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.
Emotional Intelligence by James W. Williams
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Emotional Intelligence*
Error-Filled Rehash of EI Concepts, Not a Mental Makeover
In this book, the author purports to give you a 21-day roadmap to improving your emotional intelligence. The book’s cover showing the title and subtitle do not wholly and accurately reflect what goes on in the book. From them, it appears that the book is about emotional intelligence on a personal level, but it is primarily about how to understand emotion in yourself and others as it relates to business.
I am a female, so something irritated to hear the author talk about mastering or managing emotions. To me, that is not what emotions are about; can one master or manage untamed nature? While we can strive to better understanding, we cannot. While I agree that self-awareness of your emotional state has value, I don’t think it should follow that knowledge about emotions should be a springboard to manipulate the emotions of others, which it seems this author suggest. In part one of the book, it seems odd to me that he equates “people skills” with emotional intelligence. People skills, as it were, are so much more than anything to do with emotion. Similarly, the phrase emotional intelligence suggests more than just people skills.
In reading through it, it didn’t come together as a “mental makeover” plan at all; rather, it is more like a collection of short essays about EI topics. I think this book needs a more precise vision or perhaps a different one. The cover should actually reflect with a book is about, for certain. I think it should be more tightly focused on what the author seems to care about, which is how emotions can be used effectively in the workplace as another tool for management and workers. Perhaps he even needs two books, one for the worker bee and one for leaders. The book could have used the hand of a developmental editor.
This book does not appear to have been professionally copyedited or proofread. It requires both. There are some inconsistencies within a text as well as errors with grammar, punctuation, and usage. Some words and phrases were overused; sometimes sentences were overlong. Some errors were glaring and did detract from the reading of the book; parts were difficult to get through.
As it stands, if you are hoping this book will benefit you on a personal level, not a professional one, these hopes may not be realized. At best, it is an error-ridden introduction to some of the concepts of EI.
Arriving from Arkansas by Elisa Keyston
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Arriving from Arkansas*
Staking a Claim and Finding Romance in Old West Nevada
Josie and Jim meet when they are making the last leg of their journey to a small town in the Sierra Nevada. Ostensibly, Jim is the new foreman at a mill nearby, and she’s the new cook at a boarding house. But things are not as they seem on the surface. Both Josie and Jim have secrets. Josie’s uncle had been on the verge of finding a motherlode of silver before he died. He left a journal detailing where it could be found. Jim is actually undercover law enforcement, and he’s on the trail of his brother’s murderer.
Will Josie find her uncle’s motherlode? Will someone else have staked a claim already? If not, will the very fact that she is poking around draw interest? Will she be put in danger? Will Jim be successful in finding his brother’s murderer?
I grew up in California and visited Tahoe and Virginia City often, so it was fun to read about this area in a fictionalized, historical way. I also enjoy that this book focused on silver mining instead of gold mining, as these historical Western romances usually do.
I found the characters in this book to be very well drawn. The hero and heroine have secrets to hide, which add layers to their characterization. I didn’t think that Josie came across wholly as a woman of her time. She seemed to be more modern in her thinking than what one would expect, wanting to be so independent and striving hard to seek her own fortune. The romance was a super slow burn but believable. More time was spent with the intrigue than the romance.
Queen of Darkness by Isadora Brown and Rebecca Hamilton
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Queen of Darkness*
New Life Direction for Kelia…and New Dangers
Now that Kelia’s life has been forced into a particular direction, new dangers seem to be around every curve. She needs knowledge and training, but Drew isn’t providing that. There are more problems with the Sirens, and of course, the queen.
It is interesting how much Kelia’s life has changed over the course of these four novels. Of course, the change documented in this novel is probably her most significant altering circumstance yet and one that she doesn’t really appreciate the full ramifications of through the course of the story. She has a hard time accepting that she had no choice, though, in a moment of clarity, she does realize that she would have made the choice that Drew made for her. In this book, Kelia has to find her bearings in a new reality where she is not as supported by Drew as she would like.
I continue to enjoy this series of Kelia‘s and Drew’s adventures and wonder what they will be next.
Birthday Pie Burial by Diana DuMont
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Birthday Pie Burial*
Who Would Murder an Old Main in His 100th Birthday?
Nearly all of Sunshine Springs has turned out for Edgar’s 100th birthday. Izzy is there supplying boozy and non-alcoholic pies for the celebration. Edgar’s plan for a big speech after the fireworks doesn’t transpire because, while the sky is alight, somebody shoots Edgar. Who in the crowd would have wanted Edgar dead? Initial thoughts turn to Edgar’s new thirtysomething girlfriend, but Izzy doesn’t think that’s quite right, so she and Sprinkles decide to investigate.
If you read the previous book in the series about fictitious Sunshine Springs located not far from San Francisco, then you know about Izzy, who owns Drunken Pie Cafe, and her Dalmatian, Sprinkles. Izzy is a would-be amateur sleuth who is now looking into a second untimely death. Like any good cozy, we have a small town with quirky characters and a plot that twists and turns, with a few red herrings thrown in. The author’s writing style is very easy to read, and Izzy is a smart woman who’s fun to watch as she tries to unravel the clues.
Oh, and I totally want to try the apple bourbon pie or the lemon vodka pie!
If you like cozy mysteries with a slight culinary bent and an intelligent heroine, you might enjoy this book and the series.
A Slow Burn by Terri A. Wilson
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A Slow Burn*
Well Paced, But a Little Too Short
Hotshot detective and dragon shifter Remi is investigating an intriguing new case. He’s a sought-after ladies’ man, but he can’t quite shake Dai from his memory. Dai is a woman who has been groomed great things. At a sacred gathering of their people, Remi and Dai are proclaimed the king and queen of Beltane. Sparks fly between them in more ways than one. Soon, however, they must band together to help find Dai’s missing sister. This might even connect to his case.
This story had a complex plot that I think might have been better served as a longer work. I felt like I was missing nuances and details about the couple and the world of the book. That being said, the writing was tight, and the plot kept moving. I liked seeing the development of the love-hate relationship between the couple and how they had to interact even though they didn’t want to.
Kayden by Sarah Gai
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Kayden*
Of Cake and Kirra
Next up in this series of short romances about the Nelson brothers is Kayden’s story. The book opens at Callista and Jackson’s wedding. Kayden reveals his unrequited feelings for retreat manager, Kirra, in his thoughts. In a funny little bit, Kayden suddenly appears when Kirra is getting out the wedding cake, causing it to get damaged. Kirra has been burned in past relationships, so she does her best to tamp down her feelings for Kayden, so much so that he doesn’t realize that she has them! Will these two be able to come together? Or will they be unable to get beyond doubt and fears?
This was an extremely short novella. As such, I felt that the development of the romantic relationship happened too fast; the story would have been better served as a longer novel so we could see the budding, but unknown, attraction as well as the issues that held them both back. As in the last book, Jaxson, I enjoyed the humor between the Nelson siblings and the supportive family atmosphere between the brothers and the rest of the family.
While I wished for more of the story, I am still looking forward to Andrew’s romance.
Unscripted by Claire Handscombe
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Unscripted*
Main Characters Not Really Likable
Libby is a young British writer who has had a crush on an American actor for a very long time. She comes up with the idea of writing a book and sending it to him, hoping he’ll be so enthralled with it he’ll want to collaborate with her to make it a screenplay. She does write the book, and he in fact does invite her to Los Angeles to collaborate.
I had a hard time getting into this book and caring about the characters. Chapters alternate between several characters in the first-person present. As I got toward the end of the book, I wondered whether that unusual tense was part of what made me not be able to immerse myself in the story. Unfortunately, much of the book seems just to be telling about events, with significant blocky sections of paragraphs, not showing them through dialogue and action. The whole tone of the book just came across as strange to me. It didn’t help that I didn’t particularly like either of the main characters, Thom or Libby. Both suffer from a certain degree of narcissism and selfishness. Libby doesn’t realize the effects her actions have on others. I also found their age difference to be a little off-putting. The end of the book seemed off to me as well, and it just seemed to come out of nowhere.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Gift of Darkness by Isadora Brown and Rebecca Hamilton
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Gift of Darkness*
Change of Focus for This Installment
Kelia and Drew are adrift with his crew as they try to figure out their next move. Kelia gets lured by the Sirens. She appears to be in constant danger, and kidnapping is a recurrent theme. Drew is willing to do much to keep her safe, but can he keep her safe from the Queen?
This book feels wholly different from the last one, almost like it is a part of a different series. In one sense, it feels like it’s all about the ladies: the Sirens, Kelia’s mother, and the Queen. The focus until now has been The Society and her father, so this feels like quite a shift. We learn more about the background of the Sirens and the Sea Shadows. Kelia and Drew deepen their relationship.
Unfortunately, this book suffered from two faults. The first is that this book appears to have even more issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage than the last. Words are mistakenly used, words are left in that should have been taken out, and words that should have been omitted are left in. There are also more significant consistency issues, where things are said to be one way in one place but then are different from another. The book needs a good copyeditor, not just a proofreader. The second fault: while I sometimes appreciate a cliffhanger ending, this one seems to be too abrupt.
Call of Darkness by Isadora Brown
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Call of Darkness*
Many Secrets Revealed in This Installment
Kelia is now a Sightless as punishment after all that transpired in the last book. Even though Drew had offered her escape, she wants to stay within The Society to learn more about why they killed her father. Rycroft is brutal and cruel, and he gets her to go along with a rather insane, harsh breeding program. Again and again, Kelia goes along with what Rycroft and others want simply because she wants to know the truth or wants to protect someone.
This is a dark, dark book. We don’t necessarily see all the darkness playing out in front of us, but it’s alluded to, and the effects of it are seen. Rycroft is pure evil. Drew risks himself by entering the fortress to see Kelia. Compared to the last book, he is active and bold. You can see the evolution of the way he cares for Kelia; it becomes something deep and meaningful (even if he still likes to goad and challenge her). Their relationship has changed them both, even if what everyone thinks—that they had a sexual relationship—is not true. Many secrets get revealed in this volume—and Kelia gets to understand more about her father than she wants to know–and the depth of the danger that Kelia and Drew have faced and are facing becomes increasingly evident. Those on opposing sides of this world both conspire for the downfall of Kelia and Drew and those who care about them in order to maintain the status quo or seek vengeance. The book is so horrifying at times, and it is a compelling read just to see what was going to happen next. What trouble would Kelia get herself into? How will she get herself out of it? Or will she be able to get out of it at all? When will Drew show up? Drews is such a complex character; he’s the kind of person I’d like to have my back.
Unfortunately, the book seems to have more than the average number of errors in grammar, punctuation, and usage; this was distracting at times. For instance, a word was randomly capitalized in the middle of a sentence; this word also needed some capitalization around it.
Goddess of Marriage by Fallyn Briggs
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Goddess of Marriage*
Not Easy Being the Host of Hera
We first meet Zach and Helen when they are teenagers learning about Zeus and Hera in Greek history class; they believe themselves to be genuinely in love. It flashes forward to 10 years later when they are married and are parents to a little girl named Cassandra. She is two, and Helen is ready to go back to work, so they’re looking for a nanny but without much success until they interview Sebastian. He has experience taking care of his siblings as well as working as a nanny for three different couples. He’s hired. In his personal life, he’s engaged to Kat and has only recently moved to Elysium.
If you aren’t familiar with this series, characters in it become essentially possessed by the spirits of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses. This inhabitation is typically familial, as it is here for Helen and for the heroine in the previous book of the series. So she and Zach aren’t just Helen and Zach; they also hold within themselves the spirits of Hera and Zeus. These Olympians can make themselves heard in their hosts’ minds as well as make them act out; the hosts pass out and don’t know what has happened. If you’re familiar with the legends and myths of Hera and Zeus, you will understand that Helen and Zack are not having the best relationship.
Along with following Zach and Helen’s relationship, we also follow up Sebastian and Kat’s. He’s quite content to be a nanny, though he has other dreams as well. She is really pushing him to go back to school to learn about business.
I enjoyed the first book of this series, and I enjoyed this one as well. My goodness, Hera and Zeus really put Helen and Zach through so much. Those love-struck teens didn’t stand a chance once the Olympians possessed them. Hera is not happy that Helen is considering divorce. She is the goddess of marriage after all, and she cannot inhabit a divorced woman’s body, and her host must be married to the man who is possessed by Zeus. The drama on all sides made for a good read. The very end of the book was a total shocker that I didn’t see coming. Oh, my gosh! I won’t give it away, but it completely follows from what we know even though it is a surprise.
If you enjoy ancient Greek mythology, you might enjoy this series’ modern spin on it. I quite enjoy watching the gods and goddesses torment these poor humans; it’s cool to see the myths come to life.
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