Reading Fanatic Reviews
Books to Add to Your TBR list... or Not!Hey, ya’ll! I’m VERY behind getting my reviews up on the website! I’ve increased the reading and reviewing, leaving less of my leisure time available to update this website. I’ll do weekly posts with links to my reviews at Amazon; you can also check out my Amazon and Goodreads profiles.
By the way, I’m now a top 50 Amazon.com reviewer (#12 currently) and the top 8 US reviewer of all time on Goodreads (and top 9 in the world)… and the #6 US reviewer and #8 in the world in the past year. Cool stuff!
I hope to make updates to this site soon!
Between Heaven and Hell by Jacqui Nelson
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Between Heaven and Hell*
Female Scout on the Oregon Trail
While I adore historical romance, old west romances are not my typical ones to read. I tend to read more Regency and Victorian novels. For whatever reason, this week I have been drawn to reading old west romances. This one is the best I have read so far. The author pulls you in right away with this terrifying image of a young girl fleeing for her life as she watches her home burn and her parents murdered by white men. Alone now in the world, she figures her end is near when Osage warriors surround her. But an Indian woman emerges and takes her into her family. The story then fasts forward to 10 years later as this young woman, fleeing for her life again, seeks a position as a scout on a wagon train headed for the Oregon Trail. She has a hard time convincing the wagonmaster to hire her; he doesn’t believe a woman is fit for the job despite her display of good riding and shooting skills. After it becomes clear that she has been in danger and is perhaps in more danger after the skill competition between her and his previous scout, he agrees that she should come along.
Paden has quite a backstory himself, but I’ll let you discover that for yourself if you decide to read this fantastic novel. The book has a variety of secondary characters. Both the primary characters and secondary characters are well drawn and feel three dimensional. Hannah is it a challenging position as a white woman who was mostly raised by the Osage. At times, she has a hard time fitting in with the others on their journey to Oregon. Paden struggles with his conflicting feelings about this strong and resilient woman.
I loved this author’s ability to weave in words and phrases that are evocative of the old west but don’t feel stilted or out of place both in dialogue and in the narrative portions. That’s not an easy skill for an author of historical fiction to maintain. Her descriptions of the various settings as well are very visual, and I could imagine seeing them.
The author did an excellent job putting me in Hannah’s mind right from the start, feelings her terror as a child and understanding her desperation—even if I didn’t know the full reasons at the beginning–to get that job that she hopes will take her farther away from danger. The skill competition between her and the former scout is surprisingly a page-turner, compelling me to want to keep reading to see how it would turn out. The rest of the book is much the same. As an Oregonian myself, I enjoyed seeing the Oregon Trail as a backdrop for this. It is so hard to imagine what it was honestly like for people who use that harrowing trail to get to the West, but the author does a good job of making me feel like I’m right alongside the characters as they experience the beauty and hazards of it. It was actually a book I had a hard time putting down to do other things, which I wasn’t expecting when I opened it. As I said, I’m not usually a fan of old west romances, but something initially drew me to this story, and I am glad because it is an awesome read.
The Calling Birds by Jacqui Nelson
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Calling Birds*
Will She Be Able to Stop Running?
Birdie has been on the run for a long time, sister to notorious thieves. People threaten her because they believe she knows where her brothers’ gold is. After closing down a shop that makes use of her dressmaking skills, she decides to become a part of a group of women going to a remote town in Colorado to become mail-order brides. Jack is her intended, and he runs a freight business in town with his grandpa, Gus. Jack lost his leg during the Civil War and has a complicated past with women. As Birdie is still on the run, she isn’t pleased that an infamous lawman is a part of this town, so she considers leaving, not marrying Jack.
Birdie spends much of the book trying to figure out if she’s going to stay or run. I like Gus as a character. He is a good-hearted older man who is starting to have troubles with dementia. Jack is doing his best to keep his business together and his grandfather in line. He has a lot of insecurities about himself as a man and marrying again. Much of the story is about these three people who are more vulnerable than they like or would appear. Will they be able to find strength together that they lack apart?
I felt like this book needed more conflict. The author set up the possibility of conflict with the troubles from Birdie’s past, but that didn’t really come into play until much later in the novel. The pacing felt slow; I felt like I was just waiting for something to happen.
Thief of Cahraman by Lucy Tempest
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Thief of Cahraman*
Gender Switch Aladdin and Other Fairytale Characters
In this gender switch retelling of Aladdin, we soon meet other prominent fairytale characters, like Bonnie (who is Belle of Beauty and the Beast) and Ella (Cinderella, naturally) who are or will become characters in future novels of this series. But the focus of this book is Adelaide, a thief who is soon threatened by a witch who wants her to pull off a heist. If Adelaide fails to comply, the witch will harm people she has come to see as family. To be able to pull off this heist, she must participate as a noblewoman in a contest for the prince of the land.
This story is enchantingly written; I love retellings and recastings of myths and fairy tales, so I can be a soft touch where they’re concerned. Adelaide is the narrator, and the writing is in the first person. Adelaide has lived a life of struggle, and even though she is a thief, she has an inherently honorable nature and does care about the few who have become a part of her life after years of being on the run. She is only drawn to do what the witch asks because of this concern for those she cares about. She proves again and again the lengths she will go to. It was interesting to watch her play-act in order to be able to attempt the heist. She is a strong lead who also evokes sympathy in the reader because of her painful past and her simple desires for home, peace, and family.
This book does end on a cliffhanger… so be warned… and ready to buy the next book in the series.
Servant of the Crown by Paul J. Bennett
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Servant of the Crown*
Noble Warrior Protects Innocent
This is a sprawling tale of a warrior who finds a young person in need of protection due to a great secret. The book opens with a compelling scene of life and death and then a series of flashbacks before getting to the story proper. I liked that the author just started with a scene in the protagonist’s life, not doing an information dump to tell us about the complex world of the story. Instead, he puts us right in the shoes of a soldier who is soon to be tested. We can understand being placed in a difficult situation, so it evokes empathy.
If you prefer your fantasy to be of the fighting variety, you might be disappointed. While there is some of that, the book moves slowly and feels more like a character study of the warrior, especially in the earlier pages, and the young person, as we are coming to understand the forces that shape them. Character slowly unfolds. Foreshadowing is used to significant effect. I appreciated that the protagonist is a man of principle and honor even when it is not easy for him; he is not just one who obeys commands or follows orders.
The author also has an appealing and easy to read a writing style—which I appreciate after having read some books that do not—so that even though this is a longer tale, it’s easy to go along with the journey.
Sex and Sensibility by Anne Harlowe
Currently available at Amazon only
Not a part of Kindle Unlimited
Sex and Sensibility*
Bawdy Version of Sense and Sensibility
As a massive fan of Jane Austen fan fiction, when I saw that an author had written a book of verse revolving around a more sensual version of Sense and Sensibility, I was intrigued.
This collection of verses isn’t just the story of Sense and Sensibility. There are stanzas where the author directly addresses the reader about a variety of topics, including what she thought about while writing, what she discussed with others about it, social commentary about Jane Austen or Regency England, etc. To me, it didn’t quite work when she broke that fourth wall to address the reader directly. Also, some of the commentary itself was a little biting, even about the potential reader. Little turns a reader off more from a work than when the author appears to think little of us.
I have been known on occasion to write poetry myself, so I understand the problems and pitfalls of that particular way of writing. Poetry is meant to be heightened language. With so few words, they must be crafted for precise intent. That that did not come across here. The language didn’t feel heightened at all. Save for the parts that rhyme, it felt like a Cliff’s Notes version of a bawdy take on Sense and Sensibility, except–of course–when she was talking about things that weren’t directly the story itself. The rhyming felt forced, and the short lines didn’t give much room for the verse to breathe.
If you want to check out some JAFF that’s a little different, I suggest looking at the first 10% to see if this would be your cup of tea. It wasn’t quite what I expected, so it wasn’t mine.
Shane’s Deal by Ruth Ann Nordin
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobe, iBooks, Kobo, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
Shane's Deal*
How Far Will a Woman Go to Protect Those She Loves
We meet the heroine, Madeline, when she is awakening after a hard night of sleeping rough. She’s on the run to Canada, trying to stay ahead of outlaws who are desperate to find her and her money. She means only to get a few things in Lewiston, Montana, before moving on when she is shot in the shoulder and must stay put for a while. She confides in the marshal, Shane, about her plight and her pregnancy. Immediately, he offers to marry her to protect both her and the child and to give the child a father.
Is Madeline safe under Shane’s protection? Will she be able to make something of her new marriage? Are there those who would still take her money?
Madeline is an interesting character. It’s clear that she’s been through a lot in her loveless marriage to her first husband. She has a fiery redetermination about her that is almost modern in its sensibility. Shane is a decent man who grew up in difficult circumstances. He never thought he’d have a wife, but he treats her with dignity and respect. I love that he sews! I felt like I wanted to see more character development and evolution of the couple’s relationship. Almost too much of the story seemed to be focused on the mayor.
That said, I found this to be a relatively enjoyable read. If you enjoy old style Western romance with honorable men and despicable ones, you might enjoy this read.
After the Darkness by May Sage
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
After the Darkness*
Grown-Up Hogwarts, Though Not Quite a Romance or Standalone
Chloe has a painful family past and seems to be in danger. She lives partly in a shadowy world of magic and vampires, in fact, working for a vampire in a bar. To keep her safe, she is sent to an institute in Scotland where magical people learn. Think of it as a Hogwarts for grown-ups. She meets a variety of supernatural beings, including vampires, huntsmen, and dragons.
I thought the first part of the book was a bit of an information dump, trying to set up Chloe’s backstory. Chloe’s relationship with Levi didn’t feel as developed as it should be, and it certainly didn’t feel like a full-on romance as it is said to be. The book is supposed to be a standalone, but if it is supposed to be a romance, it ended before that really got much underway. We get a sense that Chloe and Levi’s story is just beginning rather than at a natural stop point where we can see the rest of how their relationship will turn out, which is more common for the romance. Also, I thought there were too many unanswered questions at the end of the book to call it truly a standalone.
Still, this is a complex and intriguing world. Chloe is smart, and it is fascinating to watch her adapt to this new world she has been thrust into.
Emotional Intelligence by James W. Williams
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
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
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
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
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
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.
Jamie Brydone-Jack
Reader, Editor, Writer
I’m an avid reader, for both fun and work/business. I enjoy a wide variety of books, including literary fiction, romance, thrillers, cozy mysteries, and fantasy for fiction and history, contemporary issues, philosophy, music, medicine, and cookbooks for nonfiction. I’m a freelance copyeditor who also does beta and alpha reading. I have two websites that are all about romance and mystery. You can also follow my reviews at Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub.
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