruth thinks. I love that Ruth is an older heroine than we often see in books in general, and her age and profession give her a certain gravitas (while not being pedantic) The story is in the first person from her perspective, and hers is an interesting and mature head to be in as she tries to puzzle out what’s going on. I thought that, on occasion, there were a bit too many information dumps scattered throughout. It seems like the author is almost trying to summarize the previous books in the series here and there, when she could just get by with a little detail or two. I won’t spoil it, but the ending did surprise me, as it isn’t something we usually see in cozy mysteries. All in all, I enjoyed this installment of the series.
Drawn to Her by Jenna Harte
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Drawn to Her*
Nurse Falls for Her Patient’s Grandson
I chose this story at my favorite book review site because it has a nurse as the heroine, Lexie. I am an RN myself, so I can’t help but want to read books that have a nurse as the protagonist! Lexie, though, is a private duty nurse. The relationship between her and the hero, Drake, was fractious from the beginning to nearly the end. They certainly didn’t like each other when they first met; neither was impressed by the other and formed bad impressions. But the author peeled back the layers of both of these complex characters, making their growing relationship seem organic as we got to know them better. I absolutely adored Oliver, the dying grandfather. I believe there is a saying that at the end of your life your regrets have to do with your personal choices about family and relationships and not about your job or career. Oliver is the living embodiment of that concept, and his realization is something that he wants to leave as a legacy for his grandsons who are battling over his business.
I do actually like the story from a romance standpoint, but from a nurse perspective, it is not realistic. It would be against our code of ethics to date a family member of our patient! So that aspect of the story didn’t sit right with me. I had to consciously put that idea aside, imagine that I wasn’t the nurse, and just try to enjoy the characters and romance for what it was. It did have some issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage, but not enough to detract from the enjoyment of the story. I love how the author injected southern charm into the story. While I have not visited the south, I enjoyed the quaint phrases and habits and southern-style dialogue. All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable read.
The Aristocrat’s Charade by Joyce Alec
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The Aristocrat's Charade*
An Unlikely Couple Embroiled in Mystery and Romance
This novel turns some Regency romance tropes on their proverbial ears. I love how in the prologue Ophelia, the heroine, was quite pleased when her noble suitor, Peter, broke off their courtship after only two weeks. She, too, believed they were ill-suited. So imagine her surprise when the next day, I think, he is back and requesting that they resume their courtship. He is actually quite adamant about it, but she resists until her aunt insists that she should give him a second chance after he spouts a flowery declaration. His attempts to woo her back (and her reaction to it) made me smile as it was quite humorous What Ophelia doesn’t know, and Peter doesn’t say for quite a while, is that her fickle suitor has received a threat against his brother unless he continues the courtship and even marries her. When he does reveal his reason, Ophelia understands and wants to help. As they try to unravel the mystery, will this become a real courtship?
Like some of this author’s other works, I found the language in this one to be stilted at times; the attempt to sound “historical” yet realistic doesn’t always work. There were some pretty big informational dumps at the start of the book, both on Ophelia’s side as well as Peter’s. However, I found this intriguing plot to be just different enough from the common Regency ones that I could pass over these issues and still enjoy the twists and turns of the suspense plot (and the budding romance), as the couple eventually worked together to figure out who was threatening his brother. I ended up enjoying this book more than I imagined I would!
Lemon Chiffon Lies by Diana DuMont
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Lemon Chiffon Lies*
More Murder and Boozy Pies in Sunshine Springs
Izzy, Grams, and Sprinkles are at it again! I’ve read the other books in the series, and I enjoyed this trip to Sunshine Springs as well. Like some characters in the book, I think Izzy puts herself in too much danger at times to figure out this murder that she couldn’t seem to help get embroiled in. I have come to enjoy the interaction between Izzy, Grams, and Sprinkles so much, and I love the zany boozy pie ideas that Izzy comes up with. In this book, like the others in the series, there are some good twists and turns to the plot, a good level of suspense, and a cast of delightfully quirky characters that we continue to get to know. A solid cozy mystery, and a delightful read.
The N Word by Michelle MacQueen & Ann Maree Craven
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The N Word*
Wonderful Installment of Thought-Provoking Series
This is my second book to read in this series, and I am pleased to say that I am as delighted with it as I was with the first one. I absolutely adored Nari in the first book. I believe I even mentioned her in my review of that book, calling her the “truth teller” in that installment. I see that it is ironic now, as Nari’s book shows that she is full of secrets.
Nari leads a double life as a country rock keyboardist with some school bandmates. It is only when she is performing that she truly feels alive, but nobody outside of her band or a few close friends know about this… not her parents or other kids at school. Her other secret is that while the kids at school call her a nerd because she is Asian and wears nerdy glasses, she actually struggles to learn and is doing poorly in her classes. As a first-generation American, she feels pressure from her parents, especially her mother, to live their version of the American dream, whether or not it is Nari’s. The other half of the romantic relationship in the story is Avery, the football star. After making a bad play that kept his team from advancing to the playoffs, he broke up with his long-term girlfriend after he determined that it was no longer working for him because the relationship was so one-sided (all about her); he came to the conclusion that same night that continuing with football may not be what he truly wants to do, either.
Both Nari and Avery are dealing with issues at home as well as problems at school. They decide to help each other out, in a trope that is familiar to romance readers. It is well done here, though. I never mind when a trope is well done!
I’ve got to say that I absolutely adore this series. The authors are able to explore complex and challenging issues in this series in a way that resonates with me, bringing me to tears at times or making me laugh. Themes at the forefront of this novel include the pressures of expectations, the multifaceted nature of friendship, bullying, and being your true self. It certainly looks at a variety of stereotypes, showing that perceptions are not always reality. All of this is handled beautifully, with easy-to-read prose that shows us exactly how these characters think and feel and how this informs how they act. This well-rendered story is an example of why I still continue to read young adult novels even though I am way past that age!
The First Village by Ian M. Evans
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The First Village*
A Knight’s Tale in Old Wales
If you look at the cover of this book, you might think that it is a serious work of historical fiction. It is anything but! In fact, it reminds me very much of Heath Ledger’s movie A Knight’s Tale in its approach to history. The author doesn’t even attempt to use what some would think of as historical language, or any other sort of elevated speech. I’ll admit my eyebrows lifted when I saw one character call another a “meanie.” While the places and the politics of the novel are based in truth, the characters themselves are fictional. The story is about a cultural shift, when the Romans were leaving Britannia after having lived and ruled there for over 300 years. What does that mean for the soldiers, some of whom do not want to go back to a place they’ve never known and perhaps their families have never been from? What does that mean for all of the various tribes around Britannia, who often engaged in internecine battles before the Romans? There’s also a romance at the heart of this book, and I found the couple to be an intriguing one to watch. This book is full of humor: slapstick, dry, and tongue in cheek. Again if you enjoyed the movie A Knight’s Tale, you would most likely enjoy this book.
Redemption for the Rakish Earl by Jilian Rouge
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Redemption for the Rakish Earl*
Heat Level Goes to STEAM Very Fast
Goodness! I don’t know quite what to make of this book. When I read about the couple’s passionate relationship, I wasn’t quite prepared for what happened in the first chapter. My goodness, the author raises the heat level to Steam very fast. The writing of the text actually felt a little clunky to me, and not just the sex scenes, as the author has the characters speak and think in ways that are unlike how real people express themselves. She also engaged in a bit of head hopping, which I can find distracting. Even though this is a historical novel, some of the sensibilities seem more modern than post-Regency. The heroine’s views on marriage, in particular, seemed far too modern. But there is more than romance at the heart of this story. In fact, it appears that historical suspense is becoming quite a sub-subgenre of romance and suspense. After their passionate scene nine years earlier, the couple is reunited, but they have more to get beyond than their past mistakes as it appears that someone is out to do them harm. I had a hard time warming up to the hero. The way he acted after the initial passionate encounter with the heroine was truly rakish, and he wasn’t really repentant about his habits. Instead, he returned to the heroine’s sphere because it was challenging to keep the married women he’d slept with and their husbands at bay. All in all, I’ve read better historical romance and better romantic suspense.
Regency Rumors by Bethany Swafford
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Regency Rumors*
A Good Regency Suspense
In this Regency suspense, the reader can figure out pretty quickly that there is something strange going on both at the Burnham household and with the heroine’s family. But the author doesn’t give away too many details too fast. We know that something has happened to the Sinclair family’s reputation, but we don’t know what precisely nor do we know what greater problem this has caused. Juliet, the heroine, is first mistaken for someone applying for a job as a lady’s maid in the Burnham household, but then she decides to take the job–rather foolishly–in order to help both sate her curiosity and see if she can do damage control for her family. She gets involved in a world that’s far different than her imaginings.
The author did a good job building the suspense and just the oddness factor of the Burnham household, where Juliet worked in disguise. I will admit I felt a little frustrated at times not knowing more of the greater picture, but it was so intriguing that I kept going. I quite enjoyed this little romp into Regency suspense and rumors.
The Duke of Ravens by Jennifer Monroe
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The Duke of Ravens*
Too Melodramatic
What a peculiar historical romance. I’m not quite sure what to make of it. I was put off right away by a word choice mistake in the first sentence. The book also suffered from several information dumps, which I always find annoying as I think background information is better when it is scattered throughout a novel as needed or shown in some way. I also thought that the author made the heroine’s life with her awful husband far too melodramatic to be believable. The author didn’t always use the proper forms of address for nobility. There is a suspense plot in this, and I thought that was better done than the romantic aspect of the book. The suspense plot does have some red herrings. Some characters’ behavior didn’t make sense until the end, which made for a confusing read at times. The cover doesn’t go with the book at all, as the hero would not have dressed like that for the bulk of the book.
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