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.
Whispers of Light by Jennifer Monroe
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Whispers of Light*
Interesting Premise that Falls Apart
This book had an interesting premise, but I do not think that it was fully realized. Marriages of convenience that turn into more are common in Regency romance novels. I liked both the hero and the heroine; I wasn’t as wild about the heroine’s family. I felt like there needs to be more development in all parts of the story, both before the marriage and definitely after. I think the author waited too long for the big reveals about the two main characters. They acted and reacted to situations based on their history, but we as the readers did not know this history until almost the very end of the book. I think the author should have given this information slowly over the course of the novel, as it would have helped make the characters’ actions make more sense.
The crux of the matter for the hero is that he sees himself as less of a man because he has a limp. This concept is beaten like a dead horse throughout the book, but it doesn’t seem like enough to hang all the duke’s foibles on. What man would really be like that? It just didn’t seem believable. While I didn’t think enough was shown before the marriage, I thought the book went off the rails after they married. All of a sudden, the book wasn’t about the hero and heroine anymore (and their mysterious backstories) but how the heroine interacted with the hero’s sister—who actually showed up kind of late. The last part of the book wasn’t all about that, of course, but a surprising amount of time just after marriage was just about this relationship. The couple had enough issues between themselves because of their histories that those would have been enough for them to work on, especially with the interference from the heroine’s family and her problems with her sisters. After such a promising concept in the beginning, I was disappointed that the book just completely fell apart for me.
The Complete Keto Desserts Book for Carb Lovers by Owen Moss
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Complete Keto Desserts Book for Carb Lovers*
Yummy-Sounding Keto-Friendly Desserts
I always find it laughable when a cookbook proclaims itself “complete.” As if that could ever be for any recipe lover. However, for anyone who is on the keto diet and is missing desserts, this book provides an ideal solution. It is jam-packed with 75 keto-friendly recipes that the author states have been tweaked from family recipes to be made suitable for the keto diet. A lot of them do sound quite yummy, including the first one, Chocolate Almond Ganache Cake. Other good sounding ones include Puffy Strawberry Scones and Decadent Butterscotch Dessert. The recipes do appear to be keto friendly, using alternate low-carb flours and sweeteners. The author does give the number of carbs per serving, and I was surprised how low some of them were.
While this is a good book of desserts that one could enjoy while on the keto diet, I do have some issues with it. First, the recipes aren’t organized in any fashion. They are just placed in random order. Desserts can be split into specific types like shakes, cakes, and candies, for instance. I would have loved to have seen this kind of organization. Sometimes you’re looking for a particular type of recipe and don’t really want to read through 75 recipe titles to figure out what you might want. I mentioned above that this book does use some low-carb flours and sweeteners. It also does use a few other ingredients that are uncommon. While the author did have a brief int section on the flours and sweeteners, he didn’t really have a section that addressed these other obscure ingredients. That would have been handy. Finally, those recipes that needed them didn’t have pan sizes. Many of the recipes don’t need them, though.
Other than these three issues, I did find this book to be stuffed with good-sounding recipes perfect for people on a keto diet.
Character and Structure by Chris Andrews
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Character & Structure*
One Way to Approach The Hero’s Journey in Fiction
The book rather pompously states in the very front that it is not a writing book but rather a masterclass in “combining character with structure to create emotional impact.” Let me be clear; it is a fiction writing book. In the early part, it feels like the author is having a hard time coming to a point, or at least distilling his ideas. When he moves from the theory to more practical matters, that’s when the book gets interesting. The book looks at what the author calls the “unholy alliance” of story and structure, story being about what happens to your characters and structure being how that unfolds—all with the end goal of creating better emotional engagement for the reader with the characters in the story. The author draws heavily from the hero’s journey and also seems to take some Concepts from the Story Grid. Each of the practical chapters ends with application questions that you can ask about your own story to see how you are doing about the particular topic just addressed. The practical chapters are also filled with examples from popular movies, some of which are based on books. If you are a fiction writer, you might find this book as a way to engage with the hero’s journey—and ultimately as a way to creating better structure and emotional resonance.
Equity Crowdfunding by Nathan Rose
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Equity Crowdfunding*
Learn More About This Novel Way to Raise Capital
Have you heard of the concept of equity crowdfunding? It’s a relatively new way of raising capital for a small business. Think of it as the grown-up version of Kickstarter; instead of getting a company or person’s product, you get shares in the company. It is definitely a novel way for startups and entrepreneurs to not only fund their business but to market it. This book goes over the concept in great detail. It is very well organized, starting with defining what equity crowdfunding is and goes on to explore whether or not it is right for your business. Then he looks at the different equity crowdfunding platforms and options that you’ll have to choose from. Once you’ve decided that this is for you, the book gives you further insight into how to craft your offer and run it and even what to do after your campaign is over. If this is something you’ve thought about or sounds intriguing to you, this would be the perfect book to pick up to see if it would be right for you.
Pumpkin Patch Mystery by Lucy May
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Pumpkin Patch Mystery*
Another Excellent Visit to Charm Cove
I don’t know how many books I have read in Lucy May’s Charm Cove series, but I have found every one of them a delight. I love seeing a new book in the series pop up at my favorite book review site. No matter how busy I am, I have to pick it up. One of the things that I appreciated about this story was that the murder happened right at the beginning, before the 10% mark. It is definitely a danger with cozy mysteries, delaying the murderer or the crime and filling much of the first part of the book with a look at the quirky community that cozy mysteries always have. I have seen the murder take place as late as almost to 50% mark, though that is extreme. But having such a crucial moment in a murder mystery take place so late doesn’t allow time for the mystery to develop. But that doesn’t happen here. We’re two months past the Wicked-Good wedding, and the newlyweds are embroiled in the murder because the two girls that they had taken to a pumpkin patch found the dead body. So the whole gang gets involved in this murder, though it is apparently not magical in nature. The book had some good twists and turns, which I love in a mystery. The cozy part was not ignored either, and I enjoy watching the interactions of the Charm Cove residents. I like that the author is able to write description in such a way that she places you there in the scenes, but it doesn’t seem like it is too much. Another enjoyable trip to Charm Cove.
Slayer Academy Books 1-3 by Amelia Shaw
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Slayer Academy Books 1 to 3*
Nice to Have Series in One Place!
I quite enjoyed this series about a nerdy young woman who was believed to be destined to be great in the magical realm as others were before her in her family. Her family, though, could have never known the twists her life would take! She did, in fact, become great and powerful, but not in the expected ways. I like books about magical academies and the paranormal world–yup, a Harry Potter fan–so I was intrigued by the potentials set up by this author. I felt that the pacing was a bit uneven in all the books, but that did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the books.
Let me tell you a little more about books one and two…
Book 1: The Legacy: I was particularly intrigued by the idea that the heroine considers herself to be a nerdy bookworm, and she is suddenly thrust into a magical world that she had no idea existed. In this world, she is to be trained to be a fae slayer, as her family has been such for four generations. I thought this was a little slow to get started, as, she doesn’t even get to the academy until near the halfway point of the book. While we do see a few interesting scenes at the academy, the author chose to flash forward through much of her time there, focusing on a couple of key scenes instead. I would have liked to have seen more of her regular daily life at the academy and her adjustments to this world and her role in it. That said, even though this book felt a little slow at times, I think it does a good job setting up this magical world.
Book 2: Fae Hunter: The blurb of the book makes you think that the bulk of it will take place in the Fae realm, but after a brief visit there, we stay stuck in the human world at the Academy until around the 50% mark. The book felt slow in the beginning and through much of the middle, but then really sped up–and the end was at lightning speed. The book has a little more profanity than I am comfortable with. I thought some sensual scenes, as well as regular ones, had elements that were slightly cringe-worthy. The heroine learned a lot more about herself, the Fae realm, and the Academy, much of which will come as a surprise to the readers of the first book. Not everyone is who or what they seem. The end of the book is a bit shocking, with a nail-biting cliffhanger at the end… so if you’re not a fan of those, be glad that you have all the books in one volume! While this book did have shortcomings, I am curious to see the resolution to the cliffhanger as well as what happens in the heroine’s evolving relationships with Fae princes.
I’ll let you discover book three for yourself!
Our World is In Your Hands by Jessica Evergreen
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Our World is in Your Hands*
Many Ways to Be Eco-Conscious and Eco-Friendly
I found this book to be a fascinating read. The author clearly believes in living green and planet-friendly in all aspects of her life. One thing I like about this book is that the author isn’t preachy; she doesn’t attempt to shame the reader for their less-than-stellar choices (as I’ve seen in other books). The tone is completely different, and she sets this up right from the beginning, and it carries on throughout the entire book. You can tell how much she cares about this and how much she wants YOU to care about it as well. The book does go into many details about ways to live a more eco-conscious life, from how we handle our food and resources under our care to issues like plastic bags and chemicals. Some ideas are not unique to the author, but others definitely are. There’s much food for thought here, and the book will get you thinking about ways that you could decrease your footprint and perhaps live better by doing so. The author is Australian, so some terms and information she gives are more particular to Australia but could be applied universally. If you have any interest in this topic, you will most likely find this personal take on it to be one that will challenge you to make changes for the benefit of yourself and the planet.
Her Wild Coast Rescue by Dakota Davies
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Her Wild Coast Rescue*
Odd Blend of Steamy Romance and Medical Drama
I was attracted to this book at my favorite book review site because the medical angle of it intrigued me. I am an RN, and I am definitely drawn to medical fiction, whether it’s thrillers, romance, or mystery. I found it intriguing, too, that the heroine was a nursing student. Having been one myself, I was curious to see how that would play into it. (It didn’t really, other than her saying some completely wrong things!)
Unfortunately, I find myself disappointed in this book. It seems a very odd combination of steamy-to-the-level-of-crude romance (and I’m not a fan of crude terms in a love story) and heart-warming family medical drama. The parts about the heroine’s brother, grappling with the results of a climbing accident and traumatic brain injury, were gripping emotionally. The parts about the romance—not so much. It just didn’t work for me on several levels. In general, I am not a fan of insta lust stories, and I found it to be jarring in the context of the plot about the brother’s injuries. So this book just didn’t quite work for me.
Treble with the Law by Jessa Archer
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Treble with the Law*
Mystery Fell Flat
I have read quite a few books by this author. She has put out quite a few series, and as I love cozy mysteries, I snap them up as soon as I see them at my favorite book review site. What I have found, unfortunately, is that Ms. Archer’s style is uneven. Some of her books, and some of her series, are spectacular. For instance, I love the series about hand lettering; if you haven’t read any of that series, you should check it out. However, this series isn’t quite doing it for me, and this particular installment of the series fell flat. I felt there was too much emphasis on the cozy and not enough on the mystery. That is definitely a problem with so many cozy mysteries. There does need to be a balance. The mystery in this one seemed underdeveloped and the resolution too obvious.
In general, I do like Ms. Archer’s books. I just don’t like this particular one. Obviously, I am not a reviewer who likes every book an author puts out just because I’ve liked a couple previously. Each book has to stand on its own merit. But I have enjoyed so many of this author’s books, that I am willing to give new ones a try.
How to Read Faster by Steven Hopkins
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
How to Read Faster*
Overview of Speed-reading Techniques
I have read several different books on speed reading, so I was interested to see what this author’s spin on it would be. The book is well-organized, following a logical progression. He first defines what speed reading is and then talks about the proper mindset and how to prepare for it. The next several chapters talk about specific speed reading, visualization, and comprehension techniques. He gives ideas about how to read both fiction and nonfiction books and encourages developing good reading habits and applying your skills regularly.
I thought the book was overly repetitive in the beginning. The book is rather short, so the repetition really stood out. There is nothing truly new in this book, but the author has collected much of the major techniques of speed reading and comprehension under one cover. I didn’t think, at times, that the explanations were enough for someone to actually implement the concepts. Perhaps he could have given specific exercises with detailed instructions for the reader who has not read a lot of speed reading books as I have.
Having read so many, I find myself wondering if one thing that is said in all of them, including this one, is true. Every book on speed reading talks about the dangers of subvocalizing–reading the words in your head as you read. Personally, I don’t see how you can read and NOT subvocalize. If this is the cornerstone of speed reading, as it seems to be as stated in all these books, I think we are all doomed to failure. When I have attempted it at various times, I found it impossible. Yes, eyes could skim the words, but without hearing at least some of them in my head, comprehension fell to nothing; speed reading became an eye exercise.
If you have an interest in speed reading, this book is actually a reasonable compilation of ideas and techniques that will help you realize if you want to dig deeper into the topic.
Used To Build My Websites
NetGalley Badges