Reading Fanatic Reviews
Romantic FantasyHidden Entity by Wendy Meadows
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Hidden Entity*
Things That Go Bump on Fright Night
At the B&B, they’re putting on a special Halloween Fright Night. The crew works extra hard to create decorations and food as well as prepare stories to tell on their ghost walk tour through the building. People are staying at the B&B just to have the complete experience. And what an adventure they get when, as the ghost tours are happening, strange sounds and laughter are heard that seem to be coming out of nowhere. It’s all in good Halloween fun, right? But things are not as they seem when one of the guests turns up murdered. Then while doing an investigation, a hidden tunnel is found, but Brenda is not alone…
Who murdered the guest? Is it the crazy-looking guy in the tunnel? What is up with those strange sounds? Is anyone else in danger?
I enjoyed the setup of this book, as we get to meet each of the overnight guests as they sign in. It reminded me of Clue, where a strange cast of characters comes together, and in this fishbowl, much can go awry… especially on Halloween! This small town, even without B&B guests, has a fantastic set of quirky characters, and I love to see the interactions between couples and friends. Despite how murdery this town seems, I think it might be fun to live there.
The Marriage of Time by Mariah Stone
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The Marriage of Time*
Finding Safe Harbor in Viking Times
In Viking times after a battle that has gone poorly, jarl Hakon is given a choice: death or marriage to the victor’s daughter and becoming that man’s ally. Hakon chooses to live, though he develops a plan to kill the man with whom he has a very bad history beyond this battle. In present-day Boston, Mia is at the hospital, showing her ultrasound to a friend. She is expecting a child, but she is determined to escape her abusive boyfriend, Dan. He finds her and lets her know that he will not let her go now that he knows she is carrying his child. A kindly looking older woman had been watching, and she follows them as Dan tried to take Mia out of the building under threat of force. She offers Mia a way out of her situation. She is a Norn and has the ability to send Mia back to Viking time. Mia soon finds herself at a runestone altar in the woods, and it is clear the older lady was telling the truth. Very nearly attacked by a bear when she first gets there, Mia is rescued by a man who claims that she is his bride-to-be.
What will happen to Mia in Viking times? How will Hakon react to her, especially if he learns her secret? Will Mia be able to escape, or will she have to marry him? What of the real bride-to-be? What of Mia’s life back in 2019? Will she go back to the future?
There was much to like about this book. Both Mia and Hakon are people with troubled pasts, Mia because of her abusive boyfriend and difficult father and Hakon because he has lived under the shadow of a curse that has affected his psyche as well as cause issues with his people. Even though Hakon looks tough on the cover–and he is–he’s got a kindness and a vulnerability about him that makes him a worthy romantic hero. While they get off to a rough start, how could Mia not fall for him?
I enjoyed, too, the lovely little moments that happen in time travel books. I particularly loved how it was almost a running gag that at times he just did not understand her words: hospital, congenital, etc. I adored the scene where she “uncursed” him, swaying to Thriller in her mind as she wiggled her fingers above crushed-up Tylenol…and how Hakon thought that she must be both a witch and healer, as his headache improved and hip pain went away. LOL!
There were a few things I didn’t like about the book. I am not a fan of clichéed secondary characters, and unfortunately, mafia crime lord Dan is an unfortunately stereotypical stock character. Medical issues are touched on briefly here and there, and as I am a registered nurse, I could pick up on some inaccuracies occasionally. And in the tiniest quibble of all, as both a nurse and a knitter, I took issue with two parts of this sentence describing the Norn as she watches the scene unfold between Dan and Mia: “…she was knitting, the needles in her hands jumping up and down like the lines of vitals monitor.” First, as a knitter, I can say that the needles don’t jump up and down in your hands! In fact, often the needles stay very stationary, with only the smallest movements evident as the yarn is picked (if a Continental knitter) or the hands moving to throw the yarn around the needle (if a British-style knitter). Second, I don’t know what vitals monitors the author has seen, but none that I have worked with would reflect such movement (an EKG maybe, but not a vitals machine), even if what she stated about the knitting was true.
That being said, I did enjoy this book. Mia and Hakon seem very real, and the way that they interacted with each other was fascinating to follow as their relationship grew and changed. I like seeing how both of them could heal wounds for each other; I love that when it happens in stories. By the way, I so wanted to give Mia a firm talking to near the end. Goodness, girl, what were you thinking!
Fortune’s Gamble by Diana Bold
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Fortune's Gamble*
Can He Assume the Life of His Half-Brother?
We meet the hero, Christian Barnes, as he is looking down at the face of his dead half-brother at Waterloo. Christian is the bastard son of the late viscount. The brothers look much alike, and in order to get better medical treatment for his own wounds, Christian decides to swap jackets and papers with his brother. Once back in England, he decides to take his brother’s place and become the viscount. He confides in his Uncle Theo, related on his father’s side, who knew about and did care about him. Things get complicated when Christian decides to go to the viscount’s country estate. He discovers that his brother has a marriage contract with a neighbor, Lady Rebecca. The girl has been steadfastly waiting for his return.
Will Christian be found out? Will Lady Rebecca notice the difference between the brothers? Who else might know who could topple this house of cards that Christian has created for himself?
I’ve read a lot of Regency Romance, but this particular spin on the imposter trope feels refreshingly new. Christian is a decent and sensitive gentleman–though he isn’t of that class, bastard son of a viscount and a maid–quite unlike his brother, who was never gentlemanlike while he was the one who was born to that privilege. Throughout most of the book, Christian doubts what he is doing and getting himself into, quite often thinking that he should give up the ruse. But he realizes that he can do good in a way that his brother would never have. He wants a home and security; this is what motivates him initially to assume his brother’s life. But soon he realizes that his actions will have an impact on others like his tenants and ultimately Lady Rebecca. Lady Rebecca, for her part, is a kind and intelligent woman who has been treated poorly by her own father, him seeming to only care about her as far as the marriage that she could make and the grandson that she could bear. Both Christian’s brother and her father have treated her so shabbily over the years that there is fertile ground for her to accept this changed this version of her former betrothed; he is now a man she can imagine making a good life with. I loved how Christian handled some of the ghosts of his brothers past, including Lady Rebecca and beyond. He is a good man and a perfect hero.
My only complaint about the book is that the story and the plot were bigger than the space given to it in this novella form. With the grand imposter story, so much could have been explored. For instance, at the very beginning of the book, I thought the London part felt rushed. I think it would have been wonderful to explore the time he spent in London before he saw Uncle Theo, a time which could have shown how he was struggling with his choices and what he needed to do next. Instead, this was just glossed over in a few lines. I would have liked to have seen, too, more of a development of the relationship between Christian and Lady Rebecca. They’re both awesome characters and have great chemistry, and I would have loved to have seen what was only hinted about or told actually shown in scenes and dialogue of their interactions. Some of it, too, was just too easy, like the author had to take shortcuts because of the novella-length constraints. I would have liked to have seen Christian’s mental struggle more, both in London and in the country. When he first met Lady Rebecca, after one meeting, he is already considering marrying her, and that seems rather too quick. These are great characters, and I would have loved to have seen their story developed more.
That said, this is an excellent story with characters you can’t help but empathize for as they are good people put in difficult circumstances. If you enjoy a Regency that’s a little bit different, you might enjoy the story.
Dazzled by J. K. Harper
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Dazzled*
Parody of Subgenre Romance?
We meet Lacey, who curates a museum of a billionaire, as she is talking about her attraction to her boss with a friend. He comes from California old money and has quite a reputation as a playboy. She fantasizes about him but knows he wouldn’t be interested in an academic like her. Also, she wouldn’t want to be just another of his for-the-night-only women, as that seems to be about the duration of his relationships. We meet Sebastian as he is flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles. But he isn’t doing this on an airplane. Nope, he’s a dragon shifter. He’s just bought an old piece from his family’s history that had been stolen and is happily taking it back home. As he flies, he can’t seem to stop thinking about Lacey. He is definitely attracted to his curator.
This book has such over-the-top language used to describe the attraction between the couple and their appearance that the story almost seems to be a spoof, a send-up of not only the romance genre in general but of shifter romance, paranormal romance, billionaire romance, and boss romance. To me, it reads like a parody of all those genres, exploiting the language and tropes of those types of stories. I don’t know if this was intentional by the author or if this is just her writing style. Other than being overblown, the writing itself is relatively solid and easy to get into. She has a good sense of pacing, as climactic even happened when they should. She did need a few more nouns and verbs, though, to describe how a particular undergarment became moist, or perhaps she could have chosen not to use that image so much. Surprisingly, the intimate moments aren’t as often as one might imagine, although there are lots of heated gazes and imaginings before their attraction comes to full fruition.
The Damsel by Victoria Vale
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
The Damsel*
Justice, Power, and Control in Regency England
The book opens with a large section detailing the tragic family background of Robert Stanley, our hero. He and our heroine, Lady Cassandra Lane, have a fateful meeting at a seedy tavern. She is there at the suggestion of her friend Millicent to find a man who will help her gain control of her fear of intimacy after her brutal assault by Lord Bertram Fairchild. She chooses Robert. He is there drowning his sorrows over Lady Daphne, who has just left with Adam Hartmoor; he had gone to propose to her. She gets the feeling that he would be a good man for her plan. They have quite a night! Cassandra is in control the entire time, and after they part, neither can entirely forget the experience. She comes back into his sphere when she removes to the dower house at the former Fairchild estate, which was purchased by a family member after the Fairchild family’s downfall. They quickly fall into a pattern of assignations of dominance and submission that they both enjoy. But this isn’t quite enough for Cassandra to regain her equilibrium. What matters to her most is justice. She seeks to avenge women who have been abused by men of power like she was.
How far will Lady Cassandra go in her pursuit of justice? Will she endanger herself or Robert? Where will her and Robert’s affair end? Will Lady Cassandra come to a better place in her life?
I have read the previous books in The Villains series. I was initially intrigued by the duology because it was listed as a dark Regency, and while I adore Regency, I wasn’t quite sure what “dark Regency” would be. So I was curious. The duology is very dark indeed as Hart wreaked vengeance upon the Fairchild family because of what Bertram did to Olivia. I absolutely adored the third book of the series, The Butterfly, which is Olivia’s story. Cassandra appeared briefly at the end of that book, and I was curious to see how her story would play out. This book is another very dark Regency tale. Cassandra has been so wounded not only by Bertram’s act but by her own response that she has become hardened and brittle, and now some five years after the attack, she’s wanting to take more control of her life, both sexually and against other predators like Bertram. At times, it is difficult to read how poorly she treats good-hearted, gentlemanly Robert, but the author has done well in showing why Cassandra acts as she does. Then, while watching her act against the predatory male members of the ton, you find yourself wondering how much will be enough for her and if she will be able to get a better place.
Robert is her perfect hero, the yin to her yang–and yes, I am purposely switching the genders here. He has known much suffering in his life even if he looks like the golden child. As his parents’ fourth son, he watched all of his brothers die throughout his childhood and as a young man. The extended section describing the Stanley family’s tragic history is heart-rending to read as the author does an excellent job in showing it, not just telling it; we can feel their pain. Certainly, it shows the fertile ground that made him both the perfect submissive (as he always bent to his mothers will) and the perfect masochist (as his mother was constantly trying to keep him from harm, often to the extreme). As they might say in Regency times, Robert and Cassandra were formed for each other.
While I hadn’t noticed it in the first two books–and I might have to go back and look at them–the author used symbolism here to great effect. There’s a pond near the border of the Stanley property where Cassandra likes to submerge herself as she contemplates the darkness. When Robert walks over to see their new neighbor, he watches transfixed as she enters, knowing that there are a ledge and a big drop off. When she doesn’t emerge for a while, he dives in to go after her. She resists and struggles but eventually lets him bring her to the surface. She lets him know that she didn’t need rescuing, as she was entirely in control of her actions. In beautiful symmetry at the end of the book, there is another scene at the pond. While what happens at this pond perhaps reflects their greater story, there is even a small bit of symbolism regarding tea versus coffee that shows Robert’s personal journey. By the end, they’re both better and stronger people, having grown because of their relationship.
In general, this entire series was darker than I typically like to read, and in particular, I am not a fan of dominant-submissive books. But what I appreciate is that this author has given the darkness in all of the books of this series context. This is not darkness for darkness’ sake, meant to titillate or arouse our more prurient interests. Rather, especially in the last two books in the series, she takes you to the characters’ personal hells and then leads them to the light, or at least to the promise of a better future, made more stark and beautiful due to the contrast. All of the characters in this series are three dimensional, and most are sympathetic to some degree, and the author was able to paint them with such vivid detail that I couldn’t help but understand their struggles and wish for them to have the best possible outcomes.
Bread Baking by Bicha Belle
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Free with Kindle Unlimited
Bread Baking*
Not Quite the Ultimate Bread-at-Home Guide
The subtitle of this book is “the ultimate guide to make [sic] your own bread at home.” To me, that is a big promise, and unfortunately, this book falls far short of the goal. To make such a claim, a cookbook needs depth and breadth. It should have an extensive set of introductory pages about everything to do with bread making, from tools and equipment to different ingredients to different techniques as well as general tips and hints. The only thing in front of the recipes in this book was a brief section on wheat flours. A book with that subtitle should also have a variety of well-organized recipes, ideally from all over the world. While there was some variety—including a fair number of gluten-free options—much of the wealth of bread options were missing altogether or under-represented, and the book wasn’t well organized. It contained recipes that weren’t bread (cookies and cakes) as well.
There are a lot of gluten-free recipes in this book, so it would have been nice if there had been an introductory section that discussed these alternative flours. Even the section on wheat flours didn’t address all of that type used in the book, like spelt.
The recipe section itself had odd divisions. The first section is called Bread Baking Recipes; honestly, couldn’t any bread recipe be categorized as that? More helpful divisions might have been gluten-free, yeast bread, and batter or quick breads. That way if you are looking for a specific type of recipe, you can quickly go to it. I question whether the author is a native English speaker from some of the titles of the other sections, like Breadsticks Recipes and Buns Recipes, as those would sound better without the *s* ending of the word before *recipes.* Each recipe had a photo, but they were not necessarily a picture of the finished bread. A cakey gingerbread recipe actually had a picture showing gingerbread men.
Because I had noticed in the author’s other cookbooks that she had content taken from other sources, I did some research on a few of the recipes in this cookbook. While the recipes I looked at were not directly taken word-for-word from other recipes, several were very similar to ones found on various blogs with just a few ingredients changed and the directions rewritten. In general, this is an accepted way of creating recipes, especially if you acknowledge the source of the original recipe. That was not done here. Also, for two of the recipes that I researched, the changes made could alter the texture, and ultimately the success, of the finished product. In one of the recipes, the amount of liquid was slightly increased by adding extract and maple syrup; in another recipe, whole wheat flour was substituted one-for-one for a portion of the all-purpose flour in the original. Whole wheat flour does not necessarily translate successfully in this fashion. Baking is not just an art; it is a science.
Because of these issues, I cannot recommend this book.
Four Last First Dates by Kate O’Keefe
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Four Last First Dates*
Healing Past Pain and Letting Go
The book starts with a hilarious scene where Bailey is trying to play the numbers to get to her last first date. She’s attempting speed dating at a bar. She only managed to make it through the first four of the ten that she should have participated in after the last guy wanted to measure her so he could make a female robot! Marissa’s brother is at the bar as well; clearly, Bailey and Ryan have a little flirty, bantering relationship. Marissa warns her off though, as she sees Ryan as still broken and cynical about relationships after a bad breakup. Cassie announces her engagement, which triggers a flood of memories for Bailey. She recalls her engagement to Dan some years ago. She had thought he was the love of her life, but then he died in an accident. Ryan and Bailey deepen their flirtation, but their past wounds and hangups with relationships get in the way.
I have so enjoyed this series of books. In the space of a few hours, the author made me laugh at the speed dating (some of those were really bad!) and in tears as I watched Bailey’s struggle with her inability to let her former fiance go and allow herself to move on. Just as in Paige’s book, the heroine’s past tugs at the heartstrings, and you will root for her to be able to embrace the future wholeheartedly. I like how in this book the hero has his own backstory to get beyond as well. I always enjoy the romances where two suffering people—hurting through no fault of their own—help each other heal. In the hands of the right author, it’s beautiful to watch as characters work through their difficulties, going back and forth, trying to do what is best. Bailey’s thoughts and emotions seemed realistic for her kind and compassionate character. Ryan was still a good guy even though he was hurting.
If you enjoy romances that can make you both laugh and cry—like I do—you may very well find this book to be an incredible read.
Intuition is Your Superpower by Bernadette Balla
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Intuition is Your Superpower*
Listen to and Encourage Intuition
Are you curious about intuition? This quick read gives you the author’s take on this somewhat nebulous topic. It is intensely personal as the author shares her journey about how she has gotten guidance and helped heal some of her mental wounds by pausing to reflect on what her mind and body is telling her and actively encouraging her intuition. Each chapter contains both her personal experience and more general thoughts about how the reader can incorporate the chapter’s topic into his or her own life. She does get you thinking about trusting those flashes of personal insight and what our bodies tell us. Our brains and our bodies are capable of so much more than just rationality and what can be quantified and measured. They store wisdom, and that wisdom can teach us so much if we are willing to listen and perhaps encourage.
The author looks at topics including body wisdom, how to encourage your intuition by working with the symbols resonating in your life, how to use it to help unpack your emotional baggage, and trusting intuition more in everyday circumstances. She also talks about different ways to meditate. There’s also a fun quiz at the back to see where you fall on the rational-intuitive spectrum.
The author has an easy-to-relate-to writing style, writing as if she is your slightly more knowledgeable girlfriend talking to you about intuition. Kudos to her, too, for writing with incredible honesty about the difficulties she has had in her life. They have definitely made her stronger, yet she still comes across as compassionate and kind, gently coaxing the reader trust and encourage intuition. The book is short and can be read in less than an hour.
Cooking with Kandy by Pegg Jaeger
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Scribd, W. H. Smith, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Cooking with Kandy*
Cooking Show Celeb in Danger
Kandy is a popular food show host and cookbook author to whom strange things have been happening lately. Family and co-workers think she needs a bodyguard to protect her against somebody who clearly is wishing to harm her. Kandy doesn’t want her life restricted. She eventually does agree to a bodyguard, and Josh–a private investigator who does a little protection sometimes–becomes a fixture in her life. As they spend time together and get to know each other, an attraction develops between them (though he was attracted to her from the beginning).
Will they be able to figure out who is threatening Kandy’s life? Will Kandy and Josh give into their feelings for each other?
The book pulls you in right away as you see Josh on Kandy’s set while he’s waiting to talk with someone about the job. The author does a good job of describing the food show set and Kandy’s presentation. I wondered how much food TV she watched! I’ve never been on one of those sets but what she describes seems very realistic. Kandy seemed like a real person, with vulnerabilities, despite her fame. The author has created a fascinating set of secondary characters who are a delight to watch in themselves, especially Kandy’s mother and sisters. Josh and Kandy had good chemistry.
If you enjoy bodyguard romance or romantic suspense, you might like this delicious (recipes included!) book.
The Satyr’s Secret by April Fernsby
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Scribd, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
The Satyr's Secret*
Delightful Worldbuilding and Characters in Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Things have been quiet in Brimstone, but now it appears that three witches have gone missing at the Mirella Retirement Village. Blythe sends Cassia and Stanley to investigate. They are at first thwarted by the grandson of one of the witches, Trent, but he soon joins their investigation. It appears that his grandma has a spellbook that reveals dark secrets.
Is karma paying back Trent’s grandma? Is Trent really helping or harming? What about the healing blue flowers that are so much a part of the village?
This is the first book I have read by this author. She has quite a way with describing settings as well as constructing a complex plot that’s still in the realm of a paranormal cozy. Stanley is an excellent character; I don’t think I’ve read another book that had such an awesome, human-like familiar. I was feeling Cassia’s horror right along with her when things didn’t look so good for the cat. I love the descriptions of the retirement village. Could you imagine living in such a place? The fun zone, the woods, the quiet place–I think I’d love it!
This is an absolutely delightful cozy, and if you enjoy paranormal ones, you might find this a very engaging and enjoyable read.
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