Reading Fanatic Reviews
Jamie's FavoritesThe 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.
Just a Simple Little Holiday by Bea Kendall
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Just a Simple Little Holiday*
Short Book Packs Quite a Wallop
Holy guacamole! This is a super short and quick read, but oh, my gosh! The author has packed more into these few little pages than many pack into novels. This is a girls’ holiday/vacation that goes completely sideways. We think we know the characters as we start off, but as more and more gets revealed about the individuals, all bets are off. The book took some surprising twists and turns that one doesn’t expect in such a short book. Exceptionally well-done book, and I look forward to the official first book of this series; this is a prequel.
Two Scandals are Better Than One by Nancy Yeager
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Two Scandals are Better Than One*
Steamy Victorian Suspense
Luci is concerned about her missing father and goes to a gentleman’s house party—code word for a den of iniquity—in hopes of gaining information that will help her find him. She doesn’t quite realize the dangerous world she is dipping her toe into. She is surprised to find Steady Eddie there, who has been a friend of her of the family since she was a child. She had a crush on him until she realized that he was much too dull for her to truly consider as a life mate. This is why it is such a surprise to find him at this party that is only a step above a brothel. While he doesn’t recognize her at the party, he is intrigued by her scandalous persona, and he soon finds out who she really is. Once he knows what is going on, he insists on helping her figure out what’s going on with her father so he can protect her.
I so enjoyed this romantic Victorian suspense! Early on, the author did an excellent job portraying Edward as a proper English gentleman in a very uncomfortable setting; he usually didn’t go to debauched house parties; he wanted just one night of craziness. She was even able to give him speech patterns that make him sound like a toff but not so much that it sounds like unnatural speech; I think this is a hard line to straddle, but the author did this perfectly. The hero and heroine have fantastic chemistry. He is willing to put himself in harm’s way to protect her and help her figure out the mystery. The more time they spend together, the more steamy the book becomes, but the progress of their romance seemed appropriate to their characters. I love the suspense element in this plot and enjoyed seeing what the characters had to do as they became more deeply involved in the criminal underworld. The ending was very satisfying.
Luci and Edward are a delightful couple to watch as they try to unravel all that is going on while falling more deeply for each other. This is the second book I’ve read of the Harrow Five series, and I look forward to the next installment. If you like historical romance with a bit of suspense, you will most likely enjoy this book.
Adella’s Enemy by Jacqui Nelson
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Adella's Enemy*
Heartfelt Western Romance with Delightful Hero and Heroine
Oh, my gosh! What a wonderful enemies-to-lovers Western historical romance! Adella, the heroine, is southern through and through and still fighting the Civil War in her own way. She is determined to take revenge on the man whom she sees as responsible for her twin brother’s death when he died of starvation at a Union prisoner-of-war camp. In the beginning scene, she takes on a job to thwart the building of a railroad line, which will hurt that man in the pocketbook. When she arrives where the railroad is being laid, she meets Cormac McGrady, who is in charge of the men building this railway spur.
I absolutely adored Cormac’s fierce protectiveness, loyalty, and inherent goodness. Right from the start, he would insert himself—literally physically—between Adella and harm’s way. She didn’t want to like him because she perceived him as the enemy since they had polar opposite goals. But she couldn’t help but like and respect what she saw. The chemistry between the two of them was off the charts, and the author did an excellent job showing the powerful emotions that built between them. While his attraction was nearly instant, the rest of the romance did feel like it had a natural build as they got to know each other better. I totally fell in love with McGrady’s Men as well. Though they could have been rough men like the other railroaders, they were as decent and protective as their boss—and quite often injected a delightful dose of humor into what could sometimes be a serious story.
If you like a heartfelt Western romance with wonderful three-dimensional characters and a hint of intrigue and some danger, scroll up and get a copy of this book. You won’t be disappointed.
The Five-Second Rule for Kissing by Dayna Quince
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The Five-Second Rule for Kissing*
Humorous and Steamy Installment of Northumberland Nine Series
As one who loves to read, I enjoyed this book in so many ways. I love how it started with the heroine, Josie, walking around the manor with a book in front of her face. Her meeting with the hero, Patrick, was perfect and actually had me for smiling and then laughing. Josie is a prickly heroine. She knows what she wants and doesn’t want; she knows her likes and dislikes. And she has no compunction against sharing either. I almost felt sorry for the hero at the start because she was simply determined not to like him even though he was clearly a decent gentleman.
I don’t know how many of this Northumberland Nine series I’ve read, but I have enjoyed them all to various degrees. I enjoy a good romantic Regency series. I loved the hero and heroine in this book. Josie is so book smart but completely baffled by anything that can’t be read about, quantified, and measured, like emotion and love. The hero is completely swoon-worthy. He falls for her rather hard and fast; it is sweet to see how he thinks and feels about her despite the way she treats him. He wants nothing more than for her to love him as he loves her. They are intellectual equals and have similarly compassionate hearts that could certainly do more for the world together rather than apart. This book is surprisingly steamy but completely in character for both of them and as a natural part of the plot.
There were some issues with grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In particular, commas were an issue. There occasionally was wrong word choice, like condensation instead of condescension. I thought the book did end a little too abruptly. Their HEA had only just been determined when the book ended.
I thoroughly enjoyed the humor of this story, the hero’s worthy heart, and the heroine’s transformation.
Destiny of a Warrior by Mary Morgan
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters)
Destiny of a Warrior*
Exquisitely Written Tale
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, and I am completely blown away! She has a way of writing that pulls you right in and allows you to visualize this sometimes strange world that she has constructed so beautifully. She shows rather than tells, and we really get to know the characters and their struggles in an intimate way that feels real. The level of the prose is exceptional. It is lyrical and poetic but still accessible. The writing just flows and charms you so that you willingly follow the magical, fantastic journey. Rarely have I read such exquisitely written paranormal fantasy romance. I love, in this book, the blend of Irish mythology and stories with 1980s Scotland. Two of my favorite places to visit! Aiden and Rose came across as so real in their goals, motivations, and conflicts. Their chemistry was there in spades. The tension, both romantic and otherwise, was palpable and seemed true to the characters and the story arc. I read and review a lot of books, and this is one of the times that I actually went and bought several of the author’s books so I can continue to live in the world that she creates. Just exceptional. I am looking forward to more!
How to Lose an Alien in 10 Days by Fiona Roarke
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How to Lose an Alien in 10 Days*
How Do I Love This Series? Let Me Count the Ways!
This is the third installment of this delightful, humorous romantic sci-fi series that I have read. I continue to be absolutely charmed by this aliens-on-Earth series. In this particular installment, Cam—the chief security officer for the alien way station on Earth—meets an intriguing young woman when he goes just outside of Alien’s borders to a karaoke bar. This is his little secret getaway that he likes to do on occasion; close enough to home that he can be contacted if needed but a world away otherwise. Unbeknownst to him, this girl is actually a runaway from a spaceship that has just recently come to the way station. She wanted to experience a little bit of life on Earth and perhaps get away from her affianced. A marriage has been arranged for her, and she is not happy with the choice of groom.
As always in these books, there is a lot of delicious humor and wordplay. The romance really did seem to be ramped up in this one but in a believable way. I like how the heroine tests Cam to go beyond his gotta-play-by-the-rules mentality. The romance is a lovely one to follow, and given the circumstances as they get more and more complicated, it’s hard to see their way to a proper HEA. But that’s the fun of reading a romance! I so enjoyed these characters and their story. I am very much looking forward to my next trip to Alienn, Arkansas.
Ask a Suffragist by April Young Bennett
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Ask a Suffragist*
Wonderful Addition to the Canon of Feminist Literature
If you have an interest in women’s history or feminism, this book is a wonderful addition to others on the subject. It brings together the voices and stories of the suffragists who made forward strides for gender equality and ultimately triumphed in getting women the vote in the US in the early 20th century, though the stirrings of the movement began nearly a hundred years before. In this book, the author poses a set of questions that is as valid today as it was back in the early days of feminism, like how do we make our voices heard, what is men’s role in feminism, how do we balance family life with activism, and how do we break the glass ceiling. In some of my own reading and documentary watching, I’ve become familiar what did deeper stories of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, but some of the other women referenced in this book were less well-known to me; I enjoyed learning both about their perspectives on feminism and their lives.
For each question, the author begins with quotes and then an extended essay that draws upon the lives and the activism of the suffragists using a lot of their own words (and others about them), pulling from their public and private writing. I found many of these stories, like the courtship of Lucy Stone, the Bloomers, and the first National Woman’s Rights Convention, quite compelling. Like us, these women lived complex lives, and they struggled against a society that vilified them and tried to make them go away. While women’s lot has much improved, there is still so much that needs to be done for true equality, as the current fight for equal wages for equal work and for respectful treatment in the workplace and beyond will attest.
The author has done an incredible amount of research. There are just shy of a thousand citation notes! Using so much of the living record adds an immediacy to this work that makes it more than just essays on feminist questions. Instead, it brings us into the real lives and work of these path-breaking women. The author does include a timeline in the back, which is handy.
Whether you have an interest in feminism from a historical standpoint or from what it could mean to us today, you will most likely find much of interest in this well-researched and inspiring book.
The Lady Warriors of Barony by Elise Marion
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
The Lady Warriors of Barony*
Trio of Strong Women Find Their HEAs
This book is a collection of three novellas about three very different female warriors who helped change the tides of history in Barony. Each novella shows the background of each woman as well as her present circumstance before their worlds go awry in very different ways. But each is also a romance, with heroes that are very appropriate for these strong women.
This is the first book that I have read of this series, so I don’t have the whole background, but I can say you don’t need to have read the previous books to appreciate this one. All three women who starred in these novellas have an incredible strength of character as well as of body. Their histories are complex, and the very first story about Ava pulled me right in with the horrific description of the rebels coming through her town when she was a child. The author did a brilliant job of showing this pivotal moment that changed this young girl in more ways than one. This very first scene pulled me into this set of books emotionally so I couldn’t help but want to continue. I appreciate the racial diversity of these women. The stories are so very different, which is a delight in the collection, as they often contain stories that are too similar. The heroes were the perfect matches and compliments to the heroines, and the HEAs were very satisfying and wholly appropriate for the circumstances of each story.
The author has the ability to describe with such depth that you feel like you can see what’s going on or the surroundings and feel the emotions of the characters, yet it doesn’t feel like too much narrative or description. Not an easy thing to do! She literally draws you into the story with an ease that I rarely see in fiction, and I read a lot! She has developed plots that play up the heroine’s strengths but also show their vulnerabilities. If you like well-written, engaging fantasy with strong female leads that feels moored in reality, you may very well enjoy this set of novellas.
In the Land of the Vultures by Paula Scardamalia
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, Mondadori, Angus & Robinson, and Indigo (Chapters)
In the Land of the Vultures*
Beautifully Written Tale of Love and Death
Samara is the priestess of the goddess of death in her small community, which is now on the move after no rains and the river drying up. Her people seek a better land that can sustain them after many of their numbers have died. When a child appears to be at death’s door, the head of their village asks her to do her duty and take the child’s spirit to the land of the dead while they continue forward. Samara knows that this most likely will mean her own death, as survival in the desert in a group is hard enough, let alone on your own. After performing her duty, Samara is rescued and brought to a palace to be healed by the queen. The queen herself has suffered a significant loss and is grieving, and Samara’s rescuer believes that Samara will be a good distraction and may perhaps help bring the queen back to herself.
I quite enjoyed this story. The author’s description of Samara’s difficult journey through the desert was palpable; you can sense her thirst and feel the burning soles of her feet. Her time at the palace was fascinating. She never expected, as the priestess of the goddess of death, to fall in love, but she does with her rescuer. But all is not simple. I love how Samara could see the dead child’s spirit still hanging around his mother. It sounds morbid, but it was actually beautifully done. There is a truly evil villain in the story in the form of the king’s illegitimate brother. The road to true love was not easy either, as the hero had issues with a very essence of what Samara was and represented.
The only things that I didn’t like about this book were some sexual aspects. The king’s half-brother was particularly vile in this area, and perhaps this is one instance where more could have been told than shown (and the “told” parts done so in less detail). I thought, too, especially considering that Samara is a maiden, that things progressed rather quickly with Samara and the hero in their sensual scenes. Especially in the one after she deals with the villain; I don’t think she truly would have been ready for consummation after that.
The author’s description of the palace settings is vivid so that they can be easily imagined. The queen’s grief is very real, and the resolution of it gave me great satisfaction. Part of what Samara sees in her last crossing (in the book) of the bridge between life and death was a surprise, but looking back, I could see hints of how this could be. So the author did an excellent job of delivering an expected and fitting end but with an element of surprise.
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