Reading Fanatic Reviews
Romantic FantasyEleventh Night by Steven Penny
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Eleventh Night*
Short, Sad Tale of Love During Troubled Times
In this short story, an older man relates the story of his lost love. Their tragic story took place in Northern Ireland in the late 1970s at the height of the Troubles, and the two lovers were from the opposing sides.
The author did a good job of writing this tale as if it were actually told by a slightly drunk older gentleman to a young man in a pub. It has a feeling of conversation that rings true (even if it is one sided). I don’t think that is easy to attain, but this author makes it work. Unfortunately, there seem to be many issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage, so much that it actually did distract as I was reading. Commas were particularly problematic, and I thought there should have been more paragraph breaks in certain areas.
I actually think that the story of the original lovers would make a fantastic novella or novel from what is hinted at in the older gentleman’s story. Short or long, I think stories like this are good to remind the people of the perils of history so it is not repeated.
Brilliant Burnout by Nisha Jackson
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Brilliant Burnout*
Ways to Work Through Burnout
In this book, a long-practicing nurse practitioner, who has an interest in optimizing health as women age, takes a look at female burnout. In the first part of the book, she details the history of her own burnout as well as her professional interests in helping women. The first chapter is about classic burnout, and it starts with a list of questions to see where you fall on the burnout scale. At the end of this first chapter, she gives a few simple ideas that you can implement right away, and she suggests that you start with the rest of the book by picking the topic that seems most relevant to you and your symptoms of burnout. After that, she suggests going through a chapter a week, allowing for those with busy schedules to slowly taking what she has to offer. Further chapters explore hormonal components of burnout and keys to successfully overcome burnout.
In general, I thought this book was full of good information about burnout and what to do about it. Given the way that she suggests the reader approach the book, the structure of the book seemed counterintuitive. She suggests we choose a chapter about what is most bothersome about the burnout we currently face, yet the chapters are not arranged that way, and you have to poke around to figure out what chapter would best suit your needs. She does have appendices of supplement suggestions, and she does own a supplement company. One of the things that she espouses throughout the text is a low-carb, low-glycemic, high-protein diet, which from my own studies I do not necessarily believe is the best diet and certainly not the best for everyone.
If you suffer from burnout, you might find the discussion and suggestions in this book helpful. Like all recommendations for diet and supplements, you should do further research and perhaps discuss it with your healthcare provider.
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.
Emily’s Choice by Bethany Swafford
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Emily's Choice*
Lack of Romance
I love a good Regency romance, but unfortunately in this book’s case, I felt it lacked in several key areas. The central characters did not seem to grow or change. While the book did have some humorous or intriguing scenes, it often seemed more for effect than substance (like furthering the plot or showing characterization). I did not find the heroine particularly engaging, and the hero felt remote. In the early parts of the book, at least, I felt like the author used far too many exclamation points. The characters couldn’t have been that excited over what they were discussing. The dialogue seemed unnatural, with characters using words and phrases in combinations that aren’t typically done either in real life or other historical fiction. While I am generally not opposed to adverbs, as many seem to be in fiction writing today, I thought that this book used too many that did not actually illuminate what they were supposed to. The book lacked progressive complications within the romance plot itself (though there were other complications) and a substantial crisis and climax. The hero and heroine weren’t together enough for the romance to build. I actually went online to see if this was actually categorized as a romance, as it didn’t feel like much of one to me.
2 Dangerous Things in a Year by Terry Williams
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2 Dangerous Things a Year*
Not Quite Cohesive Enough
The title of this book intrigued me. The subtitle suggests that the book is all about change and how to become better at rolling with the changes that work and life often bring. Unfortunately, I found this book to be somewhat scattered, and it did get off the target message more than once. While the author has done two dangerous things a year for some time, the book really isn’t about that. So, perhaps he should have had a title that had more to do with what the book was really about. A good part of the first section of the book describes people’s different reactions to change along with ideas that further explain or augment the concepts. That is an excellent start to a book on change. Following from that, the second part should have been about moving from being change resistant (no matter what your degree) to be more accepting and even a champion of change, but that was not how the second part unfolded. It felt too generic; it really wasn’t as much about change as it was about basic ideas like gathering resources and support or troubleshooting. The book seemed repetitious in parts. This seemed like a loosely cobbled together set of articles rather than a cohesive whole. I’ve enjoyed other works by this author, but this one fell short and did not deliver on its title or subtitle.
The Unwilling Viscount and the Vixen by Shelley Munro
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The Unwilling Viscount and the Vixen*
Language Issues & Not a Lot of Romance
Rosalind is willing to participate in an arranged marriage to a man she doesn’t know and who has lost much of his memory because she wants security and a family of her own. She doesn’t believe this will happen through a more typical route because she has gifts that make her townspeople call her a witch. For his part, Lucien, the hero, does not really wish to marry again; he’s more interested in finding out who was responsible for the death of his first wife and unborn child.
I actually found this book difficult to read because the author misuses so many words and phrases while trying to make this historical novel seem to have elevated language. Many choices were just flat out wrong or not wholly appropriate given what was being said or described. Some of the reactions of the characters seemed overblown. For instance, when Rosalind was on her way for the initial meeting at the castle, did she really have to screw up every last bit of her courage just to look out the carriage window? If that were really true, events later in the book should have totally paralyzed her. A lot went on to make this seem more gothic and suspenseful than a straight-up historical romance. Unfortunately, it felt like this entirely overshadowed the romance. There really wasn’t much of an evolution of the romantic relationship. It seems like they were at odds for most of the book (and often separated) until the end when they suddenly loved each other (without having to do the work to get there). Also, I didn’t really see how the heroine was a vixen at all. With so many strange things happening around the castle, it seems odd that the hero would tell her to stay there to remain safe. At the end, I found myself wondering if the author shouldn’t have changed the last line since the title has been changed.
Because of the issues with language and the lack of the build of a true romance in the book, I can’t recommend this book.
Bailey by Sarah Gai
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Free with Kindle Unlimited
Bailey*
Too Much Plot for Length of Story
Bailey is the youngest of the Nelson brothers and perhaps a bit of a player. But when an Australian cowgirl comes to help at Kayden and Kirra’s horse rescue center, he starts to reconsider his approach to romance. This is the fourth book that I’ve read in the Nelson brothers series. I quite enjoyed the first and third ones, but I felt like the second book and this one were too short for the stories that they had to tell. This book feels like it’s barely longer than a long short story, yet the story arc seems to require a longer novella to be fully realized. As such, the love story didn’t really have time to fully develop. There wasn’t time to really develop any other sort of external conflict either. I enjoyed the characters of Bailey and Marty, the heroine, but there just wasn’t enough to this story.
More Than a Rogue by Sophie Barnes
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
More Than a Rogue*
Fun, Lighthearted (Mostly!) Regency Romance
Emily believes herself to be firmly on the shelf at the age of six-and-twenty, and she laments to her friends that she has never even kissed a man. She has no desire for a husband; she is quite content running a small orphanage with her friends. She has considered asking a man to kiss her, but she would not be interested in a man who would want to pursue more than that. She does find herself in a compromising position (caused by the gentleman) with her best friend’s husband’s triplet brother. Griffin offers the honorable way out when they are discovered by her mother, aunt, and sister, but Emily asked him to not even make a formal proposal as she would not consider it. She truly is content with her life and does not wish to marry; she would only consider it if true love were on the table for both parties.
The first part of this Regency has a fun lightness to it because of the delicious banter and thoughts of the hero and heroine that show both of their incorrect reads of the situation as well as the circumstances that they continually find themselves in. The book turns a little more serious when Emily’s mother shows up in the country, but the twists and turns in Griffin and Emily’s relationship continue to be engaging. Griffin is a slightly confused and befuddled hero, but his confusion has a sweetness and kindness to it; he is a good man who wants to do right, especially by Emily. Emily has a delightful independence and a strong sense of self that is lovely to see in a Regency. It doesn’t feel forced as it sometimes does in these types of novels. I found this to be an excellent read.
Squire Hayseed by S. E. Zbasnik
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Squire Hayseed*
Unforgiving World
At the start of this very long novel, Hayley is attempting to win a slot as a squire. After being brutalized and humiliated by one of the other hopefuls (and even humiliating herself), Hayley is chosen. This book hit on many themes, but overall, the book felt surprisingly dark. Hayley has grown up in harsh circumstances before becoming a squire, and this brotherhood (and sisterhood) of knights reveals a different kind of darkness than she has known, but darkness nonetheless. All around her seem untrustworthy, and several of them are out for blood. The world this author has created is a harsh one, and I didn’t particularly enjoy it. I don’t like books that just come across so dark and cruel. I thought the book was too long, without progressive complications to keep me interested. One thing I find myself questioning from the beginning is how a thief who was theoretically heading to the gallows was able to take part in the squire recruitment process.
I also didn’t like the swearing in this book. In general, I don’t like profanity in books unless it is used to help illuminate character. I like my fantasy books to have cleaner language, as it really does yank me right out of the story to see the use of modern profanity in a medieval-style fantasy.
A Lyons in Winter by Pamela Sherwood
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
A Lyons in Winter*
Awesome Box Set Intro to Author
I so enjoyed this collection of novellas plus a novel! This was the first time I had read this author. I absolutely adore historical romance, particularly medieval, Regency, and Victorian. Because I read so much of these subgenres, I find that I am often disappointed at the willful disregard for the basic rules and mores of the times or a story that is filled too much with the familiar tropes. So I was delighted and enchanted to find well-written stories well-drawn and sometimes quirky characters. The stories themselves revealed an author who is well versed in Victorian manners and morality, yet still knows how to weave a story that focuses on the uniqueness of the characters and the particulars of their individual stories.
I particularly loved the first novella. I enjoyed how the author made the heroine, Madeline, erudite with her love of Shakespeare and the theater, yet she had a good sense of humor, compassion, and backbone surprising for a Victorian daughter of a duke. The author did an excellent job of showing how the hero gradually came to know his own mind and needs better; he was surprised and charmed by Madeline, and I love his chivalrous nature. I also enjoyed the humor in this book, in particular where the author brought the modern “never have I ever” game into Victorian times, as the hero often imagined himself composing a letter to his sister proclaiming that never had he done something as he was doing now at the house party at the duke’s. I like how the epilogue of this first story became the prologue for the next story, although it was told or from the perspective of the hero of that novel.
I really enjoyed all the members of the Lyons family as well as the Christmas spirit that flowed through these novels. While this may have been my introduction to this author, I am definitely going to look into her other books.
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