Roadmap to Experiential Living

I feel that the title of this book is a bit of a misnomer. It might better be called Experiential Living because the author discusses in depth was he calls a dedicated experience phase of life. He posits that there can be many dedicated phases in life, like a career phase, a spiritual phase, and an intellectual phase (among others). The experiential phase is experienced in some Western cultures as the gap year, but a person can choose such a phase at any point in life.

The goal of the experience phase is to directly experience some aspect of life to the fullest while you’re not dedicating a vast amount of time to other responsibilities. According to the author, it can take many forms–one of the more common being foreign travel– depending upon what the individual person desires to experience. The book details the concept, the benefits, and even gives you ideas to consider attempting for your experience phase. He gives hints about how to structure it so you can get the most from the experience.

The book suffered from editing problems. Not only was the book rife with grammar, punctuation, and usage errors, but sections needed to be tightened and certain areas required more focus.

That said, if you plan to do something like this, you might enjoy the insights that this author has to offer to help you get the most out of your experience phase.

Dark Times and Dark Hero in Magical Old Ireland

“He killed the first man with his bare hands.”

That first line of the novel is definitely an attention grabber! Previous to these words, there was a small description of the history of Fal, which is a magical version of Dark Ages (I’m guessing) Ireland. In that description supposedly taken from an ancient text, we are told that five kings and queens ruled Ireland, and they gathered at the Stone of Destiny at Tara. When Queen Nora touched the stone, it’s roar was throughout the land, and so she was made High Queen, presiding over the five kings and queens as well as having five Guardians. Four of the Guardians are more interested in diplomacy, while the fourth, Berengar, is not. He’s the one who’s been tasked with killing the leader of the Black Hand, a notorious band of thieves and killers. The scene started by the quote above is gripping in its shocking violence and gruesome in the treachery of the Black Hand that it reveals. Strange things start to occur, deepening the mystery of what evils Fal is up against.

What other tasks will Berengar face? What does his queen think of his tactics and finds? What evil haunts the land? What will Berengar and the Queen do about it?

I appreciated that the author gave the relevant set up in the very quick description before the main text started. The wording of this supposed quote from an ancient text, too, help set the tone for this book of mythical and magical proportions. Berengar is a complex protagonist. He can act with incredible violence but also with gentle compassion, often risking his life saving others. He also avenges those who have been mistreated.

If you don’t mind the violence and enjoy tales about strange howls from dark places, dungeons of death, evil witches, and headless riders, you will find this fictional version of a magical old Ireland a compelling read.

Regency Romance with a Heart

What an absolutely delightful story! The heroine is such a hoot in her naive determination to see the world the way she believes the world must be, even when she’s wrong. The book alternates between the viewpoints of Virginia and the hero, Theo. The author has done an outstanding job keeping their viewpoints very distinct; the reader will have no trouble distinguishing their voices. When the book starts, Theo’s sections are more dark Regency than we expect in a romance. In his case, it’s appropriate because he has been severely injured in war. (By the way, I appreciate that the author addresses the plight of a severely wounded warrior in this book; again, not common in a romance.) In fact, few know he is back in England as he retreats to his friend’s estate in the country. He just wants to lay in the dark in his room away from those he knows and heal. Virginia, after her cat charges into Theo’s bedroom, will have none of that. She sees that he needs a nurse, and she states that she will be that–whether he wants her to or not! She has a tendency to take in strays and hurt animals, so she can’t imagine not doing taking care of this injured, hurting man. Theo makes some sarcastic demands which Virginia takes seriously. Very soon, Theo starts to warm to her–how could he not when she brings every flavor of ice cream to him!

I was surprised by the subtle and not-so-subtle humor in this book. Regency can often be written in a stuffy or pompous way, the author trying to mimic what he or she believes Regency should be. The book still felt immersed in the fictional Regency worldview without being artificial or constrained by it.

If you like well-written Regency with a touch of humor and a whole lot of heart, you might enjoy this book.

Risking Friendship for Love

In this romantic short story, Laurie helps run an inn, and Grayson delivers groceries there. Over the course of a couple of summers, they had become best friends, enjoying hanging out, going places, and just enjoying each other’s company. But, apparently, Grayson has harbored different feelings for her. During 4th of July fireworks, he asked if she would consider being his girlfriend. Since this is a short story, I don’t want to give too much away, or else there’s no point in you reading it!

How will Lori respond to Gray’s question? Is she willing to risk her best friend if they don’t work out as lovers? How will she sort out her feelings without hurting him?

This is a short, sweet romantic story that takes less than 20 minutes to read. If you want just a little romance in your day, this short story could fill the bill.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Transformation and Reformation

We meet the hero and heroine, Lucian and Ellie respectively, years before the main body of the book takes place. She is a teenager who’s had a crush on him, and she follows him around like a puppy. On a fateful night during a ball, he ruined her with a kiss witnessed by her father. She is forced to marry an earl who is her father’s friend. Coming back to England after globe-hopping with her now-dead husband, the widowed countess is looking forward to taking charge of her late husband’s affairs. One of them is a mill owned by none other than Lucian. Both have changed considerably in the years since they’ve seen each other. She holds her head high with a measure of confidence gained from being a nobleman’s wife and her travels, and he’s been knocked down a peg or two because of a grizzly injury.

Has the rake reformed, reviled by polite society? What will he think of Ellie’s interference with his business? Can they both move past what went before?

Lucian was a hard hero to appreciate. He indeed was a rake back in the day and had such dismissive, unkind thoughts of the heroine when they were younger. When they meet up again, he’s still a bit of a jerk. I want my hero to be a little more likable. I did find it interesting, though, to watch Ellie’s transformation from lovesick girl to countess. Even though much of that takes place offscreen, you can tell that it was not a straight path for her to come from what she was to who she is. While she’s no longer a little mouse, she’s not quite an imposing countess either. From what little we know of her earlier, this evolution seems completely natural. She continues to grow and change as she deals with Lucian and works with her late husband business interests.

If you don’t mind a story with a rake who doesn’t reform quite quick enough, you might enjoy this book.

Second Last First Date

Just minutes after recommitting themselves to the pledge of one last first date after the first of their group was successful, Paige decides that she’s giving up on romance. Her heart is still broken since Cassie and Will got together, even though she is happy for her friend. She no longer trusts her judgment about men. Two of her friends decide that she can’t give up, and they will find the perfect man for her. She tells them she’s not interested, but they can’t help but suggest a man for her, Josh who works at Bailey’s Cozy Cottage Cafe. She comes around to the concept of dating again, but she chooses another man for her one last first date, Marcus. Paige is also having a little trouble at work. Her boss is very demanding and not understanding.

Will Marcus be her last first date? Should she have gone out on that date with the man her friends suggested instead? Will she stay in a job she hates?

Just like in the first book of the series, these characters and their stories are a delight to read. You can’t help but feel for Paige, as she’s coming down from her disappointment about Will. You further feel for her when you see how abominably her boss treats her. She is a good daughter who takes care of her father and helps him try to manage his diabetes. Her brightest moments are spent at the cafe. The book is told with great humor. I like Josh’s wacky t-shirts. I appreciated, too, the author’s willingness to write a cozy, friendly chick lit romance without crudeness or profanity. How refreshing! Reading it is like a warm hug from an old, dear friend.

If you enjoy contemporary Romance with just a touch of humor and a very sympathetic heroine, you might enjoy this book.

Accepting the No-Sex Challenge

Alex isn’t getting what she needs in her relationships with men. She’s wanting commitment but is only having a series of hookups. A recently married friend at work recommends that she follow the advice in a dating book she read that helped her find her husband. Alex isn’t sure about this and resists, but Stacey buys her a copy and slips it in her purse. After reading it, Alex decides to take the challenge: no sex with a man until there is a commitment. She’s unsure if modern men will even go along with this, or if she’ll just be alone.

How will Alex do with the challenge? How will the men who come into her life react to it? Will she find a man who will be willing to commit to her?

The book had more profanity, including the f-word in a variety of forms, than I like in a book. Other than that, I found this to be a fantastic read. Watching Alex as she tried to sort through her emotions and her needs was sometimes funny and sometimes poignant. It’s rare that a romance book hits both of those points so well, but this one did. The challenge gave her a merry chase and was quite a struggle for her at times, and she learned a lot about herself, what she truly wanted out of a relationship, and what the possibilities were out there for her. She saw both the best and worst in herself and the men she dated.

If you don’t mind the profanity, you’ll find this book to be an interesting look at what relationships mean, and can be, in the modern world.