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.
A Good Dragon is Hard to Find by Joynell Schultz
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A Good Dragon is Hard to Find*
Sorry to See the End of Ruby and Ty’s Adventures
This installment wraps up the story of Ruby and Ty. As I had hoped at the end of the last installment, we learn much more about the magical realm that Ty comes from. It is a much harsher, darker world than I had imagined. Ty and Ruby had to make hard decisions as they ventured to the magical realm in order to try to figure out how to close the tears that caused unnatural passages between the realms. Their relationship grew by leaps and bounds, and it was a delight to watch unfold even if there were difficulties. Ruby also learns more about first father. I am actually sad that this is the last book of this series, as I did enjoy Ruby and Ty’s adventures. At the end of the book, though, the author says that we will continue to learn about Ruby and Ty as she starts another series that revolve around some of the other characters from this series.
As always with Ms. Schultz’s stories, she is able to combine some humor with personal growth and conflict in a way that engages and keeps you turning the pages. She has envisioned a difficult magical realm that has far more depth than one would expect in a series like this. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the rest of the series.
The Rogue’s Bride by Jayne Castel
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The Rogue's Bride*
Sadly, The End of the MacLeod Sisters’ Series
Since I had read the previous two stories in this series about the MacLeod sisters, I was definitely curious to see what Caitrin’s story would be. It was evident in book one (as well as book two) that she had suffered much at the hands of her husband, who died in the first book. Because of her brutal treatment by her husband, she is loath to marry again, and she simply wants to remain as chatelaine at Duntulm and raise her son. But that will not be simple when Alastair MacDonald returns to Duntulm to claim the role of chieftain and laird of the manor. When Alastair and Caitrin were young, they were the best of friends, but for him, it turned to love. When he proposed, she laughed in his face, choosing to wed his brother; she didn’t see them as anything more than friends. When he returns home, it is clear that he has neither forgiven nor forgotten.
Vengeance plots like this one are sometimes hard to read. As a reader of romance, I want to be able to fall for the hero like the heroine is supposed to, but Alastair is not that swoon-worthy hero because he truly cannot let go of the past–even if at one point in the book it seemed like he did so as they called truce and started rebuilding their friendship. I think I was as heartbroken as Catriona at his final act of vengeance, and I wondered if the author could truly convince both Caitrin and me of his worthiness after this rather heinous act. I will say that the author surprised me. All along she had shown his flaws and weaknesses without restraint–he definitely had PTSD after a particularly bad and losing battle against the English near Durham, and I could understand him and his actions more than I thought I would when he confessed all to Caitrin at that pivotal juncture. I still think after all of her suffering that Caitrin deserved a better hero, but the route the author chose works well enough even if I found it a little unsatisfying. I think when an author makes a heroine such a sympathetic person because of all that she has gone through, as she has done here, she needs an equally sympathetic hero to balance her out, and I don’t think that was achieved. That said I have enjoyed this series of books, and I am looking forward to the next series that she teased about at the end that promises to have romances for two of the characters that were in this book. I’m quite looking forward to Sorcha and MacNichol’s romance.
The Eyewitness by Nancy C. Weeks
Available at Amazon only
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The Eyewitness*
Romance Fell Flat, But Suspense Plot Was Good
This contemporary romantic suspense starts with an unfortunate bang as the heroine’s father is murdered just after they had a big argument. The book details the investigation into this as well as the budding romance between the heroine and the hero, who happened to be her dead father’s partner.
This book was mostly well written, but I didn’t quite buy the romance aspect. This is an enemies-to-lovers spot, and I think that is hard to pull off in general but especially when there’s so much else going on in the story (like there is in this one). We need to see a pivotal shift for both characters that’s believable and contextually correct. Yes, I got that the two had a bad history, which sets up the enemies part, and they continue to butt heads even while they have an undeniable attraction to each other. Neither part rings true for me. Another thing that didn’t quite sit right for me was the idea of a hot-headed person being a forensic scientist; the two ideas just don’t blend well together in my mind. I know one of the themes that runs throughout is that she is working on that aspect of herself, but it seemed like an oil-and-water combination that would be unlikely to happen in real life. I also didn’t feel like the initial hospital scene was accurate in several ways; I won’t detail all the reasons, but I am an RN, and I wondered if the author had done much research into what goes on in a hospital and what it’s really like (including security).
The familial relationships in this story are complex in a way that feels accurate to real life. I enjoyed the dialogue in that it seemed natural, but I didn’t think that the key characters had enough differentiation in their voices. The suspense aspect was better done than the romance aspect. There were plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. While the book didn’t technically end on a cliffhanger, there are some unresolved issues. All in all, despite the glowing reviews for this book, it doesn’t inspire me to read the next book in the series to see how those loose ends to tie up.
The Colonel and Her Sergeant by Shana Figueroa
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The Colonel and Her Sergeant*
Such a Downer!
This is a well-written story, but oh, my gosh, it is such a downer! The author clearly understands the military from the inside, as the military is truly front and center in this book. The book’s title, and even the blurb somewhat, mislead you into thinking that this is a romance, but it is not. There are some romantic aspects to it, as one might guess, but these are consumed by the military aspects. I think the themes could have been touched on in a way that was uplifting rather than being so dark and depressing. I had just finished reading a book that addresses difficult themes but in a way that gave hope. This book didn’t do that. I found it to be a difficult read.
Last Words by Shari J. Ryan
Available at Amazon and Scribd
Last Words*
Stunningly Beautiful Novel About the Triumph of Love and Human Spirit
I read and review a lot of books. I’m generally able to dictate a review rather quickly. But when a book truly is exceptional and moves me, I feel like my meager words cannot do it justice. This is one of those outstanding books I am trying very hard to do proper justice to. This is simply an amazing book about the power of true love to triumph over hate and time. The book is an emotional journey not just for granddaughter Emma in the story but for the reader as well. In this book, the author has rendered beautifully both the greatest potential of the human soul as well as what we are when we are at our worst. The writing draws you right into Grandma and Emma’s story effortlessly. The story alternates between the points of view of Grandma (in the form of her diary) and Emma. The author has given them each a distinct voice; you know which is which even without referring to the note at the top of each chapter. Grandma’s story gives Emma a vision of what true love is and empowers her to live a better life with a man who treats her right. Grandma and Charlie’s story is full of so much pain but also love and hope in what was one of the darkest hours of human history. The author tells the harrowing tale with a brutal honesty that is at once inspiring and heartbreaking (though that word does not do it justice). As Emma starts to turn her life around, her story is the perfect counterpoint to her grandmother’s story, adding sweetness and a little levity. An exquisite, beautiful work that should be read by people who enjoy good love stories that touch the heart.
It’s In His Song by Shelly Alexander
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Free with Kindle Unlimited
It's In His Song*
Lovely Contemporary Romance Novella
What a delightful contemporary romance! Even though this is a novella, and a very fast read, the author did a good job with characterization and providing just enough of a plot that would fit a novella. (Some authors, unfortunately, make a novella plot that is too big for the length of the story.) These characters had enough history and present that this could have been a full-length novel, but it works well in this shorter form. The author did a good job of focusing the story down to a few critical days in the characters lives that would change them forever. And she even snuck in some is symbolism about walls that was definitely appropriate to the story and the characters. There was a surprising amount of humor as well. I loved both the hero and the heroine, although I don’t think I would want to be a customer of the heroine while she was fixating on Dylan! Even within this short tale, both characters grew and changed in a way that made sense for them. The only way to improve this story would have been if more time had been spent showing what happened to this newly formed family. I would have loved to see more of how Dylan was as a father and how the hero and heroine flared as they claimed a new life together. Kudos to the author or pulling off such a lovely romantic story.
Eleventh Night by Steven Penny
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Eleventh Night*
Short, Sad Tale of Love During Troubled Times
In this short story, an older man relates the story of his lost love. Their tragic story took place in Northern Ireland in the late 1970s at the height of the Troubles, and the two lovers were from the opposing sides.
The author did a good job of writing this tale as if it were actually told by a slightly drunk older gentleman to a young man in a pub. It has a feeling of conversation that rings true (even if it is one sided). I don’t think that is easy to attain, but this author makes it work. Unfortunately, there seem to be many issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage, so much that it actually did distract as I was reading. Commas were particularly problematic, and I thought there should have been more paragraph breaks in certain areas.
I actually think that the story of the original lovers would make a fantastic novella or novel from what is hinted at in the older gentleman’s story. Short or long, I think stories like this are good to remind the people of the perils of history so it is not repeated.
The Unwilling Viscount and the Vixen by Shelley Munro
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Unwilling Viscount and the Vixen*
Language Issues & Not a Lot of Romance
Rosalind is willing to participate in an arranged marriage to a man she doesn’t know and who has lost much of his memory because she wants security and a family of her own. She doesn’t believe this will happen through a more typical route because she has gifts that make her townspeople call her a witch. For his part, Lucien, the hero, does not really wish to marry again; he’s more interested in finding out who was responsible for the death of his first wife and unborn child.
I actually found this book difficult to read because the author misuses so many words and phrases while trying to make this historical novel seem to have elevated language. Many choices were just flat out wrong or not wholly appropriate given what was being said or described. Some of the reactions of the characters seemed overblown. For instance, when Rosalind was on her way for the initial meeting at the castle, did she really have to screw up every last bit of her courage just to look out the carriage window? If that were really true, events later in the book should have totally paralyzed her. A lot went on to make this seem more gothic and suspenseful than a straight-up historical romance. Unfortunately, it felt like this entirely overshadowed the romance. There really wasn’t much of an evolution of the romantic relationship. It seems like they were at odds for most of the book (and often separated) until the end when they suddenly loved each other (without having to do the work to get there). Also, I didn’t really see how the heroine was a vixen at all. With so many strange things happening around the castle, it seems odd that the hero would tell her to stay there to remain safe. At the end, I found myself wondering if the author shouldn’t have changed the last line since the title has been changed.
Because of the issues with language and the lack of the build of a true romance in the book, I can’t recommend this book.
Bailey by Sarah Gai
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Bailey*
Too Much Plot for Length of Story
Bailey is the youngest of the Nelson brothers and perhaps a bit of a player. But when an Australian cowgirl comes to help at Kayden and Kirra’s horse rescue center, he starts to reconsider his approach to romance. This is the fourth book that I’ve read in the Nelson brothers series. I quite enjoyed the first and third ones, but I felt like the second book and this one were too short for the stories that they had to tell. This book feels like it’s barely longer than a long short story, yet the story arc seems to require a longer novella to be fully realized. As such, the love story didn’t really have time to fully develop. There wasn’t time to really develop any other sort of external conflict either. I enjoyed the characters of Bailey and Marty, the heroine, but there just wasn’t enough to this story.
Squire Hayseed by S. E. Zbasnik
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Squire Hayseed*
Unforgiving World
At the start of this very long novel, Hayley is attempting to win a slot as a squire. After being brutalized and humiliated by one of the other hopefuls (and even humiliating herself), Hayley is chosen. This book hit on many themes, but overall, the book felt surprisingly dark. Hayley has grown up in harsh circumstances before becoming a squire, and this brotherhood (and sisterhood) of knights reveals a different kind of darkness than she has known, but darkness nonetheless. All around her seem untrustworthy, and several of them are out for blood. The world this author has created is a harsh one, and I didn’t particularly enjoy it. I don’t like books that just come across so dark and cruel. I thought the book was too long, without progressive complications to keep me interested. One thing I find myself questioning from the beginning is how a thief who was theoretically heading to the gallows was able to take part in the squire recruitment process.
I also didn’t like the swearing in this book. In general, I don’t like profanity in books unless it is used to help illuminate character. I like my fantasy books to have cleaner language, as it really does yank me right out of the story to see the use of modern profanity in a medieval-style fantasy.
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